"hmm... sure why not"

as Mars agreed both Jack and Lina became excited

"nice then take the token quick"

"token?"

Mars looked at the request and found a small wooden token hanging on the wall under the request

"this one?"

Mars picked up the token and inspected it, it was a small tag with a hole where a metal hook on the wall had held it, it also had the number 103 inscribed on it

"sorry this is your fist request right?"

"hmm? yeah, so what do I do now?"

Lina pointed over to the receptionist

"you need to go and show it to the receptionist and then she will register that you have taken on the contract"

"oh... okay then"

Mars walked over to the receptionist and showed the wooden tag

"I would like to take this contract"

"one moment please"

the receptionist took the tag and flipped through a book before she found the matching number and looked up at Mars with a smile

"a 3 day escort request, I need to see your tag please"

Mars fished his iron tag out form his s.h.i.+rt and showed it to the receptionist

"iron, and your name is?"

"Mars"

"good, then Mars the contract starts today at noon at the north gate, don't be late"

"okay"

Mars gave a nod and walked back to Jack and Lina

"that's that"

"okay then, me and Lina need to go pick up our stuff what about you Mars?"

Mars stroked his chin, he had his backpack packed with his bedroll in his room but he figured he might as well visit the smithy on the way to cheek up on the progress of his new armor

"yeah I need to go get some things too"

"okay then see you in a hour, don't be late"

"I won't"

Mars and Victoria walked out of the guild and after walking down the busy streets for some time Victoria's horns flashed

"are... we leaving... town?"

"yeah, but just for a few days"

"okay"

Mars and Victoria soon arrived at the smithy where Mars opened the door and stepped into the empty store and called out

"old man, you here?"

after a few seconds the old man walked out from behind the counter Mars noticed he had black lines under his eyes, but his eyes also seemed to glow with excitement

"oh, it's you Mars the armor isn't ready yet"

"I'm just here for the sheath if it's done?"

"oh sure... give me a second"

the old man vent back through the door and a moment later he showed up again with a leather sheath in his hands

"here it is"

Mars took the sheath and inspected it, apart from the gray tough leather it was made form it also had some iron fitting that reinforced the edges

"nice..."

Mars drew his sword from his belt and sheathed it in the new sheath

"fits like a glove... thanks old man, how much do I owe you?"

the old man gave a smile and shook his head

"it's fine, you have payed me so much for the armor so let's just say the sheath is included in the price"

"...are you sure?"

the old man gave a nod

"yeah, besides i'm having so much fun with making the armor without having to think about the cost"

"okay if you say so"

Mars fitted the sheath to his belt and said goodbye to the old man before he and Victoria vent back to the mansion where Mars found Reimund and Irene sitting outside in the sun drinking tea with Elsa standing ready to serve behind Irene, after Mars greeted them he told them that he would leave town for 3 days

"for 3 days... is it a contract?"

"yeah, I just took it and I need to be at the north gate in 40 minutes"

"I see... Elsa"

"yes madam"

"go fetch some preserved food for Mars and Victoria"

"at once madam"

seeing Elsa walk away Mars stared at Irene for some time before he gave a sigh

"thank you"

Irene simply gave a warm smile before Reimund chimed in

"don't you need to go pack?"

"oh... yeah I'll be right back"

Mars vent into the mansion and grabbed his backpack and after checking that all his stuff was packed he went back down and ran into Elsa one the stairs, she had a package in her hands

"here's the food"

"thanks"

Mars took the package and put it in his backpack and when he looked up again he saw Elsa staring at him with worry in her eyes

"what's wrong?"

"be careful..."

Mars gave a rea.s.suring smile and patted her on the head

"don't worry, I'm always careful plus I still haven't found anyone that can match me in swordsmans.h.i.+p since I left the forest"

"...and if you do?"

"if it's a bandit then I'll just finished them off with some dragon flame magic"

"...okay"

having rea.s.sured Elsa Mars felt a warm feeling spreading in his chest for a second before it disappeared again as he walked on down the stairs and out off the mansion where he ran into Hanna next and explained how he would be gone for 3 days and reminded her to keep up with the training he had a.s.signed her before he and Victoria left the mansion and started to head towards the north gate though the busy streets and after a few minutes of walking they arrived

"now to find the convoy... there it is, or at least there's Jack"

Mars quickly spotted Jack and walked over, when he got a little closer he also saw Lina both of them was carrying a backpack and wore their armor, Lina was carrying a whip and wore leather armor that hugged her curves tightly making the other mercenary's around give her a extra long look

"hey jack, hey Lina"

Jack turned around and when he saw Mars he lit up a little

"oh there you are Mars, just in time too"

just as Mars was about to ask what he was just in time for a man climbed up on a carriage and shouted out the the mercenaries

"okay quiet down!"

as the crowd got quite the man clear his throat and spoke up again

"my name is Frank, I'm with the Relt merchant company's private security and I'm here to keep order on you lot as we go on this little trip"

Mars inspected Frank he carried two short swords and wore leather armor that was reinforced with steel

"okay let's see if we're all here, just raise your hand when I call out your name, Jack... Sarah.... Ariella... Mars... Lina... Harry... and finally Melvin... good we're all here, then let's set off"

as soon as Frank was done speaking he gave a tap on the carriage and jumped off as it started moving as the 2 horses in front received a command, at the same time another 2 carriages behind also started moving

"well then, let's bring up the rear"

Mars gave a nod and followed after Jack and Lina that jugged up and put their backpacks in the last carriage before all 4 of them slowed down and began to bring up the rear as the convoy moved out off the gates and the landscape opened up to near endless green fields with numerous people working them on both sides of the wide dirt road

'that's right it's already late summer...'

Mars enjoyed the fresh air as he talked with Jack and Lina while Victoria ran around and looked at all the new things around the road, Mars even saw her play with a b.u.t.terfly with her paws swiping after it as it flew in the air and was once again reminded how she was just a cub.

after some time the convoy left the fields and turned off the main road into a forest with a road going through it and soon Mars felt a familiar gaze on him

'goblins... I really can't be bothered... but I suppose that's what I'm getting payed for'

Mars put a hand on the hilt of his sword and yelled out

"hostiles, a group of 14, 250 meters off to the east, closing fast"

at Mars' shout the convoy stopped and the mercenary's moved to the right side off the carriages while they drew their weapons and soon Frank showed up and asked Mars

"...Mars right?"

"yeah"

"then Mars, are you sure?"

"yeah, I can even tell you that there's 2 goblin mages in the group"

"goblins..."

Franks stroked his chin for a second before he gave a nod and yelled out as he drew his swords

"watch out for spells!"

as Frank yelled out the mercenary's tensed up a little more but after 30 seconds the tension began to disappear again and just as Frank was about to question Mars a lesser beastwoman yelled out as she nocked an arrow on her bow

"one group, east 50 meters!"