Disclaimer: The Rising of the Shield hero belongs to Aneko Yusagi, this fic was made non-profit, I just wanted to write something about this series.
English is not my first language. If you see something with a poor grammatical structure, mistaken verbal tenses, wrong conjugations, etcetera, please tell me to correct it. For me, it is a language-development experience.
B/N: Let's keep rolling, and let's see what else Naofumi gets up to...
The Shield Hero who came from another world
Chapter 4
After the Shield Hero's trial, Ferrie decided it was time to do what she had planned the previous day, and asked Sir Ren about her leaving the party. True to his word, the Sword Hero had not minded, just like when that axe man had left to join the Bow Hero's party, but still, when she told him she was planning to join Naofumi, he wished her good luck dealing with the lonely Shield Hero.
The other companions, Bakta, Welt, and Tersia, also said their farewells and extracted promises of meeting some time in the future, and she left to find Naofumi. Unfortunately, the time spent talking with Ren and the others had been more than enough for Naofumi to disappear into the city, so now she would have to start to walk through the city.
Her first stop was the Wall Inn, where Naofumi had been sleeping the previous night. He was not there, and the owner did not seem enthused about the idea of the Shield Hero returning there. However, after she told him what had actually happened at the throne room, the man decided he would have no problem in the Hero taking up one of the rooms – as long as he paid, of course.
The rest of the day was an unsuccessful search of the Shield Hero. Asking around, she learned that someone saw Naofumi getting grabbed into an alley, but after that no one had seen him. Checking on that alley led her to Erhard's shop, but once more she was too late, as the blacksmith told her Naofumi had left a while before, causing her to mildly curse at the lost chance and leave. By dusk, the only two places she had not checked were the Church and the slums, and she decided to return to the inn, hoping to have more luck this time.
That was when everything went to hell.
Preoccupied as she was with her thoughts, she did not notice that someone was skulking in the dark alley she was passing by until she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled inside. She quickly reacted by throwing the offender to the ground, but the man was not alone, and soon several knives fell on her: the only reason she managed to survive the attack thanks to something her best friend, the first person she had fallen in love with, had taught her so long ago.
She had been a teen living a hard life that had turned worse because of the war inflicted upon her country by the mightiest country of the land, whose soldiers had brutally attacked her hometown, killing her parents and leaving her on the verge of death. She had believed she would soon join them.
But then he had arrived. He had found her, laying on the ground, covered in blood, and had realized by chance that she was still alive: he had quickly healed her, brought her to a safe place and fed her, helping her to recover her health – all while being the gentlest man she had ever met.
Was it surprising that she had fallen in love with him? She wished he had showed that he was interested, but she was happy nonetheless to become her best friend, and being with him also helped him, since it gave him someone else his age to speak with, and soon enough he had lost the shyness he still had when talking to women. The only exception to that had been another girl that had come with him and his cousin, and that because she actually acted manlier than the two boys – until the cousin asked her to be his girlfriend. She had then suddenly turned into the almost opposite, feminine and proper – unless she was alone with the cousins and her, of course. She and her friend had teased his cousin over the latter's girlfriend's fetishes.
She had eventually died, an accidental death none could be blamed for, and she had reincarnated in this world, getting sometimes a few memories of her previous life, but not everything.
Until she saw him standing alone, a shield in his hand and a look of satisfaction, the previous day, and stating he did not need her support in his quest. It was the trial that had finally pushed her to be more forward towards him.
And in this fight, while she avoided the knives, she thanked her stars for the one thing he had managed to teach her. His skill in runic magic was good, and he had attempted to teach her how to use it as well – only to find out that she was a Failure, with a capital F, when it came to that type of magic. She had only managed to learn one sequence. But that sequence had been enough to save her life multiple times.
Both this one and the previous one.
The sequence warned her when someone with a killing intent towards her attacked her. Not the most impressive in a world where you could cover a field in fire with a chant, but when you were out in the field and attacked with your fists, it became invaluable – as it proved right now, since she knew how to dodge and counter every attack sent at her.
Under what light she could see, she realized that these people had to be Shadows, elite assassins and spies that worked as the weapon in the dark for the Royal Family, nobles, wealthy merchants – and, of course, the Church. She was certain that either the King or the Three Heroes Church had sent them after her to silence her, either for her defense of the Shield Hero or for her reveal of the dark side of the Church's beliefs. Probably both.
Goddamnit, I really screwed up! Why the hell did I have to defend that idiot? It was obvious he would survive the trial, but no, stupid Ferrie had to save the Shield Hero because I still have feelings for him! And why Naofumi? Why is he here? Why is he the Shield Hero? There's an infinite number of people for the summon to choose and it picks HIM! Crud, I need to lose these idiots before they kill me! This is worse than the stupid potato I ate!
Counting, she saw that it was five Shadows attacking her, but she knew there would be more of them lurking in the shadows (heh) ready to attack her as soon as she dropped her guard. Clearly, she had angered the bigwigs in a huge way. She was not going to let them win without fighting, though, and she applied her strength and skill to the utmost, punching and kicking them while doing her best to prevent them from stabbing her and moving away, seeking a way out and someone that could help her.
It was when a punch that should have knocked one Shadow off his feet instead flew past his head that she realized she was getting sluggish, slower, and it was not because she was tired from fighting.
Poison... these assholes are using poisoned blades, she thought, also realizing too late that, rather than finding a way out, the Shadows had managed to herd her away from anywhere where she could find someone willing to help her. They were toying with her.
At least, she still managed to avoid getting too hurt, but the poison took its toll in her, and eventually she collapsed, exhausted and barely able to move. That was when she knew she was going to die. If it was not the knives, it would be the poison.
"Finally, it took effect," one of the Shadows said, clearly irritated.
"It did. This would have only messed with her senses, but now we will punish this heretic with the righteous wrath of our Gods," another, clearly the leader of this lot, replied. That gave her enough of a hint of their identity: Church Shadows, hunting her because she had supported the 'Shield Demon' and aired their dirty laundry.
"You... you are sick... you know?" she choked out between gasps.
"The only sick person here is you, heretic. Why else would one of the divine Sword Hero's companions instead choose to go looking for that devil? You truly are a heretic."
"Fuck... you!"
"Make it look like someone raped her, then spread rumors that someone saw the Shield Devil do it."
"That won't work, not after what happened this morning," another Shadow said. "Just torture her to death and drop the body in the river. It'll be easier and simpler."
"Good idea. Leave evidence leading the guards to a Four Saints heretic, maybe we can turn that in our benefit."
As the Shadows planned how to dispatch her, she cried about the injustice of this end.
Why is this happening again? I never thought I'd see him again, and just when he appears in front of me, older, wiser and more handsome, I end up here. Gods, why are you so cruel to me again? I died in my previous world before I could tell him how much he meant to me, and now he's here in this distorted world, forced to be one of the heroes that has to save this bunch of ungrateful bastards from the Waves... I want to be with him. I want to fight next to him I want to fall in love with him all over again! But I was stupid. I was impulsive. And now these assholes are about to kill me, just because I wanted to help him. Sorry, Naofumi, for not being there to fight against Chiltik with you. Sorry I left you with those girls. I'm so sorry I never got to make good on my promises! I'm so sorry, Fumi!
