- You are kidding, right?

- Don't tell me you didnt notice it yourself after all those months.

- Well, I though it was just some sort of popular catchphrase or translation issue. To think it was that serious...

- More than you probably think. Lady Pestonia once mentioned that even His Majesty may not be immune to this "Tourette's Curse".

- Huh?! No way, even common undead should be unaffected by mind-relative spells.

- Anyway, you should master the use of this words if you wish to blend with locals. It could also be used to cover protocol breach almost everywhere.

Themis and Alessia were jogging through Katze Plains leading the ever growing crowd of mindless undead through the evening mist. Hundreds of skeletons tripping over each other trying to get the interlopers. From time to time some lucky runner manage to take a lead and score an impotent hit against an enchanted plate armor.

- R-really?! I mean... Why should I even care? Say, aren't we far enough?

- Guess so. Ready?

- On three. One. Two. Wait, what?!

Themis rolled her eyes.

- Wrong timing. Unless you forgot the number.

- Shut it! One, two, three.

After digging their heels and turning around they stand back-to-back and cowered behind rose shields. The undead horde washed over them delivering dozens of blows every second with no obvious result. After a minute or so, when the last lagers gathered around, Themis used "Turn Undead" converting bones to dust. After handful of lucky renegades were dealt with, Themis rose her visor. As expected, no new undead were coming through mist, once they reach "safe" area.

- Well, that was...loud. Are you okay?

- What?! Oh, couple of bruisers and scratches here and there, nothing serious.

- How did they even manage to scratch you? I get that there are "lucky hits", but...

- Ai! Don't you start again.

- But how does this "lucky hits" works?

- And how do magnets work? They just do.

Since the rest of their path to the Corelyne Country should be composed of depleted training grounds, they proceed in even more relaxed pace.

- So. What is this "Special Orichalcum Training" was about? We just end up fighting typical Katze undead for two whole days.

- Who knows? Maybe they test our resource management in uncontrolled environment with infinite number of weak woes?

- Think we'll pass? I'm so tired I could barely think.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

- Hope so. Since there are no safe place to camp here it felt like we fought one never ending battle until now.

- Say... Are My ears still ringing or there is something happening behind that tower?

- Probably some squires' evening training. Want to take a look?

- Why not? I kinda wondered if their train is any different from mine. Shouldn't this area be already depleted thou?

- According to Elder... - Themis voice trailed of as the source of the noise comes into view.

- Do you seeing what I am seeing?

- Some sort of skeletons with colored arm bands building ladders from them self, trying to get the girl covered in black, with height long red braid and huge basket, standing on 15-meters stature column, who keep kicking sceletons-made ladders down and waving at us, probably asking for help - Allesia paused to cacth her breath and shrugged. - Not even in top-3 of the weirdest things I saw this week.

- Soooo... Should we help?

- Something definitely feels off, but overall situation look simple enough. How is your mana?

- Pretty low. It was a long Katze days with no breaks. Should probably save for emergency healing just in case. Not that we need mana against such low level targets. Charge on three?

Some low level targets later, they heard light puff as the girl landed behind their backs.

- Nya-ha-ha-ha! Thank you for saving me, mighty adventuress. I'm Mysterious Headhunter Lupu-chan. Somehow I was ambushed by vile feral undead while trying to return to Re-Estise-su. They hurt my leg, so I couldn't run away and end up trapped.

- Still not in top-3, I say. Not even close to puppet without it strings cut.

- Headhunter? Some sort of mercenary assassin?

- Nya-ha-ha! Fear not, oh brave adventuress. Killing is not a part of my duty, I just hunt heads nowdays-su. Now if you could heal me - for a right price of course-su - I'll be on my way.

- Should we now?

- Ehh, lets get this over with. We still need to report to Expedition Office before we could finally crush the bunk.

- "Minor Cure Wounds".

- Nya-ha-ha-ha! Thanks a bunch! Hey, dont be so rude! Thank them, too-su. - Mysterious Headhunter Lupu-chan shake her basket, before running away at incredible speed.

- Mhmm fummhkm khmm uuu!

Couple of exhausted adventures watched with open mouths as the dark figure vanished into the night, before continuing their way. After several minutes of silence Alessia's shout finally broken the silence.

- Wait, WHAT?!

- Mmm, close, but still wrong.

- But..but... Didn't her basket just answer to her? Did she fold some goblin in there? Is it kidnapping? Shouldn't we stop her? Should we report it?

- Why would anyone need to kidnap a goblin from Sorcerus Kingdom? There are plenty of goblins everywhere. Although, now that I think about it, her story does seem weird. From were is she returning? Also her vertical moves seem to agile for someone with injured leg.

- Also the undead didnt act feral. They didnt react to our attack and cooperate like someone was coordinated them.

- Amd she didnt even pay for healing! A-a-and She like to go "Nya-ha-ha!". That sound extremely sinister!

- Nya-ha-ha-ha!

- Wahhh!

- Where did you come from?!

- Who knows-su? The point is that you failed your Special Orichalcum Train, by helping foreign thief to escaped with very important asset of His Majesty and leave thongs of orphans without care-su.

- Huh?

- As the highest ranking team you're supposed to lead expeditions and make difficult decisions, outside of human-centric outlook - or so they say. Anyway Lord Mare ask me to add some flexibility to your temple-raised minds-su.

- Why you?1 Who the hell are you anyway?1

- You can call me Lupu-Sensay, The Mighty Teacher! - the weird girl puff her chest proudly. - Our time is short so here is your first training missions. Deliver this basket to the E-Rantel Orphanage. Don't open it no matter what. Beware - if you met some headless person until you get there, you may not survive.

- ...

- ...

- Oh, and dont forget to pay your dues for destroying farm-scels to a nearest village-su. See ya!

The Mighty Teacher leaped into the darkness once again leaving her confused students with strangely restless basket behind. Their eyes met, before went to the pannier. Angry muffled sounds came from it.

- So... Stamina potions? - Themis let out exhausted sigh. She hated that stuff. For whatever reason "Bareare's Mix" - the only variant available though guild store - do a bit more than just restore persons endurance.

- Ai. This is gonna be a long night.

 to be continued