Like the previous chapter, this one was also cut a bit short. However, it still covers a couple of critical things that legit made me very angry when I first watched the second episode of this series. (It is rare for me to get so pissed at a show, but damn if this wasn't one of them.)
I'll go into more detail in the commentary section to avoid spoilers.
For now, enjoy the brand new chapter!
In Another World With My Smartphone: The Lost Hero
Chapter Seven: A Clash of Blades and Ideals
"Light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error. It is these mingled opposites which people our life, which make it pungent, intoxicating. We only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash."
-Louis Aragon
'Not much farther now,' Alex observed the remaining distance from their first destination on his phone as he continued to tear into their remaining food supplies. It took a good hour of experimentation with Alex's new modeling spell before he could repair the cart to be as good as new. The problem now was that they were in a race against time to stop a possible kidnapping of a high-profile daughter of a nobleman.
'Damn...I'm still hungry,' Alex thought as he reached back into their food sack and found nothing but hardtack crumbs and salt. He had used a lot of mana to fix every joint that had been sabotaged by the thugs in Amanesque town, which left him nearly running on empty. 'I think I've actually started to lose weight...and not the healthy way either...'
"We're coming in close to the Southern Forest!" Elze called out as she pointed at the incoming perimeter of a vast mass of dark wood trees. "Most places that would be good for an ambush would be somewhere close to the entrance while still being deep enough to yourself hide well!"
"Just like the Horn wolves did in our first mission!" Linze commented as she leaned forward to get a better look.
"Do you think we'll make it in time, Alex?" Yae questioned with a concerned expression as she began fitting her swords into her clothes.
"I hope so," Alex answered with a determined expression as he grabbed his steelwood staff. "The repairs took longer than expected since I wasn't sure how the spell worked right away."
"Still, it was quite impressive!" Yae reassured the young man with a wide smile. "Better an hour than still being struck there!"
"Yeah..." Alex sighed with a sad smile. He appreciated what Yae was trying to do, yet, he couldn't help but feel guilty for their setback. In their rush to be one step ahead of their foes, they still managed to get the drop on them. Even if it took a whole day for their plan to partially work.
"Even if we're too late, we still have our other plan to raid the hideout of those foul scoundrels back in Amanesque," Yae reminded Alex of his backup plan. "We will see justice done!"
"Yeah, you're right," the young man nodded in agreement as he looked back at the road. "If that's the case, we'll look for clues to see which family the child belongs to. Then we could petition them to curb the corrupt guards of Amanesque."
"Speaking of clues, Alex," said Linze as she turned to face the lone male as the cart entered the forest. "Could you try using Long Sense? If the ambush happened to be off-road. You'll still be able to direct us."
Alex blinked for a moment as he resisted the urge to punch himself out of sheer frustration. '
Why didn't I think of that!? Damn it, I'm losing my edge here!'
"Good idea," Alex quickly recovered as he carefully stood up to move closer to the front of the covered coach. "Long Sense."
Instantly, all of Alex's senses kicked into overdrive. The boy quickly closed his eyes to avoid sensory overload and tried to hone in on smells or sounds that wouldn't be typical for a forest. Finally, after a good minute of sorting between all sorts of sounds and smells, Alex picked on something out of the ordinary for the forest. It was a familiar smell that quickly soured his stomach as he began tasting that scent. His heart sank as he recalled the last time he encountered this particular flavor.
It was the day he died.
"Blood! I smell blood over just there! " Alex called out as he pointed further down with wide eyes to where the road curved further into the forest.
"Look, there are some new tracks on the road!" Linze pointed out as they began to notice some recently made tracks from two carts that must have only recently passed by.
"They're still here!" Alex breathed a sigh of relief as he started to hear the familiar clash and clang of a battle nearby. "But it looks like they're fighting right now! So be careful, everyone; we're going in hot!"
