Each had slept for a good few hours before they continued their training and Preshea continued analyzing the great orc's blood and flesh.
It was close to sunset when she gave Spencer the signal that she was done.
"I guess it is time to depart."
Kyle and the rest knew this was inevitable.
They are of different kingdoms and this group of adventurers are here for their mission. Not to be their teachers.
It was already a lucky enough encounter for them to learn a bit from these people.
A blessing in disguise with their first encounter with danger.
Despite knowing all that, they still felt bad that they were going their separate ways already.
"We are adventurers," Spencer smiled at them.
"Surely in one of our missions, we will meet once again. When that time comes, make sure to show us your improvement."
Kyle and the rest were encouraged instantly, they all smiled widely.
"We will."
"Good, now off you all go. We will watch you leave this place this time, in case you have other things in mind."
Kyle rubbed his nose, "We apologize for being disrespectful to all of you. Sure, you all have no family name, but that doesn't mean we are entitled to be rude to you."
"Think of it as the impulse of a youth," Aaron replied with a grin.
"We are just two years apart," Julius commented.
Aaron waved his hand, "Don't mind the details. Don't mind the details."
"But before we leave, there is something I wish to ask," Lilian says.
They all looked at her.
"What is your group adventurer's name?"
Spencer and Aaron blinked, it seems they have not spoken about it at all.
"Astral."
The five sixteen-year-old youths reached the edge of the Dark Forest and walked away from it before reaching a spot where a big carriage that could be occupied by six people was waiting for them.
With the camping site near it, it was obvious that it had waited for them since the day they entered the Dark Forest.
"Young masters and young miss," the servants greeted.
"Let us rest for a bit and get change then we can leave," Kyle spoke.
They were helped in cleaning up and getting change and soon they were about to depart.
All five of them looked back at the Dark Forest.
"Ah!" Lilian suddenly exclaimed.
"What is it?" Julius asked worriedly.
"Astral!"
"Huh?" all four looked at her in confusion.
"You know that adventurer group that rose to fame two years ago. They were well known in Circinus Kingdom for finishing the most difficult of missions. Whether it be extermination or escorting mission. Their group name was even heard in our kingdom but because there were no portraits, their appearances are unknown. No wonder the name sounds familiar."
The other four blinked before each of their eyes widened.
"What?!?!" they exclaimed at the same time.
The servants around them were confused.
"Let's go inside and talk," Kyle said.
As they traveled back to their kingdom.
"Are you sure?" he asked Lilian.
"I am one hundred percent sure. I have read a whole load of articles about them. And the lineup just makes sense, a healer, a fire ability user, a water ability user, a wind ability user, and an earth ability user. Despite rarely using it, Luna was using earth ability. It is the same lineup as the group Astral."
"But don't you think maybe they are just impersonating the real group?" Patrick asked.
"Are you listening to your words right now?" Lilian rolled her eyes at him.
They had witnessed the strength of Spencer and the rest that not believing them was even more outrageous than believing them that they were Astral.
But Patrick was simply in disbelief at the information he had heard that he spoke of such words.
Astral was a well-known adventurer's group, reaching even Antlia Kingdom.
To think that such a famous group was met by them and whom they even learned from.
It was truly unbelievable.
"How I wish we could meet them again," Lilian lamented.
"Hey, they are eighteen, right?" Kyle asked.
"Yeah," Julius subconsciously replied.
"Then they were of our age when they started becoming famous. Which means they are already almost as strong as they are now in our age," he commented.
This caught the attention of the rest.
"Wow, we just met such an amazing group, didn't we?" Patrick sighed in bewilderment.
The others were the same.
Who would have thought that they would have the chance to meet such amazing people? They can even attest that Astral was capable enough to go against some of the elite knights of their kingdom.
"I think I will miss those kids," Aaron said as the five of them walked around the outer area of the Dark Forest.
They have longer traveling time than Kyle and the rest. Since the direction of Circinus Kingdom was on the opposite side of the Dark Forest where they were at.
"The one who was adamant on not wanting them was now saying that he would miss them," Preshea commented.
"At the very least, I know how to appreciate people once I get to know them," Aaron rebuked.
"Too bad, we only realized they were genuine when we can no longer stay here," Spencer commented.
He was also closing and opening his hand.
Richard was looking pale.
And even Aaron and Preshea who were bickering weren't looking good.
"We pushed ourselves too much," Aaron said as he rotated his arm to stretch his shoulder.
"How about your right arm?" Spencer asked him.
Aaron's prominent hand was his right.
"Still broken," Aaron replied with a laugh.
He received this when he stopped Luna from attacking Kyle. Though his pain tolerance was high enough to not mind it, just that they couldn't be healed the convenient way right now.
Kyle and the rest did not notice that they were no longer in good condition.
To be honest, the first day they met them should have been their last day here but because Kyle and the rest chose not to heed their words, they stayed longer.
They were simply waiting for Aaron to say that the group had stepped out of the forest before they were to depart themselves.
Meeting the great orc was also a coincidence that improved their report further.
"Can you keep up?" Spencer asked Richard.
"How about her?" Richard gestured towards Luna, she was walking behind all of them.
They all looked back at her as compared to when Kyle and the rest first met her.
She was walking much slower and she seemed like she would collapse any minute now.
Spencer walked back and without a word carried her in a piggyback style.
Her arms dropped over his shoulders and her head leaned on his back.
Preshea took over her sword which could hinder his carrying her.
The five of them walked for a few more hours while also fighting off the other beasts that came their way.
It took them midday of the next day before they got out of the Dark Forest.
"I just want to lie on a bed now," Aaron said as they finally got into a carriage that would bring them back to the kingdom of Circinus.
After getting out of the Dark Forest they still needed to travel four more days by horse or carriage before getting back to the imperial city of Circinus Kingdom.
"I'll do the report, you go and rest," Spencer said to Richard.
He was also pertaining about Luna who was lying on his lap.
Once they arrived, Richard carried Luna on his back. Spencer left for the palace.
The mission they received this time was actually from the king of Circinus Kingdom, Harland Morgan Davonius.
The others returned to the place they rented for the past two years.
A two-story house with a wide front yard where they would train.
Preshea helped Aaron in bandaging his arm, he was so stubborn even while returning that he couldn't let others see him wearing a bandage.
They were a well-known group of adventurers in Circinus Kingdom but when they do return to their place, they would rarely go out unless they receive or accept another mission.
"How long do you think before it heals?" he asked her after she was done.
"It is not as broken as you think. Two weeks of proper rest and you will be as good as new," she answered.
"How I wish we can heal the conventional way. Then this troublesome thing wouldn't be as troublesome as it is now," he complained.
"Aren't we healing just fine? Surely a few more months and everything will return to normal."
Aaron fell back on his bed, "Normal you say..."
He raised his bandaged arm, "Seriously her attacks are too much. One repelling of her attack and my arm is reduced to this. Just how sad is that?"
"That only means you need to train more, to become stronger, and be able to not get broken bones when parrying her attacks. Especially at this moment."
Aaron sighed, "Yet here I am two weeks of no proper practice. My right hand is my sword's life."
Preshea simply shook her head from his complaint before stepping out of his room.
She is tired, she needs to sleep.