As time went by, the group that had just gone through a battle cleared the field and reorganized. The only thing that was really standing out was the couple of sisters who were still together. Not caring about Ingredi's protests Hilda still hugged her, not caring about anything else, she'll only let Ingredi go when we were attacked again. Only when facing a danger will Ingredi be free again.
While Hilda behaved like a clueless lunatic I spent my time analyzing the new faces the current group counting on me and Hilda totals fifteen people among them only Ingredi was a mage the rest are warriors with and without elemental seeds. The second division was at the level of the cores, except for my friends, there was only one more warrior with a black core, the rest had gray cores.
The weaker warrior didn't even have an elemental seed and because of his equipment choices he tended more towards defense using a fuller ripe and a sword and shield combination. The rest of his team consisted of three warriors, two of them with elementary seed and one without. And four more warriors being two of them without an elemental seed.
Among the elements of warriors and warriors not avia nor a new element for me they varied between the elements Earth, Wind and Fire. I believe I can speculate that the Earth-element warrior with a full-fledged mature and carrying a tower shield must be Torris' cousin the hair color is the same, but I can't find much resemblance in her face as she is wearing a closed helmet.
I kept a little distance from the crowd a group of fifteen and a lot for a low priority extermination mission like this I bet there must be some people not too happy with the idea of splitting their earnings into fifteen parts.
"Hilda! Let me go!"
"No!"
I approached Torres who was on the side of the warrior I believe to be his cousin.
"Hey. I think I arrived a little late how is the trip going?"
"Hi Ulric. I was calm until now that we were ambushed by wolves, this is my cousin and leader of the Vania group." Of course Torris was pointing at the mature warrior beside her.
"Hey. I hope it's okay for me and Hilda to accompany you."
"Hello you must be the leader of the group that my little cousin is part of at the institute I am very happy to meet you, I have heard a lot about you during this trip."
Looks like someone is spreading negative rumors about min.
"You can't believe everything you hear especially if it's coming from Raziel and Erick they have a tendency to distort reality."
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
I ignore the protest of the two idiots.
"I must apologize for showing up here without being part of your mission, but I didn't have much choice. But I would like to clarify a point Hilda and I do not intend to be part of your group we are only here to protect Ingredi so neither one of us should be part of the mission report and we are not entitled to any gain that comes from the mission."
Looking at Ingredi and Hilda's interaction. Vania understands my difficulty and inability to control my traveling companion.
"I don't think there's much of a problem if we count with the addition of you two to the Ulric team. This mission is a little weird, I'm having a bad feeling I think we'll face unexpected problems when we get to the village."
"I'm happy with your hospitality, but I would still like to insist on giving up my share of the guild's reward."
I insist on not gaining anything mainly from the looks that are riveted in mins from the moment we appear here there are at least three members of Vania's team who are not happy with my presence here. I hope that giving up the reward is enough to avoid conflict I would be very sad to be the cause of internal conflicts in the group.
"OK. And a lot of cuts on your part."
With this problem left behind, we should be able to focus on reaching the village. And the death glares I was getting disappear, minus one that keeps going. What's the matter with this guy?
While Hilda still didn't release Ingredi I talked to Vania and she introduced me to the rest of her team. Her team is made up of attackers like the brothers James and Jason who wield two-handed spears they are very similar apart from the fact that they each have a different element James uses the Wind element while Jason uses the Fire element. Rounding out the team's offensive to Rafaela who also has the Fire element. She uses a set of axes she carries three throwing axes and two war axes in each hand and adding to her height of over two meters she should be the member of the team with the highest attack power.
For support and ranged attack on three archers without even an element Isis, Benjamin and Chales the latter and the idiot who still looks at me with hostility I don't know why. The last member of the team and the only warrior of them who still has a black core he is called David and to my surprise and a cousin of Vania as well as Torris it seems that he didn't enter the institute with Torris and I went straight to the path of an adventurer and his teacher and Vania. I felt his animosity toward Torris, I think there was a grudge between them. He probably didn't play much of a role in his decision not to enter the institute.
After being introduced to all of us, we went back along the road in this danger of weather. Ingredi continued to try to let go of Hilda, but she had no intention of letting go of her sister even when the two weasels were moving. Hilda didn't let go of Ingredi. This is getting ridiculous I was even tempted to try to separate them, but this is very risky even the pair of weasels moved to allow Hilda to continue hugging Ingredi.
I continued talking to Vania and ignored the teary, pleading eyes Ingredi gave me when I looked at her.
"How many magical animals are we going to have to kill once we get to the village?"
"I do not know. The report said there would be around twenty five tier one wolves that are led by three tier two wolves because it's such a small amount I invited my cousin and you guys. It was supposed to be a simple quest to help complete your allotment of quests, but this trip has been weird the road was pretty empty until we were ambushed by over thirty tier one animals and mostly wolf. My instincts were that we're going to have to face a much larger pack of wolves once we reach the village."
"The situation is really out of the ordinary, would it be nice if we were prepared to be ambushed by a pack with lots of tier two wolves which your team members can handle tier two animals?"
"I can block maybe four of the problem at once, and since level two wolves have a habit of attacking mine from level one wolves they tend to target their prey's back and legs when facing a warrior with my defensive capabilities. So even if I can block the first attack at most, I'll end up blocking two tier two wolves and several tier one wolves. Rafaela is more useful in this type of situation she can easily hunt the wolves the problem for her and that if she goes too far she will be attacked from all sides by wolves of level one even with her leather maturation and aura she will still be hurt if bitten by a dozen wolves."
"The others are good enough to make a defensive circle even the archers can use a sword and shield well so if we are really attacked we can make a circular formation to protect us from the wolves the problem and village if we are attacked outside the wolves will go to us focus, but if we were attacking inside the city, we won't be able to protect the villagers."
The situation is complicated even though the entire party has the ability to handle a pack with a large number of tier two wolves protecting the village and fighting the wolves at the same time and too risky for the team. When trying to protect the village we will have to disperse even if I don't have to worry about Ingredi who is mounted on her weasel that is strong and fast enough to keep her safe the problem is if another person is attacked by more than one wolf. level two Erick and Sten shouldn't be strong enough to kill a level two wolf especially when they're being attacked by level one wolves even though I don't have full confidence to kill a level two wolf in this kind of unfavorable situation.
As the hours passed, we were finally able to see our final destination. The village that was born here because of the iron mine that was almost completely depleted here, honestly even if we defend the village successfully it shouldn't last long at most it should keep for a few more years it's far from the main road to the north and without a source of income anymore the village is basically doomed.
As I approach the village I see very few people in the village there must be around thirty people living here now. I wonder how many will survive if Vania's fears prove real.
I feel that this extermination mission will end with a sad result.