*Slice* *Slash* *Slice*

"Hmm~"

*Stab* *Stab* *Jump* *Jump* *Dash* *Dash*

"Hmm~?"
"You have been doing that for a while. How is it?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"What do you mean you are not sure? Its quality should be good, it isn't heavy that it would impede your actions and it isn't so light that you won't feel it."
"I haven't really used it that much, so I don't know how to feel about it yet. It would take me a few days to adapt."
"How about a few sparring sessions with the new employees. I could even participate. I want to get used to my new weapon too."
"That would be ok but it would be easier to get used to it in the middle of a real battle."
"Won't that be dangerous?"
"That is true for most but not for me. I'm a speed type fighter. I don't need to fully rely on my weapons. As long as I don't slip, I can be effective on the battlefield."
"You aren't only testing your weapon but your armour too, you know."
"I won't really need to test the armour's durability by taking on attacks but I can test the shoes durability by moving about. A single afternoon is enough for me to test these."
"Good, then we can leave tomorrow morning. You are also doing the regular team training with those two today, right? Tell them about our plans to start the trip tomorrow. I'll make sure we have enough supplies and the right goods too."
"Ok, thanks for the new toys, turtle boss."

Good, it looks like the armour fit. I was worried about the measurements because she has been eating extra lately. She has been using a lot of energy from the daily team building exercise, so that must be why she has been eating more.

Well, the weapons came out ok. I also finished it sooner than I thought. I have already tried out my weapons and I am sure it would work well. I can guarantee the armour and weapon of both me and hops.

I'm still new to the spear but to an expert like hops, a new weapon is probably like a stranger. They would have to take some time to get to know each other. It was a surprise, so I only made some standard stuff based on what I know about her.

That was only the first weapon I gave her. I'm sure she will have a lot of requests for her weapon and armour as time comes.

The first place we need to visit is the squirrelkin territory. It's a great place to obtain lumber. From there, we would go to beaverkin territory and sell that lumber. I'll have to see if we can sell them to a carpentry store. They use the most lumber and I can leverage the price for a discount on their furniture. I'll then sell those furniture to the molekin.

That should earn us a bit more profit. Also now that we have two more employees, we can load the wagon more without fearing that the weight would slow us down. We should have enough people to handle the bandits in the territories that we will travel through.

With the extra load of goods we can earn more profit on our travels. Also, once we build up the teamwork amongst those three, we should be able to travel towards more dangerous areas.

From what hops told me, Risa is excellent with a bow. She is very accurate and knows how to toy with enemies at a distance. Hops said that she seems to know how people move their bodies, so she can attack people when they least expect it.

Trina on the other hand has excellent strength, excellent stamina, excellent durability and a dangerous ferocity. She ramps up in intensity as the fight goes on.

Hops still boast that even with the two of them, she can still handle them though. I'm not sure if that is true but I hope it is. Strength isn't always a way to secure leadership but it is the easiest way to keep new employees in line.

"Good morning, president."
"Good morning, boss.
"Oh, the two of you are early. This will be a long journey. Are the two of you ready?"
"Yes."
"Of course I am ready. Everything is in order."

They were there as soon as we opened the door. Good, they show promise as a long time employee. People tend to slack off as they get accustomed to their jobs, so I hope this diligence lasts.

"Of course they are early and prepared. We have been training for different situations. From late night ambush attacks to nonstop marathon chases, we made sure that we could perform to the best of our abilities."
"ReallY? Then I will be counting on you all during our journey. Let's go."
"Ok, Trina will be with me. Risa go with turtle boss. Turtle boss, please take the lead this time. Risa should be able to tell you if there are dangers."
"Yes, ma'am!" x2

Good, they seem very reliable. They also seem to be more respectful towards hops but she is in charge of defence on our travels. We don't need to have two commanders during a battle, so that is fine.

However, I am still the president but she is also one of the founders.

Hmm, this is a weird feeling but once we have some office workers, I will make sure they are more loyal to me. I'll lead the paperwork group, while she handles the combatants.

It seems that you can't lead a merchant group by yourself. Despite our first meeting, I guess I'm lucky to have met her.

"Everyone ready? Let us go then!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Turtle boss, please do the handling of the wagon. Rina needs to keep a lookout, and although she can do both, I want her to keep her to focus on scouting the surroundings."
"Ok, I got it. I'll be counting on you to tell me if there are problems on the road, Risa."
"Ok."

She really is stingy with words. Oh well, as long as she is capable. It's also good to have an employee that knows how to keep their mouth shut when needed, though that is her default.

"Enemies, seven people, two on each side of the road, two are slowly trying to circle around us on the far left. Once is out in the open pretending to be injured. There are no proper long ranged weapons but there are pebbles piled near them."

Oooh, she suddenly talked a lot. It's good that she is this talkative in this kind of situation. I don't want to have to decipher her messages if she keeps talking with so few words.

It hasn't been that long since we left the city. I'm surprised that there are already bandits here. They are also bandits that employ a little act to lure enemies too. I'm not sure if they are courageous or reckless.

"Can they see us from where they are? How long until we reach them?"
"They have a telescope with them. They should be able to see us clearly. It should take around 20 minutes at our current speed to reach their attack range."
"20 minutes, eh. We have enough time to prepare. Are you able to send hops and trina a message without being discovered?"
"Yes."

*Flip* *Write* *Write* *Fold* *Fold* *Flip* *Flip* *Tie* *Throw*

That was a small throwing dagger? She wrote down the situation on paper and folded it into the handle. She then threw it behind us.

It was done one handed and without even looking yet the dagger passed through the wagon without hitting any of the merchandise, nor the curtains.

While she is very good at that, we need to develop some kind of signal systems for these kinds of situations. It is very inconvenient.

Me and hops didn't really have a need for it because we only reacted once we saw the enemies attack. There are times where we could spot an ambush but at those times, we yelled at each other and made a run for it.

Now that we have more people, we need to have some kind of code words, or special signals for different situations.

We will worry about that later. For now, we need to have a plan for the upcoming bandit ambush.