I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm no saint.

Well, not technically, anyway. I was referred to as one a while back by people who did not know my identity as the Hero of the Shield. Back then, Raphtalia, Firo, and I all travelled the countryside, peddling medicines out of a cart I'd gotten for saving a village from the Bioplant.

Of course, all that feels like it happened a lifetime ago. That was back before I had the assistance of the Queen. Back before I knew Melty, and before I defeated the Spirit Turtle and became a Count. Back when people cursed me as the nefarious 'Devil of the Shield' for committing a rape I had been falsely accused of.

Ah, good times. Simpler times.

I say 'simpler' because with the construction of my village and the rehabilitation of my land, I faced a plethora of new problems on the daily. One thing I never expected, however, was to succumb to the desires of my own selfish heart… but I'll go over that later.

Not long ago, a couple weeks at most, I had helped put an end to an attempted coup by the deceitful and cunning Witch, whom had garnered support from several subversive nobles, the Revolution (a faction that had it out for the monarchy), and the remnants of the Three Heroes Church. It was with great pleasure that I learned the nature of her punishment, and denied her a chance at salvation. Such sweet opportunities come way so very rarely that I dedicated the entirety of the ceremony to memory.

You see, Witch was of royal blood. That and that alone had saved her from a painful execution upon the return of the Queen and the restoration of my social status. Now, however, it seemed as though her luck had finally run out.

She would be married off to her uncle, the Pig King of Faubley.

Faubley, as I was made to understand, was the largest and most powerful country in the world. The person who controlled it was essentially in control of the world via trade agreements, foreign policies, and the like. The King had ruled the country for a long time, and had done so through guile and intelligence I would not have expected of a man known as the 'Pig King.'

As it turns out, the blood of Faubley's royal family was the blood of Heroes from before, and the family was as large as it was prestigious. With so many scheming royals and numerous factors to consider, it was a wonder the King was still alive and in control. I suppose something could certainly be said of the man's intelligence. It wasn't easy thwarting everyone's attempts to kill you. I speak from personal experience.

As for his majesty's… earthly desires… they weren't really my cup of tea.

You see, the Queen had, in her infinite wisdom, foreseen her daughter's treachery. She had given the Pig King a toy like a large doll, but very detailed and life like, in the shape of Witch. With it, she had bought herself time, whet the Pig King's appetite for Witch, and subsequently given me an idea as to the depravity of the King of Faubley's carnal desires. The Queen truly was a mastermind in her own right, and not to be underestimated. This much, I knew already.

The toy Faubley's King had been been given was recovered by Shadow, but not before being brutally devoured by his lust. All four limbs were gone. It was dented and bent in odd places. The neck had been thoroughly wrung, and holes had been cut in the doll so as better entertain his majesty. The hair of the doll had been ripped out, burned, and covered with an odd substance that issued a foul odor.

In this manner, I learned that to be made the wife of the King of Faubley was considered a death sentence; a slow, painful, degrading one at that. Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled.

I dispatched Motoyasu along with the prison caravan to deter any freelance radicals that might want to save Witch from her fate. I refuse to allow her to escape punishment, but as I have my hands full with managing my land holdings, I cannot attend to this matter personally. They should be reaching Faubley soon, I think.

Motoyasu had seen a lot of pigs today. They wandered the streets, oinking at each other, arm in arm with men who, for some strange reason, did not even seem to register their foul presence. They worked in shops and sold items as merchants. He had no clue where all of these pigs came from, nor did he particularly care. The only thing he cared for, the only thing that truly mattered, was Firo.

That petite blonde angel was truly a sight to behold, and just as divine as the people of Melromark claimed of their precious Filorials. In doing the bidding of his father-in-law, the Shield Hero, Naofumi, Motoyasu would be one step closer to becoming Firo's husband. He would not lose to Melty, regardless of her noble lineage.

But back to the matter of pigs, there was a particularly large one sitting in a throne before Motoyasu, who held in his hands a chain that connected to another pig.