"It's time for you to suffer your punishment for betraying humanity by allying with the Shield Demon!" the lead Shadow screamed, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the worst to happen.
But then she heard someone clearing their throat, and she opened them again.
"Betraying humanity, you said?"
She could barely turn her head, but she could still see Naofumi standing at the end of the alley, clearly angry and ready to destroy something. She felt the tears drop at the sight of the man she loved, here almost like a knight in shining armor to the rescue of the defenseless.
"I have already dealt with your friends in the rooftops nearby, and let me tell you it was not pretty. How about you guys drop the weapons and leave like the craven slimes you are?" he said, waving his hand and making five smaller shields appear in front of him.
"The Shield Demon! Kill him!" the lead Shadow said, and the five assassins jumped as one, ready to murder the one they had been taught was their enemy.
"Too late to surrender," Naofumi replied, and he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the alley was bathed in a green light, and five bodies collapsed on the ground, their heads turned into a bloody mist. Naofumi bit back what was clearly a yell of pain and a curse. "Hope you were the last ones, because now I won't be able to use those lasers for the next two hours."
"Fumi... thank..."
"Or maybe I need to add someone else to the list?"
Suddenly, another hexagonal shield formed a mere inch from her face, changing colors between turquoise, light blue and white. She recognized it as one of the skills Naofumi's had used to fight during the war. And, judging by what had just happened, this could fire incredibly deadly energy beams at the will of its owner.
"I have questions for you, miss. Questions I hope you will answer with the truth. Otherwise, well, you've seen how much damage I can do with this little thing."
"O... of course... Shield Hero," she said, and Naofumi approached, mindful of the growing pool of blood, and helped her sit up while putting a vial to her lips.
"Drink this, it's an antidote," Naofumi said. The vial's contents tasted horrible, but she forced herself to swallow, and soon she started to feel better from the effects of the poison. Seeing this, Naofumi nodded. "Get ready, we are leaving for a secure place in a while. And you'd better think about how you will explain who you are and a few other things."
"Un... understood," she replied. Naofumi moved her to a side of the street, so she could sit against the wall, and he picked up the bodies, throwing them into what she recognized as his Storage. "Why... are you doing... that?"
"Looting. These idiots tried to kill you and me, and they likely have something valuable with them. Why, are you against this?"
"No... you just save my life."
"Good." Approaching her again, Naofumi knelt and offered his hand. "Take my hand, if you are ready to go."
With some reluctance, she took Naofumi's hand, and he helped her stand up again. He summoned his power, and the two disappeared from the alley.
It would not be until several hours later that another group of Church Shadows found the alley while trying to find their compatriots. But all they could find was blood.
Unhappy was too mild a word to define what Aultcray Melromarc XXXII felt. He was livid as he returned to his personal office after a long day of work, and he barely paid attention as his advisors dispersed to their own workplaces, fearful that they might attract the King's anger. Had he done so, he would have seen his youngest advisor destroying a number of documents that, had someone else read them, would have shown his involvement in the case of the false rape accusations.
Sitting on his chair, Aultcray rubbed his head. Now that he had the time to think about it, he felt the humiliation over how the Shield Demon, that monster in human-like skin, had managed to leave the trial smelling like roses, even if the shade of the accusation lingered over him. But he was more embarrassed by what Malty had done to reveal said demon.
If any other country learns about this, we'll be lucky to just be seen as buffoons. Especially if Malty keeps going that way with her plans.
At first sight, the plan had been a good one, even if he disliked it because of what his precious daughter would have to do. Exposing herself at such danger, without anyone to help her... what would have happened if the Shield Demon or any other man forced himself on her? He did not want to think on that.
It was simple: get the Shield Demon drunk, watch him react to a pretty woman offering herself to him, and wait for him to act before sounding the alarm. But that plan had had to be modified due to unexpected circumstances
He ate fifteen of those blasted berries in front of everyone and he wasn't even slurring by the end of it! Thank the Gods she withdrew the accusation right then, otherwise it could have been a mess... could it be true that some believers of the Church planned this, or... no, no, that's impossible, Malty would never sink so low as to become such a horrid murderess. I must have the truth of this.
"Shadows," he stated out loud. Quickly, four of his spies appeared in front of him, their features unrecognizable to anyone, and they bowed. "Yesterday, you followed the heroes, especially the Shield. Tell me why I didn't learn of a group of demi-humans not only entering my country, but also speaking with the one hero we didn't want them to get in touch. Don't you realize how dangerous it will be if the Shield Demon falls into Silvelt's clutches? Tyran's gone, I took care of him myself, but they still have enough sympathizers that think they should govern over humans!"
The Shadows were scared as the King kept walking all over the study, walking around them, his harsh face showing his inner turmoil and hatred towards the demi-humans. Still, they were trained not to show their feelings, and so kept listening as the King thundered about his opinion on the situation.
"If that megalomaniac of Jaralis and his followers get the Shield in their paws, we'll have an entire army of the Shield Demon's spawn knocking on our borders before five years are gone! And the only thing that could stop them would be the other Heroes, and that's if they aren't busy dealing with a Wave or something else! And now the Heroes know there's other Hourglasses in the world, when the only reason I agreed to summon the Four Heroes was for Melromarc's safety! If they go to other countries like Faubrey, we'll end up in another war with that bastard pig they have for a King! So, now that you see the mistake you committed in not telling me about those demi-humans reaching the Shield, tell me. Why. Did. This. Happen?"
The four spies knew that the scenarios the King had laid out had a great chance of becoming truthful. Certainly, Melromarc could have saved itself those troubles if they had allowed the Summit to decide the summoning process, rather than summon all four of them to Melromarc, but they all wanted to help protect the country, so none had tried to stop the Wise King from getting his way.
His point towards Jaralis, the lion-like leader of Siltvelt, was well founded in past events: a few generations before, a Shield Hero had spent most of his time copulating with every willing woman in Siltvelt, only for their leaders to supposedly kill him after the Waves were finished and go to war with the neighboring countries some times after: only the other Three Heroes deciding to stay in this world to live on their fames as heroes and saviors of the world had prevented Silvelt from dominating the world.
"I reckon we may have had a problem with our methods in dealing with the Heroes, Your Majesty, but we believe the Shield Hero was lying," the leader of the King's Shadows spoke.
"Is there a reason why you are claiming that?"
"Under your orders, my men and me followed the Heroes for the entire day, but the Shield Hero managed to fool us when he went to Erhard the blacksmith."
"Explain further."
"We expected him to go inside, buy some armor, perhaps put it on and then leave. However, when it became clear that he did not seem to be coming out as expected, we checked, and we found a man wearing a black cape discussing a purchase. The problem is, we had seen that man enter the shop some time after the Shield, but when we saw someone wearing a cape, we figured that it was that same man. In hindsight, it is clear that the Shield changed clothes, bought that cape somewhere and then took advantage of the similar looks to slip past us."
