Siting himself seeing the two boys sleeping silently. Akatosh recalls their past smile. It was a priceless smile of someone whose dark past still lingers in their hearts.

"It's hard to lose someone from their party. I know that feeling." Akatosh says, remembering his dark past.

With that said Akatosh brought out a blanket for them.

Meanwhile, Sheila had just awoken to do a night shift. And by the time she readies herself, Sheila heard a rustling sound outside from the tent. Alarm she slowly opens the tent to see Akatosh giving blankets to her companions. Curious, she waits for my next action.

"What a pain." Akatosh groans checking checks his wounds.

Removing his armors to see his shirt stained in blood. While he then silently fiddles with his injuries unknown to him, he was being watched by Sheila. Following the removal of his shirt, Sheila blushes to hide her face. Unwrapping the bandage, he slowly examines his wounds.

Moaning in silent. "Now what," Akatosh says after he saw his severe open wound damage.

For a moment Akatosh suddenly thought about the acid potion, which was identified by one of the appraisers selling an endurance potion.

"Maybe I can close the wound faster by just put some acid. Yeah, it might work. This just a flesh wound."

Before Akatosh retrieve the acid potion from his bag, Sheila was already standing right by his side unnoticed.

Without hesitation, she places her palm at Akatosh's bleeding injuries. A second of concertation a white light can be seen from his hand. And slowly it closes the open wound healing it within minutes like Ashalain's healing magic.

"Um… thank you." Akatosh was amazed.

Shaking her head sideways she then replies. "It's nothing."

Breaking the minutes of silence, Akatosh then asks. "Care to help me put these boys to the tent."

Poking the campfire after they had placed the boys inside the tent, Akatosh then ask Sheila about her magic.

"Do all mage learn healing magic," Akatosh says, adding more woods for the fire to sat alive.

"Well, there's what we called simple healing magic that novice mage could learn. But paladins, maidens, and priests are the ones with high power healing since they draw their power through the gods themselves. It's more of a miracle. My specialties are abjuration magic, the one that specializes in protection magic."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You mean like erecting barriers and other protection magic?"

"Yep," Sheila replies with a smile.

"These people are hardworking for something." That's what Akatosh thought after he had summarized all their past words and emotion.

"It seems that your party cares for each other," Akatosh said. A blunt word to further prove his assumption.

A grieving smile she hides. "The truth is one-one of our friends…"

Without finishing her words, she begins to pour tears from her eyes. Akatosh wanted to comfort her but he doesn't know-how. Akatosh can tell the feeling of someone you love and care so much to lose in front of your eyes.

"The heck is wrong with me! Why did I even ask that question in the first place."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought this up."

"It's okay, I'm fine it's just that…" Sheila responds, wiping her tears.

"I can tell you've all been through a lot. And it's fine to cry, we've all been through a lot." Akatosh said. His words were followed by a deep feeling.

Seeing him still smiling. Sheila thought Akatosh must have had a lot of many dark past behind him.

"Well… we took this mission because we--" Sheila says, cutting her words. It was hard for her to tell their story.

"You don't have to tell me," Akatosh said since he already knows why they took this dangerous mission, even though it is a scouting quest.

"Sei and Reith were orphans being kicked out of the house because of being blackmailed for stealing. I first met them living in the forest we became friends until one of our friends…" She says, cutting her story.

"It seems that she didn't want to utter her dead friend."

"So that person is why you all become adventurers," Akatosh responds.

"Yes, we trained so hard until it was enough that we've been accepted by the guild. Though we are a lower tier adventurer enough to rival wolfs."

Hours pass till sleepiness quickly overcomes Sheila unexpectedly drops her head to Akatosh's shoulder.

"Good grief." Akatosh smile.

Bringing out another blanket, Akatosh covers her and slowly he lays Sheila at the warm grassy ground close to the bonfire.

While being awake to watch the whole night. He stays awake watching the clear night sky full of stars, it was enough to give him serenity for a while. With fatigue and his past battles sleep soon overcomes him, letting him sleep for just a few hours.

Awake by his instinct as if a dark presence is bulging through his soul. He clears his eyes to see the fire dying. Not wanting to disturb the people Akatosh went for a hunt. Fortunately, the forest provides enough meals for all of them. It was still dark, so he quickly gathers his hunt and quickly dashes towards the campsite.

"A bit of spice and a good ol' rub will give this meat a tasty meal," Akatosh says, butchering some rabbits and chickens that he'd forage. "If memory serves, they must have put it somewhere near that stone table." Akatosh continues looking for spices.

"Oh, what is this?" Akatosh says tasting the unknown ingredients. "Hot-hot-hot." It was a dash of pepper, and a strong one.

Dividing the meat, I boiled and add some flavorings making it tastier while I barbeque the other meat.

It was now morning and alas the breakfast was ready to be served. Akatosh however, didn't bother to wake them. He let alone wake them up.

Sheila was first to open her eyes and when she saw Akatosh preparing the food. She stood up apologizing for not waking up early. But Akatosh just smiled at her, saying "There's no need."

By their conversation, all three of her friends awoken to Akatosh and Sheilas' chatting.

Surprise by Akatosh's cooking skills they gather around tending to their meals. That's when Akatosh creates a conversation.

"So where is this place you want to investigate."

"Ah… it's through the east. We were task to scout an ancient building near in this forest." Sei reply.

After the meals were done Akatosh stood up and said to them. "Care to learn something about survival?"