"So what, now you've had enough of me and you'll get rid of me?" asked Evie.
The soldiers that were around them quickly dispersed, luring their targeted cursed humans with them.
Fighting those was better than getting in the middle of this.
The air became cold, as if a cold breeze had just picked up.
Vroto kept his stance, ready to strike.
"You're not useful to DiveCore anymore, since you refuse to do what you were hired to. Not only you refuse to perform your duties, you're failing your team and letting them needlessly die. You're incurring us heavy losses here."
"Wow, a real company's dog. You want a treat?"
He started walking forward, his undivided attention locked-in on her.
"All of this because of that fucking giant?!"
"Do you think you live the way you do for nothing? You think having the 'title' of sovereign makes you useful to DiveCore? You could be the strongest warrior in the company, and they would still get rid of you for being this useless."
"You're delusional. Do you know how many of us there is?! They're lucky I spawned here, and that I chose to stay with them."
Vroto could barely believe his ears.
"The fastest horse with a broken leg doesn't get a treat, Evie. You should know that. You're not running anymore, and so I guess it's time to put you down."
Evie's shock expression was a sight for sore eyes, on Vroto's side.
Her hands were slightly trembling, as she held them up toward Vroto.
"What the fuck do you know?!"
"I know you're scared."
"What th-"
"I've been there too, but not for the same reason. When your life actually hangs in the balance, it feels different. I know you don't want to deal with the giant, but you have to."
"I'm not scared of-"
"-However. There is only so much delaying you can do. The company will want to know if their horse has a broken leg. If you do, you'll be put down, you understand that, right?"
"What?! Of course, I know..."
Vroto crossed his arms on his chest, while shaking his head.
Evie's hands were still trembling, while her toes gripped the dirt.
"Get dressed, we're dealing with the giant," he said, turning around.
She wouldn't last long taking hits, with or without armor, so prioritizing spell-casting was simply worth it.
That armor was the most balanced one, yet she almost always opted for the robes.
It made little difference, in her eyes, both were enchanted, and one was prettier.
Her approach, while stupid to a lot, wasn't completely wrong.
She knew she was giving up more resistance, but she had little need for it.
The best defense could be offense, after all.
Once she put on the robe she felt matched the day's vibe best, she chose her shoes and started brushing her hair.
Vroto was on the other side of the tent, waiting.
He could've walked in, rushing her to finish, but just having her actually getting ready was a win, in his mind.
He leaned against a tree, in thought.
"It's getting closer to the city, sir, if we don't..."
He quickly waved his hand, dismissing the soldier that had just approached him.
"But-.."
"We're leaving soon. Get the party assigned to the giant ready."
"Yes, sir."
As he finished his sentence, Evie finally exited her tent.
"Finally," he said.
"Shut up."
She walked past him, giving him the cold shoulder as they both headed toward where the giant was sighted.
They had set up camp in a forest, waiting for the cursed humans to reach them rather than seeking them out.
Walking through that forest was like witnessing a canvas describing the whole battle.
The further they went, the cleaner it was. The battle had started according to plan, but as they got further through their ranks, it became dirtier and uglier.
What they had now, was only the last standing cursed humans, easily dealt with by the soldiers.
As they exited the battle area, the forest looked almost untouched by life.
Soldiers quickly marched to catch up to them, following in their footstep as they headed toward the last enemy they had to deal with in this area.