Hikaru pushed off the base of the tub and considered their plans for the day. While trying to ignore the way the water flowed down her form. Honestly, since coming to the village she had spent far more time than she had expected in female form. The inn was still full up, so they had ended up sharing a room at the temple the entire time they were here courtesy of the kindly old priest. The only downside to sharing a single room in the temple was that she rarely if ever had any time to herself, and given the lack of locks, there was always a chance someone would walk in. Something that she found quite frustrating, but at least she had some distractions to keep her busy. While she was here she had learned a few things about local healing herbs. Including how to find and properly use them for healing wounds. In fact, after the first night, she had spent a lot of time helping out the healers in the temple. Amy was also helping at the temple, as they weren’t allowed the small room for free.
After that first day in the market, they had just been waiting for their purchases to be ready. This had given them plenty of time to stay at the temple, and other than the occasional task that they were asked to help with she spent that time learning. Being at the temple also gave her plenty of time to practice her skills at healing. Every so often someone would have an accident somewhere in the village, and she ended up helping the local healer. One pleasant surprise she found was that she had a passable knowledge of first-aid. As for where that knowledge came from she didn’t know but somehow suspected that the goddess had given it to her somehow. The knowledge wasn’t anything special. Really it was nothing more than the basics. Like how to properly wrap a bandage, and how to disinfect a wound. Other knowledge she had found out she had was that she knew how to fight with a staff, but she was no better than she was with a sword. It seemed the magic gave her the same level of knowledge with the staff as she had with the sword.
The local healer and the kind priest, in fact, had spent almost as much time as Amy did teaching her the basics of healing and magic. None of her teachers had taught her how to cast a spell yet, but the healer had been very informative, especially when it came to healing herbs. The local healer treated most wounds the locals got with herbs and bandages, but with the more severe wounds, she used magic to speed up healing. In her own case, the only magic she had been allowed to use was simple mana infusion. Mana infusion was done when preparing certain healing herbs to increase their potency or in some cases to change their properties. Meaning it was an important part of the potion making process.
Speaking of her lessons, she still wasn’t all that good with paying attention during meditation, and as she had suspected Amy messed with her every time her attention slipped. Her butt was still a little sore from her last tactic.
Yesterday they had picked up the last of their purchases, and that meant they were finally going to leave this quaint little village. Tossing a towel aside, she sighed. They were going to meet up with Ruri at the east gate. Ruri had her own supplies and equipment as she had been planning to ditch the village for a long time now. Hikaru had only been here for about a week, and she had a bit of an idea of why. The village wasn’t very large, and everyone knew everyone else. Not to mention the general lack of entertainment in the village. There was only one place in the entire village to kick back and unwind. That place being the local tavern/inn. A place that she learned was best to avoid during certain times of the day. Most of that was from stories she had heard from the local village women.
Hikaru was glad they were going to be getting out of the village, but with Ruri coming along she wasn’t sure if she could resume her normal male form. Not without having a very awkward conversation afterward. She had tried picturing the conversation in her mind several times over the last few days, and she could only see it going one way with her looking like a pervert. That was if Amy didn’t take control of the conversation. She sighed as she pulled up her panties, who was she kidding, of course, Amy was going to take control of the conversation.
Grabbing her chest wrap she looked in the mirror and started wrapping her chest. Yet another thing Amy had taught her how to do. At least it wasn’t a bra, she wasn’t sure how she would have dealt with one of those. Then again she hadn’t seen a single bra since she was summoned to this world. Not one, but then again she hadn’t really gone looking for women’s underwear before. She had asked Amy about bras, but she had drawn a complete blank on them. Even describing them hadn’t gotten any results, and this brought her to the conclusion that they likely didn’t exist in this world. Besides her panties weren’t exactly what she would call modern. They were comfortable and made from a decently soft cloth. However, they didn’t have any elastic bands instead they were held up by a ribbon. This pair she had gotten from the seamstress, and actually had a rather cute design. Far cuter in fact than her old pair, but at least most people wouldn’t see them. Not that it made her feel any better about wearing panties with a ribbon and a flower pattern on them.
Finishing her chest wrap she regarded the cute girl in the mirror. The underwear she was wearing suited her look very well, and she wondered how the magic would change her underclothes. Especially given that both her chest wrap and her panties had flower patterns on them. The girl in the mirror wasn’t large and looked like a younger version of her sister. Her long black hair hung loosely behind her back and was still a bit damp with water from her recent bath. Even now she had a hard time connecting the image with herself, but she was starting to get used to it. Grabbing her traveling clothes, she slipped into the outfit and fastened on her boots then looked at herself in the mirror.
