Chapter 337: Protecting The Wagon!

With Jasmine joining us, six of us left our house and headed to the designated area that our employer assigned; we were slightly late because Talis wanted to take her sweet time, but I wasn't stressed over a few minutes. Once we arrived, I knocked on the door to the building, intending to do the talking since I found it hard to trust anyone else except maybe Jasmine, but this was literally her first time, so she'd mainly just sit back and watch. Hearing movement from the other side of the door, a slit opened, revealing a pair of green eyes that scrutinized us. "We're closed." Said the woman from the other side as she narrowed her eyes and nearly closed the slit.

Placing my finger in the way of the slit, I prevented it from closing and forced it open while stuffing the paper through it. "We're the Apostles, Mam; we've accepted your quest for protection to a neighboring city." Removing my finger, allowing the slit to close, were forced to wait a few moments while we heard what sounded like numerous locks opening. "Who needs that many locks?" Asked Vanye with an astonished gaze while I nodded in agreement, not understanding the need for so many locks. "Yeah, just make stronger locks… Also, it's easier to break this brick wall anyway, so those locks are pointless." Tapping the wall while glancing at the door in genuine confusion, the door was promptly opened, revealing a beautiful yet highly unkempt middle-aged woman with butterfly-like wings.

Before I was given the chance to compliment her wings, she suddenly grabbed my shoulders and threw me inside with strength I wasn't expecting from her. "Get in, get in!" Yelled the woman anxiously as she gestured to everyone else while forcing them inside, garnering their ire. "I've never been treated so roughly before." Muttered Jasmine lightly while stumbling into me as I stopped her from falling. Glancing at the woman, who ensured we weren't followed, she promptly closed the door and began closing the twenty-two locks that wrapped around the three sides of the door. "How dare a winged sister disrespect the Queen of the skies!?" Hearing Talis, I sighed, wrapped my arm around her waist, and lifted her off the ground, preventing her from attacking our employer.

"Tsk, you're late!" Once she finished locking the useless locks, she angrily snapped her head our way, causing me to furrow my brows as I stepped forward while handing Talis to Yuki. "Um, yes, we apologize–" "Bah, don't care! C'mon, we're wasting time; follow me!" Slapping away my hand, she walked past me and headed into the back of the building, causing my face to twitch as we promptly followed her. 'I wasn't even able to finish apologizing, let alone introduce myself.' Although annoying, it wasn't our first rodeo with this type of self-centered employer; I just hoped she wasn't any worse, but I didn't have my hopes up.

Following the unkempt woman, we walked through a doorway and entered what appeared to be a garage, where a large wagon was visible. "I can assume-" "This is the cargo you're to protect. Don't ask what's inside; it's not your business." Stated the woman firmly as she pointed to the wagon before turning around and leaving. "Attach the horses to the reigns." Just before she left us, she pressed a button on the wall, causing part of the wall to open, which led to the outside. 'Huh, so it was a garage.'

"Tch, she's irritating." Said Vanye coldly while I gently patted her helmet, causing her to swat my arm away and glare at me. "Hehe, yeah, she is, but the pay is solid, seven gold for protecting precious cargo? That's pretty easy." Chuckling, I brushed aside Vanye's hair from off her face while reminding her of the reward, causing her to grunt. "I agree with Vanye; not only is she irritating, but also rude." Added Jasmine with a frown as she lifted her helmet's visor, allowing us to look into her eyes, though I couldn't help but laugh at her words, Yuki even more so. "Hahaha, o-oh, you're hahaha, f-funny Jasmine. Hehe, you're real funny." Leaning onto Jasmine's shoulder, I playfully patted her head while slowly regaining my composure with Yuki crying from laughter.

"I'm confused, I didn't say anything." "That is why it's funny to them, Jasmine." Said Lazuli lightly as she looked at Jasmine, who tilted her head in confusion. "Our employer is irritating and rude, but she's still one of the nicer employers we've had; to be honest, I kind of like her, she's rude, but she's straight to the point and honest… I'd be happy if our employers were always like her." Backing off Jasmine, I helped Yuki, who was previously rolling on the ground from laughter, onto her feet and approached the stables in the distance, where six horses resided, prompting the others to follow.