"How could you confuse him? He has a shield with a shiny, big, round green GEM ON HIS ARM!" the King replied, his voice rising with every word as he made his thoughts on the matter clear.
"We believe he somehow managed to hide his shield under the cape he was wearing," another Shadow stated. "When we found him again, he was a few blocks away from the Church, which is when we suspect he synchronized with the Hourglass, Your Majesty, and unfortunately it was late enough in the day that he did not do much more other than buying some wooden frames to use for what we believe is a camp tent. Questioning the different merchants revealed that the Shield spent the day buying supplies."
That was... a bit surprising. While the other Heroes had just gone out to fight against monsters living nearby, the Shield Demon had clearly made long-term plans for living outside the city. Aultcray reluctantly granted that he seemed more practical than the others.
"So, he lost all of you yesterday, and he was just buying supplies? I'll give him that, at least. What about the events at the Inn, then?"
"The encounter between the Shield and the Princess took place as described by him," said another Shadow. "I was dining in the table right next to them and heard them speak of multiple topics, such as his past before being summoned, the reason behind his unwillingness to consume alcohol and some elements of the Queen's family history, although the Princess never mentioned her relationship to you. At no moment did we see the Shield drinking from his glass of wine, in spite of the Princess' multiple offerings to do so."
"So, are you telling me that my daughter lied to me about him being drunk?!"
"I'm afraid so, Your Majesty."
"Why would she do that?"
"I'm afraid that the only person that can answer that is the Princess, Your Majesty. Continuing from then, after refusing one last glass of wine, the Shield finished eating his supper and went to his bedroom. We heard him writing something in some paper he had in his possession, and after that he went to bed."
"I was the one watching his window at that point," the last Shadow, the one at the right, continued. "I saw him sitting at the room's table, and then lying-in bed, apparently going to sleep. However, a sudden commotion managed to distract me, and I looked away from the window to the street for barely a second. When I returned my eyes to the window, the Shield was gone without a trace, Your Majesty."
"Two animals, a cat and a dog, fighting over something they may have found in an alley. That's what caused the commotion that distracted everyone watching the Heroes staying at that inn. However, it is my belief that this event was not natural and based on what the Shadows that found the Shield after his successful maneuver at the blacksmith's, I think that the Shield may have influenced it to distract us."
"Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that the Shield has a way to notice you?"
"I cannot be certain, of course, not without further proof, but based on evidence I would say he does. When he was found outside the Church, he grew suddenly tense, and momentarily turned his gaze in the general direction of the Shadows' positions. It was possibly an involuntary action on his part, but if he can actually detect other people, it could explain such a move."
The King went over what his Shadows were saying. Somehow, the Shield Demon had the means to detect that he was being followed, and who was following him. It that was true, every plan he had to deal and destroy him were completely in ruins. Now, he would have to be far more cautious in his dealings and find a way that could dispatch the Shield Demon if he became too troublesome.
That still left a problem in the current situation, one where the possible causes and consequences were not of his liking.
"Back to a previous point. Why would my daughter lie about the Shield Demon being drunk?"
"Like we said earlier, we don't know, Your Majesty. It is possible that the Sword Hero's monk follower was accurate in her opinion: someone from the Church framing the Shield for such an execrable crime would not be out of place. Given that the Shadows following the Heroes were in search of the Shield after his disappearance, it is feasible that the Princess was attacked right then, perhaps by someone using an illusion or compulsion so she would believe it was the Shield that attacked her."
He did not like the conclusion his Shadow had suggested, but it was the only acceptable alternative, since it was the only way, it fit with the known facts. Needless to say, his family was once again in danger, and he would not tolerate it again.
Somewhere else, a magical staff shone in resonance with its former wielder's emotions. Its time was yet to come, however, and it remained in place.
"I want you to find whoever attacked Malty and bring them here so I can personally deal with them. And, if the Shield Demon has the means to escape your surveillance... it means long term problems for us." How did he get that skill? Is it related to that black sphere the Griffin sprung out of? That's never been a Legendary Weapon skill... did the Demon somehow have skills from wherever he came from? "Now, another important matter. The Waves of Silvelt and Shieldfreeden. Have they already gone through them?"
"Based on our estimations, either they have already happened, or they will strike within a few days. We cannot give an exact date for obvious reasons. And that's another reason why we suspect the Shield lied. How could they have known that he would be there, when the decision to summon the Heroes took place but a few days ago? This supposed entourage would have been unable to arrive here so soon."
"That doesn't explain how he found that Griffin," Aultcray stated, wondering what else the Demon was hiding. "The Shield Demon is more dangerous from what we believed him to be, and I won't put my family at risk of being near either him or a bunch of demis. Double the surveillance on the Shield and determine the minimum distance before he can detect you. I want a daily report on where he goes and who he meets, and if he disappears again, I want a manhunt until he's found again. Also, the Church needs not learn of this – I don't want Balmus to pester me all the time about why the Demon is free. Dismissed."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Shadows replied, and three of them vanished through secret passageways while the fourth remained behind. The King turned to look at the spy.
"Is there anything else you must report?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Princess Malty has been seen visiting the Church multiple times in the past few days, and after the events of this morning, it is my opinion that someone should keep a watch over her, as she has showed-"
"Silence," Aultcray interrupted, glaring at the Shadow. "Another word from you and I will make sure you never see the light of day again. I know of Malty's behavior problems, that's why we sent her to that school in Faubrey, and her behavior has improved. Dismissed."
Knowing that the King would make good on his threat if further pressed, the Shadow left immediately. The spy resolved to ensure the Queen heard about her daughter's actions and the day's events: owed to Melromarc, any potential threats to the realm had to be watched.
Now alone, the King attempted to focus on his work, but his anger over the events of the day and the conversation with his spies kept him from going past the first sheet of paper. He kept going over the events of the trial, the reports from the actions of the Heroes the night after they were summoned, the way that strange silence had covered a good part of their conversation, likely to talk about something they did not want anyone else to know... he would have to ask either his daughter or the other loyal subjects in Sir Motoyasu's party if they could get the Spear Hero to talk about that night. Mald would have been a good choice for this, but after his change from the Sword Hero's party to the Bow Hero's, it was clear either something had happened, or Sir Ren was truthful to his warning.
Either way, it was bad, since now he had no spies among the Sword Hero's party, while Sir Itsuki and Sir Motoyasu had each two of his informants, his daughter being one of them. He wished he could have just ensured at least one of them went with each Hero, with the Shadows covering their backs, but he would have to do with what he had.
And, in spite of himself, that nagging doubt in his mind over his eldest daughter, and what the Shadow had tried to tell him. After what the Shield said of the nobles and how they treated the Heroes from the world he came from...
A headache began to hammer him, and he closed his eyes, frustrated. How long had it been since he had last considered all the possibilities, even for such a trivial matter as this one? He could not even remember – and he was not sure if that was actually good.
