We appeared outside the Inn, which was no problem when there were just seven of us, but with a bit over thirty, plus the cart, we were actually quite the road block. Luckily, there is a shine effect on our destination, something I'd asked about, so everyone got out of the way of our landing. Unluckily, we were spread out over the street, and I nearly fell over from the pain in my side, before Lucia helped to prop me up.
"Everyone! Into the Inn!" shouted Ray over the din, to get us out of the streets, and with Naofumi's help, I was able to join them, reaching into my pocket and pulling out three gold. An order to the innkeeper later, and the parties were having…well, a party, as liquor and other such fun things were distributed to the groups. At some point, however, I noticed Myne slip away, making me wonder what she might be up to.
We don't take too long to excuse ourselves from the festivities, the Heroes heading to the castle, Ren helping me to hobble along. The people were giving us a few looks, but nothing more than that as we passed amongst the citizens. Luckily, the moment we were in sight of the castle, the gate opened wide, and the four of us entered, even getting a nice procession inside, as the guards lined up on either side of us as we made our way into the keep proper.
Within the walls, a man in a robe, the seneschal I think, though I was not aware of his name, greeted us, and then ushered us forward. He commented on how it was not expected for us to have made the journey so quickly from the Wave to here, and so his majesty had shuffled some meetings around, but it would take some take to receive us in state, as such, we were taken to a small sitting room, and left to our own devices.
Not that we did much there. Ren set me on the couch, and I had to admit, my side was feeling…not better, but not as bad I suppose, the others just sort of milled about, with Naofumi staring at his shield, while Motoyasu stared at the wall, and Ren out the window. Given I couldn't join the younger man, I spent a bit of time poking my wound, seeing where it hurt, and watching as the edges of it were healing nicely, the scar not quite vanishing.
Luckily, we did get called in after a few minutes, with me able to stand on my own, even if I did need a shoulder to lean on while walking, Motoyasu, surprisingly taking this up, claiming he hadn't yet, and so we hobbled down the hall, and into the throne room, where the King sat on his big chair, with Myne…Princess Malty, standing beside him. He seemed shocked to see us, probably given my state, but he said nothing, as we made our way to stand before him, and I pushed off to stand on my own, so we were in the same lineup as we'd been the last time we'd faced him.
"Heroes, it does my heart glad to hear that another Wave has passed, and you have proven victorious once more. Still, it was obviously not without cost," he says the last while gesturing to me, and I grunt a bit. I mean, it was obvious, but still, no need to draw attention to it.
"Now, my daughter has informed me that the Heroes of the Spear, Sword, and Bow engaged with the enemy forthwith, and did significant damage to it, while the Shield Hero came much later. Would you care to explain that, Sir Naofumi?" he asked, an obvious accusatory tone as he had someone in robes hold out an orb that…played recorded images of the battles we'd been fighting, making me stare at it.
"Hey! I was pro-," started Naofumi, but before he could say much else, I stumbled, with Motoyasu and Ren grabbing me before I could fall flat on my face. It had been because I took a step forward, and found my balance not quite what I wanted, as they helped me to stand straight.
"Apologies, all of you, but if I might interrupt, how is such a recording made? That is clear images of our battle. Did you get that from here somehow, or was someone wearing a partner to that which transmitted it?" I asked, which derailed everyone's thought train, even the King's, who seemed at a loss for words, before he nodded to the robbed man, who turned to me.
"The Orbs can hold recordings of many kinds, and they can be made via a spell that allows for remote viewing, but quality images of this nature require a localized medium. The Princes…er the Adventurer Myne wears one such medium in her regalia in order to ensure her safety, given her position within the royal family," she, as it turned out to be a woman under the hood, said.
"I notice it changes angles, but is not able to go up onto the deck of the ship, is the area recorded a perfect sphere, and can the view pass through solid objects, or is it just-" I began, and the King coughed, drawing our attention back to him, making me blush as I realize I was interrupting a debriefing by a mission contact.
"I'll…um I'll ask this question later, if I might bother you for your time, my lady," I said, and she seemed amused by this, laughing in a silvery tone, before her hood nodded, and the King drew the attention back to him. However, most of the tension in the room had ebbed, and Naofumi launched into his description of events, namely how he had seen to the defense of the village, protecting the people, while we had been engaged with the boss.
"It worked the first time, and I saw no reason it shouldn't this time," he ended, and I nodded.
"An assumption that would have been right, had it been the same straightforward boss as the Chimera. Still, in the future, we should probably have some method of keeping in touch at a distance, so as to allow us to call in backup," I add, which the King nods along to. Myne, for her part, scoffed, crossed her arms, but said nothing.
"Very well then, I cannot find fault in your actions as they stand, Shield Hero. But, this skill you used, this 'Iron Maiden'. I insist you tell us how you came by such a…potent ability," he said, and Naofumi scoffed, but then looked at us, Motoyasu staring at him like a dog about to be thrown a bone…and Ren and I probably not looking much better honestly. That skill was far and away the most damaging thing we'd seen to date.
