A/N - Hi guys here we are again with a new chapter, since I have a little bit of ranting to do, along with a change in schedule I'll leave the rest of this author's note on the bottom for those interested, with that said here we go.
Where Ryou delves deeply into the history of his new world, makes some groundbreaking discoveries, and meets and new yet old face...
Chapter 28 - Braving Into a New World: Advancement and New Ripples
The following morning Ryou decided to question his partner about the Heavenly Beast that plagued his thoughts the previous night. As expected, it had taken most of the morning for Rishia to find the book that spoke about the Spirit Turtle in her attic. Unfortunately, the book itself offered nothing new in terms of information.
Ryou did felt a small degree of guilt, when he had been forced to deflect the questions his partner sent his way, about his interest in such a creature. While he did trust Rishia more than anyone else, he knew how honest the girl was, and he couldn't risk for her to blurt out something incriminating to her demi-human friend. Not only that but it would be cruel to burden her with the knowledge of what would be coming their way, and forbidding her from acting on it - such a thing would go against her values and would only hurt her.
No… This guilt is my burden to bear… The Bow Hero had decided because that too was his duty both as a party leader and as the Yumi-no Yuusha.
Ryou did spend most of the day with the green-haired girl, trying to find other mentions of the Heavenly Beast much to his youngest party member chagrin, that found the whole affair boring beyond belief. Although he couldn't read much, he could still understand some of the more simple and basic concepts on what most books were about, those written in Melromarc's language that was.
While Quartz did indeed found the whole thing pointless, Ryou, however, did not, but not for good reasons. As dusk fell, the Bow Hero found himself at wit's end with the information he had been able to acquire or lack off.
Fabluey had an amazing curriculum. For instance, if one wanted to know about the theory behind various fields of Alchemy, the information would be there, or if one wanted to know the inner workings of Magic, it would be easy to find. However, that was all the books had, theory on theory, with no real-life applications at all. Even history books were much the same.
He had been able to confirm that all the hype behind the Sage King of Melromarc rang true. With his amazing strategies and ploys he had been able to bring an end to Siltveld world conquest ambitions, along with the almost extinction of a type of Demi-humans called the Hakuko, but when Ryou tried to find what those strategies were, or how he had implemented them, he found nothing.
He did however found a plethora of information on the nation that hailed Naofumi as their god. Siltvelt ruling body during the war had been compromised by four noble races, and Ryou had been able to draw parallels between them, and the four heavenly beasts. On more present times, those four races had been cut in half, with the Hakuko fall from grace courtesy of Aultcray ravaging their numbers. The other noble race missing, were the Aotatsu having left Siltvelt since rather than believing in the Church of the Shield Hero, they were firm believers in their own religion.
Dragon Faith… Ryou's eyes had went to Quartz at the mention of that religion in particular, and the small girl had showed some passing interest in the Half-dragon race. According to Rishia they seemed to worship some kind of heavenly dragon - one that stood above all others.
Ryou for some reason picture an entire cult of half-dragon Demi-human's hailing his party member as their god, before chortling in amusement. Quartz could be considered a lot of things, and indeed her white coloring could point towards a more heavenly background, but he seriously doubt it.
The only thing godly about her is how much she eats… The Bow Hero had concluded in amusement.
The idea of maybe sending an hint to Naofumi so he would visit that country in order gain their support, and for the Shield Hero to have a breath of fresh air from Melromarc did passed his mind, however it had been Rishia's father that assured him, it would be a very bad idea. For one the Noble concluded it would start a war, perhaps not on Naofumi's part, but Aultcray would surely move.
If a war indeed broke out, Ryou knew by heart what side he would pick, and that would make the entire thing very awkward, not to mention difficult for him since the Northern Territories were still in fact under Melromarc's rule.
But the worst part came when Almond told Ryou of the fate that had befallen upon the last Shield Hero summoned by Siltvelt. The man had been nothing but a prisoner according to the rumors, a prisoner in a gilded cage, but a prisoner nonetheless. Used as nothing more then breeding stock before dying from a mysterious illness.
Sure for the average joe having a harem throwing themselves at them would be a dream come true but I don't think Naofumi will find the notion nearly as appealing… Also if the afterlife existed he had no doubt that the Shield Hero would find some way to come back from the dead just to haunt him as a vengeful spirit.
