Just as a warning, this is going to be a LONG chapter. I had originally penned this as two separate chapters, but when I realized that I wanted to upload them both at the same time, I ultimately figured that combining them would make more sense.
As another warning, the latter half of the chapter may contain a trigger warning for some people. Viewer discretion is advised.
When the Spear Hero's party got back to Risuka Island Village, they were met with all of the villagers applauding them for lifting the "curse" that has afflicted their island. After calming them down, Rino was able to inform them of the whole story. The story of Lily, her death at the hands of betrayal, and her final passing from this world.
The elder looked somewhat somber. "We never knew that such a bright, innocent soul was being tortured so… but at least she found peace. In honor of her memory, I will have a memorial erected in those ruins. But before then, we shall have a feast!"
Merlay looked shocked. "A feast? Now?"
"Tis our tradition to honor those we have lost with a hearty feast. We of Risuka Island understand the importance of mourning, but we choose to celebrate the accomplishments of the fallen. It's our way of sending the spirits off on their final voyage to the great beyond."
Rino was in tears again. "Thank you… I'm sure my mother will appreciate it."
"You are the child of the fallen? We would be honored if you and yours could join us!" The elder was bombastic as the villagers scrambled to prepare the festivities. "I must admit, it'll take a bit of time before we are ready. If your party wants for more leveling, you'll still have ample opportunity before we begin!"
"I'm actually wanting to head into the island's mountain for additional mining." Chazon chose then to speak up. "I want to have a good amount of materials on hand when we're required to update our equipment."
The elder nodded enthusiastically. "There's a mining tunnel that will quickly lead you to your ores. However, monsters called Mineroles make their homes there and, just like the other monsters, have had a population boom. Be careful in the mines, Sir Spear Hero!"
"Let's all go, just so we can maintain constant levels across all of us." Kardia made sure to bring it up. Everyone agreed to accompany Chazon to the mines.
During Rino's relling of her mother's life story, Chazon had gone over the three different ores he had already managed to procure. The first was the Oreiku ore, which was identified to have good magical qualities to it and even highly improves concentration. That made it good for making mage armor and weapons, but had poor defenses due to how brittle it can be.
Machalite ore was the opposite. It had a lot of appealing physical properties, but it's only notable magical property is its resistance to magic attacks. It was also very durable, meaning it was perfect for physical weapons and heavier armors.
Carbolite ore was interesting. By itself, it was very malleable and poor for use as a pure metal. However, its strength lies in being able to create potent alloys with other metals. While it depended on the metal being combined with it, the most consistent property of the resulting alloy was complete flexibility. Perfect for making bows and lighter armor.
I'll need a good amount of all three to bring to Erhard if I want to upgrade my party member's gear. At some point, we're going to be held back by our equipment rather than our stats.
Just as the elder warned, not long after the party entered the mine tunnel were they ambushed by the Mineroles. The creatures looked like hardier versions of the Diggoles found in Lute Village's mines and even had the same diet. Chazon got a new spear that, when unlocked, would further upgraded his mining proficiency.
Thanks to his party being around level 59-60, there were no problems at all.
"I know you like to gather materials, Chazon-sama, but how come you chose now to mine?" Rifana eyes her surroundings warily, uncertain of the purpose.
"Think about how long you all have had your current gear. Our most recent equipment was from before the third wave."
Rino widened her eyes in understanding. "It all sufficed back when we were still level locked, but now that we're leveling up again, we need to worry about updating our gear, right?"
Merlay hummed a bit. "I'm not sure how mining would be useful for Kardia-chan or I."
"You two will be getting gear made from Oreiku, possibly a Carbo-Oreiku alloy if the Carbolite doesn't decrease the magic power." Chazon looked up from his most recent mining patch. "I might even make an Oreiku vambrace for Amber to increase her own magic attack."
"New gear from Papa? Yaaaay!" Amber looked very happy to finally get new gear as well.
Chazon looks at Obsidian. "I'll be looking into if Machalite gear can have a transformation enchantment on it like your magic thread clothes. That way, you can also have a new weapon, one that transforms with you."
Obsidian beamed at that. "Thank you, Daddy! If I can help in any way, let me know!"
"What about your equipment inventory, Chazon-kun?" Kekal brought up. "I recall that you gave me my current bow from that. Is it possible to get good gear from monster kills?"
That got a frown out of Chazon as he double-checked his equipment inventory. Nothing dropped from the Xenobaku and the only thing of note was the Karma Squirrel Shield. "Rifana, lend me your Siderite Shield for a moment."
The Weasel did so and Chazon compared the stats. While the Karma Squirrel Shield had better stat increases, there were stat penalties in Magic and Agility as well. "I got nothing useful that anyone can use. This shield penalizes Magic and Agility, two stats Rifana needs to maintain hate and movement."
Rifana grimaced as she got her shield back. "I'd rather not take a hit to those two stats if I can avoid it. I feel my defenses are high enough that I shouldn't try to go all in on them."
Erhard's gift will be maintaining relevance even this far in, huh?
The group stumbled upon some gemstone deposits in the mines as well as ore veins. Chazon, having already unlocked the Minerole Halberd for the mining proficiency, struck big with his first swing. "Uncut Bright Starfire?" The item in question looked as big as an emu egg from his world.
Kardia widened her eyes. "That sounds like a rare variant of the Starfire gemstone!"
There was a pause before Chazon got an idea. "I think I know what to make this into already." He shot a coy smile at Merlay, who tilted her head in confusion."
On top of the regular Starfire gems, there were also Moonwater gems though no rare variant was found. Because such gemstones were vital to enchanting equipment besides accessories, Chazon made sure to gather a good number, intending to give some to Naofumi and Ren for their parties as well.
When everything was said and done, Chazon had well over 100 pieces of all 3 ores as well as a good number of uncut gemstones. Satisfied, he gives his party an apologetic look. "Sorry for dragging you around like this. I'm being paranoid about having enough materials to make everyone new gear."
"That's fine, but we should head back. I bet the feast will be starting soon." Kardia swished her 4 tails, trying her best to hide her hunger.
Kekal laughed. "Let us return to partake in the feast in honor of Lily-sama and as a toast to our capabilities!"
Sure enough, the festivities had just started when the party arrived back at the village. The elder quickly made the Spear Hero's party the center of the event and they were not wanting for food. A good number of adventurers had joined as well as everyone ate their fill in honor of the fallen.
The sky was dark when the feast wrapped up. With their bellies full, everyone headed for the main island to rest for the night and plan their next move.
As the party moved through the lit-up town, they came across a tavern that was still open. Some people had started stumbling off due to overdrinking, with a good number supported by their non-drunk partners.
Chazon noticed Naofumi sitting there and decided to visit him. "Hey, Naofumi! Unwinding for the night?"
"Oh hey. Yeah I was more-so dragged here by a pair of adventurers after they came to find me on one of the islands when we tried to level up at night-" He noticed a certain someone and narrowed his eyes. "Who's the blonde?"
Rino giggled, knowing why he asked. "A good evening to you as well, Naofumi-sama!"
"Wha- Rino?! How did your appearance change so rapidly?" The Shield Hero was shocked for the first time that night. Moreover, he was surprised that he actually liked her new appearance more than her old one. Probably a part of myself that still remembers Bitch…
The blonde-haired girl pressed her fingertips together. "That's… a long story. Plus, I don't think Raphtalia-chan is in any position to hear it."
