Sorry for the slightly late upload. Metroid Dread had just came out and I wanted to play the ever-living shit out of it for at least a day.

Early next morning, the Spear and Shield Heroes and their parties prepared for the trip to the port town of Lola to make the connection to Cal Mira. The Bow and Sword Heroes had left for the port earlier in the morning, much to the confusion and slight ire of everyone left behind.

Some time before the trip, Chazon and Naofumi made sure to visit Erhard and not only informed him of what happened, but were able to Weapon Copy his stock of shields and spears. The Queen's retainer that was with them promised monetary compensation to the blacksmith, who eventually agreed to let them copy all of his hard work.

One spear in particular, the Lightning Metal Spear, gave Chazon the Lightning Spear skill. Just need the Water, Earth, Wind, and Dark variants and I'll have an element for every scenario!

Chazon had his incubator sent to Damalus in Lerno Village, since he knew that taking care of a fragile egg while in the middle of the ocean would not be a good idea. Naofumi decided to do the same, since both eggs were nowhere near hatching time.

We should probably get monster seals on them after we return, just to make sure the newborn Filolial chicks are in our parties from the get-go.

Once they left Castle Town, Raphtalia made sure to ask if they could visit the ruins of her old village at some point, a sentiment Rifana agreed with. Naofumi promised them that they could visit after their time in Cal Mira was over, with Chazon wanting to visit to pay his respects to the victims of the first wave, Rino's mother, and Rifana's parents

Kardia still had the conversation she overheard between him and the Queen fresh in her mind. She realized that he was only trying to gently let them down in regards to all of them marrying him in their conversation before the major battle. Here, the Spear Hero had made it pretty clear that he had no intention of seeing anyone besides Rino in a romantic light, which had caused a fair amount of strife in her heart.

However, now that she had a night's rest, she was determined to try her best to persuade him to deviate from his decision. Even if he came to hate her for it, it would be worth it if he finally accepted the other three girls. The question is how to do it without driving him away from everyone else as well. Considering where we're going and what we're doing, I doubt I'll be able to come up with a solid plan until after we're done at Cal Mira.

When the two parties arrived at the port, the captain of the ship looked guilty. "I must apologize, Sir Spear Hero and Sir Shield Hero! I thought things were fine when the Sword Hero's showed up and took only enough cabins for his large party. But when the Bow Hero showed up, his party took all but one of the rest of the cabins… and it's not large enough to accommodate both of your parties."

Chazon remembered that brief arrogant smile he saw on Itsuki's face last night and grimaced. I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to think he's not on the same page as the rest of us in regards to this world…

Naofumi sighed. "Are there other cabins with enough room to accommodate us?"

"Just one, shared by a pair of adventurers."

"Then my party will join them." Naofumi pats Chazon on the shoulder. "You guys take the one vacant room, you'll need it for your larger party."

Chazon, knowing that there was no other way, flips Naofumi a gold coin. "My thanks for it. Hopefully your roommates aren't insufferable."

The room in question was fairly decent. A bunk bed that can sleep at least four people and what looked like a hide-away bed that can hold another two. Other than that, the only other thing worth of note was the small port window.

Kind of reminds me of when I went on a vacation cruise back in my world…

Rifana tested the bunk bed. "A bit hard, but I suppose we aren't on a luxury cruise. How are we going to arrange our sleeping if the trip is long enough to warrant it?"

Rino looked at the bunk beds a bit closer before nodding. "Amber and Obsidian are small enough that one can sleep with one pair of the two older members on the bunks or hide-away."

Chazon pondered the set-up. "Rino and I can sleep on the bottom bunk with either of them." Kardia let out a silent tsk of disappointment for not suggesting a different girl fast enough. "You girls decide who you want to sleep with."

"I'll sleep with Kekal-chan on the hide-away bed. Rifana-chan and Kardia-chan can take the top bunk." Merlay let out a small sigh after saying that.

