Late as always, more busy as... well, just recently.

I managed to finish this with more determination than enthusiasm, but at least it's done.

I hope you enjoy it.

With the wave already finished, two people riding a filorial were walking away along a little-traveled route. One of those people was the hero of the spear, Motoyasu Kitamura, and the second was a demi-human boy with dog-like characteristics from the country of Siltvelt. They were both just silent, until the dog boy raised his voice to speak.

"I think we should take a break. The filorial won't last long at this rate. "

"Really?"

Motoyasu didn't know much about filorials, except that they enjoyed pulling carts. However, maybe carrying two people and luggage was too much. With that in mind they stopped and dismounted as soon as they found a watercourse, both to rest and to relax a bit.

Shortly before, and after the death of the dog boy's parents, Motoyasu had promised to take him back to his home in Siltvelt, but honestly, he himself didn't quite know how to do that. Some time ago he thought about how to leave Melromarc and go to another country, but his first destination then would have been Zeltoble, the country of adventurers, not Siltvelt, known to be a country for demihumans.

He no longer had a pride to cling to, so he wouldn't have minded asking for help… if possible. He was currently perhaps the most wanted person in the entire kingdom, and after what had just happened things would be even more difficult for him, especially after, well, they killed the captain of the soldiers and left the rest exposed without knowing if they would be or not attacked by monsters.

Leaving the investigation to the child would not be very useful if discrimination also reached the villages. Motoyasu had no memories of people mistreating demihumans, but if their enslavement existed in the country, then there would most likely be problems if they left him alone.

Not only that. If they started investigating, they might decide to follow the boy's trail to find them. Perhaps again he had gotten into something much more difficult and complicated for the simple fact of wanting to do something that he believed was right.

Thinking of all that, Motoyasu leaned down, dipped his hands in the water, and then wet his face.

Yes, he had gotten into something complicated, but that meant that at least he understood how bad was the situation. Only that fact was already better than before, when he did those things without realizing the consequences.

He glanced at the boy who had brought a bag of food to the branch, and promised himself that he would do his best to keep his word.

That said, as he washed his face there was something he noticed about his own reflection, which, although distorted, allowed him to see himself.

His hair was dark.

Already before he had noticed that his hair was losing clarity, turning almost brown, but right now it was closer to black than brown. Wetting and rubbing the strands didn't seem to work either, as it was still black.

Appearance was no longer something that worried Motoyasu much, but he was no less confused about it for that. He remembered that when the dog boy had identified him earlier he had said something about his appearance being different, but he did not think he was referring to this.

But when I turn my head to ask the boy about it, something else caught his eye. Something bigger, that somehow had gotten even bigger.

The already big bird they used to be carried, which had been eating out of its bag shortly before, had swelled to double or even triple its volume. If before it looked like a feathered ostrich, now it looked like a giant chicken.

Motoyasu's surprised face must have been seen by the dog boy, who followed Motoyasu's gaze until he reached the overgrown branch, and it was his turn then to make a surprised face.

The filorial turned his head to both sides, noticing the stares, bowed his head and ...

"Gwaahhh?"

"... just with what did you feed it?"

"... Just, it was just normal oatmeal ..."

The concerns about Motoyasu's hair color were forgotten as soon as they arose.

After finishing the break, and confirming that the filorial was able to continue(in addition to confirming if it had really grown so much or if it had swollen for another reason) we continued until we reached a town. It was popular knowledge in my world, as well as others, that following the watercourse was the best way to search for settlements.

Luckily it was a village far enough away from the wave that the monsters invaded it immediately, but if the soldiers and heroes did not get rid of the remaining monsters they could arrive. Perhaps that is why there were kingdom soldiers even here.

Or maybe…

"Hey you, the one on the branch, come down for a moment."

Understanding that I could not refuse, I got off the branch and let the soldier inspect me. Or well, I end up just looking at me and then seeing a piece of paper in his hand, so he let me go.

I should have imagined that the king would put soldiers in the settlements to make sure he found me if I decided to flee the wave, but it was reassuring to see that I was not recognized anyway. Still, having an oversized affiliate did get us a lot of extra attention.

