Big thank you for Norin this chapter. I ended up splitting what I'd planned in two for a scene later on in the chapter, and the man came through helping me to nail it down. This chapter and the next one are probably some of my favorite to date. I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter Fifteen: Karma Pengu, Weakness, Kindness
Naofumi looked down at his finished accessory while he and Raphtalia stood in front of the inn.
It'd been four days since Therese first asked him to make it. He ended up using materials that he wasn't familiar with and it took a little more time than he liked to get it all together. But he had to admit, he'd done a pretty great job on it.
Oriekol Starfire Bracelet: Magic Up (Max)
Quality: Very Excellent
His only regret was that he'd messed up slightly near the end while etching in the flame-like design. It'd been a Perfect Quality bracelet before that. But just one little mistake had dropped the quality from Perfect to Very Excellent...
Oh well, he could try to make that perfect accessory another time. Right now, he was having an internal debate about how much he should charge Therese for it, or if he should just give it to her as a gift for what she'd done for Raphtalia and him.
If only she'd show up already...
"How long until they're here?" Naofumi asked his girlfriend impatiently.
"It shouldn't be long." She looked off to the side where Melty and Filo were running around. Melty was still in her adventurer outfit and seeing the 'black' haired girl smiling and laughing with her best friend brought a smile to her face.
Naofumi watched as well and put the accessory back in his pocket. Two of their party members were notably missing.
Eclair and Dou-Lon weren't with them today. The Hakuko couldn't level anymore unless he got a class-up, and Eclair pointed out that their EXP gains weren't worth the time she could be spending training. So he'd allowed her to train with Dou-Lon for all of today.
Much to the Hakuko's horror.
To help fill their vacancy, Raphtalia had looked for and convinced Therese and L'Arc to join their party for today.
"You know it would have been fine with just the four of us," Naofumi muttered.
"Yes, but this'll give us a chance to fight alongside other people." Raphtalia pointed out and smiled at him.
"We've fought alongside Ren and Itsuki and their parties," Naofumi commented.
"Other normal adventurers." Raphtalia clarified.
Naofumi rolled his eyes. But he wasn't as annoyed about this arrangement as he thought he'd be. That was probably because Therese would be there too and wouldn't let that red idiot get himself into trouble this time around.
Hopefully.
"Raphtalia, Mr. Naofumi!"
"Shield Kiddo!"
L'Arc and Therese exited out of the grand doors of the inn and approached them. "So we're going to be farming monsters together today, eh?" L'Arc smirked.
"Yea, unfortunately," Naofumi said dryly.
"Naofumi!" Raphtalia looked at him harshly.
L'Arc, however, laughed at the Shield Hero's obvious displeasure, taking it as a joke.
But Naofumi didn't have to stay annoyed at his antics for long, as Therese suddenly walked up to the Shield Hero, and before he could say anything, she slapped him across the face, hard.
It didn't hurt at all, but it definitely surprised all of them. "Wha-"
"That is for not taking responsibility about Raphtalia's lack of understanding about sex." The blue-haired girl said while folding her arms crossly.
Naofumi just looked surprised, and Raphtalia started blushing hard again. Therese had followed through with her promise after all.
"Wait, he did what-" L'Arc started to ask.
"Don't pry, L'Arc. It's none of your business." Therese snapped at him.
"But I... hmph." The redhead crossed his arms as well and pouted. Naofumi sweatdropped. He couldn't believe he was thinking it, but he probably deserved a harsher slap than what Therese had given him for being such an idiot.
"Um, uh…" Naofumi began to speak awkwardly. "Yes, I'm sorry you had to do that for me. I really was an idiot for not doing that myself."
…
It took him a moment to realize Raphtalia was staring at him. "What?" He asked.
"It's just… rare to see you apologize to other people." Raphtalia smiled brightly. "You really are improving!"
"Don't expect this to become a common occurrence," Naofumi grumbled. Hadn't she pointed this out to him before? He couldn't tell if she was being sincere, or if this was her way of teasing his prickly attitude.
"Well, as long as it helps you two to progress in your relationship, I guess I'll be fine with it." Therese glared at him. "But don't you dare mess up with such topics again!"
"Yes, yes, I know. Now then." He reached into his cloak's inner pocket and pulled out the unusual accessory he'd made for Therese. "This took a little longer than I thought, but hopefully the magic boost will make up for it." He said. "You're primarily a magic user in fights, right?"
…
…
"Um, Therese?" L'Arc looked at her curiously. She was standing stone still. And... were those tears appearing in the corners of her eyes?
"You… you made this? For me?" She managed to gasp out. Her voice was overflowing with emotion. It was far different from her earlier tone.
Naofumi rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe this hadn't been what she wanted? "Well, I tried my best, but I'm sorry if it isn't what you were expecting-"
Therese slapped herself, hard, before bouncing in place. "IT'S PERFECT!" She shrieked, grabbing the accessory and holding it lovingly in her hands.
"Huh?!" Naofumi almost took a step back at her sudden enthusiasm.
"The feelings coming from this gem, I've never felt anything like it before! Not even from the best craftsmen in my land! There's so much love and care that I'm drowning!" Therese swooned. It was like she just made a complete 180 compared to her normal personality. "I'm so sorry for slapping you! If I'd only known you'd made this I would have never dared to lay my hand upon your precious face!"
"Um, Therese, you're drawing attention-" The redhead next to her began to speak.
"Shut up L'Arc! Don't you see what I'm holding here! This holds more value than a country's treasury! This, this is something that only Gods would wear on their person!..." She looked at Naofumi again. This time, in a whole new light. "He is truly a Master Craftsman." She whispered in breathless awe.
Naofumi felt a nervous jolt go down his spine. He… didn't like the predatory way that Therese was looking at him at that moment. Did he make a crucial mistake by agreeing to her request?
"So, um, about the payment-" He attempted to pull the conversation in a different direction.
But before he could even finish his sentence, Therese had thrust a large, jingling bag into his hands. He was surprised, thinking it was silver coins. And then he opened it up, and nearly fell over.
WAS ALL THIS GOLD!? THERE WAS AT LEAST 500 GOLD COINS HERE! HOW DID SHE HAVE SO MUCH MONEY!? WAS THIS ALL FOR HIM!?