"I'll sleep with you and Kekal-nee, Merlay-nee!" Obsidian piped up happily, which earned a joyful pat on the head from Kekal. What nobody realized is that it didn't matter to him who he slept with. However, he wanted to bond more with Merlay and Kekal, especially Kekal who was still the slight outcast member of the family.

Amber tried to be excited through her fear. "Y-yay, I'll be sleeping with Mama and Papa..." Rino blushed a bit, still not used to being called Mama yet.

Kardia looks out the port window. "Looks like we've already set sail. Shall we go onto the deck? It'll feel nice to take in the sea air."

Rifana smiled. "It'll be nostalgic for me. I haven't smelled the salty breeze of the sea for what feels like a long time."

While most of Chazon's party shared the sentiment, once they got onto the deck it was clear that Ren and Itsuki did not. Both of them were gripped onto the side of the ship like it was their lifeline. Ren looked at Chazon with dismay. "You aren't seasick either?"

"I've been on a fair number of boats in my lifetime, so I'm used to it."

Naofumi snorts in amusement. "I guess us two are the only ones not out of commission for this trip."

Wyndia sighed as she held one of Ren's hands, trying to force down her own seasickness. "Just take it easy, Ren-sama. The more you think about it, the worse it'll get."

"I do have some advice for you guys when we go to bed." Chazon distinctly remembered doing this when he was younger. "Pretend the ocean is rocking you to sleep. If you think of it that way, you'll have an easier time. Provided we don't hit rough seas..."

"In the meantime, Filo-chan and Obsidian-kun are doing fine." Kekal observed as she watched the two Filolial monarchs swimming beside the boat.

Itsuki noted how blue, not green, Amber's face was. "What's wrong with Amber?"

Rifana was about to answer when Filo suddenly whooped. Not even a second later, a shark-like monster flew onto the deck of the ship, inciting a lot of surprised yelling from the crew and other passengers.

Amber screamed in pure fear and bolted back to Chazon, clinging to him for dear life as she looked at the still flailing shark with horror. That did not sit well with the Spear Hero as he yelled in immense frustration, "FILO! GET UP HERE. NOW!"

Everyone recoiled at how harsh Chazon's voice had become. Filo in particular went blue with shock as she quickly came back up onto the deck and in front of Chazon in human form with tears in her eyes. Obsidian quickly came aboard as well to deliver the killing blow to the shark, though he gave his father his own fearful look.

Chazon pinched the bridge of his nose as he calmed himself back down. "You remember as well as I do just how much Amber fears aquatic animals, especially water-borne monsters. What made you think doing that in her presence was a good idea?"

"I-I-I'm sorry… I-I forgot!"

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." He pats Amber on the head and she tries to calm back down. "If you're truly sorry, apologize to Amber since she's the one most affected by your actions. And promise her you'll never do that again."

He gives her a more somber look. "I'm not mad at you, Filo, but I want you to be more aware of what you do around the people you're with. Situational awareness will get you far in life."

"I understand, Uncle Chazon. I-I'll do my best to be more aware. Amber-chan, I'm so sorry!" Filo immediately hugged the Solar Empress tightly, who returned the hug feeling better.

Rino looked at Chazon flatly. "Was screaming really necessary, Chazon-kun?"

"I apologize for that display, but even as much as Amber and Obsidian can take care of themselves, I still feel fiercely protective of them. Same goes for Filo, however I'm also not afraid to reprimand them if they step out of line, especially if it causes a lot of distress to someone."

That got a raised eyebrow from Naofumi. "Even though Filo considers me her father, I feel like she listens to you more than me. I guess you have a way with Filolials as well as kids."

Itsuki groaned from the smell of the dead shark Obsidian finished off. "So Amber doesn't get seasick, more so that she fears what's in the sea?"

Kardia nodded as she rubbed one of her ears. "She was afraid of the small river fish we were catching to eat. We're thinking it stems from the fact that she metamorphosed from a bug monster."

That got a thoughtful nod out of Wyndia. "Fish eat bugs after all. And considering her sun-like wings, her fire affinity makes her very weak to water."

