A bit of a gigantic chapter. Rapthalia kind of stole the spotlight and refused to give it back.
Together, they fitted him inside the armor, and after a few minutes, Naofumi had the appearance of a knight.
He stepped in front of the full-body mirror that stood in a corner of the room and inspected himself. He looked indistinguishable from any other knight, even having a sword strapped to his hip. The only difference was probably that his helmet had a visor with vertical slits to hide his face. It was a little odd looking through it, but he got used to it quickly.
Malty stepped next to him, laying an arm around his armored waist. "Welcome to my personal guard, my Naofumi."
"Reporting for duty!" He saluted theatrically. "Does that mean that I have to answer to Aldo now?"
She giggled happily.
Naofumi took off the helmet and held it with one arm against his torso. He briefly ruffled his hair to make sure it looked as usual, then laid his other arm around Malty's shoulders and looked at the two of them in the mirror, caressing her with his gloved fingers. Humming in pleasure, Malty had a pleased smirk on her face and was in the process of making sure her hair looked perfect, which, of course, it did. She looked absolutely stunning.
Staring into his eyes in the mirror, she sighed dreamily. "We make such a good couple. Everyone will love us once we're King and Queen."
"Yes." A deep feeling of satisfaction spread through him as he lost himself in her gaze. This, they, her next to him, it was just...right. Perfect. "We do. And I can't wait for the day when everyone will know that fact."
Malty rested her head against his shoulder, a bright smile on her face. His warmth-filled chest constricted and his heart was racing.
Eventually, he managed to break the eye contact and stepped away from the mirror. "Let's go, Malty."
"Yes, my Naofumi."
They made a brief stop in her bedroom to collect his belongings and stuff them into a rucksack she'd procured. Naofumi had positioned his Shield—he could move it around on his body—on his back so that it was hidden beneath the rucksack. Lastly, Malty fetched the cloak she'd gifted him for their engagement and put that in the rucksack as well.
"I would ask you to pose for me, but we shouldn't waste any time now," Malty lamented as they made their way toward the door. They stopped before it, and Naofumi took her into his arms, holding his helmet in one hand. "There'll be a feast after the Wave. I want you to wear my cloak then, my Naofumi."
"You don't need to tell me."
She smiled and closed the distance between their faces, kissing the teasing grin off his lips. Naofumi held her tightly as he returned her kisses with passion, his free hand tenderly put against the back of her head. This would be the last time they could enjoy each other's company for at least a week. He didn't want to separate. She didn't either, judging by the pleased sounds she made, which he readily reciprocated. How could he survive a week without this? Without the wonderful feeling of holding her in his arms? Without her smell, taste, and touch? Without her calling him my Naofumi? He'd thought the last week had been torturous. This week would be even worse.
Reluctantly, he broke the kiss. "Malty," he said when she tried to kiss him again. "We need to go now. You know I don't want to. But we have to."
She pouted. "I know..."
Naofumi put on the helmet and lowered the visor. "Ready, my Princess?"
Malty nodded and opened the double doors. "After you, my guard."
He obeyed with a grunt, lips twitching in amusement.
"Princess," Aldo greeted them. He eyed Naofumi warily and gave a brief nod, which Naofumi returned.
"Aldo," Malty said sweetly. "How are you feeling? You must be tired."
"It's nothing I can't manage," Aldo said proudly, though the exhaustion was apparent in his voice.
"I'm sorry for overworking you so much. You'll escort us off the castle grounds, and then you can finally have your well-deserved rest. Make sure that there's a guard at my door when I return. You're in charge of that now, after all."
"Yes, Princess!"
"Follow along." Malty stalked off, Naofumi and Aldo falling into step behind her, forming a triangle. People passing them greeted Malty—and she always returned the greeting with fake cheerfulness—but otherwise, no one seemed to notice anything. Really, no one paid guards any mind. They were like the ambiance of the castle—simply assumed to be there and easily ignored.
Aldo nervously cleared his throat. "P-princess?"
"Yes, Aldo?"
"I forgot to mention earlier, but your friends came by and wanted me to fetch you. I've not let them inside, of course, and told them to wait below in the entrance area."
"Friends? Oh. Well, that's good. Well done, Aldo. Why don't you go down to Lesty, Rino, and Elena and tell them that I'll be with them in some time? We'll be fine on our own."
"Right away, Princess!"
Naofumi had to suppress a grin when the knight seemed to straighten at the praise as he walked off.
Malty turned around and walked in the opposite direction—where they'd just come from. "We'll take another exit, then. Come along, my guard." She briefly took his hand, smiling teasingly.
"Yes, my Princess."
She led them down a small winding staircase, through some rooms, corridors, and more staircases. All the while, she regaled him with explanations about the function of the rooms when no one was nearby, and Naofumi listened attentively.
He lost track after a while, not having memorized the layout in such detail. While studying the map, he'd learned that a castle's structure was quite complex. It wasn't like normal buildings where you could just go up a story and have access to every room. No, castles, Naofumi had realized, were built with purpose. They were structures of defense, after all. And to get to a place as important as Malty's room, you had to first pass some strongly guarded checkpoints. Or climb in through the window.
Well, in theory, they were structures of defense. He doubted castles in a world with magic had the same purpose as in his origin world. He guessed they were more a symbol of status and power. And the convoluted design just came with it.
When they were alone in some hallway, Malty pulled him in a small, sparsely lit room that looked like it was used for storage, though it was empty at the moment. She took off his helmet, pressed him into the door so that no one could enter, then kissed him hungrily.
Heart racing, Naofumi returned the affection, relishing in the brief and precarious indulgence. But Malty didn't look like she wanted to stop anytime soon.
"Malty," he eventually protested. "We should keep going."
"Just a little longer."
He chuckled, trying to separate them. "Malty..."
She shot him a mock glare. "Now stop being so unreasonable, my Naofumi. I won't see you for at least a week, so let me have some more minutes." She smirked deviously. "You know, I've been tempted to not go through all the trouble to get you that armor and to simply keep you in my room. Let's not pretend that you would have been able to get out of the castle if I hadn't allowed it." She put a hand on his cheek, caressing him for a moment and staring into his eyes, then shifted her hand on the back of his head, pulling him toward her again, kissing him. "You're mine. So do as I say."
"Okay..." He couldn't resist her when she was commanding like that. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the pleasure and the satisfaction and happiness the thought of belonging to her brought him.
Eventually, she seemed satisfied and handed him back his helmet. Humming, she licked her lips as if she'd just had a delicious dessert, and Naofumi couldn't suppress a faint moan from escaping him. She looked very pleased with that, smirking.
They exited the room and continued on their way. If Malty's lips looked as if they'd just been kissed properly, no one seemed to notice. Or perhaps they did notice, but it was just a given that Malty looked like that. She'd practically admitted that her status of not being a virgin was public knowledge, and even Erhard had said that he'd heard rumors of Malty sleeping around. Did she have other guys to keep her satisfied when Naofumi wasn't around? She certainly seemed to have a sex drive to suggest it...
No, she proposed to me, he told himself, there's no one else. Still, he couldn't suppress the intense jealousy coursing through him and had to actively refrain from clenching his hands into fists at the thought of anyone else touching her.
They exited the castle building, happening onto the courtyard. Knights were practicing on the dirt-covered ground, so Naofumi guessed that this was an exit usually used by them. A few knights greeted or saluted her, and Naofumi squinted at them from behind his visor, wondering whether they had ever seen the interior of Malty's bedroom.
