Eric
Lilium would nod.

" Use the Kite Shield and bring a sword. Don't make it obvious that you're a bait.. " She told Willin before trailing off.

*Would it seem too suspicious for a single knight to be raiding their base..?* 

" ..I'll act as a bait as well. It's simply too suspicious for a single macen to actually confront an entire group. " She spoke. She then looked to Yumiko, seeing if she had any objections to the plan.
Jerry
"...No objections, if you think you can handle it." *Yumiko nodded to Lilium, silently applauding the mage for her bravery. To her knowledge, Lilium didn't possess any barrier-based abilities, so she should have to rely on her shield and her reflexes to figure things out once combat began.*

*In that case, Yumiko just had to do her best for her part of the plan. Attack from behind, be as rushless as possible.*

"Shall we proceed then?" *She said, hopping back up onto the trees, landing atop of and hopping from branch to branch towards teh campsite.*
Jodi
"Yes." Willin answered simply, and then readied his sword and shield. Afterward he mounted his own horse and prepared to move toward the camp. He also readied his crossbow - hoping to take one down with a lucky shot before the main engagement began.*

"The mage and I will attack from the front and catch them by surprise before they get any weapons. The rest of you three go to the back of their camp. The moment they are distracted by us, move in and attack from the rear."
Eric
Lilium looked to Willin, slightly surprised. 

*It looks like these Macen are the best soldiers the Captain could offer after all.. They aren't brainless, at least.* 

Lilium looked pleased. Lilium's eyes would then grow a purple hue as a purple arcane circle would appear in front of Lilium. 

" ..Raven. " She called out as the black feathered creature emerged from the arcane circle. It'd begin flapping its wings, lifting itself up from the ground as it landed on Lilium's shoulder. 

" I'll have him follow you guys. He's capable of using magic as well, though it'd drain my mana much faster. The moment he initiates an attack, there'd be the signal for the rest of you to dash out. We'll leave the Paladin for last and aim for the deserters first.. Since I think the Paladin won't go down as easily as the rest. " She told Yumiko and the other two men.

The Raven would then fly over towards Yumiko, landing on her shoulder instead.

``Mana Remaining : 77.5/77.5``

Lilium then made her way to the campsite with her stave and large shield in hand alongside Willin.
Jerry
"Got it, make sure you guys stay safe as well." *Yumiko advised, making sure to the other two soldiers a secluded and secure location where they would be able to easily see and atack their opponents once the distraction took place. She just had to remember who she needed to maim.*

*The soldiers first. Then the paladin. If they managed to get numbers on their side, then the paladin would be easier to take down.*
Jodi
Willin looked at the Raven and then Lilium. The horseman readied himself and started walking his horse toward the camp, with the crossbow in his hand, and the shield and sword ready to be drawn and strapped at any moment.

Ash and Aster both followed Yumiko, and is now under her command. The enemies are not visible nor alert yet, so they still have time.

They are roughly 100 meters away from the camp.

"We should wait for the rear team to be in position first." Willin commented. Simple physics dictated that it would take more time for them to flank than Willin and Lilium to charge in head first.

Ash and Aster followed her.

Willin now said,"Let's wait five minutes before we launch an attack - they will need time to move through the forest undetected."
Eric
" ..Understood. " Lilium nodded as she stopped in her tracks. The Macen's remark shocked her once more. She didn't expect the Macen to be this smart—. He most likely went through formal guerilla warfare training under his Captain. Heck, it'd have been better if the Captain himself was here. 

Lilium would contact her raven via telepathy, asking it to not stray too far from her or else the summoning would be cut off. It had a maximum range of 200 feet after all.
Jerry
*Yumiko led the two soldiers under her command, her Oriate agility allowing for swift steps and impressive feats of acrobatics. Though she made sure to check in on the two from time to time, stopping when needed, moving at a pace moderate enough so that they wouldn't get careless and alert the camp to the ambush.*

*She thought through what spells she would need to use. Barriers were a staple— they'd be her biggest advantage over them. Proper use would most likely let them win the battle. The paladin was said to be a powerful self-regenerator and was also capable of 'making a shield for herself'. Whatever that meant.*

*Yumiko just hoped it wasn't another barrier user. If they were smart enough, they'd probably use their barriers the same way she did. That would mean she'd have to be careful of a lot of things.*

*Once they were in position, she waited for the distraction to happen, blade already summoned in hand. She was prepared to rush in at any moment.*
Eric
After five minutes were over, Lilium would begin moving again. Once she neared the campfire, she hid behind the bushes and trees, looking to Willin to do the same. She didn't want to be noticed yet.