"Make sure to absorb the parts of this shark, Chazon." Naofumi had already started cutting the shark up with Obsidian's help. The Spear Hero rolled his eyes, but joined in carving for meat and materials.

Of the two new tridents gotten from the shark, one had a good unlock to invest in: the Water Spear skill. Otherwise the only things given were swimming bonuses and a naval combat bonus.

Chazon noted that even with Filo sticking by Amber's side, the Solar Empress still looked uncomfortable about where she was. That got a small sigh out of him, feeling like he failed both of them as a father. "I guess I was a bit too harsh on Filo, because I think Amber's also got Thalassophobia. I'll take her back below deck and stay with her there so that she feels a bit better. The rest of you enjoy the sea breeze for me as well."

"Urk… No promises…" was all Itsuki got out.

Rifana looked at the waves with a dour look. "We might not be far behind you, Chazon-sama. If those waves are any indication, we might be in for a storm tonight."

Ooh, that's going to be hell for everyone getting seasick.

Shaking his head, he moved to take Amber by the hand, though not before giving Filo a soft, apologetic hug. He whispered into her ear, "I still love you, Filo. Like I said earlier, just be mindful of what you're doing around people and you can avoid situations like the one you were just in."

"Thank you, Uncle Chazon!" Filo gives him a peck on the cheek as a sign of her own affection as she giggles. He pats her on the head with a soft smile before leading Amber back below deck.

Naofumi saw the exchange with a bit of peace in his heart. He really is a great father-figure.

One the way back to their room, Chazon passed a pair of adventurers on their way out. One was a red-headed male with what looked like a scythe weapon. The other was a blue-haired woman with jeweled bangles on her hands. The duo nodded respectfully at him, seemingly knowing why he was going back below deck, and he nodded back.

Like Rifana forewarned, the rocking of the boat got worse at night as the storm hit the section of sea they were in. Obsidian in particular was finding it very difficult to not start freaking out, causing both Kekal and Merlay to try and soothe him. Kekal even revealed a side of her that she never showed before and nobody expected of her: she was a very good singer.

Rifana, despite living in a coastal village for most of her life, still got seasick alongside Kardia. Both were only barely getting through it thanks to the motion-sickness medicine Naofumi had provided the group earlier. Chazon and Rino did their best to keep Amber calm as well, but it was clear it would be a restless night for everyone.

By the time the ship had docked the next morning everyone, outside of Naofumi and a few others, was having a rough start to the day. Rifana, Raphtalia, Kardia, and even Wyndia all had to console each other because of how bad their seasickness got.

Chazon did his best to shake off his lack of sleep to appreciate the beauty of the islands before him. The one they were on was a volcano island not unlike Hawaii's aptly named "Big Island."

I never had the chance to visit Hawaii in my old world, but I guess this is a VERY close second, so I'll appreciate the chance.

Naofumi said something to the two adventurers Chazon had bumped into yesterday below deck and the duo left. Meanwhile, Ren and Itsuki looked exceedingly happy to be back on dry land, Itsuki outright calling it "Terra Firma" for good measure.

"Greetings, Legendary Heroes and their parties!" Everyone looked to see a middle-aged man in military uniform coming towards them… complete with an unfitting little flag.

Is he a soldier or the like who works part-time as a tour guide… and forgot to change out of his military apparel?

The man bows. "Permit me to introduce myself. I am the Earl of Habenburg, the noble entrusted with the care of these islands!"

Naofumi, being the most awake and alert of the group, stepped forward with a nod. "Thank you for coming and… apologies for everyone's current state. The storm we sailed in last night was absolute torture for everyone onboard." Everyone nodded meekly at that.

"Yes… that was certainly odd because we rarely have storms so big in these parts. Thankfully, the interior of our atoll is protected from the deep ocean and monster attacks, so it should remain calm for transportation between islands."

Amber felt a bit better about the future boat rides if it meant less potential for sea monsters. Everyone else was thankful there weren't going to be any more chances of severe seasickness.

"Ah, but I forget myself! Please permit me to share what I know about our humble islands!"