"Wait...over there, someone's hurt...Oh no!" Yae called out as the group's cart made one last long turn in the road. It didn't take long to find the first dead uniformed body on the side of the road riddled with a few arrows, with a look of surprise evident on his face, and he wasn't the only one. A few more bodies of what appeared to be guards garbed in a light golden-yellow armor who had met the same fate were found only a few more feet away from the first.
"DAMN IT!" Alex roared, making everyone jump as they had never heard the young man sound so angry. Before anyone could say anything. Alex leaped out of the speeding cart, calling out Elze's null magic, and blasted ahead of them in a full sprint while wielding his steelwood staff like a club.
"WAIT! ALEX WHERE AR-OH, DAMN IT! LINZE! TAKE OVER DRIVING!" Elze barked out as she handed the reigns to her sister to put on her gauntlets. As much as they wanted to stop here to check on the fallen soldiers. They had to prioritize the ones who were still alive. "Park the cart, stay close to it, and cover us with your magic!"
"R-right!" Linze responded while pulling the reigns to make the horses slow down.
"Yae with me!" Elze roared out as they arrived at the battlefield, the remaining two frontline fighters leaping out, trying to follow Alex as best they could without burning out early.
"Right behind you!" Yae called out as she drew her blade and followed closely behind Elze.
Alex gave out the heaviest, most visceral battle cry he could muster. He came upon a series of what appeared to be armed Lizardmen attacking the three remaining guards who were making a valiant last stand to protect an extravagantly decorated horse-drawn carriage behind them. While a plain-looking coach likely used by the guards for their own transport had been destroyed. Its remnants were used as a makeshift barrier to defend against the creatures armed with bows. Both vehicles were covered with arrows as all of their horses lay dead, so there was no way this group could escape with all the monsters attacking them.
However, everyone's attention was focused on the young man who had come out of nowhere, charging the scaly creatures. Alex's first move was to eliminate the Lizardmen archers in the back of the line. The young man swiftly managed to crack the skulls of each of them with a vicious long swing of his steelwood staff. To the guards, all they saw was a dark blue blur that started to slaughter the archers with little effort.
"We got reinforcements!" The guard leader gasped out to rally his remaining troops, despite being at their limits. Grateful as Elze and Yae took over for them on the front line. "Thank you!"
"We got you covered!" Elze declared before getting to work on the creatures in front of her with the same speed as Alex.
"On my honor," Yae yelled as she slew her first Lizardman with her katana before moving on to the next one. "They shall not pass beyond this line!"
Unfortunately for Alex, a steelwood staff while stronger than your typical quarterstaff. It wasn't strong enough to survive being repeatedly swung like a baseball bat at the speed and strength that its owner was currently using. The staff shattered after killing the final Lizardman archer, splitting the wood awkwardly and leaving the young man without a weapon save for his magically boosted body.
Yet, it didn't matter much as thanks to the trio's combined efforts, the remaining Lizardmen were dead in less than a minute of the team joining the fray.
"Is everyone okay?" Alex called out as he released Boost from his body, feeling close to the limits of his mana reserves. Still, the adrenaline pumping in his bloodstream kept him alert and in crisis mode.
"We're fine," Elze answered as she relaxed while Yae checked over the remaining guards with Linze. "We cut it close with our timing..."
"Yeah..." Alex said softly as he slowly turned to look at the bodies of the fallen with a crestfallen expression. 'But we were too late to save them...'
"ALEX, LOOK OUT!"
The young man heard Linze cry as he barely reacted in time to dodge another Lizardman who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Instantly, the adventuring party was set upon the new group of scale-bound warriors. As his mana reserves were dangerously low, Alex couldn't use Power Rise to protect himself without burning out, so he resolved to play it safe and retreat. Only for Alex to awkwardly step on a rock that was just big enough to make him lose balance.
"Where did these bastards come from?!" Alex yelled out as he landed harshly on the ground, only to roll out of the way of the Lizardman's follow-up attack until he ran out of room. The young man felt the same type of terror as he did on the day he died, watching the sword come down on him. All he could do was brace himself and hope for the best again. "Shit!"