Fortunately that did not prevent us from being able to leave the filorial in a stable and go to eat something. I would also have to do some research to find the best route to Siltvelt, and...

"Haaaaaaawmmm."

Not caring for appearances, I yawned.

After waking up and having breakfast, all I did that day was deal with the wave, with the soldiers, and start escorting the dog boy. I recently ate again, so my stomach was full. It was obvious that I was going to want to sleep after all that, even if I knew I shouldn't.

But still my eyelids are heavy...

"Maybe it's better if we find somewhere to spend the night, you know, and then leave earlier tomorrow."

"…"

"Then let's go there!"

I tried to sound upbeat to hide my tiredness, but his lack of response seemed to indicate that I was not succeeding. Well, it's one of the laziness spear's faults that I am not able to do more than this.

Still, he didn't stop me when I went to an inn and asked for a room for two.

I did not give my real name to register, but I was again surprised that just because I had a different hair color they did not recognize me.

I still have to think about how to get out of the country and get to Siltvelt, because I have no savings left and I am barely keeping up with the sales I made yesterday, but I would think about that when I wake up tomorrow.

I activated my Sloth spear and fell heavily on the bed.

For as long as I can remember, I have traveled with my merchant parents. I know I was born in Siltvelt and I recognize it as my country, but I also know how to handle myself in other countries if I need it, so it's really not like I'm helpless in the world by being alone.

And not only that, if I'm alone and have some money, I can return by myself.

But, after calmly saying that he would take me to my home country safely, the hero of the spear had decided that the day was over.

"He's really sleeping."

As soon as he swapped his weapon for a black spear, he lay down on the bed and began to sleep like nothing. I don't know if I was being too trusting or too idiotic, and I would definitely not be left to confirm which option it was.

Find a piece of paper to write on, and leave a short note before leaving the inn, being careful not to make noise with the door. I went to the stable where he had left the branch, and using the identification they had given us, I left the inn and bought some more food for the trip.

I did not feel pain or guilt for leaving the hero of the spear behind, or for taking away the possibility of the filorial, since it belongs to my family to begin with. This was the best for both of us.

Traveling with him would bring me problems if we got to a place where he was recognized, and without me, it would be easier for him to stay away from the search.

Not to mention...

"You are not the hero of the shield anyway."

I drove the filorial to the exit that would leave me on the direct route to the Siltvelt border.

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that it had already dawned, and from the light coming through the window it would not have arrived yet noon. The second thing I checked, it was the time through the interface that I could see on the side of my vision, seeing then that it was almost 10. Considering that I fell asleep when it was sunset, a quick calculation told me that I slept a little more than half a day, which is normal when remembering how hectic it was the day before compared to my routine lately.

Shifting my spear back to a smaller, more comfortable version to wear on my waist, I got up and looked around for the boy I had decided to help the day before and who should be in the same room with me... but wasn't.

"He should have gone out for breakfast."

Thanks to the lance of laziness, once I sleep nothing can wake me up. That got me robbed once, but even then it had been worth a few hours of peaceful sleep. Even if I had tried to wake up shaking, I wouldn't have noticed.

In fact, he was also starting to feel hungry, so I headed to the dining room thinking that I would probably meet him there. And even if he couldn't find it, he would probably be in the filorial stable tending to the one we had so he's ready to go.

Without finding it in the dining room, I ordered a large breakfast and ate it calmly. Meanwhile, I could half overhear some conversations around me.

Some time ago I would have been waiting for a clue, but now I could see that they were only miscellaneous conversations without much relevance, so I relaxed while I ate, until...

"… Yes. By the way, did you hear that from the holy bird?"

"No, tell me about it."

"It seems that last night they found a branch that resembled the holy bird that passes through the needy villages. They ended up capturing him when he tried to escape along with a demihuman."

"Did the demihuman try to steal it, or was it the owner?"

"They did not give me details, but it seems that it was a child..."

I didn't hear the rest of the story. Since breakfast came along with paying for the room, I didn't worry about what they said to me when I got up and ran to the door, afraid, but at the same time with the need to confirm my suspicions.