"Wha' are you 'al'ing abo't?" Raphtalia stumbled back over to the table, clearly drunk.
Chazon had a look of pure shock before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh. My. God. Naofumi, why did you let her drink?!"
"Believe me, I did try to dissuade her, but then L'arc goaded her into it and… well I figured it was already too late…"
I'm going to have words for this "L'arc" person when I see him...
"Raphtalia-chan!" Rifana quickly caught her childhood friend before she fell too hard. "Stay with me!"
"Ish is notin…'' The Tanuki could barely speak as she slurred her words.
Naofumi looked at the cups all around his table. "It took about 15 drinks to make her like that… Raphtalia, head back to the room. Rifana, please help her." Rifana nods as she half-drags, half-shepherds Raphtalia out of the tavern.
"Rifana, if you want, you can spend the night with Raphtalia tonight to make sure she's okay." Rifana nods back at Chazon in affirmation.
Kardia's silent frustration with Chazon grew a bit. You're not supposed to let her stay in another man's room! Even if she's just there to look after her friend!
Naofumi shook his head as he popped another fruit into his mouth. Merlay blanched at that. "Naofumi-sama, how are you eating those fruits so easily?!"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Those are Rucolu fruit! A single piece in a barrel of water turns the entire thing into a potent alcohol!"
Naofumi looks at her, looks back at the fruit, then promptly eats another one. "Nice try, but I don't believe it."
Chazon grabbed one and sniffed it. Smells normal on the surface. He uses a small version of his spear to cut into it… and he fell onto the floor. "MY NOSE IS ON FIRE!"
Itsuki, who was passing by at that moment, saw what was going on, and did the waft test on the fruit. He immediately held his own nose closed with a pained look. "Yep, that's alcohol."
"How the hell is your liver not a lump of coal by now?!" Chazon managed to get back up, still feeling the sting of alcohol in his nose.
"I just never get drunk. No matter how much I drank in my old world, I never even got a buzz." Naofumi pops yet ANOTHER fruit into his mouth.
Itsuki grimaced before getting an idea. "Naofumi, are you sure you don't have a sort of alcohol-tolerance ESP skill? That's the only thing I can think of."
Naofumi simply shrugged as he started packing up. The tavern getting louder over the mere act of eating fruit was annoying him. "Maybe. Regardless, I'm going to head back to my room for the night." He thought of something right then. "Chazon, did you want to bring your party to the hot springs tomorrow? I'm willing to bet that it'll help your stubborn paralysis."
Chazon pondered the proposition before nodding. "It'll be a good break after more leveling tomorrow. Are you girls fine with that?"
Kekal stretched with a confident smile. "But of course. However, I'll be judging to see if they are truly worthy of a Vampire Lord!" The rest of Chazon's party agreed to go. Kardia said nothing, but was already coming up with ideas of her own.
"Alright. My party will be going there at about sunset if that's when you want to show up."
After a rather restful night, Chazon's party decided to go to Usauni Island next due to rumors of trees growing there that had wood perfect for staff creation. Ren mentioned that the Karma Rabbit and it's Familia took up residence there from his time on the island. Chazon made sure to tell Ren about the Karma Squirrel on Risuka Island while Naofumi mentioned going back to Inult Island.
Usauni Island was more of a forest than a jungle, but because it's less settled there weren't any real ruins of mention. Of the monsters there, they had to deal with, among others, Blue Bio Blobs, Killer Cranes, Buzzard Beetles, and Karma Rabbit Familia. Chazon noted something about one spear he unlocked:
Karma Rabbit Familia Naginata
Equip Bonus: Alert Range (low)
Huh, I completely forgot about this poor-man's monster repellant replacement. If enemies enter detection range, my status magic will alert me. Sounds pretty-
He was brought out of his thoughts when a loud, metallic SNAP was heard. He looked over to see Rino holding up one of her Magic Gold Dual Blades with a sad look. It had been broken into the monster she just killed. "Whyyyyyy?"
Amber blasted a Crane away before giving the broken blade a sad look. "I think you're too strong for it to handle, Mama."
Shit, I never considered weapon durability!
Kekal looks at her bow. "I think my weapon is close to death as well…"
"Mine too… which saddens me because I got this staff from my Grandmother…" Merlay held out her staff sadly. The Mahogany wood around the Ruby was looking charred and the gemstone itself was cloudy and beginning to crack.
Rifana looks at Chazon. "Are you able to make everyone new weapons? Possibly even new armor?"
"Hmm… We'll have to take a quick break while I figure out how to make magic weapons and armor through my spear."
While his party members kept guard over him, Chazon did a full dive into his crafting systems. While it quickly became clear to him that he can't make armor or weapons as high-quality as Erhard can, he also had no chance of getting low quality. Stuck at average quality… I'll take it.
He was able to make Machalite, Oreiku, Carbo-Oreiku, and Carbo-Machalite ingots with most of the ore he had. From what he can see, Carbo-Machalite was very flexible and durable while easily keeping either a sharp blade or a proper bow shape.
Carbo-Oreiku allowed enhanced magic and concentration in armor form, though pure Oreiku was still better for making mage weapons. In a similar vein, pure Machalite had better overall defenses.
He kept a few raw pieces of each ore just in case he needed them later on. He even created clean-cut gemstones from what he had in his stock, though he left the Uncut Bright Starfire for later.
From there, he started crafting weapons after finding out how to fast-enchant every piece of equipment for additional effects. He managed to create:
Magic Carbo-Machalite Dual Blades (Normal Quality)
Additional Effects: Atk up, Mag up, Agi up, Blood-resistant Coating
Enchantments: Mag up (Low), Agi up (Low), Movement up (Very High)
.
Magic Machalite Greatshield (Normal Quality)
Additional Effects: Def up, MDef up, Agi up
Enchantments: Atk up (Medium), Mag up (High), Block Brace up (High)
Chazon needed to pluck Obsidian's standing hair strand to properly make what he wanted, which the Filolial allowed since it was necessary for the transformation magic.
Magic Carbo-Machalite Bladed Greaves (Normal Quality)
Additional Effects: Atk up, Def up, MDef up, Blood-resistant Coating
Enchantments: Atk up (Medium), Def up (low) Agi up (Medium), Transforms with user
.
Magic Starfire Oreiku Vambrace (Normal Quality)
Additional Effects: Mag up, Def up, MDef up
Enchantments: Mag up (Medium), Agi up (low), Casting Concentration up (High), Fire Damage up (Medium)
"I forgot to ask this, but what bow class do you want, Kekal?"
Kekal thought for a moment. "I like my larger Recurve Bows. Always a reliable bow class." Deferring to her judgement, Chazon nods as he continues his crafting.
Magic Carbo-Machalite Recurve Bow (Normal Quality)
Additional Effects: Atk up, Agi up, Arrow Range up
Enchantments: Atk up (Medium), Arrow Velocity up (High), Arrow Deviation reduction (Medium)
For the armor, he noted that Rino's Ultralight Metal Light-plate armor was outdated despite using a rare material. As such, he created Magic Carbo-Machalite Light-plate Armor for her that further increased Agility and Movement Speed. Kekal had her leather armor updated to the same armor as Rino with Movement Speed and Magic, though she kept her cape.
For Rifana, Magic Machalite Medium-plate replaced her Light Metal Armor. Chazon was able to finagle both a passive HP Regen and a MP Regen Enchantment.