"You sure it's not because of her look, Alex?" Asked Lazuli as I glanced at her teasing smirk before rolling my eyes. "What? I can't call a woman outside my wives and best friend beautiful?" "Hmph, I'm not your wife." "I-I m-mean, I-I am y-your fiancé, so i-it's not f-far fetched t-to call me y-your wife." Glancing between Vanye and Jasmine, both blushing despite reacting differently, I smirked and blew them kisses. "Heh, in due time… In due time." At my words, Vanye grunted, and Jasmine lowered her head while slightly smiling, only for Talis to suddenly prop herself on my shoulders. "Haha, the Queen of the Skies and her knight Alexander will rule the world!"

Shaking my head at Talis's ludicrous plan, I knocked her off my shoulders and approached the closest horse, which I easily convinced to head to the wagon before doing the same with the five others. "I didn't know you were a horse whisperer, Alex." Said Jasmine with a raised eyebrow as she gazed at the six horses standing in front of the wagon. "Alex can speak to animals. Did you not know that?" Said Vanye, causing Jasmine to widen her eyes in shock while Lazuli helped me attach the horses to the wagon. "So you did have that beast attack me when I was bathing!" Sighing at Jasmine's claim, I was about to defend myself, but before I did, the woman from before appeared, and unlike before, she looked quite professional.

'Oh, those are some nice glasses; I should get Michelle some. I know she'd look absolutely sexy with glasses.' As I imagined Michelle flaunting her voluptuous figure while sporting a pair of black glasses, the woman flew up onto the carriage and grabbed the reins, which Lazuli and I had just finished tightening. "Let's go." With a snap of the reigns, causing the horses to neigh, they pulled the wagon out of the garage while she steered them off the building grounds and into the street of Cassandra. "So hey, can you tell us your name?" I don't know why, but for some reason, I thought our employer would be much nicer now that she looked better, but I was mistaken as she was the exact same. "Fashu. I don't need to know your name, nor do I care." Said Fashu blandly as she didn't even bother looking at me, causing my expression to twitch while nodding.

'Well, at least I know her name now.' I would've tried to make small-talk with Fashu, but she didn't seem like the type who'd want to talk, so I just silently walked beside the carriage with Jasmine, and Lazuli behind; Yuki, Vanye, and Talis were on the opposite side. "Um, excuse me, Fashu, but isn't your kind supposed to be really tiny?" Asked Jasmine curiously as she glanced at Fashu despite her dislike for her. "I'm a Fairy, not a Pixie." Said Fashu as she side-glanced Jasmine before snapping the reigns once more. Exiting the city several minutes later, Fashu slightly increased our speed as we walked across the dirt road; since there was nothing to do, Jasmine and I played a spotting game.

However, not even two hours after leaving Cassandra, Talis, who had been flying above, scouting our surroundings, suddenly swooped down, landing in front of me. "Alex, I spotted a group of 20 men hiding in the forests in the distance." Pausing my game with Jasmine, I narrowed my eyes and used [Heroes Gaze], though just as Talis said, there was a group of men wielding weapons hiding in the forest by the trail, seemingly waiting for an unlucky wagon to pass by. "Good job, Talis." Giving Talis a thumbs-up, I informed everyone of her findings, including Fashu, who remained calm while we prepared to fight.

"Protect the carriage." "Hmph, we know." Hearing Vanye, I wryly smiled and shook my head while walking with the horses drawing the carriage, and just as we arrived near the where the group of men were hiding, several arrows suddenly emerged from the forest, though Yuki and Vanye easily stopped them while Lazuli and I leaped over the carriage, landing right beside them. Watching the twenty men charge out of the forest with weapons in hand, I unholstered Trina off my back and dashed towards them with Vanye while Yuki stayed behind to protect the wagon. "Try not to kill them if possible, Vanye." "Tch… Fine."