"I got you!" Linze yelled out as she was quick to react and blasted the Lizardman with several ice shards straight into its heart. Alex didn't waste a second, picking himself up and sprinting into the line's back. "They're being summoned with dark magic!"
"How do we stop them?!" Yae questioned loudly as she jumped back into the fray to cover Alex's retreat.
"There has to be a mage nearby!" Elze answered as she punched Lizardman's head hard enough to cause its skull to cave. "If we take him down, that'll stop more from being summoned!"
"A mage, huh?" Alex said to himself as he managed to join Linze in the back of the line while his heavily dilated eyes scanned the edges of the forest. Desperately trying to find the bastard who was summoning these creatures. It took a moment, but Alex finally found the mage wearing a dark cloak, just like the guys he had tailed. He was using a tree for cover, but Alex already had a solid idea of getting him out of his hiding place. "FOUND HIM, LINZE; COVER EVERYONE ELSE, GATE!"
Two portals suddenly opened up at the same time. The first one opened in front of Alex, who now had a wicked grin, and the second opened right behind the unsuspecting mage. Linze watched as the cloaked mage slowly turned around and realized just how screwed he was when he saw them, or more accurately, Alex's face.
"GOTCHA BITCH!" Instantly, the American lunged through the portal, grabbing the surprised mage by the throat, and began punching him repeatedly as he dragged him into his side of the portal. Alex managed to get the mage into a stiff chokehold without fanfare until he finally stopped struggling and blacked out. At the same time, the girls and the remaining guards finished off the remaining Lizardmen.
"The four of you saved our hides, thank you," said Arne, the long-haired, makeshift leader of the remaining guardsmen, with a quick but polite bow as his breath was heavy and labored. Now that they were sure there wouldn't be a repeat of Lizardmen reinforcements, and the mage was secured by the other two guards. The two parties were now trying to evaluate their next move.
"No problem...we're just sorry that it took us so long to get here," Alex answered solemnly as he turned to look at the corpses of the fallen guardsmen. "How many did you lose?"
"Seven of us, including our captain..."Arne answered as he shook his head in frustration and wiped the sweat from his brow. "If only we had reacted sooner...I just don't understand how this happened. We took this route to avoid an ambush."
Before Alex or any of the girls could respond, as they all knew the reason, a young panicked voice called out that instantly put everyone on alert.
"Someone, anyone, help! Leim, Leim, no!"
"Lady Ortlinde! Sir Leim!" Arne called out as he and the remaining guards re-drew their swords and moved towards the arrow-riddled door fancy carriage. While Alex and the twins followed suit, ready for another fight. The guards quickly opened the door and found a young blonde girl in a fancy pink and white dress with a matching hat. Her green eyes were swimming in tears as she knelt next to an older gentleman lying across the back seat. The old man was wearing a butler's tuxedo with blood pooling on the front of his outfit.
"Help him, please! Leim's been shot, and the arrow broke off inside," The girl pleaded to her guards.
"I'm sorry, Lady Ortlinde. But we can't do anything for him," Arne said after inspecting the wounds before looking at the newcomers that had saved them. "But maybe these mages might be to help."
"Make room," Alex ordered stiffly as he and Linze entered the carriage. Alex's first-aid training kicked in as he checked the Butler's blood pressure by putting his fingers to the man's neck while counting in his head. "It's already low...he must've been bleeding out for a while now..."
"Linze...would you be able to heal him?" Alex whispered as his makeshift diagnosis was grim.
"The arrow's stuck," Linze answered with a gentle shake of her head. "While my healing magic could heal over his injuries, it wouldn't remove the arrowhead, so it would only cause him to continue suffering."
'In short, unless we remove the arrowhead. We'll just painfully prolong his death,' Alex figured as he gritted his teeth and could only watch the poor man struggling to breathe. He knew first-hand how it felt to struggle just to breathe as the specter of death was looming. In frustration, Alex slammed his fist against the carriage wall, making everyone jump.