He tried but failed to shake off those thoughts as they exited the castle grounds and traversed the streets of the city. He didn't pay much attention to where they were going, letting Malty take the lead. Barely anyone seemed to recognize her, and even if some did, no one stopped to gawk or approached, apparently having better things to do.
They eventually arrived at Erhard's shop. He hadn't told Malty where they should go, but he had to admit that the shop was a good destination—a good place to switch armors and not too unreasonable for her to go to should word of her visit get out. They didn't enter through the front but instead entered the side alley next to the shop where Erhard had pushed him against the wall some weeks ago.
"So..." Malty said, grabbing his hand. "I guess I'll see you at the Wave." She smiled sadly. "My brave guard."
"Yeah..."
She turned around but hesitated.
Naofumi wanted to say something, to put those irrational voices of doubt to rest, but didn't want to leave on a bitter note after how well things had gone. Had she picked up on his sudden shift in mood? She looked a little subdued, though he liked to think that it was just because she didn't want to part ways now that they were officially together.
They stood like that for a few more moments, neither moving or letting go of the other's hand. Eventually, she did let go and started to slowly walk away.
His heart skipped a beat, dread spreading through him. I can't let her go like that! He hurriedly took off his helmet, not caring if anybody saw, and set it—along with the rucksack—onto the ground, then chased after her.
He reached her before she exited the small alley, grabbed her hand, and yanked her into his arms. "Malty." A hand on the back of her head, he pressed a demanding kiss onto her lips.
She sighed contentedly and had a big smile on her face when he retreated.
Naofumi took her hand and dragged her back deeper into the alley, then pressed her into the wall next to some wooden construct that hid them from view from anyone passing by in the main street. He had her hands pinned above her head, staring intensely into her eyes.
"Naofumi," she gasped, looking a little frightened but also delighted.
"Is there anybody else?"
She frowned. "Anybody else?"
"Any other men. Beside me, I mean."
She held his intense stare for a few seconds. "No. Why would you think that, my Naofumi?"
"The guards," he said. "The way some of them have been looking at you."
"Why shouldn't they look at their Princess with adoration?"
"Malty..." He kept staring at her.
"Well..." she eventually lowered her head, looking conflicted.
"Tell me the truth, my fiancée."
Malty looked up. "I have probably slept with some of them in the past."
Naofumi clenched his jaw, his grip on her hands tightening.
The vulnerability in her gaze got replaced by defiance. "So what if I fucked some of them? It's not like anyone cares!" There was bitterness in her voice. She snorted. "Papa tries to circumvent any rumors by stationing only older and married guards at my door. He probably thinks it's all fake, unable to believe anything that would contradict his naive view of me." She raised her head proudly, glaring. "But it's not. Yes, you're not the first man I've fucked with. Do you hate me now? Do you think I'm a slut? Do I disgust you?"
No. "Is that why you've lost your position as heir?"
"No," she scoffed. "I've been a virgin when that happened."
Naofumi stared into her eyes for a few seconds, then abruptly kissed her. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth and bit down, and Malty moaned, not trying to escape, kissing him back animatedly. He relented his hold on her wrists and put his hands against hers, intertwining their fingers, regrettably being robbed of the skin contact by the gloves of his knight's armor.
"Malty," he growled, resting his forehead against hers.
"My Naofumi." She was smiling brightly, looking relieved. "Everyone before you, they didn't mean anything. And I've not been with anyone but you since our first night together, I swear. I've not even thought about it. You're the only one I want. The only one I need. The only one who can give me what I want."
"I know." He kissed her again. His future wife.
She squeezed his hands tightly, sighing contentedly.
"I don't think any less of you, Malty. There's nothing wrong with enjoying sex with various people when you're single. As long as it's safe and clean...?"
"Of course." She sniffed. "I'm not some filthy, diseased commoner too poor for some proper protective magic."
"Good." The thought of anyone else inside of her made him sick, especially the thought of anyone unclean, but it was idiotic and unfair to be jealous of some past lovers that had been nothing more than some fun and probably a means of escapism after losing her rightful position.
"And you?" she asked. "Was there anyone else for you?"
"No. You were my first. And as far as I'm concerned, you'll be the only one."
"Yes! You're mine, forever." Smiling so widely it seemed to split her face, she leaned forward in his grip and closed her eyes.
"Yes." Naofumi kissed her. He released the hold on her hands, and Malty immediately burrowed them inside his hair, caressing and pulling. Pressing her into the wall, he was resting one hand on her hips, the other grasping her thigh where it wasn't covered by armor. She lifted that leg, hooking it around him, and he held it there, grinding his hips against her.
They were both breathing heavily, gasping and moaning as they made out with an intensity that rivaled their lovemaking on their first night together. They nipped and bit lightly, knowing that they couldn't hurt the other and that they both seemed to love it. He wanted, needed, to fuck her so badly. More roughly, like their first time.
There was the sound of someone pointedly clearing their throat. A pang of panic shooting through him, Naofumi separated, whirled around, and positioned himself protectively in front of Malty.
Standing next to them was no other than Erhard, muscular arms crossed, leaning against the wooden construct they'd been hiding behind. He shook his head, grinning faintly. "So it's true. I mean, I had my suspicions, but I'd have never actually thought..."
"Never thought what?" Malty asked sweetly, the first to recover. She surrounded Naofumi's torso from behind with her arms, resting her chin onto one of his shoulders. Her level-headedness helped reign in Naofumi's embarrassment, and he relaxed somewhat, focusing on the pride he felt because of Malty's possessive gesture.
Erhard cleared his throat. "Well... that you're actually the Princess...and everything else surrounding it." He chuckled. "Good thing I didn't actually punch you back then, isn't it, kiddo?"
Naofumi smirked. "Took you long enough to figure it out, old man."
Erhard grunted. "So, what's up with that armor? I doubt they let you become a knight, kiddo. Took a souvenir from your visit to the castle, didn't you?" He grinned.
"You could say that." Naofumi chuckled. "I trust that you won't tell anyone about us."
"My lips are sealed. Just keep me out of whatever it is you're playing."
"Sure."
"I should go before anyone goes searching for me," Malty said. "Could you give us a moment so that I can say goodbye to my fiancé?
"Fiancé?" Erhard gasped. His expression briefly shifted into the most joyful one Naofumi had ever seen on the guy's scarred face, before he schooled his features again, awkwardly clearing his throat. "Y-yeah, sorry for intruding, by the way. You looked like you were quite b-busy back then." He chuckled, then hurriedly retreated back into the shop.
Naofumi snorted, never having seen the man lose his cool before. He turned around in Malty's embrace and put their foreheads together, hugging her.
"I'm going now. No excuses anymore," she said.
"Hmm... I don't want you to go."
"I know. But I really should."
"No," Naofumi said. "No, you shouldn't. We should just announce our engagement and never separate again. But I know we can't..."
"It's not fair."
"Life rarely is."
Malty sighed sadly.
"Maybe we should elope? We'll claim that I kidnapped you. Then the Church will come and try to rescue the poor Princess from the clutches of the Shield Devil. We'll destroy them, and then no one can say anything when we marry." He chuckled.
Malty giggled and pressed a brief kiss onto his lips. "A lovely thought, though a little naive. And Papa would oppose our marriage, of course."
"Even when he knows the truth?"
"He hates you. Well, he hates the Shield Hero."
"Why?"
"That's a story for another day... I really should go now."
"Yes."
Neither removed their hold on the other.
They both laughed.
"Okay, one last kiss, and then I'll go. Deal, my Naofumi?"
"Deal."
They kissed...for some time. Eventually, they separated, and true to her word, Malty stepped out of his embrace and left, neither saying anything. She shot him a last glance across her shoulder, then exited the small alley.