Looking in the mirror she had to give the seamstress some credit. The outfit suited her perfectly. It was made of sturdy cloth and wasn’t as comfortable as her underclothes but it fit her well, and she found it comfortable enough for long journeys. The cloth was rather plain in color with long dark socks that covered her legs. A sturdy skirt covered her waist and was short enough not to impede movement. The skirt ended just a few centimeters above her knees. The top was a thick brown shirt with long sleeves. The thick cloth had been reinforced with leather to protect her vital areas. It was no substitute for actual armor, but it would protect her from the elements. Not to mention it would provide some protection from weapons. The outfit was completed with a pair of simple leather gloves and sturdy boots.
She was ready for the day, and she figured she had spent long enough in the bathroom. Exiting the room, she headed down the short hall to their room where she collected her pack and staff. Slipping it over her shoulders, she went to meet up with Amy. Amy had taken her bath first, and they had already eaten breakfast. So she was pretty sure that Amy was waiting for her out front.
As she expected she found Amy waiting for her in front of the temple, and she was talking with the kindly old priest. The priest noticed her approaching first and turned to greet her.
“Its lovely weather today. A good omen for your journey, I wish you luck. Also, I hope you visit again. Under better circumstances of course,” said the priest.
She nodded, and replied, “You have a nice little village, and maybe we will visit again if we are ever in the area.”
He pulled something from a bag on his hip, which turned out to be a small book, “Telia wanted me to give this to you. She said it would help you become a full healer, and earn your mark.”
Hikaru gratefully accepted the book, and read the title before stowing it in her pack. Based on the title she could conclude that the book was on the basic theory of healing magic. As for the mention of a mark, that was a big deal among the Dragon Clans. Having one meant you were a full priest or healer in the clans. Both were occupations that fell under the temple’s purview. In fact, they were such a status symbol that everyone who had one freely displayed their mark. As for the book, Hikaru was certain that it would be useful to her. While she didn’t think she wanted to be just a healer, healing magic seemed quite useful.
They exchanged a few more quick pleasantries with the priest, before heading towards the gate. Given the hour traffic was rather light, with only a handful of young women walking the village paths. As a result, they made good time and reached the gate after only a few minutes walk. At the gate, they found Ruri already waiting for them. The small half-dwarf was in full gear and had a pack on her shoulders. She was wearing a sturdy looking set of leather armor that was reinforced to better protect her vitals. She had a leather helmet that left her face fully exposed, but she had seen a lot of helms that did. She had even talked with a few melee fighters on the subject of helmets, and there was a lot of debate on faceplates. Most leather helms that she had seen didn’t include them for several reasons, and many disliked them as they impede visibility. Some more than others. Her armor had scale-like patterns on it, and she had sturdy leather gauntlets to cover her hands and arms. She had an armored leather skirt and long pants below the skirt. She had a tall pair of traveling boots on. Attached to the pack on her back and shoulders was a large shield, well large for her anyway. Hanging on her hip was a short sword, and opposite the sword, she had a small brace of knives. Sticking out of her boot was the handle for yet another knife.
She gave them a pleasant smile when she saw them approaching. “Weather seems nice today, we can make good time if we start now. Still might run into monsters, though.”
Hikaru nodded, and replied, “Yes, the priest commented on the weather too. At least we shouldn’t have any problems until we pass the fields.”
Amy asked, “Before we leave, do you have everything you will need?”
Ruri shifted a bit on her feet, and happily replied, “Yep! I have my tent, my bedroll, a few utensils, travel funds, a small tool kit, spare clothing, and some rations.”
Hikaru had already double-checked her own pack. None of them had a horse, so they could only take what they could carry. They each had a small tent of their own, a bedroll, and spare clothing. Amy had the cooking supplies and the firestarter kit. As for herself, she was broke now, but she also had some rations. Along with their potions, a first-aid kit, and a few tools to make potions with. They were rather basic, but they were durable enough to be used in the field.
Amy pulled her forward, and said to Ruri, “In that case let’s get going.”
The first few hours were uneventful. The weather was indeed pleasant, and Amy had taken the chance to strike up a conversation with Ruri. Hikaru hadn’t really paid much attention to the conversation. She had been keeping an eye on the fields and enjoying the good weather. Naturally, she had considered resuming her male form, but she just didn’t feel ready for the awkward conversation she knew would follow.
Around noon as they were walking among a field of wild grasses, a pack of goblins suddenly emerged from the ground. They were small green humanoids, but they didn’t look like what Hikaru expected. They weren’t ugly twisted creatures, but actually kind of cute especially the two females she saw in the group. Said females were naked if you didn’t count the belt at their waist. The two female goblins looked generally child-like in appearance with pale green skin. Neither was particularly tall with both being smaller than Ruri. One had modest boobs on full display that were likely A maybe B cups in size, but the other was quite busty. The busty one carried what looked like a staff, and the other carried a small dagger. The busty girl with the staff had strange lines and runes painted all over her skin, and feathers in her hair.
