Another week goes by as the Guard commander's team interrogates the captured officers, and interviews the freed soldiers. Kazu's team spends most of their time training in different fighting styles and honing their magic.
Arwain progressed the most out of everyone during the most recent training. Her nature magic now allows her to sense when the twins are sneaking up on her while they are being stealthy using their light and shadow magic. Not only was she able to detect them up to 40 meters away, she was able to entangle them in vines and grasses until someone was able to "mock kill" them. All this effort puts her in the advanced magic class.
Petal has learned body magic, which includes now being an expert in strengthening magic and an advanced user in healing magic. Once the healing and strengthening connection was figured out, Orelfa and Orolfie were able to learn basic self-healing.
Not to be left out, Lina and Rask also worked on their magic, Rask reached advanced levels in both Earth and Metal magics. While Lina is only a beginner in Metal magic, however, she manages to quickly reach an expert level in earth magic.
After the week of training is done, as well as the girls did, only Rask is qualified to become more than a Rank E hunter. As powerful as their magic is, Kazu finds Lina's and Petal's fighting too unrefined for a higher rank. Knowing what they are lacking, he decides to spend the day training them in hand-to-hand and weapon combat styles.
Several hours after lunch Kazu is evaluating their progress for the day when the Guard Commander Behlah Bon Chevalier comes walking up the drive with eight guards. He motions for Kazu to join him. Lina and Petal join them as the commander begins explaining why he stopped by.
Commander Behlah explains, "Since your raid last week the guards and I have interviewed every one of the soldiers and officers. What we found is fairly encouraging for our side. First thing, most units are 1,000 soldiers or less. Also due to losses, the only units that are 30% officers are the "recruitment" units like the one you encountered. The units for actual battle are no more than 15% officers but they also include the better-trained soldiers. Meaning that there is no guarantee that they will put down their weapons like the group you freed. We were informed previously that there are 30 separate 1,000 soldier units and 20,000 in reserve. Our new information is, that there are 5 recruitment battalions of 1,000 soldiers, 100 scout squads consisting of 10 soldiers each, and a regiment of 2000 in reserve. What we would like your team to do is scout out the area as safely as you can. Try to verify the unit counts and sizes, and number of different units."
Kazu nods, "We can do that, but we can not guarantee to only scout. If they are attacking anyone we will defend those people, we might even feel the desire to free more conscripted soldiers."
Commander Behlah says, "I would expect that from you all, and I am not expecting you to go against your nature. I just expect everyone to return alive and in one piece."
Kazu asks, "Can I get your men here to do a mock battle with one of these two young ladies? They have the least battle prowess of all my people, so if either of them can handle themselves with your men, everyone else should be fine."
Commander Behlah motions his men to get into a ready formation, as Kazu tells Petal she is up and hands her a wooden sword.
Commander Behlah asks Kazu, "Only one of them? Are you sure that it will be ok?"
Kazu answers, "Should be fine, she knows not to break any bones in a mock battle, and Lina beat her in four of the six sparring sessions so both may not be necessary. If she loses or has difficulty then I'll have Lina try too."
Behlah smiles, "So you think she will beat eight of my guards?"
Kazu smiles back, "I try to make sure my team will be a minimum of C-Rank when they join, I think she is currently a D-Rank in fighting, so there is a very good chance she does it in less than a minute. Want to find out?"
Commander Behlah turns to his men, "Sheathed swords only, go for the hit, not the hurt. Got it?"
The guards yell out in the affirmative, then move into position. Petal skips into place and then readies her wooden sword. The eight guards surround her in four groups of two, then move just outside of her reach. In a precision forged by extensive training in subduing a target, they go in for their attack. Petal disarms 2 guards before they have a chance to finish their swings. The other six press their attack as the now unarmed men step aside, rubbing on their wrists where she hit them with her sword. As the guards ready themselves for another attack Petal extends her sword and slides the wooden sword across a guard's neck, then immediately swings down to "slice" the inside of another guard's thigh. She blocks a slash then grabs the guard's wrist pulling him towards her, she somersaults over him as his sword hits another guard in the chest. As she lands she slashes across the guard's lower back, just under the armor. Petal turns to the remaining two guards. She pulls out a second wooden sword and smiles. The guards charge and Petal jumps over them, "slicing" their necks as she lands behind them.
Behlah groans, "Alright, I'm pretty sure she won that, how long have you been training her?"
Kazu walks over to Petal, "She started training… the day after we got back from the mission. So just about a week."
Behlah looking shocked asked, "No training before that?"
Kazu looks at Petal, she shakes her head no. "She was a slave when I rescued her from some Orcs, then she decided that she would join Lina as a maid for me. Until we got back from the mission she had no interest in fighting."
Petal adds, "Arwain, Lina, and I decided while everyone was on the mission that we did not want to be away from Master and the others, so learning how to fight was important."
Kazu continues, "And learn they did, I am proud of my girls." He pulls both of them in for a hug.
Behlah steps close to the three of them and quietly asks, "Can I get you to train some of my men to fight like that?"
Kazu contemplates for a moment, "I can't train them to fight like her, she is faster, more flexible, stronger, and a way better jumper than your men. I would have to evaluate the people you want to be trained and set up a program for them. I also will only train them if you can guarantee they will not be like the ones that invaded my home."
Behlah responds, "Of course, the ones I would want you to train will be the two in charge of training the guards, I have known them since they were kids, and trust them implicitly."
Kazu nods, "When the mission you are sending us on is done, I'll make some time to evaluate them and then do the training."
Commander Behlah says, "Speaking of the mission, One additional thing we got out of the officers. There is a location deep in their territory, it is the location where they keep the people they plan to sell. It is in a village called Weslam in the Frostmaine fiefdom. According to the officers the inn holds everyone."
Kazu interrupts, "Lina, could you go get Anna, I think she should hear this."
Lina runs off and a moment later she and Anna come running back.
Commander Behlah repeats the information about the slave house.
Anna turns to Kazu, "We need to do something, they are using my hometown to turn people into slaves."
Kazu hugs her, "Yeah, I thought that was your village, we will work our way there. There is no choice now."
Commander Behlah adds, "One more thing before they took the village the lord of Frostmaine joined Casimir and a few days after declared all women under the age of 30 in the fiefdom now belong to Casimir."
Anna angrily turns to Kazu, "That means if I had not left when I did I'd be a slave for some pervert… Wait, that makes him an officer right?"
Kazu hugs her again, "Yes sweetie, He will be an officer… and fair game."
Anna buries her head into his chest, "Good… That coward is mine."
They chat a bit more about the mission. Kazu has been given the authority to determine how far into enemy territory he wants to go, and for how long.
Kazu and his team spend the rest of the day getting everything ready for the mission.
Just before sunset Tara and her team arrive at the house, with Commander Behlah and the Lodge's permission they request permission to join the mission. Finding no reason to decline, Kazu accepts their assistance.
Once everything is in Kazu's bag and the baths are done, they decide to have a movie night. Kazu decides to introduce them to a series about a white-haired boy named Bell who lives with a goddess and battles monsters in a dungeon.
They thoroughly enjoyed four episodes before they started to get tired. Halfway through the fifth episode, Kazu noticed four of them had fallen asleep, so he called it for the night. After helping everyone get to bed, Kazu and Anna head to bed. After a couple of kisses, they cuddle and fall asleep.