The cave looked like a gaping mouth with the stalactites near the entrance. As scary as it looked, Naofumi was more than ready to go in.
"So," he turned to his companions. "Any of you have experiences with caves?"
"None for me, sadly," Mina said.
"Eh, sometimes I go in them to look for moss and bugs," Rachel replied.
Rowan feebly raised his hand. "Gareth and I sometimes hunt monsters in all kinds of caves. And I can sense a lot of spiders in there. They can guide us while I take the lead."
"Sounds good." Naofumi peered into the cave. "Rachel, can you use your fire magic to light the way?"
She cracked her knuckles. "I've got a better solution."
She held out a hand, the fire sigil materialized, and balls of fire popped out until there were six. They hung in the air close to them. Naofumi reached out to one and it moved in tandem with his hand.
"Wow. This is…"
"Neat, huh?" Rachel smiled proudly. "Any time I go into a cave for ingredients, I use this to give me enough light. And they come in handy if a monster decides to attack me."
Mina also reached out for one and gently cupped it in her hands. "It's so warm, but it isn't as hot as I expected it to be."
"That's because I control how hot they can be. Since we're a group of four, I don't want to burn you guys if they're too hot."
"This is kind of fun!" Rowan had two of them in his hands, and he tossed them in the air and they gently floated back down.
Naofumi watched with some glee. Their mission to get the moss would be an easy one. The village lord told them the cave, which was near the reservoir, was free of any monsters and the last of the hibernating bears left about a month ago. All they had to worry about were bats and bugs. Which wouldn't be an issue except he had to remind himself that these were no ordinary bats and bugs. It was a quick get in and get out kind of mission. If they get done early, they can enjoy the rest of the day at the alehouse eating to their heart's content.
"Let's go."
The ball of flames went in first, illuminating their path as they followed. The narrow entrance expanded the further they went in and soon, Naofumi could smell water.
"The moss shouldn't be that far," Rowan said from the front. "If there's a large body of water in a cave, most surfaces should have moss."
"Should?" Naofumi questioned.
"There are pockets of caves that are perfect for moss growth. Also, watch your step, Naofumi."
He was mid-way to taking his next step when he stopped. A puddle was right in front of him, a deep puddle at that.
"Woah. Thanks for that." He didn't see it even with the light.
"No problem. Since I became a hunter, I notice a lot of things most people don't. No matter the environment we are in, we keep an eye on everything. That's how I was able to notice the puddle without looking down."
Naofumi places a hand on the rocky wall as a guide while walking. "This is my first time being in a cave. I've always wanted to go to one, just not like this."
"You didn't live near any caves?" Rachel asked.
"Well, there are caves, just more out in nature where there's hardly any people or in national parks. I lived close to the city, so anything outside of that is still new to me. Aside from going to the countryside for a school trip, I preferred to be in my room."
"A hermit." Mina points out.
"Not really." Well, she isn't wrong. How could he explain to them about being an almost shut-in otaku? "I still went to school and the library."
"The more I hear about your world, the more intrigued I am. Is it that different than here?" Mina asks.
"Way different." It would take hours to explain how his world was ten times more advanced. That was for another day.
The more they walked, the more the tunnel grew wider until they reached a giant room with a small lake in the center. Holes were scattered throughout the room leading to who knows where. Water dripped from high above, causing little ripples in the lake.
Rachel summoned more balls of flame, brightening the room. "We reached the center. Now all we gotta do is find the moss."
Close to the lake were rocks jutting out from a wall near them. Naofumi stepped closer and he saw dark blue-green moss.
"Is this it?"
Rachel went over and examined the moss. "Yep. This is the one they were talking about." She took a good look around the room. "There are plenty here but if we want more, we have to go in one of those tunnels. For now, let's start here."
She pulled out thick brown gloves from her satchel as well as several large glass containers. One day, Naofumi will have to look into that satchel to see how deep it was.
Gloves fastened, Rachel scooped the moss in handfuls and deposited them in the containers. Four of the seven were full of moss.
"Just three more and we're good."
Naofumi felt more confident with this mission. No monsters, no bandits, no Motoyasu, or that bitch Malty. He hopes more missions would be like this.
"I'll look to see which tunnel has more moss." Rowan took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Naofumi couldn't imagine how it is being a beastmaster; being able to connect to the mind of animals and see through their eyes, feel their emotions.
"While he's doing that," he turned his attention to the girls. "Do you two need to go anywhere after this?"
"Not really." Rachel shook her head.
"I do recall there being a hot spring not far from here. We could go there once we're done here," Mina says.
Hot springs? That's perfect!