Naofumi sighed wistfully, staring after her for a few seconds, then grabbed the rucksack and his helmet and went inside the shop.
"Mr. Naofumi!"
Before Naofumi could react, Raphtalia had already tackled him, nearly throwing him off-balance as she hugged him as if her life depended on it. Which, granted, it kind of did.
"Raphtalia... hey..."
"Mr. Naofumi! I was so worried!" she cried, head burrowed in the crook of his neck.
Standing in the open in the Slave Trader's tent, Naofumi felt a little helpless with the situation. At least Beloukas wasn't around. Kuro, in his Filolial form, sat on the floor a little further away, apparently not overly concerned about Naofumi's lateness.
"Shhh." Naofumi lowered the hood of Raphtalia's armor and caressed her Demi-human ears. "I'm sorry I worried you, Raphtalia. I told you no one is going to get the better out of me."
She nodded against him.
"I should have said that there was a possibility that I would only come back the next day." In hindsight, it was rather obvious, really. What other reason would Malty have to invite him to her rooms if not to spend the night together? "Forgive me?" He gently removed her from his person.
Raphtalia stared up at him with big, tear-filled red eyes. "There's nothing to forgive, Mr. Naofumi!" She looked down at his person. "Are you hurt? Injured? Do you need anything?"
Naofumi smiled fondly. "I'm fine, Raphtalia." He hugged her again. She was still such a child sometimes.
She relaxed against him. "You smell nice," she mumbled.
He had to chuckle at the sudden, odd comment. "Thanks." He was wearing his normal armor and Raphtalia's old cloak again. How did he smell? Probably a mix of the fresh scent he'd acquired after visiting some shops in preparation for his nightly visit yesterday...and Malty. Images of Malty's naked body pressed against his armor flashed through his head. And his armor had rested some time in that chest in her bedroom, hadn't it? Yes, he probably smelled a little like her. And Malty always smelled wonderful; he couldn't get enough of it.
"Raphtalia," he said, "I got something for you."
"Hmmm?"
He broke the hug and reached into his cloak, presenting her with her gift. "It's a parrying dagger. Magic Steel like your sword."
Raphtalia gasped and looked up shily and with barely concealed excitement.
"Go on, take it."
With shaky fingers, she grasped the dagger and unsheathed it, staring at it in awe. It had a beautiful design, and its crossguard was curved in the direction of the blade so that it could be used to maneuver other people's weapons. It reminded Naofumi of a three-armed candlestick with a candle only sticking in the middle arm.
"It's beautiful," Raphtalia whispered.
"It's yours. Come here, let me help you fasten it to your belt." Before she had a chance to protest, Naofumi took the scabbard out of her hands and did as promised, fastening it on the back of her hip so that the opening pointed to the left. "Go on, sheathe it."
Raphtalia did as told, keeping her left hand on the handle. She put her right hand on the handle of her sword, which was secured on the left side of her hips. When Naofumi took a step back and nodded for her to continue, she drew both weapons, smiling happily.
She looked so joyful—like a child who'd just gotten an early Christmas present. "Thank you, Mr. Naofumi! I..."
Naofumi ruffled her hair, and Raphtalia giggled happily. Perhaps she wasn't too old for head pats, after all...
"Alright," he said, "Let's buy Kuro those claws, and then we'll leave this city again."
When Malty reentered the castle grounds, she still felt like there were a bunch of butterflies going crazy in her stomach. She was unable—and didn't care—to hide the bright smile on her face, though she refrained from putting a skip into her step, despite feeling like it. She'd not felt so good since she was a little girl and could still be excited by the simple things in life. She didn't care if anyone noticed her happiness. She deserved to be happy, and no one could possibly know the real reason for it, after all.
Malty was a little surprised by it, though. Shouldn't she feel sad now that she and her Naofumi were separated again? Well, she found that she was only excited to meet him again, secure in the knowledge that he was hers and that he would come back to her side. She shuddered as she thought back to how he'd pressed her into the wall. How demanding he'd been. Befitting of his future status as her King.
"Malty!" It was Rino who first spotted her, turning away from the little circle she was forming with the other two girls, standing in the tall entrance hall of the castle.
"Hey, girls!" Malty greeted cheerfully. When she neared them, she spread her arms.
Lesty and Rino were fast to pick up on it and readily joined her in a little group hug.
Even Elena hugged them briefly, though with decorum and looking like she was only putting up to it. "Well, someone's in a good mood."
Rino shot the girl a little glare. "She is, isn't she? Practically glowing," she said with a sense of awe in her voice.
Well, Elena wasn't wrong. And Malty was a little surprised by herself as well. She wasn't usually so affectionate with them, as it was beneath her status, but now, she just felt like it. And why shouldn't she just do whatever she felt like? The girls certainly seemed to like it.
"Of course, she's in a good mood," Lesty said. "After yesterday."
"Hmm-hm."
A pang of panic shot through her. Did they know? How?
Elena looked at Malty pointedly. "You still haven't told us what exactly happened back at the Hourglass. You know, when—"
Lesty gave Elena a little punch in the shoulder. "Don't be inconsiderate. She'll tell us when she wants and not earlier."
The Hourglass? Oh. She sagged in relief. They meant when she and Naofumi had been inside the Shield Prison. She'd kind of forgotten about that. Did Elena suspect anything? The girl hadn't given any indications about that yesterday.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Malty said. "Where's Motoyasu?"
Rino pointed, and they turned in that direction, collectively grimacing. The Spear Idiot, a little further down the hall, was chatting with some poor servant girl, who looked entirely uncomfortable with the attention. But of course, the idiot was oblivious to it. Some things never changed...
"Oh well, let's go then."
"Yes, Malty."
Naofumi poured some weed killer on the BioPlant and watched with a self-satisfied smirk as the mutant plants screeched, withered, and died. Rapidly. They didn't get up again this time, turned to dead biomass in a matter of seconds.
So his Medicine Shield had enhanced that, hadn't it? How neat. He'd already suspected it to work this way—he'd cured some of the inhabitants of Lerno village who had been infested by the mutant plants, after all—but this was still a huge success. When treating those villagers, he had done so with the intention to heal them. But just now, he'd used the weed killer to kill. So it wasn't about intent, which was good.
It was simply the fact that medicine and poison went hand in hand. A high dose of medicine could work as poison, and vice versa. It was just a matter of dosage and application, but in the end, both things didn't differ all that much except in what you called it. The Medicine Shield clearly agreed with that logic. So he'd gotten a Shield that enhanced poison, after all, huh?
"Why are you smiling like that, Mr. Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked from next to him.
He turned toward her, seeing her smile as well beneath her cowl. "I just realized something."
"Yes? And... and what did you realize?" She still held her weapons in her hands, idly moving them about, head lowered.
"Just something related to the Shield."
"Oh..."
"I wouldn't want to bore you with the details. Let's get moving."
After absorbing the plants in his Shield, Naofumi sent Raphtalia and Kuro to help the locals wherever they could and went back to the village, resuming to cure the ill.
As he sat there, watching the recovering people lie in their cots in the improvised sickbay that was really just a large tent made out of white cloth, he couldn't help but feel good. He'd saved them—his future people. Yes, this little unplanned detour would cost him valuable time that could have been spent leveling, but not everything was about levels. He'd not hidden his identity upon entering the village, and while some had been apprehensive about the Shield Hero, they now looked at him in awe.
Perhaps this was a way for him to win? The nobility and knights seemed all set in their ways of condemning the Shield Hero, but the common folk living outside the capital was more open in regards to him. They didn't need to rely on the Church for their class upgrades, after all, so the Church's grasp and power was more limited here. And if he kept going like this—making a good reputation for himself in the eyes of the common people—it could eventually lead to something worthwhile.