...and if someone can hold a grudge, Naofumi sure can… Ryou had considered with a shudder, much to Almond's secret amusement.
Faubley had also, according to Rishia deep historic ties with the Heroes, Legendary, and Vassal. The country that possessed the biggest Military power in the world, and boasted having access to the majority of the Vassal Heroes, though some of them liked to operate outside of the area, but would still come if Fabuley asked for them. But even information about those heroes appeared nonexistent. Such prominent figures should be mentioned everywhere, especially if they were their countries pride, but no. The only piece of information that Ryou had been able to acquire from the books, had been the identity of the Seven Vassal Weapons, but that had been all, no names of their wielders, not even a physical description, or image. Once more it had been his partner that came through, and gave him something more to think about…
Faubley's Whip Vassal Hero…
Rishia had only heard passing information about the man. For one he had been some kind of genius prodigy that had somehow reversed engineered information left behind by the previous Legendary Heroes. If the previous Heroes had also been summoned from worlds like his, then it explained why Faubley had access to cars and other more advanced technologies.
Besides that, the Whip Vassal Hero also appeared to have a hobby of raising monsters into powerful allies. Ryou did found some degree of amusement when Rishia had mentioned that piece of information, because the first thing that had pop in his mind, had been one of a man taming a lion on a circus with a whip.
Maybe the Whip as abilities similar to Grow Correction… The Bow Hero had considered, but it was at most speculation on his part because once more there existed no information to be found on the power behind the Vassal Weapons or the Legendary Ones for that matter.
Maybe when things calm down, I'll ask Mirellia to propose a meeting. If the guy can turn the theory behind cars into the real thing, then I would love to trade notes, and he does seem to be more proactive than another Vassal Hero that I know about…
The next day, the party had made their way to the Blacksmith in Gentlewood, and after a few negotiations, Ryou had been able to hammer out a deal. In exchange for selling the surplus of Mithril at a discount price, the man would take the Bow Hero as an honorary disciple. Regrettably, that meant that his party would have to delve once more into the depths, but after a full day of rest, and with a clearer mind, Ryou did admit he couldn't avoid such a good leveling place, and so began his lessons in the art of blacksmithing.
During the next days, the party would divide itself in the morning, with Ryou taking his lessons, Rishia dividing her time between sparing with the Guards, and working on her magic, and Quartz doing what she did best, and work towards her goal of devouring any living being in the area around Northern Village, though Ryou did make the Dragon promise she would work on her non-existent flight capabilities. In the afternoon they would come together to level up in the Northern Cavern, or if Ryou's lessons happen to last longer, the girls would go alone, though he asked they keep themselves to the upper levels, least another worm appeared.
His non-official game plan would be to stay in the Northern Territories until Rishia came close to her class-up, though with the progress they were making it would be a matter of days. After that, they would make for Zetouble. The mercenary country had a Dragon Hourglass of their own, so they could get Rishia's Class-up Ceremony there, and away from the eyes of the Church of the Three Heroes.
It was during one of those trips that Ryou decided to try his new bow and the offensive ability that came with it. The target… A Cave Stalker, the official name behind the Eldritch Pigs, a creature mostly passive unless provoked, and the perfect target.
With a flick of his wrist, his new bow came into existence. Pure black, with the grip made out of the same crystal he had absorbed.
"Charged Shot." Muttering the name of the skill, he pulled an arrow made completely of pure blue light. A moment later light blue particles escaped from his body, merging with the arrow. Ryou noted that unlike all of his skills, the Charged Shot, was indeed a charging ability, but unlike the rest of his skills that only use SP for activation, the charging process came from his MP pool. Another thing he definitely felt, was the wave of weakness that hit him, the moment his MP Pool hit zero, never having reach that low before.
With the charging process complete, Ryou muttered a silent apology to Rishia who used magic practically every day. In his shaking grip was now a blue bolt similar in size to the ones from his ballista, arcs of almost ethereal light escaping it.
At last, he released the projectile, and the bolt shot forward leaving a blinding trail, and what followed next completely bypassed his perception. One moment the Cave Stalker was digging into the ground with its tentacles, the next, gone, only part of his legs remained, smoking. The arrow continued down the tunnel for a few seconds before the cavern shock, with light bathing everything.
The moment things calmed down, his knees buckled no longer able to support him, and the only reason his face was not introduced to the floor, was thanks to the green-haired blur that caught him by the shoulder.