That got a flat look from Naofumi. "We're here to take advantage of Cal Mira's "Event." Is the tour recital really necessary?"

"Apologies, Sir Shield Hero, but I must insist. Perhaps these oral legends will serve to aid you in your travels here?"

Ah yes. The Oral Tradition, one of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission. As much as Chazon wanted to snark those words out loud, he wanted to be more respectful. Plus, he knew it would've been pretty hypocritical to say that after telling Filo yesterday to have more situational awareness on things like this.

Because no one else voiced opposition, the Earl beckoned everyone to follow him as he started heading towards the market. "Now, the Cal Mira Islands are considered the special training grounds of the 4 heroes. It's been said that the Event occurs here to aid all Legendary and Vassal Heroes in their training to push back the Waves of Catastrophe."

Chazon was only half-listening, but he overheard some interesting information from some nearby pedestrians. One of the small villages on another island had been plagued by a singular strange dream, neither pleasant nor nightmarish, but it has unsettled the people living there. That piqued the Spear Hero's interest and made a mental note to make investigating that his first objective.

One thing Kardia noticed was that Itsuki's party looked different. Rishia and Mald were still there, but Alay and Welst were nowhere to be found. Why would he drop party members like that? Especially Alay-san, who has a good head on her shoulders...

When the group reached a circular area of the market, he motioned towards the object in the middle. "This totem represents the four pioneers that first settled and developed this land. According to legend, they are named Pekkul, Usauni, Risuka, and Inult."

Chazon curled his mouth at the names, but didn't comment. The other three heroes recognized that the names of the "pioneers" sounded like Japanese. The stack consisted of a penguin, rabbit, squirrel, and dog all wearing what appeared to be Santa hats.

"For the record, they were named by ancient Legendary Heroes. It is generally accepted that the heroes used their own language from the world they originated from."

That made Ren put a hand on his chin. "Are there animals on these islands that look like this?"

"Not normally. However, the Event causes dark creatures that look similar to them to spawn, though why that is the case is unknown."

Filo's first thought was that the animals in front of her looked delicious. However, she kept Uncle Chazon's talk with her about situational awareness in her mind and did her best not to feel hungry or drool.

Naofumi noticed a stone pillar next to the totem, which he pointed out. "Does that have anything to do with the ancient heroes as well?"

"Good eye, Sir Shield Hero! Indeed, this is presumed to be an inscription left behind from said ancient heroes for their successors. From what we know, it's written in the same language as magic grimoires."

Chazon immediately turned to Merlay. "Think you can read it? Even if it's for heroes only, perhaps you can glean some information."

Because Merlay was one of the few rare people to have no specific magical affinity and being raised by her incredibly wise grandmother, she could read magic grimoires like they were novels. When she joined Chazon's party, she accelerated everyone's learning of their spells thanks to the fact she could easily and properly read what they were trying to learn.

Nodding, Merlay gets a closer look at the inscription with the Earl's permission. "The spells on this monument are meant to be learned by Legendary Heroes only. Ye who can read this, if you wish to assist the Legendary heroes in understanding, please maintain contact with them as they try to read these words."

That got a surprised look from the Earl. "So not only do you need to learn the language, but it will only reveal its secrets to the Legendary Heroes! Truly, the ancient ones thought of everything!"

Naofumi had already started trying to read it, earning a confused look from Itsuki. "You already know how to read it, Naofumi?"

"You and Ren had crystal balls to learn your spells from. Chazon and I had to learn our spells from grimoires since it was clear neither of us could get our hands on said crystal balls."

"Wait, you can learn spells from crystal balls?!" Chazon was baffled. "This is the first I'm hearing of this!"

Kardia looked at him with her own look of surprise. "You were never given the opportunity or told about it when you were first summoned? I wonder if the Three Heroes Faith were already suspicious of you even in the beginning…"

"If I recall correctly, crystal ball spells are easy to learn, hard to master." Kekal tapped her chin a few times. "Meanwhile, grimoire spells were hard to learn, easy to master."

