"Sammy! Right!"

"Ugh! You son of a b-tch!"

Sament, who had almost been stabbed in the side by the scorpion's poisonous stinger, cursed and gripped his sword once more.

"Kimo! This way!!"

-Keeek! Kee! Kee!

The mercenary guild members who were struggling, weaving through the group of scorpions that were fiercely swinging their pincers.

No matter how much combat experience they had, every battle was a life-or-death struggle.

"Be careful!!"

-Keeek!

The sharp sword strike that the man named Kimo had let out pierced the scorpion's jaw.

The other scorpions that were surrounding the scorpion that had collapsed with a sharp scream.

Kimo and Sament, who were trapped in the middle, were watching their surroundings with their backs to each other.

"Brother!!!"

"Valteri! Don't come this way!!"

The man named Valteri, who was desperately calling their names from outside the group that was surrounding them, was facing a single scorpion in front of him.

"Khuk...! Alex, captain!!"

The man, who had injured his leg from the scorpion's pincer attack, called the captain's name.

"Pirkan! You... sons of b-tches!!!"

Alex, who was rushing toward the scorpion.

"Ha, what do we do now?"

-Keeek! Keek! Keeek!!

"What do you mean, what do we do? We have to cut off all those bastards' necks! Ugh!!"

Kimo and Sament, who were trapped in the group, desperately swung their swords at the rushing scorpions.

-Clang! Thump! Crack! Crack!

It was then. The sharp magic that was passing through the struggling mercenary guild members.

"W-what is this!?"

What came into the sight of the mercenary guild members, who had turned around in surprise with their eyes wide open, was Lucas and his group, who were standing proudly in front of the carriage.

"Hmm~ a savory smell. Are they also delicious if you eat them?"

Pola, who was licking her lips and looking at her fingertips where a faint spark was occurring.

"You don't eat things like that."

Skir, who was standing behind her and scattering a faint light.

"Undine. Bite their necks and tear them apart."

-As the contractor wishes.

Nella, who was controlling the huge intermediate water spirit Undine, which was in the shape of a wolf, as if it were her own limbs.

"I have no strength. You guys don't use too much strength on the scorpions either. It'll be a big problem if a wyvern comes out later."

Lucas, who was leading the children with a bored expression.

"W-what are they?"

"..."

"Kh, khahaha! The Hollow Shells are full inside!"

Sament laughed heartily as he looked at them.

***

"Hey, you guys were really amazing."

All the mercenary guild members let out a sigh of admiration at the scene that had been cleared up in an instant.

"Ugh..."

The man named Pirkan was holding his injured leg and complaining of pain.

"You brat, you're exaggerating! That's why you have no hair, you bastard! You bald bastard."

"Captain! What does that have to do with being bald... khuk!?"

The man, who had flared up at the word 'bald', tried to get up from his seat but collapsed again.

"Hey, in my time, huh?"

"Here he goes again. Isn't that why the captain is called a boomer?"

Sament, who had cut off the captain's words and had interjected, shook his head.

"W-what!?"

"More importantly, this is a big problem... we still have to go for two more days to get to the village."

"Two... days?"

"Right, but how did you guys get here? What is the academy doing, not coming to look for you?"

"..."

The children all remained silent at Sament's sharp point.

"Can I treat you?"

All the members' heads turned to one place at the quiet voice coming from the side.

"...You?"

The one who was quietly nodding her head at the man's question was none other than Nella.

Although she had already said it, Nella glanced at Lucas.

As he nodded his head slightly, as if to say it was okay, Nella carefully approached the injured man.

"Then..."

Healing, one of the privileges of a water spirit master.

Thanks to that, it was said that the best among the spirit masters was the water spirit master.

The other spirit masters also had their own unique characteristics.

The fire spirit master boasted the strongest attack power, the wind spirit master the fastest speed, and the earth spirit master a strong defense.

But the water spirit was the most difficult to handle, and even if one was lucky enough to make a contract with a water spirit, it was common for the spirits not to follow the contractor's words.

"Undine. Can you share a little of your energy with this person?"

-...I don't feel like it, but.

"Please."

-As the contractor wishes.

Undine, in the shape of a huge wolf, was transparent as if its whole body was made of water.

-Saaak

As Undine, who had approached the injured man's wound, licked the wound once, a faint light began to emanate.

"Ooooh..."

A gasp of admiration came from the mouths of the others who were watching it.

"Amazing. Is that the healing ability of the water spirit that I've only heard of?"

"I guess so."

The eyes of the men who were exchanging a word each sparkled with curiosity.

"My goodness! It doesn't hurt, does it? Captain, look at this. I'm completely fine."

Not long after, as the man's leg was completely healed, they even clapped their hands.

"Wow, you guys are really not Hollow Shells anymore. You're amazing!"

A gasp of admiration burst from Sament's mouth again, as if he were surprised.

"By the way, it takes two days? From here?"

"Ah, that's right. Captain! Why don't we just rest here today and leave early as soon as the sun rises?"

At Lucas's question, Sament called the captain instead of answering.

"Hmm... that would be better. Now, now, let's prepare for camping."

"Ugh~ let's do that."

As the man, who had shaken his completely healed leg a few times, stretched and stood up, the other members also quickly began to prepare for camping.

"H-hey, Lucas, do we have to camp?"

Skir's eyes rolled anxiously at the word 'camping'.

