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Kloopp...

Kloopp...

Advancing my running horse, which was passing through a small road filled with dry soil, I entered a forest armed with Sebastian's small map's instructions.

Some of the small instructions given contained my handwriting to go to one of the meeting points with Earl Timoti.

The meeting point was located in a part of the forest that directly bordered Earl Timoti's territory by penetrating the territory of another noble in the opposition faction.

If we used the normal route for this trip, of course, we would meet soldiers patrolling along the path.

To avoid suspicion and to give a surprise attack to our enemies in the future. We had to do something complicated like moving through the forest and making a little detour.

"This will be quite a long journey and hopefully we can return on time on the day of the expedition," I muttered a little while enjoying the wind blowing past the horse I was riding.

The gust made my body feel a coolness from the warm air in this beautiful spring.

"I didn't expect a family vacation to bring a gift like this," I muttered further after feeling this incredibly busy.

Accompanied by Mio and the entire herd of stealth slimes who joined the sabotage unit like this, I seemed to be giving them a vacation after they got bored inside Marquess Rommel's Main Mansion.

Their elastic and fast-moving bodies in their slimeball forms followed me as I spurred my horse on.

Right beside me, I could see Aiko who was running using her human form and controlling some of her magical energy to support her physical limitations.

"Aiko, aren't you pushing yourself too hard by doing that kind of running movement?" I asked Aiko who was now running beside my galloping horse.

"I'm not pushing myself too hard, Supreme Commander. This is a form of my magical training that I must be able to master according to the guidelines given by Marchioness Amagi!" replied Aiko who seemed to have received magical training directly from my mother.

"Training, huh? You're working hard on that," I replied while watching Aiko's efficient running movements.

"Are you releasing magical energy without producing any magic core residue?" I asked curiously while watching my horse's fast pace.

"Yes, I have a bit of difficulty using magical energy that doesn't release magic core residue because it seems inefficient for my limited magic core management like this. As a stealth slime that still has a small magic core, I need to use my magic core residue better so that I don't get tired quickly in facing long-term battles in the future."

The answer given by Aiko made me a little curious about how a monster uses their limited magic core.

Using eyes that are sensitive to changes in magical energy, I began to see Aiko's running body from a different perspective.

What I saw was quite astonishing, it was a form of optimal and efficient magic core control that didn't waste magic core residue so that the flow of magical energy used by Aiko didn't seem to be wasted.

It looks like Aiko is using her magic energy by recycling her well-controlled magic energy. It made me gain another understanding to use magic energy in a more optimal and efficient way compared to before.

The theory that had been developed by the Great Hero in the past who fought the reincarnators only brought me to the understanding of magic chanting. However, if the understanding related to the magic core and the magic core residue produced by magic energy, then I have to observe Aiko further.

"Such training should probably be done for you who are prepared at all times. I also don't know when I will call you to do an attack like this directly," in the midst of this fast horse speed, I noticed the other stealth slimes who were in their slime ball form.

The management of magic energy that did not waste the magic core residue was seen very well by their great ability.

I could only be amazed when I saw this.

"I'm glad you girls are putting in all your abilities with a sudden field task like this."

"We are also happy when we get an order from our Supreme Commander suddenly like this, aren't we everyone?!" shouted Aiko who greeted my words, very pleased with the alertness of the stealth slime herd who were able to accept sudden orders like this.

"Yes, we are very happy with such a sudden order. I almost drowned to death cleaning the bottom of the main bath!" shouted one of the stealth slimes who still did not have a nickname that I gave her. However, because of her achievement in cleaning the residence of the Marquess Rommel family mansion, she was ranked tenth on the list of stealth slimes that I would give a nickname.

"Supreme Commander, I know that this is a selfish request. May I receive a nickname from a constellation called Sirius? I want to get a nickname as beautiful as the constellation Sirius!" shouted one of the stealth slimes who entered the list of stealth slimes that would be given a nickname directly from me too.

Since the competition to get a nickname from me directly was over, I only needed to wait for the other stealth slimes who were in the middle of infiltration and spying activities to return soon.

It seemed that there was some healthy competition between the two stealth slimes who were fighting for the top number one position there.

I didn't think much of it because they were the ones who were ultimately competing with each other to get an official nickname from me.

When I was thinking about something else about the nicknames for the ten stealth slimes that had entered the naming list, my eyes immediately shifted to the hand signal given by Mio.