"Fuee, Ryou are you alright?" The girl asked, her face etched in worry, angling herself to look at his face.
Ryou sent her a tired smile, "I'm fine Rish, that just took a lot out of me."
"Are you sure?" Ryou nodded and raised a shaky hand before nudging her forehead lightly.
"Yeah, I'm sure, I don't need you to go all mother hen on me of all people." He admonished lightly.
Rishia bit her lip, her face morphing into a frown. "Fuee... Someone as too… If I don't, then who will?"
He really didn't have a response to that, he had asked for a partner, and part of that role was both worrying, and call each other out when needed, and Ryou did both of them in spades.
"Fair enough, but honestly Rish I'm fine. I just wasn't aware, that depleting your magic had such an effect." He reasoned, making the girl's eyes widen in recognition.
"Haaa! So that's why it felt so familiar, that skill was magic based!" She exclaimed, almost dropping him, which earned her a slightly annoyed look.
"Yeah well... It's like a weird hybrid skill that uses magic to power up.", he explained before popping the lid of a Dragon Bless Magic-Recovery Potion and drinking it. Immediately he felt his strength return.
"Well, time to go see what kind of destruction I have caused." Ryou quipped, throwing an amused glance at Quartz who kicked one of the tentacles.
Walking for nearly minute, Ryou reached ground-zero, and a grin spread across his face at the beautiful sight. Where the tunnel once made a nearly ninety-degree curve, there was now a new opening, large enough for Quartz in her dragon form to walk through, the rock walls melted by his new skill.
It seems I have a finisher. The main problem would be the charging time, even if his new bow boosted it, it still took a few moments to reach maximum charge. It also had a few more downsides, but overall if it connected it would cause some serious damage.
With his new offensive skill tested, the Bow Hero had then explored his monster modification skill, something that brought an interesting discovery. His modifications couldn't be applied on Quartz. He would never consider such a thing, but more importantly, had been the reason behind it. The girl's Slave Seal had disappeared, leaving her as a normal party member. While the reason behind such an event spiked Ryou's curiosity, it wasn't something that particularly bothered him, especially since for a dragon, Quartz was for the most part very well behaved.
The thought of adding more monsters to his party had been a tempting one, but his dragon by herself ate enough to feed an army, so at the current point Ryou simply did not have in any way shape or form the resources to support such an endeavor, but it would be another idea to consider down the line.
On a particular night in the comfort of the Ivyred's living room, Ryou decided that he had accumulated enough skill points from his passive tree, and it was time to spend them, finally being able to claim the first cluster truly dedicated to empowering his party members.
This was not here before… Ryou thought as he took in the new addition to his skill tree. Where once stood the four Legendary Heroes starting points, along with six other empty icons, now all of them were filled with shining images, images that Ryou recognized almost instantly.
"Rish… The Seven Vassal Weapons are based on the legend of the Seven Star Heroes, right?" Ryou asked.
The Bow Hero's voice grabbed the girl's attention who was deeply immersed in some book. Raising her head she looked towards the Bow Hero, the shift bringing an annoyed mumble from the smaller girl whose head was on Rishia's lap, content on just sleeping.
"Yes, we talk about it before, why?" She questioned confused.
Ryou clicked his tongue leaning back, "Yeah… I think that legend might be slightly wrong…"
"Wrong?" Almond asked, from his spot on his chair, "With all due respect Ryou-sama, the legend of the Seven Star Heroes is over a hundred years old, and there are accounts of all the Seven Heroes, so in which manner do you think it's wrong?"
Sending a side glance to the Noble, Ryou got up, "I think the number of heroes is what's wrong…" He explained, making his way towards the couch, and taking a seat near Rishia, "Take a look at this Rish." He finished pointing to his Skill Tree.
The girl squinted her eyes, trying to find exactly what the Bow Hero was pointing out, as they widened a moment later, "Haaa those are the vassal weapons aren't they?"
Ryou nodded, crossing his arms, "Yeah, besides the four Legendary Weapons, the seven you mentioned are here… Cane or a Staff or whatever it is from Aultcray, the Gauntlets, the Claw from the Vassal Hero of Siltvelt, along with the Hammer, the Axe, the Whip from that guy in Faubley, and this small knife is most likely the Projectile Weapon… But if we take into account this wagon thing, then it makes eight."