Maybe since I married Mirellia? No, not then... Malty's birth. My love, what are you doing right now? How are you faring so far away from home? He shook his head. She's probably planning how to kill me for starting this. We had agreed that she would negotiate on how the Heroes would be summoned, and I went behind her back to bring them all here. She must have her hands full trying to prevent the other countries from going to war on us. And Melty... well, at least she'll be having a learning experience out of this. I just hope Mirellia will be able to use her skills to prevent a war... although if there is a war, it would be a lovely experience if the Shield Demon ended up fighting those filthy demis.
"Everything would be better if the Shield Demon and those blasted demi-humans just disappeared," he muttered, still rubbing his head to get rid of his headache.
The following days, the Shield Demon was followed everywhere he went by Shadows, and every night Aultcray would receive a report on what the Demon was doing – what they could, since they had to keep their distance from him to avert the magic that allowed him to detect them.
The first night, he learned that one of the Sword Hero's companions, the same girl that had defended him during the trial, had somehow managed to convince the Wall Inn's owner to admit the Demon again, and had apparently left the Sword's party to join the Shield. They had shared dinner and even a room, where they had been talking for several hours, even if most of the conversation had been hidden again by that mysterious noise created by the Shield's magic.
What little they had heard had allowed him to learn some disturbing things.
First, that reincarnation existed. The girl, Ferrie, was from a town in the region of Ivyred, near the border, and had reportedly trained under Master Elrasla before an accident left her unable to continue. Said accident had somehow unlocked her memories of a life she had lived before being born in Melromarc – apparently locked by an entity she called divine – a life in a different world, considering her mentions of countries and stones that none of the books in the palace's vast library had ever heard about.
Second, she had known the Shield in that earlier life. Quite closely, in fact, given her use of a pet name for him and her references to people the two of them knew. At first, the Shield had been considerably angry, possibly believing her to be some kind of spy, and even threatening her with a strange floating shield – yet another skill that did not come from the Legendary Shield – but then she had referred to what appeared to be her death of eating a poisonous 'potato', whatever that was, and the time they had met, and the Shield had been convinced.
Third, she also knew of the Shield's mysterious skills. Not only the magic he used to prevent people from listening in on his conversations, but also of something called 'Astral transport', which was clearly what the Shield had used to leave his room the night of the attack and then return without being seen by any of his guards. That would make keeping track of him all the harder, particularly since they did not know what limits that skill had.
Fourth and last, she had some kind of mental connection to the Shield. She had somehow talked or called for him with her thoughts, and he had answered to them in some unknown circumstances. Once more, something else that would make controlling or stopping the Shield Demon a harder task.
It was unnecessary to point out that this did not make him any happier. And the reports that came in the following days did not help his foul mood.
The duo had left town the following day and entered the forest, where they had spent half a day hunting the creatures that lived there. Balloons, Mush Beasts, Usapils – anything that attacked them was a target. They also collected herbs, and even fishes the Demon caught in the river. He was also apparently using some of what he found to unlock new shields, something that irked him to no end. Then, when the two reached a clearing in the forest, the black sphere that had spat a Griffin corpse during the trial had shown up again, and instead dropped the materials the Shield Demon had bought to create a functional tent.
None of the Shadows could discern what method he used to mark the tent with the wax, but clearly it meant something, since the girl was also making the same kind of markings on the canvas, giving further proof that she did, indeed, have memories of a previous life. It did not seem like they were finished, however, for they returned to spend another night at the inn.
The routine was repeated in the following days. The two would go to the forest, hunt creatures and harvest materials and herbs before returning to the city for the night. They might have different luck with either task, but it was always the same.
It was not until the sixth day that things changed: after going to the Blacksmith, where they had apparently upgraded the girl's armor, the two had gone to other merchants, apparently to sell them what they had collected. The merchants had been naturally reluctant to buy from the Shield or tried to shortchange him by offering prices well below the market price. The former were convinced to change their minds after a talk and a demonstration of the materials they wanted to sell. The latter changed their minds as well, but mostly because the Shield had taken to hide multiple Balloons under his cape (and wasn't that a shock, that he could have them attack him constantly without actually suffering injuries) and was clearly threatening to let them loose if they did not make a fair offer.
As far as the King was concerned, the Shield was acting more like a merchant than an adventurer.
Of course, that day was the same day those two decided to go further into the forest than usual and had then gone fast enough that they had given the Shadows the slip, much to the King's wrath.
When they reappeared three days later, inside the Inn they had taken as their refuge, Aultcray changed their standing orders: from now on, they were to follow the Shield Demon even if they had to be stuck to his back to ensure it. The Shadows did not like those orders, but there was little they could do.
When Naofumi and Ferrie entered Erhard's shop, the blacksmith's eyes turned to what the duo was carrying in their hands.
"My goodness, kiddo. Did you meet Beloukas and buy those eggs?"
"I don't know who this Beloukas is, but if he can tell me how I can domesticate a griffin then I'd like to meet him."
"A WHAT?!" Erhard asked, surprised.
"A griffin," Ferrie replied. "We found these two eggs while we were out there, and this idiot here decided it would be a fun idea to raise two griffins."
"Oi! First of all, I'm not an idiot. And second of all, I've taken care of plenty of Simughs in my previous world."
"Those Simughs were already domesticated, it wouldn't be that much of a challenge. Though, I'll grant you, comparing a griffin with a Simugh is like comparing a PikyuPikyu with a Roc."
"Excuse me," Erhard interrupted, "but what is a Simugh?"
"Take a griffin and give it an almost human face and bronze feathers – and the strength to lift a whale while flying," Ferrie explained, and Erhard's face turned into somewhere between surprise and fear.
"Such a monster... it would be as legendary as the Griffin King!"
"Griffin King?" Naofumi asked, just as confused as Erhard had been a while ago.
"According to legend," Ferrie started, turning to the Hero, "an alchemist decided it would be funny to use his potions to mutate a griffin. The creature acquired the ability to speak and the skill of Transformation, and it somehow gained the allegiance of the other griffins. Using that power, he declared the sky to be his domain, and led the Griffins into attacking other flying species, particularly the filolials, since they were their greatest adversaries. The Filolial Queen, Fitoria, became furious when she learned of this, so she turned up in a battlefield and fought him. The battle was so brutal, that entire valleys were carved, and mountain ranges rose up where there had only been plains before, and in the end, Fitoria managed to slay him. Since then, filolials and griffins have considered each other enemies, and the slain griffin became known as the Griffin King."
"Damn, I sure hope all of that was just a legend. So, Erhard, do you know some way to domesticate a pair of griffins."
"Kiddo, I'm a blacksmith, and smithing is all I know how to do. The person you would need for this kind of stuff is Beloukas, but I don't think it's wise of you to go there."
"Ferrie mentioned something similar the other day, but she wouldn't explain why."
"He is one of the most unsavory men I've ever met. Officially, he trades beasts around. Unofficially, his merchandise is actually wider in range, if you know what I mean."
