I'm sorry to inform to those that have high expectations for the Weapon Creation function, but Eugeo can only create swords for himself with this function. If he really wants to create a sword for Kirin or armor for himself, he needs to do it the normal fashion way.
Also, if Weapon Creation can create armor too, Erhard will lose his importance to Naofumi and Eugeo. Erhard is too good of a character to just be forgotten and get turned into a background character, so I decided put this limit.
Eugeo will have a High proficiency in forging swords, Naofumi will have a High proficiency in forging shields, Itsuki will have a high proficiency into crafting Bows and Motoyasu will have a High proficiency in forging Spears. Outside of their specialties, their Blacksmithing skills will start in Level 1 like everyone else.
Though Motoyasu and Itsuki would likely find Blacksmithing with their own hands to be too troublesome and simply dismiss it because of their laziness.
To FATEMURDER: If I remember correctly, people were eavesdropping on the heroes during the first day. So they were able to give Motoyasu what he wanted, cute girls for his party. Itsuki was shown to have a desire for instilling justice and some personality issues so they gave party members to feed his ego and have twisted sense of Justice like Mald who openly shows his hatred to Demi-Humans (which this kingdom approves with the Queen's absence). Eugeo mentioned before that he had a girl that he loves on his homeworld and most likely he still had feelings for that girl. Malty and the other females thought that it's a bad idea to try to flirt with Eugeo this early and with him giving the test for those who want to join him (a test that Malty knows she can't possibly pass I might add), Malty decided not to try. Malty saw that Eugeo won't be manipulated with her charms since he is still in love with the girl from his homeworld. Eugeo is also shown to be too smart for Malty's taste, as she wants a hero that's easy to manipulate (like Motoyasu).
To Kian Xki: Well... this is my first ever Fanfic so it's impossible for me to not make mistakes on a few things. As for why Eugeo didn't take more action against those who treated Naofumi poorly, it's because he knows that he is currently not in the best position to do so. He has first hand experience in how those in High authority can twist the truth into something ugly so Eugeo decided to be more subtle in helping Naofumi. Eugeo was about to tell Naofumi about his plans to know why this kingdom has been treating him poorly but stopped because of Alice's warning of a spy. Don't worry, Eugeo will make his moves soon. Although not soon enough.
54 Reviews, 92 Favorites and 137 Follows
Well then, thank you for all the support and on with the story.
Naofumi told Eugeo that he can go first with his search for armor with Erhard while he went to organize the potions that Myne bought for him.
Myne handed over the potions that she purchased, them being 5 HP potions, 5 SP potions and 5 MP potions. The highest quality one could buy in the Apothecary shop. Noafumi then did something that surprised her.
"What?" the Shielder feeling confused of why his companion started staring.
"What happened to the potions?"
"Oh..." understanding Myne's confusion, he paused to explain, "Eugeo showed me how to unlock the Item Storage function. So we don't ever have to worry about carrying around our belongings with a backpack during our journey."
"Wow! That sounds very useful Sir Shield Hero. But how exactly did you unlock that Item Storage function of yours?" Myne asked with eager curiosity.
"Well, it turns out that these Legendary Weapons all have a Stacia Window of their own. It unlocked the very moment I opened the Shield's Stacia Window" Naofumi helpfully answered as he stored all of the remaining potions into his Item Storage, Myne nodded for the information.
The changing room shortly opened and out came Eugeo now wearing a blue tinted leather armor with some metal parts strapped to his chest, shoulders and forearms. On his feet are partially armored boots with thin metal guards, stretching upward a few inches above his ankles. The Legendary Holy Sword, now sheathed into a scabbard, is hooked to his hips.
All in all, he really fits the Junior Knight in Shining Armor stereotype perfectly!
"What do you think?" Eugeo asked as he scratched his head in slight embarrassment, a habit he inadvertently picked up from Kirito.
"You look great Sir Eugeo!" Kirin gushing in admiration as she holds her hands together close to her chest, "It really fits you and your character perfectly!"
"Yeah! You look awesome." Naofumi complemented with a very small amount of envy, knowing fully well that this style won't fit his image and character at all.
"I concur, you look really dashing Sir Eugeo. It suits you very well." Myne added with a smile. However, the complement only made Eugeo uncomfortable and made Alice agitated. The false cheerfulness Myne is displaying just unsettled the couple.
"That armor's name is [Young Chivalry] , it's normally used by talented knight trainees. So I'm confident that it will serve you well for the start of your journey." Erhard explained as he beamed in pride at one of his works.
"How much?" Eugeo asked with a hint of enthusiasm.
"Normally, it will cost you 200 Silver coins. But since you are the Legendary Sword Hero, I think I will charge 150 instead." Erhard set his terms with a goofy grin.
"It's a deal then." Eugeo confirmed in gratitude as he raised the Legendary Sword and grabbed the required amount of money before recalling something. Eugeo grabbing an extra silver.
"Here's the payment for the armor." Eugeo said as he handed over the money before giving the extra silver, "And can you convert this one to copper pieces?"
"Well... yeah, but why?" Erhard asked as he couldn't see much of a point in doing so.
Naofumi stepped in as he remembered Eugeo's theory, "We think we just might unlock something good if we let our Weapons absorb a Copper piece. We actually unlocked something really useful when we absorbed a Silver piece to our Weapons." Erhard then nodded in understanding and went to a backroom to get his money exchanged.
"What exactly did you unlock when you absorbed your money Sir Shield Hero." Myne asked once again.
"We actually unlocked an Appraisal Skill that allows us to see the Level of monsters." Naofumi answered truthfully, "That, and the Money Storage ability."
"That... is unexpectedly useful." Myne said, genuinely dumbfounded.
