Chapter 18. Fellow travelers.

The battle lasted only five minutes. It was a very eventful five minutes. Five minutes that seemed like an eternity to all parties involved, except for the one who was bleeding the most, namely Cassia. From the maid's point of view, it was an ordinary Thursday, despite the fact that she suffered many injuries, in fact, she could end a boring brawl at any moment. However, as a loyal and hardworking maid, she had to make sure that her mistress' orders were strictly followed, which was what she focused on.

The battle was very intense, it seemed like the strange balance between the forces of the groups could be disrupted by the slightest mistake, causing a snowball effect. Unexpectedly, the biggest contribution to the battle was shared between the hero-lover (who is also Cassia's maid) and the older catwoman who controlled the plants. The former was in charge of the most basic battle, single-handedly holding off the six bandits. The second effectively controlled the battlefield, confusing the enemies and not allowing them to give their best.

Very soon, the thugs started dying one by one, just one death, and the whole balance was upset. After the first successful murder, Cassius began his death march "without sparing himself." The bandit leader wanted to escape, but he was held up by endless branches and a shower of arrows. The blond-haired youth, whose pressure had greatly decreased, used a powerful weapon skill. With this move, he successfully impaled three bandits on a two-handed sword, as if impaling a barbecue on a skewer. Two bandits fell from the arrows of the younger cat girl. Cassius took the lives of the other seven.

The scene that appeared resembled a slaughterhouse, but this terrible scene caused only a collective sigh of relief. Grace broke away from her mother's arms and ran to the bushes, where she got rid of the remains of a recently eaten lunch. Gray buried his face in his mother's chest, who felt moisture on her chest.

"Brother, you were excellent... If it weren't for you, we would all have lost our lives today," the blond–haired young man, full of enthusiasm, turned to Cassia after catching his breath and recovering a little.

"Ahem, ahem, that's not what my friend wanted to say. First of all, we sincerely apologize. We didn't want to attract bandits to your group and thereby put you and your family in danger," the older cat girl said after clearing her throat and bowing. First of all, she tried to prevent any misunderstandings, which was very reasonable on her part. Then she introduced everyone: "My name is Kaguya, this is my younger sister Aika, and this idiot with no brains is her fiance, Chris."

"My name is Christian Beningham, nice to meet you," the blond young man tried to correct his image.

"Is your last name Beningham? Well, I guess that's to be expected... Fu-fu-fu," Katerina replied, looking at the two cat girls. Gradually, she "came to her senses" and no longer looked scared: "Dear, introduce us," she reminded her "husband."

"Yes, that's right, my name is Cassius, and this is my wife, Luvia Ashfort, and these are our children Alex and Anna. Thank you for not leaving us to fight alone, we couldn't have done it without you." The maid disguised as a man hurriedly recalled her role.

Katerina noticed that when Cassius introduced her as his wife, Kaguya's eyes became a little sad for a second. However, the girl regained her composure very quickly.

"Mr. Ashforth, may I ask where you are going?" "What is it?" she asked.

The Port of Stormdale.

"Great!... me... I mean, would you allow me to accompany you? We were aiming for the same place before the robbers attacked us." Kaguya asked enthusiastically, but a little shyly.

"Guys, let's take care of the corpses first, heal up a bit, and get out of here. We're still in the Deep Forest. The issue of joining can wait. Don't forget, the kids are here," Aika chimed in, who was just starting to come to her senses.

After her words, the group woke up from their thoughts and began to search the corpses in search of something valuable. The result: 2 gold lira, 15 silver and 200 bronze, very good money, it should be noted.

Soon, the group continued their journey, replenishing their ranks with the tacit approval of Katerina. There were several advantages to joining new members. First, the family could provide themselves with a reliable alibi. Secondly, the presence of satellites generally made the group members less suspicious. Thirdly, it allowed the twins to gradually get used to the company of strangers.

The cart was moving slowly but surely along a path-like road, propelled by powerful horses. Walking behind them on foot were Aika and Chris, who were in their own romantic world. Kaguya, on the other hand, was sitting in the driver's seat with a man of few words, neko, constantly trying to strike up a conversation.

Night soon fell, and the travelers stopped at a small clearing. They were surrounded by tall trees. The site they found barely allowed them to pitch tents.

When the twins, accompanied by their mother, got out of the carriage, their companions strolled around, checking the safety of the area. The blonde-haired Chris walked up to a tall tree and chopped it down with his two-handed sword before flipping it over and using it as a bench.