"And as I said, I don't want to go meet that... man," Ferrie growled.
"However, if you really want to tame whatever's inside those eggs... Beloukas may be your best option."
"How come? Does he have some kind of special magic?"
"Damned if I know, kiddo, and to be honest I really don't want to know. If you really want to, though, maybe he'll be willing to explain. Let me draw you a map for that."
"Thanks, old man."
Shortly afterward, the two split their ways: since Ferrie was completely opposed to being close to Beloukas, she would take up the task of selling all the products they had either gathered or made while they were in the forest and beyond, all things that ought to get them a good number of coins.
Meanwhile, Naofumi followed Erhard's map, which guided him towards a place in the middle of the slums. A group of thieves thought he was easy prey and attempted to rob him, and as they demanded him to hand over what he had, he was reminded of a scene from this American animated series where an old man, faced with a similar situation, just offered tips to the would-be robber on how to better hold his knife and then convinced him to change careers. Naofumi discarded the thought, since these thieves were clearly unwilling to do as that character had.
Two minutes later, the thieves laid on the ground, groaning in pain, while Naofumi pocketed what little they had been carrying with themselves.
Finally, he arrived at the place Erhard had stated, and he saw what seemed to be a circus – but this one only gave him very bad vibes, that made him understand why Ferrie hadn't wanted to be anywhere close to it. As soon as he stepped inside, someone he assumed worked there looked at him and went further into the tent, coming back with a short, fat, disturbing man wearing what could be best described as a ringmaster's suit.
"Oh! Good sir, it's a pleasure to meet you. I was hoping to approach you in the evening and offer my services to you, but, dear customer, you beat me to that. How may I help you? Maybe you are interested in buying helpers? I can offer you people that will magnificently as party companions, if you are interested, that is!"
"Not right now. I was told you trade-in beasts, and I require your services and knowledge."
"Of course, Sir Shield Hero," Beloukas replied, not at all discontent. "My services are at your disposition, as long as you have the money, of course, sir."
"I'm sure we can arrange a deal that benefits us both. How can I tame two griffins that are going to hatch soon?"
"Griffins, you said, good sir?" The man's monocle glinted under the torches. "I have the answer to that, and it is in fact the same answer as for the rest of my products. A slave crest, or better said in this case, a monster crest."
That comment confirmed to Naofumi that this man was actually a slave trader, not a monster tamer, even if, from a certain point of view, the former could cover what the latter did. Naofumi was no stranger to slavery, since nations in Aztlan usually rendered war prisoners or criminals into slavery, but it did not mean he liked it at all.
"Your legal business is to be a monster trader and tamer, but at the same time, you peddle slavery and pain. As a person, you disgust me. As a Hero, I should kill you where you stand. But, as a businessman... I'm quite surprised about the cover you keep, and the fact that it seems to work."
"Oh, stop, you will make me blush!" Beloukas replied with a grin, waving a gloved hand. "But, even if I conduct this business at the back of my shop, so to speak, it is actually legal to own slaves in this country. There are conditions, of course, such as them not being human."
"Demis..." Seriously, the slaver's smile was incredibly creepy and gave him the willies. "You know, if my cousin and his wives were here, they would have already turned you and this tent to ashes."
The short man actually laughed at that, as if Naofumi had made a good joke.
"Ah, you, sir, are the type of man I like the most. I feel like you will become one of my best customers. Now, follow me, Sir Shield Hero. I'll be glad to help you tame your future griffins, but, if it is alright with you, I would be willing to buy them and sell you a pair of better, more docile beasts that could help you in your Wave affairs. I'd be willing to offer you some special slaves to... accommodate your tastes."
Naofumi glared at Beloukas.
"I'd rather pay for a prostitute than buy a slave for that. And I'm not interested in that deal."
"It is your loss, kind sir."
Arriving to a large table, Beloukas requested Naofumi to drop some blood in an inkwell, and when he did, he quickly set out to his job, marking the eggs with the black ink mixed with Naofumi's blood in the form of a crest.
"Say, I can tell that the ink is important for these crests, but is the form of the crest important as well?"
"Usually, I do not answer those questions when a customer asks. However, as I said earlier, I feel like you will become a great customer, so I have no problem in answering. The answer is yes, there are different kinds of seals available. This crest here is a monster crest, whose form depends on the kind of monster you desire to subdue and its magical affinity. In the case of the slave crest, there are two types. The first is the normal one, the one applied to those who are captured by those who supply me with new products or to those few people who choose to sell themselves into slavery, such as this boy who sold himself to my uncle to pay for his sister's healing potions, and which can only be with a particular kind of ink. The second is one applied to criminals after being judged, when their sentence is hard work for a certain time, and which dissolves when their time is done."
"Let me guess, you want to sell me one of the first kind."
"Oh, that feeling of being seen through, you are the best, Shield Hero, sir."
Naofumi actually gave a step back, grimacing. The slaver kept speaking as if nothing had changed.
"Sometimes, a special crest is required, for those who are too strong-willed, but it rarely happens. Had I gone through my passing idea of capturing you and seeing who the highest bidder would be."
"And why didn't you do it?" Naofumi asked, already calculating the best path for going F.E.A.R. (Fuck Everything And Run) if it was necessary. Seriously, the man's honesty was baffling.
"Well, the mess you did in the alleyway a few days ago was quite the convincing argument."
"You knew?"
"A simple matter of guessing, my friend. One of my men heard quite the scuffle when he was making his return, and then he saw you standing over five bodies that clearly once belonged to Church Shadows. He quickly ran for his life and reported to me, and I realized it would be useless to even attempt."
"Oh, good to know," was Naofumi's laconic response, while he scolded himself for missing that man. The Spiritual Detection runic array must be quite eroded if I didn't see that guy ten days ago. I'll have to take some time later to rewrite it, or the next time I miss someone it could be worse.
"The crest of the first egg is ready, the second will only take me about as much time, and then I'll have to perform a ritual on these eggs. It will still take some time, so, if you wish you can look around my establishment. You might see something that catches your interest!"
"Nah, it's OK, I'm not bored. I can see you keep a lot of eggs in this part of your tent."
"Oh, this is the warehouse. I keep all the eggs here for easy storage, and it helps me when an egg hatches while there's no one here. That's why the new products are kept there, behind that tarp, easier to sell them that way. These past months, though, I have found many eggs, and they keep hatching before I can sell any of them.
Naofumi could see the problem – there were so many eggs in the room, and only so many people willing to buy them. If they hatched and could be sold as newborn monsters, it could still get him some cash, but it was still a crapshoot. That gave him an idea, which, as much as he hated doing it, he decided it might net him a benefit.
"As reluctant as I am to do this... maybe I can help you."
"Oho! What would this help be?"
"Have you ever heard of Gacha games?"
