The first and second day
Mikaela and Alana's journey after departing from the Association's main office progressed smoothly without meeting any meaningful impediment, even the weather was perfect.This favorable condition enabled the two adventurers to travel further than initially predicted in the first day.
Before the sun set in the horizon and got too dark to see anything, Alana set up a bonfire and their tent near a river, refusing any help from her employer, aside from fire magic needed to light up the woods.
Their only discomfort was the unappetizing preserved foods they had to consume, it seemed the ingredients were cooped up for far too long in the packages they even forgot their own inherent flavors.
"…I'm still amazed seeing you eat like this madam"
"…You and me both"
The old Mikaela was one hell of a picky eater, Alana lost count on how many times she left her foods unfinished due to complicated preferences, no matter how hungry she may be. Yet, the Mikaela before her finished the meal until the last bite dutifully.
Mikaela told Alana she had been like this since the meeting with her benefactor, and Alana became more interested to know that person even more, which they planned to meet after the promotion test was over.
On the second day, the situation was a lot more restless, offsetting any lead they achieved yesterday.
Before noon, they met several packs of weaponized ugly creatures with green skin and height comparable to dwarves near a forest. Individually, they were weak, even a person just enrolled to be an adventurer could handle them, probably.
Nonetheless, each one of them had unreserved bloodlust and immense tendency for cruelty and violence, as well as a taste for male's flesh and female's body. Furthermore, they always operated in a large group.
Based on reports, with superior numbers, they often attacked villages. Stole their provisions, killed and ate the male, and played with the female until they were broken.
With their horses, the adventurers could actually left them in the dust, the creatures were unrelated to the quest. However, they did not, and chose to engage and eliminate them to lessen future threat to society. Life was already tough as it was without them interfering.
"Here I come!! Madam, be careful they might come from behind"
Alana dashed forward with a sword in both hands, each sword's sharpness had been enhanced by Mikaela's wind magic, and her vigorous attacks caused great damage to the little creatures.
With powerful precision, the emerald ranker stabbed their heads, severed the necks from the bodies, threw knives to their hearts, and crushed their skulls with powerful kicks, ending their disgusting existence swiftly.
During the rampage, the lady withdrew any mercy she might accidentally showed because the opponents would treat her the same.
"Rise, my loyal guards!"
Mikaela refrained from using any excessive magic to prevent unrepairable damage to the forest and nearby area. Thus, the silver ranker constructed twenty two-meter earth golems to help Alana crushed the creatures.
Earth element was one of the two magic Mikaela finally able to utilize prior to the test. Yet, her proficiency in the new magic was still low. The golems she formed were basically a humanoid lump of uneven rocks, its fragile and inelegant. Fortunately, they were more than enough to handle the current enemies as a swing could incapacitated several of them at once.
A true master of earth magic could conjure a much more refined golem with higher strength and durability, while Mikaela still did not have a clear image for her golems.
Each pack contained roughly fifty creatures, and they encountered five packs along the way. So, it took a while until the two women eradicated them all from the land…
"It stinks!!!"
Unlike Mikaela who let her golems did all the jobs for her. At the end of the battle, Alana was covered by the creature's foul blood, and their other parts that were too hilarious and disgusting to be even mentioned directly.
Alana really eager to take a proper bath to wash all the nauseating dirt from her body and equipment. Fortunately, at the end of the second day, they should arrive at a town before dusk where all her wishes could come true, she must endured until then.
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Past noon, right after finishing their lunches, Mikaela and Alana were chased by a group of large canines with antlers on their heads. Though only a dozen in numbers, they were leagues more dangerous than a hundred of green creatures they encountered this morning.
Fortunately, their war horses were unfazed by the pursuers and kept running calmly, confident they would not be overtaken by some unknown beasts. Normal horses would already be in a panic state and threw the riders off their backs.
Different from their previous battles, Mikaela did not have to mind the forest. Thus, while holding the reign, she turned her body and left hand toward the beasts.
"Become my blades and slice them apart!"
Ten viridescent magic circles appeared, and the beasts were assaulted by numerous sharp gales. Almost immediately, they were decapitated, unable to put up a fight.
"…Isn't that too much?"
"Probably. But, that level of magic won't even scratch a dragon"
Mikaela still vividly remembered how all those blades were powerless before a dragon's toughness. The silver ranker had improved since then, it's just, facing a dragon alone was too tall of an order, she had no confidence.
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"I can see the town… darn it!!"
Alana rejoiced when the town she longed for was finally in sight.
Unfortunately, some distance away before the peaceful town in an area with thicker vegetation she noticed a scuffle where a poor horse-drawn carriage being surrounded by a group of people, most likely bandits.
"…Let's go, then you can have all the bath you want"
To be honest, feigning ignorance to the incident in front of her eyes did evilishly pop up inside Alana's mind as she was in desperate need for hot and nice bath. However, Mikaela asked Alana to join her to save the carriage. The former knew her friend might really abandoned the carriage if she was a little late in asking.
Alana was visibly reluctant. But, she quickly recalled bandits had bounty on their heads, dead or alive. So, they could earn extra money by turning them all to the guards at the town.
"Fine, fine, I'll go with you madam"
"Stop with the 'madam' thing already! It's getting on my nerve!"
"Just trying to be polite to my employer"
"Well, this employer order you to stop, understand?"
"Crystal"
The two adventurers instructed their horses to charge at full speed to help the carriage, and the horses exhibited their full potential as commanded.
When the distance considerably shorten, Alana identified around thirty bandits near the carriage, including two cowards concealing themselves on nearby tree with their bows at the ready.
"Mikaela, two are on that tree over there, take them out first"
"With pleasure!"
A pair of lightning spears flew from Mikaela's magic circle and flawlessly hit the hiding bandits before they even knew what happened. Afterward, their burnt bodies fell from the trees.
"What's that?!"
"People coming our way!!"
"Heh heh heh let's teach them a lesson for disturbing our job"
Simultaneously, the attack emitted a strong flash of light and crackling sound which gave away the female adventurer's position. Regardless, they did not have intention to attack stealthily in the first place. So, nothing changed.
"Mikaela, lightning-enhance my swords and shoot some magic to attack them, please. I'll handle the rest"
"…..Wait a moment. Done! have fun!"
Complying with the request, Mikaela clad Alana's blades with lightning magic, and sent numerous lightning spheres to paralyze some of the bandits. Then, the bikini warrior jumped from her horse and began waving her pseudo-magic swords wildly around the bandits.
"Gaahhhhhh!!!"
"Guuaahhhhh!!!"
"Kyaaaahhhh!!"
"Mamaaaa!!"
The blades were infused with considerable electricity, capable of paralyzing an adult person with each slash. All Alana's opponents were men that hit all criteria on how to look like bandits perfectly. However, among the screams, the last two did not match the owner's scary appearance.
"Bwahahahaha!!! This is what happen when you stand in the way between me and a hot bath!!!"
Meanwhile, from a safe position, Mikaela was wondering the party more suited to be the villain in this scenario. Alana who was laughing and saying nonsensical threat while attacking, or the actual bandits lying weakly on the ground while twitching… It was a hard choice to make.