When the first light of morning appeared, the soldiers were already preparing breakfast. Ayaka slowly opened her lovely, crimson eyes upon hearing the sounds outside the tent. The first thing she saw was Kaylessa's gorgeous face, framed by some of her white hair, creating a heavenly image.
She then reached out her hand towards Kaylessa's face and gently touched her face and lips with her fingers. After that, she started calling out her name to rouse her from sleep.
Upon witnessing Kaylessa's stunningly purplish eyes open, Ayaka made the choice to get up from her bed. She proceeded to get dressed, as she was only wearing underwear. After finishing, she smiled at Kaylessa and exited the tent.
After leaving the tent, the lighting militia looked at her and simply nodded. Ayaka headed towards the kitchen tent to gather ingredients for breakfast for herself and Kayelssa. Given that dryads only require sunlight and do not consume food, there was no need for Ayaka to cook for her.
Kaylessa was finding it difficult to get out of her bedroll inside the tent. Despite attempting to push herself up, her efforts were short-lived as her body gave in, forcing her to accept the inevitability of sleeping longer.
Laurelena's eyes fluttered open, causing her to feel a slight twinge of panic as she thought she was the last one to awaken. Quickly jumping out of bed, she was relieved to see that the white-haired girl was still asleep.
Laurelena continued on her way out of the tent, swiftly dodging to the side when she caught the attention of the lighting militia. It acknowledged her with a nod before resuming its watch over the tent.
She remained perplexed, ultimately concluding that it was a new and unique blue race. This led her to move towards a location where the sunlight shone brightly, seeking to absorb its energy and blessings.
Ayaka had completed preparing breakfast for herself and Kay. Carrying the food in her hands, she made her way towards the tent. Upon entering the tent, she noticed that Kay was tossing and turning restlessly on the bedrolls.
"Morning, Ay,"
Kay greeted Ay calmly and sweetly after noticing that Ay had brought food, causing her to stop rolling and lie on her stomach.
Ayaka couldn't help but chuckle at Kay's silly behavior, which was a stark contrast to her usual commanding presence on the battlefield. She set the plates of food on the table in the tent and instructed Kay to get ready for dinner.
Kaylessa got up from the bedroll and dressed in her clothes and armor. She then approached Ay and embraced her, resting her head on Ay's chest as she gazed into her eyes and leaned in for a kiss.
Ayaka's cheeks flushed pink in an instant, but she couldn't refuse those cute lips that were waiting for a kiss, so Ay kissed her slowly for a few seconds before parting their lips.
Ayaka's face turned rosy all of a sudden, unable to resist the appeal of those adorable lips yearning for a kiss. As a result, Ayaka planted a gentle kiss on her partner's lips for a brief moment before pulling away.
"Alright, let's have our meal before it cools down. Once we're done, we must head towards the mountain village and decide whether to assist or wait for backup, depending on the gravity of the situation once we assess it."
After those words, Ayaka took a seat and began to enjoy her humble breakfast with Kay by her side.
After finishing their meal, a soldier's voice from outside the tent informed them it was time to pack up and continue their journey. Kay instructed the soldier to begin dismantling the camp and to ensure that patrols were still in place for safety.
The soldier agreed and then left to follow Kay's instructions. Ayaka packed three bedrolls into a leather bag for the soldiers to transport more conveniently when they returned for them.
Ayaka and Kay stepped out of the tent so the soldiers could disarm it and load it onto the wagons before heading over to Laurelena, who was enjoying the sunshine.
"Laurelena, I am curious about how you managed to avoid being caught in the village."
Kaylessa pondered, finding it peculiar enough to inquire.
The Dryad girl became anxious when questioned, not due to the secrecy of her actions but rather the embarrassment of admitting them. Her silence only heightened the suspicion surrounding her.
After a while, she gave in to the intimidation caused by the stares of the two girls.
"Fine, fine, I'll confess, a special summons of mine alerted me to the terrifying creatures approaching."
Laurelena exclaimed in a panicked and high-pitched voice similar to that of a mosquito.
Kaylessa's eyes gleamed with intense curiosity as she eagerly asked to see the special summons that had been referred to. She grabbed Laurelena's hands, causing the other person to become flustered and panicked.
Laurelena gave in, and with a faint voice, she spoke the name of her skill to activate it [The Almighty Me!!]. A massive surge of green energy was released in front of her, accompanied by a cackling reminiscent of an elderly man.
"HAHAHAHA, so you called me again, little flower. I knew you couldn't survive without a divine being like me."
Kaylessa and Ayaka were speechless, not because of the awe-inspiring nature of the creature but because the so-called divine being was actually a tiny snapping turtle measuring only 10 centimeters in height.
"Wow, um, is it really that small?"
Kaylessa gestured towards the small turtle after it had been fully summoned; she struggled to contain her laugh. It was no surprise that Laurelena was hesitant to reveal her method of escape, considering the grandiose name of the skill, only for a small turtle to appear in its place.
"W-what? Who is Small? You are small; your entire family is small."
The small turtle released smoke from its nostrils while pounding the ground forcefully with its feet, or so the little turtle believed it was hitting with force.