Pulling the reins of my horse, I immediately stopped the horse quickly.

Srroootttt...

Pooosshhh!!

Some dust of noble soil scattered and was quickly sucked up by the herd of stealth slimes that were around me.

With the dust that was cleaned up that quickly, Mio gave a hand signal at the meeting point that was already close by.

"From this point on, we must be careful to see our friends or enemies, Lily-sama" Mio said in a small tone while paying attention to the situation around her.

With such a cautious attitude, I let out a small breath and looked at Aiko.

"Aiko, I think it's your job to search and observe the situation without being detected," I said to Aiko with a small blink to see her in action.

"As you command, my Supreme Commander!" with an answer filled with obedience and loyalty like that, Aiko began to give a small signal to the other stealth slimes to immediately spread out.

"Mio, give the stealth slime herd some space to do its job well," I said to Mio who looked very alert to her surroundings.

"I understand, Lily-sama."

With that short answer, Mio began to relax her guard and gave the stealth slime herd a lot of space to act.

The actions they took were to spread out quickly and report the situation around us with a high level of accuracy.

Through the communication created by the Soul Tame magic chant, I got the situation directly from the stealth slimes that had spread out.

I also began to open the small map given by Sebastian.

Several natural signs used on this small map accurately informed our position.

We are currently on the border between the opposition's noble territory and Earl Timoti's territory. With such a small border, we should be able to enter Earl Timoti's territory without being noticed by the opposition noble faction.

If we are discovered, then the plan to surprise them with Zoe's butterfly wing curse touch will fail.

The pace of the horse I am riding also slows down and gives my horse a chance to rest after running non-stop.

Although the horse prepared by my father has been trained for long journeys and fast running, it doesn't make him okay after being driven fast to the border of Earl Timoti's territory like this.

To reduce the fatigue he is experiencing, I try to give him a little attention by combing his stiff and rough hair.

"Use this little opportunity to replenish your energy that has been used up since earlier," I whispered while combing the hair of the horse I was riding with my hand.

"NYIIEEGHH!!"

I only received an answer from my horse who was breathing out quickly as if he wanted to say something. I don't know horse language, so I'll just assume this is a positive answer from him.

"So, the place that will be our meeting point is the guard post of the territory that borders the opposition noble's territory. Won't this make us get caught after going past the border of this opposition noble?" I asked Mio while reading the small map that Sebastian gave me.

"It seems so, Lily-sama. But it's not what Lily-sama thinks."

"Huum? What's the meaning of that?"

"Lily-sama, our meeting place is inside a long-abandoned iron mine and it is around this place. Please look at the small map that Sebastian gave me carefully once more."

I followed Mio's advice and looked at the small map that Sebastian gave me once more.

The small map only showed several meeting points from different angles and showed my father's writing on small dots that looked like mouse holes.

"Um, does the mark that my father gave me mean the entrance to the mine?" I asked while looking at the bunch that my father gave me that looked very much like a mouse hole.

"Yes," Mio replied with a calm face and prepared her hand on the tanto weapon hidden behind her maid uniform skirt.

With Mio's gaze not moving away from the angle that aroused her suspicion, I left Mio with her overly guarded attitude as an escort for this trip.

Although some of Mio's duties had been handed over to the stealth slime, it did not make her relax her vigilance towards the thickets of weeds that grew abundantly around us.

[ Supreme Commander, we have spread out and observed the situation. There are no signs of humans but some animals are behaving strangely as if they are controlled by magic. ]

I was suddenly surprised by Aiko's voice entering the Soul Tame communication channel.

"Wait, what?!" by giving such an answer, it seems like I have to enter stealth mode using Noel's ability.

[ Umm, should we confirm if the strange animal is controlled by magic or not? ]

"..." I paused for a moment and suddenly heard a loud crashing sound with a small scream coming from the animal's voice.

[ Supreme Commander, we have confirmed that the animal is controlled by someone to serve as a border guard for this area. ]

I wanted to ask about what happened earlier but was thwarted by Aiko's certainty that the animal was controlled by magic.

"Mio, it seems like we have to move without being noticed from this point on."

"Aiko, guide us through a safe path without being noticed by anyone!"

At this point, our journey in search of a mine entrance to enter Earl Timoti's territory had to go through the game of a child escaping from his afternoon nap.