"I thought so too." Kirin joined, "It's not something you would expect to get from a few pieces of coins, makes me wonder what they will get if they absorb something mystical. Like a Dragon's tooth for example."
The two Heroes perked up at the idea and decided to put that on their to do list later.
The backdoor opens and out comes Erhard with a small pouch in one hand. "Here you go Sword boy."
"*gasp* Erhard, you can't call Sir Eugeo like that! Show some respect!" Kirin said in panic, Myne nodding in agreement.
"No, no it's quite alright. I don't mind and I actually prefer if you don't refer to me too formally. All the formal talk is starting to get uncomfortable, so please just refer to me by my name if you don't mind." Eugeo calming his companion down before reaching for the pouch.
Receiving it, Eugeo is quick to pick up 2 pieces and handed over one to Naofumi. With that, the two Heroes absorbed them. The Sword and Shield simultaneously morphing into the Copper version of their Treasury forms.
"Looks like your hunch is right on the mark, this could be useful." Naofumi praised his fellow hero for his foresight. "Thanks." Eugeo scratching his in cheek from the compliment. Myne was about to ask but suddenly changed her mind as she thought better of it and stayed quiet.
Erhard then turned to face Naofumi, "Now it's your turn Shield boy."
Naofumi perked up and chuckled that he was also already given an endearing nickname before joining the blacksmith in the next room looking for his armor. Myne following to supposedly help in choosing his armor.
While the sword users waited, Eugeo glanced at the swords that are displayed on one side of the shop. With the Treasury Sword in effect, he can now see the Name and Base Attack of each sword. A few of them having an element affinity. For a split second, Eugeo thought of using Weapon Copy to add them to his arsenal, but he quickly dismissed it as it would barely be any different from stealing. Resolving himself to only use Weapon Copy on weaponry that he actually purchased, namely those for Kirin, or those that he discovers on his journey.
Taking a look at Kirin's sword, on his vision it says:
[Standard Knight Sword]
Quality: Medium - Base Attack: 40
Affinity: None
'I should buy Kirin a new sword while I'm at it. Standard issue weapons are simply not going to be enough.' Eugeo thought as his eyes darted around for an appropriate replacement for his companion's weapon. With a few seconds of browsing, he then settled with one. It looked quite plain with the only design being the swirls that looks like rippling water on its guard.
[Aquarion Blade]
Quality: High - Base Attack: 100
Affinity: Water
"Hey Kirin." Calling for the girl.
"Yes Sir Eugeo?" Kirin approaching him in full attention.
"Can you hold out your sword for a moment? I'm going to check on something." Eugeo requested. Kirin showing a confused expression but obeyed nonetheless. Using both hands, Eugeo opened both of the swords' Stacia Windows. This time flipping the switch that allows them to be visible to everyone else, surprising Kirin as she witnessed another new ability of the Legendary Sword Hero.
"What are those?" Kirin asked curiously as she can now see numbers floating above the two swords.
Her sword having a 317/400 while the other has a 1000/1000.
"These are the swords' durability. As you can see, since Erhard's sword is superior to yours, I think it's best that I buy this for you." Eugeo explains what he wanted to do.
"Y-you don't have to do that! My sword still has a lot of durability so I can get by with just this for the time being!" Kirin trying to refuse as she pulled her standard issue sword back. Eugeo sighs before explaining with a reassuring smile, "You don't have to worry Kirin, I WANT to buy this for you. I'm not sure how long before I can find others that will meet my criteria like you did. So I want you to be as prepared for our journey as possible."
Kirin's face gradually relaxed as she finally relented and picked up the sword that Eugeo chose for her.
[Smooth Eugeo... REALLY smooth.] Alice's Window suddenly appearing on his face with the Legendary Sword slightly gaining a red aura. Confusing Eugeo for a few seconds before realizing what he just inadvertently done. 'Wait! I didn't mean anything like that! I really did just want her better prepared for our journey!'
[I know. That's exactly why you just made things a whole lot worse.]
'Huh!'
Eugeo's mental crisis suddenly went to a halt as Naofumi and the others returned with his own armor. It's a set of chainmail and a white long sleeved tunic shirt along with a corset like leather blazer along with standard black boots.
"Not half bad Sir Naofumi, now you actually look like a hero in the making." Kirin complemented with a hint of teasing in her voice, Eugeo just chuckling in agreement. The Shielder just laughed it off, "Thanks, and I only spent 120 silver for it." Naofumi not feeling the least bit offended. Knowing fully well that Eugeo already has an advantage over not only him, but the rest of the other heroes as far as being heroic is concerned.
Eugeo changed his focus from Naofumi to Erhard, "I would like to purchase one of your swords Mr Erhard." Kirin showing the sword that they wanted to purchase.
"Oohhh... that one eh." Erhard grunted with with a grin as he scratched his chin, "You have a good eye Swordboy, that's the best sword a rookie could buy from my shop. It can take a lot more punishment than a lot of my other swords but Little Kirin can still handle it's weight."
"So how much is it?" Kirin asked a little nervously, hoping that it won't cost Sir Eugeo too much of his funds.
"Normally I would charge it for 500 silver coins."
Besides Eugeo, who had seen the prices of high quality swords before back in the Centoria Blacksmiths, everyone was surprised with the price.
"But since you are the Sword Hero... and you were able to see that sword's true value even though it looks so plain, I think I can give you a 50% discount."
Eugeo just smiled gratefully and reached for his Money Storage once again.
"Thank you Mr Erhard!" Kirin waved as she and the others exited Erhard's Blacksmith shop.
"Make sure to come again!" Erhard waved back.
