The rest of the trip was less chaotic, Elsie fell asleep. Her head resting on Ana's p as Ana brushed her fihrough her hair. She silently hummed a lulby from their childhood. Jasmi o Cire in the driver seat. She leaned her head on Cire's shoulder.

  “Never in my life did I think it'd be like this. I imagined adventuring with you three since Ryley left, getting him back or earning him. Didn't think we’d have to stop and do what we just did.” Cire said.

  Jasmine ughed, ”Me her…. But…. If it es with your buffs and potential, then it's all worth it.” A slight pause befell the two before Jasmine added, ”Feels fug phenomenal as well.”

  Cire giggled, ”True… Now that I've experie, I don’t think I could live without it.”

  Jasmine raised her head from Cire’s shoulder, “Got to talk about something else…” Her legs crossed and she adjusted pants. “'t stop again.”

  “Then…what about…. us?” Cire asked

  Jasmine pursed her lips, staring forward. ”Obviously I'm your lover…. But I… I’m unsure…. I feel the warmth and the burni of attra and… love.” She stopped. Hesitating before tinuing, ”I want to grow these feelings with you. But I'm… uh, scared”

  Scared? Cire was not expeg that. Her fearless teacher was scared to explore her feelings. She was curious now, but the sorrowful look on Jasmine’s face stopped her from asking. It would have to wait for her to open up.

  With the mood noard, they sat in silence. Both stewing on the words.

  Jasmine sighed and said, ”I’ve got to think on it…. I just….”

  Cire spoke up, ”It's okay. Really, I've waited 2 years, I wait a bit longer.”

  Jasmine smiled, ”Thank you for uanding… I want to embrace your feelings head on, with ation. I just ime.”

  “I uand, please don’t worry about it. Having you here is more than enough for me.” Cire responded. Her words were true, she could wait. Knowing the problem isn’t with Jasmine’s feelings towards her, but with pain from her past retionship is much easier for Cire’s owions. Her lover just o properly move on from whatever pained her in the past, not that she didn’t love Cire.

  Jasmine smiled at her former student. The girl she knew from 5 years ago had truly grown up into a wonderful person. The woman before her had a bright smile that made her fet her own pain. It reassured the assassin that her feelings were in good hands.

  “I'm gonna go take a nap.” She gave Cire a kiss on the cheek and joihe twins. Cire rubbed the spot with her hand, that feeling of warmth resonating throughout her body. The smile she wrew bigger as she resonated with happiness.

  They made it to their destination only 30 mie. Ana woke the sleeping duo as Cire spoke to their tact. An older dy, tanned like Ja 20 years her senior.

  “Slimes are just over that hill, demolishing my crops. Get them off my fields.” She anded while pointing te hill. Cire nodded.

  “No problem ma'am, let us know of any other areas” She said and then whipped the horses forward. She parked the carriage before the hill and hopped inside. Her panions were gearing up as a feeling of excitement ran through her. Her first quest!

  She grabbed her armetting as much as she could on by herself. Jasmine helped with the rest. Her armor was light, steel was c her vitals but the rest was leather. Her buckler style shield on her left forearm, the sword Jane gave her on her hip, and her helmet in her right hand.

  They were ready for a fight.

  Jasmiood back, she wao see how the three 3 fought together. Cire stood with her shield raised, slimes in front of her and the twins behind her. A triangur formation with the twins close enough to help each other. Cire used her new skill a loose a battle cry. The slimes stopped eating the crops to swarm Cire.

  They bouoward her, single mindedly chasing their target. The first one boung towards her was hit by a fireball. Cire fli the heat trail, a burni streaked across her left shoulder and arm. It was something she'd have to get used to. A sed one was knocked away by her shield, then she swatted another with her sword.

  She was able to elimihe fourth slime by stabbing its core with her sword before deg to test her bat skill. Her shield glowed red as she thrusted forward, able to hit a line of slime with it. Eliminating another 3 in the process. She checked her mana, only 1 point was used and the cooldown timer began.