'GODDAMN IT! WE'VE LOST SEVEN ALREADY BECAUSE OF ME BEING SHORTSIGHTED! I HAVE ALL OF THIS POWER, AND I STILL CAN'T SAVE SOMEONE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!? COME ON, THINK! YOU WERE A UA STUDENT! ONE OF THE BIG FIVE! YOU JUST CAN'T GIVE UP. YOU NEED TO PLUS ULTRA THIS BITCH SOMEHOW!'
"Alex?" Linze said softly as it seemed like the young man had given up hope once he hung his head down. Only for Alex to look up toward the carriage wall and slam his head against it as hard as he could. The young girl jumped back out of shock while Linze was beyond puzzled by the young man's strange antics. "ALEX?!"
"That's it! Quick! I need an arrow! Someone grab a complete arrow! I need to see what the head looks like!" The young man suddenly yelled out as if he had gotten an epiphany. He quickly ordered the people outside to collect an arrow for him. Despite the strange or worried looks Alex was getting with how red his forehead was getting. Arne wasted no time grabbing one of the arrows stuck against the coach and handing it to the crazed-looking American.
"Alex, what are you-"
"Linze, when I give you the signal, heal him, understand?" Alex told Linze firmly before studying the arrowhead with his right hand and readying his left. The younger Silhoueska twin wanted to question him further, but that determined look on his face told her to trust him. She knew he had found a solution.
"Okay."
"Good," said Alex with a slightly shaky breath as he closed his eyes to focus. "Come...I got this, Aports!"
"Of course!" Linze watched in amazement as she finally realized what he was doing. A blood-coated arrowhead suddenly appeared in Alex's left hand while he gave the girl a stiff nod. Without hesitation, Linze moved to begin healing the older gentleman. "Come forth, Light! Give your soothing comfort, Cure Heal!"
As Linze literally worked her magic, the man's wounds slowly began to close with a shining golden glow. Once it was over, everyone held their breath as they waited for some kind of result. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for the man's breathing to ease up and slowly open his eyes.
"I...I can feel the pain disappearing..." Leim managed to say weakly but still managed a smile. Relief and cheers rang out as the old man was now out of danger. "Is everyone alright, oof!"
"Leim, you're okay! Yay!" The girl cheered as she embraced her long-time caretaker with fresh happy tears in her eyes. The old man chuckled fondly as he brushed the young girl's hair. Linze was quick to wipe the tears that had formed in her eyes, while Elze and Yae suppressed their emotional reactions but were moved nonetheless.
"Alex?" Linze asked without warning; the young man had opened the other door and made a break for the woods. Yet, it didn't take any guesses on why he needed to run once they heard him throw up just beyond the brushes. Linze turned to see the concerned expressions of the people they rescued with a polite bow. "Please excuse me for a moment."
The others made no argument as Linze, Elze, and Yae all made their way toward Alex, who breathing heavily, had finished upheaving the contents of his stomach. While the girls winced at the smell of fresh bile but managed to maintain sympathetic expressions as they knew Alex had been pushing his limits since yesterday with little complaint. Elze stepped forward with a surprisingly gentle voice as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You okay?"
"I...I will be when the job's done," Alex said hoarsely as he quickly wiped his mouth with his wrist. The young man winced as he took a deep breath that only worsened the burning of his throat, but he still had to calm himself down. "Linze."
"Y-yes?" The younger Silhoueska twin answered with a slight jump.
"I'm sorry, but can you please make sure everyone gets water? Most of us are sweating hard and will risk dehydration if we don't get our fluids up. Especially with the old man, given how much blood he lost before we healed him."
"Umm! Okay! I can go grab the canteens first!" Said Linze with a quick nod before making her way back to their cart.
"Yae or Elze, can one of you bring our cart over here, please? We'll have to let them borrow one of our horses to make the remainder of the trip to the Capital."
"I'll handle it," Elze reassured Alex with a gentle pat before giving Yae a nod and went to follow her sister.
"Yae..."
"Yes, Alex?"
