Start of a different routine, Part 8

With all of that established, I headed back home within the same route I had headed to the guild through. When I arrived, most of the others had been waiting, but before we could start the group discussion, some more minutes were needed before Nalfimiria appeared again as well. Apparently she had left both to hear her end of the briefing and to do some other duty, which had taken some time from her before the meeting on my end as well. Still, with everyone around us we went over the task's information. At first I had been planning on doing that alone, however Nalfimiria aided in the process a little, as well as offered some details I hadn't known. Mainly things concerning some of the context to the group of Daokinyev and the situation I have covered in written paragraphs, as some of the details I placed in them combined information on the documents with things Nalfimiria had complimented. An example was that the guild hadn't really bothered to tell me what led to the punishment of the young chief in question. 

—I think none of us should see any problem with the task at hand. Is that right? — Having finished my explanation, I asked, to which no one protested. 

—The stakes of the situation seem peculiar for two beginners, but the job in itself appears to be simple. Is this the norm for Pact Warden tasks, though? I thought most tasks would feel far more trivial in consequence. — Chiaisei asked, and it seemed the subject was of some interest to the others as well. Nalfimiria and Sowanar were likely acquainted with the operations of the association by then, but technically I was the only member of the group that had been working within it. This made me want to put more attention in my reply. My words were unusually valuable in that situation. 

—Yes and no, I guess? The task difficulty is on the lower side, especially if you compare it to our total fighting strength. I don't think we would be getting involved in a crisis with potential to escalate if it wasn't for the fact Nalfimiria is around as well, however. Though so long as the least experienced can follow their lead, having one veteran for delicate situations can still lead to adequate results. 

—Then what were your usual tasks like, at your career's start? — This time it was Senshin asking the question. Even before asking this much, it still looked like he was way more involved with the conversation than on lighter topics. "Good to know he doesn't shy away from talking about work." I sort of expected that, yet it was always good to confirm these things directly. 

—Hm, in my case? My situation was really unusual in the first place, so I wouldn't know if it fits the norm. We were sent into a lot of Gathering requests early on, and some for Mediation as well. That had less to do with the team but the stronger parts of it, though. This was reflected even at our first task. — It seemed some of the others got curious, so before they could ask I started thinking about how to summarize that story. 

—Basically, in our first job we had been asked to assist this elven apothecary in gathering some samples of magical herbs deep inside the forests in this region. At first the guild framed the task as "escorting" her, but the girl in question was far stronger than the rest of us, and she more or less said she just asked for assistance to have company on the search. And she liked our company so much, she sort of just decided to stick around the unit for a longer test period. During it, most of what we did was work as her assistant and the testing kept getting extended until she was basically a part of the unit. This meant a lot more Gathering, Assistance and Escorting jobs were tossed onto us than the usual. A lot of what's odd about my old unit surrounds this woman. 

Having someone trained in handling magical plants and potion making around made us far more appealing for Gathering tasks. Especially since Falminoria wouldn't even need to be accompanied by a local specialist to identify most of the things we needed to gather. Combined with her extended knowledge about life in the wild world and the help provided on that front by having 5 bound companions, she gave us a niche by being around, and it isn't usual for low to mid level units to have one. Also she more or less pushed us from an early level to mid level unit single handedly, considering she brought 4 magical beasts with her and a magical plant when entering the group. Hence why I wasn't even insulted when others from the field would joke that her presence took the workload from the rest of us. I'd have to be deluded to try to argue against that, even if the accusation was framed seriously. 

—That should make it harder to apply your experiences to all of our work, but perhaps we should keep it in mind. You've probably traveled through a massive chunk of this region's wild zones by now. 

—I guess? I'm somewhat familiar with a lot of the areas in the surroundings, though not enough to identify paths immediately or anything. We did a lot of roaming through Rasdwinvhyr in particular, but our tasks didn't bring us between nations too often, and most of the time the work would revolve around one of the borders. — I answered Sowanar's compliment. I didn't want them to overestimate me, as I was pretty sure the eagle and elf would still be more reliable on trailing forests than I was, but I had stumped around a lot of areas of Galecirnan by then. Finding the best ways to walk through them usually wasn't my function, however, as the old gang also had a bird and elf combination, one that more or less outperformed the current one for this function. 