  Jasmiched her student, her stance rock solid. No slime could knock her over as she marched. Her foot work was deliberate ahodical, not hesitation in the pts and no way of tripping. Her shield and sword movements matched her foot work, pnned motion with little to no wasteful movements. Jasmine smiled, her former student had truly taken her lessons to heart..

  The twins were mostly Cire just as Jasmine was. Their skills o be mindful of Cire’s movements, lest they hit her. Elsie did cast her fireballs when she could. to, as some hit the girl’s back or arms. Guessing wrong and nailing the poor padin in the back or arms. Cire barely flihough the burning pain hurt, Jasmine would be mad if she lost track of her enemy. Thankfully, Ana was quick to heal the injuries.

  She khis art of the learning process, Elsie was trying her best to be effit with her magid weave it iween Cire’s steps. It’d take time for them to truly get it down, but her resistance was high enough that Elsie barely damaged her health. She just o bear with it aient with the mage.

  This process repeated itself for several minutes. Cire would use her Deferike, Elsie would use her fireball to up stragglers , and Ana would heal if Cire was hit. Each repeat lead to Cire being hit less, her movements learned by Elsie as she would correctly predict their tanks path. Adrenaline filled Cire as she tinued her slow marto the swarm.

  Now Elsie decided to add her firewall ability. After a deferike, a wall of fmes appeared parallel to the girl’s path. A clear sign that Elsie was getting the hang of everything. Relief and fidence filled Cire as she took note of their progress. At this point, they had eliminated 27 slimes and o clear a handful more before they’d be done. Cire’s fatigue was evident as her breath became ragged, the twins were in simir spots. Elsie was more tired than Ana, currently leaning on her sister and covered i.

  So Jasmine decided to step in.

  She knocked an arrow on her bow, drew, and released in rapid succession. Four arrows flew before the first hit its target, with deadly aim the remaining six slimes were eliminated. Cire looked to her former teacher as she killed with incredible speed, a faazement peeking through her helmet. Jasmine o the girl and beed her to e over.

  “It was rough, but you slowly got the hang of it.” She said to Elsie. Elsie nodded and thought back.

  “You two moved differently, Cire would stay in one spot lohan you would. Was not expeg that.” Elsie responded. ”Expected her to move quicker and more often.”

  Jasmine nodded, ”Wao see how you’d adjust, so I didn’t expin our differences. Sorry Cire, it was also a test in your physical aal fortitude.”

  Cire ughed breathlessly, she was used to Jasmihrowing ira lessons. ”No biggie, Ana’s taking care of the burns. It was nice when I wasn’t being hit though. Felt like a mae for a bit there.”

  Ana was using her healing to rid Cire’s skin of burns and bruises. Ana added, ”I threw in my ward when I could to protect you from Elsie”

  “Thank you, Ana,” Cire said. “I’m sure Jaz was assessing your use of the healing and wards as well.”

  “Indeed, Elizabeth taught you two well. Ana was able to predict Elsie’s trajectory and ward correctly and Elsie began to be able to read Cire’s movements. Good job Cire for not losing your cool. Seen many tanks blow up at their back line for being hit.”

  “I’m so sorry Cire. I’ll make it up to you whe back to Restol, I promise,” Elsie said. “And thank you for not blowing up at me. I know it would have been warranted.”

  Cire nodded and blushed at the praise. It felt incredible to receive. “No worries Elsie, truly. I knew you weren’t doing it on purpose and just ime. Get me some of your mom’s cherry pie and we’re even.”

  Elsie hugged Cire and nodded. “I promise”

  With the fight over they checked their experience. Cire gained 30 points while Elsie and Ana gained 15. Jasmine gained 2 points in total, her level too high for slimes to matter. Cire was now only 20 points from another level up, her mind filled with possible skills she could acquire.

  They walked back to the farmer dy with the news. She thahem and handed 10 gold pieces to the party. Their first reward! Followed by 4 homemade dishes, mashed potatoes and beef. Perfect for their tired bodies.

  The farmer waved to them as they got into the carriage, their stop Bon Mountain range in the neighb fief.