" ..I'll need you to stand in front of me with your shield and deflect the attacks. " She whispered, asking for the man to protect her while she casted her spells.
Jodi
Willin nodded and then dismounted from his horse. He rested a shield next to him and and then aimed his crossbow at one of the camp member sitting next to the campfire. He is busy carving up the roast rabbit with a knife to be eaten.

Lilium now assume control of Willin. Remember that he has three lances with him and can use his horse, if necessary.

One man is carving up a rabbit next to the campfire, the paladin is sitting in her armour and chatting with another man. The paladin has a sword sheathed next to her, and two of thme carried arming sword in their sword belt. All of them have shields, but they are laid out throughout the small camp of less than 6 meters across. The rest of them have spears and they are rested against one of the tent.

This could goes anticlimactically easy if they pulled off their ambush right...
Eric
*..The Paladin won't go down easily.. We'll group and gang up on her later..* She noted to herself before peering out to look at the others. 

*The Archer is...* She looked to the tent, where the Archer laid. She'd extend her stave, pointing towards the Archer, yet still remaining hidden. 

" ..Blade of Wind. " She murmured. A sword-thin crescent shaped blade would form at the top of her stave. It was 3-feet wide and 1 feet long. It appeared as a silhouette only for a mere second before materializing and firing off at the unguarded Archer. It was aimed for the neck..! 

Willin, seeing this would also fire his crossbow at the ruffian he was eyeing, the one who was carving up the roasted rabbit. The bolt was aimed for the neck as well. 

Both attacks were meant to be lethal, and if it missed, they both hoped that it would at least render them useless in battle.

*..Prepare for Spiral Flame.* She told the Raven telepathically. The raven would open its beak, an arcane circle appearing in front of it.
Jodi
The paladin instantly bolted from her position as she detected a disturbance coming her way. The blade cut through all of the foilage in its way, and then landed an inch from the archer's leg.

A splatter of blood and brain matters littered the floor, as the archer's head was cleaved in half. He fell onto the ground, obviously dead.

The bolt flew toward the ruffian, but given how small the neck was...

The bolt missed and landed on the ground.

Now the camp is alerted, and the remaining five deserters scrambled for their spear and shield. The paladin turned toward the two intruders general direction.

"Lord! Protect me!" A magical barrier 6x6 feet tall pushed out from her, hovering 1 feet away, facing the intruders. Then she grabbed a shield and drew her sword. The paladin was some 1.7 meters tall.
Eric
Lilium heaved a sigh, signalling Willin to get out of their hiding spot and prepare the shield. 

Willin would hold the shield as per requested and got in front of Lilium. He stood on guard, prepared to intervene with the shield if anything were to happen. 

*..I have to buy time for my Raven to prepare for my spell..* 

" ..Attention, Macens. " Lilium spoke monotonously yet loudly. 

" I was sent from the guild, New Sunlight to slaughter all of you. If you'd like to surrender, now's your chance. " She gave a sinister smile, hopefully being able to scare them with the confident facade. She hoped that this would cause them to believe that she was actually someone strong, giving enough time for the crow to activate its spell.

