Oh lawd he comin'.
A few notes before I get started with the chapter!
I want to say thank you to everyone who's read the story, especially those from the very beginning about a year ago. It's been quite the literary adventure for me, and I hope that the way I take the story continues (or just begins) to keep your interest. Your comments, reviews, and PMs all mean the world to me and I'm more than happy to reply.
Seems like nobody was upset about the slightly-lewd portions of the previous chapter. I don't plan to go super into that simply because I'm not a hentai writer and I don't want to write a full-on lemon. Trust me, I tried once and I felt horribly awkward.
I'm glad everyone sees my version of Ren in a good light! He always struck me as the most logical of the heroes, so it made sense that he would come around first out of the three. We'll see what happens for him next.
For the guest reviewer (please make an account so I can directly message or reply to your reviews!) asking about whether Ren would encounter Wyndia earlier: probably soontm. Oh yes, it's all coming together.
To the other guest reviewer (see above for my recommendation) saying that Itsuki's and Motoyasu's argument makes sense: Good! They may be stubborn, but they're not being petty and childish by refusing the alliance. People legitimately died because of Glass, some of whom were somewhat close to those two heroes. I certainly wouldn't be all hunky-dory about teaming up with them knowing they killed people I cared about.
Aaaaanyway, big shout out to Allen Blaster for not only reaching over 700 reviews but for giving me help and guidance with keeping things on track for this story. If you're a fan, seriously consider reading his/her own story "Hope of the Shield Hero". I guarantee that you'll enjoy it, as he/she is a fantastic writer!
"Hello" - Words
'Hello' - Thoughts
Hello - Emphasis
Hello - Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech
As always, feel free to review!
Naofumi's brain registered several things in the few moments following his awakening.
The first was that he was almost uncomfortably warm, as if he was covered in thick blankets throughout the night. The second was that something was tickling his neck, and that something was pressed onto his chest as he lay on his back. His eyes cracked open and he realized that Raphtalia had fallen asleep on top of him.
Although he blushed at his companion's - or should he say his girlfriend's? He wasn't sure - proximity, the man smiled and gently tightened his arms around her. Unconsciously, she mumbled something in her sleep and leaned into him even further.
'So...that happened.' Naofumi thought, face reddening more by the second as he nuzzled his face into her brown hair. 'I can't believe we did all of that! It was so sudden! Was that the right thing to do!? She was...Raphtalia was my first kiss...' he thought. 'I thought only girls made a big deal out of that, but it felt so...I dunno...special.'
The raccoon's grip tightened around his chest, and his breath caught in his throat as he remembered that the two of them were only half-clothed. She was beyond beautiful inside and out, but that wasn't why he loved her. 'She's been the only one I could trust for so long. It's only been a few months really, but it's felt so much longer since I got stuck here by myself. I may have Filo, and Sho to some extent, but the one who's been by my side this whole time is her.' he thought.
Raphtalia moved around slightly, and her tail curled itself up near his chest. He chuckled at her serene face, the same one that she seemed to have every time she was in close contact with him. 'I guess I have something to live for in this world after all. Maybe being stuck here wasn't so bad, all things considered.'
The gentle bounce of his chest made the woman stir, and she clung tighter to him before releasing and cracking her eyes open. "...Master Naofumi? You're already awake?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes but remaining on top of him. He smiled and ran his hand through her hair.
"Only for a few minutes. Did I wake you?"
She shook her head while returning his smile. "It's okay, I'm sure it's getting a bit late anyway. We head back to the mainland today, don't we?" He nodded as she sat upward and stretched her arms above her head. Naofumi had to slightly avert his eyes as her large breasts were accented by the movement.
Whether she was his girlfriend or not, he had never been in such an intimate position with someone before. He was understandably still a bit embarrassed, if his red face was any indication.
"Y-yeah. We board the boat back around midday, and should arrive before nightfall. From there, I guess we'll figure it out as we go."
Raphtalia rolled off of him, face red as well but fixed with a loving smile. "You said the queen asked us to stay in Melromarc for a short while, right?" He nodded and both of their smiles fell. "Are you...going to be okay? I know that place holds a lot of bad memories for you..."
He shook his head, sitting up and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. "I think I'll be okay. She won't be there, so all I have to deal with is the king. Besides, I'll have the queen on my side so it may actually be kind of fun." he managed a weak smile that made her sigh in relief.
"If you say so, Master Naofumi."
He leaned backward and planted a quick kiss on her lips that made them both blush as badly as they had the night before. "You don't have to call me that. Actually scratch that, I want you to call me Naofumi instead."
Any resistance Raphtalia had crumbled with one look at his face, and she smiled. "Has anyone ever told you how adorable you look when you blush?" she teased, only making his face more red.
"N-no." he pouted, looking away and crossing his arms.
She giggled, getting out of bed and running her hands through her hair to rid it of any knots. "Well it's a good look for you. You have a hard time expressing your real feelings, so it makes me happy to see it."
"Y-you're the reason I'm like this in the first place!"
"Even better." she said, making him groan. "We should get ready and meet up with the others though. We never actually checked on Filo and Melty, so who knows what trouble they could have gotten into."
They began getting dressed and Naofumi hummed in thought. "Now that you mention it, those two did seem to get along pretty well. A little too well, if you ask me." He was thankful for the change in topics.
'We may have said we loved each other, but I don't know if I have the courage to ask her what we are right now.' he thought to himself silently. 'It may be better not to put a label on it anyway, so I may as well keep silent about it and just go with the flow.'
She finished dressing herself first, strapping her breastplate on over her clothes and attaching the sword at her waist. "Oh let them be, Naofumi. They're just kids, so let them be kids for a while."
He finished putting his armor back on, but as he grabbed his sword the worn blade snapped in half. "Well, I guess it was on its last legs anyway..." he sighed, allowing it to disappear into his inventory for repairs or raw materials later. "I would let them be kids if it weren't so dangerous at night. Besides, that girl is her sister, so she has to have some ulterior motive."
