Hikari landed with a loud thud.
Deep boot prints were left on the ground as she strided towards the gate.
Her full suit. A mix of old wyvern skin and cavern caterpillar pieces.
Her king salamander armour on the inside.
It was more of an improvised suit.
The supply of wyvern skin had dried up since she had stopped hunting them.
But the cavern caterpillar pieces make for an ample substitute.
The sentry opened the gate.
She walked into a wooden hut where her pit crew was waiting.
A crewman approached her with a flamethrower and blazed away at her boots that were covered in dried blood stains.
It was to clear her of possible infection or curses she might have contracted while out on mission.
After the flames, the crewmen sprayed a mild acidic mix.
The giantess unslung her load. Her harvest sack that was full of spoils, her twin swords and her arsenal of throwing daggers.
She knelt on the ground for the knee height men to perform the same treatment for her upper body while she wound up her pony tail around her neck for safe keeping.
Another group did the same cleaning for her weapons.
It took four crew members to scrub the mud and grime from the soles of her boot facing up as she sat in a kneeling position.
Buckets of soaped water were splashed onto the giantess. The men with pole arms scrubbed away at her armour.
Her upper body wasn't nearly as soiled as her boots.
She stood up.
Her pit crew retreated to the sides of the hut to make way for her.
The former cultists performed their menial tasks without incident.
She slung her bag and left the tent.
The scout master was waiting for her.
"Good work out there. I hope you didn't meet too much resistance."
The scout master's voice sounded funny.
He was wearing a clipper pinching his nose.
The sight gave Hikari some pause as she struggled not to burst into a giggle.
"Scout master, I'll keep my boots on."
A look of embarrassment appeared on the middle aged man's face.
The feeling was mutual. Hikari scratched her cheek.
"Ahem! Well, I guess 'it' does pose a bit of an ergonomical concern. There are discussions about setting up an outpost just for you. Preferably in an elevated place where you could air your ahem* ergonomical concern more effectively."
Hikari looked up and scratched her other cheek, unsure how to respond to the scout master's suggestion nor his unusual voice with his nose pinched.
"Anyway! None of that is possible at the moment. I have received concerning news from the Carla front. Yes, after you slayed the titan, spawns had been appearing from the abandoned city. I'm quite eager to see what you have brought back to give me a clearer picture of the front."
Hikari nods. She held her backpack over a warded circle and emptied the contents.
Blood red crystals in their dormant states in their spike carapaces.
The scout master inspected the crystals that were the size of his head.
"Golem cores?"
He paced back and forth with a stern look on his face.
"What did you encounter out there?" He asked.
"A golem breeding ghouls"
"Ghoul mothers." Hikari could sense his lips silently cursing.
After pacing back and forth for a while, he turned to Hikari.
"That is all. This lot will sell pretty well. Just focus on resting up, there will be plenty of missions ahead."
"Yes, scout master."
Thud. Thud.
Hikari stopped before her chambers.
She paused, expanding her mana sense briefly through the curtains.
Nothing.
She walked in, stopping at the doorway.
Out of habit, she looked down on the doormat below big enough for a normal person.
The seams on her boot appeared. The wirings on the door got undone.
She stacked the pieces neatly by the door and pushed the boot soles to the side.
Sliding on her flats, her swords and throwing daggers goes onto the hanger on the wall.
Her armour sheets stacked right below them.
She opened a lid on a crate.
It was a special container for her living armour filled with some fungus growing on the walls as basic feed.
She removed them from her joint areas with her hand just any normal piece of armour. The living armour had grown quite accustomed to her.
Her inner shirt and socks were soaked through.
The maids had prepared a laundry basket for her. It had deodorants hanging from the ledges.
There was also a note stating 'please do not leave it outside your chambers'.
She undressed fully and walked to the shower area and cleaned herself.
After drying herself, she laid down.
Her room was quiet.
She started drifting into sleep.
The battle with the demon spawns in the Carla area wasn't too intense.
She just chopped up the ghoul mothers with her brute physical strength.
The ghouls were just crushed beneath her boot.
It was mainly the toll of running around.
She turned to one side of the bed and opened her eyes for a brief moment.
The room was empty.
She went to sleep.
Early next morning. Hikari got out of bed.
There was nothing more to this part of her routine.
She let out a yawn as she approached her wardrobe area.
A fresh set of workout clothes and another fresh set for tomorrow.
When it rains, the washing bay does get delayed. In which case, she would just have to wear the soiled set from the day before and do static workouts in her chamber.
But the weather seems fine today.
She assembled her running attire like clockwork.
Two wide strides got her to the front door, sliding on her running flats.
She left her chambers and stood in front of the door.
It was still barely dawn. The estate lanterns were still lit. The night patrol was just hanging up their kit.
She waited.
She would normally have started the run by now while the morning chill was still in effect.
But she waited.
The estate was still.
She could see the guard opening the gate for her to let her out.
Instead, she started doing some stretching exercises.
Some minutes passed.
She stood still outside her chambers looking over the estate.
The main RazenHeir mansion up the hill to her flank.
Then, she saw Ella running past her. She was still clumsily trying to balance herself on her hind legs with the maid loafers which didn't quite fit her hind claws.
As she ran past, the half wyvern in her maid uniform disguse smiled at Hikari who returned the smile.
She looked at the gate again. The guard was still holding it open.
Thud. She began her morning run.