—That aside, I do believe the implication of this role they fit your group under carries some significance now. The typical tasks for the unit were molded around the strongest and most specialized member of it, yes? In this sense, it is likely for the future that Nalfimiria will be used as the mold for ours. — Chiaisei said this observation after hearing that little exchange. 

—In a sense, but that doesn't say a whole lot. As far as this kind of work is concerned, my specialties are merely talking, planning and violence, something that is hardly unique to anyone. These are great qualities to have, but they don't sell as clear a picture as having advanced knowledge in many kinds of plantlife. But since we have just brought up planning, maybe we should confirm for now if we're all in favor of accepting this job? Not just among us, preferably extending that confirmation to the association as well. This matter seems to require a good measure of haste. Let's discuss some more of the details once that part is over. 

Hearing her suggestion, we each took our turn putting our signatures* in the contract through the main transmitter we would use. Normally we would need to walk for some minutes to reach a support station to extend the range of ours, seeing as the common model couldn't send things from that far, but Nalfimiria's had the reach to connect with the association's from our house. Before going through with it though, she brought up the need to announce our travel expenses, as well as if we wanted them to send someone to look after the house. For the latter, the choice was a no in this case, since we only would be spending one or two days away from the house, however the first would require some discussion. It was part of the planning Nalfimiria had mentioned earlier. 

(*Most of us were using a language from Galecirnan, but Nalfimiria had signed her name in elvish, while Chiaisei used simplified Gujimatsukin by reflex. She signed for the eagle as well, also in their syllabary. In this case because they hadn't adjusted Finarkzir's signature to other languages. None of this information is really useful, but now you know!) 

—Based on the distance on the map, I think the path is pretty easily walkable. I could probably cover it in less than an hour by bike, and less than two on sprinting, though I'm probably far more athletic than the rest of you. There seems to be a well organized outpost in the way as well, so if a break is needed the spot is already there. So, what do you all think? — She said while showing the map to the others. I already knew the region well enough to know the approximated distance. It was enough to intimidate a normal person, but a human athlete wouldn't need to practice spellcasting to cover it in a day. 

—Without any breaks, I probably would need 5 hours, but… If there will be one by the outpost, maybe I can bring that down to 4 of walking. — I said first, already aware of the distance and my condition to tackle it. Unlike Nalfimiria or Sowanar, I wasn't adapted to infusing to bypass fatigue for too long, else I'd just be switching between the normal type of tired and overloading myself from infusing. I was also supposing I wouldn't be carrying all of my gear, but still be wearing parts of it. 

—That should be an easy pace for me as well. Perhaps closer to three. 

—Same. — Senshin said just after the knight, after glancing through the numbers on the map. The boys likely could cover this type of track without needing much magic in the first place, so with it there shouldn't have been any issue. The problem was, the limit had yet to speak personally. 

—... No way I can handle this in three hours, even with a break. That would be at least 10 vraistrij an hour. In a dash those numbers would be laughable, but I'm not trained for distance running. My legs would be waiting for a day-long infusing-paralysis by the time we got to the destination. — Chiaisei said, a declaration that shouldn't have surprised any of us. 

Neither of us were quite as well built as the boys, and given Chiaisei's speciality in infusing was levity and liberation, that made her excellent for short bursts of movement, but basically an above average human when it came to stamina. That, as busted as their typical traits were, law alternating infusing didn't raise infusing resistance at the same pace as life enhancing types, so keeping levity up for hours straight probably would exhaust through her resistance. If I had any edge in this regard it was that additional experience means suffering through more healing spells, which tend to build up resistance pretty quick. Her top running speeds might beat either of the boys, and wind casting could bring her to a different level than the rest of us hummies when it came to speed, but she couldn't keep that up for much longer than a few minutes. The compatibility of the task couldn't get much worse than for her. 

—Okay, so how long do you think you can run at this pace without a break? And how long would that break need to be? I can lessen the burden of healing on you as well. — Nalfimiria offered, causing Chiaisei to ponder for a moment. 

—Maybe 30 to 40 minutes? Depends on the locale, but I think a 10 minutes break between each round would also count well. Carrying armor probably wouldn't make matters much easier. Someone would need to carry Finarkzir's perch as well. Expecting her to circle around the group for such a long time would be a cruel task for a bird. 

—Well, if those were the only options, flying to the destination ahead of time definitely would be much easier for me. 