Rishia bit her lip lightly, "Didn't we agree that it was a carriage?"
"My daughter a carriage would make for a very strange vassal weapon. Who would even use such a thing?" Almond questioned with a trace of amusement.
"Stupid Birds…" Quartz mumbled from her place in Rishia's lap.
"A Filorial?" Rishia asked out-loud.
Almond chuckled, "A filorial wielding a Vassal Weapon, that would be a sight to see…"
Ryou's shoulders tensed, as his eyes narrowed," A sight to see indeed…"
That little..! No wonder she's so overwhelmingly strong... It made sense, as everything connected in Ryou's mind. Besides being alive for hundreds of years, she also wielded a Vassal Weapon to add to her strength.
I never thought about it before, but her Carriage could conveniently Teleport, and as far as I'm aware the only weapons capable of such an ability are the hero's ones, so it was there for me to see… But why did she not mention that fact?
"If it's like Ryou's, maybe it can change into a War Chariot..." Rishia continued, looking towards the ceiling trying to imagine it.
"Still, how would you even fight with it?" Almond asked skeptically.
"It could have spikes on the front and it could Ram monsters with it… Maybe…" The Mage of the party proposed uncertain.
Wonder if it can copy stuff like mine? Ryou considered. Faubley had cars, so tanks weren't exactly that far out.
A Small Loli girl driving a tank, wasn't there an anime that went like that? The Bow Hero closed his eyes trying to pictured Fitoria driving a Tank, releasing an ugly snort as the image appeared in his head.
"Fuee... What?"
Ryou shook his head, chuckling, "Nothing… Just Imagining a Filorial driving one of those cars in Faubley…"
...and then the Tank could morph into a Giant Robot..? The image of Fitoria driving a bipedal, nuclear-capable robot, finally broke it for Ryou, who released a short laugh full of mirth.
"Eight Vassal Heroes, instead of Seven, hmm... I think if there were eight they would have been known by now…" Almond reasoned.
"What about the Legendary Filorial Queen..? She is very rarely seen by humans, so it could be possible…" Rishia proposed.
Ryou released an inaudible sound of approval, impressed that his partner without even having access to much information, had been able to hit the bullseye.
Almond shook his head, leaning back on his chair once more, "My daughter, the Legendary Filorial Queen is a myth, nothing more…"
"But father… Wasn't Ryou also just a myth a couple of months ago?" The green-haired girl countered, making the noble choke on his drink.
"She's got you there Lord Almond…" Ryou snickered.
"Well yes… But still, I have a hard time accepting that such a famous legend was wrong…" Almond refused in a mumble.
Ryou hummed, "Perhaps not wrong, rather if this Filorial Queen was raised by a hero then she may be like Quartz, " He took a glance at the small girl, petting her head and receiving a sound of appreciation in return, " ...and she might have stayed hidden from humans since she's still a monster…"
Besides from what I remember, Fitoria doesn't seem to be particularly fond of humanity, not that I can blame her…
Pine-green filled his vision, as Rishia leaned over to get a clearer vision of his Status Window, once more receiving an annoyed moan from the girl on her lap that was completely ignored, "I wonder… Maybe this means you can help the Vassal Heroes get stronger, with those upgrade methods I mean..." She proposed.
"Maybe if I share it with them…" Ryou trailed off.
Share… Could it be..? The Bow Hero didn't have any information on the abilities of the vassal weapons, but it would be plausible that they had their own abilities and ways of powering up.
"Lord Almond, have you ever heard any rumors, on how Aultcray strengthens his Cane or of any abilities it might have?" Ryou asked eagerly and seeing the Nobles confused frown, he went into detail, "For example, my legendary Bow lets me absorb materials, to unlock new forms, or make a copy of existent Bows."
Almond scratched his chin, "No, I have never heard of such a thing, but then again he did spend most of his time during the war behind the front lines acting as General, although…" Almond explained, trailing off, as his eyes glazed slightly, "...the few mentions that I remember when he did engage in battle were that he used magic for the most part, some that were never recorded, but it was said that he could turn even the weakest of spells into a devastating weapon…"
"Staffs and canes are mostly used to focus magic, so maybe his Majesty's ability is based on that… Maybe he can even change it to a wand?"