As the group of four walked and reached a crossroad, it was time to part ways for the time being.
"We're gonna have to part here for now." Eugeo turned to his fellow hero, "We still have to buy our own potions and then find a spot where there's some distance between us and the other Heroes. Or else, our growth gets stagnated because of our Weapon's restrictions."
"Yeah... it's a bit of a bummer that we can't party up. We would've been a great team." Naofumi replied before reaching for a hand shake that Eugeo is more than willing to return.
After separating from the Shield Hero, Eugeo and Kirin made a quick stop at the Apothecary Shop for some Medium Quality potions so they can conserve money. Kirin explaining a bit of how some potions have a lasting status effect, like getting HP regeneration for 5 minutes or getting Attack Power Increase for 15 minutes and so on. She then showed Eugeo another beginner's field that are hiding monsters in the trees and underbrush.
Eugeo sensed the monsters' very weak aura approaching them, releasing his weapon from its sheath and morphing it to the silver Treasury Sword. Kirin followed suit as the sound of the grass and bushes made it obvious of what's coming.
Skreee!!!
Out of the foliage came a large group of...
weird bouncing balls in various colors having angry eyes and jaws coming for them.
'Huh?' , [Seriously?]
A deadpanned expression working it's way on Eugeo's face as a simple {Horizontal} sword skill is all it took to obliterate almost all of them. The few that managed to evade his strike were quickly disposed off by Kirin with her own attack. The whole battle didn't even take more than 5 seconds!
[15 Exp x 14]
[Level Up!]
[Level 1 - Level 2]
[Fluctlight Points: 5 pts - 10 pts]
Eugeo made a quick check on his Stacia Window and sure enough, he noticed how his overall stats increased by a tiny bit.'So this is what Leveling up means. It's a bit different from back home but close enough for me to understand how this increased stats work.'
[It seems like party members share a portion of the Exp they earned from killing monsters. Why don't you go ahead and collect those monster parts and see if they unlock anything good.] Alice suggested.
Nodding at the idea, Eugeo tells Kirin to always collect the monster parts that they get whenever they go out to kill monsters. With both of them being extremely skilled fighters and all monsters in the town's perimeter being low level, Eugeo and Kirin kept on slaughtering every single monster they encountered. Although Alice had to occasionally remind Eugeo to collect and absorb the monster drops that the monsters leave behind, unlocking quite a lot of swords...
[Orange Balloon Sword Unlocked]
[Blue Balloon Sword Unlocked]
[Red Balloon Sword Unlocked]
[Yellow Balloon Sword Unlocked]
¥
{Balloon Series Complete}
[Prime Balloon Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Low - Base Attack: 20]
[Mastery: 0/50 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Air Burst]
Level 10 Required
[Green Mush Sword Unlocked]
[Blue Mush Sword Unlocked]
[Red Mush Sword Unlocked]
[Yellow Mush Sword Unlocked]
¥
{Mush Series Complete}
[Prime Mush Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Low - Base Attack: 15]
[Mastery: 0/45 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Poison Resist (Small)]
Level 9 Required
The Sword duo picked the whole place clean of monsters, occasionally stopping only to collect the monster parts for Eugeo to absorb. This is how Alice discovered that by repeatedly absorbing the same type of monster over and over again, the Mastery gauge goes up.
The Equip Bonus from the Balloon Swords add 2 or 3 points to his ATK, DEF, AGI and DEX depending on the color while the Mush Swords add to his Potion Blending ability. With Eugeo already Mastering almost all of them, all those Stats are now permanently part of him. Proving that Alice's words of not leaving the monster parts behind has been very good advice. As for the Copper and Silver Treasury Swords, Eugeo was able to Master them by prolonged and repetitive usage which isn't very hard with his already excellent sword play alone.
The Resonance percentage on the other hand, didn't budge from 0% despite using the various blades in combat. After several failed attempts, Alice theorized that Resonance is the connection he has for the weapon form. Much like the one he had with the Blue Rose Sword. Since all these other sword forms are meaningless to Eugeo aside from the Equip Bonuses he gets from them, his connection with them is close to none.
Which makes complete sense since Perfect Weapon Control is only possible if a strong bond is forged between the Weapon and its Wielder.
A Rabbit like monster got cut in half as another Level up alert is shown to Eugeo saying he's now Level 10 while Kirin is now Level 14. Kirin letting Eugeo get more kills so they can eventually have the same Levels.
[I just unlocked something huge! Go ask that Kirin girl to buy food for you both quick!]
Alice's Window pops up, the sword vibrating in giddiness. Looking up to the sky and seeing that it's just about noon, it's the perfect time to send Kirin away without arousing confusion.
"Hey Kirin, I'm just going to sort some things on my Stacia Window and my latest monster kill. Why don't you go buy our lunch and let's have a picnic here." Eugeo suggested as he took some money and a few monster pelts that he didn't need anymore from his Storage to hand over to his partner.
Kirin briefly paused at the idea before eagerly nodding in agreement, "Yes! Let's do that Sir Eugeo."
Handing over the money and pelts, "Go ahead and sell these pelts for extra money. As for the food, well... surprise me if you can. I don't know much about this world's cooking after all, so I leave it to your discretion."
"As you wish Sir Eugeo." Kirin accepted cheerfully before leaving for the town at a relatively quick pace
Now alone, Eugeo looked at the Sword, 'So what exactly did I unlock that got you so excited Alice.'
[Actually... you have already unlocked a few abilities that you can get by spending those Fluctlight points of yours. But they are useless since you don't need them. One of them for example is called Basic Auto Combat where the sword will attack on its own while all you have to do is don't let go. Another is a warning sense where you will get an alert of a danger coming from behind. Both are things that I can simply do in their place.]