They gathered their things and exited the room, making their way down the stairs back to their original room. "It is entirely possible that the first princess was the bad egg of the family, you know. Melty seemed genuine when she spoke to us yesterday, and she reminds me of the queen far more than Malty did."
They reached the door marked 013 and he reached for the doorknob with a roll of his eyes. "At this point, I doubt anyone in that family can go a day or two without plotting something."
As he opened the door, he witnessed Filo sleeping on the bed with Melty clinging to her. The girl was in her filolial form, something which the innkeeper told her was not allowed, and the princess was hugging the ball of feathers with a content smile plastered on her face.
Raphtalia nudged her master with her shoulder before laying her head softly upon his own. "Do you still think she's plotting something?" she asked with a smirk that he could feel even if he wasn't looking at her. Somehow he just knew.
His eye twitched before he gently shut the door and moved to exit the inn. "She's just playing the long game, then. We'll know eventually." Raphtalia sighed but followed him, not pursuing the topic further.
Stepping outside, the sun was already high in the sky. The sweltering heat made Naofumi tug at his collar under his armor. "Jeez, it must be getting close to noon already. The only thing I hate about this place is how humid it gets, being so close to the ocean and all. This armor is so stuffy."
Raphtalia was unfazed, taking a deep breath to savor the salty air. "I actually like it. It reminds me a bit of home. Speaking of which," her expression faltered slightly and her tail wilted, "is it okay if we make a quick stop once we get back to the mainland?"
He turned to her with a knowing look. "You want to visit your village, right?"
She nodded. "Yes. I...want to see my parents, if that's okay with you."
Naofumi grasped her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Believe it or not, the queen actually still thinks she owes me. I'm sure she'll let us stop by there for a short time on our way." His partner's tail wagged happily as she smiled lovingly at him.
"Thank you." It was a simple and earnest reply.
The two shared a breakfast composed of an assortment of grilled fish and a few vegetables. Since their homes were fairly close to the ocean, they both felt that it reminded them of home. Naofumi and Raphtalia shared more about their lives before they had met, thinking it long overdue.
From activities they enjoyed as children to the way they were raised, very few subjects were left uncovered. Naofumi was reluctant to bring up her parents since the way they died was traumatic enough, and Raphtalia easily noticed him skirting around that topic. Although she never said it aloud, she appreciated his tactfulness.
Time flew by as they ate, laughed, and smiled together about how different things were. But no matter how crazy the world became, from waves of monsters to interdimensional alliances, they would have each other to rely on. Before they knew it, it was nearly time to board the boat to leave Cal Mira, possibly for good.
The duo went back to wake Filo and hopefully find Sho, who had mysteriously disappeared and not shown himself all morning. As they opened the girl's door, the two were still fast asleep. Naofumi rolled his eyes.
"It's already past noon and the ship is waiting on us. Get up." he said, nudging the bird with his arm. Raphtalia sighed.
"You could at least be a little more gentle." she chided, walking over and shaking the princess's shoulder. "Princess Melty? It's time for us to leave. You need to wake up now."
The bluenette groaned as she clutched Filo's feathers tighter. "Just ten more minutes, mama..." she mumbled, still mostly asleep.
Naofumi knew the easiest way to wake Filo was food, so he sorted through his inventory and pulled out leftovers from his breakfast. He figured something like this might happen, so he had ordered more than he needed and saved the rest. The result was almost immediate, and the filolial cracked her eyes open within seconds.
"Mmmm...Master, what smells so good?" she murmured before yawning.
He held the plate of food in his hand, rolling his eyes. "Breakfast. We have to get on the boat or they'll leave us behind. Hurry up."
The bird's eyes shot open as she excitedly swallowed the entire meal in moments, plate and all. Naofumi cradled his hand which had the plate suddenly stolen from its grip. Filo sighed happily.
"That was delicious! Time to get up Mel-chan!" she shook her left wing, rousing the girl from her rest. Melty groaned but rubbed her eyes as she regained consciousness.
"Filo-chan, what's wrong?"
"Master says it's time to wake up or the boat will leave without us!"
The princess finally opened her eyes to see Naofumi's aggravated expression and Raphtalia's sympathetic one. Realizing her position, she shot awake, stood, and smoothed out her skirt. "I-I apologize if I've delayed our departure at all." she said, bowing.
Naofumi rolled his eyes again. "Whatever. Let's just get on the boat so we can leave. Your mother is probably worried about where you went off to."
Raphtalia and Melty both noted the way he seemed concerned even if he tried his best not to be, and they smiled at him. "Right. C'mon Filo-chan, let's go." the girl said.
"Okay!" Filo said, transforming back into her human form and following them as they left.
After checking out of the inn room, they started their trek back to the ship to leave the island. Melty awkwardly walked with them, even as Filo tried making idle conversation. Raphtalia, noticing this, turned to her master.
"Naofumi, you could try to make her feel more comfortable with us. Look how nervous she is." the woman said. The hero shook his head.
"There's no reason to make her feel welcome. She's a princess, so she'll probably never see us again after we're done in Melromarc. I don't exactly feel like staying there for long." he replied, quietly enough that the others wouldn't hear him.
Raphtalia sighed weakly. "Just...try to be a bit nicer to her? She may be a princess, but she's just a little girl who's done nothing wrong to us. Being mad at her for being born to a family of nobles isn't very fair."
He groaned. "Fine. I won't go out of my way, but I'm not going to yell at her or anything."
"Small steps Naofumi...small steps..." she said more to herself than anyone else.
It wasn't long before they reached the docks. Sho was already waiting for them to arrive, arms crossed and standing silently away from the people boarding the ship. He approached them.
"Ready to go?" he asked. "Humans so lazy, so slow. Could have left hours ago."
Naofumi would have given a retort, but remembering how he woke up that morning made him more than happy to sleep in. He shrugged and walked up the ramp to the boat. "Sleep is necessary for keeping yourself in good shape to fight. Give me a bit of a break."
The orc rolled his eyes but followed the group onto the vessel.
