The group departed from the protective outer walls of the bustling town of Mangst and made their way toward the dense and mysterious forest ahead.

"This is going to be interesting... I never thought I would be hunting down monsters in my wildest dreams," Rya said as the five rode on their horses.

"Yeah, I know the feeling... I've been alive for 20 years, and it still feels surreal to be in a world where you can use mana," Quinus agreed with a smile.

George nodded attentively while Percy feeling slightly taken aback. The young ranger was aware that his lord had been the Goddess's summoned, but was not acquainted with Quin's first life, which piqued his curiosity. However, he chose not to inquire further. Meanwhile, Tayna was utterly bewildered. She had no inkling of what Quinus and Rya were discussing. As the future baroness, she was unsure if this knowledge was meant for her ears.

"Umm?... I hate to ask, but what are you two talking about?" Tayna asked nervously.

Quinus and Rya deftly pulled back on the leather reins of their powerful steeds, bringing the five horses to a graceful halt. With a fluid motion, they turned their mounts to face their companions. Sir George cast a meaningful glance at Percy and Tayna as if he were eager to share tales of Earth but recognized the need for discretion.

Quin gazed at Rya, his bow raised, as she responded with a mischievous smirk before giving a subtle nod, silently conveying, "Let's inform her."

"Well, Lady Tayna... You've been with us for some time, and you are Rya's close friend, so you can know. But this is between you, me, Rya, and the rest of us here. No one else can know," Quin began as his face became serious.

Tayna swallowed a lump in her throat, then nodded.

"Quin and I are summoneds from another planet... The same planet... And somehow, we ran into each other as if fate wanted us to be together," Rya explained.

Tayne's brows raised in surprise, and she couldn't believe it. She was friends with the deities' chosen ones. It was so rare, and she's benefited so much already, and they were kind enough to bring her into the loop. Her loyalty to Quinus and Rya was already high, which made it skyrocket to new heights.

"Well, I feel foolish for trying to get in between you two when we first met... I'm sorry," Tayna said with a frown.

Rya's gaze softened.

"Oh, don't worry, Tayna. You didn't know, plus Johan was inflicted with whatever the curse or blood contract thing on his mana vein. You didn't know you had a stud already," Rya said while giving Tayna a flirty wink.

"Um... Yeah... I still feel bad about doing what I did to Johan... That's why I need to grow my mana vein... But I'm surprised that another planet has humans and dark elves living together in harmony," Tayna asked.

"MHF~!" Sir George covered his mouth. The knight could hardly contain his excitement as he restrained himself from sharing the news about Earth with Tayna and Percy. His suppressed eagerness was evident from the way his face contorted, resembling a tightly sealed steam boiler on the verge of bursting. Quin and Rya could almost visualize steam billowing from his ears, nose, and mouth as he struggled to contain his anticipation.

Quinus, with a stoic and unyielding expression, fixed his gaze upon his retainer. He was annoyed by his knight's behavior. Meanwhile, Rya couldn't help but wonder if the mounting pressure and tension would finally cause George's head to explode figuratively.

"Haah... You can tell them about Earth, George..." Quinus said in an exasperated tone.

And with that simple command, the knight burst out and began to explain their home world in great detail as if he too was from there, which startled all the horses.

"EARTH HAS ONLY HUMAN'S, LADY TAYNA! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?! HUMANKIND RULING A WORLD OF THEIR OWN WITH NO MAGIC OR MONSTERS!!! AND THE GODS DON'T INTERFERE IN THEIR LIVES, LETTING THEM CHOOSE WHAT KIND OF LIFE THEY WANT TO LIVE!!! THEIR WORLD IS FAR LESS ADVANCED IN ARTIFACTS AND MAGIC THAN TERTIUS, BUT THEY MAKE UP FOR IT WITH TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE! THEY ARE ABLE TO MAKE SUCH THINGS AS AEROPLANES AND AUTOMOBILES THAT MOVE BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT USING HORSES, AND EVEN SOMETHING CALLED ELECTRICITY THAT THEY USE TO DO MANY THINGS WITHOUT FIRE OR MANA, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD BEAUTIFUL AND COMPLEX STRUCTURES TO HOUSE AND FEED THEIR HOMELAND'S GREATEST NUMBERS OF POPULATION!!! THEY EVEN KNOW HOW TO REACH THE STARS IN SPACESHIP! AND-"

Sir George delivered an overwhelming amount of information to Tayna and Percy, who found themselves more intimidated by the veteran knight than by the actual content of his speech. George delved deep into the realm of science, discussing how individuals with weak mana veins could effectively operate machinery, vehicles, and structures without relying on mana, much like they did on Tertius using artifacts. He also offered a beginner's explanation of the fundamentals of nuclear energy and its production while also outlining the perils of radiation. Furthermore, he shed light on how Earthlings had developed nuclear weapons that were equally as devastating as dragon's breath. He was brimming with an unreal amount of enthusiasm as he eagerly delved into discussing the wondrous world he yearned to explore. He was so captivated by his thoughts that he simply couldn't contain his excitement. But he didn't realize that he was driving away Percy and Tayna instead of enticing them to listen more closely.