Eugeo nodded in agreement at their uselessness. 'So what makes this new ability so special?'
[It allows me to pull anyone who is in physical contact with the Sword to my mindscape!]
'Really!'
[Of course, it has limitations since you're still only Level 10. We only have 3 minutes of usage before the ability goes into a 6 hour cooldown period. But with this, we can talk to each other face to face instead of just me sending these message Windows.]
Eugeo didn't need to hear her voice to notice the sense of longing that was included in that message. While they are technically together, their happiness will always be incomplete as long as she's still trapped as the Legendary Sword. While the method or possible future ability for her to physically manifest is still far from his reach, this Mindscape ability would suffice as a temporary substitute.
Alice then showed that since Eugeo didn't bother to get any of the other nice yet useless abilities that are offered to him, they still have the total 50 Fluctlight points to pay for the Mindscape ability. Although it got reduced back to zero in one go... Eugeo didn't feel the least bit of regret. The happy couple then agreed that it's probably best that they give this new Mindscape ability a test run later that evening.
Looking at the freshly killed Vicious Rabbit monster, Eugeo knelt down to properly collect all the possible materials he can get from it. Although his primary role in Rulid Village is cutting the Demon Tree down, he was still thought the basics of properly handling animal corpses. Carefully separating the rabbit's fur, removing the bones, cutting of the paws and vivisecting the internal organs.
Absorbing the parts one by one, he then received...
[White Rabbit Hide Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Attack: 30]
[Mastery: 0/50 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Small Cold Resistance]
Level 10 Required
[White Rabbit Bones Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Attack: 35]
[Mastery: 0/50 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 5 ATK]
Level 12 Required
[White Rabbit Paws Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Attack: 30]
[Mastery: 0/60 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 5 AGI]
Level 12 Required
[White Rabbit Meat Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Low - Base Attack: 25]
[Mastery: 0/40 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 5 Cooking]
Level 9 Required
[White Rabbit Guts Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Low - Base Attack: 25]
[Mastery: 0/40 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 5 Foraging]
Level 8 Required
'Well... this is surprising.' Eugeo thought as he didn't expect to get this much from just one monster. He may not have gained any new Weapon Skills, but these Stat gains while very small, will eventually stack as each Equip Bonus is permanently merged with his strength after Mastering the weapon forms.
[You should try to Weapon Copy that sword you bought for Kirin. There's no doubt that you will get a very useful Water Type Weapon Skill from it. Although you will have to Master it the old fashion way unlike the cheat we discovered on monster weapon forms.]
Eugeo agreed wholeheartedly as he took a seat on the grass to rest while waiting Kirin's return.
Lunch is filled with light and cheerful chatter as Eugeo and Kirin shared with each other a bit about their past as they ate. Kirin is very shocked to learn that Eugeo used to be a simple woodcutter before he became a swordsman. Kirin then told him about how she came from a family that practices and teaches Swordsmanship to those they deemed worthy of going further into the craft. Kirin admitted that she's actually the Heir of the Toudou family and will lead her clan one day once she reaches 25 years of age.
Eugeo then asked Kirin to lend her sword for a moment which she casually obeyed. Holding the Legendary Sword on his right with the Aquarion Blade on his left for 5 seconds and...
[Weapon Copy: Aquarion Blade Unlocked]
[Quality: High - Base Attack: 100]
[Mastery: 0/140 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Aqua Slash]
Level 35 Required
"W-what did you just do Sir Eugeo?" Kirin asked in slight shock as she saw another one of the Legendary Heroes' abilities.
"It's called Weapon Copy. The Legendary Sword can copy any other sword if I hold the desired blade for 5 seconds. Although I have to be Level 35 before I can use this sword because of the Weapon Skill I'm supposed to get." Eugeo explained while returning the original to Kirin's hands.
"If that's true, then why didn't you copy all the other swords that Erhard had in his shop?" Kirin asked in confusion.
"Well first is because it's hardly any different to stealing... and second is I don't think Erhard is going to be happy to see all of his hard work got copied on a whim with no effort whatsoever." Eugeo chuckled as he imagined the man's enraged reaction if he actually pulled such a stunt. Kirin soon nodded and giggled while she imagined the same thing.
As soon as the two finished their meal, Eugeo's expression turned serious as he decided that it's finally time to start his questioning about this world, 'Alice, are there any spies watching us at this moment?'
[There are two spies... one of them has a the trace of malice on their blades directly behind you while the other is extremely neutral with deep roots of loyalty to your right. The neutral one is doing a better job in concealing her presence since the other spy didn't notice that he's already discovered.]
Eugeo thought about how he can casually use one of his silencing spells without tipping off the spies that he already knows that he's being spied on. With an idea popping up in his head, he finally starts his plan on how to get more information about this world.
"Hey Kirin, want to see how my world cast magic?" Eugeo said with a very convincing mischievous smile as he raised his right arm high above their heads.
"Another world's magic? Yes! I would love to see how it's done." Kirin watching closely in excitement.
[System call - Generate Aerial Element - Form Element Sound Muffler - Discharge]
Three small orbs of green light appeared on three of Eugeo's fingertips before dispersing around him and Kirin, forming a semi-invisible barrier that contains sound within.
"This is a barrier that keeps sound from reaching the outside. It also has a blurring side effect. So no matter how hard we shout, no one outside can hear us or see our facial expressions." Eugeo explains with a grin.
"That's amazing! I don't think we have anything that does something similar in this world." Kirin said in praise before noticing the more serious expression on the Sword Hero's face.