As of that moment, they stood in Faubley's royal palace, a grand building of smooth marble stone, with enough fortifications to last a lifetime of siege efforts by every other bordering country. The wealth on display was astounding. Simply looking around the throne room, Motoyasu could identify hundreds of thousands of gold pieces worth of fine furniture, luxury items, and gemstones. Great tapestries lined the walls, with real gold stitching that must have earned the person who'd spun the thread a fortune.

"Uncle, please, you have to release me," Witch was squealing, her voice echoing against the expansive din of the throne room, "mother is weak! I know all of her tactical disadvantages! Together, we can crush Melromark beneath Faubley's heel, and take their kingdom for our own!"

"Quiet down, pig," Motoyasu growled.

He tugged the chain, earning a yelp from the sow everyone referred to as 'Witch' as she fell to her knees.

"So that's it, then?" the Pig King grumbled to himself, frowning down at the prone woman. "You can offer me knowledge of the tactical disadvantages of Melromark?"

"Yes!" she screamed, "I can tell you everything! Please, just release me!"

"SILENCE!" the King roared, his jowls aquiver as his small, dark piggy eyes bored into her. "Now, let me tell you something, my dear. Even if I did not already possess thorough knowledge of Melromark's defenses, I would still not take you up on your offer. Your mother has told me of your sharp tongue, but you should know that it will not work on me. Besides, if I wanted to crush Melromark, I'd have done it long ago. War is historically a path favored by idiots, and I've seen enough blood spilt on battlefields for one lifetime. The only good place for blood to be spilled is in the bedroom."

The King licked his lips, sending an odd shiver down Motoyasu's spine. If such a lust were directed at him, even he might think twice. His lust for Firo was powerful, but compared to the Pig King of Faubley, it was like a candle before an inferno of insane carnal delights. Witch made to get to her feet, sputtering and posturing, but Motoyasu knelt beside to her, and in the next instant, he'd driven her face into the dark stone floor of the throne room.

"These sentiments are echoed by the Hero of Shield, who has asked that I be allowed to record this sow's initial punishment as proof… by the leave of his majesty, of course."

The King let out a loud guffaw of laughter, banging a pudgy fist against the arm of his grand golden throne as he chuckled and wheezed.

"You hear that, girl? The man you falsely accused of rape wants to see you sodomized! AHA! I think I like this Hero of the Shield! Well then, I'll have my chambers prepared and the tools oiled! The Shield will have his proof of her punishment! My niece's blood shall be spilled before the day is out!"

"Uncle! Please, no!"

Motoyasu released Witch, only to have her be taken into the custody of the guards that had appeared at his side. One of them thrust a recording crystal into the Hero of the Spear's hand, but he would not meet the Spear Hero's eye. If he hadn't known better, Motoyasu might have thought the guard was terrified of what was coming. The guard bid him follow the King of Faubley as he waddled up to his chambers.

As Motoyasu bore witness to the violation, he paid no heed to it. He listened to the screams of his former companion with little interest, though he dutifully held up the recording crystal to capture every gritty detail. At one point, Witch, with tears streaming from her eyes and her throat being gripped in an iron fist by her uncle, looked to Motoyasu. Her eyes begged his forgiveness, and she thought a silent prayer to whatever gods might be watching that he would somehow see her through his madness, and recognize her as an ally in need of aid.

"Help… me." She croaked

Perhaps something of the carnage before Motoyasu had broken through his delirium. For a single moment, he seemed to recognize her. His face fell, becoming dark and steely. It was an expression Myne had never seen on him before, a look she had only ever seen on… on the Hero of the Shield. It was pure loathing and hatred, so deeply rooted that it seemed to block out anything and everything else.

'Burn in hell, Witch.' Motoyasu mouthed.

The former princess felt herself fading from consciousness as the physical toll of the Pig King made her black out, but the Hero of the Spear and the ire that had been painted on his face were both lodged firmly into her mind.

It had been two days, since Motoyasu returned with the recording crystal. The king said he will send more, but I don't really care for that sort of thing… not unless it's happening to Witch.