"It can't be that, can it? It has to be someone else, right?"

My first destination was the stable to look for the branch, but I found it empty. The stable owner told me that the dog boy had removed it yesterday.

But just as I was beginning to lose my cool, I felt a little push in my side, then seeing a little black and white striped haired boy dressed with a sheet.

"Please help him, he needs help!"

I didn't have time to answer requests from strangers, but something inside me told me that at the very least, I needed to hear what that little boy had to say.

Beating and groans were heard, followed by questions that were answered with insults. Then more hits and groans, followed by questions and threats that went unanswered. The thumping sound returned, but with less whining than before.

A door opened, and there something was thrown into the small, dark room.

"When we return you better tell us where the legendary bird is."

The door closed and silence took over the place. Until, on the cold floor of the room, in the dark and with the only door closed, a boy with characteristics of a dog curled up and rubbed the bruises he could feel.

"(… it hurt.)"

The day before he had escaped from the inn and had decided to return to his country of origin by his own means, however, the grown branch had attracted the attention of a certain merchant who passed by, and that he would not lose the opportunity to negotiate to stay with the creature.

However, what in normal conditions would have been a negotiation and eventually a sale, turned into threats and eventually a theft when he realized that the owner of the filorial was a demihuman.

The boy already knew that in that country he only had a handful of allies, and that even with his parents nearby there were places where nothing protected them, but that did not make his situation easier to accept. He tried to escape, and although the filorial seemed faster than before, he ended up captured when he was surrounded. They locked the affiliate in a monster cage, and the boy in a smaller cage, with every intention of selling him as a slave.

But as he murmured curses in his cage, a light enveloped the cage of the grown branch ... and I appreciate a small naked boy, with the appearance of being between 8 and 10 years old, and black and white hair.

After exchanging a few words with the newly arrived little boy, he discovered that, as hard as it was to believe, that boy was the filorial. Not only that, but with his current size he became capable of climbing out between the bars.

"You have to get out of here."

"B-but you ..."

"They only want you, not me. If you leave, they will look for you and I will have a better chance of escaping. "

With those words, the dog boy made it clear that at least he should go, and given his now small size, the transformed filorial escaped from the place. What the dog boy did not count on was that the merchant's men would pass a few minutes later, and attribute the escape from the filorial to the boy, threatening and attacking him for answers. He didn't say anything to them, he just gritted his teeth as they beat him, until they got tired and left him in that dark room.

He did not expect to be rescued. He hadn't told the affiliate to go find the hero with the spear, just to leave, but not because he didn't want to cause him trouble. It's just that he didn't wanted to depend on him.

Perhaps it was because of his canine nature along with his childish sensitivity, or by some coincidence, but since he could remember his nose was much more sensitive than that of his closest relatives. It was in fact thanks to that gift that his parents had allowed him to accompany them to a different country, so that he could learn more about the world and know how to take advantage of it, and if he was able to take advantage of it sometimes to identify certain substances or to follow traces.

However, there was another use that only he and his parents had known. Know when someone was hiding things from him.

The hero with the spear was hiding things from him. He was hiding them when he said that he would take him to his home country, and his actions had given him to understand that he was not wrong. The hero with the spear wasn't going to help him just because he felt guilty, or because he felt heroic. She was probably looking for some compensation once they were there, like shelter and shelter, especially considering her current situation with Melromarc.

The boy just wasn't going to trust someone like that.

But without that option, there wasn't much he could do. If he was truly enslaved, the slavery seal would be more than capable of killing him if he escaped, and defending himself before he was marked would be impossible if he was outnumbered. No, in fact, it would be difficult even if he was only against one, those who are older surely have higher levels than his.

If he could somehow lose sight of them, maybe he could use his nose to find the right places to hide, though… even if he managed to escape the building, how would he get anywhere without even the filorial?

He had no answer. He couldn't find answers. Most likely there was no answer.

But it wasn't these dark prospects that made him stop thinking about it, it was something else. A muffled sound in the distance, but hard to ignore when he was in a darkness like the one he was in right now.