"Kirin, I know that your a good person and I'm confident that I can trust you with my life. The simple fact that you didn't look at Naofumi with disgust and you don't wear a fake smile already shows that you are different from all the other Adventurers. With the peace of mind that no one will know what we're talking about thanks to this spell, please answer my questions with the upmost of honesty. No omitted information whatsoever." Eugeo explained seriously with a hint of assurance in his voice.
"I... understand Sir Eugeo. I give you my word that I will answer with as much detail that I could give for your questions." Kirin earnestly promised with a determined expression. A weight seemingly being lifted from her shoulders.
"Let's start with something simple, where is the Queen?"
"She's currently outside of the country attending an international conference with the rulers of the other countries. Talking about how each country is going to handle their respective Waves, which is information that was supposed be kept secret from you and the other Heroes."
'So the other countries are also experiencing these Waves, not just Melramarc. I guess that makes a lot more sense. The North, East, South and West walls of the human Realm back home have their respective Integrity Knights to stand guard since all of them experience skirmishes from time to time. It's only logical to think that other countries have their own waves to handle too. But why would he keep this a secret from us?' Eugeo wondered before asking the next question.
"Shouldn't the king be there too?"
"The King no longer possesses the Queen's favor because of his unruly behavior towards some previous matters, not to mention all the bad blood that he has for the other rulers. So she decided to go with the 2nd princess while leaving the King and 1st princess here."
"Why the 2nd princess? Shouldn't the older princess be the one to come with the Queen? You know, so she can learn how to fairly handle international meetings like that when she ascends to the throne?"
"The older princess Malty, has always been a problem child, made only worse by the King spoiling her rotten. She doesn't possess any of the wisdom and fair judgement that the Queen has, always abusing her authority to those below her. As punishment, the Queen stripped her right as the first born and gave it to the younger princess Melty."
[This Princess Malty must have been really bad if the Queen went so far as to actually revoke her right to the throne as punishment.] Alice commented with Eugeo subtly nodding.
"So the Queen has the higher authority than the king?"
"Yes."
"If that is true, then did the King summoned us behind the Queen's back?"
"I don't know. Not everyone finds out about what happens inside the castle walls, but my mother is secretly a close friend of the Queen. Which is why I know some of the private life of the royalties. She said that the King is taking full advantage of the Queen's absence. So it's very likely, that is the case."
'GREAT... the King actually intends to leave the other countries for dead by having all 4 heroes to only fight Melramarc's Waves. Just how much does he hate those other countries for him to go this far?!' Eugeo inwardly groaned at the King's sheer stupidity. Then for the next question...
"Where is the 1st princess? There wasn't anyone with the King when we had our passed meetings with him."
"Oh, I apologise for not mentioning that sooner. She's actually that Adventurer who is now Naofumi's companion."
"Huh!?"
[She's probably trying to seduce a Hero to gain his good graces to increase her own standing. Since that Motoyasu guy already had 4 other girls with him, she must have thought going for Naofumi will make her efforts easier since she doesn't have any competition.]
'That DOES make some sense. No wonder she kept giving us bad vibes.'
"I thought her name is Myne Sophia."
"Adventurers can change their name if they want to. My Adventurer name is actually Yuuki Konno, but I chose tell you my real name when we first met."
Pausing for a moment to think, Eugeo remembered his observations about the town, "Where did the First wave hit? I noticed when I arrived to this world that this place seems unscathed."
"It happened in the village of Lurolona which is south of this town. It was actually a Village inhabited mostly by Demi-Humans."
"Demi-Humans?"
"Your World doesn't have them? They are people who have a few animal features like ears, tails and sometimes unusual eyes. They also have a bit of the enhanced instincts and senses of the animal they resemble. Like how Dog Demi-Humans have extremely good smell or Rabbit Demi-Humans have really sharp hearing."
"If they are that good... why aren't there any Demi-Humans that volunteered to join us heroes?"
It was here that Kirin showed a great deal of discomfort in answering. Knowing full well that Eugeo, a hero who was said to have a strong distaste against abusers of power from her Mother's own spies' reports. Eugeo will not like what she's going to say.
"The few that tried were most likely imprisoned." Kirin grimly answered after a few seconds of hesitation.
"WHAT?!" [WHAT?!]
With a heavy heart, Kirin explained the darker side of Melramarc, "Melramarc is a country that has a human Supremacist belief. Demi-Humans are treated very poorly here and have no rights whatsoever. It doesn't help that King Aultcray has a deep rooted hatred for all Demi-Humans which is made even worse by this country's religion that supports this belief. Telling the citizens that Demi-Humans are hellspawns of the previous Wave cycles and that they should be enslaved before they got the chance to regain their monstrous strength."
Eugeo's voice seems to got stuck as he processed this fact when he got hit by a dark realization, "What happened to the citizens of Lurolona?"
Kirin looked away with a very pained and ashamed face as she answered, "According to my mother's private spies, King Aultcray gave an order to the Castle Knights to stand down and allow the Wave to ravage Lurolona. This decision however came with a heavy price... not only is the village destroyed with many Demi-Humans dead, but hundreds of thousands of monsters from the wave were allowed to enter this world without any resistance. When the Knights finally moved, it was already too late to contain all of the monsters. Even now, the Guild that handles the Adventurers jobs are working overtime to clean up the mess King Aultcray have made."
With a hollow voice, Eugeo asked his most dreaded question, "What happened to the Demi-Humans that survived the Wave?"
Kirin's voice full of remorse, confirmed his fears, "The men are killed while the young women and children were forcibly taken to become slaves."
Eugeo is already hyperventilating at this point but that final piece of information caused something in his mind to snap. It didn't take a genius to figure out what awaits the women, they're not only going to be slaves, they're going to be Sex slaves! The world around Eugeo suddenly darkened as the memory of how Raios and Humbert tried to rape Tiese and Ronye while he could do nothing but watch seeped into his mind.