"L'Arc, give me your wallet!" Therese yelled at the redhead.
"Wh-What for?! And why are you giving Kiddo here all-"
"Just shut up and let me pay Master Craftsman for his boundless kindness and generosity!" Therese screeched while starting to claw at her partner's belt. He was forced to keep her at arm's length while she furiously struggled to get at his savings.
"What the heck did you do to Therese?!" He yelled at Naofumi. "Ack, stop it!" He screamed in terror when Therese suddenly snarled at him like a rabid animal. It was hard to tell if he was doing this for laughs or genuinely scared for his life.
"Um, Naofumi, maybe we should stop them?" Raphtalia suggested.
However, Naofumi wasn't paying attention. He was too busy reveling in the fact that HE'D JUST GOTTEN PAID 500 GOLD COINS FOR AN ACCESSORY ON WHICH HE HAD WORKED ON FOR ONLY TWO DAYS!
WOOHOO! HE WAS FINALLY OUT OF THE HOLE!
"No, I need my money to pay for booze!" L'Arc screamed.
"And I need it to give Master Craftsman his proper payment!" Therese screamed back. "You don't need that booze anyway! It just makes you an even bigger idiot!"
"I need a lot of it right now!" L'Arc screamed even louder. They were definitely drawing attention.
"Mommy, what's going on?" Filo and Melty came over when they heard the commotion.
"Um… Therese really loves the accessory that Naofumi made for her, apparently." Raphtalia sweatdropped.
"Why? I doubt that there's anything special about-" Melty haughtily crossed her arms. However, when she saw what Naofumi had made for Therese, her eyes nearly fell out of their eye sockets. "Whaaaaaa- Naofumi, why haven't you made something like that for me!?" She whined at him.
However, Naofumi was currently unavailable. He was busy riding on Cloud Nine. Not even Second Princess's incessant yelling could bring him down from it, nor wipe the wide creepy grin off his face.
"Yeah, Daddy should make something for Mel too! Mel doesn't deserve to be left out!" Filo joined in on berating her daddy for not making Melty an accessory. But he still didn't pay attention.
Raphtalia sweatdropped. "You know what, I think I'll just handle this myself."
"Ack! Therese, that isn't where my wallet is!" L'Arc yelped in terror when Therese grabbed a certain spot on his body roughly.
"Give it to me! Or else you're losing this!" Therese screeched like a maniac.
"Aieeeee!" L'Arc let out a girlish scream of terror.
Somehow, Raphtalia managed to pry Therese off L'Arc, and made it clear that the gem maniac had paid more than enough for the accessory. She didn't need to threaten L'Arc's manhood to convince him to give his wallet to Naofumi. The gold coins were more than enough.
Naofumi actually considered saying that a little more generosity wouldn't hurt, but Raphtalia's glare quickly shut that idea down.
He didn't really mind it anyway. Their money problems were solved for the foreseeable future. He was all too happy to go farming with the two adventurers now.
They were on Pekkul Island today.
"But are you sure?" Therese asked. "I still feel like I need to apologize to Master Craftsman for not recognizing his talents sooner-"
"It's fine. Really." Raphtalia forced a smile. "You don't need to treat him like a God or anything."
Technically, Naofumi already was a God to demi-humans. But there was no need to start treating him like that here too, especially when he didn't really like it.
"So many gold coins…" Naofumi repeated for what felt like the thousandth time today in awe.
Although, maybe he was in a mood where he wouldn't mind it that much right now?
"Master Craftsman. I'll treasure what you made for me for the rest of my life." Therese said sincerely.
"But, but Therese…" L'Arc looked really put out. The poor guy.
"He's been going on and on about those gold coins ever since we left," Melty said irritably. "Is it really that big a deal?"
"I don't think he's ever held so much money before in his life Melty," Raphtalia said. She'd never held so much before either. And she was holding onto it, so she could ensure that Naofumi wouldn't go on a spending spree when they got back.
"How many meals could 500 gold coins buy Filo?" The little blonde girl asked.
"Enough for you to actually feel full," Raphtalia answered.
"Whoaaaaaaa…" Filo looked awed at that. It took a lot of food to really make her feel satisfied.
They were walking away from the beach when L'Arc finally spoke up. "So, um, how do we want to go about the party dynamic here?"
Naofumi looked the two over, then looked over his party. "I already have Raphtalia and Filo for frontline attackers. And Melty does magic support from the rear. Therese can stay in the back to do magic support as well. And you can do whatever you feel comfortable with." Naofumi suggested.
"I will do my best to live up to your expectations, Master Craftsman," Therese said happily.
"Therese- urgh, and what will you do, Shield Kiddo?" L'Arc asked irritably. Naofumi almost smirked at seeing L'Arc being the one on the receiving end of the irritation for once.
"I'll defend wherever I'm needed," Naofumi answered with a shrug.
"Really taking that role as the Shield seriously, huh?" L'Arc tried to laugh it off.
"What can I say?" As he said that, he jumped in front of the distracted redhead, blocking a Karma Pengu Familia with his shield. "That's what I'm good at."
"Hah!" Filo punched the monster so hard that it went flying out of sight.
More angry penguin cries came from the road in front of them. It was filled with dozens of red-eyed, Karma Pengu Familias. Naofumi's HUD put all of them at LV. 56.
As for what they looked like, they were literally penguins. Only with sharp teeth and red glowing eyes. There might have been claws on their flippers too, but it was hard to tell.
"Oh, before I forget." Naofumi sent party invites to L'Arc and Therese.
Naofumi: LV. 76
Raphtalia: LV. 77
Filo: LV. 78
Melty: LV. 75
L'Arc: LV. 65
Therese: LV. 63
L'Arc's eyes widened in surprise. "How are you Kiddos so high leveled?"
"We've grinded here a lot since we arrived." Naofumi shrugged. "Having a full party of six slaughtering monsters really helps." The EXP rate had been dropping ever since they'd hit LV. 70. But they'd still been doing well for the most part.
