Chapter 2: The Scouting Queen

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In the now messy tavern, the two bandits were scared upon learning who the young one was while the rest of the customers were sitting on their seats anxious about what would happen "you are the one that has defeated many of our members and are hunting us, Dean Ktinos?!" asked Dig in a mix of shock and anger while taking a step back, all while Dean was getting into a fighting stance.

"Yes, I am. If you don't want to get beaten badly, tell me this instant where your boss is" he demanded coldly, with his eyes being dead serious and his tone possessing some anger into it, with the two bandits then broking into laughter.

"Hahahaha, what rubbish!" laughed Dig after a while from what he heard "you may have beaten some of our members alright, but me and my friend here are the two strongest after the Boss" he claimed while cracking his fingers and neck fired up, much to Dean's indifference "why do you think I'm here? I have beaten the information about you two out of your subordinates. I will say it one more time, tell me where your boss is or you will be beaten this instant" he said coldly, with the wolf aura in his hands flaring up for a moment, with Dig's grimoire then flipping its pages.

"The only one for a world of pain is you, punk" said Dig as his arms were covered in stone gauntlets and he lunged towards him ready to punch, with Dean blocking his two stone gauntlets with his palms while the wolf heads were biting said gauntlets, "I think i have heard this magic before, and what was it again? Ah yes, beast magic" he said realized much to Dean's unresponsive attitude "but..." said Dig as his gauntlets prevailed and Dean was struck, being sent back a little and cleaning with his thumb the drop of blood on his mouth "....it's not strong enough!" claimed a cocky Dig.

"You are quite strong physically" commented Dean while cracking his neck and his green grimoire with a three leaf clover and a beast's head on the middle began levitating and flipping its pages  "so I will fight like i mean it with you" he said with a little bit of excitement, with his fists being surrounded by big ape like fists "**Beast Magic: Gorilla Punch** plus **Gazelle Gallope**" he said as his feet were clad in a hooved like aura.

"Ha, as if such combination could scare me-" he said while lunging fast with his feet clad in mana, but he was suddenly send crushing on a wall due to Dean closing the distance faster and giving a hard punch to Dig's stomach, with him now lying on the ground fainted much to everyone's shock.

The other bandit went out quickly and disappeared, much to Dean's confusion as he was looking left and right for him "he is on your seven o 'clock, using a form of invisibility magic" said a female voice and in front of a shocked Dean appeared a girl his age with a voluptuous figure with very long black hair and violet eyes. Her hair was tied in a long ponytail, reaching all the way down to her legs with two strands sticking out from the top and sloping backward, with an orange ribbon keeping it in place and was wearing a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon on the collar, a black shoulder cape and matching button-down corset, and a magenta skirt with white accents while she also had black calf-length socks and brown shoes.

"You little...you Serena Biblos , what are *you* doing here?" asked Dean shocked "You promised me to travel when you would be ready, and how you came without me noticing you?" he said curious, with her laughing gently.

"Fufufu, I left the same day as you, but I took another path so I could surprise you and seems I succeeded" she explained with a playful tone, much to his embarassment "anyway, won't you catch him? He is straight ahead now" she ended up saying while pointing behind her, with him smiling while preparing to run.

"You really *are* the Scouting Queen. Your Scan Magic is surely helpful. I will be back in a minute" he said and began running as fast as he could, leaving behind a dusty trail "almost time" she said and a sphrerical drone began flying  in front of Dean at the side, with him understanding that it was following the bandit and he lunged forward and punched seemingly on the air, with the bandit becoming visible while down on a cracked ground much to Serena's  and his own satisfaction.

An hour passed and the two of them were outside the tavern while the two bandits were tied up "thank you so much for helping us" said the waitress while bowing her head thankful she said while holding a pouch, much to the confusion of the two "this is your reward, take it" insisted the woman, with Dean stepping up.

"Won't you need them to repair the tavern?" he asked coldly, with the waitress being speechless for a second and then smiling.

"Don't worry, our boss can fix this mess"explained the waitress while looking at the ruined bar, floor and wall "oh, by the way, you too make quite a team"she said while leaving them the pouch.

Both looked at each other happy, with Dean then extending his hand at her "I should have taken you with me when I left Serena, but it's not too late" he said apologetic, with her eyes widening "will you travel and join the Magic Knights with me?" he asked and she hugged him.

"Of course,stupid!" she said while enjoying his hug "I promise that I will show you how much I improved" she whispered to him, with both smiling with closed eyes.