Hate... anger... rage... greed...
"Eugeo! Snap out of it!"
[Eugeo! Snap out of it!]
The Sword Hero suddenly found himself back in the field with Kirin. The said girl holding his shoulders as if she had been shaking him, which she probably was.
"I'm sorry." apologizing to both Kirin and Alice as he start to regain his full senses. "I have an extremely bad experience with people like those, thus making it the easiest way for me lose all rationality. Sorry I let my emotions get the better of me."
[It's okay...I understand Eugeo. But as much as it pains to say it, with this kingdom itself allowing this entire injustice to happen, we won't be able to do anything to help those victims as we are now. We simply lack the strength and the means to help them]
'For now... I will get stronger and set things right. Just like last time.'
[Just be careful ok... we finally had the chance to be together so don't be hasty.] Eugeo caressed the Sword softly to convey his answer.
Kirin just smiled in assurance that she also understood Eugeo's problem before asking, "Do you have anymore questions or is that everything you need to know?"
"Just two more... why has Naofumi been treated so poorly? Ever since we arrived here, almost everyone he meets looks at him like he is some kind of criminal. I noticed the hatred and disgust in the King's eyes along with many of the Nobles he brings along in the castle. Even those other Adventurers were no different."
"The reason is also involved with the King's deep hatred for Demi-Humans. You see... the previous Shield Heroes were known to show a soft spot for Demi-Humans. Although some of the other heroes have also shown compassion for them, the Shield Heroes were the ones to have spent the most effort in convincing other countries to give them equal rights as humans. With this, the Shield Hero is worshiped as the Greatest hero in Demi-Human countries."
'I see... so in Aultcray's eyes, Naofumi is the champion of the Demi-Humans he so hates. Demi-Human volunteers or any human who planned to join the Shield Hero's party were all sent to prison, probably with false charges. But if that is the case, why did he allow his daughter to join his party?' Eugeo thought to himself, having a bad feeling about that fact before putting that matter aside for now. Asking the last question, "What is the Queen's stance over the treatment of Demi-Humans?"
"You don't have to worry, the Queen is the main reason why there has been a short time of peace between us and the Demi-Humans. She will be on our side when she finally returns. Same thing goes for the Toudou family, although it was agreed among my clan that we will act like we are in favor to the King's decisions so he doesn't make us his targets. Only making subtle actions in opposing his very questionable use of his authority."
"At least this gives me some peace of mind... I don't want you to get into trouble with your family because you don't seem to share this country's point of view." Eugeo sighed before reaching into a decision, "For now, we have to get stronger and handle the King's hatred carefully. With the Queen away, we don't have anyone in power to back us up. So helping Naofumi, the Demi-Humans and the other countries will have to be done very discretely, otherwise, the King and the Church will label us as enemies."
Kirin nodded in fierce resolve in doing this monumental task.
"As you already know, I helped Naofumi to not only get stronger, but have given him much needed information on how to use these Legendary Weapons. No doubt the King and Church didn't like that but they could simply write it off as just me being helpful to a fellow hero. With the King's hate along with the support of this Country's Nobilities and main Church, chances are high that they are going to make a move soon to impede Naofumi's growth."
"Do you really think they will go that far?"
"Trust me... I had first hand experience of people like them who will go so far to get back at someone because of old grudges." Eugeo recalled how his conflict with Raios and Humbert all started simply because he showed that he and Kirito are the superior swordsmen. Something that they simply couldn't stomach to accept. Which is why they tried to get rid of them before the graduation exam arrives since they knew that they couldn't win on a fair fight.
"Hey Kirin, did you already know that we are being watched?" Eugeo asked as he stood up, beckoning Kirin to follow suit.
"I had my suspicions. After all, the Church strongly implied to all of us Adventurers to keep sensitive information secret from all four heroes." Kirin confirmed while trying and failing to spot the Three Heroes Church spies that were watching them.
"We have to pretend that everything we discussed up to this point are just about my world's version of magic. This barrier being created simply because of my desire to keep my brand of magic between just the two of us. So let's get some actual Sacred Art training to support this deception."
"Right!"
With the sun now setting in the horizon, Eugeo and Kirin are on their way to the Dragon Hourglass so the Legendary Sword can synchronize with it. Kirin felt embarrassed that she forgot to mention that this is required so that they will be teleported to the Wave's location the moment it starts.
During their Sacred Arts training, Eugeo discovered how Kirin's highest magic proficiency is with the Dark element and Wind Element. For now, she can only do the one shot bullet of both elements, which is actually remarkable for only a day of effort. Then again, Kirin admitted that she also knew a few basic magic spells of this world which probably helped in her progress with his method of magic. Eugeo decided then and there that he will also try to learn this World's method and see if he can merge it with his own.
It was also during this time that Alice mentioned that he unlocked something called the [Companion's Sword 1]. It adds the stat gains of a hero's companions for every Level up by a small amount. Alice theorized that this was because of the bonding moment he had with Kirin. Kirin no longer sees him as just the Heroic Sword Hero in the making, but a fellow human and friend who also has his own problems and mental issues to deal with. This bought a smile to his face that he was right in letting her join him and that Kirin will not be left behind in terms of strength. Putting on his to do list to try experimenting how to upgrade this Companion Series to help Kirin and any future companions to grow stronger faster.
They soon reached their destination, this is where Eugeo discovered that the Dragon Hourglass is actually being held inside a church. The Three Heroes Church that Kirin told him about during their training session. Saying how the Sword, Spear and Bow Heroes are worshiped and respected while the Shield Hero is looked upon as the Devil.