Ryou's eyes fell on his partner's hair once more, who had apparently forgotten what personal-space meant since she was almost seated on his lap. A wand? His hand raised to scratch the pale scar in the middle of his forehead, the only visible reminder of his first encounter with a speeding car, one that had landed him on a hospital rather than in another world.
Although I'm the one with the scar, Naofumi would be the one on the receiving end for sure… Well that aside, if it exists it might be a strengthening Method that works based on empowering one's magic or something along those lines… Ryou mused, as he closed his eyes and tried to will such a system into being.
A few seconds later he opened his eyes to see no new pop-ups in his Status Window.
Releasing a sigh, he leaned back once more, "Guess it would be too much to ask if just a hunch unlocked it…"
"Perhaps you could ask his Majesty personally, he might tell you, you're one of the Heroes protecting Melromarc aren't you…" Rishia offered, but before Ryou could address the idea, Almond interrupted him with a harsh snort.
"I don't think he will… Giving me back my authority even for a good cause didn't earn you any favors from him, and if he went out of his way to give you a clear warning for defending the Tate-no Yuusha, then I don't think Aultcray will be very forthcoming with information, Legendary Hero or not…" Her father noted, his words making her shoulders drop slightly.
A hand landed on her shoulder gently, prompting her to look at the owner. "It's not a bad idea… I mean sure he and I will probably never see eye to eye, and he might not be my greatest fan, but it's not like I will lose anything by asking, and if there's even a one percent chance of him giving me that information, I say it's worth the shot…" Ryou said.
"Fuueee! R-Right!" Rishia exclaimed moving backwards, as she realized the compromising position she had been in.
That being said I should also run this by Naofumi later. Fitoria did have a soft spot for him, although I'm betting she'll say something among the lines of, 'Only when the Four of you stand together will I help you'...
"Onii-shama isn't food… snore…" Quartz grumbled in her sleep.
Three guesses on what she's dreaming about...While the sentiment behind it is nice, I really didn't need a reminder… Ryou thought dryly shaking his head, "Rish, Zetouble is also under the protection of a Vassal Hero isn't it?"
"Y-Yes it is…" She stammered, still embarrassed.
"Good, might as well try that one too since we're going there anyway…" Ryou added.
"Fuee... You're already becoming very strong... If it keeps up…" She trailed off looking down, her previous embarrassment forgotten.
"My daughter, you seemed to be belittling your own progress, and accomplishments again. " Almond chided lightly, a small frown appearing in his face, "Ryou-sama as offered nothing but glowing praise every time we speak of your progress in his party."
The Bow Hero looked to the side and scratched his neck, determined to not meet the girls eyes as she turned them towards him for a moment.
The noble cleared his throat gaining her attention once more, "Besides from what I gathered, you are close to reaching your class-up are you not? Such progress is astonishing, even if your in a Hero's party."
Is it really? Ryou wondered. He knew that just by being in a Hero's party, one would benefit from it, but from the way Almond had stated it, it sounded like something truly amazing by the world's standards.
"How long does it normally take to reach level forty?" Ryou asked in curiosity.
"It varies a little, but the average is between one and two years if you devote yourself to it…"
Ryou's eyes widen at the information, Isn't that almost threading on being broken? That meant that Rishia had done in little over one month, what took adventurers over a year to achieve.
...and we only truly dedicated ourselves to level up what? Two weeks?
Ryou's thoughts were broken by Almond who continued, as he shook his head, "That isn't all, even I can see it every time you spar with the guards… It isn't just speed or strength. In little over a week, you went from matching one of them to being easily able to spar with all four at the same time... My daughter, have you ever stop to consider how many years it took those men to reach that level of aptitude in swordsmanship?" Almond finished expectantly.
Rishia for her part lowered her head again at the praise but shock it.
Once more the noble chuckled, "I still remember reading the reports from your college when it came to physical activities… Honestly even I was slightly embarrassed at some of the things your teachers wrote…"
"Fuueeeeeee! Father!" She cried out, her head shooting up, as red took over her complexion.
"Cough… Sounds about right…" Ryou mumbled in his fist, as he remembered exactly how clumsy Rishia's first attempts at fighting Balloons were. The Bow hero did laugh when he felt a light shove on his shoulder.
"Onii-shama is being mean to Onee-shama again…" Quartz mumbled from her spot.
"Seeing you daily fills me with pride, and further proves that letting you join Ryou-sama's party was indeed the correct decision." Almond finished with a smile, one that Ryou found himself matching.