L'Arc smirked. "I guess I'll have to work hard to pull my weight then! Huah!" He gripped his scythe, and it suddenly became bigger in his grip. He flew forward past Raphtalia and Filo, slashing the larger scythe through the air and decapitating a line of penguin monsters.
That was weird. Did L'Arc use that weapon because he could make it smaller while he wasn't battling? Whatever it was, he was strong enough to kill these monsters in one hit. Maybe this was what powerful adventurers that had undergone a class-up ritual were supposed to be like, unlike that one classed-up bandit they'd faced way back when.
Naofumi found himself smirking as well. L'Arc could at least keep up with his party. That was a good thing. Raphtalia followed behind with her sword, not wanting to be outdone.
"Beweled Ruby Blaze!"
And Therese's magic was powerful too. She burned an entire column of monsters away with that attack of hers. She looked down in awe at her new accessory. "It's so powerful… Master Craftsman's work is truly amazing."
"All Drifa Water Shot!"
Melty wasn't going to back away from showing how useful she was without an accessory! Second Princess had definitely gotten a power boost from leveling up a lot too, even if she didn't use the seal.
"Careful Mel! Too many of those and you'll run out of MP before Filo!" Filo shouted to her best friend.
"I can handle this just fine Filo!" Melty shouted back.
There was nothing left of the monsters to absorb after their overpowered spells were over, but Naofumi wasn't going to start absorbing monster materials in front of L'Arc and Therese. He'd do that later after they separated. For now, this was a pure focus on grinding for EXP.
"Hah!" Filo suddenly transformed and kicked a monster so hard that it burst into pieces on contact.
Naofumi started to panic internally at that. 'Oh no! Filo! You were doing so well not transforming in front of others too!' Why did she have to do that now when-
"Oh, I didn't realize you were friends with a transforming monster too." L'Arc casually pointed out while slashing another monster in two.
"I wonder how Ethnobalt is doing." Therese pondered out loud absentmindedly before starting to chant her next spell.
Huh. That was... a rather lackluster reaction. Most people usually freaked out. A few thought she was just some bird demi-human with her current form being her therianthrope form.
But the way L' Arc had worded it made it obvious that they instantly realized that Filo was a monster and took it in stride like they were already familiar with the concept. Naofumi vaguely remembered a conversation that he had with the second princess once, when she wasn't being too annoying, about how Filo and Fitoria weren't the only monsters capable of transforming into humans.
Did these two run into such a monster on their journey? They did say they were from somewhere far away... Questions for later he supposed. Active combat was not the proper time for long contemplations, so he decided to just roll with this bit of good luck that came his way. Explaining that he was the real Shield Hero right now would have been extremely awkward.
Even if the monsters really weren't much of a challenge, with all of them dying in one hit and all that.
L'Arc soon pointed that out. "Hey, Shield Kiddo, how about we take on some bigger fish? These monsters are hardly worth the effort."
"Sure, that's enough warming up. Let's go straight for the island boss." Naofumi agreed.
The group reached the interior of the island soon after.
The large Karma Pengu had already come out of the mysterious sphere that was floating in the middle of the clearing and was up above flying in the air. Down below was a horde of its familias.
"Alright, how do we want to-" L'Arc began to speak, when Naofumi charged forward right into the crowd of monsters, surprising the scythe wielder. "Whoa, what are you doing-"
"Hate Reaction," Naofumi whispered the name of the skill under his breath. The entire horde, as well as the boss, turned their heads at the Shield Hero and descended upon him like a black tidal wave of hate, attacking him from every direction.
Naofumi ignored the smaller monster's attacks and grabbed the large black penguin around the leg when it came close enough, pinning it to the ground. "I'll keep their attention, take them down in the meantime!" Naofumi yelled back.
L'Arc was further surprised by Naofumi's strength, but he shook his head and started to laugh. "You're crazy but okay!" He charged into the fray, slashing with his weapon over and over again.
"Ha!" Raphtalia and Filo also dashed in. The bodies of the Familias went flying everywhere. But their focused hatred on Naofumi kept them from realizing the slaughter going on amongst their ranks.
The boss was already receiving some very heavy damage from all of their attacks too. It couldn't escape from Naofumi's grip, and as the hatred wore off, it started to flail around in panic.
Melty observed the scene in worry. "I can't cast my magic with everyone so close together. How am I supposed to fight the monsters without hitting my friends?"
However, Therese, next to her, was chanting again. "I beseech thee power of jewels far and wide. Heed my call and come to me." Melty's eyes widened when she noticed the gem-user's hair suddenly changed from turquoise to a fiery red! "My name is Therese Alexanderite. My friends, be the fire that burns my targets away. Bejeweled Ruby Blaze!"
Her big area of effect spell suddenly covered the area around Naofumi, L'Arc, Raphtalia, and Filo without warning in blue flames. The Shield Hero's eyes widened, and he was this close to screaming at Therese and spamming every protective skill in his repertoire when- he realized nothing was happening to him.
"Ah- whoa, Filo feels warm!" Filo looked around happily.
"What is this?" Raphtalia paused in awe.
Naofumi looked down at his hand. Even though they were surrounded by fire, none of them were taking any damage.
If we were to better describe it, it felt more like the flames were hugging him.
"Thank you."
He looked around, trying to find where the unfamiliar voice had come from. However, all he saw were the familias all around, being burned away by Therese's inferno. The boss was also screeching from the pain of the fire. Had he imagined it?
Maybe Therese was being honest about being able to talk to gemstones.
"Oh, yea, sorry for not mentioning it earlier, but Therese's magic doesn't harm her allies." L'Arc pointed out nearby. "Makes it pretty handy during battles, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah." So they were both powerful and useful...
Naofumi briefly contemplated whether he should just reveal his identity here and now and seriously ask them to join him on his quest. They did say that they became adventurers to combat the waves and protect their people, so their goals were already aligned. He could definitely see the benefits of having such talented people around.
Even if one of them was even more annoying than a certain princess.
Melty pouted. That was SO unfair! Why couldn't she learn magic like that too?!
With all the familias out of the way, Raphtalia finally landed the killing blow on the boss, putting the large monster out of its misery.
With that done, she immediately sat down and began to clean the blood off her blade.