The boy could hear how the noise was getting closer, becoming clearer, now unmistakable with the sounds of a fight. But who would be fighting right now?

Even without wanting to believe it, the boy had only one answer.

And the answer was not long in coming, stabbing the lock open and opening the door.

When the boy approached me asking for help, it was only my instinct that made me listen to him rather than ignore him. And it turned out to be both the correct decision, and the most surprising.

"What? Are you the filorial?"

After discovering that, hearing about the circumstances in which the dog boy had ended up became even more difficult to ignore.

But as long as the normal Motoyasu Kitamura had run to rescue him, I could only wonder if it was the right choice. Not only because if I fought my identity would be exposed, but also because the boy had separated from me voluntarily.

And according to the little one the branch had become, they had been about to leave the village, and if they had left an hour earlier, or if this one had been faster in escaping at that moment, they would not be here right now... They would have abandoned me.

The boy surely had a plan to return if I really felt that it was more convenient to part with me, and I could very well save him and then say goodbye to him, but... Was it really worth giving up my current anonymity to help someone from who was going to walk me away? I was no longer in a position to simply do good deeds just for the sake of it.

Again, the filorial child pulled my clothes looking at me worried.

"Are we going to help him?"

"... I don't think it's a good idea."

"B-but he's trapped in a cage, and he sure is hungry!"

"I know that's not good, but, I mean, you were willing to abandon me, you can't really ask me to save you now that you're in trouble."

"But is that... weren't you a hero?"

"Not anymore. I'm not fitting it anyway."

That was my honest opinion about my situation. I said what I said yesterday to try to save something of my ego, but it was clear that I did not have the means to comply with it. I was even sleeping when they were in trouble, and even if they had made enough noise to alert everyone, I wouldn't have noticed.

And I was thinking of going back to the inn, if it weren't for the filorial boy still holding my clothes.

"I do not get it…"

"Hey?"

"I don't understand why you don't go."

"I already told you that I didn't ..."

"Don't you want to help him?"

"!"

"I alone can't do anything, but if it's about you, I'm sure you can save it without problems."

"It's not that he doesn't want to, but he might not want it. I mean, he was the one who left me and I ended up in that situation, right? It is not my responsibility."

"But you said you would take him to Siltvelt!"

"I know what I said, but…! I honestly don't even know what I want. "

"Tell him then."

"Eh?"

"Since I was ridden to get here, the only thing they have talked about was my growth and when you left me in the barn. You two probably didn't talk anymore, and that's why you two don't understand each other. If you meet again and talk, you'll understand each other. "

Childish. The only way to define what I thought when I heard those words was that it was childish. And yet I felt as if I wanted him to be right with what he was saying.

"But, I don't even seem to like that dog boy..."

"He has a name."

"… ah."

"Do you know what his name is?"

"…. No, what is his name?"

"I will not tell you. Ask that by yourself."

I had it wrong again.

Tried again to accomplish a mission instead of trying to make up for a mistake. I focused more on the trip to take someone to Siltvelt, than on the actual being I was going to have the trip with.

Was I really trying to distance myself from that boy? From THAT boy, who had lost his parents a few hours ago and still stood up and able to make decisions?

I still didn't know what was right or wrong, but I was definitely going to regret it if I didn't move right now. And my priority right now was to know his name.

So I asked the filorial child to guide me to where the dog boy was.

After following the boy to where he had escaped, breaking in was not particularly difficult or hard. He was right in saying that for me at least this would be easy.

The difficult thing would start behind this door. Interrogating one of the thugs, I learned that they had brought the dog boy here, and what remained to be done was to get him out of there. I smashed the lock with one stab and saw inside that dark room.

As expected, the dog boy was there, and as he looked at me with a surprised face, the filorial boy approached him, which seemed to explain my presence there, as the dog boy looked at him before slowly getting to his feet.

Even without looking at me, he spoke.

"So, you came to rescue me?"

"..."

"You will not say anything? Well, I guess it goes without saying... "

"Is not that."

"?"

"I will be frank with you. Your situation did not interest me, and part of me would have preferred to walk away and forget it. And yet I said that I would help you for the simple reason that I wanted to feel like a hero again. I definitely don't deserve to be seen that way if my intentions were like that from the beginning."

