Preparations completed.

Aurora left the professor's room after reporting that she had to leave and that she would practice in her own group.

That would normally not be allowed because the students would be in a familiar environment where they would not learn anything new, but Professor Miller allowed it.

Aurora didn't know if it was because of an order from Director Vincent or it was another reason, but in the end, it was the same.

She could go back to her mercenary group.

Passing through the different classrooms of the practicing professors, Aurora hesitated for a moment, but since it was still early she went to the dining room.

As it was time for class, a few students were reviewing or recovering energy with some nice meals and snacks.

Aurora was about to go to one of the tables after looking for a ready-made breakfast when she met Vanessa who seemed to be eating alone.

Seeing that they were both tacitly alone, they went to the same table and after greeting each other, they smiled.

"It is strange that you are alone," Vanessa commented with an entertaining smile.

Everyone at the Heroes' Academy knew that she and her gluttonous friend were inseparable to such an extent that most of the time they were together and if one was alone the other was nearby.

Only today was different.

"My partner didn't come today," Aurora explained with a half-smile.

She concealed the fact that Alice must be waking up at this time and that the only reason she came was to arrange to be away for a week and take care of her students' enrollment in her group.

Alice was not going to get up early because of such a small thing... Of course, it would have been different if she had known she was going to have breakfast.

Eating her breakfast in peace, she chatted with Vanessa about various topics.

Aurora had met her during the time she spent guarding the dungeons, but she liked Vanessa, as she was a rather dedicated and skilled healer.

"I heard that you have a kind of practice too," Aurora commented, as she was nearing the end of her breakfast, and looking at Vanessa she added. "You must be excited."

Not only did the students in the combat class have practice, but also the support students from any branch.

Whether they were artisans, alchemists, or healers they had their own practices in different places.

The result was that they gained more experience and improved their skills by being under the instruction of some skillful masters in their respective branches.

It was a good opportunity to practice and for a healer like Vanessa to help, but her expression was difficult to describe.

"It's nice, but the places I can attend... make me feel like I'm not needed," Vanessa said, and seeing Aurora's interested expression, she hesitated for a moment and explained. "You know... members of unions, hospitals, and some charities... I'm not saying their work was unnecessary, it's important, but I'd like to help elsewhere."

Seeing that Aurora was still looking at him, he added. "It's important work, but I want to help... More directly."

Aurora nodded in understanding Vanessa's goal.

Working with a charity or hospital, even as a guild member for the expeditions, was important.

It would save lives and pay well, but there were places where a healer was most needed.

"Well, if you want I can recommend something in Africa... It is enabled by the academy and will allow you to be in a more agitated area, allowing you to help both combatants and civilians." Aurora said and finished her breakfast, she added. "Of course, you can choose to work in dangerous places or simply help from another location."

Seeing Vanessa's interested look, Aurora added. "This is a support group of the Church of Time and Space in Zerzura, and although it is a church-related job you get paid... However, that is for you to see, I will just introduce you."

In Zerzura there were quite a few charitable groups and associations, but this group of volunteers was part of the Church of Time and Space which was a fundamental force in Zerzura.

They were in charge of helping the citizens of Zerzura and supporting the neighboring towns and villages with both magical treatments and medical check-ups.

"It's okay, I'll see for myself," Vanessa said with a gentle nod.

Aurora couldn't help but smile.

That she decided to see it and not accept it directly, was the most important thing.

After all, checking the situation and informing herself wisely was essential before accepting an unknown job that could end up being more dangerous than she had expected.

Aurora and Vanessa exchanged numbers and necessary information, then the two of them separated.

On her way out, Aurora sent a message to Alice to see if she was ready.

"I'm already heading to the Cosmos Portals." –AliceSacredPapitas.

"I'm taking the cab, wait for me." –TheSimplicityOfLife

Sending that message, Aurora stopped a cab and headed for the Cosmos Portals.

If that was when she arrived, they would have had to go to the airport because the Cosmos Portals were not built in Zerzura, but now it was different.

In just one instant they could travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the center of Africa.

Since the Heroes' Academy was in the center of the city, and the portals were not far away, she reached her goal in a short time.

At the entrance to the Cosmos Portals, Alice was waiting for him with a bag of chips in her hands.

"Is everything ready now?" asked Aurora as she entered.

Alice watched her carefully for a moment and her eyes narrowed.

"You owe me breakfast..." she muttered with a unique seriousness.

At first glance she had noticed that she had eaten breakfast, and Aurora did not deny that this was a unique talent.

At the end she nodded with an amused smile, understanding her friend's seriousness.

Although this young lady was a glutton and loved to eat, she was not one to prepare her own meals... even if it was just breakfast.

"Well, come on, we need to get ready." Said Aurora and headed to the Cosmos Portals.

She had a long way to go and all of July was going to be a very busy month.

******

Aurora watched the approaching buffalo.

This creature was a magical beast of B-Rank, with a great force of charge that made it a creature to fear and was very problematic.

Its horns were lethal weapons.

"Come." Aurora incited the buffalo.

The buffalo snorted and charged toward her like an angry bull.

Could he understand her or was he simply provoked by a fighter's desire for battle?

