Chapter 76: Leaving

Monday, July 20 [05:30 a.m.].

Aurora watched the trucks being prepared for the trip.

The refugees were one thousand two hundred and twenty people after having used the emergency portal again to get them moving.

As the energy and cost of those portals were quite high, they would start limiting them from now on.

However, about a thousand refugees was an impressive number.

Adding mercenaries, adventurers and militiamen, then the total number of the caravan, almost reached twelve hundred people, specifically one thousand one hundred and seventy-three.

They had fifty trucks ready and in each one of them about twenty refugees would travel, considering the comfort, but especially the quick reaction capacity of those combatants who would travel in the trucks.

While they could not leave a skill user in each truck, they divided into small groups, interspersing the trucks, and in case they were attacked, those groups would go down and act covering all the trucks.

Depending on the situation, the caravan would react differently, but one thing was clear... It was going to be a long trip.

Aurora knew it when she saw the long line of trucks that were getting ready to start the trip.

Shaking her head undistracted by the difficulty, Aurora approached High Priestess Xaali and asked."Have you already prepared what I asked for?"

“Yes, it’s already set up and running. It has a limit of five people, but its distance is greater.” High Priestess Xaali reported and passed a small bracelet.

Aurora put the bracelet on and nodded to herself.

They had installed a magical device capable of teleporting people a certain distance inside a truck, which would allow those five people to be in various parts to directly support the entire caravan.

“The other bracelets you know who to give it to. Every so often, the bracelets will be exchanged so everyone can rest,” Aurora ordered normally.

The caravan had three Ranks in the group and while they were strong, they couldn’t be active at all times and take part in every battle.

They needed to intersperse and protect the caravan day and night.

There were quite a few strong A-Ranks, such as High Priestess Xaali, Vazquez, or Captain Sadiya.

Some were stronger than others, however, each had an outstanding ability.

“I understand,” High Priestess, Xaali replied.

Aurora nodded and walked over to where the refugees were being organized and distributed to occupy the various trucks.

She could sense the tension on this night and it was likely because of the long journey ahead of them.

Everyone had already had a nutritional breakfast that would help them rest until noon.

Still, the tension was not focused on the journey, at least not completely, and some of the tension was caused by doubt, whether it was better to stay here or travel with the caravan.

Everyone had been informed that General Kavuri’s forces had retreated after a ‘monster’ attack, which is why many were now hesitant.

Many of the refugees who were traveling were people who had lost everything in other towns or villages far away.

The refugees from Nakuru wanted to stay in their town, and more so now that they no longer had to be afraid of General Kavuri’s forces.

Start over here or risk a journey through the middle of the magical forest to start over in Zerzura.

“I think a speech before we leave would be good,” Akira said after approaching upon seeing her.

“Do you want to give it?” Aurora asked with a teasing smile.

Akira’s expression changed slightly but not out of shyness, but because of Aurora’s reaction.

Causing her to let out a slight sigh.

Aurora was the leader, and she had an obligation to get in front of everyone.

It was fine to use Cardinal Brousseau and Akira as the faces that would protect the refugees. Still, neither of them was the leader and she couldn’t ask them to take the role she had assumed.

As the person who led and the one who organized this mission, Aurora had to take charge of the situation and take the lead.

Carrying the weight of a thousand lives on her shoulders.

“Fine. I will,” Aurora replied and Akira quickly began speaking through her holographic watch, asking the others to organize everyone for a little speech.

Aurora searched her environment for her friend, who in a certain way, was her right hand. However, as she expected from that glutton, she had already hidden herself.

Aurora’s lips trembled.

Although she accepted to assume and bear the responsibility of leading the entire caravan through the magical forest, speeches were not her thing.

-However, speeches are necessary.

Her system responded to her shallow thoughts, and Aurora gave a smile.

It was about using speech to bring calm and tranquility, while also needing to give confidence to all the refugees who were putting their own lives in their hands, believing that the caravan would protect them.

Watching as the refugees gathered in front of an ice platform that Akira raised, Aurora sighed and surrendered.

—Just tell them what you’ll do.

Listening to her system’s recommendation, Aurora made her way to the platform.

******

Érica approached the crowd looking for a place to observe the platform that Akira had created and, just like her, hundreds and hundreds of refugees were gathered in this place.

Murmurs and hushed chatter mingled among so many refugees, and some of them were talking about the leader of the caravan.

Some had seen her, others knew some of her stories, others heard how she saved the mother and daughter duo being shot by a tank, others put their trust in Cardinal Brousseau and Akira.

Opinions were varied and so were the emotions they were feeling, from nervousness to caution, but each of them waited expectantly and watched the platform.