—In that case, I've got a simple solution for this problem, as well as the equipment for everyone else. If you would all turn your attention to the table for a moment, here it is! — While declaring as much, the sister conjured a miniature cart on top of the table. Based on its scale, it likely would be carrying most of our baggage, yet it seemed there were resting seats on it as well. The gleam on her face made it pretty clear she had been offering herself for pulling it as well. Elves always make great cart pullers. They aren't as big as ogres or orcs nor as short as dwarves so it was easier to fit them in normal carts. They don't need to be rented, like horses, they had the magical and physical endurance needed and many could pull a carriage on their own, and for some reason I had met multiple ones who found the concept appealing. 

—Makes sense. Have the one with the most stamina make up for the lack of it in the others. 

—I can already tell this will look bad for me, before you've even finished explaining. — Me and Sowanar more or less spoke at the same time, though he was far less loud about it. It seemed he didn't really like the idea. 

—With a cart, I can pull everyone's equipment and weapons, with no problems. We can also have chairs on the back of it, in case someone needs a rest during the trip. You all are light enough to where I could still sprint with all of that in my back if it's only just one of you. The bird can stay perched within it as well. — She seemed oddly enthusiastic about pulling a cart. Maybe she thought it was one of the few ways she could show this part of her strengths to the rest of us. Or maybe she simply didn't have the patience to walk at the pace of what she might consider frail beings. 

—... Is there anything I can say to convince you to split that role or to just leave it to me? — Our knight sounded dreadful while asking as much, seeing his prophecy come true. 

—Of course there isn't. I could pull a loaded train cart with ease, just some of our gear and one or two human girls should be pretty easy. I could probably still beat you all in a race, even if I had the cart on. 

—The equipment would be at risk, please don't try it. As would my ass, just don't please. — I said while imagining her sprinting while I sat in the miniature chairs she placed on the backroll of that cart. Not sure if the biggest risk was falling or the rough treatment all the jumping that thing would do to my cheeks. 

—Besides, the carts of this type that are offered in the temples are usually heavily under the effects of levity and liberation. It should make the already simple task as easy as chewing cake. 

—Wouldn't that mean some of us could take that task as well? 

—As if I wanted to deal with you all getting tired along the way. You know, the gap in strength between humans and the scarlet is almost small in comparison to the gap in stamina between us, right? Just let me handle the manual labor. So long as it has nothing to do with swimming, it should be simple enough. — A fun fact for the readers, without the usage of levity infusing scarlet elfs can't float on water. They will sink as quickly as most types of stone. Metal-like muscles and bones can't come without a price. 

—If you insist… This will look extremely bad for me. — Sowanar sighed in resignation after saying as much, with far less strength in his voice than usual. 

—Okay then… Without counting the main rest, a 3 hour walk should be easy. What should the timing be? Anything that will avoid night time should be good, but that leaves plenty of options. Midday isn't hot enough to be an issue at this time of the year either. — Standard traveling equipment for guild mages came with some heat insulating enchantments that worked well for most seasons. Regardless of the side of the spectrum, those could work in anything but the more extreme climates. Rasdwinvhyr very rarely gets warm enough to merit heat resistant gear, though in winter, cold resistant types can be handy. 

—In that case, then how about arranging the time so that we will have lunch at the outpost? This will give us plenty of time to figure things out on the task's location, and will still offer us a lot of time to prepare from over here. 

—That could work, but it will prolong the mandatory rest. Is there any particular reason to spend most of our morning in the city? — Chiaisei said in response to the sister's suggestion. 

—Just some studying I wanted to do between these two days. I can kind of speak the languages used by the Daokinyev, though there tend to be a lot of variations between their dialects. I already brought some material from the local Temple of Reason, but it's best not to leave the city with borrowed books, even if I'm a sister. A messenger is pretty useless if they can't talk well with their recipient as well. That's why I wanted the time to make sure I got the needed words right. 

—A worthwhile worry, but is it even needed? I can simply establish a connection between you and the target, and they have a Yealmyrn user with them as well. Aren't there artifacts in the sisterhood that can imitate communication spells as well? Or at least do it far more effectively than simple thought communicating bracelets. 