"Great," Naofumi started, "we'll head there to rest and-"
Rowan cut him off with a swift movement of his arm.
"What is-"
Rowan placed a finger in front of his nose, telling him to be quiet. The air became tense with the hunter's serious expression.
"What?" Naofumi whispered.
"Someone's here," Rowan replied.
"Someone?" Mina asked.
"I was able to connect to a spider in one of those tunnels. The walls there are covered with the moss. And someone is burning them."
"What!" Rachel almost shouts. "Burning?!"
"Yes. It's a man and he's using fire magic. He hasn't heard us so we have the advantage. If he continues to do that, there won't be enough moss for the villagers."
If someone was burning the moss, whoever they are, Naofumi wasn't going to let them go easy.
"Where?"
Rowan pointed to a tunnel with a much larger entrance. "That tunnel goes into a large room. The man only burned a small section, but we have to be fast. We just need to keep quiet." He drew out his bow and an arrow. "Something tells me he's not going down without a fight."
So much for a short mission. No. He shouldn't complain. This was serious. If someone was burning the moss, then whoever they were, they need to be taken down. Fast.
"Lead the way."
Rowan reminded them quietly to make as little noise as possible. Quick on your feet but as quiet as a mouse. A mantra he made sure they would follow.
The tunnel curved the straighten then curved again. Soon, Naofumi started to smell something. Like grass burning. They were getting close.
This man, whoever he is, is intent on burning the moss. But for what?
They rounded a corner when Rowan halted them.
"Take a peek," he whispered.
Cautiously, the four of them poked their heads from the corner and there in his villainous glory, a man was setting fire to a portion of a moss-covered wall. His arm was extended, revealing black tattoos snaking up his arms. Sticking out from his pocket was a red bandana.
"It's him," Naofumi whispered. "The guy the nurse told us about."
"If he's burning the wall," Mina starts, "then it's safe to assume he's responsible for the mass poisoning?"
"No doubt about it," Rachel replied. "And he's making sure they don't get cured by burning the moss. But why?"
"Only one way to find out." Naofumi straightened and made himself visible. "Hey, fuck face!"
The man startled, the flame in his hand disappearing. "What the-" He spun, revealing a sword tied to his hip. He unsheathed the sword and took an offensive stance. "Who the fuck are you?!"
"It doesn't matter who I am. More importantly, you're the one who poisoned the village's water supply." From behind him, his companions revealed themselves, weapons ready.
"Tch," the man scoffed. "Guess you figured it out. Well shit. And here I thought I was fast enough to get this over with. Guess I was wrong."
"You're damn right you're wrong!" Rachel glares at the man. "Just what the fuck are you doing?"
"I don't gotta explain myself to a cunt like you," the man spits.
Rachel's grip on her ax tightened.
"There's no use in denying," Mina says. "A witness from the village saw you just a few days ago. Play dumb all you want. It's clear you're the mastermind."
"Wow. Beautiful and smart. Congrats, bitch. You want a medal or somethin'?"
"How about you shut your mouth!" Naofumi retorts. "You insult them, you insult me."
The man stares at him before his gaze shifts to his shield.
"Ah." The man smirks. "The Shield Hero. You're the one that fucked that princess, didn't you? Or so they say. What's a lowlife shit like yourself helping out a village?"
'You're the piece of shit!' "Look who's talking."
"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment," the man mocks. "I don't gotta explain myself to either of ya. Unless you wanna get cut."
If his shield could let him do unspeakable things to the man, he wished it would let him. His physical and elemental attacks were piss poor, whereas the others could hold their own offensively. He was their shield, and they were his weapons.
Not that he has anything to worry about. With all the new upgrades his shield got, he was prepared to throw anything at the man.
Speaking of…
Naofumi focused intently on the man and his stats popped up.
Name: Ryder
Class: Trickster
Trickster? The hell kind of class is that? And what kind of tricks does he have?
Class or no class, he looked further at the man's – Ryder – stats.
LV: 43
HP: 2,745
MP: 221
PHYS ATK: 395
ELEM ATK: 267
PHYS DEF: 250
ELEM DEF: 221
SPEED: 324
CRITICAL: 187
He's fast on his feet though not as quickly as Mina and has a scary high physical attack. They didn't have to worry about his elemental attack. And his HP was no joke. The only thing that bothered Naofumi was the Trickster class.
"He's a Trickster," he muttered low enough for his friends to hear.
Beside him, Rowan tensed. "Damn."
"Trickster or not, he's not getting away with this," Rachel says.
"What you guys muttering about?" Ryder teased. "Let me guess, you saw my class, Shield Hero? Neat, huh? How about I give you a demonstration."