`Mana Remaining : 67.5/77.5`
Jerry
*Now!*

*Yumiko signalled Ash and Asher and leapt into action from the back, jumping forwards out from the trees. In midair she produced one of her Talismas, throwing it forwards as it formed into a bird of electricity midair. It soared fowards at high speeds, attempting to slam into one of the deserters and stun him.*

*Ash and Aster rushed forwards, blades gripped in one hand and shield gripped in the other. They moved in coordination, aiming to slam into each of their own deserters with their shields to violently knock them down as they scrambled for their spears. Hopefully the surprise and the distraction would allow her allies to be successful in this endeavour.*

*If not, spears were remarkably ineffective at shorter ranges. Especially when you had a shield with you.*

*Yumiko's attack was to be followed up with a rush and a swing right into her oppoenent's neck, who was hopefully stunned from the previous spell. Her movements were quick, precise, and violent— aiming to cause the most messy and bloodiest death possible.*
Jodi
The deserters seems to be paying no heeds to whatever the two says. Too busy fighting for their life, it seems.

The paladin waved her hand, and a crackle of red energy were seen on her hand. Moment later, she pointed her finger at Lilium and Willin.

"LORD! BURN MY ENEMY!" She screamed, and a large, basketball sized fireball flew toward them at 100 fps. It would ignite flammable materials and cause a burn.

"Eh!? BEHIND!" One of them screamed as three person converged upon them from behind while they were trying to grab their spear, they grabbed their spear and then did what was logical to avoid the shield slam - They ran away from them.

Three deserters remained, with two equipped with armour, they formed a shieldwall behind the paladin to hold off the onslaught from behind, but before they could pivot properly, one of them suddenly dropped onto the ground, spasming in shock from getting tased from behind, then a blade fell onto their neck, severing their head.

The spearmen might decide to rejoin the battle at any point, or flee. But who know.

The odds was definitely against the paladin and the deserters. Badly.

Will Lord and Anime save her and win the day?
Eric
Willin would immediately move in front of Lilium with his kite shield as soon as he saw the Paladin's crackle of red energy. As the fireball flew towards them, Willin would brace himself for the impact as he used the shield to guard against the fireball. The fireball would come in contact with the shield, causing it to burst in flames. Willin would immediately discard the shield in a panic and draw his lance. 

Lilium would flinch but soon regain composure. 

*NOW! RAVEN!* 

She telepathically order the Raven to shoot the Spiral Flame at one of the deserters. Their formation was in shambles due to one of them stumbling onto the floor. 

Lilium would then immediately begin chanting, " Crimson Fire, gather at the tip of my stave and become an inferno.. " 

As she chanted, Lilim would pass Willin her shield to replace his old one.
Jerry
"Hello boys and girl. We've been sent here to kill you— actually... Only one of you."

*Yumiko smiled at the sight of Macen blood dirtying her blade. She raised the steel right up and pointed towards the paladin, a cruel glimmer of sadistic pleasure surging through her. Being able to legally slaughter Macen was exhiliratingly satisfying.*

"So I'm giving you remaining deserters a choice. Fight and die for the woman who would never do the same for you... Or perhaps you can turn on her and keep your lives? Her head is all we're after."

*Yumiko shifted into a stance, activating her magic. Luminescent petals burst out from around her, softing twirling within her midst as if an invisible wind directed them. The Meandering Dance. The magic that wreatrhed Yumiko pushed her body's movements and reflexes beyond it's limits.*

"You have a few seconds to choose."

*Ash and Aster moved up right in front of her, holding up their shields to form their own shieldwalls.*
Jodi
The spiral flame travelled toward one of the deserter like an all consuming tornado. One of the deserter immediately raised their shield and "Blocked" The fire, and then ditched it, just like Willin did when he was hit by the fireball.

Now two of them had fled, and one is dead. It doesn't look like that the odds were in their favour at all. The deserters seems to be unnerved by the cruel smile of the bunnygirl, who seems to have some strange petals surrounding her too...

"Shit." The Paladin said to herself, and then started pacing backward into a corner, trying to keep all five attackers in her sight.

In the meantime, the deserters answered Yumiko's question with actions.

They fled and scattered into the forest. They can choose to pursue them if they want.

Is that it? Is this going to be the end of the fight?
Eric
`Mana Remaining : 48.75/77.5`

" ..Coil and dance, Spiral Flame! " Lilium would soon finish chanting, pointing her flames towards the Paladin. Lilium would ignore the deserters. They were, after all, nothing but ruffians that weren't related to the quest. She felt no need to pursue them any further. 