It was definitely an anti-climatic end. But with these monsters, Naofumi was somehow growing used to seeing that happen.
"Well, Shield Kiddo, you're much stronger than I thought. To think that you can hold a monster like that down by yourself." L'Arc looked pretty happy as he glanced back at the boss.
"It didn't seem that strong to me." Naofumi shrugged his shoulders.
"Ha. Guess that's what happens when you reach such a high level. Now how about we start splitting the loot?" L'Arc suggested.
"Sure, that sounds good." Naofumi nodded in agreement.
L'Arc then quickly began to use his scythe to chop the boss into smaller pieces. He then picked some of them up and looked like he was about to do something with them when Therese slapped the back of his head.
"Ouch, what was that for?" He asked, looking up at her with a hurt expression.
"Don't be greedy. Don't think I didn't notice you take some of the best parts of the boss for yourself." She scolded him.
L'Arc rubbed the back of his head. "But I…" He then looked at his scythe, and then up at Therese. A look of realization briefly crossed his features. "Oh! Yea, fine. You caught me." He laughed it off and actually took out some of the valuable parts that he'd snuck into his pile, handing them over to the Shield Hero.
Naofumi gave him an incredulous look, but L'Arc innocently whistled to himself. "I'm sorry Master Craftsman, I'll make sure my idiot friend here doesn't try to cheat you out of any more valuable materials." Therese apologized.
"Come on Therese, that's going too far!" L'Arc complained. "Didn't you pay Shield Kiddo enough earlier?! It's going to take forever to make all that money back!"
"I could spend the rest of my life paying him back but it would never be enough," Therese replied in a serene tone of voice.
The biggest sweatdrop ever rolled down L'Arc's head.
"Naofumi, you better not be trying to steal my girl." L'Arc scowled at the Shield Hero. He must have been extremely irritated to actually be using his name.
Naofumi wanted to say "of course not" since he already had Raphtalia. But he felt it was proper to let the scythe wielder have a taste of his own medicine after all the teasing that the Shield Hero had to endure from him. "If you're that afraid of it happening, maybe you should take up accessory crafting." He chose to say instead with a smirk.
"Urk!" L'Arc coughed into his hand.
"Oh, he's tried." Therese informed Naofumi. "He isn't very good at it though. The last accessory he tried to make blew up in his face."
"Therese!" L'Arc howled in embarrassment.
"How does one blow up an accessory?" Naofumi asked in disbelief as he struggled to not burst out into laughter.
"I wish I knew." Therese giggled. "He wasn't very forthcoming with that knowledge."
"Okay, that's enough!" L'Arc cried out.
"What? If you don't want to be embarrassed about it, you should put in more work like Master Craftsman here." Therese pointed out to the redhead matter of factly.
"But, but…"
"It's not really all that hard." Naofumi shrugged. "Unless you're not willing to put in the time and effort."
"... Let's just continue to grind here. I doubt we'll get anything stronger from this island." L'Arc was red in the face from embarrassment and shame. He looked so jealous that the Shield Hero finally began to laugh.
"Naofumi, I don't get what's so funny here." Raphtalia chided him.
He didn't bother trying to explain it or to apologize. This more than made up for all the times when L'Arc had annoyed him before. 'It's not fun being on the receiving end, is it you weird redheaded kindergartner?'
Raphtalia shook her head, but she was smiling a little bit, seeing Naofumi so happy and carefree looking.
Needless to say, they did continue grinding. For the rest of the day too.
Naofumi lost track of all the times they killed the boss. It was literally so easy that to describe any further fights would have been a waste of time. Either they'd gotten really strong, or the island boss was that weak.
By the time they were finally done and on the way back to the main island, this was what they looked like level-wise.
Naofumi: LV. 78
Raphtalia: LV. 79
Filo: LV. 80
Melty: LV. 77
L'Arc: LV. 72
Therese: LV. 71
"We spent all that time grinding and only gained two levels," Raphtalia said.
"Huahhhhh…" Melty's head rested on Raphtalia's lap. The poor girl looked exhausted.
"You didn't need to push yourself using all those high-powered spells you know." Naofumi dryly commented.
"If I hadn't though, the fighting would have become so… monotonous," Melty said tiredly. She didn't even have the energy to snap at the Hero.
"Yeah. I agree. It almost feels like a waste." Naofumi was surprised to find himself agreeing with the Second Princess. Perhaps they were at the point where further grinding wouldn't do them any good?
Filo's EXP gains had definitely dropped to normal at the end there. It looked like level 80 really was the cap for when the activation event exp boost was cut off.
"Hmm, hmm, hm hm hm hm." Filo didn't seem to mind though. She swam next to their boat in her Filolial form, humming to herself while carrying a very large sack on her back. It was filled with all the boss parts and familia carcasses that hadn't been burned to ashes or blasted to microscopic pieces.
"It's almost like pulling a carriage!" Filo said happily.
"Are you going to sell all that?" L'Arc asked in surprise. He and Therese had gathered sacks of monster materials of their own, which were much more modest in size.
"Maybe. I'll try to find some use for it." Naofumi answered vaguely. "Filo has a big appetite, after all."
When they were finally back on the main island, the two groups separated.
"Well, I'll be seeing you in a bit, Raphtalia! Thanks again, Master Craftsman!" Therese ran off.
"See you later Therese!" Raphtalia shouted after the turquoise haired girl.
"So L'Arc, you want to practice crafting accessories tonight, or-" Naofumi started to tease the redhead, but L'Arc started to walk away.
"I'll be seeing you, Shield Kiddo. Just… please don't try to steal my girl, please." He said, in a rather uncharacteristic downhearted tone of voice.
Naofumi paused. Wait, did L'Arc actually like Therese in that way? Crap. Maybe he'd taken this joke a little too far?
"Relax. I have no interest in other girls right now." Naofumi said, putting an arm over Raphtalia's shoulders. Her face turned red, but her tail swished behind her happily. "I'm sure if you actually do apply yourself, you could make something she'd love."
…
L'Arc looked back, giving him a wide smile. "Are you sure about that Kiddo? Therese wasn't joking about my last attempt."
Naofumi sweatdropped. "If you're asking me to teach you, you're out of luck. Find your own damn merchant who's willing to put up with your antics."