That made Ren make a mental note to invest in a grimoire as soon as possible. I know how to read at least Melromarc's language, so if that's enough to start, then I want to increase my offensive repertoire. Even if my Attack is my highest stat and I have Magic-based skills, it wouldn't hurt to properly learn more spells that use MP instead of SP to cover more bases…

Because Naofumi was already trying to read it, Merlay put her hand on his shoulder to assist him. When she pointed out the passage specific to him he read, "As the source of thy power, I the Shield Hero command thee. Decipher the laws of nature and energize my target. Zweite Aura!"

He casted it on Filo, who suddenly gained a strange, yet soft light. The results were immediate. "Filo suddenly feels so much stronger and more agile!" She turned back into human form and started jumping… obscenely high for what it was worth.

"That spell causes all of my target's stats to increase for a short while."

"Aura… I-I've heard that spell could only be learned by Heroes…" Rishia of all people spoke up nervously.

"It's probably specific to Shield Heroes, especially if every single one summoned had, at the very least, an affinity for Supporting magic." Merlay looks back at the inscription. "I'm willing to bet the spells the other three heroes can learn will change depending on what affinities they themselves have."

"Meaning Aura might be the only consistent hero spell…" Ren mused out loud. "Chazon, your affinities were Dark and Healing, right? Try your hand at reading it."

"Alright… let's see here…"

As Chazon moved to Naofumi's original position to read, he didn't notice Merlay holding his hand instead of his shoulder as she pointed out his inscription, which slightly frustrated Kardia. "For the record, while I can see the inscription specific to you, I can't read it properly meaning you have to translate it in full yourself."

"Probably further measures to prevent anyone besides heroes from learning these spells." Chazon concentrated for a bit before he fully translated the passage. "As the source of thy power, I the Spear Hero command thee. Decipher the laws of nature to heal and protect my allies. Zweite Shaded Grounds!"

When he finished the citation, his status magic showed him a circular targeting reticle on the ground. No way… are you saying…?

He confirmed the spot and a dome of dark healing energy formed from the ground. Upon completion, the dome swirled with energy like a soft, dark whirlpool. Everyone inside saw a new status:

Shaded Grounds

Regenerating HP over time and increases incoming healing by 10%. Enemies will suffer a 20% Movement and Attack Speed penalty.

Huh, this looks like a cross between a White Mage's "Asylum" and the "Break" caster action.

"So I got a spell that increases every single stat on someone while you get a spell that regenerates HP, increases healing received, and slows both Movement and Attack Speeds of enemies in a set area." Naofumi suddenly saw the reason why Chazon's spell manifested the way it did. If Ren or Itsuki are able to learn theirs, then it'll confirm my suspicions…

Itsuki, realizing that he has no chance of learning his spell, grunts in irritation. "I'm heading for the inn ahead of you guys. I know I won't be able to read it myself, so I'm not going to waste my time trying." With that, he walks off with a slightly distressed Rishia to meet with the rest of his party.

Now even Ren was getting a bad feeling about Itsuki. I really hope he didn't fall back into his 'game' mindset, because that's going to cause complications down the line. Shaking his head, he motions to Merlay. "Can I get your assistance as well? I… haven't learned any spells from a grimoire yet, but I do know Melromarc's written language."

"That's a good start, so I'll help you in translating it as much as I can. However, you'll have to be the one to put the pieces together once we have them all." Merlay put her hand on Ren's shoulder to begin the process of helping him translate his passage.

Naofumi noted that Ren was a lot more patient now than when he was first summoned. If I had to guess, after the incident with Gaelion's wrathful brother, he started taking this world more seriously. Getting Wyndia as a party member and paying attention to his other members probably helped.

The Earl motioned to the remaining two heroes. "I'll have to give the Bow Hero this rundown a bit later, but I'll explain some other things you need to know while we wait."

Thanks to the Event, monster reproduction and aggression skyrockets on top of the demon-like monsters spawning into the wilderness. Left unchecked, it could spread to the mainland and become unmanageable, which is where adventurers and heroes came in to help. The Exp bonuses were just the cherries on top.