"Umm... I'm sorry, Sir George, but that's all really hard to understand... It's all just a bit much for me," Tayna stammered.

"George! Goerge, Stop! You're talking too fast! George!" Percy tried to get his attention, but the veteran soldier was too enthralled by his own rambling.

Quinus let out a heavy sigh and slouched in his saddle with a sense of regret that weighed heavily on his shoulders. Sir George had proven to be a relentless force, akin to a raging fire that refused to be extinguished until it had consumed everything in its path. As the young crown prince, Quinus felt overwhelmed by the prospect of confronting Sir George's fiery temperament at this moment.

"It's fine, Quin. But maybe we should continue riding towards the forest. Hopefully, Sir George will tire himself out by the time we get there," Rya sighed and turned her horse around.

"Yeah... I don't think I can order him to stop anytime soon... Maybe it was a mistake to tell George about our past. I didn't expect him to be this excited." Quinus was still slouching on his horse with embarrassment as he trailed behind Rya.

"Nah! He's fine. And he looks so happy. He reminds me of a sports fan who's way too into the analytics of the sport. Just a little bit creepy. But it's cute at the same time," Rya said while giggling.

"Well, Percy and Lady Tayna seem to be on the receiving end of his rambling. And I'm afraid he's going to drive them away if he doesn't calm down. I don't think he'll notice until they're gone."

"It's better than him explaining his courting techniques," Rya laughed.

"Ugh... Don't remind me... Maybe we should pick up the pace and leave the old man behind. I don't need him embarrassing me anymore."

"Okay, okay. We're almost there, anyway. Hopefully, the golems have some interesting prey today."

"Huh?... Your other golems are here?"

"Yep, I'm doing the same thing the Sorellians did for me. They'll bring the monsters over so Tayna can get some easy mana and once her mana vein is strong enough to use some Maja abilities. She can start working on fighting some wild monsters on her own," Rya answered as she looked back at the bewildered noblewoman who was trying to be polite to Sir George.

"How long will that take?"

"Well... I'd like to stay here for two weeks, but the Duchess's Daughter's coming-of-age party is happening sometime this week, and I want Tayna there to be by my side. Yuliana, Nieren, and Dalia will be there, but since we are non-humans, I don't know how the rest of the Ladies of the Court will treat us."

"It will be fine, my love. You've got all of us, and I'm sure my mother will attend the event with Baroness Ysandra... Even though she hates going to such things," Quinus smiled at her.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be hovering around your mother the entire time like I'm a lost child or some shit," Rya complained.

"Don't be afraid to ask her for help if needed. My mother can be intimidating, but she's the sweetest person I know... I wouldn't have survived growing up without her guidance... And Wina helped..." Quinus remarked as he smiled fondly at his second childhood, even with all the attempts by his cousin and uncle to claim his life.

"Your dad didn't help? He seems so nice during dinners," Rya questioned as she raised an eyebrow.

"Well... My father is well-meaning, but he was very lenient to my uncle and left my mother and the staff to raise me. He's a good guy, but his actions are biting him in the ass. He's trying to make up for things by keeping the kingdom at peace with surrounding nations and the Fiafyrian nobility, but there's a lot of rot that has settled within the kingdom's court. Maybe Father is hoping that the other Major Nobles will come around to him now that Marcus is gone," Quinus answered as his face hardened.

"Yeah... And Duval is such a pain in the ass. He is the type that gives politicians a bad name... I wonder what bullshit he'll come up with next..." Rya sighed as she thought about their political problem. In her mind, she believes she can convince the majority of them to support Quin instead of the Marquess. However, she knows that she must make a strong impression on the Ladies of the Court first before the situation becomes irreparable. Her goal is to distance most of the Marquess's allies from him, allowing her to gain their support. Rya can sense this shift starting to occur, but the allies continue to stand by the Marquess until the marriage is finalized. They are reluctant to provoke the current Prime Minister, fearing potential repercussions if he remains in power. Such is the nature of politics.

"Duval will find a way to blame you for everything," Quinus scoffed.

"Well... If I were in his shoes, I'd try to pin the blame on someone else, too... But he's making promises he can't keep... There's no easy way to build things the right way... And he has been choosing a lot of things that could backfire on him... I've seen his type before back on Earth... He's so short-sighted that he doesn't see the cliff that one mile ahead of him all because it's a bumpy road if you make a slight turn," Rya remarked.