Their trip back began shortly after they got on the boat, and Naofumi decided to get to work. With several hours to work with, he decided to improve his crafting skills. He sat down in a vacant room with his tools, and Raphtalia joined him. Filo ran off with Melty to explore the ship and find something to do, and Sho vanished as he usually did.
"So what are you going to work on, Naofumi?" the raccoon asked, sitting on a nearby stool. Her tail swished back and forth in interest as she cocked her head to the side.
He scratched his head. "Well I want to get a bit better at crafting medicines at some point, but we don't have a lot of herbs to work with. I could try improving my blacksmithing and repair some of our gear, but-" he cut himself off with a look of realization and a facepalm.
"What's wrong?"
He sighed into his hand. "I totally forgot to make that piece of jewelry for Therese before she left."
Raphtalia gave him a sad smile. "I'm sure she won't mind if it's a bit late. You can always give it to her when we see her again."
"I guess." he withdrew the bag of materials from his inventory along with a miniature set of bellows. He wasn't sure if he should be starting a fire on a wooden boat, but he was confident that he could safely do his work without any harm. He had an idea and he smiled. "Hey Raphtalia, do you want to help?"
She jumped slightly and her ears perked up. "M-me? But I have no idea how these are even made." she said, looking down at the bracelet on her wrist. "I feel like I'd only get in your way..." her ears wilted.
Naofumi chuckled. "Not at all! It's actually a lot easier than I expected it to be the first time. Come here, I'll teach you."
The raccoon knelt down beside him as her tail refused to sit still, and she was forced to hold it with her hands to prevent it from knocking anything over on accident. "O-okay! What should we do first?"
The next few hours passed fairly quickly, but to Raphtalia they seemed to drag on forever. Every time the man would have her do one of the steps herself, she would panic and her hands would shake. The fact that the materials were so valuable made her nervous. However, as soon as Naofumi would place his hands on top of her own to guide her movements she would instantly calm down.
She wasn't sure if it was love or simply the happiness that radiated from him, but she found herself enjoying the experience.
Before long, they had completed a bracelet not too different from the one Raphtalia wore. It was encrusted with hiddenite gems with a single, star shaped alexandrite gem in the center. The band was made of platinum which gave off a lustrous shine.
Raphtalia held the accessory in her hands with sparkles in her eyes. "Naofumi, look! Look how well it turned out! I can't believe it!"
The hero inspected it with calculating eyes. "Huh...I guess absorbing a bunch of those extra gemstones and unlocking the Expert Jewelcrafting skill made a difference after all." He took it and continued looking for imperfections. "This turned out even better than I expected."
"I'm sure Therese will love it!" Raphtalia said, holding her master's hands with her own, the Alexandrite Bangle between them. She blushed slightly, but leaned forward and pecked a kiss onto his cheek. He held his cheek with his hand, looking at her with a slight amount of confusion.
"N-not that I didn't like it or anything, but what was that for?" he asked. Raphtalia giggled.
"For letting me help make it. You really didn't have to."
"I wanted to. Besides, what else were you planning on doing if I made it myself?"
She looked away with a bashful smile. "I...would have probably just sat here and watched."
He patted her head between her ears, earning himself a pout. "Hence the reason why I asked you to help. It was more fun that way, anyway. Plus, I've always heard that the best way to learn is to teach someone else."
"I guess so..." Raphtalia stood up. "I'm going to go wander around and see what Filo and Melty are up to. What will you do for the rest of the trip?"
He mentally weighed his options. The raccoon had to admit that his thinking face was adorable despite his rough features. "Hmm...I'm still feeling a little exhausted so I think I may take a nap. If we're going to be with the queen for the entire ride back to Melromarc, I doubt I'll be comfortable enough to get any rest."
"Oh, okay." She blinked. "Just don't sleep too much or you'll mess up your sleep schedule and won't be able to sleep tomorrow." The woman leaned down and gave him a parting kiss before making her way to the deck of the ship.
She would never know that Naofumi barely got any sleep once she left, too busy reliving that moment over and over in his head.
Opening a door brought Raphtalia to the deck. The sun was just beginning to turn a darker shade of orange and the scent of seawater filled her nostrils. Using her hand to keep her hair from whipping in her face from the wind, she approached the railing on the port side of the ship.
Staring out at the waves, she felt at peace. 'Naofumi and I...finally are together.' she thought. 'In reality there's nothing really different about how we act together, but there's that way his eyes shine when he looks at me. It just makes me feel so...wanted.'
Leaning against the railing, the raccoon pondered. 'But what do we do from here? We can't really settle down with the Waves still hitting us and all, so I guess our goal is the same?'
"You're pretty deep in thought. Something on your mind?"
Raphtalia turned to see Ren beside her. She smiled at him. "I didn't realize you were here, Ren. How are you handling the seasickness?"
He shook his head. "A bit of wine from Armalis helped, but I'm just trying not to think about it."
She giggled. "That's not really a good habit to start, you know. She seems to enjoy teasing you."
He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't remind me. I almost regret bringing her with us, but she's dependable. After I lost most of my other companions in the last Wave, I had to pick people I could rely on rather than their skills. Anyway, you never answered my question."
Raphtalia blushed slightly with a gulp. "W-well...there have been some recent...developments in my relationship with M-Naofumi, and I'm just unsure of where to go from here."
Ren blushed as well, coughing into his hand. "U-umm, well...congratulations, I guess."
"T-thank you."
"But if you're wondering how to take another step, I probably wouldn't be the right person to ask." he said, lowering his gaze to the deck.
"You've never been in a relationship either?" she asked, ears perked up in interest. "That's surprising. You seem like the calm type that lots of women would be attracted to."
His blush darkened. "W-well...I've never really seen a need for something like that for myself. Even before all of this," he used his hand to gesture broadly, "I never felt like it was necessary."
Raphtalia giggled at him, brushing a lock of errant hair out of her face. "Maybe you're just not ready for it yet, then. But in all honesty, I was wondering how this barely changes anything between Naofumi and I."