"My advice is to cull any monster groups you come across if you wish to help the islands over leveling. Plenty of adventurers have already arrived to take advantage of the Event, but heroes such as yourselves do not need to defer to them if you so desire.

"However, we request you don't disrupt or disturb other battles taking place unless the other adventurers are in danger. If everyone attacked what they desired, the conflicts that would arise would become out of hand."

The first thought in the three hero's minds was, Why does that sound like MMO courtesy?

Ren suddenly cleared his throat. "As the source of thy power, I the Sword Hero command thee. Decipher the laws of nature and strengthen my blade. Zweite Magic Enhance!" His sword was suddenly coated with a soft light, earning a surprised look from the Sword Hero. "My spell strengthens striking power by a whole margin and adds the ability to nullify magic attacks to weapon strikes. I think it also takes my Magic stat and adds it to my Attack stat for its duration."

"So while it does scale off your Magic, it supplements Attack? Talk about an all-out offensive." Chazon noted with a raised eyebrow. "But how come you have a spell that drastically increases striking power, Naofumi gets one that increases all stats, while I got one that heals and slows over a set area?"

"It might have something to do with how the heroes of our weapons are portrayed." Naofumi's suspicions were confirmed and was now speaking on them. "In the book that summoned me, it said that the Spear Hero "valued and protected his friends" while the Sword Hero "was active and powerful." While I don't know the description for the Shield Hero, I think these spells are a reflection of those traits."

Rino pondered a bit before she got an idea. "Perhaps, in line with those descriptions, the Shield Hero "supported and protected those he cared for" which your Aura spell references, buffing every stat imaginable."

Raphtalia smiled at that. "I can definitely see you fitting that description, Naofumi-sama. Just like how the other two descriptions fit Chazon-sama and Ren-sama respectively."

"I guess the Legendary Weapons try to look for people who match those descriptions when being summoned. I'm willing to bet the effects of the spells changed based on what affinities we have." Ren managed to dispel his magic before sheathing his sword. "Out of curiosity, what was the Bow Hero's description, Naofumi?"

"I believe it was that the Bow Hero "would never tolerate injustice." Sounds good on paper, but…"

"Considering justice is a very broad and subjective term, it's ironic that the ranged Legendary Weapon could be very hit-or-miss with who it summons." Chazon added in with a frown.

"The way you guys are talking, you're sounding like you're beginning to distrust Itsuki-sama." Tersia quickly brought up as the Earl beckoned them to follow him to the inn they were all staying in.

"You've seen how he's been acting recently. He seems to have an air of arrogance and pride to him, like he knows better than anyone else. During our war with the church he seemed to be fine, but I guess his original attitude returned in full force after our common enemy was vanquished." To say Naofumi was disappointed in the Bow Hero was underselling it. And that idiot has access to everyone's strengthening methods…

"We'll just have to knock him down a peg when the time comes." Kardia distinctly remembered Rein Skala's lecture on the Corruption Series, and one aspect was Arrogance. She knew that it was not a question of if, but when he would unlock the Corruption or Cursed Series.

When the entire group reached the inn they were staying in, they were all impressed by the size and fanciness of it. To the heroes, it looked like a high-class resort hotel that was converted from an old castle.

After the inn's staff took the luggage they had, including Filo and Obsidian's carriages, everyone went to their respective rooms to at least have a look. Chazon's room had a bedroom with 3 king-sized beds in it and a living room complete with a small kitchen. It was so fancy, the only things missing were the TVs, microwaves, and fridges of modern Earth.

Obsidian brushed one of the beds with his hands. "These feel so soft and warm."

I'm really starting to feel like I'm on a holiday…

As Amber started bouncing on the nearby couch, Chazon turned to his party members. "Did you all want to rest for a bit, or go to an island and start leveling?"

"My vote goes for leveling." Rifana spoke up. "It's still morning and I think everyone's recovered from last night."

