Outside of the academy.
"Quick! Let us know what kind of mission you took. I hope it's one that all of us could contribute." Ashley said. There was a hint of eagerness in her to help out as much as possible. Of course, there's a reason behind this.
Although she doesn't belong to the row of baseline trainees, her fighting strength is actually one of the weakest three. Her position in the class is notable, thanks to her survival skills. Without that, she could very well be the worst in the bunch.
Her positive traits come from the excellent survival skills that even the adult praised her for it. As the daughter of a merchant, Ashley has been traversing between Lavos Village and a few nearby settlements.
The number of trips she went on could be more than the other eight members. This gave her plenty of experience with crooks and crannies for safe routes and camping spots. For an inexperienced party like theirs, this is an indispensable trait.
As for Selene, her performance in class was slightly better than Ashley's. While strength can be slowly trained, skills such as medicine and survival are instinctual. Being the youngest daughter of the Lavos Village's pharmacist, her knowledge is also another essential skill for the group.
Meanwhile, there's nothing much to be mentioned about the male members. Except for Paul, a great cook, everyone else was more a fighter. Rory, Terry, Alex, and Sean were average in their performance, but being average made them humbler and more open to suggestions.
Victor, the second-best in the group, can be considered a double-edged sword. But luckily, his father was a close friend of Hector. He also looked up to Hector and aimed to become as strong as Hector. This ended up making it easier for Hespar to convince him.
"It is something that all of us could contribute to," Hespar replied and placed the card before everyone. The content in the card was then shared with everyone else in the group.
[Mission 6 - Escort and Protection]
--> Task: For the next 3 days of examination, ensure the safety and survival of at least one convoy a day coming from the direction of Fennis Empire. (Bonus point to be given for additional convoy, the support provided, and so on)
--> Additional: The group is also expected to contribute to thinning the monster horde along the highway. No specific monster to be named. A minimum number of three kills per member. Kill contribution can be shared amongst the group.
--> Note: This mission test every aspect of the group. Cooperation is a must for success. In case of a life-threatening emergency, the mission can be ignored.
- - - - - - - - - -
Hespar's group members stare at one another. It seemed Hespar had chosen a mission tailored just for them.
With Hespar, Victor, and Rory as the vanguard, they could contribute to this mission as the main fighting power. Their focus can be placed between security and also thinning the monster horde.
Meanwhile, Paul, Selene, and Ashley would be their support team. This trio would contribute and accompany the convoy as required while providing further support for a bonus point in evaluation.
As for Terry, Alex, and Sean, their position is much more flexible. They could either assist the support team when required or replace the vanguard team while they're away. This kind of arrangement would benefit the team very much.
"This is indeed a good mission we could take advantage of... When are we going to make our move?" asked Paul. He was the one in the group looking for this examination the most. Furthermore, the earlier they make their way out there, the faster they can complete the mission.
"Any suggestion from you, Ashley?" Instead of making the decision for the team, Hespar asked for Ashley's opinion instead. His approach made the others in the group puzzled, except for Ashley.
"If you believe me, my suggestion is we depart four to five hours after midnight," Ashley replied. But because her answer was a little too vague, she failed to convince the others to agree with her.
Hespar knew that this would be the first challenge as the group's leader. Being a leader wasn't about making decisions but ensuring everyone's opinion was heard.
"I want to listen for your reason behind this suggestion," Hespar added.
"From my experience, the time between midnight to before sunrise was the most active period for the monsters. Furthermore, this was our first group mission together. Even an experienced escort team would need some time to create trust between the convoy and security team, let alone inexperienced trainees like us."
"We'll be only delivering ourselves to the monsters by going into the wilderness now without a camp, materials, and understanding of our surroundings. Also, our view would be significantly hampered by the darkness, and we've yet to select a route." Ashley quickly came up with a few reasons to not depart right at midnight.
"Everyone. Are you convinced?" Hespar asked.
"Yes!" the others instantly responded. After clarifying the concern, the previous disdain from hearing Ashley's answer quickly changed. Almost everything she mentioned wasn't even appeared in their thoughts.
If they really make a move recklessly like this, they might be the first group to be eliminated at the beginning of the first day.
This kind of approval from everyone brought some confidence to Ashley. It also allowed her to obtain more trust from everyone.
"May I suggest something?" Selene then interrupted. But instead of voicing out what she had in her mind, she made sure she had their consent before doing so.
"Please do so." Hespar nodded to her. For the first time, Hespar made sure to look at her properly. Selene might be young, but she's quite a looker with a ponytail hairstyle. Her figure might not be very well developed yet, but there are ample curves in the required place.
Added with her chestnut-colored hair, this girl gave out a hint of Femme Fatale just through her looks.
"I would suggest using the third route that connects our Lavos Village to the Fennis Empire border. And I have three reasons for suggesting this road." Selene said.
"You may continue." Hespar once again nodded at Selene for her to continue.
"My first reason for this suggestion is because there's forest and ponds along our way. Using this route would secure our needs for medicinal herbs and foods."
"The following reason would be the number of traffic. Having more merchant traffic would help us achieve our mission faster and protect us simultaneously. It might be dangerous at some point, but we have six fighters on our team."
"Last but not least, this could help us complete the additional daily task faster," Selene explained why she would suggest this route and not the other two.
"Any objection from the others?" Hespar asked.
"I'm fine with it." Paul was the first to answer. Then, the rest of the party nodded their head in agreement. With everyone agreeing to Ashley and Selene's suggestion, the direction and plan are roughly drafted.
It will be up to them to perfect it.
"Alright. Let us meet at the village entrance before sunrise." Hespar said and allowed everyone to make their preparation. This was a custom they must experience in this process of adulthood.
"Hespar!!" his name was called by the girls as the group dispersed.
"Thank you." said the two before they turned around and ran away.
"Why did they look somewhat more charming than usual today?" Hespar was puzzled by the sudden gush of emotion inside him. He also had no idea that what he had experienced earlier was somewhat related to his unknown Aura.