You really are blessed to have a father like Almond, Rish… Ryou acknowledged, sending his partner a side glance. The girl still looked fairly flushed, but the small smile on her face, told Ryou everything he needed to know about how she felt.
Reaching out he poked her in the shoulder getting her attention, "Besides all this talk about me becoming stronger is mostly stupid anyway. For one we are working on the assumption that the Vassal Weapons have a system that can even be shared, which might not be true, it might just be a case where we Legendary Heroes can gift them with part of our power. And you should know by now that if at any point I think you're being left behind, I'll find a way to make you stronger, so don't needlessly worry about that kind of stuff." Ryou finished.
"You already do... Everyday…" The words were out of her mouth before she realized she had spoken, but thankfully she was spared further embarrassment when it became apparent the Bow Hero hadn't heard her.
"Onee-shama is being weird."
Ryou took a side glance to the small girl, moving his eyes to Rishia in confusion as the girl waved her hands in the air before shrugging. Leaning back, the Boe Hero's expression turned slightly serious. "All jokes aside, there is one thing no one is considering…"
"What's that Ryou-sama?"
The Bow Hero released a heavy breath, "If it's possible for the Legendary, and Vassal Heroes to share powers, then… Just how nightmarish of a situation would require such a colossal amount of power to face…"
"That is a very scary scenario, one that I can't even imagine…" Almond admitted.
"Fueee... Me neither…" Rishia added, her voice low.
The Bow Hero offered only silence, for he too didn't dared to imagine such a terrifying situation.
There were a lot of things that picked the Bow Hero's curiosity in his new world, most of them revolving around all things magic. Even blacksmith needed a touch of magic, both for crafting and for enhancing the items, as such, Ryou had redoubled his efforts to learn how to correctly manipulate his own magic potential.
There were also a few things that triggered Ryou's suspicion. Something he had taken to heart from his fellow hero harsher outlook on life, had been a healthy measure of paranoia. Naofumi knew that the world, or at least Melromarc was out to get him, and one should always be looking over their shoulder.
The first time he had seen it, he had dismissed it as normal, the second time it had picked his curiosity, now seeing it again, once more after his blacksmith lessons made him slightly suspicious.
It wasn't the convoy of wagons that made its way into Gentlewood's village through the main gate that bothered him. No… Even if Gentlewood could be considered a village in the middle of nowhere, it still bordered with Faubley so such scenarios were common.
It also hadn't been the fact that the wagons were covered, concealing what was inside, that triggered something in him, after all a lot of traders liked to hide their merchandise from view, and from those that might have been entertaining the idea of liberating it.
No… What slightly aroused his suspicion was the man riding in the middle one. While he couldn't see the man's eyes, he recognized the clothes, along with the top hat, and the unnerving grin present on his face.
Just what are you doing so far away from Castle Town?
Bending at the knees, Ryou waited for the right moment before jumping. two seconds later he landed effortlessly right next to the man taking a seat.
The man in question turned to him with a lifted eyebrow, and Ryou responded with an equal one. "So what is a slave trader doing all the way out here?"
"Monster trader! I'm only an honest monster trader, who only sells monsters, yes?" The man interjected stressing the word monster.
"Sure you are…" Sarcasm could be cut with a knife, yet it seemed to please the man who's grin returned in full force.
"I heard you have acquired quite a unique specimen yes?"
At the words, Ryou's frown became even more pronounced. "How do you know about that?"
"News do travel fast, especially concerning you Heroes."
"Bullshit! It takes two weeks to get from here to Castle Town, and she hatched a week and a half ago, so try again…" Ryou demanded.
The Slave Trader shrugged, "Merchants talk... While most Crystal Balls are owned and controlled by the crown, and by the Church, there are still a few that are free for the most part."
Crystal Balls? "So what..? You guys just grab a Crystal Ball, and make a Magic-Skype video call? Is that it?"
"I don't understand what you mean Yuusha-sama." Beloukas admitted looking confused, and Ryou shook his head.
"Nothing… Just... You just answered one of the biggest questions, I've had since I stepped on this world…" Particularly how that psycho Maid got in touch with Mirellia so fast when she is literally half a continent away…
The man coughed, his grin becoming visible once again after a moment, "Yes… Like I was saying news travel fast concerning you Heroes, and I always need to be on top of them if I am to acquire, let's say the best possible merchandise."