He had just heard the shocking news that they had to go for two more days to get to the village, and his anxiety seemed to have doubled.

"Probably. It's much better to go with them now than to move on our own."

"Haa... sleeping outside is not my thing..."

"Hey! Why don't you help me with this instead of complaining!"

"Uh-huh..."

Pola, who was quick to judge the situation and adapt, began to help the members prepare for camping.

"Oh my, you don't have to do this. This is something the men can do..."

"No. I'll help too. I can put this over there, right?"

Although the captain tried to stop Pola, who was rolling up her sleeves and helping, Pola smiled faintly and diligently helped with the chores.

Perhaps because her appearance was pretty, a smile hung on the lips of the captain and the other members.

"Well, she's a rare young lady."

"That's what I'm saying. Other mages are so arrogant... ugh!"

The man, who had been poked in the side by Sament, closed his mouth without finishing his words.

"Sigh. Watch your mouth. Now that your leg doesn't hurt, your mouth is very much alive, isn't it?"

"Ah, brother!"

The man rubbed his side and glared.

"Khuk... you cute bastard. Hurry up and prepare the meal."

The mercenary guild, for whom camping was a daily routine, quickly finished all the preparations despite the sudden increase in the number of people.

"Now, eat quickly. Even if it looks like this, it's food that's hard to eat when camping."

"Right, he's right. The captain is treating us to a grand meal today because we saved our lives thanks to our precious guests!"

In fact, the meal seemed to be a little far from a grand treat, but Lucas and his group picked up their spoons and forks without a word.

"Lucas... is this really a grand treat...?"

Skir, who knew that he would not be able to get away with it if he asked Pola, asked Lucas in a small voice.

"That's right. It's a very grand treat."

"...Really?"

Skir's question was reasonable.

What was served in front of them was a porridge-like soup with withered vegetable pieces in a water that seemed to have been soaked in jerky.

And the bread was so hard that its shape was maintained even after being soaked in the soup for a long time.

"Right. It's a great treat to cook and serve this."

"...I see."

Although Skir didn't understand what he meant, it was clear that he would get an earful from Lucas if he asked more.

As their life on the road got longer, the types of food that the mercenary guild members carried were limited.

Things like jerky or dried fish that could be stored for a long time, and bread with no moisture that didn't spoil easily.

And to think that they had put these things in a pot, seasoned them, and had boiled them into a soup in the middle of the desert, where washing dishes was not easy? That was indeed a grand treat.

"Khuk... how long has it been since I've had hot food!"

"Brother, aren't you hot?"

Pirkan, who had been boiling the soup in front of the hot fire, sweating profusely, couldn't understand Sament, who was deliciously drinking the hot soup in the middle of the desert.

And to think that he even liked it because it was hot!

"It's hot! But brother. Don't you know the saying, 'fight fire with fire'?"

"Don't talk such nonsense. No, why would you fight heat with heat? In times like this, you should drink a beer that's so cold that it has ice in it and makes your throat hurt!"

"That would be nice too..."

Sament swallowed a gulp and looked up at the sky at Pirkan's vivid expression.

"Haa... it's really hot..."

Everyone was sighing heavily, exhausted from the heat.

It was easy to say 'fight fire with fire', but there was probably no one sitting here who was not desperate for something cool.

'Should I make it cool for them?'

As everyone was staring blankly into the air, holding the hot soup bowl, as if they were desperate for something cool, Lucas decided to give them a cool gift.

"Nella. Can you call the Naias?"

"The Naias...? Okay."

While Nella was calling the Naias, Lucas clapped his hands several times to gather people's attention.

"Now, everyone, please stand up."

"Huh? All of a sudden?"

The people, who were wondering for a moment, began to get up from their seats according to Lucas's words.

"Go back five steps from there."

"...What are you doing?"

As the people who had been sitting in a circle stepped back five steps, a gap began to form between them.

"Now, Nella. Pour a water shower on the people."

"...Huh?"

"Quickly."

"Uh-huh..."

-Splash!

"Gaaah! What is this!"

The people, who were surprised by the water shower that had suddenly poured down on their heads, hurriedly washed their faces.

"Now, one more time!"

-Splash!

"Gaaah!"

Just as the people's minds were about to become dazed by the water shower that was pouring down once more, Lucas began to create a wind.

-Whoosh

"Gaaah! It's cold, it's cold!"

As the water began to dry in the wind that was wrapping around their bodies, the people began to tremble as if they had never been hot.

"Now, we've showered and it's cool, so let's eat quickly and sleep."

"W-what is this!? Is this magic!?"

The captain's small eyes widened as if they were about to pop out at the ingenious use of magic he had never seen before.

"C-captain! I think my hair is growing!"

Pirkan shouted, pushing his head forward at the goosebumps that had appeared on his bald spot.

"Yes. It's not."

Pirkan, who was dejected at the captain's too firm words.

The people who were laughing at the sight.

The night in the middle of the desert was ripening like that.

"Ah, but where are you going?"

"Oh my, you're asking so late. We're on our way to Arant, but it's not the capital... where was it?"

The mercenary captain, who was thinking for a long time, as if he couldn't remember the destination at Lucas's sudden question.

"It was Si... something..."

"...Citata?"

"Oh! Right! Citata!"

Lucas's expression hardened at the answer that had come out, as if he had expected it.

'...Should I be happy about this?'

(End of Chapter)