The battle lasted only five minutes. Five very eventful minutes. Five minutes that felt like an eternity for everyone involved—except for the one who bled the most, namely Cassia.From the maid's point of view, it was just another Thursday. Despite the injuries she sustained, she could have ended the boring skirmish at any moment. However, as a loyal and diligent servant, she focused entirely on fulfilling her mistress's orders.
The fight was extremely intense. It seemed that the delicate balance between the groups could collapse from the slightest mistake, setting off a chain reaction. Surprisingly, the biggest contributors to the battle were the so-called "lover hero" (in reality, Cassia) and the older cat-girl, who controlled plants.The first was responsible for the main clash, holding off six bandits alone, while the second effectively manipulated the battlefield, entangling enemies and preventing them from fighting at full strength.
Soon, the thugs started to die one after another, and the fragile balance broke.After her first kill, Cassius began his grim march of death "without sparing himself."The bandit leader tried to flee, but was caught in a storm of vines and arrows.The blonde youth, now under much less pressure, unleashed a powerful weapon skill, skewering three bandits onto his greatsword like a shish kebab.Two more thugs fell to the younger cat-girl's arrows. Cassius took care of the remaining seven.
The resulting scene resembled a slaughterhouse, but instead of horror, it only brought collective sighs of relief.Grace broke free from her mother's arms and ran to the bushes to empty the remnants of her recently eaten lunch.Grey buried his face in his mother's chest, who felt the warm wetness soak through her clothes.
"You were amazing, brother... If not for you, we would have all lost our lives today," said the blond youth, finally catching his breath and speaking to Cassius with genuine admiration.
"Ahem, my friend didn't mean to be rude. First of all, we sincerely apologize. We never intended to drag bandits toward your group and endanger your family," said the older cat-girl after clearing her throat and bowing.She sensibly tried to avoid any misunderstandings before properly introducing everyone:"My name is Kaguya. This is my younger sister, Aika, and that brainless fool is her fiancé, Chris."
"My name is Christian Beningham. A pleasure to meet you," the blond youth quickly added, trying to improve his image.
"Your last name is Beningham? Well, I suppose that was to be expected... Fu-fu-fu," Catherine chuckled softly, glancing meaningfully at the two cat-girls.Gradually, she "recovered" from her "panic" and no longer looked frightened."Dear, won't you introduce us?" she gently reminded her "husband."
"Yes, of course. My name is Cassius, and this is my wife, Luvia Ashforth. These are our children, Alex and Anna. Thank you for not abandoning us to fight alone—we couldn't have done it without you,"Cassia hurriedly said, recalling her role.
Catherine noticed that when Cassius introduced her as his wife, Kaguya's eyes flickered with a trace of sadness.However, the girl quickly regained her composure.
"Mister Ashforth, may I ask where you are headed?" Kaguya inquired.
"Port Stormdale," Cassius replied.
"Wonderful! I mean... Would you allow us to accompany you? We were heading there before the bandits attacked us," Kaguya asked enthusiastically, although a bit shyly.
"Guys, let's first deal with the bodies, patch ourselves up, and get out of here. We're still in the Deep Forest. The question of traveling together can wait. Don't forget—there are children here,"Aika interjected firmly, pulling everyone back to reality.
Following her reminder, the group began searching the corpses for anything valuable.Their haul: two gold lira, fifteen silver, and about two hundred bronze—quite a tidy sum.
Soon, the group set off again, now larger by three new members, with Catherine's silent approval.Adding new companions had its advantages: it provided a reliable alibi, made the group less suspicious, and helped the twins slowly get used to being around strangers.
The wagon rolled steadily along a path that was more trail than road, driven by powerful horses.Walking beside them were Aika and Chris, clearly lost in their own little romantic world.Kaguya sat next to the silent cat-man Cassius, trying again and again to start small talk.
Night fell, and the travelers stopped at a small clearing surrounded by towering trees.The site barely allowed room to pitch tents.
As the twins climbed down from the wagon with their mother, their new companions spread out, checking the area for safety.Chris approached a large tree and, with a powerful swing of his greatsword, felled it, then flipped it to use as a bench.Others gathered firewood to start a campfire.It all looked almost like a cheerful camping trip rather than a desperate overnight stay in a deadly forest.
The children, comforted by each other's presence, almost forgot the horrors of the earlier battle.Still, the chilly breeze made the twins shiver.
"Cold?" Catherine asked softly, opening her palm."Anna, try this. It's good practice for your magic."
A small flame flickered into existence in her hand, helping Grey warm his trembling hands.Grace tried to imitate her mother, gathering her hands together to create a fireball.She didn't succeed, but she could feel the warmth bubbling up from her chest, spreading through her small body.
Together, the family approached the fire their companions had built.
"Mind if we join you guys?" Catherine asked with a smile.
"Of course, please do!" Kaguya quickly responded, stealing shy glances at Cassius.
Catherine settled onto the log Chris had chopped earlier, pulling Grey into her lap and letting Grace sit close beside her.The children huddled near the fire, whispering to each other, while Catherine started a casual conversation with Chris.
"So, you're a Beningham? I see... Beninghams are known for their love of the Neko. Fu-fu-fu. Don't worry—I'm not judging. But tell me, what's a noble duke's man doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Lady Ashforth, please don't misunderstand. I'm merely a servant in the Duke's household.All servants take the noble family's name, it's tradition,"Chris explained awkwardly at first, then found his footing and, throwing a glance at Cassius, added:"But honestly, you have no right to judge the family's preferences. We... we fled the duchy, hoping to start a new life on the Neutral Continent.As you know, servants belong to the Duke, and they don't approve of marriages with Neko.So we convinced Kaguya to help us escape. We've been planning for a long time, and she's good at covering our tracks."
"Indeed, such stories are not uncommon in the Magical Empire. I doubt the Duke's household will bother with you unless you were someone important. They'll just give your old places to new tenants," Catherine said thoughtfully."But what do you plan to do once you reach the Neutral Continent? It's a free land—but also a dangerous one."
"We plan to join the Mercenary Guild at first.Then, once we save up, we want to open a business making wooden sculptures.Kaguya is very skilled at it.Aika will handle sales, and I'll manage the shop and logistics," Chris openly shared their dreams.
"A good goal," Catherine smiled sadly."But never forget your training. Only a strong man can protect his family."
"I know. I won't let today's disaster happen again!" Chris vowed earnestly.Then he asked:"And what about you? Where are you headed?"
While the group chatted around the fire, the two sisters wandered a little away, gathering more firewood and whispering among themselves.
"Sis Kaguya, be honest... Have you fallen for Cassius?" Aika teased playfully.
"What are you talking about?!" Kaguya jumped in surprise.
"Oh, come on, don't pretend. I can tell you're always hanging around him. But sister, he's married.He has a beautiful wife and two kids. Are you really okay with that?"
"So what?! How could such a strong, handsome, heroic man have only one wife? Besides, he's a Neko too!"
"So you're not denying it, ahaha!"
"Stop teasing me, you brat! So what if I like him?! I helped you two escape, didn't I? I risked everything for you!Why can't I dream a little too?! I wouldn't mind gaining another, more responsible sister-in-law!" Kaguya grumbled, letting all her pent-up feelings spill out.
"Sorry, sister, I didn't realize you were that serious. Sorry, sorry... I'll support you no matter what!But maybe you should try getting close to his children first? Win Catherine's favor too.I think he'd appreciate that kind of approach," Aika suggested seriously.
"Yes... you're right. I'll try!" Kaguya nodded firmly.
Soon after, the girls returned to the campfire, their hearts light and full of new hope.