As far as Naofumi was concerned, there were three ways to power: The common people; the nobility and, by extension, the Church; and the crown. The nobility was out of the question for obvious reasons. The crown—marrying Malty—was opposed by her father, so there was nothing he could really do about it at the moment. But he could do something about the common people. At the end of the day, they held the most power as a collective unit. Not that he wanted to cause a revolution or anything, but it never hurt to be popular with the people you wanted to rule over. And if he kept helping people, eventually even the King had to realize that he wasn't the Devil, right? Perhaps a little naive, but certainly not an impossibility.
Naofumi sighed. He still knew so little. He really should have pressed Malty to tell him why her father disliked the Shield Hero. He doubted it was just the typical prejudice. There had to be more, and he needed to know if he wanted to find a way around it.
And lastly, there was the Queen. Malty's mother. His biggest enemy? Or his biggest ally? She was a big unknown. When would she return? What would she do upon her return? Would she oppose their marriage or encourage it?
Naofumi was a little apprehensive about his future mother-in-law, but he also didn't want to condemn her simply because of some bad blood between her and Malty before actually meeting her. He was sure a solution that didn't result in bloodshed like in his dream could be achieved. He shivered, thinking back to the disturbing scene.
Anyway, his number one priority was to marry Malty. Whether she was Crown Princess or not didn't really matter. She was royalty, and by marrying her, he would already solidify his position greatly. He could always help her overthrow the Queen later on.
And in the end, he wanted to marry her. Just because he wanted to. The thought of Malty in a wedding gown brought a smile to his face and made his heart race.
Naofumi hurriedly poured some weed killer over the modified BioPlant, watching it wither away.
It was the next day, he'd mastered all the Shields he'd unlocked from the mutant plants, and was currently outside Lerno village, experimenting.
He briefly looked around to confirm that no one was watching, satisfied when he only saw trees and peaceful vegetation around him, then crouched and picked up the modified seeds the plant had left behind, storing all but one away in his pockets.
The fruits of the plant he'd just killed were already fully developed and had survived the sudden killing. And he'd only planted the thing a few minutes ago! Insanity!
He let himself drop to the ground and held the modified BioPlant seed with shaky fingers, staring at it in awe. Such a small thing... and yet so powerful. After some modifications with his new Shields, he'd eliminated the trait that let it grow into monsters. Now, it simply grew at a rapid pace and produced masses of edible fruit.
Naofumi shuddered at the thought of what he could do with such a Miracle Seed. Could he use this to maneuver himself in a position of power? The means to produce food so rapidly without much of a drawback was...invaluable. People would kill to have such a power. Kings would wage wars to obtain it.
Granted, it wasn't a means of endless food—because the plants still needed earth to grow, and the earth would eventually become barren—but it was still invaluable, as it removed valuable time and money that usually had to be spent to grow such masses of food, not to mention that it was practically independent on the environment or weather.
And what would it mean for the military? To have a means to practically grow food at the frontlines in a matter of minutes? To completely remove the need for supply lines?
A chill ran down Naofumi's spine.
He just sat there and kept staring at the seed.
"Mr. Naofumi?"
He started and grasped the seed in his fist, looking up at Raphtalia, who was peering down at him curiously. How long had he been sitting there?
"What are you doing, Mr. Naofumi?"
"Just... thinking."
"About something nice?"
Naofumi looked at his fist that held the Miracle Seed, then smiled up at Raphtalia, who, of course, returned the gesture. "Yes, something very nice."
"I'm glad. So... We're mostly finished with cleaning up in the village."
"Good. Well done."
Beaming, Raphtalia extended a hand toward him, and he readily grasped it, letting her help him up, which she did without a problem; she really was strong.
"Are we leaving now?" Raphtalia asked as they walked back to the village side by side.
"Yes. We've stayed here long enough." All the good that it had achieved aside, he'd barely gained any EXP. The plants hadn't given much, and when he'd planted and then killed the monsters they spawned, he hadn't gained anything at all.
"Okay. I'll tell Kuro."
She dashed off, and Naofumi made a last round in the village to check if everything was in order, which it was. All the mutant plant monsters were defeated and the seeds destroyed, and despite them being monsters, the fruit they'd produced had still been edible, solving the famine of the village for the moment. Apparently, Motoyasu was responsible for the whole debacle in the first place, but Naofumi couldn't discard the possibility that Malty had had a hand in it as well. He'd ask her after the Wave.
When he met up with Raphtalia and Kuro, a small crowd had started to gather around them. Apparently, the people wanted to see them off.
They looked quite miserable. Would they be fine if he just left? He patted the pocket where he'd put the modified Miracle Seeds. Could he give some to them to ensure that the famine didn't return? It would certainly help his reputation. Tempting...
But no, the Miracle Seed was too powerful to give up like that. Once its power became public knowledge, it would only be a matter of time before it would be spread and got used all over the country, and eventually, the world, he suspected. To have it fall in any potential enemy's hands would be foolish.
"Mr. Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked, already seated on Kuro's back, head obscured by her cowl. There was no need for her to cover her head—her tail was visible, not to mention that all the villagers knew their identities—but apparently, she just liked it, and Naofumi had no problem with it.
"One moment, Raphtalia."
Well, perhaps a compromise was in order. After all, the villagers didn't need a plant that would fully grow in a matter of minutes. Weeks would suffice. And it would allow him to hold onto the true Miracle Seed. Naofumi took out some of the fixed Miracle Seeds and once again applied some modifications to them, greatly slowing their growth rate.
He approached the leader of the village. "Here," Naofumi said, offering the seeds, which the man accepted with a frown, looking apprehensive.
"What do you want us to do with it, Shield Hero? Can't you just destroy all of those cursed Miracle Seeds?"
"Those aren't Miracle Seeds," Naofumi declared. "I've done as you suggested and destroyed them. But this... this is my own creation. Completely safe, I guarantee. I'll call it the Shield Seed. It'll probably take a few weeks for it to fully grow, but it should help you out in the future."
The people still looked apprehensive. Understandably, after what happened the last time they'd trusted a Hero.
"Don't you trust me?" Naofumi took one of the seeds out of the man's hands and planted it into a patch of fertile ground nearby. Nothing happened. Not for a few minutes. Eventually, the earth moved faintly, and after some more time, the beginnings of a seedling came into view. "See? Nothing to worry about."
There were murmurs of agreement in the crowd, and after a woman pointed out that they could deal with any potential monsters at this growth rate themselves, the last voices of doubt began to dwindle.
"Thank you, Shield Hero," the village leader said. He'd handed the Shield Seeds away to someone else and was now holding a small money pouch. "We can't ever thank you enough for what you did for us. Please accept this as our collective thanks. It's not much, but—"
Naofumi held up his hands. "I don't want your money. Keep it."
Despite his earlier words, the man seemed to sag in relief. "Well, if you're not interested in money, one of our merchants would be willing to part with his carriage...? Your Filolial looks like it'd appreciate it."
A carriage? Naofumi frowned. Kuro did have a strange look in his eyes and had seemed to perk up at the word "carriage"... But even if Filolials had some compulsion to draw carriages, it didn't change the fact that he had no need for one. It would only constrain them to roads and slow them down without offering any benefit except more room to transport stuff in, which he didn't need.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Naofumi eyed Kuro, waiting for the Filolial to object.
He didn't.