Ryou glared at the man, immediately understanding what he was implying. "You really are a sorry excuse for a human being, and if it didn't get me in a ton of trouble, just know I would take a lot of pleasure beating the hell out of you."
However, the threat had a strange effect on the man, because instead of feeling intimidated or offended his grin widened as he clutched his chest. "Ahh! I knew you had the right kind of stuff, and it warms my heart that tales of your brutality are true!"
Ryou's mouth opened slightly at the accusation. "What?"
The merchant nodded to himself, before continuing, "Yes, yes even I have heard of how the Yumi no Yuusha-sama enforces his will on other people through violence, the true mark of a slave master, no?"
Ryou could only gawk, at the absurd thing he was hearing, his mind trying to catch up with it.
The slave trader wasn't done though, "Not only that, but you are also a man of more carnal pleasures, not only are you not afraid of showing your intimate side in public, but you also have night rendezvous in the forest with more professional expertise! Such a man who knows the value of the finer things in life, and is not afraid of getting them through any means is surely a good potential customer, no?"
With every statement, Ryou felt like he was being punched in the stomach until finally, he was almost crouching, his face hidden in his hands.
I don't know who is spreading these rumors, but I will find you, and I will murder you! The bow hero vowed.
"Just so you know I'm not really interested in any merchandise you have…" Ryou declared after a moment, face still hidden.
"But… But you have such an amazing gift! Such a thing is precisely what I would want to see in a dear customer!" It almost sounded like the man was whining.
"I threaten to beat you to within an inch of your life, and you act like a schoolgirl in love… Are you into S&M? Is that it? Is this some kind of weird foreplay I'm not getting?" Ryou had to ask, and the man thankfully looked just as confused as he was currently feeling.
"I don't understand what you are saying Yuusha-sama."
"Good because I don't either." The Bow Hero brushed off, "...but seriously, just what are you doing all the way out here ?" Ryou questioned yet again, and the man shifted a little before climbing down from the carriage, that had stopped near a structure that could only be identified as a warehouse.
"I had to get a new shipping of merchandise. The exploits of your fellow Hero and his lovely companion have made my stock pummel." The man continued walking towards the warehouse, as Ryou fell in step." I have been traveling around the land to replenish… Are you sure you're not interested?" The man stopped at the door and even wiggled his eyebrows much to Ryou's disgruntlement.
Against his better judgment, the Bow Hero did decide to take a moment to consider it. He still had quite a lot of time until the wave, so if he was to get new members, now would be the perfect time, yet...
"Are you merciful enough to extend your hand to a slave on the brink of death?"
Dammit, Raphtalia, you and your inspirational speeches… Ryou cursed without any heat.
"Against my better judgment, and at the risk of your own health I'll see what you have to sell." Ryou declared, a hand pressed against his forehead glaring at the man that if anything looked like he had just won the lottery.
"I knew you were a reasonable man Yuusha-sama." Beloukas praised motioning for him to enter.
"You are the last person I want to hear that from…"
Upon entering the warehouse, Ryou was assaulted by a smell not dissimilar from a barn, only worse. Surveying the dimly lighted area, he could see cages stacked on top of each other, with demi-humans, and other different inhabitants of all sizes, shapes, and ages.
This is so wrong…
His thoughts were interrupted at that particular moment by the slave trader in front of him. "So is there anything that you're particularly interested in?"
Ryou had to stop to actually ponder. What was he actually looking for exactly? Rishia, had the middle range covered, Quartz would eventually be able to deal with close quarters, and he could act on all positions if needed.
"I honestly don't know, so surprise me…" Ryou offered, and the man seemed to also ponder for a moment, before snapping his fingers.
"Taking into consideration everything I know about you, I know just the thing, and I just got her recently too! Yes, yes it will be perfect!"
The man walked deeper into the storehouse, a step faster than before and Ryou was left to wonder just how much info did the slave trader actually had on him.
On the back where Ryou would bet were the lowest quality slaves if it followed the same theme as in Castle Town, Beloukas stopped, raising the curtain on one of the cages, the sudden light making the small figure inside disappearing into a corner, curling in on herself.
"This one is sure to suit your tastes, one hundred percent guaranteed!" Ryou sent him a dubious look before peering into the cage. Just as he suspected from the movement it was definitely a child, a demi-human one and from what little he could see it appeared to be a girl.