"I'm sorry to ask this...and don't hesitate to refuse if you don't want to. But could you please help me with gathering the dead?" Alex asked softly, but Yae could hear the pain in his voice. "We...we can't just leave them here. They gave their lives to protect that little girl. The least we could do is make sure that they...they get back h-home..."
The Samurai turned her head to see the corpses of the fallen guardsman. As a fellow warrior, she acknowledged these brave men who had died honorably in the face of such an evil plot. It would be deplorable to just leave them here as carrion fodder for the forest creatures. Yae simply nodded as she gave her answer.
"Of course, it is only right that we bring the fallen back to their families. So that they may be given all of the honors of fallen heroes."
"Yeah...fallen heroes..."
Once everything was settled, and they were ready to move out. The two groups convened on how to proceed to the Capital. Between them was their unconscious prisoner, who was still being guarded by one of the remaining guardsmen. It was ultimately decided that he would be turned in and interrogated by the agents of the Kingdom.
"You have our gratitude, kind adventurers," the young girl began with a surprising amount of maturity found despite her age. "Not only did you risk your own lives to save us from danger! But you brought Leim back from the brink of death!"
"Indeed! Thank you for coming to our aid and healing me," the older man said with a polite bow, looking much healthier than he was earlier. "Please forgive our late introduction. I am Leim, Head Butler and Chamberlain to the Duchy of Ortlinde. To my right is the heiress to the seat of Ortlinde, Lady Sushie Ernea Ortlinde."
Alex quickly noticed all the girls had instantly taken a knee upon learning of the girl's status. However, between his ancestral detestment for such formalities and things like royalty, they simply did not have the time for such trivial formalities. The mage, whom Alex suspected was known as Corvus, was at some point to meet up with a contact in the Capital known as Paro. Considering a mountain of possibilities, including another potential ambush, Alex wanted to get back on the road as soon as possible.
"Alex! Take a knee," Elze whispered urgently, but Alex was having none of it. You can take the American out of the United States, but you can't stop him from continuing to be one in his heart.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have the time," Alex responded with renewed authority. Despite knowing he could run the risk of offending some essential people. "We can take care of the proper pleasantries when we're safely in the Capital. We're not out of danger just yet."
The girls winced as Leim seemingly took offense to Alex's response, but to everyone's surprise. The young heiress was quick to nod with a determined expression. As she motioned everyone to rise, Sushie gave Liem a gentle nudge with her elbow.
"Please forgive my dear Butler for being so formal. You are correct, good sir. We should not dawdle; we must return to the Capital immediately and report this to my father."
"Thank you for your kindness, My Lady," Elze quickly answered with a polite bow before shooting Alex a sideways glare. "And please forgive my friend's bluntness. As you can see, he means well, despite his lack of manners."
'I can show you a thing or two about lacking manners,' Alex thought, though he kept his mouth shut. He could already tell he would be in for an earful once Elze had the chance, and she wasn't entirely wrong in doing so. The only thing Alex could do was just hope to get it over as soon as possible. He just wanted the job to be over and done with.
"There is one problem..." Leim responded after clearing his throat as he looked at the seven bodies of the dead guards that had been laid out neatly close. Meanwhile, the corpses of the Lizardmen had begun disappearing earlier as if they were on a timer. "Between both our transports. We do not have the room to accommodate the fallen."
"I'll handle that," Alex reassured them as he gave the remaining guardsman an understanding nod. He could tell from their expressions that they didn't want to leave their friends behind. "I swear, I will personally come back to get them once we're safe at the Capital. Now, if there isn't anything else, let's go."
Without another word, the two groups entered their respective coaches and restarted the final leg of their journey.
Linze could feel the awkwardness in the air as she and Yae decided to take the driver's seat.
Leaving Elze and Alex within the cart to have a much-needed conversation. Linze knew it had only been a matter of time before this talk would eventually happen since Elze was primarily seen as the de facto leader of this party. At least in the eyes of the Guild. However, lately, there had been a growing trend of the party following the young man, between this rather lucrative delivery job, turned rescue mission to recruiting a temporary new ally.