The others were gathering branches to light a fire. Now it looked like they had gone camping instead of staying overnight in a dangerous forest. The children in each other's company almost forgot about the terrible scene that happened recently. The cold breeze made the twins shiver.

"Is it cold?" asked Katerina and opened her palm: "Anna, try this, it's also a good practice for your magic."

A small flame lit up in her palm, which she used to help the injured boy warm his hands.

Grace followed her mother's instructions and put her hands together to create a small fireball. It didn't work out, but the girl felt the warmth that came out of her chest and spread throughout her body.

Together, the family approached their companions, who had just finished making a bonfire.

"Do you mind if we join you guys?" Katerina asked with a smile.

"Of course you can," Kaguya hastily replied, casting small, shy glances at Cassius.

Katerina sat down on a wooden log, then placed Gray on her lap, and Grace next to her. The children began to warm themselves around the campfire, whispering to each other about something, while Katerina started a meaningless conversation with Chris.

"So you're Beningham? Well, I can understand, the Benninghams are famous for their love of some people. Fu-fu-fu, don't worry, I'm not judging you. But what is a representative of the noble dukes doing here in this forest?" the woman asked.

"Mrs. Ashfort, don't get me wrong, I'm just a servant in Duke Beningham's household. However, my statement is also true, all servants bear their master's surname." Chris began to explain, slightly embarrassed by the teasing, but soon found an answer and said, glancing at Cassius: 

"Madam, it's no longer up to you to judge the preferences of the Beningham family. But to be honest, we escaped from the duchy in the hope of starting a new life on a Neutral continent. As you know, all the employees belong to the Duke, and they won't approve of my marriage to Aiko. So we persuaded her older sister to help us escape. But don't worry, our absence won't be noticed for a while. Kaguya is very good at covering his tracks, and we've been preparing for a long time."

"Indeed, such stories are not uncommon in the Magic Empire, I think the Duke's house would not pay attention to you unless you were someone important to them. I think your old homes will just be handed over to new owners soon. But what do you plan to do upon arrival on a Neutral Continent? It's a place that's free for all races, but it's also dangerous."

"We want to join the mercenary guild first, and after earning money, we want to open our own business for the production of wooden figurines. Kaguya is very skilled at this, you know. Aiko will be responsible for sales, and I will take care of the organization of the premises and other issues." – Chris openly talked about his dreams and aspirations.

"It's a good goal, but never forget about training, only a strong man can provide for and protect his family," Katerina said, looking slightly melancholic.

"I know, I won't let today's events happen again," Chris replied decisively, but then asked in response, "Where are you going?"

While the light-hearted conversation between the companions continued around the campfire, the two sisters quietly whispered to each other, gathering dry branches nearby.

"Sister Kaguya, tell me honestly, have you got your eye on Cassius?" Aiko asked softly, trying to make her voice heard only by her sister.

"What makes you think that?!" Kaguya jumped up in surprise.

"Come on, stop pretending, I can see that you're not leaving his side. But, little sister, he's married. He has a beautiful wife and two children. Are you sure you want to be with him?"

"So what?! How can such a strong, handsome and heroic man have only one wife? Besides, he's also a neko."

"So now you're not denying it. Ahahah."

"Stop teasing, little girl! So what if I am? You've already found a mate, and I, the eldest, am still alone. I supported you! I organized an escape! And now I'm risking my life by accompanying you in your madness. And all you can do is tease! Yes, I like him! Why can't I be with Cassius? I don't mind having another, more responsible sister!" muttered Kaguya in response, pouring out all the accumulated feelings.

"I'm sorry, sis, I didn't think it was that serious. I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Know that I will support you no matter what! But tell me, what did you like so much about him?"

"Bless me, beast God, you're a fool, Aika. What could a woman not like about him? Luvia was so lucky to have him. He's so handsome, so manly, and what's his look worth. When he looks at me with his purple eyes, I feel like I'm drowning. He's also loyal and honest, although I tried my best to please him, he never once tried to secretly take advantage of me. Not in the least!" – Kaguya began to open up, whose appearance now looked more like a teenage girl in love.

"Maybe you should make friends with his kids first. Maybe to earn Katerina's approval? I think he'll appreciate this approach," Aika advised, realizing that hers was sinking deeper and deeper.

"Yes, you're right, I'll try!" Kaguya nodded decisively.

Soon after the conversation ended, the girls returned to the campfire.