Seems the color of Machalite is a nice light-blue.
Both Kardia and Merlay got Magic Carbo-Oreiku Mage Robes, which made the two look like archmages or druids. Kardia got the one with Magic up and Magic Control perks. Merlay got the one with a better Chanting Speed and even a Healing Potency increase.
Meanwhile, Oreiku seems to have a golden color to it… gold against the purple mage cloth looks good.
Chazon felt exceedingly tired after all of that crafting and using up his magic, especially with how many MP potions it took to fast-enchant everything. But when he stepped back to observe his handiwork, he felt proud. "You all look a lot better equipped now!"
Obsidian danced around with his new Bladed Greaves in human form before transforming. In his Filolial form, they caused the Wyvern Claws he had on before to pop off, replaced by metal claws of the same material as his greaves. "Perfect! I can do even more damage with these!"
"These vambraces increase my spell concentration!" Amber looked at her new equipment with glee. She found that casting spells while being attacked was difficult, so she was grateful for the help.
Merlay looked a bit awkward. "Um… I guess even staffs are hard for Legendary Heroes to make as well…"
"Your new staff is the reason I chose to go to this island, Merlay. I heard there are trees with wood that's excellent for making staffs." Merlay brightened up a bit at that. "However, like you said, I can't make your staff the way I want to, so we'll be using tomorrow morning to search for a staff-maker."
Kardia smiled. "Then let's get to it! If we can find the Karma Rabbit and a good tree before sunset, it'll be yet another good day!" She didn't need a new weapon because her Nine-tails Caster Gloves seemed to scale with her level.
Finding the boss of the Rabbits was easy. Killing it was another story because of how fast it was moving around. While Rifana could block it's attacks well enough, It always staggered her unless she did a perfect shield parry.
After a short while, Obsidian got sick of whiffing his attacks. "Turn Burst!" The Karma Rabbit barely comprehended Obsidian's disappearance before its head got obliterated into mush by a single kick from the Filolial King.
Kardia decided to take care of the leftover Familias. "All Zweite Boulder Fall!" All of the Rabbits in the vicinity had their heads crushed by magical apparitions of boulders. Rino was able to break the spawning orb and disable it for the day.
"Whew. We're making good progress!" Kekal finished sniping a monster trying to flee the scene before grinning at her party. Everyone was level 73.
Rifana noticed something. "Our leveling has slowed down by quite a bit…"
Guess we're reaching a plateau with our levels. "Even so, let's keep at it for as long as we can. At the very least, let's go to each island once and have a shot at all the different Karma monsters. Tomorrow will be a free day to get Merlay's staff made, so we'll probably double-dip the day after."
After a bit more traveling, they entered a part of the forest that was so dense, no sunlight reached through the canopy. Amber took point and used a Light spell to give everyone vision. "Something's off with this forest…"
It felt like the forest was trying to keep the party out. Not out of maliciousness, but out of fear for what is contained at the core.
Eventually, the party came across monsters both Chazon and Rino had met a long time ago. Elder variants of Madoragoras and Plantriwes. Rino blanched at those monsters. "Don't tell me… there's an Elder Bioplant nearby?!"
Chazon quickly switched to his Stone Golem Spear, remembering what he did to kill the younger version. "Looks like it. Hopefully other adventurers haven't gotten this far… otherwise…"
"Looks like we'll all get a taste of the Bioplant's true capabilities." Kardia wasn't worried because she had her powerful fire magic to fall back on should things get out of hand.
"Who… are… you…?"
Everyone jumped when a small, weak voice suddenly spoke out to them. Kekal immediately knew the speaker wasn't hostile and calmed down. "We are searching for a tree that holds potent magical energies in its wood. We hope to create a more powerful weapon for our companion!"
"I… see…" A dim, tree-looking spirit appeared in front of the group with a weak white glow. "I am… or once was… the Dryad who… protected this forest. But… a Bioplant attached itself… to my tree… and began feeding off… my lifeforce…"
The Dryad gives the group a weak, yet pleading look. "I beg of you… destroy me… my wood… should serve your purpose… please…" She vanished soon after that.
Merlay closed her eyes. "Despite how bright and sunny everything is in Cal Mira… there's a lot of suffering on these islands."
"Let's help the Dryad!" Amber piped up with a look of saddened determination. "Let's put her out of her misery."
Truly… when death is the only mercy you have left…
Not long after the Dryad made her request, the party found the offending Elder Bioplant. It looked mutated and warped beyond imagination, wrapped around a dying white tree. The party barely entered the clearing when it opened its multitude of eye-flowers to glare at the intruders.
"Let's kill this thing. It's been a blight for far too long." Chazon was now no-nonsense. He saw just what kind of tragedy would have befallen Lerno had he not been tenacious about making sure the seeds he brought back were safe.
Rifana and Amber led the charge as more Elder Madoragoras and Elder Plantriwes popped up. Thanks to Merlay switching to a Water affinity boost, she was able to wash away any acid that the minions tried to use. Kardia used wind magic to keep the air clear of poison.
Obsidian managed to weave between all of the lesser monsters and kicked the trunk of the tree as hard as he could. It splintered badly, but remained standing as the plant summoned spiky vines to keep the Filolial away. "How are we going to kill this thing?"
"Chazon-kun, this one isn't regenerating as fast as the ones we were dealing with in the past!" Rino saw how slowly the damage Obsidian caused was repaired. "Because of its age, it must have exchanged regeneration for durability!"
"Got it. If that tree is the self-same tree the Dryad once inhabited, we should refrain from burning it. Kardia, your wind spells should be good for cutting it down!"
"Leave it to me!" Kardia started multi-casting Faust Wind Cutter on rapid-fire, launching a multitude of magical blades at the tree. Thanks to that barrage, Obsidian was able to get past the spiky vines to keep kicking away at the same spot he hit before.
The Elder Bioplant suddenly let out a horrendous shriek before a giant poison cloud drifted down from the leaves. Obsidian and Rifana got caught in it and they both started choking, falling back to get out of the cloud. Chazon quickly used Faust Restore to cure them of any poison in their system. "We can knock down the tree all we want, it won't directly kill the Bioplant itself!"
"Depriving the monster of its host will allow us to finish it off." Merlay brought up as she focused her own Wind spells. "I feel sorry for the Dryad… but it must be done."
Hmm… I feel like I'm forgetting- OH I KNOW!
Chazon switches to his Woodcutter's Halberd and, unceremoniously, manages to cut the entire tree down in one stroke. The Elder Bioplant was still alive, but everyone could see it's core in the branches now. "Kekal, do the honors."
"With pleasure! Gale Shot!" With one sniper-arrow shot, the Elder Bioplant falls silent and still.
The party convened where the tree now lay. Where the stump is, the Dryad's spirit reappears. "Thank… you… you saved… this forest… and… ended my suffering. Now… I can find… rest..."
The spirit fades away as everyone holds a silent memorial for the Dryad. "Be at peace…"
With the Elder Bioplant felled, Chazon felt safe enough to start absorbing materials. However, it became quickly apparent that, despite the "Elder" prefix, the materials were no different from normal Bioplants. The tree branches from the Dryad Tree, however:
White Dryad Spear
Equip Bonus: Mag bonus (Medium), MDef bonus (Medium), Farming Proficiency +5, 'Seed Fusion'
Special Effects: Mag up (high), MDef up (High), Healing Potency bonus (High)
I think I found my new magic spear, provided I invest Strengthening Methods into it.
