The battle lasted only five minutes. Five minutes packed with events. Five minutes that felt like an eternity to everyone involved—everyone except the one bleeding the most, namely Cassia.
From the maid's perspective, it was an ordinary Thursday. Despite the many wounds she had sustained, she could have ended the tedious scuffle at any moment. However, as a loyal and diligent maid, she had to ensure that her mistress's orders were carried out to the letter, and that was what she focused on.
The fight was intensely strained; it felt as though the strange balance between the two groups could shatter with the slightest mistake, setting off a snowball effect. Unexpectedly, the greatest contributions to the battle were shared between the romantic hero (also known as the maid Cassia) and the elder cat-woman who controlled plants.
The former handled the main portion of the fight, single-handedly holding back six bandits. The latter efficiently controlled the entire battlefield, entangling the enemies and preventing them from fighting at full strength.
Very soon, the thugs began to fall one by one. A single death was enough to shatter the balance entirely. After her first successful kill, Cassia began a death march, sparing no effort—nor herself.
The bandit leader tried to flee, but he was held back by endless branches and a rain of arrows.
The blond youth, the pressure on him greatly reduced, seized the advantage and unleashed a powerful sword skill. With that strike, he skewered three bandits on his greatsword as though threading meat onto a skewer.
Two bandits fell to the arrows of the younger cat-girl. Cassia took the lives of the remaining seven.
The aftermath of the battle resembled a slaughterhouse. Severed, blood-soaked limbs lay scattered here and there. Yet this horrific sight drew a collective sigh of relief.
Grace tore herself free from Catherine's arms and ran to the bushes, where she immediately rid herself of what remained of her recently eaten lunch. Gray buried his face against his mother's chest, and she felt the dampness seeping into her clothes.
"Brother, you were magnificent… If not for you, all of us would have lost our lives today," the blond youth said to Cassia, brimming with enthusiasm after catching his breath and regaining some composure.
"Ahem. That isn't quite what my friend meant. First and foremost, we sincerely ask your forgiveness. We never intended to draw the bandits to your group and endanger you and your family," the elder cat-girl said, clearing her throat and bowing. She first moved to prevent any misunderstandings, which was a very sensible choice on her part. Then she introduced everyone: "My name is Kaguya, this is my younger sister Aika, and this brainless fool is her fiancé, Chris."
"My name is Christian Beningham. A pleasure to meet you," the blond youth attempted to restore his image.
"Your surname is Beningham? Well, I suppose that was to be expected… Fufufu," Catherine replied, glancing at the two cat-girls. Gradually, she had "come to her senses" and no longer looked frightened. "Dear, introduce us," she reminded her "husband."
"Yes, right. My name is Cassius, and this is my wife—Luvia Ashford—and these are our children, Alex and Anna. Thank you for not leaving us to fight alone. Without you, we wouldn't have managed," the maid disguised as a man hastily recalled her role.
Catherine noticed that when Cassius introduced her as his wife, Kaguya's eyes grew slightly sad for a brief second. However, the girl quickly regained her composure.
"Mr. Ashford, may I ask where you are headed?" she inquired.
"Stormdale Port."
"Wonderful!… I—I mean, would you allow us to accompany you? We were bound for the same place before those bandits attacked us," Kaguya asked, her voice eager yet slightly shy.
"Everyone, let's take care of the bodies first, tend to our wounds, and get out of here. We're still in the Deep Forest. The matter of joining forces can wait. Don't forget, there are children here," Aika interjected, having only just begun to steady herself.
At her words, the group snapped out of their thoughts and began searching the corpses for anything of value. The result: two gold liras, fifteen silver, and two hundred bronze—quite a decent sum, it had to be said.
Soon, the group resumed their journey, their ranks expanded with Catherine's silent approval. There were several advantages to accepting new members. First, the family could secure a reliable alibi. Second, having companions generally made the group appear less suspicious. Third, it allowed the twins to gradually grow accustomed to the presence of strangers.
The carriage moved slowly but steadily along what resembled little more than a trail, pulled forward by powerful horses. Walking alongside it were Aika and Chris, immersed in their own romantic world. Kaguya, meanwhile, sat on the driver's seat beside the taciturn neko man, attempting from time to time to strike up a conversation.
Before long, night fell, and the travelers stopped at a small clearing. Tall trees surrounded them. The patch of ground they found barely allowed enough space to set up their tents.