The flames would come out in a spiralling motion as it launched itself towards the Paladin. Lilium could see the traces of the Paladin's magic barrier, knowing that her flames wouldn't actually reach the Paladin but damage the barrier instead. 

`Mana Remaining : 43.75/77.5`
Jerry
*Seeing as Lilium was conducting her fire magic, Yumiko produced a knife from her robe and tossed it right into the barrier. She knew that barriers had a limited amount of attacks they would be able to last against— she bet on two.*

"Ash, Aster. Rush her from the sides."

*Both of the men ran forwards, flanking her from both sides with their blades out. Yumiko rushed from the middle, blade out and barrier talisman on the ready the moment she saw her casting something. She knew that the Thunderbirds would be useless in this case.*
Jodi
The deserters successfully fled, leaving this place to save their own sorry life. Unfortunately that means the party will miss out on the reward from capturing and ransoming them. Unless they choose to pursue them later, that is.

The Paladin turned toward Lilium, using the barrier to block the flame. Then she turned toward Yumiko next, the barrier blocking the strike - and then disappearing right afterward.

She is outnumbered and her armour cannot last forever.

*What should I do?*

"I YIELD!" She shouted as she backed off from the attack, trying to align the attackers in a single line in case they resumed their attack.
Eric
As soon as she yelled that she yielded, Lilium let her shoulders relax. She then looked to the direction the deserters ran off to. 

*..It's my responsibility after all..* 

She heaved a long sigh before running off towards the direction they scattered. Although Lilium didn't care at first, she thought about the possibilities that the deserters had after running.. And it surely won't be finding a proper job. They'll most likely remain deserters, rogues, and continue plaguing the small town. They'll most likely live by robbing and plundering from others— which Lilium definitely didn't like. —And worst of all, they might sell the victims they capture alive as slaves.. Lilium absolutely hated that this possibility existed, hence she chased the deserters. 

" TIE HER WITH THE ROPES! " She shouted, asking the others to tie the Paladin with the ropes so that she won't be able to do resist anymore.

*..Follow me, Raven!* She ordered, as the Raven soared and flew towards her.
Jerry
*Bind her and gag her so she wont be able to use her magic."

*Yumiko said, signalling for the boys. Willin went over to grab the ropes from his horse whilst Yumiko watched with suspicious eyes. She still had her buffs on, in case she tried to do anything stupid while Lilium was away.*

*Ash and Aster were doing the same, circling around her and flanking her on either side. Willin would return after some time, eventually tying her up with the ropes with the help of Ash and Aster. Yumiko would tear off one of her sleeves to use as the gag.*

"Don't do anything you'll regret." *Yumiko murmured, levelling her gaze with the woman.* "I'm sure you'll receive a very fair punishment for whatever crimes you've commited."
Jodi
The paladin, surprisingly, didn't resist or do anything funny at all, letting the four restrain her. It seems she see no point in continuing to fight...

"I know." She answered curtly

The deserters that survived amounted to four, with the two spearmen fleeing first, followed by the two men in armour with sword and shield. They might've split up in the forest already while their paladin was being restrained.

Lilium's pursuit would bring her behind one of the swordman, who is running with all of his might from the forest, not paying particular attention to what is behind. His armour impeded him, but he was still running as quickly as he can. He is roughly 80 feet away from Lilium.
Eric
*Urgh.. I didn't sign up for a race..!* 

Lilium was already panting. Clearly, physical activities weren't her forte. Seeing that there was an armoured man in front of her, she'd point her stave's tip towards him. The stave's tip would crackle with yellow energy and in a few moments, an Electric Bolt would be shot from the tip, right at the man's metallic armour. 

`Mana Remaining : 31.25/77.5`

*Raven, fly around and try to find the others..! Remain in range though..!* She ordered.
Jerry
"Wilis. Take the horse and aid Lilium in the pursuit of the deserters. Ash and Aster, you two stay here with the prisoner."