Naofumi opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again, obviously considering what to say, and Myne seemed about to say something in response, but even Motoyasu waved her off. After all, it was a unique skill, and every one of us was used to sidequesting to gain such, and sometimes those took a bit to figure out how to describe. Would be just like something from Dimensional Sign in which we had to give a ring to a fairy in a forest and then go on a twenty-five stage quest to get something like that.
"Okay, listen, I'm…I'm not crazy, before I start on this, I want everyone to acknowledge that I'm a sane person, is that clear?" he asked, and that took all of us in the room, even the guards along the carpet, back a bit. Considering both who he was, and where we were, it was also a debatable point. Still, we let him continue.
"During my fight against the dragon that Ren…during my fight against a zombified dragon, I thought Filo had died, one shot by the dragon eating her. Then it started to come after Raphtalia and myself, its power, it was…overwhelming," he began, and he started to pace a little, using the motion to help him keep his thoughts going.
"I knew if I didn't do anything I'd die. Like, not even a chance we were going to win that fight, even with the gains we'd made, it was impossible for us to fight that kind of opponent," he continued, and I looked to Ren, who had slain the dragon when it had been alive, a battle he'd thought less of than the fight against a goblin lord. I had to wonder, idly, if the zombification had somehow increased its stats, though I kept that question to myself.
"When I realized we couldn't run, couldn't fight, and at best, I could draw out our deaths, I was…taken is the only word I can think of to describe it," he said, looking up for the first time since he started, and flaring out his arms as if to motion to the whole room.
"Suddenly, the dragon, Raphtalia, all of it just kind of fell away, and I was floating in a void of darkness. And someone typed something into it. Like, on an old school computer typed, in leet-speak of all things, asking if I wanted power," he said this while motioning with his hand, and briefly, not more than the span of a breath, he drew out the Rage Shield, a black and red, very edgelord looking thing, with his gem in the center of it sparkling with malice, before he dismissed it.
"I…don't remember much of what happened after. Fire, I hurt the dragon. *I* hurt the dragon. I'd been able to pop balloons with a load of effort, but this was far past that, and I just wanted everything to die," he said, staring into his weapon.
"After that, this Shield, which wasn't in my menu before, unlocked when I fed it the core of the dragon. It…isn't something I can control, I lose myself into it when I draw it out for battle, but it lets me do impossible things. It also lets me combine skills. That's what the Iron Maiden was. Shield Prison mixed with Spikes. I don't know how I knew it would work, but I did, and…" he trailed off.
During this whole thing I had the note taking window open in my vision, writing out with my thoughts what he was saying, and adding small notes to it through the interface. Mostly on that it was a psychological thing, not a physical one, that had drawn out this power. And someone typing? That spoke of directed intelligence. Interestingly, while Myne scoffed at it, the three of us looked at each other, obviously thinking the same thing.
"Dude, that sounds bad. Like…you 'made a deal with a devil' bad," said Motoyasu at last, and Naofumi turned to him…but didn't say anything, just stared.
"Indeed, Shield Hero. It sounds like your sin may have called up far worse from the depths than even you might understand. As such, by Royal Decree, I must order you that you will not use that power ever again," he declared, a bit of disgust sneaking into his voice, but Naofumi, who had said nothing to Motoyasu, spun around with his teeth bared against the King.
"So you want me to just die then? What about those people I saved by taking out the Soul Eater so quickly?" he demanded in his tone, and the King seemed ready to tear into him as well.
"You did not need to go so far! By the statements here, and of my daughter, the battle was all but won before you used such a dangerous power. Worse, it is a power YOU hold, and your record speaks plainly, not only from your first crime, but to today," he declared, rising from his throne.
"You have 'saved' villages, but then taken them for all they were worth, squeezing the wealth from them in a way even the Guild is loath to do. When faced with bandits, you demand tribute from them, and then send them on their way, as if their crimes warrant nothing more," he said, and that caught me off guard myself, as I hadn't heard about him taking money from bandits or anything.
"You care only for coin, that is plain to all who have heard of your deeds, and now to learn you possess a power like this? Do you think me a fool to trust one whose character is in question with such a power?" he demanded, and Naofumi scoffed.
"Think what you want, but I stand by that I save people. And if maybe the King cared a little, then I wouldn't be broke, and they wouldn't NEED saving at all," he threw back…and to be fair, it was a good point. Why should Naofumi be the one to deal with bandits on the road, and not the guards. Regardless, he turned on his heel, and stalked out of the room pushing the doors open, and then letting them slam shut behind him. Looking from him, to the King, I started after him, grunting a little, but recovered enough in only a few minutes to at least hobble after him.
"Bow Hero, wait, I would have words with you…perhaps less harsh ones if we can, over this 'Sanctuary' you have built," came the King's voice, and I paused, but only for a moment, before turning back to him.
"I will speak plainly then, in a private audience if I might, King Aultrcray, but I must speak with the Shield Hero before he departs," I said, and started after him again. Luckily, the guards pulled the large doors for me, and I nodded my thanks to the pair, as I saw the Shield Hero already descending the stairs into the foyer of the main keep, paused at the bottom, as a woman slipped away from him.