As it turned out, he had not, and for the next hour Naofumi explained the purpose of the game: he could keep a lot of eggs in a box, state one of them could be of a powerful creature (such as a Dragon) and offer his customers their choice of one of the eggs, at the low price of a hundred silvers (just slightly higher than the price of the most common eggs). As long as he actually allowed people to find the really good eggs from time to time, he would likely keep getting clients since they would still hope to get the good eggs.
To Naofumi's horror, Beloukas almost tried to kiss him when he realized how profitable such an easy thing could be, and instead offered him a tour of his tent. Naofumi wished he could just reject the 'honor', but when he noticed one of the slaves was injured, he sighed and offered to sell the slave trader healing potions, which Beloukas gratefully accepted, since anything that aided his business was always welcome.
"If you would be kind, good sir, there are three others that could benefit from your skill."
Sighing at the fact that the merchant was taking advantage of his good nature, Naofumi followed him.
"What can you tell me of them?"
"The first is a Lizard-man that arrived three days ago, and who seems to suffer from mental troubles. The second is a Rabbit-man who seems to have a birth deformity in his right arm. The last one is a young Tanuki girl who seems to be just sick and keeps having panic attacks. The girl has been here already four times, because none of the previous buyers wanted to keep her."
"I doubt I'll be able to do anything for the Lizard-man if he has a mental illness. With the Rabbit-man, I would have to check before saying anything. As for the girl, the sickness may be a normal one, while the panic attacks will need time and help to get past them."
In spite of his previous statement, he checked on the Lizard-man. As he suspected, it was nothing he could do, as the poor man seemed to suffer from some kind of hallucinations: even if he might be possibly healed of this on Earth, he would not bet on it due to his different physiology.
The Rabbit-man did not have a birth deformity: it was a matter of his arm getting broken and then welded back in the proper way. He knew that the best way to fix this was to break it again at the same point and then set it back, but he also knew that he did not have the skill to do so yet. Still, he did his best to help the man, and promised he would try to return and heal his arm when he acquired the knowledge. The Rabbit-man seemed grateful from what Naofumi could do, and even asked him to buy him, but Naofumi shot it down, much to Beloukas' surprise.
Then came the girl, and Naofumi was struck at how... small she seemed to be. A pair of raccoon-like rounded ears crowned a mop of long, dirty brown hair, and two soulful brown eyes looked up at him in fear as she weakly coughed and held her knees with her thin arms.
Something tugged at his heart at seeing her. It was sadness, to see someone so young so broken. Whatever this little girl had gone through, it had to be horrible. A single tear escaped from one of his eyes before he restrained it back, and at the same time his shield's gem shone brightly for just an instant.
Knowing that shocking her would make things worse, Naofumi slowly knelt in front of her, put his hand over hers and made soothing noises as he caressed the back of her hand. The girl looked back, her eyes shining with unshed tears, showing both her confusion and her fear, and Naofumi knew she wanted to relax, but at the same she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Wh... Who... are you?" she asked; even her voice was small and fearful, and it tugged at Naofumi, both heart and mind. It was almost as if there was something there, he had lived through already, but he did not know what. No answer came, and he instead turned to Beloukas, who was seeing everything with a smile. Not a pleasant one, but a disturbing smile. Something that Naofumi would soon recognize as the man's 'I know you want to do business and it's not going to work in your favor' smile.
"How much for her?"
The child stilled when she heard those words. Her small hands grabbed onto his, and even if she could not hurt him, he could feel all her fear and stress in her grab.
"As I said, she has panic attacks and night terrors. None of her previous owners liked it, that's why they kept selling her back to me. Are you certain you want to buy her? I didn't know that the Shield Hero's tastes ran in that direction."
Naofumi gently let go of the girl and then jumped out of the cage to grapple the fat man by his suit's lapels. In spite of this, Beloukas did not even stop smiling.
"Listen to me, you goddamned asshole! Don't even joke about that stuff! I've seen too many people suffer through that because a bunch of pathetic wastes of humanity didn't even try to control themselves! If you think it's related to that farce of a trial from ten days ago, then you'd better think again, and if you ever say something like that again I'm going to try and find out how you fare in a fight against someone that can really defend themselves!"
Contrary to expectations, Beloukas reacted differently than the usual.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Contrary to expectations, Beloukas did not even seem to be offended to be manhandled like that. "I don't care about your tastes or about whether you are guilty or innocent, I only care about whether you are interested or not in what I have to offer, Sir Shield Hero!"
Grunting, Naofumi let the man go (with the feeling of wanting to wash his hands) and then gently picked up the little girl, who was so weak she could barely stand on her own. Beloukas moved to mark her with the ink with Naofumi's blood but halted before doing so, as Naofumi turned the girl around.
"If you are fine with her, it's your decision, but are you sure? It appears she won't last for a few days."
"If she is my slave, then she's my property, and I like to take care of what I own, no matter their state."
"If you say so."
The girl yelped in pain as the quill began to draw the crest on her chest, but she was clearly resigned to this, and fearful of what might happen to her. Meanwhile, Naofumi wondered what he would do with her. Ferrie and him could already deal with monsters together. The two griffins would be great support in the fights. But... what could a little girl do?
I just bought a child to be my slave. On impulse... man, Ferrie's going to kill me.
"Everything is ready, good sir," Beloukas said, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Great. You mentioned she was worth thirty silvers. I want to buy the rest of the ink with my blood, and some virgin ink as well."
"I normally don't sell the virgin ink." Naofumi answered by tossing him a bag full of coins, which Beloukas rapidly counted. "Good sir, there's fifty-five silvers here, it's more money than what I thought we had agreed to."
"Thirty for the girl, ten for the crests on the eggs and her. The rest is for the ink and the information. Besides, you said 'normally'."
Beloukas remained silent for a few moments before grinning and cracking up again.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you know me so well, Sir Shield Hero! Fine, you can have the ink, and don't hesitate to come back when you decide you have more need of my services!"
Naofumi grabbed the two eggs, carefully placed them in his bag, and then picked up the girl again before leaving the tent – wishing for a shower to get rid of the miasma now surrounding him.
Beloukas kept grinning, even as he felt the presence of a Shadow at his back.
"You did well, de gozaru," the female Shadow stated. "The Queen will be pleased for your services."
"I simply did as you paid me for. Just honest business. What will you tell your master?"
"That the Shield Hero found a pair of two wild eggs, had them sealed to him, then bought a sick demi-human slave and also left with some bloodied ink, de gozaru."
"Nothing about the virgin ink?"
He did not need to turn around to know that the Shadow was raising an eyebrow.
"What virgin ink, de gozaru?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," he replied, before going back to his business. By the time he was walking into his office, the Shadow had disappeared, and those slaves who had heard the discussion knew to be silent if they did not want to lose their life.
After walking the distance back to the inn, Naofumi sat the girl – who had said she was called Raphtalia – on a bench and asked the innkeeper to bring lunch, requesting the cheapest dish they had for himself and a kids' meal for Raphtalia. Raphtalia was astonished to see how much food had been laid before her, and at Naofumi's prompting, she began to eat, clearly enjoying it. Naofumi wondered what hell she had gone through that she acted as if the food might disappear at some point, when Ferrie arrived.