*Yumiko looked down towards the woman , deactivating her magic. She'd walk on over and pull the helmet off the paladin's head, having it wrapped around one of her arms. Willis took off with his horse and went to find Lilium whilst Ash and Aster stayed around.*

*She didn't really expect the whole ordeal to go this easy. The numbers really made up the difference. It was a shame about the deserters though, she hoped that Willis and Lilium would be able to find a few and round them up.*

``Mana Remaining: 80/100``
Jodi
The man, unaware of the elven not-princess pursuing him, stopped by a tree and started panting, taking a breath.

As he opened his mouth an electric bolt struck him, and he is stunned and left lolling his mouth like an idiot on the muddy floor. He see an ant crawling on the floor and starts flailing ineffectually in panic.

The Raven would manage to find the other swordman, who had split up with them roughly 100 feet to the left. The problem is that Lilium still have to subdue this man first...

The paladin blinked at Yumiko as her helmet is taken off. Light skin, sharp, contoured, well-defined, East Asian-ish face. A big pair of eyes with blue lenses. And on top of her head...

A twitching pair of neko ears. It seems to be wagging a little bit. She looks young, surprisingly young.
Eric
Willin would soon catch up to Lilium. Lilium pointed towards the general direction of where her Raven found the man for Willin to chase after the other deserters. 

Willin, with his horse, would quickly gallop towards the direction Lilium had given. 

Lilium then approached the man she had just paralysed. 

" ..I'm sorry. " She huffed before holding her stave up high— then swinging it down onto the man's head. She did it repeatedly with all her strength till the man was knocked unconscious. She would stop once she recognised that the man was unconscious, not wanting to bash his head till he bled to death. 

The raven would begin cawing, signalling to Willin on where to go to.
Jerry
``A kemonomimi?`` *Yumiko thought, stepping back with eyes widened. She had her figured for a Macen. She didn't think any of her people would even think to dedicate themselves to Macenni religion, much less become a holy warrior in its name. The fact that she looked so young too...*

"You're... You're an Oriate." *She began,* "That's rather unexpected."

*Suddenly the atmosphere became awkward. The woman— no, girl couldn't respond to what Yumiko was saying anyway, she was gagged.*
Jodi
Willin would have zero issue catching up to the other swordman on his horse, and the swordman turned back toward the rider.

"Lord have mercy!" It seems in this case, the Lord in question would be Willin. 

He untied his sword belt and threw it to the ground, signifying he intends to surrender.

*Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.*

The man finally fell unconscious, and stopped moving completely.

Meanwhile, in the camp, the paladin nodded in response to what Yumiko said, but didn't respond anymore.
Eric
After the man completely stopped moving, Lilium would wipe her sweat and exhale an accomplished sigh. She then grabbed the man by his leg and began dragging him back to where Yumiko and the others were. 

*..It looks like Willin has caught up..* She turned to look at the direction of where her Raven and Willin was. 

Willin would soon catch up to the other deserter. As the deserter begged for mercy, Willin simply used the blunt side of his lance to knock the man by the head with all his force, hoping to knock him unconscious. If it didn't work, he'll knock him several times, like what Lilium had done. 

After he was unconscious, Willin would hop off his horse. He'll then grab the man and toss him onto his horse's back before hopping back on. The Raven would then land on Willin's shoulder as the horse slowly galloped back to the group. 

Lilium would have trouble dragging the armoured man.. 

*I wonder where the rest of the deserters went.. There were a total of four of them.. Right..?*
Jodi
For some reason, Willin would refrain from actually whacking the man, and instead ordered him to put his front to a tree, while he tied him up with the rope to restrain him. The moment Willin arrived back at where Lilium was, he looked at the unconscious man.

"Did he faint?" He questioned
Eric
Lilium hoisted the unconscious man up to Willin's horse, panting. She'd look to her raven, smiling as the raven slowly dissipated and faded away in blue streaks of light. 

" Y-yes.. " She replied as she panted and gasped for air. 

*That was unexpectedly tiring..* 

" Let's head back to where the others are.. " She mumbled as she began walking towards the direction they came from.
Jodi
Willin scratched his head - well, he couldn't actually reach his hair, but he tried anyway.

