"Mercenaries and Adventurers are pretty much a mainstay in most nations. Only the really rich merchants would bother with raising guards of their own. For most, hiring mercenaries or adventurers were just a more economic option.

It was not that the nations put no effort to secure their lands, but for most, the inhabited lands in a nation maybe accounted for half its total territories at most. They simply lacked the manpower to thoroughly secure all the roads as well, other than standard patrols and the likes.

Probably the one exception would be the Lichdom of Ptolodecca, which simply used undead to take care of the issue. It was widely known as the safest nation to traverse by far… even if riding while skeletons watch over you from the sides could be a rather unnerving experience to most." - Leigh Wainwrought, Sociology student at the Levain Institute for Higher Learning.

The morning after the celebratory feast, Cal found that an unexpected guest had sought after her party. It was the hybrid mermaid girl from the arena, her injuries from the fight already healed without any signs remaining.

It was obvious that she came to their inn in a more official capacity, however, as instead of the simple, leisurely clothes the girl wore yesterday, she wore clothes Cal immediately recognized as a military uniform.

Tunic over trousers were normal enough wear, but when they were colored an off-white with a black trim, and paired with an insignia of a pair of crossed lances on one shoulder, that signified the wearer's allegiance to a particular outfit.

The Free Lances. The largest and most stories mercenary company in the current age, with a history that had spanned a full millennium and then some. They were rumored to possess a total headcount of over fifteen thousand, more military force than many of the smaller nations in existence.

Their headquarters was located further west, in the northern region of Knallzog, right where it bordered Ezram and the Union. The land was granted to them permanently for their services in the war between Knallzog and the Kingdom Down Under centuries ago and had served as their main base since.

Cal was aware that they had branch establishments in most other nations as well, so she was not surprised to see some approaching her students after the spectacle yesterday. She had noticed a few that thought to approach them after the tournament in Sabaya as well, but had refrained when they saw the local bigshots her students were with.

She had not expected the mermaid - now that she got a closer look, the girl looked to be really mixed up heritage wise, with parts of shark-like therian, merfolk, and what she guessed to be some elvish ancestry as well, possibly with some human somewhere - to be part of them though.

"Looking for the kids, I take it?" asked Cal as the girl noticed her. The girl nodded somewhat sheepishly, probably not used to doing stuff like these. "They're on the balcony having a late breakfast. I'll bring you over."

"Thank you! Oh right, where are my manners? I'm Florian, Florian Dana'errh, though you can just call me Flo," said the mermaid girl with a cheerful voice. "May I know your name, miss…?"

"Celeysria Ambervale," replied Cal as she nonchalantly shook the girl's hand. She noticed how the girl's eyes seemed to bulge on hearing the name, and how her mouth hangs open. "You've heard of me before, I see."

"Y-yes ma'am," replied the girl nervously. "The seniors had made us peer over the early years of the Al-Shan civil war as object lessons for guerilla warfare."

"Huh. That's news to me," replied Cal as she pondered about it. She decided that she didn't mind it, and it's not like it was something to be offended about. "I take it you came to offer jobs for the kids then?"

"Yes, ma'am, my seniors had sent me to offer jobs to the fellow victors from yesterday," said Florian nervously as she gulped. "May I inquire as to your relation with them?"

"They're my students," answered Cal, to which the mermaid girl almost wilted. "Don't misunderstand though. I simply taught them about magic and fighting skills. What they do in the future is up to their own decisions. So go ahead and make your offer."

"T-thank you kindly, ma'am."

Cal left the girl with her students after she led her to where they were. The young mermaid was obviously nervous - probably her first time having such duties - but made her offer reasonably well.

The Free Lances offered attractive salaries and other forms of bonus pay indeed, but almost as one, her three students had politely declined the offer. They had planned to strike out on their own, as a small team of friends, though they would be happy to take jobs offered by the company as independent contractors as well by then.

Cal had heard her students mention such plans before, but not in as much detail. Apparently they had already asked others as well, like Fheeri, as well as Cal's nieces, who were all rather interested in the idea.

Though they also planned to see through Cal's training and travels first before they did that. Something which touched her. She felt a fulfillment from having taken these students under her wing, and thought to herself that she should strive not to disappoint them.

Once again she thought of her own future. Her travels already neared its end, as if everything went as planned, next year would be the last year of her travels. Cal had not put much thought yet on what she would do after her travels were over.

Since her newfound family had relocated to Paradise, she thought it would be nice to stay there as well in the long term. As for what she would do, maybe she might open a school? Take in more students and train them? She was uncertain as of yet, but the idea appealed to her quite a bit.