As quick as lightning, Ryder summoned a ball of light, blinding them all.
"Ahh!" Naofumi covered his eyes but that did little to block the intense brightness.
The blinding light flickered then was gone. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to get rid of the blurriness. He could barely make out Ryder's form at the center of the room. His vision began clearing and once it did, he blinked again to see if what in front of him was real.
There were five complete identical Ryders. It was like Mina's illusion magic.
"Five of us versus four of you," Ryder says, "I like those kinds of odds. Let's get this over with."
Ryder swiftly raised his arm and the five of them disappeared in white light.
"Scatter!" Rowan yelled. "The more space we have, the more we can land hits!"
They followed his command, running to different parts of the large room. The white lights came back in other parts of the cave. The Ryders appeared and attacked them.
Naofumi brought up his shield to deflect the sword. It was like getting pushed by a small child. His physical defense surpassed well beyond Ryder's attack stat.
"I won't let a little shit like you get in my way," Ryder growled. "I don't care if you're supposed to protect us. The less of you wannabe heroes, the better!" He jumped back and lunged at breakneck speed.
Naofumi barely had enough time to dodge the attack, the tip of the sword grazing his armor.
Two can play at that game.
"Two-Headed Black Dog Shield!" His shield transformed, the two ravenous dogs growled and bared their teeth at Ryder.
One dog clamped down on Ryder's arm, the one without the sword. He bit back a yell and with his other arm, he raised his sword and slashed at the neck. It was a clean-cut, the head plopping to the ground, writing until it disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing back on Naofumi's shield.
"You'll have to do better than that." Ryder blinked out of sight in the same white light.
Naofumi kept his guard up, bouncing on the balls of his feet, ready to jump out of the way at any given moment.
He looked to his friends as they fought off the Ryders. Rachel swung her ax only to have her Ryder disappear. Mina dodged a flurry of attacks from two Ryders. Rowan launched an arrow at his Ryder, hitting him in his left shoulder. Two spiders then jumped from the ceiling, wrapping their legs around him, pinning his arms to his side. They bit down on him, and just like the dog head, this Ryder disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"You have to strike them hard," Rowan instructed. "His illusion magic is more potent and-"
"Behind you!" Naofumi shouted.
Rowan didn't turn around in time as a new Ryder pulled up his fur shawl and wrapped around his head, tying a knot at the top. Rowan flailed, dropping his bow and arrow as he tried to undo the knot only to have Ryder push him down.
The two spiders jumped at him but Ryder sidestepped out of the way. He was too fast for them. Too fast, even for Rowan.
The illusion Ryder raised his sword.
'NO!'
Naofumi's shield changed into a triangle with animal fur and was dotted with several circles. "Poison Dart Shield!"
Rounds of needles shot out of the shield, all of them hitting Ryder. The illusion disappeared just as Rowan undid the knot.
"You OK?" Naofumi rushed up to him and pulled him to his feet.
"I'm good. His illusions are stronger than I imagined."
"How do we stop him?"
"We need to find the real one. If we get him, then he can't create more illusions."
Easier said than done. They were all identical down to the tattoos. Nothing stood out from each illusion.
No. That wasn't true. Naofumi noticed that the illusions didn't react to pain. Not when Rachel hit one illusion with her ax or the one that got hit by Rowan's arrow. The only one that showed any kind of pain was the Ryder he used the Two-Headed Black Dog Shield on. It left a pretty good bite mark on his upper forearm.
Two more Ryders suddenly appeared. Rowan wasted no time ordering his spiders to attack them. With the two illusions distracted, Naofumi quickly spun to see if there was one Ryder that wasn't in the fray.
His friends kept the illusions at bay, each one disappearing and reappearing again. One charged at him but he chanced his shield to the Crystal Shield and impaled the illusion.
Then, that's when he saw him.
A Ryder was throwing himself at Mina, the dancer dodging each swift strike, each one coming close to cutting her. There, on his upper right forearm were fresh bite marks.
Now was his only chance.
"Change shield! Lunar Wolf Shield!"
The shield glowed, morphing into a dark blue steel with the head of a wolf. It's frosted green fur glowed with magic.
Rowan was the first to spot it. "Wait. That's…"
It was the magic wolf Legrand had used to attack them. When their battle was done, Naofumi fur from the wolf and that night, while everyone was asleep, he added the fur to his shield, gaining the Lunar Wolf Shield.
Perfect for a situation like this.
When Mina jumped back, giving herself as much distance from Ryder, Naofumi took the opportunity.
"Cover your ears!" he shouted.