It all came to a head with how Alex had spoken to the heiress of Duchy of Ortlinde, the King's niece!
Every now and then, Yae and Linze would give each other the same looks of concern as the journey continued. The two remained silent while staring at each other from their seats. Elze was deep in thought as she crossed her legs and rested her right hand on her chin while those bright green eyes scanned the young man's face. Alex was seated a little more casually as he leaned against his seat and had his left leg planted across the bench. Yet his eyes carried the same kind of conviction whenever he was on point with his actions, be they studying or on the job.
The tired, hardened eyes of a veteran who had experienced death in more ways than one.
The only sounds being made were of the cart's gentle rumbles; the horses' occasional neighs; their stomachs rumbling, and finally, the focused heavy breathing of everyone in the party waiting for the explosion to finally happen. Yet, it never came, as one had decided to break the silence with perhaps the softest voice one could expect.
"I'm sorry, Elze," Alex started off after finally closing his eyes and breathed a long sigh as he lowered his head.
He sat up straight while Elze remained as she was.
"I'm not going to make excuses simply because I'm a foreigner, as it wouldn't matter. I understand that pissing off the nobility is not a good idea. And by doing so, I could have not only put myself at risk, but you, Linze, and Yae could have also been dragged into it. We're a party, but I know it's been going my way more often lately. It's not on purpose, but...it's hard to change aspects ingrained in me for many years. From helping Yae to trying to save Lady Ortlinde. I...I just can't -not do something. If I...If I can make a difference and help, especially with my powers."
Alex sighed again.
"But I understand if you don't want me to be part of your party anymore. Especially if I'm only going to end up being a liability to you and everyone else. I just wanted to speak my piece first before you make your choice."
'The humility...' Yae thought in awe while still looking forward and trying not to look back. 'Especially for someone so powerful.'
"Alex..." Linze said softly as she subconsciously gripped the horse's reigns tighter than necessary.
"Are you done?" Elze asked curtly, making the girls in the front seat wince.
"Yeah."
"Alright...before anything else. While I'm glad to you, know what you did wrong and what to apologize for..." Elze let out a long sigh. "I also have to say that I'm...sorry too."
Yae and Linze slowly turned to face each other in surprise. Linze, of course, knew her sister better than anyone here, so even this surprised her. While Yae might not have personally known Elze as long as Linze or Alex. Yet, the two had quite a bit in common as warriors of the fairer sex and understood the type of pride Elze had to swallow to speak those words. Still, they kept silent as the two continued their conversation.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad, like really mad," Elze confessed with a shake of her head. "But I'm mostly mad at myself."
"But I'm the one who messed up," Alex retorted, clearly confused.
"It's like you said, it's hard to change aspects that have been ingrained into me," said Elze as she looked away out of shame. "For the last few years, it's just been me and Linze. As the big sister...I always felt like the more responsible one. My priority was always my little sister...and she's all I have..."
"Sis..." Linze breathed as she could hear the emotion in her sister's voice. Yae gave the younger twin a gentle hand on the shoulder with a kind smile. The Samurai understood precisely what the twins felt, as she shared a similar bond with her older brother Jutaro.
"Then you came along...and suddenly, things changed," Elze's voice shook.
"Elze..."
"Not in a bad way!" Elze quickly corrected herself.
"If anything, it's been fun! Training with you has sharpened my skills, and I think my mana pool has increased since I can use Boost longer than before! Yet, like I said, I was used to being the one in charge, but in the moments when it was suddenly taken away. It was almost frightening! I wasn't used to it, but I knew you could take responsibility easily! It's in your eyes and how you move when things happen! You have experience...despite your lack of knowledge, you have the skills and experience we don't."
"I...Elze.."
"We're a team, and despite the times you've taken charge. You still refer to me like I'm still the leader, and it throws me off! Like when you said you'd cover the cost if we lost the cart or the horses yesterday. That's something the leader of the party would normally do," Elze continued as she uncrossed her legs while her hands began to fidget.