—Those would still work best if you are familiar with the hearer's usual methods of communication. Spell link's may translate meaning and intention, however in negotiations it is still best for the speaker to have full control of the nuance of their words. Being able to adapt a message to a different culture instead of merely portraying its meaning is oftentimes helpful. Especially when the habits of a species in regards to communication do not fit exactly with those of social kinds, like if their languages are spoken in a particular pacing, or if some of their words are usually accompanied by certain gestures. Failing to portray as much would be disrespectful, given the many troubles that could arise from this situation. 

"It's not just anyone that can be asked to deliver this kind of message. There is probably a limited supply of emblem bearers that could have handled this situation." This probably had quite an effect on the selection of our group for the job. The path specialized in negotiations also tended to avoid handling fighting directly, so this probably restricted their choices for the role even more. "Maybe the confidence shown by that sister was a result of Nalfimiria having some reputation among them." Hearing some of that did explain in part why the sisterhood had been acting passively, if my guesses were accurate. Their lack of action would simply be a show of the fact they believed in the ability of the one being sent to solve the issue. Seemed unusual still, yet those were the pieces at hand at the time, so nothing more to do then make what sense with them that I could. 

—I see… This isn't so simple an issue to be dealt with without sufficient care. Even if I knew such peculiarities or the language, I don't have the experience to portray a message of this significance either. Will you begin to study once we're done here, then? 

—Probably so, but before that, I wish to verify something. Chiaisei, are you trained in forest probing? We have the location of their camp, but getting a chance to study the terrain around it ahead of time might be helpful. The current reports and maps aren't detailed enough to contain all of that information. — Nalfimiria said. The forest probing thing she mentioned is sort of a technique concerning Yealmyrn. It revolves around using spell links to gather information in a forest through the eyes of its inhabitants. Though technically anyone who could use spell links could do that, accomplishing so quickly tended to require training, hence for it being seen as a technique, not just a raw application of magic. Not anyone could draw out maps based on that information either, or pull the deed off while voicing their every discovery. This kind of magical use needed a lot of concentration, so the user needed some skill at doing the drawing or writing without using their brain fully over the process. 

—Yes, though I'm not sure if I'm as fast at it as I could be. Drawing out the topography and tree density around the area shouldn't be that difficult either. I wouldn't expect too much out of my drawing skills, however. The finer details may only be comprehensible through description. 

—Yeah? Do you agree, Finarkzir? I could bet she is way better than most amateurs based on that phrasing alone. — I said. Sometimes verifying these things can make a difference, and this type of comment from Chiaisei often proved to be unreliable. 

—Hm? Probably so, but I can't say my judgment is good in regards to this. She tends to be very accurate when drawing or painting something she's seeing, so for this case I would say you might be right. — While Finarkzir answered me Chiaisei shrunk away at being called out immediately. I placed a hand on her shoulder then, before quietly telling her to stop doing that while we discussed work. 

—Okay. I'm sure you can handle it then, my trusty novice. With that done, is there anything else we should worry about? We all seem fine with the transport option, at least, so it should be fine to send it. Are we arranging shifts for preparing now as well or do it as a group? Prepping the cart is something only the sister can do, as well as speak Daokinyevin, so maybe the rest should take that into account when deciding these things too. Why don't we shift to that side of the discussion for now? Anyways, you can leave this part of the organizing to me, Nalfimiria. If time is crunched for the studies, they should be your priority, and this is something I can cover nice and easily. — I said, taking charge of the talk as I noticed we were shifting interest matters. I tried sounding as confident as I could manage when it came to this side of things.

I was the most experienced with handling this type of preparation, excluding the elf after all. Maybe in most things Sowanar and I could be compared, though the difference in our fields of work meant I had to handle supplies and most of the prepping alone, while knights operated under a chain of command that spared them of these boring tasks. We were working on my field, not his, in the end. Helping out the others felt like one of my responsibilities, as this had been my work for longer, and showing confidence and some reliability when dealing with work matters was a big deal for that goal. That and besides, handing Nalfimiria all leading responsibilities was bound to be impossible eventually, even if she was the best fit for it. But if I didn't show initiative while everyone was still getting used to this, my role as lead assistant would be brought into question before I got the chance to prove myself. You always gotta work for respect, and having drive was really helpful for that, especially for this kind of job. 