Aurora had the full confidence of the expedition members, ranging from the paladins to Captain Sadiya’s soldiers.

Erica herself had heard some ancient stories about how Aurora performed these types of missions before and had even heard that Aurora and Alice helped some members of the expedition a long time ago.

A few months ago she was a B-Rank fighter at the academy, such an idea prevailed and in a way it was reality.

Still, in Africa, Aurora was the ‘Protector of Zerzura’.

The one who with her fists was facing an A-rank creature.

She was strong, not just a physical strength, but a strength that came from her ideals.

Without the need for fame, money, or glory, Aurora, by her actions, had become the ‘Protector of Zerzura’ who was highly known among the common people.

These missions that if carried out by an urban hero would transmit them to the world, Aurora simply fulfilled them in silence, to the point that she did not mention to anyone in the academy what she was working on.

Érica turned her attention to the ice platform, raised and solidified by an S-rank psionic.

She watched as in the middle of the crowd, Aurora climbed up, using an object to transmit her voice.

She was not nervous as she stepped onto the stage and her steps were always calm, as was the look she gave.

She looked at the refugees, and they looked at her.

With a serious expression that did not match that student who was said to fall asleep in theology classes, Aurora received the attention of the entire caravan and the countless refugees.

“I am in charge of leading the caravan, but I will be brief,” Aurora said, and looking at the refugees, she stated. “The journey will be difficult, heavy, and tiring. I will not deny it.”

Tension rose at her sudden announcement and Aurora just as calmly continued.

“I am in charge of leading the caravan and carrying out this mission. My goal is to get you all safely to Zerzura,” Aurora announced from the start, and scanning the crowd, she added. “As I said before, it will be a difficult, heavy, and tiring journey. However, present here is the Church of Time and Space, the army of Zerzura, and those volunteers who have decided to participate.”

With her words, she gestured to the few members of the various groups.

“We are all putting our lives at risk to get you to Zerzura City safely, have no doubt about that.” She added with a serious expression.

The refugees were leaving their lives in the hands of the caravan forces and, in a way, the caravan forces were putting their lives at risk to protect them.

Those who came to complete this task were all volunteers.

Each member of the caravan understood that traveling through the magical forest they might encounter creatures, monsters or beasts of S-ranks or creatures of a greater strength, knowing the danger of the mission and the risk and equally decided to come even though there were other jobs more profitable both financially and in prestige.

Putting their own lives at risk was their greatest vote of confidence and one that made it clear they would protect them.

“But this trip doesn’t depend on us, it also depends on all of you,” Aurora added, and getting the refugees’ attention, she explained. “Be patient, stay calm, and make sure to follow orders. No matter what situation we find ourselves in or what we encounter. I will deal with it.”

She didn’t speak for the entire group or what they were under her orders; she spoke for herself.

Aurora didn’t have to vouch for her words, her actions did it for her.

She saved Alexey and the other students by taking on two A-Rank monsters... And when she saw innocents being shot by a tank; she jumped to their protection.

She was a hero.

Érica kept her gaze on that figure.

Aurora was her ideal heroine.

That person who saved innocents without asking for anything in return or expecting any return, without caring about fame or prestige.

Even without feeling satisfied with her accomplishment, she did it.

Watching as she walked off the stage unperturbed, Érica gave a soft smile at the sight of her.

She had fooled the entire academy, even the teachers.

She wasn’t that scary young woman hiding in the closet, nor was she that woman everyone thought was weak.

Her strength came not from a flashy power, it came from her very ideals and the way she carried them out.

It was the way she moved and acted that made her strong, and that was what Érica was looking for.

To be strong enough to face any danger for her ideals.

Aurora, as a mercenary, represented much more than other heroes to Érica.

Having the willpower to act immediately and save another at the risk of her own life.

No matter how much Érica said she could do it, the reality was that she would hesitate at that moment.

She wanted to become a heroine just as Aurora represented with her actions.

“Érica, come gather in the group.” Ordered Alice over the comm system.

Pushing her thoughts away, Érica looked at the surroundings and when she distinguished Alice along with the other members of her group, she approached.

“Aurora ordered me to warn you,” Alice said, eating some chips and looking at the group she stated. “You are members of our group. You now not only hold the lives of your fellow members in your hands, but also the refugees you will protect.”

Her tone was simple, but to the group of students, it was quite heavy.

“You will be divided into two groups, as Andrés will be in charge of the communication and surveillance system with Liam and it is quite possible that he cannot help you,” Alice commented and with an amused smile, she added. “I’m sure you guys will be fine. You have already been preparing for this.”

They all gave smiles at those words of confidence.

That was the truth. They had been preparing for this situation and besides; they were not alone.

Érica noticed how they were all excited to begin the hardest part of their mission.