"That might be a little hard knowing me, but I'll see what I can do." He turned around again, giving Naofumi and the others a wave. "See you all later?!" With that, he dashed off after Therese.
"You know, Therese actually does like him too," Raphtalia commented after L'Arc had runoff.
"No kidding, huh?" Naofumi asked. "Damn, they should just get together. Maybe then Therese would actually be able to rein his wild state in a notch or two."
"She says she has her reasons," Raphtalia said.
"You know, if she reacted like that just from me giving her a Very Excellent accessory, I wonder what would have happened if I'd given her a Perfect accessory."
Raphtalia's smile looked a little strained. "Let's try not to imagine that."
"Yeah…" Naofumi did a quick look around. "Finally," With no one around, Naofumi grabbed the gargantuan sack from Filo and proceeded to absorb the entire thing into his shield.
"Wait, Filo wanted to snack-" Filo tried to complain.
"I'll let you snack on them after I acquire their drop items," Naofumi told her.
"Um, Naofumi, isn't it going to be weird when we meet up later without the large bag?" Raphtalia asked.
"With how many coins Therese gave me, I can just say I made a good profit selling it to different merchants." Naofumi shrugged. "It's not like they're going to check on them for us."
"You could at least let Filo eat first! She's been going at it all day!" Melty complained. She didn't look as drowsy as she did on the ferry.
"Right…" Naofumi quickly looked through the list of drops. Most of them were terrible, though it looked like several of the Bosses had dropped something interesting… was that a full-body armor piece?
Oh well, he'd look at it later. Drool was coming off of Filo's beak, and she was looking at him expectantly. "Thank you for your patience. You're really getting better at that." He took out some of the monsters that hadn't been killed by Filo's claws, since she didn't like the taste, threw them at the large bird monster.
"Yay! Thanks for the food!" She immediately began devouring them.
"Don't eat too fast Filo. You might get a tummyache." Melty said in worry.
Naofumi rolled his eyes but smiled at his daughter's antics. She'd done surprisingly well not asking him to cook for her these last few days…
Though upon thinking that, he felt somewhat disappointed… not that he enjoyed cooking. But maybe he enjoyed being more useful to everyone?
"Melty, Filo, do you want to join me at the Hot Springs?" Raphtalia asked the two girls.
"Sure!" Melty looked happy at that. As much as she loved exploring the ocean with her best friend, the Hot Springs sounded amazing. Especially after how tiring today was.
"Oh, is that what you're doing tonight with Therese?" Naofumi asked the Tanuki girl.
Raphtalia nodded. Naofumi thought to himself. "You know what, now that we're all caught up, I guess we could use a reward..." He nodded. "Alright, make sure you invite Eclair along too. I'm going to take Dou-Lon with me to the Hot Springs as well."
"Yayyyyy!" Filo and Melty both cheered.
"I can do that. And, um… do you want to book a private bath after we're done hanging out with Therese?" She shyly asked.
…
Naofumi sweatdropped. "No. I'd really rather not have you kick me in the nads again."
Raphtalia turned bright red at that remark, and deflated in utter shame. "I… I already said that I'm sorry…"
"Raphtalia did what?!" Melty looked up in shock between Raphtalia and Naofumi.
"Long story." Naofumi curtly replied. It involved a previous time when he'd booked a hot spring for the three of them. Needless to say, it was probably for the better if the males and the females stayed separate.
"Hmph!" Melty turned away with a huff. It was probably something stupid that she had no interest in learning about anyway!
When they got back, Naofumi informed Dou-Lon and Eclair about their plans. Eclair wanted to protest and do more training, but Dou-Lon was all for it. Since she wouldn't have a sparring partner if she trained, she reluctantly agreed to the outing.
And so, the evening saw them all getting ready for their reward.
"Alright, guys, I think that's enough for today."
The Bow Hero's party gathered together in front of their friend outside a set of ruins. The sun was lowering in the distance, casting an orange haze across the sky.
Itsuki: LV. 80
Rachel: LV. 81
Aksel: LV. 79
Maya: LV. 78
Crystal: LV. 80
"Urgh. I'm so close." Aksel clenched his fist.
Itsuki smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll reach 80 tomorrow. And Maya too."
"Did you hear that Axie-poo? We'll reach the ripe old age of 80 together!" Maya winked next to him excitedly. Unlike before, she didn't try to latch onto his arm.
Aksel sighed. "What I could use is a gosh darn break. I wish I could be in Karn's shoes right now."
"I mean, as much as I hate to say it, it doesn't look like he's been lazing around this whole time." Crystal sighed, looking at the sub-party HUD the swordsman was under.
Karn: LV. 74
"Huh, that's a surprise. I would have thought he'd be lazing around, or gambling and stuff." Aksel huffed. "Whatever, I feel like hitting the Hot Springs tonight. You better not try to follow me, Maya."
"Oh, I already had plans. It's nice of you to be so thoughtful though." Maya giggled into her hand.
Aksel furiously blushed and looked away from her.
"Rishia invited you along too?" Rachel asked curiously. She, the Raccoon girl, and the spearwoman began walking off towards the ferry together.
"Yep. I think it's a good idea. I've never had a chance to enjoy bathing in a hot spring before." Maya said happily.
"Me either. I hope it's better than those bathhouses…" Crystal muttered as they went out of earshot.
Itsuki looked around curiously, finally noticing something. "Hey, Aksel, any idea where Rishia went?" The Bow Hero asked.
"Oh, I wondered why I didn't hear a fueh for a while…" Aksel looked around curiously, finally noticing there was no sign of the green-haired girl.
Itsuki frowned. He could have sworn he saw her earlier… he pulled her up on his HUD.
Rishia: LV. 68
Her stats showed everything was okay... then he got another EXP notification. Her MP bar dropped a little bit.
"Oh, she must still be fighting monsters nearby," Aksel said, seeing the EXP notification on his HUD.
"Alright, I'll go grab her. Just make sure that everyone else makes it back to the ferry okay." Itsuki said, turning to walk off.
Aksel gave him a wink. "Oh don't worry. We'll leave you and Rishia alone, so take as much time as you need my friend."