At his silence she continued. "It's not like we have to do those kinds of things all the time, especially not in public, but we don't really have time for being happy together. The Waves aren't going to end themselves, so we can't relax."
Ren shook his head. "Actually, I think you're looking at it the wrong way."
"Huh?"
"I mean you're thinking too long-term." He smiled at her. "It's because the Waves aren't going to just stop happening that you need to enjoy the little moments while you can. As we've all learned by now, every day is uncertain. You should appreciate the time you have with him, savor the small things. Terrible as it sounds, there's a chance one of you will die unexpectedly."
The raccoon frowned. 'What would happen if he did die? Where would I go?...' she thought. She was so stuck in her own mind that she didn't hear the hero's parting remark or his footsteps as he left. She shook her head. 'No, I can't think like that! It's my job to make sure he survives! We watch each other's backs and we'll all stay alive, that's what he told me!'
Her gaze wandered back to the door leading below decks. 'Still...I can't help but be worried...'
Soon enough, the boat landed on the mainland shore. Naofumi must have been more tired than he thought, since he actually slept the whole rest of the ride there. Raphtalia had gone back to the room to see him snoring with a book over his face. She ingrained the sight into her memories for later before gently shaking him awake.
"Naofumi..." she coaxed with another shake of his shoulder. "Naofumi, it's time to wake up. We made it to the shore." He shifted slightly before pulling the book off of his face and looking at her.
"Hnng, already?" he groaned with a raspy voice. "How long was I out?"
"Long enough, apparently. Filo and Sho are with the queen right now. They're waiting for us."
He sat upward and stretched to relieve his tired muscles. "Well, we'd better get going. We still have to try to convince her to stop at your village along the way, so being late isn't going to help our argument."
"Right." She nodded at him, and they left.
The duo walked side by side as they disembarked the vessel. Occasionally their hands would brush the other's and the two would smile at each other with a blush. As soon as they left the docks and got back into the market square, they met up with the remainder of their party.
"About time you two got here! It feels like we've been waiting foreverrrr!" Filo whined, running up to them and pouting. "Queenie says I get to pull the carriage back to the city! Did you hear that!? I get to pull a carriage!" she said while jumping up and down in excitement.
Naofumi raised his eyebrows. "You're that excited about pulling some carriage? It just sounds like work to me."
Raphtalia shrugged. "Well...you remember how I told you that they love pulling carriages? For whatever reason, they actually start to get depressed if they don't have one to pull."
He gave her a confused look. "It's that bad? How has she managed to be fine this whole time, then?"
The two shared a shrug before looking at Filo, who was too busy dancing around Melty in her excitement to pay attention to them. Sho watched the two girls with subdued interest, before turning his attention to the adults of the group.
"No-foomi." he said with a salute. "Must return to Chief with important news. Will find you again after."
Naofumi scratched his head. "How exactly do you plan on finding us later? The world's a big place."
"You will be with queen, yes?"
Raphtalia shook her head. "I...don't think we'll be sticking around Melromarc for long. Just long enough to finish our business and be on our way."
"Hmm..." the orc grunted, walking over to Filo. "Give feather." he requested.
"Huh? Why!?" the girl asked.
"Bird has certain scent. Orcs use wolves for tracking and hunting prey. Can use feather to find you."
Filo was reluctant about being compared to prey, but she complied by transforming and plucking a single feather from her body and handing it to him. Sho put it in his belt. "Will return soon. Be safe." he said, before beginning his trek past Siltvelt to the location of the clan's new home.
Naofumi was approached by the queen. "Lord Naofumi. Are you ready to leave? It is still a full day's carriage ride back to the capital, so we will be going overnight."
He turned to her. "Actually, I was hoping we could stop somewhere along the way. It's important." His short tone was not lost on her, and the queen sighed.
"Is it absolutely necessary?"
"Yes. I'll be going there with or without your assistance, so unless you want to wait a week for me to be in Melromarc..." he trailed off meaningfully.
"Very well. I...suppose we can make a small detour for a short time." Mirellia said, rubbing her forehead to prevent a migraine. "Just please be sure to be quick while we're...wherever you're going. Where are you taking us anyway?" she asked.
Naofumi pointed a thumb at Raphtalia. "Her old village back before it got destroyed. We're going to visit her parents' graves."
Mirellia closed her eyes for a moment in sympathy. "You have my condolences for your loss, Miss Raphtalia."
The raccoon waved her hands in front of her in panic. "Oh no, that's not necessary! Just Raphtalia is fine, Your Majesty."
A knight walked up and knelt beside the queen. "Your Majesty. The others have gone on ahead. We may leave whenever you wish."
"Wonderful. Let us be off, then."
WIth that, they boarded the extravagant carriage. It had exotic furnishings and a more advanced design than the majority of carriages Naofumi had seen in this world so far. Filo ran to the front and hooked herself up to the front of the vehicle before chirping happily. Naofumi sat beside Raphtalia, across from the queen and her daughter.
A few knights and a Shadow were also inside the carriage, with one giving Filo directions whenever necessary. From this direction, Raphtalia didn't know the exact path to her old village, but she hoped that she would remember a few landmarks as they got closer to Melromarc.
The carriage ride was much smoother than the man expected, with only a few major bumps along the way to interrupt the awkward tension inside. Naofumi did his best to busy himself with searching his menu for anything worth reading, but came up short after only a few minutes. Raphtalia was stiff as a board beside him, nervous being in front of human royalty.
Mirellia decided to do what she could to ease the tension in the room. "Raphtalia."
"Y-yes?" she jumped slightly in response.
"No need to be so nervous, I don't bite." The queen's soft smile helped calm her nerves slightly. "I just couldn't help but notice that your hand has been lingering on Lord Naofumi's this whole time."
"Huh!?" The raccoon's head snapped downward to see that her hand was, in fact, clutching her master's own hand loosely. She blushed. "It-it's not-!"