Something else that caught his eye was a walnut-sized seed that was glowing a faint green. He picked it up and identified it as a Dryad's Seed. "This Dryad has passed on, but perhaps we can find somewhere for her child to grow in safety."
Amber saw the seed in her father's hand. "That seed is dying, though!"
"Then it's a good thing I just got the White Dryad Spear!" Chazon switched to his new spear, which was a very eloquent-looking white-wooded spear, almost like a master artisan created it. Bringing out his last Biofruit Seed, he proceeded with the Seed Fusion that resulted in the Dryad's Seed regaining a lot of life. It also gained a lot of "points" in manipulating its growth. "With this, it should survive until we plant it."
Rino nodded with a small smile. "Let's choose it's growing spot with care." She was about to turn away when she noticed something. "Behind where the Dryad's Tree was, there's a soft blue glow!"
Chazon managed to get 4 units of White Dryad Tree Lumber from the fallen tree on top of gathering as many branches as possible before joining his party in the next clearing. What he saw took his breath away.
Stretched out before him like a meadow was a sea of flowers that looked like roses and they all glowed a soft blue. Merlay recognized them. "Mana Flowers! To think they grow here! Some are bearing seeds too!"
Chazon gingerly brushes the nearest one to him with his Leaf Spear equipped. "What uses do Mana Flowers have?"
"They are a vital ingredient in making Elixirs and high-potency MP potions. Because of how rare they are, they are always sought after."
Kardia swished her tails around a bit. "Perhaps it would be best if we don't tell anyone these are here. Otherwise, this beautiful scene could be ruined by greed."
"I agree, but allow me a bit of my own greed." Chazon plucked a few Mana Flowers and used one to give himself the Mana Flower Pike, which would grant him big increases to his Magic and Agility once unlocked. He made sure to take both of the seeds off the one he absorbed and fused one with the Dryad Seed, which started glowing cyan instead of green.
"I'll see if I can't create a farmable version of the Mana Flower back in Lerno with this one seed. With my farming proficiency, I'm confident I'll be able to bring Mana Flowers back from the brink."
"There also seems to be some rainbow-colored water over here!" Obsidian was to the side of the field looking at the nearby pond.
Chazon brought an empty bottle out and scooped some of the water up out of curiosity. His status magic identified the new item as "Bottled Ancient Water" as it continued to glow in rainbows. "Ancient Water, huh?"
"This forest is full of surprises." Merlay came over to the pond. "Ancient Water is said to hyper-accelerate the growth of any plant that's watered with it. Just like the Mana Flowers, all known springs have long since dried."
Chazon bottled some more Ancient Water as Rifana motioned joyfully. "That's great! Maybe you could create flowers that, while no longer useful for potions, can become fields of glowing flowers in many different colors! It'll be easy to get started with the Ancient Water!"
I guess even after becoming more serious and straightforward, she's still a girl at heart. "I'll see what I can do once our vacation is over."
Kekal chuckles. "Flowers are always a girl's best friend. Regardless, we should be getting back. You said you wanted to go to the hot springs at about sunset?"
Obsidian gasped. "Will we make it in time?"
"Pretty sure we will, but not if we don't go now." With that, the entire party moves to leave the forest.
By the time they got back to the main island, the sun had begun to set. Just as Naofumi suggested, they went to the hot springs to relax for the evening. When Chazon entered the men's side, the other three heroes were already there.
Naofumi smirked. "Good to see you joining us."
Chazon nodded as Obsidian jumped into the water and started swimming around. "How could I resist? Hope you guys don't mind Obsidian swimming around."
"Filo likes to do that as well, so I'm already used to it." Deciding to be nice to Ren and Itsuki, Naofumi turns to them. "How's the leveling on the island?"
Itsuki let out a content sigh. "Pretty good, all things considered."
Ren nods slowly. "While most of my Party members plateaued early on, It was still a good way to get Wyndia and a few others caught up. Plus, I've found a lot of materials for Weapon-form Unlocks."
"Yeah, I've fallen behind on that." Chazon rubbed the back of his head as he sank a bit deeper into the water. "There's so many of them that I'm finding it difficult to keep them in order."
"It'll be like that until we're done on these islands." Naofumi admitted. A strange black smoke suddenly drifted off his body and he looked a lot more relaxed. "These hot springs really do work on curses."
Chazon was about to comment when sparks flew off his body. He got a notification saying his paralysis was purged. "Worked for me as well. 10/10, would do it again."
"Papa!" There was a large splash and everyone was aware of a big, fluffy, white Filolial in the water. "I wanna spend time with you!"
Naofumi let out a small grunt. "Just make sure you don't scatter too many feathers… or transform. I don't trust some of these other guys to not ogle you in human form."
"Kaaaaay."
Chazon noticed that Obsidian had transformed into his Filolial form and was blushing a bit. Is Obsidian more aware of the opposite gender than Filo is? That must be awkward for him. Would explain why he never offered to bathe with the girls.
After a bit of time soaking, Itsuki had a thought. "You know… isn't this similar to one of those hot spring episodes in anime or manga?"
Ren looked at him oddly. "Could you clarify?"
"Those episodes where some of the male cast would try to peek in on the girls?"
"No." All three of the other heroes immediately answered.
"Wha- surely I'm not the only one thinking of it that way?!" Itsuki pointed at Chazon. "I thought, out of everyone, you would at least be curious."
"Oi, don't single me out!" Chazon paused before slumping a bit deeper into the water in slight shame. "Though… I would be lying if I said I had zero interest… but that's not the correct way to go about it!"
Ren looked awkward where he was sitting. "Besides… I'd rather not incite Wyndia's wrath." That girl is freaking scary like that. He thought of something else that shamed him a bit. "However, Tersia… can be kind of perverted in her own way…"
Chazon thought about it. "From what Rino whispered to me, Kardia can be pretty perverted in the baths as-" as if on cue, there was a cry of surprise from Kekal and mischievous giggling from both Kardia and Tersia. "Wow, timing…"
"I hope they aren't overhearing our conversation, otherwise we might get earfuls later." Naofumi pointed out.
Rino and Merlay are both pretty mild, so I don't think I'll catch too much shit from them. Kardia would accuse me of not being more of a man, most likely. Kekal, I don't know about. Rifana would be the only one I would probably have to… huh…
"Hey Naofumi, want to help me test something for science?" That got a confused look from the Shield Hero. "Without any skills, hit me in the head as hard as you can with your base shield."
Naofumi curled his mouth and hesitated before sighing. "I will not be responsible for any potential damage done."
With that, he winds up and smashes Chazon in the head with his Small Shield as hard as he could. It didn't hurt the Spear Hero at all, but stars exploded across his vision anyways. He was stunned. "HeY lOoK, mOm, A cOoKiE mAdE oF sTaRs!"
Naofumi had to choke down his laughter. "Just what were you trying to test?!"
Filo swam over and tried to eat one of Chazon's circling stars. When she got one, he snapped out of his stun right then. "Filo wha-"
"I wanted to try a cookie made of stars…"
That got an undignified snort of laughter out of Chazon before he cleared his throat. "As for what I was testing… let's just say Rifana would likely be to me what Wyndia is to Ren."
"Papa, Filo's going back to Raphtalia-neesama!"