"Wait, what do you-" Itsuki turned to face the ax-wielding tank, but the armored man was already running off in the direction of Maya and the others.
He wasn't nearly as fast as Itsuki, or as agile as Maya, nor as nimble as Crystal, but his great height gave him a wide stride which, combined with his current high level, had really given a boost to his speed and strength that the tank had been lacking before. His footfalls seemed stronger, more determined wherever he touched the ground.
All his party members seemed stronger, faster, more confident than they had been previously. This trip had been well worth it for all of them…
Well, most of them.
Itsuki shook his head before activating a skill that let him scout the area around him. He saw Aksel's retreating figure, as well as Maya, Crystal, and Rachel, talking to each other further away. No monsters were near them.
He didn't immediately spot Rishia. She was on the opposite end of his field of view, further from the ruins. Two Karma Dog Familias were approaching her.
He took off in her direction.
"Zweite Aqua Slash!" Rishia's water spell left a nice, bleeding gash on the snout of one of the two Familias. However, it growled and pounced at her in retaliation.
"Fueh!" Rishia quickly sidestepped, barely avoiding its claws.
The second one charged her, trying to bite down onto one of her limbs. Rishia moved to dodge again but stumbled and tripped. The monster, not expecting that, ended up charging past her.
"As source of thy power I order thee, decipher the laws of nature and blow my target away! Zweite Tornado!" Rishia quickly chanted, pointing her hands at it as it turned around.
The Karma Dog Familia yipped in surprise as it was lifted skywards by a tornado of wind. It spun around and howled until finally, it landed somewhere nearby with a loud splat! This was followed by an EXP notification appearing in Rishia's vision.
"Fueh…" She whimpered in relief and started to get up. But then the first dog, the one she landed a grazing blow on earlier, appeared in front of her, growling in anger as it jumped at her. Her eyes widened in fear.
"FUEHHHH-"
Several arrows punched through its side. The monster howled in agony as the arrows nailed it to the side of a tree. Then, one last arrow went through its skull, and its pained howling came to an end.
An EXP notification appeared in Rishia's HUD once again.
"Rishia, are you alright?!"
The girl looked in stunned shock from the monster to the blonde Bow Hero. He put his weapon on his back. "Rishia!" He looked at her in wide-eyed worry as he ran up and knelt down next to her. He looked so concerned...
She held her hands close to herself. "F-Fueh… I'm, I'm sorry."
"Are you hurt?" He asked. He thought she'd had things handled, but then saw as her situation became dire.
She shook her head. Not trusting herself to say another word.
Itsuki sighed in relief, but then he got up, looking down at her sternly.
"Why'd you wander off?! I told everyone we were done for the day! You shouldn't go fight monsters alone! What if you'd gotten hurt! What if you'd gotten yourself killed! What were you thin… king… ..."
He realized that Rishia had begun to cry. And not in her usual cowardly style. Large, bitter tears were running down her face as she bit down on her lip. Her eyes stared down at the ground in front of her while she trembled.
...
He helped her to stand up. "Let's find somewhere safe to talk." He suggested.
Rishia sniffled, wiping some of her tears away from her face. She silently nodded, allowing her Hero to lead her through the forest.
The girl didn't say a word. She only whimpered occasionally and held her head low in what looked like shame.
At times, Itsuki nocked an arrow and fired through the trees. This was followed with an EXP notification, or sometimes two or three.
Finally, they came out of the forest and onto a hilly part of the beach. The waves of the sea lapped at the sand down below. There were no signs of any other adventurers or monsters nearby.
"Rishia, what happened?" Itsuki asked her worriedly.
"Oh, um… fueh…" Rishia whimpered nervously.
"It's ok. I'm not mad at you. It's just… it's not like you to sneak off and fight monsters on your own. And I felt so worried when I saw you fall." Itsuki explained.
"Fueh…" Rishia whimpered again.
"Please, just tell me what's bothering you." Itsuki pleaded. He was looking at her with such sincerity too.
"Fueh… it's just… it's just…" She felt like balling up on herself.
"Just what-"
"I'm still weak!" She cried out.
...
"... huh?" Itsuki didn't look sure how to respond.
She sniffled again. "Just… just look at me!"
He looked at her, and she blushed and turned away. "On second thought, don't look at me! I mean, um, just look at my stats!"
He blushed a bit as well. Almost reluctantly, he pulled them up again. Not only did her stats still suck compared to when he'd checked when they first arrived on the island, but her level showed no sign of increasing anytime soon. It was like she'd hit a ceiling or something.
Had there been characters like that in any of the video games he'd played? He couldn't remember...
"Don't you get it! I'm useless! I couldn't even handle two weak monsters on my own!" Rishia cried out again.
"So?"
The Bow Hero's immediate response made Rishia pause and look up at him in surprise. There was no sign of mockery or disdain in his eyes. He looked genuinely confused about her remark.
"Please don't tell me that you actually think that a person's value is based on how good they are in a fight." He cocked one of his eyebrows at her suspiciously.
"But- but I-" The green-haired girl stuttered.
"Rishia listen to me." He cut her off, his expression taking on a more serious look.
"I wouldn't care even if you were weak, which you aren't. You can cast every type of spell there is. The utility of this alone can't be put into words. You can wield most weapons with at least some level of competence. Your survival instincts are perfectly balanced with your senseless desire to help. The fall you had a few minutes ago? Most would call it clumsiness in battle, but I saw what actually happened and it was a lightning-fast response to dodge an incoming attack." He took a deep breath before continuing.
"And what the hell kind of benchmark is hunting two monsters by yourself anyway!? Is Naofumi weak because he can't even kill a single red balloon? Would I be considered weak if a monster somehow managed to close the gap and get into melee range with me? Is Axel weak since he can't use ANY magic and would be just target practice even for the most mediocre of sorcerers?-"
He suddenly looked around the beach and started to walk around, picking up loose pieces of driftwood. Before Rishia could murmur a response, he answered his own question.
"Of course we aren't! People shine when they're surrounded by competent allies!" He held up a piece of driftwood in front of him. "When you're by yourself…" He easily snapped the twig in his hand. "You can't do anything!"