"Kekeke… getting a head start on our leveling so that we can relax later? You are a smart cookie, Rifana-chan!" Kekal laughed a bit. "I approve! Let us begin our leveling post-haste!"

When everyone else agreed with Rifana, Chazon nodded. "Since our luggage is already here, let's waste no more time. I already have an idea of which island to go to first."

Back outside, they bumped into both Ren and Naofumi's parties again. Naofumi had a smirk of amusement. "I'm beginning to feel like we're the Three Musketeers with how often we're gathering like this. What island are you guys going to?"

Chazon made sure to speak first. "I heard rumors of a strange dream plaguing one of the islands. I plan to go there first and investigate."

"Already going for side que-" Ren hits himself on the head with the base of his palm, appalled at himself. "Sorry I mean, you're already wanting to help the islanders out?"

"Before the third wave, I was pretty stationary in Lerno Village. I do wish I could have helped more people out, but it is what it is. I hope to start making up for that now that we're no longer hounded by the church."

Naofumi and Ren nod at each other. "Then we'll head to different islands to prevent Exp loss from proximity to other legendary weapons. Hopefully, if one of us happens to be on the same island as Itsuki, there won't be too much interference."

"Alright. Catch you two later."

After a bit of asking around, Chazon's party figured out that the village with the strange dreams was on Risuka Island. Kekal, due to dreams being her area of expertise, was excited to solve the island's mystery.

"So how are we going to go about helping the village on the island?" When Chazon's party got on the boat to Risuka Island, Rino popped the question so that everyone would be on the same page.

"The quickest would be to ask around the village for information before heading into the wilds. If we can get a good idea of what the dream is about, as well as any suspicious parts of the island, we'll be able to discover the source."

Chazon looked at the island properly now that they were heading towards it. It seemed to be a mix of dense jungle and steep, metallic mountain. Maybe I'll be able to do some mining if I have the time.

Kekal crossed her arms. "If we're talking about a singular dream everyone is having, it will definitely be from a place with strong spiritual power. However, I'll need more information before I can make a guess as to what's causing it."

"You've been switching between ecstatic and serious ever since Chazon-sama brought the rumors up, Kekal-chan." Rifana was quick to point out how erratic the Vampire was being.

"Well as the Vampire Lord, I know better than anyone else that dreams and souls are serious business. Vampire traditions place a lot of value on those, so I wish to honor my culture even if I'm not a part of it for now." She smiles. "But that doesn't mean I can't get excited over being useful in a meaningful way!"

"I suppose we haven't been fighting as a group since you first joined." Kardia mentioned thoughtfully. "Our only battle all together was with the Tyrant Dragon Rex, and that was extraordinary circumstances. Every other time, we've been split up for strategic reasons."

Chazon looks back at his party. "Well… regardless of what's going on with the strange dreams, it'll be straightforward monster hunting for us for a good while. Did you guys want to set our roles in regular combat, or shall we just wing it?"

"Maybe set parameters for what we should focus on, but otherwise letting us do our thing seems like a good idea."

Chazon knew why Merlay suggested doing it that way. Because of her Sage's Dogma technique, she could set the magical affinities she wanted a boost in. However, they couldn't be changed mid-combat once they were set and she couldn't use other affinities, meaning proper set-up was important for her.

"Just don't forget about your paralysis, Chazon-kun." Rino made sure to remind him with worry on her face.

"Right. It hasn't overly affected me out of combat, but I'm betting I'll see its detraments more once we get fighting."

"Can't wait to see what kind of place this island is!" Obsidian looked more ready to explore than fight.

Amber, meanwhile, had a determined smile on her face since she wasn't sensing any sea monsters and they weren't over deeper waters. "I'll make up for my poor showing on the ship to Cal Mira!"

Good to see everyone is in high spirits, even after that rough night. I'm actually more excited to see how my party members will continue to grow over how I'll grow.

"Ah good, you've arrived here in Port Town Lola!"

"But of course, I could hardly ignore those rumors going around. Are we still waiting on a few more?"