The massive church had a tell-tale decorated window below the red roof. It was at this moment that Eugeo noticed another piece of evidence of how the Shield Hero is discriminated in this country. Three spires are extending from the top of the church, each decorated with a single Weapon. The left spire had the Bow, the right spire had the Spear and the middle spire had the Sword. At the main entrance, it had a massive symbol with the Bow, Spear and Sword overlapping each other to form a cross emblem. There is no sign of the Shield anywhere!
Upon entering the church, Eugeo and Kirin were met with a small group of young nuns, all wearing white robes and the rosary of the Three Heroes around their necks.
"Greetings Sir Sword Hero. Have you come to synchronize with the Dragon Hourglass like the other Heroes did." The leading nun spoke with out most respect while the other nuns bowed towards him.
"Well... Yes I did. That and a few other things that you might be able to help me with, if it's not much trouble." Because of his humble origins, Eugeo felt really awkward of being treated this way.
Eugeo and Kirin were soon led to the chamber where the Dragon Hourglass is being kept. The duo moved forward as a number of metal stairs rose up mechanically to allow them entry. Inside is indeed an hourglass, a 30 foot tall hourglass that is being held by a golden frame with two dragon statues constantly spinning around it. It was also decorated with four red jewels that surrounds the hourglass itself. All in all, it's a breath taking sight.
As Eugeo stepped forward, a burst of light suddenly emitted from the Legendary Sword's gem and a beam shot into the center of the hourglass. A timer appeared at the top of his Stacia Hud with a countdown that roughly translates to 3 weeks, 2 days, 8 hours and 32 minutes.
"Well that helps... now we don't have to worry about how to keep track of our time to prepare for the Wave." Eugeo mumbled before turning to the nuns, "Is it possible for you to bring me your weakest holy water all the way up to your strongest one? There's something I wish to try with this sword."
The nuns blinked in slight surprise, as both the Bow and Spear heroes asked for some of the sand from the hourglass, not Holy water. They obeyed nonetheless and left to get what Eugeo asked for whilst he sat and waited in one of the tables. The nuns soon returned, 5 of them carrying a bottle of Holy water of a different quality.
Kirin and the Nuns all watched in slight amazement as Eugeo poured the bottles of Holy water to the Legendary Sword one by one.
[Valkyrie's Blade 1 Unlocked]
[Valkyrie's Blade 2 Unlocked]
[Valkyrie's Blade 3 Unlocked]
[Valkyrie's Blade 4 Unlocked]
[Valkyrie's Blade 5 Unlocked]
¥
{Holy Series Complete}
[? ? ? ? ? Unlocked]
[Quality: Mystical - Base Attack: 350]
[Mastery: 0/380 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Luminous Mana Burst]
Level 170 Required
Eugeo's eyes widened at the final form of the completed Holy Series. While he expected to get a powerful Sword with a Light Element, he didn't expect to get one SOOOO out of his current reach that he couldn't even see the Sword's name!
He then remembered something important and asked for 5 bottles of the highest quality Holy water and placed them in his Item Storage.
[What are you going to do with all of that Holy water?]
'You just have to wait and see Alice.' Eugeo mentally snickered.
"Sir Sword Hero, you still have not yet absorbed any of the sand from the hourglass have you?" the leading nun that had guided him to the hourglass asked.
"No... I haven't." Eugeo replied
"The other heroes have passed through here earlier this morning to synchronize and also asked for some of the Dragon Hourglass sand. From what they said, it granted them a useful ability." She finished.
"I didn't know that. If that's true, will you be so kind to also give me some?" Eugeo asked politely, causing the young nuns to feel flustered before briskly collecting some sand for Eugeo to absorb. Holding out the Legendary Sword, the nun pours the sand into the blue jewel.
[Dragon Era Sword Unlocked]
[Quality: Unique - Base Attack: 70]
[Mastery: 0/90 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Dimensional Scar]
[Exclusive Ability: Transport Sword]
[Level 50 Required]
"This REALLY is going to be useful in the future." Eugeo chuckled at how convenient this ability is, simply teleporting to previously visited places that he registers as landmarks. Although he still have to work hard to reach the level requirement. The 3 person limit isn't an issue for the time being since his companion is only Kirin.
Turning to the group of extremely helpful nuns, "Thank you so much for all of your help. How much do I have to pay for all the materials you gave me?"
"I-it's no problem Sir Sword Hero! It is our duty to serve you. As for the price, your Sacred duty of combating the waves is more than enough payment for our services." the leading nun barely managed to speak in behalf of all the nuns there.
"Is that so... then you all have my gratitude." Eugeo said in genuine sincerity while bowing towards them. In his mind, there is a great possibility that there are some of the Three Heroes Church that are only being forced to cooperate and can still be redeemed. Just like Knight Alice, who decided to rebel and switch sides when she realized the corrupted nature of the Axiom Church back in Underworld.
All the young nuns are now left completely speechless in nuclear levels of heat on their faces as Eugeo unknowingly gained their favor. They lost a bit of their respect for the other two heroes because of how the Spear hero is a shameless flirt and the Bow hero simply being young. Both of them lacking the Heroic disposition that they expected from a Legendary Hero. Eugeo on the other hand, seems to possess some of those traits.
Turning to Kirin, who decided to stay completely silent the entire time so she won't accidentally alert the Church's spies, "Do you know any nearby inns where we can have something to eat and a room to sleep in?"
That night, Eugeo and Kirin stayed in a more moderate quality inn and had their dinner before going to bed. Their place having two beds on opposite sides of the room. Eugeo then removed his armor and placed them on the table and chair before laying on his bed.