Mirellia giggled softly. "Relax. I've been young and in love before too, you know. Even Melty here has had a childhood crush or two. Isn't that right, dear?" she looked down to her daughter, whose blush rivaled the raccoon's
"M-mother!" she cried in alarm.
"Haha! No need to be so uptight, Melty. You'll find a man worthy of you soon enough. Though I must admit, Lord Naofumi seems to be quite the catch, is he not?"
"I-I barely know anything about him! Besides, if he and Miss Raphtalia are in love then that would be wrong!" the bluenette exclaimed.
Mirellia put on a fake pout. "How unfortunate. And I was going to offer your hand in marriage as forgiveness for your father's and sister's misdeeds." She sighed in an exaggerated fashion. "Well, I suppose it isn't off the table for now."
"I may be looking through my status menu, but I can still hear your conversation you know." he cut in before either Melty or Raphtalia could dispute the idea.
"Of course, but you hadn't said anything for quite some time so I decided to test it." the queen said, adjusting herself to get a bit more comfortable. "Though about my proposal-"
"No."
Melty face-faulted at the instantaneous response. Even though she didn't necessarily want to be in a relationship with the man, the fact that he outright denied the possibility with no hesitation whatsoever was insulting!
"Surely I could persuade you-" the queen started.
"I said no, and that's the end of it. I love Raphtalia and I probably always will. Let her go off and marry a noble kid that would at least give you bargaining power in trade, or something."
"Quite the planner, I see. I would never do such a thing to my precious - and now my only - daughter. Melty will be free to choose whoever she wants as her husband, whether it be a prince or a beggar. Though I would give my honest opinion when necessary."
Melty blushed hotly as the conversation revolved further around her. "M-might I suggest speaking about something else, please!?"
"Ohoh? Is my daughter embarrassed to talk about boys in front of her mother?" Mirellia teased with a smirk. Raphtalia looked down with sad eyes as the royal family members acted more like a regular family than monarchs.
Naofumi noticed her despondent look and squeezed her hand. "Hey, you okay?" he whispered. She squeezed back.
"It's a little hard to watch a normal family. I don't have a family aside from you and Filo now, so being reminded of never getting those experiences again can be difficult." the raccoon mumbled back.
"Ah, that reminds me." Mirellia interrupted. "I had that request of yours lined up and ready to go, Lord Naofumi. It should be prepared by the time you leave the capital."
"Request?" Raphtalia looked to her master who smiled.
"Nothing for you to worry about. Just trust me on this one, okay?"
"O-okay..."
After a few hours of relatively silent travel, interrupted occasionally by the knight at the front giving the overly happy Filo directions, they arrived in what appeared to be a ruined village. The only sound that could be heard was the crashing of the ocean waves against the shore, and there was not a living thing in sight.
"This is it..." the raccoon said as they left the carriage. "This was my home. How long has it been since I've seen it in person?..."
Naofumi followed her as she wandered through the destroyed buildings and into the center, where a torn flag was half-buried under some rubble. She plucked it out, being careful not to tear it further, before her breath caught in her throat. The man put his hand on her shoulder as she sobbed, and held her tightly as Raphtalia buried her face into his chest and burst into tears.
He allowed her to release her sorrows into his clothes as he gently stroked her back soothingly. Naofumi had no experience with comforting someone for this type of situation, so he opted to stay silent. It took several minutes before the raccoon was done lamenting, and she wiped the last remnants of tears from her eyes.
"Thank you, Naofumi."
"Don't mention it."
She led him by the hand toward the edge of the village. A short trek through the woods revealed a cliff that overlooked the ocean, and sitting at the very edge of the cliff was a single tombstone.
'This must be where she buried her parents.' he thought to himself, allowing her to walk in front of him. 'She deserves a bit of time to herself. I can't even imagine going through what she did. That's probably worse than what I dealt with.'
Raphtalia brushed some errant dirt off of the top of the gravestone, smiling softly. "Hey mom, hey dad." she said out loud. Not wanting to intrude on the moment, Naofumi turned toward the ocean and busied himself with counting the waves one at a time. However, he couldn't help but overhear the woman's one-sided conversation.
"It's been...a little crazy since I was last here. I was a slave to a few different people, and although some weren't so bad, there was one who was awful. Idol Rabier was his name." she grit her teeth at the painful reminder. "I was lucky I got out of there as soon as I did. Keel and some of the others may still be there, but I have no idea where I was. Rifana...didn't make it."
Silence ensued as she calmed her nerves. "But now I have Naofumi. Technically I'm still a slave, but he never once treated me like one." Raphtalia smiled, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. "You would like him, I think. You told me about how the Shield Hero saved the demi-humans from extinction, and that he protected us with all of his strength. It turns out you were right."
"He's kept me safe ever since we met, even at great cost to himself. He gave me a new purpose and the means to work toward it. And somewhere along the line...I fell in love with him. He's right here, so I'll let you meet him." she said, standing and walking over to her master before tugging at his hand. He didn't resist, allowing himself to be pulled toward the grave.
"Mom, dad, this is Naofumi. He's the Shield Hero, and the man that I love. Go ahead and introduce yourself, Naofumi."
If he had any thoughts about how strange it was to introduce himself to the dead, he kept them to himself. If it was important to Raphtalia for him to meet her parents beyond the veil of life and death, he would do whatever made her happy.
"Uh, hi." he started, scratching the back of his head. "I'm Iwatani Naofumi, and I guess you already knew I'm the Shield Hero." He chuckled awkwardly, unsure if he was going about this the right way. "I'm sorry we didn't get to meet on better terms, but I promise that I'll do everything that I can to protect your daughter."
His momentum allowed him to continue. "She's a handful sometimes, but I'm beyond lucky to have met her. And now more than ever, I can say that I love her without any hesitation. I...wish I could have met you both while you were alive, but I hope this will suffice."
He mumbled a few things under his breath that Raphtalia, even with her superior hearing, couldn't make out. However, after he was done he smiled at her. "I think that's all I had to say. How do you feel?" he asked.