"Yeah, they should be arriving at some point."

"A-are you sure this is a good idea? W-we're talking about t-the Spear Hero's-"

"Please, that greedy hoarder needs to get what is coming to her."

"W-what if we're wrong? That t-the rumors were c-completely false?"

"If they're wrong, then we'll have to back off without a fuss. However, if they are indeed true, we must take action, else the Spear Hero's genetics be squandered on a single, undeserving peasant."

"Indeed. While we're waiting for the other 3 girls to come along, why don't we lay out a general plan?"

"Certainly. We know our target is said to be a red-headed miscreant named Rino. Once we've identified her, we'll capture her."

"Would killing her on the spot be too much?"

"I would like to say no, but she'll be useful as bait and as a hostage. Once she's at our mercy, we have someone send a message to the Spear Hero to come alone to our location of choice. One of the other girls was a former Shadow for the Pig King Faubray, so she'll be excellent in making sure he doesn't bring any "reinforcements" with him.

"When the Spear Hero is in our grasp, we use the Succubus Lust Elixer we managed to procure in the border town in Faubray to sedate him. Once the elixir has taken complete hold, we'll all have our turns having sex with him in front of his hoarding "girlfriend" until she's broken. We'll kill her once we've all had our fill and prepare the Spear Hero for transportation to Faubray."

"The Melromarc weaklings won't be able to do anything about it because not only are they weaker than us Faubray hero descendants, but they just finished a civil war. They can't claim this as an international incident, especially once we've returned home!"

"And then the 6 of us will enjoy being the bearers of the current Spear Hero's children! Thanks to the Succubus Lust Elixer's effects on the minds of those who drink too much at once, we won't have to worry about him rebelling or anything of the like!"

"I d-don't know… I-I got a b-bad feeling a-about this…"

"Where's your gumption!? Don't you want to bear the children of a Legendary Hero?"

"I mean… I would like to, but d-doing it this way feels so wrong. B-besides, you're the one who d-dragged me here!"

"Because I know you deserve better! Besides, you could be the main wife if you want!"

"Regardless, let's wait for the other 3 girls before we iron out our plan. We WILL make the Spear Hero ours and get him away from that greedy hoarder!"

I know I've been doing this a lot lately, but I want to explain myself here a bit as well.

In regards to the spells on the tablet, because the other 3 Legendary Heroes never learned their spells, I decided to play around with what kind of spells they could be. I imagine the magic language as words that can change depending on the context and, because the tablet was made by Legendary Heroes of the past, it can change the spells on it to better fit their respective heroes.

One thing I noticed is that both Chazon and Motoyatsu share a Healing affinity. It's stated that, while weapons try to find users that best fit their "descriptions", only the Legendary Shield can accurately and consistently summon it's intended target (In this case, only summoning people with both Healing and Support affinities). That is my reason why Aura is the only well known hero spell in canon, wheras the other 3 weapons would be somewhat inconsistant. In making the spells, I decided to base their concepts behind what was told of in the book that summoned Naofumi.

The Spear is able to, at the very least, summon someone with a Healing affinity and I reflected that in the spell specific to the Spear Hero. The primary effects, the regen and healing increase, would remain unchanged across different heroes. The secondary effect will change based on the other affinity which, in Chazon's case, results in movement and attack speed penalties because of his Dark affinity. If Motoyatsu had learned it, the name would change slightly and the secondary effect would change to Fire-aspected damage over time.

UPDATE: Turns out that there are canon spells from the tablet that I somehow overlooked. As such, I updated Ren's spell to his canon one to keep it in line with what is actually known, however, I'm keeping Chazon's as my fan-made spell. As good as Magic Absorption sounds on paper, I can't see it working that well in practice when it requires face-tanking spells, the opposite of what the Spear Hero's role typically is as a DPS.

Special thanks to drmcgraw186 for his review telling me about the canon tablet spells!

Hopefully those explanations will suffice. I looked around to see what the canon spells on the tablets would be and I couldn't find any, so I decided to be creative.