That doesn't make sense at all. He looked at her staff and the man's face. Something's wrong with this explanation.

Suddenly, he spoke as they headed back.

"Check his breath."
Eric
Lilium turned around, abruptly stopping in her tracks as she looked to Willin. 

" ..Did you say something? " She asked. She didn't hear what he had said the first time around as well— she was sort of dazed, tired from whacking the man a few times. She was by no means a psychopath— and it was the only way she could get him unconscious without using anymore mana than she already did.
Jodi
"Check his breath. You knocked him out, right?" Willin were beginning to catch up to what had happened - his intelligence was useful for more than simple tactics it seems.

Willin's concern was simple - knocking people out with enough force to make them unconscious could often be fatal. If the man is bleeding internally or have a concussion, then only timely intervention could save him. And he want to save him - the man was worth way more alive than dead.
Eric
Lilium would do as she was told, checking his breath.
Jodi
The man seems to be not breathing at all.
Eric
`Mana Remaining : 38.75`

" ..A-.. Fuck me. " She cursed softly. Lilium was panicking. She took a few deep breaths as she calmed and composed herself.

*Did I hit him too hard..!? Ah..! I shouldn't have done something I'm inexperienced at..! I should have just left him to Willin or something..!* 

" Willin, stay still. " She told the man who was on the horse with the deserters.

She'd close her eyes, concentrating immensely. She'd then mutter, " *Healing Array.* "
 In a few moments, a golden coloured spherical barrier of sorts would erect and enclose them in. The barrier would be emitting a rather bright light as those inside could feel their wounds slowly closing. 

*I hope this works..!*

`Mana Remaining : 8.75`
Jodi
Willin felt his own body rejuvenate from the healing array, and then he stuck his finger in front of the man.

Still no breath...

A few seconds later, he could feel the faint brushing of air from his nose against his finger.

"Oh thank the lord, he is still alive. Let's get back to town as soon as possible - He will need more than that to live."
Eric
" ..You head back first. I'll head to Yumiko's group and tell them what had happened—.. " She replied. 

Lilium felt responsible for this. It was a blunder on her side—. She didn't expect the man to actually be on the verge of death from a few whacks given by a weak and fragile maiden such as herself. Lilium dipped her head, apologising for the trouble she has caused before breaking into a sprint, running back to Yumiko.
Jerry
*Yumiko passed her time waiting by playing catch with the woman's helmeet, wondering what was taking them so long. She was worried. If they were gone for a few more minutes, she decided that she would go and try to find them. While she was confident in their abilities, anyone could be taken down under the right circumtances—*

*The approach of footsteps had Yumiko set up on high alert, grabbing onto her sword and entering a combat ready stance. Though what came out was...*

"Miss Kempos?" *Yumiko said, stance relaxing.* "You've secured the runaways I presume?"
Eric
Panting heavily, Lilium would quickly reply. 

" I... " She gasped for air as she began, continuing, " I— might have overdid hitting him.. One of the deserters is in a rather critical state and Willin is bringing him back to the town for treatment now.. " 

Lilium would say with a rather remorseful expression. They weren't required to bring the deserters back alive, but she somehow felt bad for hitting the man multiple times. —I mean, she did already kill the archer deserter but perhaps due to Willin influencing her, she felt as if she did something wrong to the man.
Jerry
"Yeah... Well, he was a criminal anyway. Now he dealt with the consequences of his actions; his life was at risk the moment he deserted." *Yumiko rationalized. It could've been worse, such as being sold into slavery or forced labour in one of those horrid mines. She doubted that the Salvain Empire would let able bodied workers waste away.*

"Anyway, good job. You did most of the work in this job so I think you deserve a bigger cut of the reward."

*Yumiko grabbed onto the catgirl paladin's ropes and pulled her up to her feet, beginning to push her forwards. They were still some ways away from headquarters, so it was best to get a move on now.*

"Don't feel too bad." *Yumiko glanced at the deceased corpses of the Macen, smiling a little on the inside. Dead. As they should be.*
Eric
" R-right.. " She mumbled, feeling comforted by Yumiko's words. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as Lilium had initially thought after all..? She'd look to the other two soldiers. 