The raccoon smiled before wrapping him in a hug. "Thank you for coming with me, and for taking us out of your way to meet them. I know it's a bit silly, but I feel like I needed this."
He shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Raph. You would have done the same for me."
"You're right. Shall we head on back? I don't want the queen and the knights to wait on us for too long. It's nearly midnight."
They proceeded to walk hand-in-hand back to the carriage to see everyone ready to leave. Raphtalia apologized profusely for the inconvenience, but Mirellia was adamant in saying that it was fine. The village wasn't far from the main road, so it wasn't much of a detour and they didn't take much time.
Filo, content with pulling the carriage, remained up front while many of the others slept. The queen allowed the knights to rest in shifts, and Melty had already fallen asleep against her mother's shoulder. Raphtalia soon did the same against Naofumi's shoulder.
This left Naofumi and Mirellia as the two people who were awake, but the queen could be seen dozing off here and there. After the tenth or eleventh time - he actually bothered to count - that her head fell forward and she forced it back up to stay awake, the man had seen enough. Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a soft blanket and held it out to her.
"Here."
She gave him a confused look. He shook it.
"Just take it. You're obviously tired, and it's not like I'm going to try anything funny. You need rest just as much as everyone else."
She took it, but fixed him with a skeptical look. "Although I appreciate it, what about yourself?"
He shook his head. "I slept more than enough on the boat, so I'm wide awake. Besides, I'm sure your knights would feel more comfortable knowing the Shield Hero was essentially on watch with them."
Mirellia looked to the knight currently on watch, a middle-aged man with bags under his eyes, and he reluctantly nodded. She sighed. "Very well, then. You have my gratitude for your generosity."
"Don't worry about it."
She draped the blanket over her and Melty, who gently grabbed the fabric and pulled it tighter to herself. Before long, mother and daughter had fallen asleep beside one another. The knight smiled at Naofumi.
"Thank you, Shield Hero." he said, holding onto a railing for support whenever they hit a large bump. "Her Majesty tends to worry so much she forgets to sleep until long into the night, so I think this would help her greatly. She's too proud to admit that, though."
Naofumi snorted. "I thought all royalty was like that?"
The man shook his head. "The queen is...unique, I'd say, among nobles."
"You can say that again..."
The rest of the ride went by in relative silence. Naofumi would occasionally socialize with whoever was on watch, but it was usually limited to introductions and small talk about this and that. Getting more perspectives on what was happening around the kingdom after his summoning was a nice change of pace, and Naofumi came to respect the queen just a little bit more for her efforts in aiding him from behind the scenes when she could.
The sun broke free of the horizon as the capital came into view. Through the window beside him, Naofumi could almost appreciate the view. However, he knew that darkness hides beneath the pleasant exterior of Melromarc. As far as he knew, the people of the city still hated him with a passion and would possibly attack him on sight for being near the queen.
"Open the gates! Her Majesty has returned!" shouted a guard. Another man on top of the castle walls cranked a wheel that forced the gates open. The carriage, pulled by one large and majestic filolial, entered the city streets with a path straight to the castle. It only took a few minutes for them to arrive at the castle gates with a similar ceremony.
They parked the carriage and disembarked. Mirellia turned to them. "I suppose I should formally welcome you to Melromarc, Lord Naofumi, Miss Raphtalia, Miss Filo. I know your previous visit here was not very pleasant, but I hope that I can be a suitable host."
He shook his head. "No need. We have things we need to get done in the city before anything else, and we'll probably just find a room at an inn somewhere quiet."
Mirellia sighed. "At this point, I should be thankful you even came with us. I will send a messenger with an update when I have one."
"Fine. Raphtalia, Filo, let's go."
With that, they wandered back through the streets of the one place Naofumi thought he would never return to. Despite how long it had been since his last stay in the human capital, the citizens still glared at him and whispered behind his back. Occasionally, a child would throw a rock or rotten fruit that would bounce harmlessly off of him. Raphtalia was careful not to hold his hand in public, so as to not make his reputation as a demi-human sympathizer worse.
"Umm, Master Naofumi?" she asked, hesitantly.
"What is it?" He replied softly. The raccoon blinked. She had expected him to be much more irritable considering where they were.
"What errands are we running?"
"None, technically. I just wanted to get away from the queen and her schedule. Knowing her, she would have dictated everything about the rest of our day."
"O-oh..." she sweatdropped. "Perhaps we could visit Elhart while we're here? I'm sure he could help us with repairing our gear or getting us newer equipment. If we're going to stay in Melromarc for a few days, it may be a good idea. Besides, I miss him."
Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "You miss that old man?"
She gave a soft smile. "He gives off a fatherly vibe, so I can't help but be drawn to him." Raphtalia giggled, and her master rolled his eyes.
"What now?"
"I just imagined you as Elhart's child. He would try teaching you how to use the forge and you could barely hold the hammer."
He tried to imagine the same scenario, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image. "Ha, well I'll be sure to tell him that when we see him. We should also stop and get some new clothes. These ones are starting to get a bit worn out."
Since it was closer, they opted to visit the tailor's shop first. The woman looked at them in surprise. "Oh! It's you, Shield Hero! Good to see you again!" She looked to see Raphtalia, who was now older, taller, and more mature. "Goodness! If it isn't my favorite customer! You sure have grown up, young lady!"
Raphtalia smiled at her awkwardly with a wave. "U-um...hello again."
*gasp* "And who is THIS!?" she bent down to look at Filo with shining eyes.
"I'm Filo!"
"Alright alright, enough of that. We need some new clothes. These ones are starting to wear down." Naofumi said, crossing his arms.
"Now now, there's no reason to be rude around your daughter!" the tailor said with a broad smile. "Anyway, what are you looking for?"
They ended up buying more copies of what they already owned. Naofumi didn't want to be around the eccentric woman any longer, so he opted to wait outside while the two girls finished their own shopping. Nearly ten minutes later, Raphtalia walked outside with the remnants of a blush on her face but nothing to show for it. Filo was beside her with a confused look.