There was a moment of confused hesitation but they put their hands over their ears. Ryder could only look on in confusion as Naofumi pointed the wolf's head straight at the trickster
"Lunar Howl!"
The wolf took in a deep breath and let out an unearthly loud howl. Naofumi's body shook from the intense vibration from the howl, nearly crumpling to his knees but he forced himself to stand.
It was too late for Ryder to cover his ears as he collapsed, screaming while his illusions disappeared.
The wolf ceases its howling. Ryder trembled as he stood. Naofumi wasn't going to let this bastard get the upper hand.
"Change Shield! Poison Dart Shield!"
Ryder was pricked by several sharp needles, inflicting him with a poison status.
"Change Shield! Rope Shield!"
Rope shot out of the shield, ensnaring Ryder in a tight grip.
He struggled against the bindings but to no avail. He was still weak from the effects of the wolf's howl and stopped resisting.
"Damn it."
"Now that you can't do your little tricks, it's time you talk." Naofumi went and kneeled, meeting Ryder straight in the eyes. "Why did you poison the reservoir?"
"I ain't telling you shit, boy," Ryder spat. "What makes you think I'll tell you or the knights anything?"
"Oh, I won't do anything. But he will." Naofumi points to Rowan.
The hunter nodded and reached into his shawl, grabbing two spiders and setting them down. Both were black widows.
Ryder, seeing the spiders, tried to scoot away. "Wait! You're seriously going to kill me?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. Unless you tell us why you did what you did."
The spiders advanced on Ryder, crawling over his legs and the rope until they stopped at his neck. He thrashed and rolled, but the spiders remained in place, unaffected by the man's movement.
"One bite from those two, and you'll be dead in hours." Naofumi's voice stopped Ryder from moving. "Let me make this clear. I'm tired of people like you calling me names for something I didn't do. I hate it. Hate everything about this. You think I'm shit? Well, you're no different than me if you went out of your way to harm innocent people. All I have to do is tell him to command those spiders to bite you and it'll be the end of you. So, unless you want to live, start talking."
Naofumi could see sweat forming at Ryder's forehead. From panic, no doubt. Who wouldn't when they have two deadly spiders on them?
Ryder let out an exhausted breath. "Fine."
The spiders remained where they were as he started talking. "I was only told to poison the lake and burn the moss that was used for medicine."
"And who told you this?" Rachel asks.
"My boss. He gave me the orders."
"What else is there?" Mina asks.
"That's all."
"Really?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "Remember, two black widows."
"Wait!" Ryder shouted. "Th-there's more!"
"Tell us how you poisoned the water supply. The scales from a grim dragon caused the sickness. A nurse told us there was one near the mountains that was missing some scales. Was that you?"
No," Ryder shook his head. "That was another group. They knew what a grim dragon's scales could do and they got it from that dragon. They gave it to my boss and my boss passed it to me. I was only told to dump the scales in the reservoir and that was it."
His story was adding up. Nothing about it gave any indication he was lying. Then again, Naofumi knew just how easy it was for someone to lie.
"Wait," Rachel says. "There's something about this that's been bothering me. And I think he might hold the answer."
"What answer?" Naofumi asks.
"What happened in Westbrook with the frost sickness. Remember how I said it only appears in winter? It kept bugging me but I think I'm starting to understand."
She turned her attention to Ryder. "It was you or your group. You're the ones that spread the frost sickness at Westbrook." It wasn't a question so much as an accusation.
Ryder was silent, not daring to meet her in the eyes. Finally, he sighed. "Yes. We had someone in our group go to the northlands and get sick. He then went to the village and infected the people. We cured him after he was done."
"Why on earth would you do something like that?" Mina asks. "You're putting innocent lives at risk, and for what? Money? Or are all of you sick bastards who enjoy watching people suffer?"
When Ryder didn't answer, Naofumi huffed in annoyance.
"Rowan, do it."
"No!" Ryder shook his head. "It was because we wanted to summon the Peacock Dragon!"
Naofumi could only stare back in bewilderment. They wanted to summon a dragon? A powerful one at that. And for what? What does one do with a dragon?
"Now it makes sense," Rachel says.
"What do you mean?" Rowan asks.
"Think about it. We have two villages that were struck with mysterious illnesses. If this asshole and his friends were to do this with other villages, it'd look like there's an epidemic of all kinds of diseases. The Peacock Dragon only appears when there's an overwhelmingly amount of people sick."
She turns back to Ryder. "Why, though?"
"His scales," Ryder answers. "Our leader wants to get the scales from the dragon and profit from it. Says that people – commoners and nobles – will pay top coin and talent for a cure-all medicine."