"I...I snapped at you when you were only trying to help. When you got us involved in this side quest...I was so ready to dismiss it. But after seeing the carnage and seeing how young Lady Ortlinde was. The thought of her being taken and having God knows what possibly be done to her. I was so callous, and maybe that's because of all of the times I had to have gone without. I've lost count how many times me and Linze would have to dismiss beggars on the streets when we barely had enough coin for ourselves."
Elze paused to sniff and wipe an offending tear from falling.
"There was a part of me that only thought about the money that could come our way for saving a nobleman's daughter. Of course, money is important, but at what cost? If that's all I care about, how different am I really from those thugs?"
"Elze, you're not a kidnapper or a murderer," Alex interjected with a gentle motion of his hands. "None of us are perfect. I've had my moments of being selfish and beyond arrogant to the point of stupidity. It took a long time for me to learn that harsh lesson."
"But you weren't thinking about the money. I knew the moment I saw you gathering the dead. You saw how happy Lady Ortlinde was when we saved her, Butler, but she didn't seem all too bothered about the seven who had died for her. Yet, I saw how hurt you were since we didn't save them in time. You took such gentle care to respect them, despite not knowing anything about them. "
"It was my arrogance that got them killed," Alex responded as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"You don't have that much experience with carts. If anything, we should have noticed something was off about the carriage before it collapsed on us," Elze retorted as she gave Alex a reassuring glance. "In short, Alex, you're much stronger than us and kinder too. If anything, I was worried that I would be the one to drive you away if we continued to clash. You could do so much better than us. Especially me."
"Maybe," Alex said with a chuckle as he shook his head, denying his apparent kindness. He wouldn't use that word to describe himself, considering how spiteful his actions tended to be in the past. Even now, the part of his spiteful nature had simply wanted to get one over the thugs by saving Sushie. Which made the sabotage much more frustrating for his ego. 'I'm still launching a raid on their hideout the first chance I get...I'm going to make them all fucking pay in blood.'
"I can't deny the possibility that something could come between us one day. Maybe to the point that we would have to go our separate ways," Alex spoke up again after taking another breath. "However, I wouldn't leave just because you're not as strong as me. I just have to remember my life before I had these powers. When my old teammates took their time to help build me up as opposed to abandoning me when they had the chance. How could I ever honor them if I ever did something so shamelessly hypocritical? So that would never be a factor in me leaving the party."
"So, would you still like to continue being a party once we're done with the job?"
"Would you continue letting me be in the party?"
The two paused for a moment, only to share a hearty laugh together.
"We both have some growing up to do," Alex said with a renewed smile. "But...look, I promise to do better and try to keep you guys in the loop. Barring any real emergency, of course."
"Agreed," Elze replied with a sweet smile. "And I promise to work on learning to share the burden and being a little more open about...things."
"I understand," said Alex with a simple nod and soft smile. "If you want...might I suggest something?"
"What is it?"
"How about doing rotations in party leadership? Based on what jobs we take in the future," Alex suggested, hoping to introduce the concept of the Hero-in-command system. A system where leadership between Pro-Heroes on missions was often based on specialty and seniority over general rankings. Even All Might, the current number one, might have to follow the orders of lower-ranked rescue specialists like Thirteen or a member of the Wild Wild Pussycats during a disaster relief operation. "It's a good start to sharing the burden of leadership and maybe even give Linze or Yae a chance if something suits them over us."
"That's not a bad idea," Elze answered after taking a minute to think it over. "A bit unorthodox for an Adventuring Party, but we're not exactly traditional, to begin with. Alright, if that's the case, you're the boss for the rest of this job. We are here because of you, after all."
"Alright," Alex agreed with a confident nod. "If that's the case, I'll share my current plan. When we arrive at Lady Ortlinde's home, I will immediately head back to pick up the dead guards. I want the three of you to stay behind at the Capital."
"Are you sure about that?" Elze replied as she folded her hands together. "What about driving the cart?"