"Maybe... I just hope we can limit whatever damage is done by him and my uncle," Quinus said as he kissed her. "Anyway, it looks like Sir George has finally lost his voice from all the shouting and yelling," Quinus pointed out.

Rya glanced over her shoulder to find Sir George still deep in conversation, but his voice was now hoarse. Tayna and Percy visibly relaxed at the change.

"Well, it's time to slay some monsters," Rya said as she hopped off her horse. "Tayna!... Get ready!..."

"Yes, Ma'am," Tayna nodded and dismounted her horse.

"We'll be nearby if you need us," Quinus smiled.

"Thank you," Rya smiled back.

"wAiT... prINce ryA... CAn... YoU... hEAl mY vOicE??" Sir George asked while rubbing his neck.

"My golems don't have the ability to heal you, George... And even if I could, I won't," Rya shook her head. "It's your own fault for raising your voice."

Sir George grimaced but didn't say anything.

"Just relax, George, and let your body heal itself. You boys have fun now while we hunt monsters," Rya waved as she took her horse by the reins, and Tayna did the same.

"Good luck, ladies," Quinus grinned as Rya and Tayna led their horses to the stream.

Rya tied the horses to a nearby tree.

"Are you ready?" Rya asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Tayna said as she readied her sword and shield.

Rya took a deep breath and closed her eyes to communicate with the other golems. Soon, two dozen golems began to move towards Tayna's location, and the sound of their footsteps caught her attention.

"Is that a monster?" Tayna asked nervously.

Rya opened her eyes and glanced at Tayna before giving her a smirk, "Sort of... Get ready, we're about to hunt."

"Yes, Ma'am," Tayna said, swallowing hard and gripping her sword tightly.

Tayna was startled as the first golem emerged, clutching a slime in its hand. Memories from her childhood came flooding back as she recoiled in fear, recalling the harrowing incident when a slime left her disfigured. If it hadn't been for Rya's miraculous healing magic, she would have been haunted by that experience for the rest of her days.

"It okay, Tayna... X1 isn't going to let it go," Rya said, and the golem named X1 held the slime's core through its gelatinous body. The monster was trying to attack the golem but it felt no pain.

'I-I hate slimes! Gah! B-But I can't be afraid! I need to be strong... For Johan.' Tayna thought as she tried to control her fear. She knew that someday she would have to face this thing again. It brought her so much torment, but it let her marry a man of a Major House, and it made her friends with a healer the likes this world hasn't seen in millennia.

"Okay, here goes nothing," Tayna said, her hands shaking slightly as she lifted her sword and swung. With a look of discomfort, she tightly shut her eyes and contorted her face while brandishing her sword, clearly anxious about the prospect of confronting the looming monster face-to-face.

X1 swiftly redirected her hand, carrying the core into the path of Tayna's blade. The blade sliced through the core, effortlessly killing the monster.

"You can open your eyes," Rya told her.

Tayna opened her eyes and saw the core destroyed, and the slime turned into liquid.

"You did it!" Rya smiled.

"I-I did it?... I did it!" Tayna cheered.

"Now remember, Tayna... Slimes are a pain in the ass if their core isn't held down like that. If it wasn't, the core would move around too easily, like when you are trying to get a piece of eggshell out of a raw egg. That's why you'll see people fight slimes with war hammers if they don't know how to infuse mana into their weapons. Other than that, you can burn them with fire to kill them, too," Rya said, and Tayna nodded, taking all the information in.

"How many of these monsters are there?" Tayna asked.

"Lots... And the golems will be bringing a lot of monsters for you to slay," Rya said and smiled when she saw how confused Tayna was.

"Wait?... Your golems are going to bring monsters to me? Don't I need to find the monsters myself?" Tayna asked.

"You don't need to worry about it for today, Tayna. My golems will bring them to you so your mana vein can grow. Then we'll see where you are with fighting them yourself," Rya said.

"But that doesn't seem~mmmh..."

Tayna felt a soothing sensation coming from her spine. Goosebumps started to form on her skin as some of the mana from the slayed slime absorbed into her body.

"It feels so nice~" Tayna smiled, her eyes starting to close.

Rya let out a piercing whistle, hoping to jolt Tayna back to reality.

"Huh? What?..." Tayna opened her eyes, startled and confused.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. You were enjoying your mana high," Rya smirked, making Tayna blush.

"N-No!? I'm a dignified noblewoman. I wouldn't get excited over something like this," Tayna stammered, trying to defend herself.