After making sure that Kirin is already asleep, Eugeo held the Legendary Sword in his bed for the awaited first try of the Mindscape Ability, 'Alright Alice, let's give it a shot.'
[Right!]
In a flash of light, both literally and figuratively, Eugeo once again found himself back in the meadow of Rulid where he had his most cherished memories of Alice.
"Over here Eugeo." Alice called from behind with a weirdly mischievous tone.
Turning around...
Eugeo blushes as hot as a volcano as he saw Alice in all her Angelic Glory!
In front of him is Alice with a pair of pure white and silver Angel wings completed with a halo floating above her head! Her her hair gaining some kind of sparkling shine and now donning pure white robes that you would expect a real angel to wear!
"So what do you think Eugeo?" Alice asked with a slightly seductive tone as she gave him a curtsy completed with a flatter of her feathers.
After gathering his wits and clearing his throat, "You look beyond beautiful Alice." Eugeo replies with all his heart.
Alice giggled in appreciation before grabbing one of his arms and dragging him to take a seat beside a nearby tree. There, they spent the remaining 3 minutes cuddling and just enjoying each other's warmth. She explains that her Angelic form comes from the Valkyrie's Blade that he unlocked earlier that day. Alice also mentions the unexpected side effect of this ability. Since the time within the Mindscape is only happening inside their heads, only a fraction of a second passes in the outside world.
The happy couple couldn't help but groan when they saw the countdown on the Stacia Hud almost reaching zero. Eugeo once again promised that he will work hard to make sure she gets a real human body with Alice saying that she will be waiting.
The two then went to sleep with high hopes for the future... unaware that the turbulent times that Eugeo predicted to come would arrive far earlier than he thought.
At the very early morning of the next day, Eugeo and Kirin are abruptly woken up by the loud knocking on their door with someone calling for the Sword Hero to wake up. Rubbing his eyes awake with a yawn, Eugeo is quick to get up as he is already used to waking up early. Partly because of his previous calling to chop down the Demon tree back in Rulid. Even when he left and moved to Centoria, he still stayed an early riser with him being Kirito's alarm clock.
Quickly opening the door, Eugeo answered, "What's the big emergency good sir."
The one who was knocking on the door is actually a soldier, "I'm sorry to disturb you, Sir Sword Hero, but his Highness called for an emergency meeting."
"Why? What happened?"
"Well... I only heard rumors, but apparently the Shield Hero his being brought in, on the charges of sexually assaulting his party member!!"
"WHAT?!" "WHAT?!"
Eugeo suddenly froze, just barely able to reply to the guard that he will come to see the king after getting dressed. Everything clicked inside Eugeo's head of why Myne aka Malty joined Naofumi's party and why King Aultcray allowed it despite his hatred for the Shield Hero.
'Stupid stupid stupid!! Why didn't I realized this sooner! I thought they were still setting some kind of elaborate trap for Naofumi to do something that they can paint in a bad light. The same way Raios and Humbert did to me. But I completely forgot that since only the few involved people know about Malty's twisted nature, her lies against Naofumi's truths is going to blow this mess out of the water! The King will no doubt believe his spoiled and lying daughter and this will give him the perfect excuse to make Naofumi's life as miserable as he can possibly can! With the nobles hating the Shield Hero from the start, it would be so easy to influence even the commoners to believe this entire facade.' Eugeo lamented to himself, fighting the urge to bang his head against the wall.
"What do we do Eugeo?" Kirin's voice filled with worry as she knew that all of this is just another big ugly mess that King Aultcray and Malty are making once again. With the Queen away and her own mother forced into pretending to be all into this to protect the clan, she couldn't think of anything to help the poor Shield Hero.
"We'll do what we CAN do." Eugeo replied with a new wave of determination on his face as he throws together the best plan that he could think of to at least lighten Naofumi's burden. Especially now that the Shield Hero's reputation is being plunged rock bottom!
'Are there any spies?'
[None at the moment] Alice checked
'Good'
Eugeo quickly opened his Item Storage and took several monster parts that he doesn't need anymore, about 200 silver coins and 2 of his highest quality Holy water. Placing them all inside a pouch and quickly handing it over to Kirin's hands.
"Get to Erhard's Blacksmith shop as fast as you can and very discreetly tell him the truth about this entire mess. Then ask him to make a convincing act that he's going to beat Naofumi to a pulp and drag him to the Blacksmith shop to do it, wait for them there. The moment Naofumi enters, act like you are now scared that he might rape you too and accidentally leave all of these items on one of Erhard's displays." Eugeo explained his last minute plan.
Kirin nodded with new found purpose as they got dressed and quickly went to their respective destinations.
Yes people, the Yuuki who died in the SAO universe is already here to begin with! Hahaha...
Simply put, Kirin Toudou here is the reincarnation of Yuuki Konno from SAO. We never really knew what Yuuki should have looked like IRL if she never got sick with AIDS and was a healthy girl, so I just went with the appearance of Kirin Toudou at 16 years of age. I'm not sure how all of you would feel about this but I hope you can at least accept my decision. This was my plan all along, long before the suggestions of bringing Yuuki here came in the reviews. Yuuki would be a little bit out of character in this Fanfic since she had a different life in this world, only recalling bits and pieces of her past life back in the SAO universe. More memories returning to her overtime.
Like always, please leave a review if you can and I'm open to suggestions if it's compatible with the story. We all know what's coming in the next update. Eugeo's changes to the story will be a bit small at first but will be making much bigger and noticable changes after the first wave.
The next chapter might come a little late since I have to do a little brainstorming of how things are supposed to go. Of course I will try to update it at this same time next week. If not, maybe a few days later.