Let it be known that I am not a good person. I own slaves, and I work them all hard. I drive them to become stronger, so that one day I might defeat the Wave and return to my own world.

Unfortunately, it would seem as though too much damage has been done.

Being falsely accused of rape had damaged my ability to trust, and after being taken advantage of by the people of this world, I could no longer form meaningful relationships. Case and point, I started my journey as a Hero alone. Raphtalia was the only person to believe in me for the longest time. And even though that feels like lifetimes ago, the aftershock of my exile could still be seen in my actions to this very day.

Running a village is hard work. Everyone needs a way to cope. Some people train unendingly, turning their pain into power. Others have hobbies, like drawing, or singing. I used to compound medicines every night, and send the cures out with my slaves when they went peddling.

Now, however, I suppose I have too much time on my hands, as the lumo of my village take care of most of the crafting.

As a result, I've been rewatching the crystal recording of Witch's punishment. I watch it whenever I have a few minutes to spare, just to feel a sense of satisfaction. With all that's happened, things have plateaued off, leaving me feeling… lost. Though I am doing all I can to combat the Wave, and garnering a livable income on the side, I don't feel as though I've accomplished anything. I remember the long days of grinding I did to earn levels and become stronger. It feels wrong to just sit idly by and play parent to the slaves, but it's not like I can go out and fight. My stats are still being affected by the double whammy of using Blutopfer twice in a short amount of time.

So whenever I find a few minutes, I take out the recording crystal and watch it through to the end. I listen to Witch's screams of agony, and I take pleasure in the light leaving her eyes when she realizes that there is no escape, no reprieve from her torment. It gives me a feeling of pleasure I've never experienced before, like a spring uncoiling within me. I can feel months of hatred dissipating with each terrified sigh and scream the former princess lets out, and suddenly the stress of managing my land doesn't seem so bad.

I never claimed to be a saint. I couldn't even tell you why I kept watching the damn thing. All I know is that it brought me some small measure of peace. If someone's pain having such a calming effect on me makes me a sadist then… well, I've been called a hell of a lot worse. Namely a rapist, though it was far from the truth.

After the second day of Motoyasu's return, I was sitting alone in my house, preparing for bed. Sadina had promised that she and Atlas would no longer be intruding, so I looked forward to that time alone. Night had fallen over the village, and everyone was settling in after another hard day of toil. No matter how much progress was made, there as always more work to be done. Even so, things were moving along nicely.

I pulled out the recording crystal and pressed play.

"What are you doing, Naofumi?"

I rolled out of bed, bringing up my shield in surprise, but there were no enemies. Raphtalia sat on her bed, dressed in her night clothes. She was looking at me strangely, as she usually did when I laughed at the misfortune of others. Her hands were twisting themselves into knots in her lap.

"Ah, I was reviewing Witch's stunning debut as a snuff film star." I jibed.

Raphtalia tilted her head quizzically. She didn't know what I was talking about.

I met her eye, and a sense of regret came over me. All at once, I remembered the strange glances she'd been shooting me all day. Could it be that she had known that I was obsessing over the footage, and hidden in here to catch me in the act?

She was a tanuki, and her inherent ability to hide using light and shadow magic was second to none.

"I didn't hide," she said, almost as though she had read my mind. "You were so busy staring at the recording crystal that you just didn't notice me."

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence fell between us. I waited for her to scold me, but no words were forthcoming, she just sat there and stared at me, sending jolts of nervous energy through my body.

"What's wrong?" I asked, quickly picking up on her discontent.

"Naofumi, listen… you've been looking at that crystal all day. The only people who managed to watch it all the way through are you and the Hero of the Spear… and Motoyasu does not see women as you do. I…I think you should get rid of it. It isn't healthy to look at something like that."

I clenched my fist around the crystal. What the hell did she just say to me?! I am the master here, not you!

I didn't say that, though. Even if I was the master, I valued Raphtalia's advice highly. Her words were no doubt spoken out of concern for me. Even if she wished to do me harm indirectly, the slave crest would not allow it. I could safely say that she had my best interests at heart

"I appreciate your concern, but you understand why I can't just throw it away, don't you?"