"Who is she, Naofumi?" Ferrie asked, using the language spoken in Aztlan since she knew only Naofumi could understand it. The other Heroes might have been able to, thanks to their Legendary Weapons, but as they were not there, they should be safe.
"An impulsive purchase."
Ferrie's eyes narrowed: clearly, she was seeing where this was going.
"Please, explain it to me."
"When I was at the trader's – whom, by the way, you would have likely killed if you had been there – I saw her, and something told me I had to buy her."
"She's a slave? Don't tell me you intend to use her. That's low, even for your actual standards."
"Oi, I'm not going to do what you're thinking. She needed help, and better that she stays with us than alone and getting worse there. Plus... she reminds me of someone else."
"I can imagine who you're talking about. Just don't complain when she gets attached to you."
"I don't care about that."
"Whatever," Ferrie finished and turned to the girl, who was looking at her with fear. She was not sure if it was for her sudden appearance or just the language they were using, but Ferrie figured it was something to dispel, so she sat down next to her and smiled. "Hello, dear. I am Ferrie. What's your name?"
"Ra... Raphtalia, ma'am," she replied, shyly, as she realized she did not have to fear her.
"I'm too young to be called 'ma'am', Raphtalia. You can call me Ferrie."
"Are... are you sure? You are... Master's wife, aren't you?" she asked, uncertain yet curious.
Promptly, Naofumi inhaled the food he was eating too fast and started to choke, punching his chest a couple of times before a blushing Ferrie put a cup of water near his hands, allowing him to drink and get the food through.
"No, Raphtalia, I'm just Naofumi's friend and, so far, only party member. Though, now that you are with us, it's going to change. What are you planning, Fumi?"
"Well, until she fully recovers from her illness, she can stick to help getting monster parts for my Shield, as well as gathering what we teach her to find. When that time comes, she can learn how to fight from us both. I can teach her how to wield a weapon, and you can teach her how to fight with her hands, if that's alright."
"Fine by me."
Raphtalia looked at both of them, wondering what was happening, and Naofumi decided to tell her.
"Listen, Raphtalia, I'm the Shield Hero, and we need your help. We are going to train you so you can help us defeat the Waves of Calamity. After we are done eating, we will sit down and decide what we'll be doing until the next Wave comes. It's going to be a lot of hard work, and you may have to do things you don't like, but it may be the best chance we have of surviving. Do you understand that?"
"You really are the Shield Hero?" she asked, awe replacing her previous fear. Naofumi felt uneasy about what he was going to put the girl through, while Ferrie felt the need of hugging the precious little girl.
"Yes. Now, let's eat."
Ferrie quickly asked for lunch as well, and the three ate together. Raphtalia had a small scare when her rapid eating caused her to choke on her food as well, but by the end of lunch she was slowly cheering up, playing with the flag that had come with her food like the little girl she was, instead of a slave that had been bought to help fight the end of the world itself.
That caused Ferrie to realize something.
"How long do we have until the Wave, Fumi?" she asked.
"For Melromarc's Wave, we have fourteen days."
"Wait. There are... there are more, right?" Ferrie asked. "Naofumi, are there more Waves coming?"
"Why are you saying that?"
"Because you said Melromarc's Wave. That implies more places are getting hit by Waves than just Melromarc."
"Master... there are more Waves coming?" Raphtalia asked, trembling with fear. Ferrie, seeing this, gently held the girl's hands on her own, while Naofumi sighed and pulled out a quill and an inkwell, and started to write down a set of runes on the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that at least three people were annoyed with him, while a fourth just looked confused at what he was doing.
The fact that the fourth person happened to be a demi-human was also striking.
So, three people either don't like me or don't like me doing what I'm doing, and the demi-human doesn't know what's going on. Does he have a master, or is he here on his own? Naofumi thought, finishing the writing. Immediately, Ferrie put her elbows on the table and covered her mouth, to Raphtalia's bemusement.
"Raphtalia, whenever I do this, just do the same as Ferrie." He followed Ferrie's lead, and while the Tanuki girl was confused, she nodded and took the same posture. "Alright, Melromarc's second wave will be coming in less than fifteen days. However, there's another place that will see a Wave of Calamity coming in nine days, and I'm registered to that place's Hourglass."
"What? How many Waves are there? Where is it going to hit?"
"I don't even know, but from what I've learned, there's a lot of places where there could be Waves. As for this one, it'll be near where we found the griffin eggs. It's why we were there, for area recognition."
"I should have known why you were so interested about those mountains. Next time, though, you could tell me something so important with time," Ferrie complained.
"I am telling you with time."
"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know-"
"NINE DAYS?!" Raphtalia shouted, standing up and ready to cry. To Naofumi's annoyance, she had screamed with her mouth uncovered, allowing the entire inn to hear her. Ferrie managed to calm her down and make her take her previous position.
"Yes, and we are going to use that time to train you, so that you can defend yourself when the Waves hit this world again."
Finishing their lunches, the trio went to their room. Ferrie took care of giving Raphtalia a thorough bath – which she desperately needed, as it seemed like she had not been allowed to clean up for quite some time – and Naofumi fixed up some clothes the girl could use temporarily before they bought something more for her. He also took care of her waist-long hair, cutting it so it would just reach to her shoulders and allowing her to move better. The fact that the hair actually allowed him to unlock another shield was just the cherry on top.
Since she was now looking better, they took her to Erhard, who was surprised to see the Shield Hero and his partner twice in the same day, and then again when they asked him for clothes fitting for a young girl. Fortunately, due to nobles and rich merchants being around it was not the first time someone made such a request, and he had everything in hand: soon, Raphtalia was wearing a battle dress and a pair of sturdy and comfortable boots and wielding a knife large enough that it looked like a short sword in her hands.
"A knife?" Ferrie asked, surprised. "Wait! That looks familiar."
"It's the only weapon she can hold right now. Give her time to grow and strengthen, and she'll be able to do better. And yes, it looks familiar. You knew the previous owner."
As there was still sunlight, they decided to begin Raphtalia's first fighting lesson immediately, and the three of them left the city to go to the forest. Naofumi did not wait too long before starting.
"Now, Raphtalia, stab this Balloon," he ordered, grabbing an orange Balloon that had tried to attack him and holding it in front of him. He disliked having to do this, particularly when he saw the girl looking at him like a lost lamb, but it was something necessary.
"But... now?" she asked.
"Now, Raphtalia!"
"No," she refused, and suddenly her crest sparked, giving her a painful shock that made her scream. Naofumi quickly cut it off with a thought: Raphtalia had suffered enough, and the only thing she needed was to learn how to fight.
"Raphtalia, I know you don't like this, but it is the only way you can become stronger. Now, attack the Balloon!"
Reluctantly, she charged and stabbed the Balloon, killing it with one stabbing. Naofumi was both envious – because if it were not for Hedron Shield, it would likely take him a lot longer to kill the monster – and noting what Raphtalia needed in order to improve.