Naofumi nodded at that. "Just don't cause too much trouble for her." Filo leaped over the partition. Obsidian transformed back into his human form with a sigh of relief.
"Wha-ho! Aren't we a lively bunch!" The red-headed male Chazon briefly saw on the ship to Cal Mira stepped out of the changing room. "Shield kiddo, whatcha all talking about?"
Naofumi shrugged. "Just about the girls in our parties. This is L'arc, for those who don't know."
"Ah, yes. I actually have a bone to pick with you." Chazon gave L'arc a flat look. "Do you get off on making minors drink alcohol?"
"Huh? What are you talking abo- oh." L'arc, to his credit, looked guilty. "Didn't know she was underage and I wanted everyone to unwind. I'll take care in the future." Chazon backed off with a hum of acceptance. "Speaking of girls, Therese should be over on the other side as well."
"Therese is his blue-haired companion. I'm currently working on a commission from her."
Itsuki looked a bit awkward. "I… did bring up the prospect of looking in on the girls-"
"You did?!" L'arc stood there stunned before he smiled. "Then why the heck are you not trying?!"
Oh dear god…
Naofumi looked rather uncomfortable now. "Are you seriously-" He noticed a bunch of men, including Itsuki, suddenly gathering at the partition. "You've got to be kidding me."
L'arc chuckled. "No, because worshipping a woman's naked body is a man's highest calling! Besides, I'm somewhat interested in the blonde hottie that I saw entering the woman's-"
"What is she to you, chuckle-fuck?" L'arc felt a hand grab his head and turn it away. He saw Chazon giving him the "dead-fish look of terror" which made him turn a bit blue in fear.
The three other heroes saw Chazon's face and felt their spines turn to ice as they slid further into the water to warm back up. The Spear Hero just went yandere on L'arc and they were hesitant to get involved. Naofumi spoke up, "L'arc, continue at your own risk."
"A-alright I'll back off! I won't look for or at her!" Chazon blinked a few times and his eyes returned to normal, albeit a bit confused. L'arc realized that it was a subconscious reaction on the guy's part. "What's your story with the blonde? You were giving me a look of terror when I brought her up."
"She's my girlfriend… though there's more to it than just that." Chazon sighed, realizing that he just completely ruined the mood. "Ask Naofumi for the details… I think I'll get out so that I'm not ruining your guys' relaxation time."
Naofumi grunted as Chazon exited the hot spring. "Leaving me to explain… fine, I'll tell you why."
Inside the men's changing room, Chazon put his non-combat clothes back on. Am I so defensive over her that I subconsciously start being threatening whenever anyone does that? Maybe I'm being too possessive…
"Excuse me, sir Spear Hero?" Chazon gave a start when one of the bath attendants spoke to him. "I believe you had a reservation in the private bath? Are you not going to use it?"
"Er… yeah, I'll use it." I'm getting deja vu… the last time this happened, Rino wasn't informed that I was there and we spent the time soaking together. I had to use so much willpower just to not go horny dog on her…
Because of that, he decided to relegate his time in this private bath to being a foot bath. Since it was still outside, he took his shirt off as well to enjoy the air as he sat down to soak his feet.
After a bit, he heard someone approach him in bare feet. "I was about to get out if you want to enjoy the hot spring in its entirety-"
"No need."
Chazon recognized Rifana's voice right before she tackle-hugged him from behind as he stood up. "Rifana, what are you- what the?!"
Her exposed breasts were pressed up against his bare back. They're… they're so soft! Wait, no! That's not important!
"Rifana, explain yourself!"
She simply hugged him tighter. Even though she no longer has any Attack, it seems she still had retained her decent Strength stat. "You haven't been paying much attention to us out of battle. I decided that I needed to do something about it."
"Why go this far?! You could have told me so and I would've tried to correct myself!"
"Raphtalia-chan told me something a little while ago. When she exposed herself in front of Naofumi-sama after a bath, all he had commented on was her healing scars." Rifana tightened her hug a bit more with a slightly frustrated look. "No other reaction. That's why…"
I was correct on her being aggressive, but not in this way! Plus, I think I know why Naofumi didn't "see" Raphtalia in any way beyond her scars. Both of them are just kids!
Chazon was beginning to shudder a bit because he was becoming uncomfortable, the corners of his vision filling with a rust-orange haze. "That's quite enough. There was no need to do this, Rifana!"
"I'm not letting go until you look at me like this."
"Cease and desist right now! I don't see you in that way!"
Rifana noted how much his voice cracked with fear. Not wanting to aggravate a potential Corruption Series into manifesting right then and there, she let go with a small sigh. "I should have figured as much, all things considered. However, don't think I'll be giving up so quickly, Chazon-sama. I'll get you to look at me differently one day." With that, she walks away to get dressed again. Maybe doing that when he hasn't done anything with Rino-sama in that way was a bit much.
Kardia, who had gotten the same idea as Rifana, felt immense frustration at Chazon for the way he acted as she started biting her thumb. The fear in his voice was lost on her. Why are you being so afraid?! Rifana wouldn't do that if she didn't love you in that regard! Why did you push her away?!
After Chazon figured Rifana left, he left the private bath changing room. The entire time, he had an incredibly hollow feeling in his gut, the same rust-orange haze still in the corners of his vision. I… I only see her as a child… So why…?
After leaving the hot spring house ahead of his party, he realized that he didn't want to go to his room yet. If Rifana had gone ahead of everyone, he couldn't bear facing her after their moment in the private bath. He ultimately decided to go for a walk on the beach.
But even with the calming waves, his mind refused to settle from it's chaos.
"Ah, Spear Hero. Haven't seen you in a long time"
Chazon was jolted out of his thoughts at the half-familiar voice. When he looked, he saw the mercenary leader he spared when he unlocked Hatred's Trident. "You… I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Me and my band came here to level up more, same as you. I guess it has been a while since we fought." The merc shakes his head. "My name is Kelo, leader of the Nika Mercenary Group."
"Chazon. I guess I made the right call sparing you that day."
That got a chuckle from Kelo. "Believe me, I'm truly thankful for your mercy that day. I saw how much murderous hate was in your eyes, but you still chose to spare me." He shakes his head. "But that was then. I noticed you had a look of regret, self-torture, and fear on your face just now."
"A-am I so paper-thin?"
"Nah, I'm just very good at reading people. The only reason I let that bastard noble hire me was because of the large sum he promised. I would be a poor mercenary if I wasn't at least tempted by such large sums, though I've been more careful about my clients ever since."
When Chazon looked down and clenched his fists, Kelo motioned for him to sit down. "Talk to me, kid. Maybe you'll feel better."
Chazon sat down, but was silent for a while longer. Eventually, he let out a shuddered breath. "Tell me… when you try to avoid becoming something you hate… is it possible to become something even worse?"
Kelo looked at the ocean. "Sad to say that it's very possible. I remember my Pa always telling me that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" and that trying to do damage control might only make things worse." He does some quick thinking and comes up with a reason why Chazon asked that. "I'm assuming you had an altercation of some kind with your party?"
"Not really… but…"
Kelo waited a bit before coming up with an idea. "If you want to spend some time away from your party to think about things, why don't you meet my merc group tomorrow? We're just a small party, but we're strong and loyal. Maybe letting more seasoned adventurers listen to you will give you some answers."
There was another pause before Chazon nodded. "Maybe… I will. Tomorrow is a rest day for my party, so…"
Kelo nodded as he wrote down his group's meeting place and time. "Here's the details. If there's something you want to do beforehand, this should give you enough time."