"Fucking bastard," Rachel says. "You're OK with people getting sick and possibly dying just for money? You're fucking pathetic."
Naofumi could only glare at Ryder. He wasn't worth the insults that were on the tip of his tongue. He'll save that for another day. Right now, they need to get this bastard out of here and back to the village. They'll handle him.
The moon's light shone through the window blinds of their room at the inn, and Naofumi watched it, wondering if the moon had all the answers he was looking for. If it was like those tales said it was, a mother watching over their child.
They had dropped off Ryder at the village's jail, and Rachel dropped off the moss at the hospital. They were pain 75 gold coins. Naofumi let Rachel handle the money. After what happened in the cave, he was exhausted to try and count the money.
He laid in bed while Rachel paced the room, muttering to herself. Naofumi noticed how stressed she was when they returned.
"This is all kinds of messed up," she says. "They have to be out of their minds if they think they can summon the dragon by spreading diseases."
"Is it possible, though?" Rowan asked from his bed.
"I honestly have no clue," Rachel shook her head. "It's not as simple as they make it out to be. They would have to spread so many illnesses to lots of villages and cities if they even want to get the attention of the Peacock Dragon."
"Calm down, Rachel," Mina soothed. "If what they're hoping to accomplish comes true, then we have to alert the knights of what's going on. Maybe the King too since the Queen is gone at the moment."
"I know. It just makes me pissed that those assholes don't give two flying fucks about people dying."
She was never this angry, Naofumi notices. He has seen her angry but this was on a different level. People's lives were at risk. He wonders if this has anything to do with her being an apothecary, someone who is meant to help people.
No, that wasn't it. It wasn't because she was duty-bound because of her job. It was because she cared. Under that gruff exterior, there's a thoughtful, caring person who will go out of her way to help aid the sick. It's why she does what she does. She wouldn't be a good apothecary if she didn't care.
Then that leaves him. He helped Lute Village and Westbrook. He helped take down a corrupt captain and now, he stopped a criminal responsible for mass poisoning. He did it because in the end, it was the right thing to do. As much as he hates this world for what it did to him, he wouldn't be a good hero – a good person – if he let people die knowing he has the power to save them.
He looked at his shield. The day he arrived here, he was happy to learn he would be a hero like in those anime and light novels. Out of all the worlds he had to be isekai-ed in, it had to be one where the hero was seen as a villain.
Day in and day out random people taunted him, was on the receiving end of glares, all thanks to that Malty, that Bitch.
Then he met Rachel. Then Mina and Rowan. Three people who were indifferent to who he was and the rumors about him. They joined him, of all people, to travel with.
He didn't just owe it to the people of this world to help them in their time of need, he owed it to help his friends in their endeavors. For Mina, it was to find her parents. For Rowan, it was to find Gareth. And now, for Rachel, it was to find the bastards responsible for the illnesses.
He won't let their goals go unfinished.
He stood, the sudden movement getting the attention of his friends.
"Look," he tried not to sound nervous. He never was one for public speaking. "I know I can't do much other than defend you guys, but you all helped me when I needed it. And now, I want to help you each. So, whatever your goals are, I'll be there help. Just like you all were there for me."
He then looked to Rachel. "Remember when you first joined me? It was because you thought you could sell more medicine? Well, it seems like you need help catching these guys.
"The same goes for you two," he says to Mina and Rowan. "Whatever comes our way, I'll do my best to help."
He waited for some kind of affirmation from them.
"You are a sweet boy," Mina says. "Never did I expect such a speech from someone closed off to other people. I haven't properly thanked you for letting me join your party. So, thank you. I know you'll help me find my parents."
"The same goes for me," Rowan says. "I-I never really believed all those bad things about you. I don't know how to explain it, but when I'm with you, I have more faith in finding Gareth. So um… I'll help you as well." He finishes with a blush.
"Now you got me feeling sappy," Rachel laughs. "You've grown on me these last few weeks. I can honestly say that I do trust you. Come hell or high water, I know I can count on you."
A warm feeling he couldn't put into words spread through his body. He liked this feeling. He hoped it would never go away.
"Thanks."
"Anyway," Mina get up from her bed. "We can discuss more of what we each have to do tomorrow. Right now, I want a nice, hot bath. Thank the Gods this inn has plumbing."
"Me too," Rachel says. "You go first while I check my stock."
"I'll start making marks on the map," Rowan says.
As they each went about their task, Naofumi looked on with some pride. They complimented each other well.
They weren't just party members. They're friends he could trust. Friends who would never betray him.
Tomorrow is a new day for them. Who knows what could happen?
Before, he dreaded what was to come.
Now, he was ready.