Camping

"My lady, why did you say that about Peles?" Tran asked. His back faced the Seren with his front to the forest.

"What?" Seren asked. She sat on a fallen tree with her arm stretched out to the fire.

"That it's a gold mine."

"What about that it?"

"The city is in poverty, my lady. Everyone knows that after the war, the south became abandoned and overrun with wild animals. No kingdom has claimed it and now its infested with runaway criminals." Tran paused, scanning the trees for any danger before continuing. "Even the way to get to the city is troublesome. And the mana levels are so low that no magicians go there to raise their rank."

It has been seven days, and the journey had been somewhat peaceful. Aside from occasional potholes. Soon they would be entering the city of Peles. Right now they had decided to rest for the night, so they had sent up camp. The children had fallen asleep in the tents along with Ines and Gray. While outside, Tran was standing guard, it was his shift, with Seren at the campfire, who couldn't sleep.

"Later in the years, that city that you think of as troublesome will become a treasure." Seren rubbed her hands together, the fire was lessening and she was getting cold.

"How do you know this?" Tran inquired.

Seren was getting annoyed at the constant questions that Tran had been asking her. From when they left the city till now he had been asking her questions.

"I do not need a servant that asks its master questions. Don't think because you swore a God Vow, that I will not kill you. I'm not afraid of offending the gods nor am I afraid of some little curse from them. So I shall say this again. Do not question my actions, only follow. When I let you ask a question, you can ask." Seren snapped.

Tran slowly nodded his head as a response. Seren only saw his back so she couldn't see his current expression.

"Switch posts with Ines, you have done enough for the night." She got up. "I'm going to sleep." Seren went to her small tent. The fire had finished burning.

It was midnight, and the two moons had appeared and stars along with it. The wind floated through the trees, the trees as a response rustled creating a sweet melody. In addition, everyone except Ines had entered their dreams. The Seren eyes opened, she quickly sat up.

"Wild animals coming from the forest." The mana sense had told her. She scowled, before exiting out of her tent, where she saw Ines, Gray, and Tran, who had geared up.

"So they noticed." Seren thought. "Gray, go watch the kids. You seem to get along with them." The mercenaries turned around, surprised at her voice before Gray nodded. He quickly turned and left. Seren walked up to them.

"My lady..." Tran started to speak. "Ines says that he can sense some goblins coming over here." Tran looked at Seren before continuing."I believe him, so please do too, I know you as a magician might not sense anything but his ranger skills are one of the best. So please believe us, " Tran sounded desperate.

"I do," Seren responded.

"I know you wouldn't, but goblin's shaman magic must be…Wait! you do!?"

"Yeah, I can sense them too," Seren answered calmly.

"My lady, are you a rank three magician?" Tran asked.

"What did I tell you about the questions?" The mercenaries took it Seren's response as a yes. In which Ines, Tran and Gray's eyes dilated. After hearing so many tales in bars, about how hard it was to get through each bottleneck for magicians, and how some even died to get to the next rank and it was shocking to see a magician above rank three, and above all, it was a child.

"Sorry, it just fascinating, you must be a genius to achieve such a level at such a young age and survive," Gray said. Seren tilted her head a bit before remembering that she was a child's body.

Tran frowned, "Of course my lady is a genius. You think I swore a god vow to a weakling!" Tran started to harass Gray.

"To remember- don't use so much magic in this little body, Only rank two magic spells." Seren thought.

"So how close are the goblin to us right now." Seren changed the conversation back to the current situation.

"Very close, they should be around a dozen goblins with a shaman."

"Something you can take care of?" Seren asked.

"Of course we are one of the best mercenary groups there's. So you can go back to sleep, my lady," Tran responded. Seren shrugged and went back to her tent if anything dangerous happened her mana sense would tell her.

Closing her eyes, she let the morning come. Soon the sound of birds tweeting arrived. Seren awakened to the early sun of the morning. Smelling food, Seren wobbled out of the tent. She scrunched up her nose; she smelled blood. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Ines cooking.

"My lady you're awake early," Tran smiled as he saw her come out. "Ines is one of the best cooks in the world, I know you'll love his cooking." He said patting Ines' brown hair and continued to talk about what happened during the night.

Seren, who did not care, absentmindedly nodded to his chattering. "My lady, Ines and I found a pond nearby. You must feel unhappy after five days of not bathing. So let me take you there."

Tran gently grabbed Seren hand and pulled her. "Where are we going?" Seren was no longer asleep after Tran had touched her.

"To your bath, my lady," Tran said as he pulled Seren through the forest, the path wasn't very complex nor far from the campsites.

Arriving at the pond, Seren looked down in amazement. The pool of water was surrounded by rocks while the tall trees covered the top of it letting in some sunlight but blocking the rest. The sunlight gave the pond a mellow and calm look. It was exquisite.

"Then let I will leave you." Tran smiled before leaving. Waiting some more minutes, to make sure Tran had really left, she undressed. Dipping her toes into the pond, she was surprised. The pond was a hot spring. Entering the pond, she submerged herself under the water and entered her thoughts again.

"To do list- get land, build a house, secure position in Peles, and then wait 5 years," Seren thought. "Seems ok, what about after the five years… I get to that when it comes." She then washed off the sweat and dirt she had gained from the ride.

Drying herself with a cloth she got from her space ring, she dressed in her nightgown and she went back to the campsite.

The campsite was silent. Around the used campfire were three logs. The mercenaries sat on one log while all six children sat on other, opposite them. The used campfire separated them and the last log sat in front of them.

"Ah, you back." Tran quickly sat up, he reached for a silver bowl, unlike the bowl she was using, that lay next to him. "Here's your meal my lady."

Seren grabbed the bowl and sat on the empty log. "When your done Ines and Tran, I want you to attach the two horses from the wagon with the supplies onto my own and Gray's. Gray, I want you to clean the carriage while Ines and Tran are doing their assignment. We are leaving today. I want to get to the city by this afternoon." Tran stared at Seren before whispering something to Gray.

"What about the supplies in Ines' carriage. ?" Gray inquired.

"I have a space ring remember," Seren spoke. "Tran, you'll be with me inside the carriage. Gray, Ines you'll be the drivers." Silence soon reigned over the place. Minutes passed and the mercenaries left to follow her orders, leaving her with the children.

Seren placed the bowl next to her feet before looking at the children. The children, feeling her stares, all looked up.

"So...your names are?" Seren asked awkwardly. She didn't know how to interact with children, though being a child herself. To make it worse the children were just stared at her as is he was a golden statue. "My name is Seren, Seren Qigossi."