"Why do you think that Fitoria is so determined to mind-numbingly bash us heroes over the head with the idea that we need to work together. People are at their strongest when they're united. This goes for everyone. Not just heroes. When everyone is at their proper place and following the same goal, amazing things happen! Individual strengths exist of course." He tried to break the bundle of driftwood that he had collected in his hands. It creaked dangerously but held itself together in his grasp. "But it can never stand up against the strength of many."
"And if you still think you're useless in combat, then that still leaves you with an unbreaking will, an unyielding work ethic, and a caring, nurturing personality that puts me and everyone else in our team at ease whenever you're around. You're the glue that holds us together. You cook the meanest plate of pasta that can send Naofumi's cooking running. You're there when someone needs help no matter the difficulty and odds. You're my closest confidant and someone who I trust more than I trust myself. A trust which was entirely well placed, since if it weren't for you, I would literally be dead already or worse, killing everyone else indiscriminately without stopping."
Rishia stood in front of him quietly. She looked calmer now, but at the same time; more forlorn.
"... Itsuki, is it alright if I ask you something?" Rishia meekly asked.
"Of course! Ask me anything you want!." Itsuki replied, trying to sound excited to cheer her up.
"… Why do you have so much faith in me?"
...
"What do you mean?" Itsuki finally asked after a short pause.
"May I?" She gestured at the bundle of drift food in his hands. The Bow Hero blinked in confusion but handed it to her. She gently set it down on a nearby stone and pulled out a piece of rope and a knife from her bag. After a couple of tense minutes of fiddling around, she turned around. The pieces of driftwood were now tied together with the rope.
"Itsuki. Would you say that if these pieces of wood were people, then they're working together right now?" She asked sadly. "That they're supporting one other for the sake of one goal?"
"I suppo-" Itsuki began to answer when Rishia suddenly tugged on the opposite ends of the rope. One of the driftwood pieces snapped loudly and she was left with the two loose pieces of rope dangling around in her hands in the wind. The bow hero looked at her for another moment before turning away, unable to find the words to reply to her decisive demonstration.
"Sir Itsuki. Thank you for trying to cheer me up." She looked at him with a hollow expression. "But what you described. That's not how it always works. Sometimes, all it takes for everyone to fall is for one person to fail in their duties. "
Tears began to streak down her face again. "I've tried… I've tried so hard since we got here. But even with all my effort, with this seal... I'm just holding everyone back. You all have to watch out for me, because I'm too… too weak to do anything by myself." Rishia trembled as she said it.
Itsuki tried to protest but Rishia sharply raised her hand. "I know what you said. That strength isn't everything. But it is. We're fighting someone who can't be bargained or reasoned with. Monsters won't fall back if I present them with a "mean plate of spaghetti". And if I bravely stand up to them, they'll just trample over me without even noticing that I was there. To fight back against them you need power. Power that I simply don't have."
She began to choke on her tears as she continued. "Sir Itsuki. You should know this. I'm certain that you know this. And yet… I just don't understand… why are you being so nice to me… why didn't you choose to keep Karn in the party and send me away instead? He's far stronger than I am. I'm just..."
"But, but you can use all sorts of magic! I'm limited to Wind and Earth. Rachel's limited to Shadow and Healing. You have a leg up over the rest of us since you can learn all sorts of spells-"
"But I can't cast anything above a Zweite level! I'm stuck with only the basics of all spells!" Tears rolled faster down the sides of her face. "I'm not as good with weapons as you say I am! I'm too weak to use them against monsters, so I always have to stay back, trying to act as magic support. But Rachel's far better at magic than I am. My spells hardly do anything to the boss monsters! I just… I just wanted to feel like I was contributing. But…
The energy left Rishia's voice. "... But I still caused you to worry over me. Just like always." Rishia whimpered again.
Itsuki stared at her. His face gradually melting from concern to sadness. It really did feel like he was looking at a mirror image of himself. At his old self before coming to this world.
"It's okay. We'll just keep on working like we always have. That Granny lady said you'd be good at her style of fighting, right?" Itsuki tried to ask optimistically.
…
The girl had nothing to say to that. She held her wrist to her gut.
"Rishia, you know I've been in your shoes before, right?" Itsuki crossed his arms while looking at the ocean.
The girl slowly nodded. "I already told you and the others what my life was like before being summoned…" The evening sunlight reflected off his face.
"I have bad memories of that time. Between the bullying, discovering how weak my quirk was… losing my best friend to suicide…" His face fell.
"I know what it's like to think the darkness will never go away. I know what it's like to think the light is finally within reach, only to have it snatched away at the last second…"
He looked at her and gave her a sad smile. "You're right. Sometimes, hard work doesn't work out. Sometimes, tragic things happen in our lives. Sometimes, we hit limits on our abilities that we can't break no matter how hard we try…
"But you shouldn't give up because of it as I did.
"I will continue to stand by what I said earlier for however long it takes for you to understand. You aren't weak Rishia. You aren't useless. And none of us think you're a burden."
"Fueh, but… but…" She looked at her HUD again.
"I know what the stats say. But I'm not going to let you give up.
"Not you, nor anyone else I care about.
"Not when I finally have such people in my life again."
Rishia was silent a moment. He looked out over the ocean with her. "Power's nice to have, but I've found it's useless if you don't know how or when to use it. If you look at it from a certain perspective, all this Bow did for me was make me a mass murderer, and if someone smarter than me hadn't called me out on it, that's all that I would be right now.
"And Naofumi. I mean, he started with nothing and has nothing still in terms of power, yet he still managed to save an entire country.
"Don't focus so much on power Rishia. It's a flawed way of thinking. It's how the Curse Series tempts me. You're fine just the way you are and I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Itsuki…"
A small, gentle hand grabbed his shoulder. The tears had stopped falling down her face over the course of his speech. "Um…" Rishia suddenly looked nervous.
"Yes?" Itsuki asked.
"Okay, I won't but… please remember what I said about not being too hard on yourself," Rishia murmured. "You're a far greater hero than you think." She sniffled. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. That makes you my favorite of them all."
…
"Heh, guess that makes us even then." He beamed at her. "You feeling better now?"