"..."

"And I will not say that I have changed. It took me longer to decide to come here than it did to rescue you, and I probably wouldn't have if it weren't for this little one here. If you'd rather not trust me, I understand, I wouldn't trust me right now either, but at least let me help you to escape."

"Help me to escape?"

"When there is no doubt about my identity, they will definitely forget about you and the filorial, so you can leave this village while focusing their attention on me. And don't worry, I won't talk about you, and I'll take responsibility for what happened at the end of the wave. I will not accompany you, but at least I will make your return home a little easier."

"Eh, but then what about you?"

"That does not matter now."

"Answer my question."

"… I'll stay. I can't just fight and run forever."

"But that…"

"I know, but I am willing to accept whatever comes."

If they caught me now, it was hard to know what would happen. Perhaps if I explained myself well, I could avoid some drastic punishment, but it was difficult to be released after evading justice and ignoring my duties for so long. The dog boy seemed to understand this, for he lightly bit his lip.

"But, if you're willing to give me another chance, we can all save ourselves."

"Hey?"

"You may not get it right right now, but I have a skill that we can get out of here without fighting. However, if I want to get you out as well, I need you to be able to consider me a partner, otherwise the ability won't work."

The boy stared at me unsure how to respond, and it seemed normal to me. The hero he ran from now appeared saying that he would save him only if he trusted him, and if he did not trust him, he would still save him, but at the cost of his freedom.

I think anyone would have a hard time believing in that kind of performance without first having a knowledge of video games.

However, she could tell that at least he understood what she was trying to say.

"Are you really going to help me get to Siltvelt?"

"I will do everything I can."

"Did you even have any plans to get there?"

"Well, I admit that I was actually planning to figure out what to do on the road."

"..."

"You don't have to look at me like that, I get it."

"..."

"But I'm serious about what I'm saying this time. Whether you accept me or reject me, I will help you get out of here."

I still remember. I still remember the stories about ancient heroes that my mother used to tell me, as well as the life tips that my father used to share with me.

"There are 4 cardinal heroes, heroes who come from other worlds..."

"There are 7 heroes of the 7 stars, heroes usually coming from this world..."

I learned from those stories, but also about the reality that surrounded me, and as the son of merchants it is clear to me how to define the good from the bad.

If it was convenient, it was good. If it wasn't convenient, it was bad. This childish way of thinking turned out to be something coveted among merchants and entrepreneurs.

But just avoiding the bad was not the right thing either. Sometimes some bad points had to be accepted in order not to lose sight of reality. That's why my parents used to trade even in realms not very friendly to demi-humans, especially in times of waves of calamity, with the idea that they could get even more profit as long as they stayed out of conflict.

It turned out to be a mistake. They underestimated the level of discrimination towards demihumans.

And now I am here, alone and with no way to take care of myself in a country that I hate, in the middle of a serious problem that I probably won't be able to solve myself.

And before me, a suspicious hero who offers me his help. His scent still seems like he had ulterior motives, but that was it, he didn't seem to be lying. And his offer was too convenient for me, being inconvenient only to him if I decided to refuse to trust him.

Due to his attitude and smell, it is possible that he was not reliable, but...

"I'll trust you if you can get us out of this without a fight."

… But she felt like at least for now she could trust him. Even if I understand the risks, it is part of being a trader to take advantage of the offers.

"I see, so I just need you to accept this request."

After saying that, he moved his hands a little. A message in my line of sight told me if I wanted to accept the request to join their group, and I accepted. My peripheral vision showed that I had just joined their group, along with 'Filorial level 8', so the filorial that had become a child seemed to have been added earlier.

"Alright, time to go."

A magical light enveloped us for a few seconds and the dark environment around us disappeared into light, then revealed itself as an open field.

"Ahh, we are in another place."

The affiliate, who was in the form of a small child, was surprised by the change in scenery, but understood that it was the skill of the spear hero, and turned to see him. He seemed satisfied with the situation, so the affiliate assumed they were safe now.

