After explaining that they would leave for a few days, the family didn't look that pleased since the fight would be dangerous. Still, Anna gave Drew and Billy some ointment to use. According to her, it could save their lives under the right circumstances, but it was hard to imagine it being able to heal the wounds caused by stone Bullets.
The next day, they left around the same time they would leave to work, but they headed toward the eastern entrance. Upon arriving there, Billy found the other three misfits ready to go. Come to think of it, Billy was already eleven, so Natalie was fourteen, and with her strength, it wasn't weird that she would go as well. Not to mention, her father died at the hands of the elementalists.
Even members that usually guard the walls at night were there. So, the group had around one hundred and fifty people guards ready to depart. While Billy wanted to take his spear, the recruits that had bows were ordered to carry only their bows and around four quivers of arrows. So, he didn't have room to carry anything more.
"You look quieter than usual," Lily said. "Didn't you kill five of them before?"
"I am not having second thoughts… I suppose an airhead like you wouldn't understand," Billy shrugged.
Usually, Lily would get mad, but her parents were nearby, so she controlled herself. Billy didn't see her mother before, but they looked quite a bit. In any case, Billy got more interested in Natalie's mother, but not in a weird way. Apparently, she was the nocturnal leader of the guards of her tribe, and unlike her daughter, she got along with the others. In any case, she had very short blond hair, and she was pretty slim as well. Billy could tell by her demeanor that she was skilled, but not the strength type, like her daughter.
In any case, it was confirmed that they had a difficult relationship since they were keeping their distance. That was hard to see since his family decided to adapt, and only Natalie on the light seekers was trying to do that. Regardless, Billy thought that the leaders of each tribe would have a meeting to decide their plan of action. Still, it looked like everything had been decided by the lord of the town, even before the mission started. That wouldn't give much room for improvisation when the battle starts, and that was worrisome…
"Alongside the hammersmiths, we will attack the front of the enemy's base," Drew declared. "The other groups will move and approach following a different route and offer us back up once we get the enemies' attention. We will have to travel for a few days, so watch your pace."
In the end, Billy would only work with Alexander from his group of misfits. He wasn't much worried about Lily since she was getting more motivated to train and her father was with her. Still, things were a bit more complicated with Natalia. She was getting stronger, and the skill she developed was sharpening, but she could only do so much by herself. Hopefully, the situation with her mother isn't as bad enough for her not to look after her in case something happens.
Although the excitement of the group could almost be seen, the guards from the tribe and the hammersmith groups traveled for several hours in total silence. That being said, Billy couldn't tell if it was due to the anxiety and expectation or if it was due to the fact that both groups didn't know how to work together.
"Things might get messy this way… so perhaps I should use some status points, just in case," Billy thought.
Billy - Lv 53- 780/5200 EXP
HP: 143/143
MP: 307/307
SP: 147/147
Strength: 60
Speed: 53
Magic: 136
Endurance: 25
Dexterity: 22
Status Points: 70
Skills: Deadly Wind Lv 10, Steel Spear Lv 08, Light Spear Lv 06,
Spells:Mana/EXP conversion Lv ∞, Exp Master Lv ∞,, Analyze Lv 22, Appraisal Lv 25, Meditation Lv 23, Earth Manipulation Lv 12,
Passive: Language Skill Lv 45, Spearmanship Lv 30, Swordsmanship Lv 15, Archery Lv 25, Firing Speed Lv 13, Quick Spear Lv 07, Block Mastery Lv 01
Skill Points: 145
Suddenly increasing his speed and strength would be way too suspicious, so Billy only increased those by a few points and added fifteen on endurance. That should make him sturdier, and that also was something hard to explain and notice by others, so it was fine.
"What do you think their base is going to look like?" Alexander asked.
"... Considering that they can manipulate the ground to move pretty fast, I would say that it will be… not much different from our town," Billy replied. "They can essentially turn the ground and change its shape the way they want, after all."
After hearing himself, Billy wondered if some traps were waiting for them… perhaps not. The elementalists never had been attacked, after all. There was no reason they would use traps, even against the beasts that roam in the world. They probably can kill them with their elemental manipulation, even at a low level.
It didn't take long for the group to reach the forest that the tribe used years ago as their base. After a while, they even crossed their old home… Drew passed through without looking toward the destroyed huts that once belonged to them. Pretty much everything had been burned down to the ground… which was weird since Billy didn't hear about the elementalists using fire back then. While they burned some parts of the forest, they didn't do much.
As soon as they crossed that area, Drew and the leader of the hammersmiths gave the sign to their allies to stop. Before departing, they gave the group only two orders. If they see the leaders grabbing their weapons and running to the sides, they should prepare themselves because it was a sign that the elementalists were nearby, but if they didn't and grabbed their weapons anyway, it was a sign that the magical beasts were nearby.