"Didn't find anything you liked?" Naofumi asked. His voice made the raccoon jump and her tail stiffen.
"U-umm, not really. They weren't really my style."
The hero hummed, disinterested. "Anyway, let's head to the old man's place. I'm sure he'll give me an earful when he sees Filo, but whatever."
The trio did everything they could to avoid the main roads. Despite the alleys being filled with less-than-friendly people, they were a better alternative to being threatened and used as target practice. Naofumi opened the door to the blacksmith's shop, and a small bell signaled his arrival.
"Welcome to my sh-Oh! Kiddo, it's you! And the missus too!" Elhart exclaimed, immediately dropping the cloth he was using to clean the counter and smiling. He threw a curious glance at Filo, but Naofumi just shook his head in response.
"I see you haven't kicked the bucket yet, eh old man?" the hero said with a smirk. The blacksmith rounded the counter before the two shared a strong handshake and a one-armed hug. "It's been a while."
"Haha, I may be older than you but I'm not about to keel over anytime soon!" he said, glancing at the man's armor. "Oh, look at what you've done to my work! This armor was really special you know!" He began fussing over the dents and scratches that marred the surface, and Naofumi sighed.
"About that, I was thinking it's time for an upgrade."
That got the man's attention. "Oh? Back for a return visit, are ya? Well I can certainly find something to suit you now that you've gained a bunch of levels and gotten loads of coin! Right? Riiiiiiiiight? You still owe me, you know."
Raphtalia giggled as her master flinched. 'Even if he's so strong, Naofumi is still frightened by Elhart somehow.' she thought.
"Anyway, what are you all looking for? You look like hell, ya do."
Naofumi took a quick look around. "Well, we're all about level 72, so the equipment we've been using was outdated a while ago. We were lucky to get some new things in Siltvelt, but even that only lasted for so long. I've got a ton of materials if you want to try making something to order again."
"How long will you be here for? It might take a few days." Elhart said, walking back to the counter to check his order schedule.
The hero dropped a massive bag on the floor with a resounding *thud* that made the older man jump. "We'll probably be here for two or three days tops, so if you can manage that, we'll take whatever you want to make. No restrictions other than to keep the armor from being too bulky."
Elhart's eyes were wide, and he reached down to look into the bag. What he saw made him sputter. "Wh-what the hell are these, boy!? Are these-"
"Dragon bones and scales, yeah."
"Where the hell...?"
"Don't ask. Can you use them? I figure they'd make for some strong armor or weapons at least. You'd know better than I do about what to use for what, so I'll leave the hard part for you. Just make sure Raphtalia gets a nice sword; hers is starting to fall apart and I can't seem to repair it well myself."
Elhart raised an eyebrow. "You're into smithing too now?"
"Among other things. I learned how to make enchanted jewelry, so that's something." Naofumi said, showing off his necklace. He had used the necklace his brother bought him as a mold in order to create a brand new one out of pure gold that shines brilliantly. It wasn't the most appealing piece, being a golden sword and shield, but the emerald in the center of the shield was reminiscent of the shield stuck to his arm.
The blacksmith inspected it. "That's mighty fine craftsmanship you got there, kiddo. If you start making work like this, I might go out of business!" he laughed, clapping a hand on the man's shoulder. "Anyway, I'll make you the best damn weapons and armor I can with these. What's your budget?"
Naofumi counted fifty gold coins and dropped them on the table. The smith's eyes bugged as he looked between the hero and the stack of shining coins. "What have you been up to since you left?"
"Just getting into trouble everywhere I go. You know how it is with me. Just get the job done and we'll be back in a few days to pick them up."
"Stay out of trouble, kiddo. Or try to, anyway."
"Knowing my luck? No promises."
With that, the trio left Elhart's shop in search of food. It was getting to be midday, so they were hungry. They would have gone to the nicer restaurant that Naofumi and Raphtalia had gone to before the first wave, but they didn't allow children. Filo, having the appearance of a young girl, pouted at their denial of her entry. Too hungry and tired to deal with the hassle, Naofumi decided they would go elsewhere.
After a relatively cheap and unexciting lunch, they were stopped by a young knight. "U-um Lord Shield Hero, sir?" he said, obviously nervous.
"What is it?" Naofumi asked.
"H-her Majesty, umm, wishes for you to return to the castle as soon as possible to begin the trial against the king!"
"A trial?" he raised an eyebrow. "What does she think that'll accomplish?.." he mumbled to himself.
Raphtalia sent him a smile. "We should probably go anyway. She wouldn't do all of this without a plan."
The young man looked like he was sweating horribly under his helmet, and Naofumi felt the slightest bit of sympathy for him. The queen could probably be a slave driver if she wanted to be. "Fine, let's just go. Lead the way, I guess." he relented.
"T-thank you! Right this way!" The knight took them back to the castle throne room. Upon opening the door, they were met with not only the queen but also a massive number of nobles on the sides of the room. Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu stood off to the side, and Melty was standing right beside her mother's throne.
Even still, Naofumi could hear the whispering nobles and it drove him mad.
"The prosecution has entered!" Mirellia announced, making Naofumi and his companions look around in shock. They were led by the young knight to the center of the room before he left them with a nervous smile.
"What exactly are you getting at here?" Naofumi asked, crossing his arms. "You barely gave me any warning and you already have this whole thing set up?"
With an authoritative voice, the queen responded. "I understand that you have business to take care of, so I wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible."
"Whatever."
Mirellia cleared her throat. "Bring him in!" she shouted.
The doors opened once more to reveal King Aultcray bound in metal handcuffs. He was still dressed in his royal robes, but he seemed much more disheveled than usual. When his eyes landed on the Shield Hero, he panicked.
The whispering quickly became much louder.
"We will now begin the trial of the foolish king consort."
The crowd erupted into confused chatter as the king was led to a podium in the center of the room, behind Naofumi and his party. "This trial seeks to punish the one responsible for shaking this country to its core, and I, the queen, am its judge and executor."