He looks at the Spear Hero a bit longer before shaking his head. "Kid, my advice is to not rip yourself apart over it. Whether it was your fault or someone else's, trying to maintain too much distance will only let the void between you grow. Believe in them and believe in yourself."
Chazon kept looking at the piece of paper as Kelo got up and walked to his inn. What… what do I believe in anymore? Every time a subject like this comes up, I feel so hollow… like I don't even trust my own words or thoughts...
Why does it feel like my own beliefs are becoming null and void by my own hands…?
Chazon and Merlay left their room early the next morning while everyone else was still getting ready for the day. Everyone agreed that, because the only major thing happening was getting Merlay's new staff commissioned, it would be more of a 'decide what you want to do personally' day. It was a weird feeling for everyone with how often the party stuck together for everything.
Chazon still felt hollow after what happened between himself and Rifana yesterday, but the Weasel apparently didn't tell anyone else about it. She even acted like everything was normal, despite the apparent rejection she got from the Spear Hero. In her mind, she knew that she needed to be persistent and not be discouraged by one failure.
I'll have to find a way to convince him to see me as an adult rather than as a child, if that's what's stopping him. However, I'm pretty sure I can't be too aggressive going forward either. I went the radical opposite to what Raphtalia-chan did with Naofumi-sama and it backfired, so I need to find a balance.
Kardia was acting strange as well. She kept giving Chazon weird looks as he and Merlay prepared to head out. He noted the subtle hints of frustration in her features, but he didn't know why she kept showing them.
When the two entered the lobby of the inn, the Earl happened to be there. "Sir Spear Hero! How are you finding your time here in Cal Mira?"
"Can't complain, I suppose." That earned Chazon a confused look as he shook his head. "Do you know of any staff-makers on this island?"
"Why, yes I do. Normally he has a contract specifically with my personal forces, but since the Queen is funding your trip, I see no reason to deny you a consultation." The Earl beckoned the two to follow him. "Did you have any other plans today?"
"Well…" Chazon grabbed Merlay's attention for what he was going to say. "I met an old acquaintance of mine yesterday and he invited me to visit his group later today. Otherwise, no. It's a rest day for my party."
Merlay looked curious. "Who's your acquaintance, Chazon-sama?"
"A mercenary I encountered before the third wave. You weren't in my party at the time, Merlay, so you probably wouldn't know him."
"I recall Rino-chan saying you "spared one mercenary" from your Hate?"
Chazon sighed. "She told you about that, huh? Yeah, that's the self-same mercenary. He invited me to his merc group's meet-up spot to show no hard feelings and… I kind of want to visit him by myself."
"The consultation will take some time before you can leave, Merlay-sama. I don't see why he can't go visit them until you're finished."
There was a pause before Merlay nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Hopefully my consultation doesn't take too long."
"If you're finished early, you can find me at a place known as the Bellring Cafe. It shouldn't be too far from the tavern we saw the other night."
After a bit more walking, the Earl stops in front of a nondescript door with a smile. "Here we are. Because the owner of the workshop is under my contract, he chose not to label it as to prevent unwanted attention." He uses the knocker on the door.
And the nobel prize goes to this guy. Chazon tried to amuse himself to shake himself out of his mental slump.
The door was opened not long after. "Ah, Sir Habenburg. To what do I owe the pleasure, since I'm certain your mages already got their orders."
"Apologies for interrupting your down-time, Shan-dono, but an acquaintance of mine wishes to procure your skills." The Earl motions to the two following him, who both bow respectfully.
"Hmm… isn't that the Spear Hero? If so, I would be honored if I can lend my craft to one of the Legendary Heroes! Come on in."
The interior was a cross between a magic shop and a woodworking shop. Considering a lot of his products are made with wood, I'm not surprised.
Shan stands behind the nearby counter. "I presume the staff will be for this little lady?"
"Y-yes. My current one is currently… overwhelmed by my growth on these islands." Merlay puts her old staff on the counter."
"Hmm… Mahogany wood with a Ruby focus. Very well made, ignoring the magical wear on it." Shan gives the staff a sad pat. "It really is a shame this beauty is on the brink of breaking. Who did you get it from?"
"My grandmother, Mahoya. She gave it to me when I was 16 as a reward for excelling in magic and learning the magic language in its entirety."
That made Shan laugh. "That old witch? She taught me a thing or two that made my craft so much easier to do! In honor of your continued growth and as a favor for her, I'll make you the best staff I can! I must ask: do you want me to make what I think best works, or do you have something specific in mind?"
Chazon stepped forward with a nod. "During our time leveling, we've come across materials that would create good magical weapons." He withdraws the Oreiku ingots he made yesterday and a unit of White Dryad Tree Lumber. "Think you can use these materials?"
"I've worked with Oreiku before so I know you have good taste in magical metals. But this lumber… is it not cut from a Dryad Tree?"
Merlay nodded with sadness in her eyes. "We found a Dryad being suffocated by an Elder Bioplant. At her request, we ended her life and that's how we got the materials."
There was somber silence before Shan sighed. "I'll treat this wood with the greatest of respect, then. Did you have a specific jewel in mind as well?"
Chazon nodded as he brought out his recently-cut Bright Starfire. Before he went to sleep last night, in an effort to distract himself, he opted for the Round Cut Gemstone shape with flat top and pointed bottom. He also puts down a bunch of cut Moonwater gemstones as well. "If you don't need them, think of them as a contribution to future projects."
"At this point I shouldn't be surprised, but surprised I am. With this beauty, I'll be able to make my Magnum Opus amongst staffs!" Shan gives the two a gleeful smile. "I just need to keep the little lady here for a bit while we figure out what the dimensions and shape should be. Out of curiosity, what affinities do you have?"
"None. I can cast any spell."
"My, that makes my job easier. If you'll excuse us!" Shan leads Merlay to the back of the workshop to begin the process."
The Earl let out a happy sigh. "I feared that he would begin to find his craft dull. I'm glad the materials you brought him inspired him to work at his hardest once again."
Hmm, at least he knows what he believes in… unlike me…
"Anyways, I'm off to have a meeting with my adviser. Seems there's an increase in kill-stealers lately, so we need to find a way to deal with them. Have a good rest day, Chazon-sama!"
After bidding the Earl a good day, Chazon headed towards the Bellring Cafe. When he arrived, Kelo waved him over. "There you are! We haven't been here long ourselves!"
"This is the Spear Hero you had a duel with?" His green-headed companion asked. She looked like a bare-handed fighter like Tersia with appropriate gear to match. Sitting with them was a blue-haired male mage with glasses and a red-headed horned male who looked quite stocky. They also had a blonde girl who looked like a priestess.
Kelo motioned to each of his fellows in order. "That's Cel, Lerino, Dari, and Lene. My strong and loyal merc mates like I said yesterday. Dari is also a Kiki demi-human in case you've never seen one before."
Lene giggled a bit, a silver band on her ring finger. "Oh, Kelo-kun, am I really JUST a fellow mercenary to you?"
"No, Sweetheart. If I must say it out loud, you're also my wife." Everyone else laughed at how bashful Kelo was now.
Cel grinned as she leaned back into her chair. "Those love birds tied the knot some time before we came here. This trip doubled as their honeymoon."
"Congratulations, you two." Chazon smiles at them. They seemed so different, yet they were dedicated to each other regardless.
