Michelle could finally breathe a sigh of relief when she saw Clente and the others.

　She takes a quick look around and confirms that all of Clente and the others are uninjured.
　The fact that they have nine deaths makes her smile naturally.

　The four mercenaries I've never seen before must be the rescue Clente brought with him.
　The fact that they arrived a day earlier than planned was probably because that's how much Clente and the others forced themselves through the forest.

　That's why they arrived in the nick of time. If they had arrived tomorrow as planned, I'm sure none of Michelle and the others would be alive then.

　While the escorting healers were healing Helena, the mercenaries Clente had brought along were working on caring for the students.

''Hmm?''

　As Michelle watched, only the youngest of the mercenaries, seemingly the youngest of the mercenaries, approached Whipps' wreckage.

　The boy, wearing a short wisteria robe, drew two shortswords from Whipps' body and wiped the blood-soaked sword barrel with a cloth and placed it in a scabbard at his waist.
　That implied that the owner of the shortswords was the boy.

　Michelle narrowed her eyes and observed the boy.

　He was about fourteen or five years old in his age. That's a good age for a mercenary to be starting out.
　He has an ordinary, unremarkable appearance with dark eyes and black hair.
　The only distinguishing feature is a single strip of cloth wrapped around his forehead. A glimpse of violet color could be seen between the black hair.

　But from the way he carried himself, he seemed to be as capable as Helena and the other skilled mercenaries.
　At least in Michelle's estimation, he was definitely far more skilled than Hanslick and the other students.

　He is a boy with an air of mystery.
　Even though he was about the same age as the students, his demeanor was that of a warrior on the battlefield itself.

　Eventually, after Helena's treatment was finished and the students regained consciousness, Michelle and Klente began to exchange information with each other and discuss their future actions.
　It turned out that this time their good fortune was a miraculous result of several coincidences.

I see, so you are able to come back earlier than expected?

Yeah.

　Clente, sitting across from Michelle, was explaining on behalf of the group.

We were just about to leave the forest and head for Trier when a carriage was coming towards us. It would have taken us half a day to get there on foot, but a carriage would have cut that time down considerably. I thought it would be unreasonable to ask for a ride to Trier, so I stopped it.

　Ted interrupted Clente's explanation from the side.

We were in the same carriage," he said. I was surprised when the carriage stopped. The carriage came to a stop.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was in a bit of a hurry, too. I feel bad for your brother, too. Let's see, ......, well, that's how I stopped the carriage and explained the situation, but by luck, the people riding in the carriage were four mercenaries.

　So it seems that Clente immediately asked for help, but the other party is in the middle of receiving an urgent request, so they can't come to terms with it.

The thing is," he said, "I've heard a lot about them. I've been listening to them carefully, and it seems that they've received a request to search for these boys. So there is no reason not to go with them. We can bring our rescue back earlier than planned. They won't have to scour the forest to find what they're looking for. So, we're back here as soon as we meet up.

I see. Well, I understand that it was just a coincidence. It was just a stroke of luck, I suppose. Well, that's what saved your life in the nick of time.

　When Michelle understood what happened, she thanked Klenthe and the others for their understanding.

It's a very good idea to have a good time. ...... Well, you know, anta. You are the leader of the party? Are you the leader of the party?

That's about it.

You may have heard from Clente, but can you again ask for an escort?　These children are the targets of the escort. It will last from here until you enter the city of Thoria. The reward is 20 gold coins for all of us.

No, no, no. What are you talking about, Grandma? We're the ones who were originally asked to rescue those chicks.　You'll be paid from there, and I can't have my grandmother paying for my protection.

'Who's your grandmother?　I'm only in my 40s!　Call me Michelle!

　Ted looked at Clente with troublesome eyes.
　Next to him, a petite archer with steel eyes was holding his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.

'Maybe you should learn a little more about how to treat women.

　Ted's companion, a red-haired woman, said in a gasping tone.

'Oh well, you two. We can talk about that after we get these kids back to Tria safely. For now, why don't we work together and get out of the forest first?

　Helena interrupts as Michelle and Ted get between them.

　Helena was certainly right.
　If Ted doesn't care about the rewards, he'd better think about getting through the forest and reaching the city where it's safe for now.
　Either way, Ted and the others will probably plan to escort the students, and if Michelle and the others join them, they will be even safer.

'I suppose so. The first thing we have to do is to get out of the forest safely. The first thing we have to do is to get out of the forest first, and then we have to return to Tria. Is that all right with you, Ted?

No problem. So are we gonna get out of here, then?

As soon as you're okay with it. The students are at their wits' end. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

　It's not surprising.
　Until just a few days ago, the students were living in the safety of the royal capital.
　No matter how much they learn how to fight, the interior of the school, which is completely free of danger, is different from the forest where demons roam.

　It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the fear and pressure that you would never experience in the academy.
　The first time in their lives they witnessed the horror of demons, the four of them, except for Sorte, were completely exhausted.

　After finishing Helena's treatment, the group left the cave early.
　The group of fifteen people, including Michelle and the other six, Ted and the other four, and the five students, formed a line and headed north through the forest.