"Good. Now, that was a first time, so there's a few things you can do to improve."
Naofumi gave the girl a few tips on knife-wielding and how to position herself for a fight, and when she showed she could handle it he grabbed another Balloon and held it. This time, Raphtalia did not hesitate and quickly killed the monster. After that, the two of them just went on the loose against the weak creatures, with Naofumi letting them attack him and Raphtalia jumping in to kill them, growing in experience as she did – particularly after Naofumi noticed there was a slider that allowed him to indicate how much of the experience Raphtalia earned went to him and how much she kept: he moved it all the way towards her.
By the time she finally exhausted herself from killing Balloons of every color, Raphtalia had already reached up to level 3, which was quite good. Naofumi pulled out a sleeping bag and had her take a nap to recover. Ferrie and he stayed there watching over her, killing any monster that came nearby while Naofumi made a couple of potions that ought to heal the persistent cough Raphtalia had kept through the fighting, and too advantage of the lull to unlock a few more shields, including one that boosted the growth of anyone that was his slave.
Raphtalia had not liked the taste of the medicine Naofumi made, but Ferrie convinced her to drink it, and after doing it she realized she felt much better, much to her joy. Ferrie managed to use that enthusiasm to begin teaching her several basic martial arts movements, so she could fight without weapons if needed. She would still need a lot of training, but it was a good beginning.
After a hearty early dinner, the three retired to their room, and Naofumi sat Raphtalia on one of the beds.
"Raphtalia, tell us what happened to you."
Raphtalia started to tremble and cry, clearly not wanting to remember or knowing it would be painful. Ferrie scolded him for his brusque manners, and then calmed Raphtalia down, gently coaxing her to speak up.
She had lived in Lurolona, a town near the coast that had been attacked by the First Wave, mostly inhabited by demi-humans, killing her parents. As they had begun to rebuild, a bunch of soldiers had shown up – and rather than protect them, they had killed most of the grown-ups and enslaved the children and the women, separating them and selling them to different people. Her first master had been good, but she had sold her to Beloukas after just two days. Then came her second owner, who was quite bad and sold her back just one night after buying her. Then came the worst of them, Idol Rabier.
Ferrie flinched and gave Raphtalia a tight hub in sympathy. This told the Shield Hero that he was not going to like the answer to his next question.
"What did he do to you?"
Raphtalia felt ashamed, dirty for what she was going to say... but her new master, the Shield Hero, had been so nice so far! He had bought her food, had made her clothes while Ferrie-neechan (she asked her to call her that) bathed her, had bought her new nice things and was even teaching her how to defend herself. In spite of how gruff he was, he was the kindest master she'd ever heard about. She did not want him to see her as useless or weak, but unfortunately, the crest on her chest prevented her from hiding things from him.
"He... hurt us. He used his cursed whip, rods, brands. He would hang us upside down from our feet. Sometimes he took off our clothes and threw cold water over us in the middle of the night. My friend Rifana got sick. And then he started to hurt me more, because I still smiled because Mom and Dad said people felt stronger whenever I smiled. And then he started to hurt Rifana in front of me, so much that... I just couldn't... keep up... and then he sold me."
Naofumi gently hugged Raphtalia, who broke down and started to cry into his chest: for the first time since her parents died, she felt safe, and she answered by letting out her anguish and pain through her tears and yells. After weeks of pain, of dealing with so much loss, of breaking the last thing she had of her parents, the promise to always smile and brighten up people's days, it was too much to deal with.
It was almost a relief for her that she exhausted herself so much, and eventually, she fell asleep in Naofumi's arms, as she had not done since the First Wave that destroyed her life.
"Do you know Rabier?" Naofumi asked, keeping a low voice that nonetheless conveyed a dangerous tone.
"Not personally. He was a veteran in the war against Siltvelt, and he is known in the western border – and not for anything good. Would you be opposed to making a special visit to Rabier's estate when Raphtalia gets enough levels?"
"Hell, if need be, I'll go and hold that bastard down so Raphtalia can give him one last lesson."
"Good." Ferrie combed Raphtalia's hair, as Naofumi put her to bed. "She's suffered so much, Fumi. I want to protect her, no matter what."
"Yeah. But right now, either we leave her with Erhard, or we work to make her stronger."
"She's going to want to be stronger. After what she's gone through, she needs the chance to heal from her trauma."
Naofumi's answer got interrupted when a crack sounded through the room. The two of them turned to the nearby table, where they saw the eggs were cracking.
"Oh, my gods, the eggs are hatching!" Ferrie squeed and walked up to the table, intent on watching the event up close. Naofumi followed, wanting to see the creatures as they left their shells. Slowly, the cracks on both eggs grew, until a large hole opened up in both, showing two bird-like heads looking out from them. One of them had brown feathers and a long beak, the other black feathers and a shorter beak. Both newborns quickly jumped out of their eggs and onto Naofumi's head, where soon they started to fight – all while Naofumi and Ferrie could tell something was wrong.
Because the black-feathered bird was not a Griffin. It was a Filolial.
"STOP!" Naofumi shouted, grabbing both creatures so he could look at them in the eyes. "Alright, no attacking each other at all, no fighting without permission, and the first who thinks of ignoring the order is going to answer to me. Understood?"
The newborn chicks started to cry after he yelled at them, and Ferrie quickly hit him in the head.
"OW!"
"You idiot, why did you yell at them? They were born not even five minutes ago!"
"And they were just trying to kill each other on my head!"
Ferrie grabbed the chicks and held them in her hands.
"Listen, little ones, your papa is right, you don't need to kill each other," Ferrie said, ignoring Naofumi's flabbergasted indignation about being called 'papa'. "You two are going to live together for the time being, and you will be nice to each other. Or else. Understood, little ones?"
The two newborn chicks looked at Ferrie with what appeared to be understanding, and perhaps even a little bit of admiration for her in their eyes. It was surprising that they were so intelligent when they had just been born.
Meanwhile, Naofumi decided to take the eggshells and absorb them with the Shield. It paid off, and he got two new shields from them:
Monster User Shield: Conditions met
Abilities locked Equip bonus: Monster Maturation Adjustment (small)
Monster Egg Shield: Conditions met
Abilities locked Equip bonus: Cooking Skill 2
"Son of a- Ferrie, tomorrow I'm going to find that fat slave trader. He changed one of the eggs without me noticing and then had the gall of acting as if nothing was wrong! He'd better return me the egg he changed!"
"And what are you going to do with the Filolial?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'll sell it for a high price."
"You're delusional if you think I'll let you do that. I've always wanted to have a Filolial!"
"What the hell? This isn't a pony!"
"I don't care! Besides, he already saw you, and he thinks of you as his father. And what's a pony, by the way?"
"Oh, damn it. You already know it's a male?"
A few streets away, a Shadow had already written everything they had just heard for the daily report. Considering how they had suddenly learned what had happened to Lurolona, the King ought to be satisfied.
B/N: Well, looks like there's no Filo to be had. :(
A/N: Sorry, I'm not Sorry.