" L-let's plunder the loot first..? "
Jerry
"Ah-"

*Whoops. Thank the thousand moons Lilium remembered.*

*Yumiko handed prisoner over to Ash and began searching through the remains of the dead soldiers in the area.*
Jodi
There weren't too much left on the body themselves, but they would manage to scavenge a grand total of two hundred silver coins in currency and trinkets. Four spears were laid out on the ground, along with a single kite shield. The one Lilium cut in half had a silver necklace on him, worth 50 silver with a medallion.
Eric
*..And this is already worth more than whatever the Guild is paying us.. I get why there are so many thieves and robbers these days..* She exhaled a long sigh as she gathered the loot. 

" Anyone got a bag? " She'd look around.
Jerry
"No... Sorry, I left mine back in Salvainia." *Yumiko apologized, though she took up the shield in her hands as they made their way back.*

"Wilin left with the horse, so you might have to carry all those spears?" *She said, waving around the big shield in her arms. There was also her smaller shield, which she didn't really seem to have needed during the battle, strapped to her arm.*

"The coins you can just put them in your pouch."

*After those suggestions, Yumiko finally made her way back to the meeting spot to randesvouz with the Wilin and the injured deserters.*
Eric
Lilium counted the amount of coins before placing it in her pouch. Lilium also took the silver necklace from the guy she had killed earlier on.

" I'll redistribute it back at the town. " She told the boys. 

Ash and Aster would then take the spears, carrying them. They also took the single kite shield as they all began making their way back to the town.

*My first quest successfully completed..!*
Jodi
The group managed to meet up with Willin, who would be waiting outside the forest near the road, then the group walked back to town without any further issue. Naturally, the first destination would be the barrack, where the Captain walked out to the front to greet the two.

"I see you two've caught the rogue paladin and two of the deserter too. That's great to know. What happened to the rest?" Waystone asked.
Jerry
"Uh.. They died in combat." *Yumiko said,* "Some of them escaped out to the wilderness. I think around two. You should be able to find them with a sizeable search party or with a skilled tracker."
Jodi
"I see. Well, two died, and two escaped. No worry, without the paladin helping them and with their comrades dead, it is a matter of time before they're dead or captured. We will take the Paladin into custody now, and then return to you with the results of us assessing the value of her equipments and everything - minus fees paid to the guild. Her armour was on loan."

John explained as two more men appeared from behind him, and took the deserter in one by one, then they followed and did the same to the neko, whose ear twitched a bit when she was taken away.
Eric
" ..Understood. " Lilium nodded, handing over whatever they took to the Captain. It was fair this way. 

" Do we wait here..? Or do we report back to the guild and you send a messenger there? " She asked the man, tilting her head.
Jodi
"Wait here." 

After twenty minutes and John going back and forth between the barracks and the front door, he finally returned with the adventurer's reward.

"Right, her equipment were assessed to be worth six thousand silver total, plus the men's ransom would amount to two thousand. Of which you two have the lion's share. The equipments are valued as 40% salvage value, and with that being said.."

"We'll distribute half of the total value to you two, so you two will split 3400 silver amongst yourself."

He handed over thirty-four gold coins to the two.

"You two will have to find your own way back, but I will be sure to report your excellent performance to the guild leader." With that, John turned away and returned to the barracks, leaving the two alone here to split the money.

Lilium and Yumiko got to keep the pocket money they looted, too.
Jerry
*Yumiko turned towards Lilium.*

"You did most of the work to be honest." *She admittedly, sighing inwardly at her lack of presence during this quest. It required a tactical mind, not just an able combatant. Lilium proved herself to be both for the duration of the quest.*

"I'll just take around ten of the gold and you take the rest, should that suffice Miss Kempos?"
Eric
" A-ah! No no, feel free to take more! You did a lot of work too! " Lilium said with a rather red face. She was clearly embarrassed from being praised by the Oriate. Lilium was rarely praised for doing good work— in fact, this may be the second time she was praised ever since she was born. 