"Wha-" Rishia looked at her hand in shock, then at Itsuki. He was smiling widely at her. "Fueh… you tricked me into consoling you!" She said in realization.
"Of course. But you're not beating yourself up anymore, right?"
"..." Rishia looked at her hands again.
Itsuki gave her a small genuine smile. "I meant what I said. I really wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. I might still be burning forests down. I might be out destroying villages in the name of Justice. Or maybe, the most likely, Fitoria would have turned me into a pancake before I caused too much damage."
"I-Itsuki!" Rishia blushed heavily.
Itsuki gave her a genuine chuckle. "Point is." He put a hand on his bow. "I don't plan on pulling that thing out anymore. It's thanks to you. And it didn't require you to be a holder of a legendary weapon or to be a first-class magician. All it took was you being yourself. So what does that say about you if you have directly saved the world by saving me? Still feeling useless and powerless?
"And even now, when I feel things might be easier if I pull that Cursed Bow out, I'm able to snuff out the thought because I have you by my side. You, Aksel, Maya, Crystal, Rachel… I have the greatest friends in the whole wide world." The smile he gave her then lined up with the rays of the sun so perfectly that, just for a moment, Itsuki looked angelic in Rishia's eyes.
"F-Fueh…"
He patted her on the head. He didn't know why, but it felt like the right thing to do, despite her not being a demi-human. "Don't worry anymore. For now, I want to focus on helping you and the others. You've all done so much for me, it's the least I can do to pay you all back for your kindness. We'll overcome this obstacle, and the next, and the next until you're as strong as our friends."
"Speaking of our friends, we should probably head back. It'll be dark soon, and we don't want them to take the ferry and leave us behind."
He walked off, not realizing how furiously the green-haired girl was blushing now.
'He… he just patted my head like… like…' Her mind struggled to think coherently. It'd felt so... so GOOD!
"Hey, are you coming, Rishia?" Itsuki asked curiously when he noticed her not following behind him.
She furiously shook her head, trying desperately to clear her mind. "C-Coming!"
She caught up, and the two walked side by side back to the ferry to meet up with the rest of the party. Who, thankfully, were still there when they arrived.
None of them weren't sure what'd happened, but none of them tried to pry.
Well, Aksel almost attempted to, but Maya jabbed him in the gut before he could try. Causing them both to bicker with each other all the way back to the main island. Much to the annoyance of everyone else.
Still, for some reason, Rishia couldn't stop smiling wholesomely the whole way.
It was a nice change for the shy green-haired girl.
Author's Notes:
Damn. Damn you Itsuki. You better kiss Rishia soon, or else I'm going to burn you over an open pyre.
The following omake is actually based on a canonical "what if" Aneko wrote in the Class-Up Volume. I do not have a translated link. It has not been translated as far as I know. All I have is the summarization from those who can read Japanese and speak English. The first part of the omake is from the what if. The second part… well, you already know the drill with these extra scenes.
Hero Clips!
The Perfect Accessory
"You… you made this? For me?" Therese managed to gasp out. Her voice was overflowing with emotion.
Naofumi rubbed the back of his neck. The accessory was of Perfect Quality, there was literally no way he could make it better. But maybe this hadn't been what she wanted? "Well, I tried my best, but I'm sorry if it isn't what you were expecting-"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! MY HEART! AHHHHHHHHH!" Therese shrieked in utter delight. She was cradling the bracelet like it was her own child. "The love! The complete and utter love radiating from this gemstone! I never knew such a feeling was possible! It's like I'm being washed away in a cascade of warmth and care!" Therese started spinning like a top. "I've never been so happy in my ENTIRE LIFE!"
"Whoa there Therese, it's only an access-" L'Arc tried to intervene.
"Only an accessory?! ONLY AN ACCESSORY!? ARE YOU BLIND YOU SENSELESS BUFFOON?!" She yelled at L'Arc. She then looked at Naofumi with starstruck eyes. "Only a God would be capable of making something like this."
Naofumi shuffled awkwardly in place. "I mean, I think that's going too far."
"Yeah, what Shield Kiddo said-" L'Arc was saying in agreement.
"How dare you befuddle the name of my God L'Arc!" Therese yelled at the redhead.
Dou-Lon gaped nearby. "Have I found one of my people?"
"Eh?" L'Arc looked confused. Was Therese actually being serious?
Raphtalia sweatdropped. "Oh no. I think I can see where this is going…"
All of them could see where this was going.
"Werner-?"
"What have I told you to call me?"
"... sir." The reply came through gritted teeth.
"Much better. Now, what is it you have to report, lowly servant?" The Vermillion bird demi-human asked from his desk.
Jaralis stood in front of the doorway. He had a permanent scowl on his face since his fancy robes had been replaced with… servant garbs. To think his pride had been brought so low! It'd only been one conspiracy! Surely it wasn't worth so much embarrassment!
"Are you here to only waste my time? If so, I suggest leaving before-"
The therianthrope shook his head and cleared away his anger. There were far more important things he had to relay right now. "We've received reports of a new religion spreading from Melromarc. A religion centered around a Master Craftsman." Jaralis informed.
"... is that supposed to be concerning?" Werner asked suspiciously.
"That Master Craftsman is our Shield Hero," Jaralis answered.
...
Werner stood up. "What?!"
Jaralis's scowl deepened. "It's taking to our people like fire on wood too. Even some of our priests have defected."
"How- no, who is responsible for this?!" Werner asked.
"Based on the information… it seems to be the work of one lady."
"And her connection to the Shield Hero?" Werner pressed.
"He… made an accessory for her," Jaralis answered.
"..."
"..."
"One accessory caused all this?" Werner asked.
Jaralis nodded. "Indeed."
Werner walked to the door. "Let us try to stop this insanity before it's too late."
The two former enemies were suddenly united together to try and save the religion the original Shield Hero had given them… but in the end, they too were converted to the religion of the Master Craftsman. Along with every other member on the Council.
In short, had Naofumi given Therese a Perfect Quality Accessory, he would have become her God, and her own zealousness would have outzealoted even Siltvelt.
Long may we worship our Lord and Savior, Master Craftsman.
Till Next Time
Allen