Ryou straightened himself, sending a suspicious side glare to Beloukas.
"Hey... What exactly were you implying when you said she was perfect for me..?"
The Slave trader took on a confused expression tilting his head to the side, "Well, it's just that like the Tate-no Yuusha, you seem to have a preference for females on the smaller side... That's what my merchant senses told me."
Disgust filled his being, as he exploded "Your merchant senses are utter shit! I certainly don't have those kinds of preferences and neither does Naofu..."
Master, I'm ready...
Master, why did you pick Filo...
My name is Melty, not Second Princess..!
A slapping sound echoed, as his hand met his face in exasperation.
Goddammit Naofumi, I'm trying to defend your reputation here, but looking back you just have to give off the wrong impression every single time don't you..? The only official member in your party that was actually safe was Rishia and even then she still somewhat looks like a middle schooler.. Well depending on where you're looking at... Heck I can even let Raphtalia slide, even if just a few weeks ago she hardly reach my waist... But somehow I have a feeling you're not going to stop there...
'Much further down the line, Ryou would laugh at the irony that would surround not only the Shield Hero, but all four of them…'
Releasing a sigh, he rubbed his face, "Well like I was saying, Naofumi and I don't have those preferences... There is only one hero that does, and that's the spear one..."
"I see, I see..."Beloukas cackled, rubbing his hands, for what reason Ryou didn't know, nor cared to find out.
Crouching, he tried to make up the small child's features. The first thing that he noted besides her feeble appearance was a pair of ears similar to those of Raphtalia only on a lighter shade of brown instead. Her hair went down to the nape of her neck, and appeared to match the color of her ears, though between being messy, and the faint light it was difficult to tell.
Fearful soft golden eyes met his own, and she shuffled further back into the cage when his eyes narrowed unconsciously fully taking in her appearance. Something about the small Demi-human child screamed of a familiarity that he couldn't pinpoint.
Hey... Do you remember that flag?
The memory hit him like the truck that had sent him to this world, and Ryou backed away from the cage spooked, and he opened his mouth voicing his thoughts before he could truly think about it.
"This isn't possible... You're supposed to be dead!"
A/N (Cont) - Okay so to kick off I have some rather bad news to give, and I'm going to get that out of the way, I've decided to switch to a bi-weekly posting schedule for the foreseeable future. There are a multitude of reasons behind it, but the truth is that between work, real-life problems that among other stuff also involve the case were I got hit by a car, and that's apparently now moving to court since the driver in question refuses to discuss anything even when she hit me in the middle of a crosswalk, and going above the speed limit, but she thinks she did nothing wrong and doesn't have to pay either for my medical bills, nor for anything else, (This was mostly what I have been trying to solve this past week), but that's not even counting that I hardly have time to do anything or even just spend time with my family. Up until now I have been able to make it work since I have been working on the buffer of drafts for chapters that I built when I was working less than half the hours I'm working now, but the problem is that I haven't been able to make much progress beyond that, so eventually, I would have hit a wall and would have to go on a long break, so it's also to avoid such a scenario that I'm changing to a By-weekly schedule.
As it stands is simply impossible for me to put out a chapter every week, along with dealing with everything going on, working, and still find time to write future chapters, or even just take a breather, this became even more apparent to me when I realized I go on a week break every time something new comes along. I do apologize to everyone following me, and that as grown used to this schedule, but even I was under the impression that the extension on my working hours would only last until the end of the year, and unfortunately that wasn't the case.
I will say though that I will revert to posting weekly once I have regained my footing, and all of the stuff I have going on gets solved.
End of rant.
On a slightly more positive note (Subjective), the next chapter will not be featuring Ryou. While initially, I was going to show what Naofumi was up too in a little scene change, I decided to change it into a full-blown chapter, showing what all the other three heroes were doing, along with what is going on with their parties so you guys can look forward to that, though next chapter will also kick start the second part of this arc, that will take on a darker tone so fair warning given.
Also changes in focus/perspectives will became more prominent going forward as we slowly derail from the original story line, and the actions, and choices of not only Naofumi but also the other heroes and characters become more crucial to the plot.
As side note, I'm still looking for a Beta reader, so if there is anyone interested, feel free to PM me.
Next Chapter - Intermission - Collision Course