" Y-you can take more! Let's just split it half-half..? " She'd suggest.

" I-I'll keep this necklace though.. " She continued. She looked to the necklace she took from the Archer she had killed. It was a medallion— and was rather unladylike but she wanted to wear it—... To keep it as a memento. The first quest she had ever done as a page of the New Sunlight.
Jerry
"Truly?" *Yumiko was surprised. She would think that most people would've taken the chance to take more money. Either Lilium's meekness was acting up or she was perhaps trying to make it fairer?*

*Eh... She didn't care at this point. She wasn't going to reject free money.*

"I'll take it then." *Yumiko said, giving her the most genuine smile she could. She gratefully took her share of the gold, being around 17 pieces.*

*Now all that was left was...*

"A way back huh? I would think a gold piece or two would suffice for a comfortable voyage. Unless you'd like to do what those kitsune did and purify saltwater?"
Eric
Lilium giving her the extra gold was her own way of showing fairness. Although she spoke about meritocracy and the such, as fellow guildmates, they are bound to meet each other in the future again. And earning favours now can't hurt. She passed the 17 Gold to Yumiko, smiling. 

" Ah, that was what I was thinking of too. " She replied upon hearing the purification of the saltwater. Lilium kept the rest of the 17 Gold alongside the 200 Silver she had pocketed before. 

" Let's get heading to the docks first, shall we? We'll see what we can do then. " She said as she walked towards the general direction of the docks.
Jerry
*Yumiko followed suit, not even noticing that her clothes were most likely stained with a lot of blood right now. She didn't bring any spare changes, so she was probably going to have to wait until they got back to Salvainia.*

"You did great by the way!" *She commented,* "I just wanted to remind you of that again."
Eric
" ..Thank you. " Lilium flashed an embarrassed smile. Lilium herself wasn't covered in blood as she used magic most of the time. Only the tip of her stave was covered in blood from bashing the man's head in. —It can be washed off and won't stain so Lilium didn't particularly mind. 

They'd continue walking towards the docks, soon reaching the docks. Lilium looked around, seeing if the Fair Maiden was still stationed at the docks.
Jodi
The Fair Maiden was still in port, and it seems they've just finished unloading the ship's vast cargo.

The captain is now arranging for a new cargo to be loaded onto the ship. It seems likely that the ship will be in port for a few more days. Perhaps they should inquire elsewhere for another ship.
Eric
Lilium would look around, heading towards the nearest dockmaster. 

" E-erm.. " She shyly started the conversation. 

" A-are there any ships h-heading to Salvainia City soon..? " She asked, stuttering and rather softly.
Jodi
The dockmaster pointed at a fast, modified caravel,"This one run a ferry service between the city and New Salvainia, no cargo whatsoever. Tends to be pretty quick, maybe 6 - 8 hours from what I heard, but it might take a while because it will land at night."

"I think they charge seven silver pieces and offer one meal."
Eric
She looked to the modified caravel, examining it. It indeed did look fast and had no cargo on the ship.. 

" ...Do they take purifying barrels of seawater in exchange? " She asked.

*I mean.. Barrels of drinkable and safe water.. I'm sure that's at least worth something.*
Jodi
The dockmaster looked at the mage curiously,"...Well, that's something you ask the captain himself."

He pointed toward the Captain who is onboard the boat and handling passengers at the moment.

After the two approached the Captain, he would agree to a scheme of purified water for trip, and the two would have a safe and speedy trip back to Salvainia. By the time they arrive it would be midnight already in the city. On their way there, they would be served a simple meal of yellow croaker with spring onion and rice.
Eric
Lilium would enjoy the simple meal before heading to purify the barrels of waters on the ship. She'd then take a short nap, basking in the chilly night sea breezes. They'd soon reach back to the city of Salvainia on the stroke of midnight. She'll quickly thank the Captain before leaving the docks.

Upon reaching back to the Salvainia City, she'd begin walking down the pathways and back to the New Sunlight Guild. 

*..The quest was easier than expected with a huge party.. And the loot proved that the journey was worth it..*

She showed a rather satisfied smile as she continued to trod down the pathway.