When the twins stepped out of the carriage with their mother, their companions were already strolling around the area, checking its safety. The blond Chris approached a tall tree and felled it with his greatsword before flipping the trunk over and using it as a bench.
The others gathered branches to start a fire. For the moment, it almost looked as though they were on a camping trip rather than spending the night in a dangerous forest. In each other's company, the children had nearly forgotten the dreadful scene that had unfolded not long ago. A cold breeze made the twins shiver.
"Cold?" Catherine asked, opening her palm. "Anna, try this. It's good practice for your magic as well."
A small flame flickered to life in her hand, which she used to help the injured boy warm his hands.
Grace followed her mother's instructions and clasped her hands together, attempting to conjure a small fireball. Nothing appeared, yet the girl felt a warmth rise from her chest and spread throughout her body.
Together, the family approached their companions, who had just finished lighting the fire.
"Do you mind if we join you?" Catherine asked with a smile.
"Of course, please do," Kaguya replied quickly, casting shy little glances at Cassius.
Catherine settled onto the wooden log, then placed Gray on her lap and seated Grace beside her. The children began warming themselves by the fire, whispering about something between themselves, while Catherine struck up an idle conversation with Chris.
"So, you're a Beningham? Well, I can understand that. The Beninghams are famous for their fondness for neko. Fufufu, don't worry, I'm not judging you. But what is a representative of the noble ducal house doing here, in this forest?" the woman inquired.
"Lady Ashford, please don't misunderstand. I'm merely a servant in Duke Beningham's household. However, my statement still stands—every servant bears the surname of their lord," Chris began to explain, slightly embarrassed by the teasing, but he soon found his footing and added, glancing at Cassius:
"Madam, you're hardly in a position to judge the Beningham family's preferences. But to be honest, we ran away from the duchy in hopes of starting a new life on the Neutral Continent. As you know, all retainers belong to the duke, and they would never 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 anytime soon. Kaguya is excellent at covering our tracks, and we prepared for a long time."
"Indeed, such stories are not uncommon in the Magical Empire. I doubt the ducal house will pay you any attention if you weren't someone important to them. Soon enough, your former lodgings will likely be given to new occupants. But what do you plan to do once you arrive on the Neutral Continent? It is a land open to all races, yet no less dangerous for it."
"We intend to join a mercenary guild at first, and once we've earned enough, open our own business crafting wooden figurines. You see, Kaguya is very skilled at it. Aiko will handle sales, and I'll take care of arranging a workshop and other matters." Chris spoke candidly of his dreams and ambitions.
"A fine goal. But never forget your training. Only a strong man can provide for and protect his family," Catherine said, a faint trace of melancholy in her voice.
"I know. I won't allow today's events to happen again," Chris replied resolutely, then asked in return, "And where are you headed?"
While the carefree conversation continued by the fire, the two sisters quietly whispered to each other as they gathered dry branches nearby.
"Big Sister Kaguya, tell me honestly—have you set your sights on Cassius?" Aiko asked softly, making sure only her sister could hear.
"What makes you say that?!" Kaguya jumped in surprise.
"Oh, stop pretending. I can see you never leave his side. But, Sister, he's married. He has a beautiful wife and two children. Are you sure you want to be with him?"
"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 anymore. Ahahaha."
"Stop teasing me, you little brat! So what if I do? You've already found your destined one, and I, the older sister, am still alone. I supported you! I arranged the escape! And now I'm risking my life escorting you in this madness. And all you can do is tease me! Yes, I like him! Why can't I be with Cassius? I wouldn't mind having another, more responsible sister!" Kaguya muttered, pouring out all the feelings she had been bottling up.
"I'm sorry, Sister. I didn't realize it was that serious. I'm sorry, I'm sorry… Just know that I'll support you no matter what! But tell me, what do you like about him so much?"
"May the Beast God bless me, you really are an idiot, Aika. What could a woman possibly not like about him? Luvia is so lucky. He's so handsome, so manly—and his gaze alone is enough. When he looks at me with those violet eyes, I feel like I'm drowning. And he's faithful and honest. Even though I tried every way I could to catch his attention, he never once tried to secretly take advantage of it. Not even in the slightest!" Kaguya began to open up, looking now more like a lovestruck teenage girl than anything else.
"Maybe you should try befriending his children first. Maybe earn Catherine's approval? I think he'd appreciate that approach," Aika suggested, realizing her sister was sinking deeper and deeper.
"Yes, you're right. I'll try!" Kaguya nodded resolutely.
Soon after their conversation ended, the girls returned to the fire.