I told Linette what I felt was safe to share without giving away my identity.

I didn’t really get to share much anyway since it was already quite late in the day and we had to stop to make camp soon.

She reminded me of Tiara actually, since the princess would also be really interested in listening to my stories as well. Which was rather ironic considering Linette’s family name was literally Tiara.

Don’t tell me they’re actually long lost sisters or something? Ugh… I don’t even want to think about that possibility…

Anyway, we ended up setting camp as the sun was nearing the horizon, casting a red glow on the landscape around us as we stopped the convoy in between two sand dunes.

I got out of the carriage after Linette and the Mercenaries were already picking up the tools they needed to set up the camp.

It was my first time camping out in the desert in this World so I was quite interested in watching them work.

They had intentionally arranged the wagons in a semicircle to protect us from the winds while the other side of the semicircle was blocked off by a thick cloth that they strung up in between two wagons.

They didn’t really set up tents but basically used the wagons themselves to make a sort of cloth fort that covered the area in between the wagons before laying out the bedrolls.

I noticed there was a small hole in the centre of the cloth roof that they had set up and I realised it was for the campfire. They had dug a hole in the sand and covered the hole with rocks to make a base for the fire before filling it with kindling to light it.

It was later that I realised they arranged it like this so that the light from the fire would be kept hidden from the outside since the light would have attracted monsters.

I guess when you’re out in the desert with nothing but sand all around, a light source would be pretty easy to spot even at a distance away which was why they had to make use of all these precautions.

What I was more surprised about was the fact that Linette was also laying out her own bedroll together with the rest of us.

I had expected her to sleep inside the carriage instead of outside but then I remembered that I wasn’t travelling with a princess.

She was the heir of a wealthy merchant family who probably wouldn’t even rank that high in noble society. Which was why she’s even out here doing the trading herself instead of having someone else do it.

It was then I realised that I have been pretty much travelling alongside really high status people without even realising it.

Heck, just last night I was literally in bed with the King of this country…

Damn… Now it seems like I’m really out of touch with the common people, aren’t I? Am I still able to go out and explore the World after I graduate?

I decided not to think about it and distracted myself with helping out the Mercenaries to finish setting up the camp.

Speaking of which, it seems like everyone had been healed up properly so there were quite a number of people around as compared to when I first met them.

That’s why after the camp was set up and they started preparing dinner, I had to introduce myself again for the ones who weren’t there in our first meeting.

Hmm? Somehow I feel that there’s some weird looks being thrown my way for some reason…

Dinner was rather simple but it was by no means bad.

They made a pot of stew that had some meat from the Dune Striders we killed earlier, all properly drained of mana of course, alongside an assortment of vegetables that they had thrown in there.

It’s obviously not as good as the food that I would usually eat but it was palatable enough for me not to complain about it. It was actually quite tasty, all things considered.

I got a bowl of the stew and went over to take a seat by the circle that they had formed by the fire.

At first I was seated alone until Linette sat beside me which was then followed by Meela who took a seat on my other side.

I know Linette was probably here to listen to the other stories I had to share but I wondered why Meela was here.

My question was quickly answered when Meela took a single spoonful of her stew before turning to me, “So… Have you thought of becoming a Mercenary, Aster?”

“‘I’m actually already a Mercenary, I’m just not really active as one at the moment.”

“Ah yes, I forgot you did say you were one when I asked you about it… In that case, would you like to join our group, Aster? We would very much like to welcome you as one of our own.”

I was just about to turn her down when someone let out a shout from the other side.

“What?! What are you doing, Meela?!”

All of us turned to look in the direction of the shout and I found a woman who looked a little like the girl who tried to hit on me glaring in our direction.

She stormed towards us, “You did not discuss this with me at all! Why are you trying to recruit that D ranked Dungeoneer?!” seaʀᴄh thё ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Meela frowned at her, “Did I not already explain the reason to you, Heather? You didn’t see it since you were unconscious like the rest, but she single handedly wiped out an entire group of Dune Striders including the Alpha.”

The one named Heather scoffed, “That’s not what I heard from the others. They were also fighting the Dune Striders weren’t they? She did not fight off the entire group by herself.”

“Yes, we also had to fight off a group of Dune Striders as well, but the bulk of them was handled by her, alone. Is that not an obvious enough indication of her prowess?”

“I am not convinced and neither are some of the girls as well.”

I raised my hand slightly, “Err… It’s ok, I don’t really–“

Bev spoke up right then, “I already told you, big sister! Everything I said was true!”

Huh… So they were related.

Heather turned to scowl at Bev, “You shut up little sister. You just want to get in her pants, don’t think I don’t know that you horny little minx. You’re just saying all that so you can try and seduce her into your bed.”

Bev crossed her arms and looked away while puffing her cheeks.

I mean… She’s actually pretty good looking and in fact, pretty much all the girls around here are pretty so I don’t know why she seems so adamant to get in my pants? I don’t think she knows I’m a futa right?

Heather turned back to me, “You there. Aster, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

She cracked her knuckles, “Have a match with me. I heard you are proficient with both the sword and magic. Let’s have a quick match with wooden swords and I’ll see if you’re really as good as the others say or you’re just a sham.”

I don’t really have a reason to fight her though…

“Sorry, but I decline,” I answered her, picking up a spoonful of my stew to slurp.

That surprised both Meela and Heather.

Heather’s surprise quickly turned into anger as she pointed an accusatory finger at me, “No, no, no. You don’t get to dip out of this one! I’m challenging you to a duel right now!”

I tilted my head at her, “What do I even get for duelling with you?”

“You don’t think you need to prove yourself before anyone can consider you joining us?”

Meela stood up, “Heather, I already told you she not only fought off the Dune Striders, she’s also the one who healed our healers!”

Heather stared at her, “And I wasn’t there to see it. As far as I know, you also just want to sleep with her as well, Meela. And as the vice leader of this group, I demand that I be allowed to test her!”

What the heck… Is everyone in this group just thinking about sex all the time?

Fuck it, you know what? Let’s just do the stupid duel just to shut her up.

I set my bowl aside and stood up, “Fine, pass me a sword.”

Meela turned to me, “Aster, you don’t need to–“

“Just pass me a sword.”

Someone quickly came up and handed me a wooden sword and also passed one to Heather as well, indicating they had already planned for this ahead of time.

I managed to stop myself from rolling my eyes at the act they had to put up just to do this.

I nodded at Heather, “Tell me when to start.”

She fished out a coin, “As soon as this coin hits the ground after I toss it.”

“Ok, yeah sure. Let’s do it.”

I raised the sword lazily and watched as the coin was flipped into the air until it hit the ground with a soft thump.

I moved in front of her, snatched the sword out of her hands, kicked her feet out from under her, stabbed both the wooden swords beside her face, then returned back to where I was before she could even react.

Then, without waiting for anyone to declare a winner, I returned back to my seat and continued eating my stew.

Mmm… Yep, it’s pretty good.

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