"You don't owe me anything," Naofumi announced. "I'm the Shield Hero, and it was my honor to help you. If you want to show your appreciation, make sure to put my Shield Seeds to good use, and once they bear fruit, share them with others so that no one in Melromarc needs to hunger." He smiled, watching the peoples' ecstatic expression. Some even applauded.
Chuckling faintly, Naofumi finally joined Raphtalia on Kuro's back, and after giving the command to leave, they made their—admittedly rather—dramatic exit. Well, this had certainly turned out well.
The time they'd lost would mean that Raphtalia would definitely not reach her Class Upgrade before the Wave, but Naofumi wasn't worried. After what Malty had admitted in regards to Motoyasu's level, he felt like the Wave would be no problem, Class Upgrade or not. And even if he managed to get Raphtalia to level 40 before then, he'd need to rely on the other Heroes to get her that Class Upgrade. And if they weren't around then, all the effort would be for nothing. Better to not gamble on it and instead focus on bolstering his reputation for a change. He was sure Malty would appreciate it.
The climb up the mountain was done in no time. Despite carrying two people, Kuro had no trouble maneuvering them upward even on the most steep and rocky inclines.
The closer they came, the more the air was filled with the smell of rot, inescapable despite the wind. Naofumi wasn't really bothered by it, having a high enough poison resistance and equipping one of the Poison Shields he'd unlocked from the monsters around here, but Raphtalia was coughing from time to time. She had her hair bound in a bun that bobbed along with Kuro's jumps, and there was a cloth secured in front of her mouth and nose, though it didn't appear to help much. He was a little worried but secure in the knowledge that he could treat whatever happened to her. If it weren't for the case that he needed her to effectively hack the dragon corpse into pieces, he would have left her back in the village, for Kuro, with his new weapons, had no problem dealing with any monster they encountered, not really bothered by the poisonous air either.
They fully crested the mountain and soon reached the spot where Ren had apparently slain the dragon that was causing all of this. This dragon truly earned itself the name, being quite gigantic and having wings, even if the majority of them were missing, along with its claws, horns, teeth, and many other bones. Still, there was enough left that Naofumi was confident he would unlock a few new Shields.
"Let's go to work," he said, dismounting Kuro and approaching the rotting corpse.
Raphtalia drew her sword and followed along, waiting for his instructions.
Suddenly, the gigantic corpse twitched.
"Back," Naofumi commanded. He grabbed Raphtalia's hand, and they both retook their spots on Kuro's back. The Filolial promptly brought them a safe distance away. They watched as the dragon corpse kept moving, bones and patches of skin rebuilding out of thin air. After a few more seconds, the dragon looked somewhat complete again, only missing bits and pieces and clearly having an undead look. It roared, purple gas wafting from its maw.
Naofumi sighed. How annoying. Couldn't the thing just stay dead? He had a feeling that it wouldn't even give any EXP. His HUD didn't tell him the level of the Zombie Dragon. Probably even higher than before it'd died.
"Mr. Naofumi? Do we attack?" Raphtalia asked with urgency in her voice, the sound a little muffled by the cloth in front of her mouth and nose.
"No."
"But we have to kill it! Otherwise, it'll attack the village!"
Perhaps. Perhaps not. It wasn't really his problem. Anyone could have come by and triggered the Zombie Dragon to reanimate. In the end, it was Ren's fault for leaving it like that, though Naofumi didn't really blame the Sword Hero who saw this all as a game. Of course, Ren wouldn't have considered the consequences of a rotten corpse, and Naofumi was also guilty of leaving behind corpses in the past, not wasting any time to clean them up. But there had been other people who had scavenged from the corpse as well. They ought to have known better. Why did they leave behind anything at all? Shouldn't every single part of a freaking dragon be valuable?
If Naofumi just left, no one could blame him for it. Especially if no one was left to tell the tale. He sure as hell wasn't going to risk his party's lives to clean up other peoples' messes because of some idiotic sense of obligation or duty. Then again, the prestige it would bring him by stopping the Zombie Dragon would certainly be desirable, not to mention the Shields he would unlock...
"Mr. Naofumi!"
"Not yet. I want to observe it first." Naofumi felt her relax against him, her tail losing some of its anxious rigidity, her stiff posture lessening.
Though it looked angry, the Zombie Dragon didn't make any moves toward them, seemingly content on the spot where it'd been slain. Could it even move, let alone fly? Would it return to its dead state if he simply left?
"Mr. Naofumi! Kuro! We have to do something!"
"Kuro?" Naofumi asked, and the Filolial twisted his head, a blazing crimson eye focusing on him. "Can you control yourself?"
Kuro nodded, refocusing on the Zombie Dragon. "Yes. I... I want to kill it. But I'll manage."
Naofumi grunted. "Alright. We'll attack. Carefully. If it's too strong, we'll retreat."
"Okay, Mr. Naofumi."
"Let's go, Kuro!"
The Filolial started moving, slowly breaking into a sprint.
The Zombie Dragon roared again as they approached, trying to hit them with slightly uncoordinated movements. Kuro dodged to the side, evading easily, then jumped and walked up the dragon's arm.
Raphtalia jumped off Kuro's back, both hands on her sword, cloak billowing behind her. The dragon roared and thrashed as she sunk her sword into his long neck, then slid downward, leaving a long gash in her wake, purple blood spewing out of it.
Kuro pushed himself to the side, meeting the dragon's left wing, which had made to strike at Raphtalia. His Magic Steel-covered claws cut through bones, sinew, and flesh with ease, leaving half the wing hanging limp—like a broken tree.
"Air Strike Shield," Naofumi yelled, looking back at Raphtalia from Kuro's back. The skill formed where he'd intended, blocking the other wing from hitting her.
She had retracted her sword from the dragon's neck, and Naofumi, to his chagrin, had to observe how the wound she'd caused was almost completely healed again. The dragon tried to hit her with its head, but she dodged, rolling to the side—onto the dragon's back. She righted herself and thrust her sword into the dragon, the blade completely vanishing...doing seemingly no damage.
"Kuro, go for the head!"
Releasing an eager grunt, the Filolial did as told, pushing himself into the air again.
The Zombie Dragon's head sped toward them, a cloud of purple gas encompassing it. Naofumi closed his eyes and held his breath, grasping tightly onto Kuro's feathers, listening to the satisfying sound of Kuro's claws shattering bones. When he had the feeling of landing again, Naofumi opened his eyes.
They were positioned on the ground in front of the dragon, which had gone limp, the shattered head hanging off the long neck in an angle that made Naofumi cringe.
Raphtalia, standing on the dragon's back, saluted them with her sword, and he was sure she was smiling.
"Well, that wasn't so—"
The dragon's massive body twitched; the head was forming again. Raphtalia stumbled, taken by surprise.
"Kuro!"
"Yes!" The Filolial dashed forward, then jumped.
"Raphtalia, get back here!"
The dragon struck at them with its functioning wing, blocking their path to Raphtalia. Kuro's claws tore through the attack with ease, but it let them suspended in the air. Kuro flapped his wings, but it did little.
Rope Shield. Naofumi shot the rope at Raphtalia, and it hit, surrounding her waist. "Air Strike Shield!" The skill, just off cooldown, formed below Kuro at an upward angle. "Jump back!"
Kuro obeyed, pushing himself off the green shield with his powerful legs. Raphtalia yelped as the rope went taut and she got yanked into the air, holding onto her sword with one hand, flailing about. Naofumi tugged at the rope, pulling her out of the way of the dragon's snapping jaws, then let it vanish with a mental command.
Kuro landed and immediately jumped into the air again. With a grunt, Naofumi caught Raphtalia in his arms, and they somehow managed to seat themselves onto Kuro's back, not losing their footing, though Raphtalia had to let go of her sword to find purchase. All while they were still soaring through the air, nearing the ground now.