"I'm likely on the Butler's shit list right now," Alex said with a nervous laugh.
"I'm sure that Arne or one of the other guards will join me to drive the cart. If not, I can still use Gate to go back, gather the bodies and use Gate to come right back, even if I have to do it one at a time. Meanwhile, you can clear the air, and hopefully, you can get my bluntness forgiven. Lady Ortlinde might be okay with it, but I can't say that her parents will be if the Butler starts talking first. Besides, if I'm officially the leader of this job, the guards are my responsibility, including their deaths and recovery. Considering that I dragged you all into this mess, you guys should be the first to rest up while I clean up my mess."
"If...if you're sure about it," Elze said after a moment of hesitation.
"I am, trust me," Alex reassured her with that same confident grin and determined look in his eyes that actually made Elze's heart skip a beat.
"Alright."
"We're coming up on the Capital!" Linze called out, making Alex and Elze turn their heads to see a massive city next to a great lake coming up over the hall. The former's jaw dropped upon seeing brand new architecture not seen in his old world, while the latter had the excitement of a child with a wide grin on her face.
'So that's the Capital, huh? Well, this world just became a hell of a lot more interesting...'
Author's Commentary
I initially had a completely different plan for the last scene. Still, I found this discussion much more interesting in the long run. Especially since I feel like I had been neglecting Elze for a while, but I also wanted to start exploring her growth with a frankly mature discussion that came from the heart. Communication is key to any romantic, platonic, or professional relationship.
Of course, this isn't the only time that there will be conflicts in ideals or philosophies in this story.
But here I wanted to start making Elze more than just a Tsundere and Alex acknowledging the old saying.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
But here, I hope to show continued signs of both characters growing as individuals and as future romantic partners.
Now to cover some of my biggest gripes which came up with almost all of Episode two, I began covering with the last two chapters. Again the episode's shit-tier pacing notwithstanding, but the drastic cuts, too, with several details that make me go.
What the fuck just happened?
Things like the length of the trip vs. the sudden/coincidental rescue of Sushie.
I fixed this by expanding the role of the thugs of Amanesque Town. (Which will continue to be relevant in the future) and Alex believing that God might or might be screwing with his new life. (That remains to be seen)
Now to the parts that actually made me angry.
I'm only speaking about the details from the anime. Still, I can't find any details of the same issues being solved in the other versions.
Where are the bodies of the seven guards who died fighting to protect Sushie?
How was Leim shot when none of the Lizardmen were equipped with bows?
When did Leim get shot when there were no signs of arrows anywhere?
Why the fuck was the horse that was transporting Sushi still alive when that should have been one of the first causalities of the battle?
How did the ten guards get around without a second transport?
DID THEY SERIOUSLY LET THE MAGE WHO AMBUSHED THEM GO? JUST LIKE THAT? DESPITE BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF SEVEN GUARDS AND THE ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF A NOBLEMAN'S DAUGHTER?
WHY THE FUCK DID THE GANG LET THE TWO GUARDS NOT DRIVING SUSHIE'S CARRIAGE RUN THE REST OF THE WAY?
Seriously re-watch the episode and keep an eye on these questions above. You'll start to see why this episode made me so goddamn angry and frustrated. It shows the fucking priorities are first and foremost to make Touya look good.
Yeah, fuck that noise.
Here I wanted to not only address all of these issues but show the clash between the social classes and Alex as the interloper who comes from a modern western society. However, I also wanted to show that Alex isn't perfect. He still struggles with magic and still has somewhat reckless habits when it comes to him, still acting like a Pro-Hero. You might have noticed that while Alex still has the range of Touya's abilities. However, I clearly put a hard limit on how much mana Alex has available for spells. (It's still a deep pool, but circumstances don't often allow him the chance to recharge completely.)
There is more I could go on about, but I think I'll save that for the next chapter, which should cover the beginnings of the new plotline I have set up for this fic.
Anyways, that should cover things for now!
Until next time!
-ZX