An aide brought a familiar brush and pot of ink to the queen's side. Mirellia pricked her finger with a knife, allowing the blood to drip into the mixture. "To ensure a fair trial, we will place a temporary slave crest upon him."
The aide ripped open the man's robe and painted the symbol onto his chest. It burned into his skin, but he merely grit his teeth until the pain subsided.
"You stand accused of conspiring with the church against the good of the country by summoning all four Cardinal Heroes, as well as discriminating against the Shield Hero."
She continued as the nobles went silent. "This act alone could be considered treason, for it endangers our relationship with our neighbors during a time where standing together is our only hope for survival. Though our kingdom is powerful, it cannot hope to stand against the Calamity by itself."
"B-but I was just concerned for the kingdom, my queen! The Waves had already begun, and none of the other countries had performed the summoning ritual themselves! Were we supposed to stand idle while we could have done something!?" Aultcray asked. The slave crest didn't activate.
"Then why summon all four of us? Surely you could have summoned one like you were supposed to, and focus your efforts on that hero alone." Ren asked, hand in his pocket. "That would have made the most logical sense: strengthen one hero so you don't even need the other three. That would have also prevented you from running afoul of the treaty."
The king flinched. "There was no guarantee that the one hero we summoned would have been adequate despite our best efforts. I made the decision to bring all four of you to this world in order to defend it whether it started here in Melromarc or any other country!"
The crest still did not activate. The man was telling the truth.
"Enough!" the queen shouted, silencing the room once more. "Regardless of reason, you have put our country in a dangerous position. The King of Faubley refuses to aid us, Shieldfreeden has turned a blind eye and the demi-humans of Siltvelt will not raise a single finger to our aid because of your actions! You even accused the Shield Hero of false charges without evidence!"
"But there was evidence! Our own daughter said so!"
"And did you check before allowing her to run rampant? Did you make any effort into validating her claims before falling prey to her whimsical desires? You always were a doting father, but Malty took advantage of you on many occasions. You and I were both aware that she was a pathological liar, and it was for that reason that I stripped her of the title of heir to the throne."
Aultcray grit his teeth, looking down toward the carpeted floor. "Please...do not speak of her with such anger." He sighed. "Whether she was in the right or not, she is no longer with us. I beg of you to honor her memory."
"That's bullshit and you know it." Naofumi cut in, shocking everyone present except Mirellia. "She frames me for rape, which might I add never even happened, and you just took her word for it with pathetically little proof. Then you proceeded to kidnap me and my partner in the middle of the street, lock us up and torture me for no good reason!"
"You killed the jailor!" the king shot back.
"And he would have killed me too if you had let him!" Naofumi was fuming. "I came back here because she," he pointed to the queen, "wanted me to! It was so terrible to live here because of you that I never wanted to come back!"
"We never would have summoned you if we didn't need you! The demi-humans can keep you for all I care! You're here now, aren't you!?"
"Silence!" Mirellia's voice cut through the hall like a blade. "WIth Malty no longer amongst the living, the blame of her actions can only be pinned on you. You may be my husband, but I do not tolerate insubordination or treason."
She continued after a deep breath. "Aultcray Melromarc XXXII, you are hereby found guilty of high treason and conspiracy, and are sentenced to death!"
The hall burst into surprised chatter and panic.
"She can't be serious!"
"Has Her Majesty lost her mind!?"
"That's her own husband! She's going too far!"
"The execution will begin immediately." Mirellia said before walking away from the throne room and further into the castle. Melty sent her father a concerned look, but followed her mother. Itsuki and Motoyasu shared a look before moving toward the courtyard. Ren approached Naofumi, who looked bored.
"You don't look as happy as I thought you'd be." the Sword Hero said.
Naofumi shook his head. "There's nothing to be happy about. It clears my name, yeah, but I don't even get a chance to get back at him for what he put me through. The bitch was the real one at fault, anyway."
Filo cocked her head to the side. "Master, what's a bi-"
"Don't ask, Filo." Raphtalia cut her off, putting a hand over her mouth.
"It seems to me like the king was just ignorant rather than malicious, aside from his unusual hatred for you being the Shield Hero." Ren said, putting his hand to his chin as they began walking toward the execution courtyard.
The raccoon turned to her master, who had his fists clenched. "Naofumi...are you really going to let her kill her own husband?" she asked, afraid of his response. He grit his teeth for a few seconds before sighing.
"I don't know. I feel like there's more to this than the queen is telling everyone. She doesn't seem like the type with the guts to kill her own family." he replied. "Let's just see what happens." She gave him a concerned look as they continued onward.
Naofumi stood in the upper spectator area of the courtyard, among a mob of nobles and peasants alike who jeered and chanted for the king's death. He narrowed his eyes at their behavior.
'Lemmings, all of them. I doubt a single one of them really cares about what happens to the king, they just want to be faithful to their queen.' he thought, frown appearing on his face. 'Pathetic. This is no different than what the bitch did. It's all just a publicity stunt.'
The queen appeared on a balcony above them along with Melty as the king was forced to his knees at the guillotine. The gallows locked him in place beneath the blade, which looked newly sharpened and excessively deadly. Panic was written on his face, but he didn't struggle as much as one would expect from someone about to be executed.
"We now send this sinner to his death in front of all of our people!" Mirellia shouted, and the crowd went wild. Even Naofumi was a little surprised at how well she riled up the audience with such simple words. The queen raised her hand vertically into a chop. "The criminal will now be beheaded!"
'Naofumi isn't really going to let this happen, is he!?' Raphtalia's eyes flicked between her master and the king in panic. 'There's no time left to stop it!'
The hero locked eyes with the queen from below, and he gave her a challenging stare. 'Do it.' he thought. 'Show us just what you're plotting.'
Mirellia tensed her muscles and prepared to pull something from behind her, but she was cut off.
"I believe that's quite enough of this charade, don't you? Your Majesty."
Walking to the center of the courtyard was none other than the pope himself, carrying what appeared to be a golden copy of the Legendary Spear.