'Haha. It's a bit of a march, isn't it, this many?

　A petite archer named Norris said with a cheerful laugh.
　His expression was not made of vanity either.
　He must be good enough to judge that there is no danger at this level of forest.

　The red-haired female sorcerer, who is also a member of Ted's party, followed suit with steps that didn't make her feel nervous.
　Her behavior, who called herself Orphelia, was seamless despite being a sorceress, and her experience accumulated up to this point could be seen.
　Michelle could guess that all of them, including Ted, must be skilled mercenaries, having seen many mercenaries in the past.

　However, the only one whose abilities could not be measured was the dark-haired boy called Aldis.
　Despite being as old as the students, his demeanor is no less than Ted, Helena and other skilled mercenaries.

　They say that he fired the two shortswords that killed Whips.
　If that was the case, then his ability was not that of a skilled mercenary.
　Even though he was in the middle of a battle, he still threw shortsword projectiles from so far away that Whips could not see him and took him out with two blows, and if he told his fellow peddlers, they would call him a liar.

　The party marches forward in a line to protect the students.
　Ted and his party members settled in the front, with Michelle in between the students who were to be escorted and Michelle, with Clente and the others in the rear.

　In half a day's walk, they could take a safe route that would be free of beasts and demons.
　If they encountered an enemy, Ted and his team would basically be in charge of eliminating it, but Michelle thought that if it came down to it, Clente and his team would be able to help.

　However, it didn't take him more than an hour to learn that that consideration was of no consequence whatsoever.

'Ted,'

I know. You'll take care of the right one.

　At Norris's call, Ted, who immediately drew his sword and released it, sat back and held it up, directing it toward his companions in the opposite direction.

　The leaves above his head shook.
　A light purple snake attacks Ted and his friends, letting gravity take over its massive body. It's a lacter.

'Ooo-ryaaaah!'

　With spirit, Ted's bastard sword is wielded at Lactor.
　It is not only that, but it is also that, as he leaps from the tree tops, he dodges Lactor's attack by shifting his body halfway through the attack, and as he slashes away, he goes from his mouth to his torso.
　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

　While Ted is lightly defending the lacter, Norris fires three quick arrows toward the bushes to his right.
　At the same time that the third arrow left Norris' hand, another lacter leapt out of the bushes.
　The lacter, with the arrows still lodged deep in its body, takes a third arrow to its head as soon as it leaps out.

　Laktar was momentarily frightened.
　But as expected, that is not enough to stop the giant snake from moving.

''Kishaaaa!''

　It's a good thing that you're not a fan of this kind of thing.

　Michelle and the others watched as a shortsword soundlessly approached the giant snake filled with murderous intent from behind.

　The sword, an inorganic object, floated suspiciously through the empty space. Michelle didn't immediately understand what she was looking at.

　As Michelle's eyes widened at the strange sight, the shortsword in the air began to move by itself.
　The shortsword crept up and slashed off the defenseless Lactor's head from behind under one sword, and then flew directly through the air, wavering into the hands of its owner, Ardis.

　It took roughly 30 seconds from the time Norris called out to the two lactors to finish them off.

(I knew he was a master at it, but I didn't know he was this good at it. ......)

　The abilities of Ted and the others exceeded the level Michelle had expected.

　It's true that even Clente, Helena and the other five can fight off the two lactors.
　But if you ask me if they can do it in such a unilaterally short time, I hesitate to answer immediately.
　Moreover, the sorcerer Orphelia did not participate in the battle, and in effect, three people overwhelmed the two lactors.

　What baffled Michelle more than anything else was the jutsu of Ardis, who could only be seen as a boy.
　He sent his shortsword flying and cut off Ractor's head as if he were controlling it with his invisible hand.
　Even Michelle, who has been peddling all over the continent, has never heard of such magic.

''Um, ......, Michelle-san,''

...... What is it, Sorte?

'Is that sword you just used ......?　It looked like it floated in the air and cut the snake off on its own: ......

　Even Michelle, who had seen mercenaries and beasts fight disgustingly until she was this age, had never seen it before.
　No matter how much he was a student of the school where he could learn combat techniques, there was no way a young Sorte could understand that.

''Say, hey ......?　I've never seen anything like that before. Helena, do you know what happened to you?

No, I've never seen a technique like that before either. I've never heard of a sword flying through the air and cutting an enemy in its own right.

　If you look at it, Clente and the other mercenaries also had surprised expressions on their faces.
　The somewhat interesting color in their eyes is probably because their karma is something they've never seen before.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get out of this forest. I'm not going to retrieve the materials, but you're okay with that?

　Ted confirmed it, but Michelle, who had no intention of objecting, expressed her approval.

　From then on, they were occasionally attacked by beasts on the road, but all of them were quickly eradicated by Ted and his team, and the group proceeded through the forest without any apparent damage.
　The twin-sworded beast was cut down by Ted's sword at the beginning of the encounter and shot through by Norris' arrows.
　It was only once struck across the ranks, but it was quickly choked off by the shortsword controlled by Aldis.

　Eventually, Michelle and the others made it to a safer route and left the Caucasian forest on foot for half a day.