Lerino looks up from the book he was reading. "When Kelo-sama told us of his near-death experience with the Spear Hero, Lene-sama was beside herself with worry."
That made Chazon go pale as Dari rubbed the back of his head. "Lerino… probably not the best time to bring that up." He shoots Lene a worried look.
For what it was worth, the Priestess gave the Hero a comforting shoulder-pat. "The important thing is that you spared Kelo-kun's life. He confessed to me not long after that incident, saying that he didn't want to let his second-chance go to waste."
"You don't… hate me for it?"
"No. If anything, I think it shows your strong character if you chose to forgive my husband for something out of his hands."
"Strong character…"
Kelo nodded. "I already told everyone here about why you're joining us today. Why not tell us about what's going on in your party?"
There was a brief silence before Chazon told them what happened yesterday and how he acted. Cel raised an eyebrow. "You didn't want to "look at her" in that way because…?"
"She may not look it now, but she's a 12 year-old Weasel demi-human who grew up because I had been leveling her. I… adopted her from a slave trader in a bid to save her from a life of suffering."
"I think I already see a surface-level problem." Lerino closes his book. "You're afraid to touch or love her because you're hung up on her age. That you only see her as a child."
Keno nods. "I don't know if you're aware of this but, even in Melromarc where demi-humans are reviled, it's accepted that once they've grown up, they are adults regardless if they grew up from age or levels."
"That's… that's not how it works-"
"In your old world?" Lene, due to being a former Four Heroes Faith devotee, knew extensively about the circumstances surrounding the summoning of the Legendary Heroes. "I must apologize for being brazen, but perhaps you're clinging too hard to the rules of a world you can no longer go back to."
Chazon slumped a bit as the realization began slapping him in the face. "Then... even my wish to only marry one girl? Even when the others aren't giving up on loving me in that way?"
There was a pause before Lene sighed. "If only one girl genuinely loved you, then I do support that as well. However, if you are trying to only marry one girl because of, once again, the rules of your past world, then all you'll do is hurt everyone including yourself. Especially if you're using those values as an excuse of some kind."
Chazon suddenly remembered something he said to Trash. That those who remain stuck in the past lose sight of their future. After all of my swagger telling Trash what I did. I'm truly being the biggest hypocrite in this story...
"Let me ask something. What DON'T you love about the girls trying to love you?" Dari asked a simple question. Yet Chazon didn't answer, looking like he was thinking too hard. "Then why are you so hesitant to accept their love?"
Cel smirked at Dari. He was a dumb lummox at times, but he always had a big heart. "The way I'm seeing things, you look like you're trying too hard to be loyal to one girl. Almost like…"
"Spear Hero Chazon, I must ask a question of my own." Lerino pushes up his glasses. He may not have any knowledge of love, but he could see something else. "What is the current state of your confidence?"
"Confidence…?" Chazon realized it right then: he had not done any self-reflection ever since the first time Rino brought him out of his despair. "I… I had been pretty confident after a couple of episodes of despair, but… when I was first summoned, I had none."
"And how rapidly did your confidence build?"
"Fairly fast. Rino, the one that I promised myself towards, was able to kickstart my building confidence when she joined me. Even after it was shattered the first time, she was always there to bring it back up."
That got a sigh out of Lerino. "And there… lies what I have observed to be your main problem. No matter how much you built up your confidence, it was always centered around one person. Plus, while you built new confidence, you never properly swept away your lack of confidence either and it kept building itself."
Kelo pats Chazon on the shoulder. "Ask yourself. Are you rejecting their love because you don't want it? Or are you rejecting them because you feel you don't deserve them?"
The more Chazon thought about it, the more it crashed down onto him like a torrent.
I… I should have known I was always the problem. I kept pushing them away in that regard. That I wanted them to find their special someone outside of me… because I thought they could do better than me. The only one I felt worthy for was Rino.
No… Not even her. After she willingly allowed the others to love me even though we became boyfriend and girlfriend before then… I was betraying her trust… THEIR trust...
What kind of stupid coward have I become?! He had begun clutching his head tightly, almost drawing blood, as the same rust-orange haze from yesterday almost consumed his vision.
It receded when he was brought out of his thoughts after Lene suddenly cupped his face. "Don't force yourself or beat yourself up over it. If you change gears too suddenly, you might lose yourself and your true feelings. Be more observant with the girls, keep an open heart, and you'll find that the answers come naturally. You never rush love… unless your name is Kelo-kun after a near-death experience."
"That was a low blow… and you said yes anyways!" Kelo grumbled in embarrassment as his merc group laughed at him.
Cel nudged Chazon with a grin. "Don't think too hard about it, or you'll overthink it! Just like my favorite pair of glasses over here."
"Frankly, Cel, I have no idea what you are talking about." Lerino re-opens his book to start reading again. Cel merely pouts at him.
Chazon sat for a bit longer before looking up, feeling a bit better. "Thank you all for lending an ear when you could just be relaxing. I really… have no experience in anything besides levels."
"Hey, don't sweat it!" Dari gives Chazon a boisterous pat on the back, who coughed from not expecting that much force. "Anything for a fellow brother-in-arms!"
Cel grinned. "Besides, thanks to this we could totally add "romance and inter-party relation consultations" to our portfolio! Never hurts to expand!" Lerino grunted at that.
Lene smiled at Kelo. "I'm glad we were able to offer guidance in any way we could as a newlywed couple ourselves."
"Indeed. Like we said, kid, take it slow if you need to. Even with any revelations you got today, rushing to change would more than likely be counterproductive." Kelo smiles at Chazon. "And hey, if you and your party ever want to do some mercenary work for a change of pace, we can oblige!"
Chazon laughs for the first time that day as he bids everyone a fond farewell. It… it might be late, but perhaps I can make up for my stupidity by being a bit more receptive to the girl's affection.
I should probably apologize to Rifana as well. I never appreciated just how much courage it took to try and get my attention like that in the baths. That is, if I can work up my now lackluster courage.
As Chazon walked, he quickly realized something. Wait, is Merlay really taking that long to get her consultation done? I better go check.
When he got back to Shan's workshop, he was stunned to see that she wasn't there. Shen looked up at him from his work with surprise. "Chazon-sama? How come you've returned?"
"How long has it been since Merlay left the shop?"
"A good ten minutes at least. Ah, I almost forgot, I got a letter addressed to you from a strange woman."
Shan hands Chazon the envelope as a pool of dread begins building in his stomach. Opening the letter, he read:
To the Spear Hero:
We've taken your "girlfriend" hostage. If you wish to save her, come to the alley behind the Bellring Cafe.
Come alone. Don't even try telling anyone else about this, or she dies.
No… no way… they mistook Merlay for Rino?! But… agh…
Chazon suddenly left the store without saying anything, much to Shan's surprise and confusion. He traced his steps back until he saw the Bellring Cafe and began looking around it. He found the alleyway the letter mentioned and slowly approached.
I want to call their bluff… but Merlay never met with me after her consultation was done. Because Rino turned blonde, if they were using hair-color as the key identifier, then either Kardia or Merlay, due to her brown hair, were at risk. And because Merlay was the only one with me today…
When he reached a certain point, he heard a malicious giggle. "You took your sweet time, O Spear Hero! We were beginning to think you actually didn't care about her!"