As for the males, they were wearing torn clothing and mismatched pieces of armor that had clearly seen better days. All of the were carrying crude weapons, and the men bore countless scars on their visible green skin. In total there were eight male goblins, the biggest of which held a crude spiked mace and was staring at her in a manner that made her very uncomfortable. Two of the goblins held crude spears, and one of them had a slingshot. The rest carried crude clubs.
Hikaru readied her staff, and Amy began to prepare a spell. Ruri drew her sword and equipped her shield in a smooth motion. The goblin with the slingshot fired a small stone in their direction, but his aim was shoddy. The stone flew well over their heads and landed somewhere in the grass.
Two of the goblins rushed at her, and Hikaru quickly responded. With a swing, she hit one in the head with a solid thunk and then whirled knocking the other off his feet. The two goblins groaned, and the one attempted to jump off the ground and tackle Hikaru. Only to be intercepted mid-flight with a strike from her staff. This time her hit knocked him out.
Hikaru scanned the field just in time to see Amy launch a spell. A bolt of ice flew out from her palm toward the big goblin. Suddenly a wall of vines sprouted from the ground in front of the large goblin. The vines failed to stop the bolt, and it struck the goblin in the shoulder knocking his aim off. The swing of his club went wide, and he missed Ruri. This gave Ruri and opening and she stabbed his buddy with the spear.
Hikaru didn’t see the girl with the dagger, but then she suddenly noticed movement behind her. She whirled just in time to see the girl jumping out of the grass towards Amy who was next to her. Hikaru quickly moved to block her path and struck her in the belly with her staff. The small goblin crumbled instantly, but Hikaru knew she wasn’t dead. She was groaning in pain on the ground.
Hikaru looked around for more threats, but none were in the immediate area. Ruri was fighting the big goblin, and someone had taken out the goblin with a slingshot. The other female goblin was chanting a spell, but before she could finish Amy finished her own. A blast of frost struck the goblin girl interrupting her spell and causing her to lose control of her mana. The resulting backlash knocked her out. Hikaru noticed two goblins running off.
Suddenly the big goblin roared and violently swung his weapon at Ruri. Ruri blocked with her shield, and the weapon bounced off the sturdy wooden shield. The goblin stumbled, and Ruri stepped forward, her blade flashed twice. She shook the small blade and sheathed it before looking around herself.
“If the two females are still alive, I suggest you treat them, “ said Ruri.
Confused Hikaru frowned, “Huh? But they’re monsters!?”
Ruri nodded, and replied, “Female goblins are quite rare, and they are far more intelligent than their male counterparts. Also, Goblins normally avoid this area. I want to ask them some questions.”
Amy then added her own input, “Yeah this area is a little too open for Goblins. They may have been displaced by something stronger.”
Hikaru could see where this was going, and said, “So they might be able to tell us where a corrupted mana zone is?”
Both Ruri and Amy were quick to say that it was a possibility. So Hikaru knelt down next to the smaller female goblin that she had hit earlier and confiscated her dagger. An item that was of much better make than any of their other weapons. She channeled a bit of mana into her staff and a gentle light encompassed the little monster. Quickly it recovered, and it sat up looking around. However, it didn’t try to run away. Hikaru went and collected the other, and brought her over before repeating her healing spell. The staff drained a good chunk of her mana, but she didn’t want to waste their potions on the monsters.
Ruri promptly began questioning the young female, and Amy occasionally added a question of her own. They soon had a decent picture of what had brought this goblin pack out to this area. Apparently, some new monsters showed up in the woods that their tribe lived in, and killed most of their tribe. They were the survivors, and they had escaped out here looking for a new home. The young goblin was actually very intelligent, far more than she had expected her to be. Amy noticed her surprise at this and quietly explained that only male goblins were stupid. She also explained that the only reason goblins were considered monsters was because of their uncivilized behavior, tendency to breed rapidly and that they often raided towns usually looking for women. Male goblins were extremely lustful creatures, and since women were rare in their race they often raped girls from other races.
After interrogating the one, Amy drew symbols on the flesh of both female goblins, and they continued on their way. Hikaru was a little confused until Amy explained that the symbols were magical trackers. They would let her know where those two were, and they would also prevent the two goblins from attacking humans. The rest of their day proved uneventful, and they set camp on the side of the road near sunset. Horned rabbits were common even in this area, and they managed to capture a couple for dinner. Around which time to two female goblins looking hungry showed up. Apparently having followed them, and wanting to serve them.