The dragon roared, and a stream of purple gas sped toward them.
"Shield Prison." The skill formed around the three of them, but still, a little poisonous gas was seeping in through the gaps. Kuro did his best to get rid of it with his wings.
Raphtalia was coughing. She took off the cloth in front of her face to gasp for breath, though it didn't help much.
"Get down, please," Kuro said, his voice a rare show of barely suppressed emotions. Was it anger? His crimson eyes seemed ablaze in the dim light, glowing.
"Kuro?" Naofumi took Raphtalia into his arms and jumped off the Filolial's back, landing on the bottom of the Shield Prison with a little clang.
"I'm going to kill this thing," Kuro said. "Stay back, sister."
The Shield Prison timed out, and they fell the remaining distance to the ground. It wasn't a long fall, and Naofumi had no problem landing on his feet, even while holding Raphtalia.
The moment Kuro's talons touched the ground, he dashed off toward the dragon.
"I... I' fine," Raphtalia said, only faintly coughing. "I can stand."
Naofumi let her down, steadying her.
"Kuro!" She jolted, trying to move, but Naofumi grabbed her arm, holding her back.
"It's fine. He said to stay back."
"But..."
They were a good distance away from the dragon, and Kuro was charging at it, full speed. Naofumi could do nothing but watch, all effective skills on cooldown. A fact Kuro was very well aware of. And yet, he'd chosen to attack... Why? Naofumi doubted it was just his hatred toward dragons. He seemed in control of his actions.
Kuro was kind of right in his decision to go alone against the dragon; Naofumi and Raphtalia would only slow him down. And he was certainly the most effective against such a gigantic monster. That had to be the plan, right?
Kuro dodged the dragon's attacks with ease, then jumped. Did he plan to completely destroy the head this time? To prevent it from regenerating? The dragon opened its massive jaws, roaring, purple gas wafting. Kuro didn't kick. He just kept going, flying straight into the dragon's maw. It snapped its jaws shut, and Kuro was gone. The dragon swallowed thickly.
Naofumi blinked. "W-what?" On instinct, his eyes flickered toward his HUD; Kuro's HP was at nearly 100%, blinking slowly to indicate that he was taking damage.
"Kuro!" Raphtalia violently burst out of his grip, stumbling forward. "KURO! NOOO!"
"Raphtalia!"
She ignored him, breaking into a sprint toward the dragon, being slowed down when she had to cough, screaming Kuro's name with agony in her breaking voice.
Naofumi chased after her. Kuro's HP was still very high, ticking down faintly—now at about 97%. "Raphtalia! He's fine! RAPHTALIA!"
She didn't hear him. And she was a lot quicker than him; he was losing her.
Naofumi shot another rope at her. It hit, and they both lurched, though it didn't stop her. She looked back at the rope in confusion, and in the blink of an eye, she'd drawn her parrying dagger, sliced the rope through, and sheathed the weapon. Then she was sprinting again. She reached the spot where her sword had fallen—buried with the tip in the ground—and ripped it out, continuing.
Naofumi cursed and switched back to a stronger Shield, chasing after her. He opened the menu to enable punishment upon disobedience, but hesitated. She was about to enter the dragon's range. All it would do is result in her doubling over in pain, giving the dragon an easy target. He cursed again, his legs burning from exertion as he sprinted after her with everything he got.
Kuro's HP was nearing 90% now.
The Zombie Dragon roared. It was a different kind of sound. Was it pain? Anger? Was Kuro attacking him from within? Was that his plan?
Naofumi tried to convey those thoughts to Raphtalia, screaming at the top of his lungs, but she'd apparently gone deaf, lost in shock and grief...and rage.
She dodged to the side when the dragon tried to crush her beneath its claws, then she let herself fall, sliding below a strike of the dragon's wings before effortlessly transitioning into a sprint again.
With a scream that sent chills down his spine, Raphtalia, grasping her sword with both hands, thrust it inside the dragon's side, slicing long gashes into it. She ripped her sword out and repeated the process, blood spewing from the gruesome wounds she left behind, though they immediately began to regenerate. Naofumi summoned an Air Strike Shield to prevent the dragon from crushing her with his arms, then screamed at her in warning.
She didn't hear it, and the dragon's tail impacted her, throwing her off her feet. She lost the grip of her sword—which got flung away—and crashed onto the rocky ground. Coughing, she pushed herself up and immediately attacked again, drawing her parrying dagger. Naofumi reached her side and blocked the tail from hitting her, grunting as the gigantic appendage crashed against his Shield. He gritted his teeth, arms and legs aching from the stress. It was a wonder Raphtalia was still standing after such an attack—thanks to her armor, no doubt.
"Raphtalia! Snap out of it! Kuro is alive!" He was at 83% HP, to be precise. "Raphta—" Naofumi whirled around to prevent the dragon's claw from crushing them.
She didn't look at him, hacking away at the dragon. "KURO!" Parrying dagger in one hand, she used the other one to reach inside the wounds she'd caused, ripping free flesh and bones, preventing it from regenerating.
Naofumi grimaced, could practically feel how the rot was attacking her back despite her wearing gloves, how her screams of Kuro's name were pain-filled. A cloud of purple gas washed over them, and he could do nothing against it, Shield Prison not ready yet. He coughed, the gas biting his eyes, tears clouding his vision as he desperately resisted the urge to close them.
Raphtalia was worse off, having let go of her weapon and in the process of seemingly blindly trying to rip the dragon apart with her hands. Unsuccessfully. Her movements became more sluggish, and after a few more seconds, her feet gave out under her, and she collapsed.
"Raphtalia!" Naofumi caught her in his arms, shielding her as best as he could with his body. Damn it! What could he do?! If he carried her, they would make such an easy target, easily crushed. But he couldn't just leave her behind like this! He raised his arm to block the strike of the tail he knew would come next.
But it didn't come.
There was a loud crash, shaking the ground. Then it was silent, the dragon lifeless, its appendages limp like when they'd found it.
Naofumi stood, holding Raphtalia in his arms, looking around. Kuro's HP was around 70%. The dragon corpse started to rapidly decay—skin falling off the bones, flesh rotting away, bones breaking or simply vanishing—and resumed the state it previously had before the resurrection. The wound on its side—where Ren had presumably killed it—opened up again. There was a loud cracking sound, and Naofumi briefly caught sight of something pointy poking out of it.
Then a small, bloodstained human hand reached through the hole, shortly followed by an arm, then a second one, then a shock of long black hair smudged with purple blood and intestines. Kuro fully slipped outside and fell to the ground, then immediately transformed into his Filolial form, his black plumage dirtied all over. He stretched, shook himself, and flapped his wings, creating powerful winds that blew away the remaining gas. Then he seemed to sag in on himself, breathing heavily. "Ugh, that was harder than I'd anticipated," he mumbled to himself. "Nearly ran out of air."
"Kuro?" Raphtalia croaked, then broke into a coughing fit.
"Raphtalia?!" Kuro turned toward them, eyes widening.
Naofumi set her onto the ground, gently thumping her on the back, desperate to do something to help her. He brushed a few sticky strands of hair out of her face, then used his cloak to clear tears, blood, and dirt off her skin, though probably making even more of a mess than actually helping. "Raphtalia. Kuro... Kuro's fine." His voice came out choked, his throat dry from all the gas he'd inhaled. His eyes stung; he wiped them with his sleeve. Damn poison. At least Raphtalia's HP was well over 50%. She'd survive. She had to. "And you're going to be fine too."