However, that satisfied face began to change to a more concerned one, as if sensing some kind of danger. Following his gaze, the filorial realized that he was looking at the dog boy's face, who was staring at him.

Although young, his face was serious and almost accusatory.

"I thank you for helping me again, but I need your answer. What is your goal?"

"What?"

"This isn't the first time you've saved me, so I know I'm being rude to mistrust, but that's the way it is. I have a feeling that you are not really trying to help me out of sheer goodwill, and until you answer me I simply cannot trust you. "

"That... I don't ..."

The affiliate had kept quiet when they were underground because it had been his idea that when they got together, those two would talk about their differences, so even though the atmosphere between those two seemed tense, he wasn't going to interrupt.

The lance hero was silent for a while in thought, until he spoke with a defeated smile.

"Okay, I admit it, it's not pure goodwill. In fact, I don't even think I can call it goodwill considering how I'm thinking about it."

"..."

"I used to go around thinking that the world was a game where I could do whatever I wanted without repercussions, that as long as I defeated a powerful monster I would be hailed as a hero, and I lost sight of many things, and I lost many things… and the worst, is that I fight to recover the things that I lost, even when that made me lose sight of more things."

"..."

"I can't consider myself a hero anymore, just, I'm just one more broken guy. I'm just Kitamura Motoyasu with a sacred weapon, nothing more. And I thought I had accepted it, until I saw you lose your parents because of my lack of will. You also lost things, loved ones, and I wanted to help you, but you rejected me, you left in less than a day."

"If I knew that, why did you seek me out and help me? I thought you were no longer a hero."

"I'm not sure, but I need an answer. An answer that I think you got. Even with everything bad and irrational that happened to you, and even with me offering you my power, you chose a different path."

"I was just distrusting you. And for the irrational thing, what else could you expect from demihumans in these lands? Just because I didn't want it to happen doesn't mean I didn't understand that it was a possibility."

"Well, it would be irrational for me… or rather, it was irrational for me. Maybe I just didn't want to think about that possibility. I didn't want to accept that loss, although I should have."

"Yes, yes, you lost something. What does that have to do with me?"

"I lost my way, and finally my hope, and I thought maybe I could go back to being a hero if I started with something simple, like helping a boy go home..."

"You…"

"… I was wrong to think like that. The one who really needed help was me. Help to get out of the hell that I had gotten myself into."

"..."

"I will not ask you for money, or status, or any contacts you may have in Siltvelt… I just want you to allow me to lend you my power. I am clumsy and naive, but if your plan to return requires a power that cannot be stopped then I want to be that power. I want to be able to put my past behind me, but I can't do it alone, so please let me help you get back to Silvelt."

The boy kept looking at him as he breathed. Finally, he sighed and said.

"Haahhh, you finally stopped smelling like a liar."

"?"

"Okay Kitamura Motoyasu, I, Finegan, will accept your help to return to my native country."

Offering his hand, the dog boy Finegan finally accepted the spear hero Motoyasu as his companion.

"So, he was here?

"I'm sure. As reported, a young man with a spear, numerous offensive abilities, and capable of transporting himself to other locations. Except for his new appearance, everything fits."

After Motoyasu's escape, the merchant's thugs informed him, and he tied up the dots until he guessed that it could be the fugitive hero. With that suspicion, he went to the kingdom soldiers who had arrived the night before and informed them of what he knew.

"He changed the color of his hair to hide, huh? Well, no more, we will update your posters."

"Oh right, there is that demihuman child too."

"Hey?"

"The hero of the spear attacked my men and kidnapped a demi-human child before leaving. I think I can give you the demihuman look so you can expand your search."

"Very well. Any clue is useful, especially now that the guard will have to be redoubled. That demon..."

"Demon says?"

"The demon of the shield! The report reached us that the heir to the throne, Melty Melromarc, was kidnapped!"

And so, this chapter finishes. When I first thought about the story, I wondered about the possibility of giving Motoyasu a temporal team to regain his confidence, but soon I realized that I wasn't going to have enought time if I wanted to match this with the original plot. So, this and half of the last chapter were to create that team.

What do they'll do next? That'll have to wait.

See you next time.