—Is that so? Alright then, I'll take you up on that. Since I'll probably be preparing the meal I'll be checking on that end later. Doubt this discussion should be too complicated, but for the fledglings make sure you pay attention. Though before any of that, there is one last warning I should offer you all. Prepare for this job under the assumption we'll be sent to kill that trainee chief. All descriptions of the negotiation so far seem to point at him being expecting to die as a result of this task of ours. Perhaps it is even something he desires, by now. That's what I noticed, at least. — As she raised from her chair and offered this warning, it looked like each of the others took those words in a different way. Personally, the fact that this chief himself had suggested the solution through his death already indicated this might have been the case, so I wasn't that surprised. 

—What makes you think that? — Chiaisei was the first to ask, speaking as seriously as she could. She and Senshin were the pair who showed most shock at the declaration, so her taking the initiative wasn't something that caught me off guard. 

—Just some differences in opinion between the people we'll be speaking to. Perhaps a difference in how each sees things, especially in regards to that young leader. The leader himself is ridden with guilt, both over the mistakes that led him to this mission and the failures that created this situation. By this point, he doesn't want any of his underlings to suffer further for the mistakes he has been committing. Hence why he seems to be so resistant to any option that would make this issue any harsher for his followers. Any ideal scenario in his eyes are ones he has to suffer alone. Unfortunately for him, despite the blatant inexperience his greatest quality as a leader is inspiring loyalty as of now, and he seems to have little to no control over his subject's faith. Thus those working under him currently have offered their aid repeatedly during talks, despite him often seeking options that would enable them to return home until things calmed down. Hence why a solution that involves his death suddenly may have felt like something convenient, instead of dreadful. It would end his penance and spare those loyal soldiers in a single move, sparing them of any longer task. A cowardly solution, yet from his point of view likely the ideal one. — She explained while turning away from the rest of us. 

Nalfimiria's voice carried a more somber view over the situation, but we weren't given the chance to see how that reflected in her expression. Upon finishing her explanation she left us as well, so no chances for further questions were offered. Before the mood could be shifted by the nature of her warning, I called our attention back to the problems we still needed to solve, though. Since this trip would have been fairly short the process wasn't that complicated. For food, it was the meal for the road, spare rations and the water mainly. We were expected to eat inside the town both after arriving and before leaving to do the job, so longer meals wouldn't be needed for those occasions, though it was still common practice to bring less perishable supplies for any errors in planning. The brain needs to be in top shape for spell casting to be at its best, and that thing needs a lot of biochemical energy to make up for the abuse mages put it through. 

I also insisted we each check the state of our water flasks, traveling clothes as well as to see if the potions we had were charged, a practice Sowanar also seemed to carry. We each also checked out combat equipment, to see if everything was in order. Personally, I had a schedule of verifying the deterioration of the enchantments in each piece, but I still preferred to double check before leaving for a mission. The fact I needed enchanted ammunition meant there were far more separate items to check, so I always did a safety see through to make sure I was through enough with the last scheduled examination. The spheres and daggers I used were relatively expensive when seen as a set, so it was best they were constantly empowered to make sure I didn't need to fix any, or in the worst case substitute one*.

(*I used enchanted thrown weapons because by that point normal steel ones broke very easily while being pushed under the blows of my magnetic sling. Breaking through armor was also way easier with hardened projectiles.) 

With that out of the way, we had some final arrangements for the next day's meals before getting done with organization. Our diets were pretty accurately detailed for each to follow, so at least for main meals this made the process much easier. We got done with the work talk with still an hour or two to the afternoon, though, as well as the rest of the night yet to start. That more or less brought free time into force, and how we would be spending it as a group. Or, at least some of the group would. Senshin started looking for ways to train while doing Guidance and Nalfimiria was busy studying Daokinyev dialects. At times she would show up, in parts to check how we had handled organization, but she spent a massive chunk of that day just preparing herself for that talk. 

The other four of us took to studying, reading or playing games. I had some board and card based sets for occasional need to pass time, and Chiaisei also had some variants that came from Gujimatsuki. And here's a daily random fun fact about the unit, Finarkzir not only knew how to play a lot of board games, she was really competitive about them. And good at many as well! Either way, though maybe discussing side activities like these might be nice at one point, I don't think it makes sense to put it in a place of interest right about now. Which is all to say, this is more or less the end of things for this day on our end, or at least on the unit side of things. Next, we'll cover some of the trip between Zainlastris and the satellite as well as some of the preparation after we arrived there. Until then, have a nice break from me, and stay well!