"Hey, just tell me if you get too excited. I've experienced Mana Lust, which is easier to feel with a stronger level mana vein. You're not to my level, but you have a Grand-Master Mana Vein, so you might not experience it. Just keep in mind that you aren't immune to the Lust, especially if your mana vein hasn't experienced any growth. But once it does, it's different. You'll know because you'll experience more pleasure and you'll need to relieve yourself. The only reason why it was so easy for me to control myself with you is because my body is used to the lust and has built a resistance to it. Plus, I think my mana vein has plateaued a bit. It's more of a side effect of rapid growth. My mana vein hasn't grown since slaying all those mercenaries during the Battle of the Roses," Rya said, rubbing her chin as she thought about the situation.

"I see. Thanks for the warning, Lady Rya," Tayna said before she heard another set of footsteps from another golem.

Tayna braced herself as the M5 emerged from the clearing, clutching a Horn Hare. The creature resembled a colossal three-foot rabbit, boasting a majestic horn protruding from its forehead. Tayna couldn't help but drop her tough stance as she was captivated by the adorable and cuddly nature of the creature.

"Aw~ So cute... Do I really have to slay this one?... It's so cute, though..."

Rya looked at Tayna with surprise. The Dark Elf had only lived on this planet for over three months, and Tayna was acting like this monster was a defenseless kitten.

"You do. I don't want to see you getting killed because you hesitated. I know it's cute, but that thing is still a monster," Rya said, shaking her head at Tayna's reaction.

"Really?... I mean, look at the cute guy with his big ears and his wittle horn~OH, MY GODDESS!?!"

Rya facepalmed, and she was about to say something else, but the Horn Hare started thrashing in the golem's grasp. Tayna yelped and backed away from the creature as it managed to free itself. M5's body was being damaged as the Horn Hare used its diamond-hard teeth to take out several large chunks from the golem, who looked unphased by the damage.

"No, no, no! HYAH!" Tayna readied her sword and stabbed the Horn Hare through its side, piercing its heart. It gave one last cry before it stopped moving.

M5's body was healing itself from all the damage it took, while Tayna pulled her sword out from the monster. She was breathing heavily and she had a mix of emotions on her face.

"Hey... I know the feeling, Tayna... I felt similar when I killed my first monster. They had it tied up so it couldn't defend itself, and I thought it was cruel... But this world is crueler than where I'm from with this power imbalance. That creature is serving you in death, and it will continue to serve you in your journey to become a powerful human maja. You can do that, right?"

"Yeah, I can," Tayna said, wiping the blood off her sword before sheathing it.

"Why did you sheath your sword?"

"Huh? Because there isn't another~"

Tayna was interrupted when three more golems came into the clearing with different monsters in each of their hands. X1 and M5 left to go find more monsters for Tayna to slay.

"I guess you have to do that again," Rya smiled as the new trio of golems placed their captives on the ground.

The first creature was another Horn Hare, the second was a Giant Bat, and the last was a Willow Wasp. Tayna's lips twitched as she looked at the creatures, and her gaze lingered on the Willow Wasp.

Looking back at Rya, she met a gaze that seemed to say, 'What are you waiting for?'

Tayna let out a weary sigh as she carefully drew her sword from its scabbard. With measured steps, she advanced toward the trio of menacing monsters. She slayed the Horn Hare and the Giant Bat with ease, but the Willow Wasp was giving her trouble. It was a bug-type creature and the most common type of monster in the Raski Forest. It was its exoskeleton that made it harder to cut, and Tayna was getting annoyed. She had no choice but to keep stabbing the monster repeatedly until she pierced its weak spot: its eye. It screeched and writhed around for a moment before dying.

"Stupid thing!... How does anyone slay these things in the wild?!" Tayna yelled at no one in particular.

"Probably years of practice and experience," Rya replied with a smile.

Tayna's shoulders slumped as she wiped her sweaty forehead. She turned to Rya and asked, "How long do I have to keep doing this?"

"Was thinking a few hours..."

"A FEW HOURS!?"

"Well, yeah... You said you wanted to become stronger faster. And this is the best thing I can do to help you. You'll farm as much Mana as I can give you, and then you should be able to enhance your body's strength, speed, and reflexes by channeling your mana. It's what makes a Maja so dangerous."

Tayna stood in silence, her thoughts consumed by the desire to become a stronger warrior for her husband. She knew that the quickest way to achieve this was to develop her mana vein to such a level that she could use Maja skills in battle. She also knew that the fastest way to accomplish that was to slay a multitude of monsters, absorbing their energy to bolster her own.

"Okay... I'll follow your instructions, Rya," Tayna said finally.

"Great!" Rya clapped her hands together and smiled as five new golems appeared. "We'll take a five-minute break in an hour, and then it's right back to work."

With that, Tayna got to work slaying every monster Rya's Golems caught for her.