She didn't care about the reason, she just used her fighting aura to strengthen her body and make it heavier.

Then when the buffalo approached to hit her, Aurora grabbed its horns and knocked it to the ground causing a cloud of dust to rise.

Immobilizing him on the ground, Aurora pressed him with her strength so that he could not perform any action.

"Be still." She murmured to the buffalo, raising its aura to suppress its altered state.

After a long struggle, the buffalo remained motionless and Aurora quickly removed from its special ring an anesthetic created by an alchemist and injected it into the buffalo.

After waiting a minute, and seeing that the buffalo was silent, Aurora sighed with relief.

She didn't need to kill it, even though its value was slightly elevated, that was because it was a slightly intelligent magic beast and its species was not only herbivorous but also took care of eliminating other troublesome predators that could harm people.

It was very difficult to maintain a balance between magic beasts or magic creatures and to designate which ones could be killed and which ones could be hunted.

However, this area was close to a section of the magical forest controlled by an S-range magical beast, which was not only intelligence but was a buffalo.

Killing one of its species would undoubtedly lead to diplomatic problems with a magic beast that could not only communicate but with which the city of Zerzura had a diplomatic agreement of non-aggression and mutual support.

Certain magic beasts were not hunted in this designated area and they were responsible for keeping dangerous and aggressive predators in check.

When to the food chain?

That was lost when the magical beasts could talk and were strong enough to confront humans and smart enough to have their own chain of command and organization, creating their own tribes and societies.

This particular situation was quite problematic for Aurora.

Sighing herself, she noticed an elder approaching.

"Chief of the village, please send this buffalo near the magical forest and leave it in the safe zone," Aurora ordered in a serious tone, and after seeing that the creature was unconscious, she asked. "Has there been any damage from the village?"

"No, just a few wolf injuries, but nothing we can't fix." The old man replied with a grateful smile.

This was one of the many villages around Zerzura City that provided support in problematic cases like this.

As Aurora watched the village chief ask some C-range fighters to load the buffalo into the truck, she changed her gaze to her approaching friend.

"I'm done with wolves," Alice reported with a calm tone.

The buffalo and its young were attacked by a group of wild wolves and that was the reason it went crazy and approached a human village fleeing in desperation.

The head of the village asked for help not because of the buffalo that could be controlled by the members of the village, but because of the wolves that were following the buffalo.

The magic beasts had their conflicts between different species... Although it was most normal for the wolves to hunt their own food without caring about their prey.

"This is too much trouble." Murmured Aurora rubbing her temple.

The Magic Forest that occupied a large part of the African continent was a trouble spot just like human societies.

The magic beasts and different races were not as peaceful as some people believed... And the Magic Forest where they lived was a place where intelligent magic beasts, wild predators, aggressive creatures, and monsters corrupted by chaos resided.

With their society and their own problems, it was stressful to deal with these jobs.

"Just ignore them, as long as they don't intervene with the villages under our protection there won't be too many problems," Alice commented without giving it much thought.

Aurora agreed.

It was too much trouble to know who or what was the enemy once they were near the magical forest, but a tacit sign of enemies for both sides was simple... Whoever attacked first was an enemy and it didn't matter if they were killed.

Intelligent magical beasts and humans were guided by that tacit rule.

So as long as they did not attack a village under their protection everything was simpler.

Of course, there was also a list of creatures that were usually peaceful, but just as not all humans were friendly, in this case, the magic beasts were equal.

"Chief of the village, take care of the wolf materials and talk to the administration for the other details." Said Aurora in a serious tone.

"Yes, if you don't worry. I will personally see to it that everything goes well and nothing is missing. The old man declared, beating his chest with enthusiasm.

Aurora only gave a smile.

Her group was in charge of eliminating creatures, but they did not ask for the money for the materials and left it to the administration of the City of Zerzura.

Although Zerzura was not a large nation, it was an official city-state in which the villages and towns were under its protection, so the administration was in charge of selling the creatures' materials, and then they were divided up to support and improve the quality of life of the villagers and the maintenance of the protection system.

As the person who was in charge of the work Aurora as a mercenary could ask for a part of the money from the materials of the creatures she subdued, but she as many others supported the people in this way.

Thus it was that the city of Zerzura and its surroundings grew, leading a ruined continent and its people to a new period of life.

Aurora looked at the village with well-built, heat-resistant houses, then observed the wall that was a basic defense against outside creatures and sigh.

The African continent and its countries fell long ago and millions of people died, but from their ashes, people rose and improved by supporting each other.

It was very difficult to think that this place twenty years ago, was considered one of the poorest places in the world and it was even more difficult to relate it to the City of Zerzura considered as the jewel of Africa, with a high standard of living as the cities of the 'first world' despite the constant danger.

Looking at the drones that were fluttering in the sky, Aurora decided to return.

She had already taken care of all the preparations she could during the previous week.

She helped Vanessa and put her in touch with the people she needed for her practice, then prepared the missions she wanted to do and all the other preparations for the whole month.

All that was missing was for Clémentine and the others to arrive, but that was not far off.

Aurora couldn't help but feel excited about what was to come.