"What are you doing here?" Kuro demanded. "I told you to stay back!"
"I'm...sorry," Raphtalia whispered, tears flowing out of her closed eyes. "I couldn't—"
"You should have stayed back! Idiot..." Kuro turned away and angrily kicked the dragon corpse. "My claws... Where are my claws... Must have lost them when I transformed in the mouth." He dashed off.
Naofumi ignored him and focused on Raphtalia, lowering her so that her head was lying in his lap. Thankfully, the air was almost bearable now that the Dragon Zombie had been seemingly defeated for good. He wondered how Kuro had managed that but decided that Raphtalia took priority for now. He got out some medicine, basic healing potions, and antidote. "Here. Drink, Raphtalia. Medicine."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Naofumi," she said while he treated her. "I should have listened... to Kuro and to you... I know you've called me back. But I... I couldn't." She sniveled. "I couldn't let anyone else die for me. Not...again."
Done feeding her the potions, Naofumi gently removed her gloves and pushed her leather armor up her arms, revealing angry purple marks—as if she'd been burned—on her wrists where she'd come in contact with the rot. He applied whatever he thought could prove helpful to her skin, but it did little.
She grimaced, for once, not coughing. "I'm sorry for being so weak... If I could just be stronger..."
"You're not weak."
"But why can't I save anyone, then? Why am I always the one getting saved?!" she cried, voice hoarse and choked. "How can I be a hero if I'm too weak? How can I ever hope of rescuing my friends if I can't even save anyone else? If I can't even save you and Kuro?" She swallowed. "How can I make my parents proud if I can't change anything? How can I keep smiling when it feels like a betrayal? When it feels like I'm dying a little more inside each day, yet am powerless to stop it? To do anything? How?!"
Naofumi lifted her into his arms, burying her head in his chest. "Sshhhh..." He caressed her head, holding her close. "It's alright. It's not your fault. And you are not weak. Okay?" Was that how Raphtalia really felt? Was she hiding this side of her because she thought that he wouldn't like it? That he would get rid of her if he knew? Condemning her back to being enslaved by bastard nobles, unable to help her friends? Or was it deeper? Some psychological reasons Naofumi had no hope of truly understanding?
She reluctantly nodded against him.
"Heroes, villains, whatever you call it. They're just titles assigned to people. They're meaningless. The only thing that matters is that you fight for what you believe in, for what you want, and that you never give up. You're being too hard on yourself." He caressed her Demi-human ears. "I'm sure your parents are very proud of you. Look at you, how far you've come, how much you've grown. How strong you've become. Perhaps you haven't personally saved many people yet, but that doesn't mean that you've failed. We've saved those people at Lerno village. Perhaps it was mostly my work, but I couldn't have done so without you. The Wave is tomorrow, and then we'll save those people—wherever it may be—as well. And after the Wave, we'll rescue your friends."
"R-really?" She tried to look at him, but Naofumi held her in place, caressing her.
"Yes, I promise. You're not alone in this. You don't have to bear your burdens alone. And you don't have to smile if you don't want to. I'm sorry if that's my fault."
"Not... not your fault," she mumbled and relaxed into him, her breathing normalizing.
"I haven't told you this before, but I've made some inquiries about the man that used to own you and your friends—probably still owns some of them. It'll take us a while to get there and it won't be easy—which is why I decided that we can't do it before the next Wave—but I'm planning to head there soon. And then we'll make him pay for what he did to you and your friends."
She nodded. "Good."
Good answer. Naofumi held her close and caressed her for some more minutes before deciding that they ought to leave. He wanted to bring her back to the nearby village as fast as possible, to have someone have a look at her. He helped Raphtalia up, then looked around for Kuro.
The Filolial sat a little distance away with his back toward them.
"Kuro! Come here," Naofumi called. When he tried to help Raphtalia onto Kuro's back, she halted him.
"What about the dragon corpse?" she asked. "We have to take care of that."
"I don't care. First, we'll make sure that you're fine. We've wasted enough time already."
"It's alright." Raphtalia regarded the purple marks on her wrists with a frown, then put on her gloves. "It looks worse than it is. Doesn't even hurt. I can wait a little more. But we have to clean this up now or more people will get sick. What if the dragon reanimates again when we just leave it? And I have to help you absorb it all in your Shield." She shot him a smile, then walked off to where her sword had dropped earlier. While she walked, she secured her long hair into a bun. It'd had grown quite rapidly along with her body, and Lucetta had made a good job of making sure it looked acceptable, teaching her how to handle it.
A little worried but respecting her wish, Naofumi watched her with a smile. His HUD told him that her HP was slowly starting to regenerate, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. A status effect in the shape of a small purple-black cloud showed next to her name, but it didn't offer any information about what it did.
They proceeded to make short work of the dragon corpse, Raphtalia having seemingly no trouble swinging around her sword. Kuro, having previously found his Magic Steel claws helped where he could, not saying anything. Naofumi unlocked a few Shields from the Zombie Dragon, all giving some solid stat boosts as Equip Bonuses, the Zombie Dragon Shield having the best Defense rating of all of his Shields as of yet. Neat.
Spread throughout the corpse were shards of what appeared to be some kind of gemstone. They were purple and glowed faintly. Was that what had allowed the dragon to reanimate? And had Kuro destroyed it, resulting in the Zombie Dragon's ultimate demise?
"I don't know, Mr. Naofumi. I just attack whatever I could."
"How did you know that this would work, anyway?"
Kuro shrugged. "I just did. Instinct, I guess."
How had Ren not noticed this? Probably because it didn't exist in his version of the game he'd played. His loss. Naofumi absorbed all the shards, and when the last one vanished inside the Shield, he got an unlock message and a sudden boost of EXP. "Huh." It seemed he wasn't high enough for whatever he'd unlocked, but the EXP boost had been massive, raising him two levels. He grinned.
He was now level 32, Raphtalia and Kuro both 37.
It was dark when they were finally done with dealing with the corpse. The descent down the mountain and return to the village was done in silence and without trouble. There was still light visible in some windows of the building he'd talked with the locals and helped cure some of their ill.
Naofumi and Raphtalia entered the building; Kuro stayed outside. The elderly man they'd spoken to before and one of the nuns greeted them. They seemed shocked upon seeing the purple marks on Raphtalia's skin. Though after Naofumi explained that they'd taken care of the dragon problem, they were only too glad to help, procuring some Holy Water for him and explaining how that was used to cure curses, as that was apparently what Raphtalia was affected with.
"Thanks," Naofumi said, accepting the bottle of Holy Water. "I'll apply it myself. If you could provide me with some clean bandages and a room to stay in, please?"
"Of course, Shield Hero."
Finally alone, he helped Raphtalia out of her armor, got her onto the bed, then started treating her. She grimaced faintly when he covered the curse marks with Holy-Water-drenched bandages, but that was about it. He was sure anyone else would have been screaming in pain. But not Raphtalia. He offered her a proud smile, and she returned it without fail, albeit not as brightly as usual.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Naofumi."
"Hey, what have I told you? It's not your fault." He took her hands in his and stared intently into her red eyes. "Okay?"
Her smile briefly widened, then she lowered her head. "Okay..."
Naofumi gave her hands a squeeze, noticing just how calloused they were from the countless hours she spent each day swinging around her weapons. They felt so different than Malty's. Cooler, more petite, yet harder, but still pleasant to touch.
"Let's get some rest." He got himself ready for the night, then joined her in bed. He held her close, remembering her earlier words that day, and she didn't seem to mind at all.
"Raphtalia?" he said after a while of laying awake.
"Yes, Mr. Naofumi?"