"No," she said quietly, "I don't. That woman has no control over you any longer. From what I have been told, she is may as well be serving a death sentence. She will suffer for all she has done to you, and every other person she has manipulated, until the day she dies. Why not let it end there?"

She was right, of course, I had seen it firsthand: vengeance would only lead to revengeance. The cycle wouldn't be broken until someone chose to do so… but could I do it?

I had spent months being hated and persecuted by society for a crime I didn't commit. I came to this world only to be scorned, stolen from, and outcast. Through tenacity and hard work, I managed to rise in spite of all that. I became the Hero the world needed, and slayed the Spirit Turtle, an enemy which had driven the other three Heroes to the brink of insanity.

All of this was because of Witch.

"Without her, I would never have met you," Raphtalia said, "so in a way I am grateful for that. I understand that you have gone through much at the hands of that woman. I know… I know that you still regard most women with distrust. But I will strive to one day make you see that you can trust people, not just slaves. The first step is letting go. Will you do it?"

She stood from the bed, facing me with those large, intense eyes. Not for the first time, I noticed how beautiful she was. Yes, Raphtalia was of fine stock. It was no surprise when Sadina had confirmed as much…

But could I let go of my grudge against Witch? No. I would never let go of it. It was so deeply entrenched into me that I didn't think it could ever come free, like a black, twisted root had taken hold of my heart. I would carry my hatred for her around with me like a dark memento until the day I died. Even after I returned to my world, I would never find it within my power to forgive her. Such was my curse… the curse of Wrath.

And Raphtalia… she had believed in me. She had given me the courage to fight the Wave, and the strength to survive, in spite of all my hardships. Maybe I could not forgive Witch, but I could, at the very least, keep the past in the past. That was where it belonged, and even if it were only for Raphtalia's sake….

She extended a hand. I reached out hesitantly and dropped the recording crystal into it. After slipping it into her pocket, she grasped my hand and smiled. It felt good, in a way. In making an effort to forget about Witch, I could move on with my life. I could focus on my village, my fighting force against the Wave. Sure, the world was rotten to its bitter core, but it had its good spots. Raphtalia. The Old Man. I would pour everything I had into this land, and make it a place where they could live happily after I was gone. Yes, that was the least I could do for the people whom had done so much me.

"Thank you, Naofumi," Raphtalia whispered.

Her words sent a shockwave through me, like a droplet of water sending ripples across a pond. I shivered, looking down into those stunning brown eyes. The hope within them was unbroken, and as resolute as Raphtalia. The trust I saw embedded in the windows to her soul was immovable… I wonder if it was as strong as the trust I placed in her.

I felt heat as she pressed herself against my chest. It was no problem. Our bodies had touched before… w-wait a second, what was with that look?!

"Forgive me for this betrayal, Naofumi," she said, her breath hot on my face as I froze on the spot, "I must be selfish, just this once. No good deed should go unrewarded."

And with that, she pressed her lips against mine.

If I had known this was the reward for letting Witch's crimes stay in the past, I think I'd have done it, much, much sooner.

Author's notes:

Ok, so I've been crazy busy, but I've been hooked on the light novel series called the Rising of the Shield Hero. Haven't seen the anime, but I think the light novels are fantastic. Even so, I thought that Witch's punishment needed a bit more... oomph behind it, you know? Something to really make Naofumi realize that she was finally gone. Plus, I ship Naofumi and Raphtalia, so this works out well enough. my boi Naofumi is dense as fuck.

Aaaand I may have to change the rating to mature... but we'll see what happens. Here's a little music to listen to while you read.

Swan Dive-Convolk (not particularly story related, but it's cool and aloof, like the Shieldbro himself)

Right Now-Korn (prolly how Naofumi feels about Witch)

Go Easy-Matt Maeson (sorta softer and slower to fit that ending)

Thanks for reading!

Credit to zerodearie from DeviantArt for the cover image! Thanks for permission!