"It's okay to feel guilty, but don't ever feel like you're betraying your friends and family for the little happiness that's left for you. There's no point in beating yourself up over it. The only thing you can do is to move forward...and to keep trying your best. Do you understand?"
"I... Yes, I think I do. I'll try my best."
He hummed. "Good night."
"Good night, Mr. Naofumi."
"This is troublesome," the man said as he inspected Raphtalia the next day. The curse hadn't been cured. In fact, it had spread, covering half of her forearms and reaching onto the back of her hands.
Naofumi waited patiently, though he was inwardly fuming, one step away from accusing them of having offered a faulty product—a poison perhaps—instead of actual Holy Water. This better not be the case; he'd make them regret if it was.
"Apologies, Shield Hero, but it seems the only Holy Water we have in stock isn't powerful enough to cure her. You'll have to visit the church in Castle Town. They'll know how what to do for sure."
A reasonable explanation. Naofumi forced himself to calm down, distracting himself by applying new bandages to Raphtalia's arms and hands. "What can you tell me about the curse?"
"Not much, I'm afraid. It's spreading, that's for sure. But to what effect, I cannot say, though I doubt it'll be pleasant if it reaches her head. I can only—"
"How long?" Naofumi demanded. "How long until it'll be uncurable?"
"Uhm... I really cannot say."
"How long?"
"Well, if I'd have to guess, I'd say about a week. That is taking into consideration that you always keep it covered as you did just now."
"Okay. Thank you for all your help."
"It's us who have to thank you," the man said, "for taking care of the dragon corpse. We can't ever—"
"Yes, yes. I know. You can't ever repay me..." Naofumi waved a hand dismissively, not caring if he sounded irritated. He had no mind today for fake words of honor or heroism. He just made it clear that the only payment he required was some more Holy Water and bandages, then he was out of there, breathing in deeply after finally being outside again.
The worst thing was that he couldn't even blame anyone. Not even himself. Sure, he could have ordered Kuro back and retreated, but Kuro was a smart boy and there had been no reason to doubt his capabilities. He could have held more firmly onto Raphtalia, but he doubted he stood a chance against her full strength. He could have activated the Slave Curse immediately, but he had no doubt in his mind that she would have simply endured the pain and charged in anyway. It'd have only made it worse.
They met up with Kuro, and Naofumi decided to not do any leveling today, making sure they were well-rested when the Wave hit. They waited, mostly in silence, eating something, lounging on a meadow some distance away from the village. The peaceful surroundings did little to quell his agitation. Kuro passed the time in the nearby forest or river, doing whatever a Filolial did, though he was probably sulking. Naofumi cleaned his armor, and Raphtalia did the same. Then she busied herself with sharpening and polishing her weapons repeatedly.
An hour before the Wave, Naofumi changed Raphtalia's bandages. The curse was now covering her palms as well as the back of her hands, and was just shy of reaching her elbows. When he was done, he gently squeezed her forearms. "Does it hurt?"
She shook her head, then admitted, "A little."
He drew her parrying dagger and put it into her bandaged hands. "And this?"
She grasped it tightly, her face briefly scrunching up in pain. "I'll manage."
"If it's too much, you don't have to fight." He grasped her hands in his, prying the dagger from her grip. "I'm sure Kuro—"
"I'll manage," she snapped, jerking her hands away, glaring. Then she dropped her dagger, staring in horror at him, eyes wide. "I... I'm sorry, Mr. Naofumi! I didn't mean—"
"Hey, it's alright. It's just the pain." He smiled reassuringly at her. "You don't have to apologize."
She stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then gave a shaky nod.
Naofumi picked up the dagger and placed it into her hands again, then just sat there in the grass, smiling gently at her, not saying anything.
"It hurts," Raphtalia said after a while, head lowered. She idly poked the ground with the dagger, barely giving away that she was in pain. "Like holding your hands into the flames and feeling how the flesh slowly gets eaten away by the fire...until it falls off. Like a pain that's so deep it makes your bones ache and you wish that your arms were just...gone. It's worse than when I was back there, when—" She took a shaky breath, blinking back tears. "Worse than when I was whipped. And it's even worse than afterward, when the blood was running down my back until it was slowly solidifying—burning, itching—while I was chained up by hands and feet, waiting for the healer."
"But it's nothing I can't handle!" she cried, looking up. She was clutching the dagger tightly, hands shaking, and there was a fierce scowl on her pain-filled face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "What is a little more pain? Nothing! It'll pass eventually. Not like..." She thumped her chest armor atop her heart with the pommel of the dagger. "Not like what I'm feeling in here!"
Naofumi had to fight back tears, overcome with sympathy and awe at her strength. He had to resist the urge to hug her, to protect her, not wanting to reaffirm her fear of being weak, of being a helpless child. But she wasn't a child anymore. Perhaps she never had been. Not after what she'd been through. Though now she had the body to match.
He repositioned himself so that he sat next to her, side by side, shoulders barely touching. He made no move to hug her. "It... It'll get better. Eventually..."
She stared off into the distance for some time, then leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know..."
Naofumi put his head against hers, trying to not squash her Demi-human ears.
"I know things will turn out alright. As long as..." She swallowed, then continued more quietly. "As long as I'm with you, Mr. Naofumi."
He couldn't help but smile. He heard Raphtalia move, then felt her bandaged fingers brush against his. He grasped her hand. "Does it hurt?"
"Yes," she said, tightening her hand around his.
"Don't worry, I already got a plan of how we'll get you healed. Mark my words: Tomorrow you'll be as good as new."
"You always have a plan," she said happily, and he heard her tail brushing against the grass.
He snorted faintly. "I guess I do..."
They fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying the last moments of calm before the Wave. When the timer was at 15 minutes, he decided it would be best if they did a little warming up. He fetched Kuro, who was lying in the grass some distance away. Raphtalia was in obvious pain when doing some practice swings with her sword, the gloves not helping much, but still managed to smile.
After some final preparations, they were in their usual position—Raphtalia and Naofumi on Kuro's back, Naofumi sitting behind her—as the last minutes ticked down. He felt like this was a moment where he ought to make a little speech but couldn't think of anything to say.
"We'll destroy those stupid monsters," Kuro declared suddenly, causing Naofumi to chuckle. It was the first time he'd spoken on his own accord since the incident yesterday. "I bet it'll be easy-peasy. I certainly know who'll make the most kills."
"Me too," Raphtalia said smugly.
"You wish!" Kuro tapped his talons anxiously. "And don't you dare do anything idiotic! If you die...I'll eat your corpse!"
She giggled and leaned forward, hugging Kuro's fluffy head. "Thank you, Kuro. Now I feel a lot better."
"You're welcome."
Naofumi smiled.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," Raphtalia said. "I should have listened to you."
"No, it's alright," Kuro said. "It was stupid of me to think you wouldn't throw yourself head-first into danger like that. You're my big idiot sister, after all. And... I'm sorry for yelling at you."
She nodded happily, still hugging him. "It's okay. Let's not talk about that anymore and do our best in the future. And I'm not an idiot, you... you fluffy menace!"
Naofumi barked out a laugh along with Kuro. The sudden laughter was contagious, and he rested his head against Raphtalia's back as they all shook in laughter they were unable to contain.
"10 seconds," he announced after finally calming down. "When we get there, we'll look for the other Heroes. They'll know what to do."
"Got it!"
"Okay, Mr. Naofumi!" Raphtalia pulled up her cowl, hiding her Demi-human ears.
"You don't have to do that, Raphtalia."
"I know, but I like it that way."
He grunted. "1 second. Here goes nothing!"
And the Wave started.