In the middle of the dead-end was Merlay, bound to a chair, gagged, and held at knife-point by a green haired woman. There were three others surrounding them and they all had malicious smiles. "You even played along and didn't tell anyone! That is a good boy…"
Chazon felt his hate rise, but he tried to keep a straight face. "You were talking about me coming alone. How were you able to so easily verify that?"
"Because today, I kept an eye on your every move up until now." Someone landed behind him and he saw a woman in what looked like a different style of Shadow's clothing. "If you had, I would have come back and ordered her execution."
"Excellent job on your part!" One of the girls held an ominous bottle containing a glowing pink liquid. "Just follow what we tell you… and your precious "item" won't come to harm."
Merlay had terror in her eyes, but she was also terrified of what these people wanted to do with Chazon. Someone… anyone… Please help us!
Chazon grunted. He really wanted to make a move, but he didn't trust his speed enough to keep the knife from slitting Merlay's throat. "At least humor me on something. Why? Why are you targeting me like this? Don't you know that a single dead Legendary Hero could doom your world?!"
One of the other wenches hummed as all but one slowly approached him. "We aren't here to kill you, if that's what you're wondering. We aren't nihilistic."
"Then why?!"
"Because you're failing a sacred duty." The Shadow behind him stated coldly. "All heroes and hero descendants are to wed with multiple spouses to ensure that the next generation is strong. Yet you chose to limit yourself to a SINGLE person, which is sacrilege. Thus… we've come to ensure you fulfill your duty."
Then Queen Mirellia, in asking about my relationships, was trying to make sure this didn't happen! Every decision I've made to this point regarding this is now threatening my party member's lives…
"I think you should know that the girl that you kidnapped isn't my "girlfriend" but one of my party members."
There was stunned silence until one of them sighed. "Even if you say that, it doesn't change your crime."
The one holding the suspicious potion held it up. "Indeed. All we ask is that you drink this. Think of it like a test. If you can resist the effects of this potion, then we'll let you two go without further fuss."
A test… I don't know what it is they're trying to force-feed me… but I'll have to stay strong for Merlay. I can't abandon her!
Not after today!
"Fine, then let's get this done. I won't let some stupid potion break me!"
All 5 of the wenches giggled. "Ah, such bravado. Truly, ignorance is-"
A sharp, yet familiar noise suddenly pierced the air. In the very next moment, the one holding Merlay at knife-point had her head pinned to the wall with an arrow.
"What?! Nobody should know about- THAT TURNCOAT!"
Chazon took his chance to dash forward, skewer the wench in front of him in the head with a swift strike, and grab Merlay protectively while switching to his Stone Golem Spear. That arrow… Kekal?
"Chazon!" One of the other wenches was pierced through the chest with a sword coated in light. When the corpse fell down, Ren was in her place with a look of raw fury. "Did we make it in time?!"
"Ren!"
"Looks like we did." Wyndia quickly entered a sword-lock with the shadow. "That Gale Shot from Kekal-san was on point."
Tersia joined in the fight with the Shadow, who was clearly trying to vacate. "We can worry about the details later! Let's finish these bitches off!"
Bakta managed to hit one of them over the head with his newly-acquired shield. "Let's spare one for interrogation. The rest are free game!"
But how? How did Ren's party know we were here?
Chazon quickly cut the ropes tying Merly and removed her gag. "Merlay, are you okay?!"
"I-I'm fine! They were confused as to why I had brown hair instead of red, but said I wouldn't be harmed if I didn't make a fuss." Merlay squeaked in surprise when Chazon hugged her tightly. "C-Chazon-sama?!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't want something like this to happen to you… and it's my fault..."
"Chazon-sama, I doubt any of this is actually your fault." Welt had come over to double-check Merlay for injuries. Apparently the Shadow managed to get away, but 3 of the 4 other wenches were summarily executed on the spot, with the last one being dragged away for later interrogation. "We do have some idea as to what's going on, though."
Merlay looked at the Sword Hero's party. "That's just it. How did you know we were here? Chazon-sama never told anyone."
"To start from the beginning, I wanted my party to have a break for a day as an apology for trying to rush our levels. However, when we left our inn, someone had come to me begging for my help." Ren nods at his party. "Kekal was nearby which was perfect, because that woman was trying to warn us about your capture."
The turncoat…
Wyndia nodded. "She told us about their plans for you and why. Turns out, they were from Faubray and were very displeased regarding something about you. Regardless of the reasoning, thanks to Kekal-san being nearby when we heard about your plight, she offered to snipe the main hostage holder. That would allow us to move in and take care of the others without risking Merlay-san's life."
"Did she tell you guys what exactly they were going to do to us?"
"Something about force-feeding you a drug called a "Succubus Lust Elixer" and raping you in front of your girlfriend until she broke and they were all satisfied." Tersia looked disgusted. "I'm a perverted girl and proud of it, but there are lines I will never cross."
"This must be it." Welt held up the pink potion from before. "We'd better turn this in to the Melromarc army. However, we'll have to interrogate the survivor on our own since we don't want to create an international incident between Faubray and Melromarc."
Always hated politics…
"Chazon-sama… how come you're still holding me so tightly?" Merlay was confused as to why he was suddenly being so protective of her.
"Because I almost lost you…" Chazon put his face into her hair, trying not to cry.
Merlay felt surprise before she grabbed his hands with hers. Before he would have comforted me, sure, but he's… suddenly being a lot more affectionate about it. My heart feels a lot lighter now, though. Like I'm finally reaching his own heart when it was walled off before...
"Chazon-kun! Merlay-chan!" Kekal rushed into the alleyway and glomped on the two with a cry of joy. "I'm so glad we made it on time!"
Chazon was stunned for a bit before he was able to wrap an arm around Kekal as well, tears of happiness in his eyes. "Thank you, Kekal. After all you've done… I can finally say that I have no more regrets letting you join me."
That got a big grin out of the Vampire. "Hehehe, You can always count on me! When I heard about your plight, I almost felt like I could trigger Bloodcane without drinking any blood. I was that enraged."
I've never seen her angry before. Guess, even with me being a hard-ass towards her in the beginning, I never actually pissed her off.
Chazon breaks the hugs and holds out a hand to Ren. "Thank you for your help today. Sucks about that Shadow escaping, but we'll have to press on."
Ren shakes his hand with a small smile. "Anything for a fellow hero. I overheard you accusing them of trying to kill you… but what they were going to do to you was far worse than death." When Chazon gives him a curious look Ren shudders. "Sorry, you'll have to hear it from Kekal. The mere recollection makes my spine squirm."
"Ren-sama, perhaps a trip to the beach will help you relax?" Tersia pats him on the shoulder comfortingly. "Let's collect Farrie from the inn and escort our informant to the main military building before we do." With that, the Sword Hero's party wanders off.
Chazon lets out a short sigh. "Merlay, are you going to be okay?"
"Y-yes, I should be. Sure, it was an experience I'd rather forget about, but I don't want it to weigh me down."
"Alright, but I'm remaining by your side for the rest of the day. Kekal, do you think we should tell the others?"
Kekal ponders for a few seconds before nodding. "For whatever reason, Faubray women have it out for Rino-chan and, possibly, everyone else in our party. Once we're done relaxing for the day, we'll do a PSA in our room."
Should I… tell them why?
…
Why do I feel fear at that prospect? Is it because I denounced everyone but Rino as romantic partners before our battle with the church? Am I so afraid that changing my mind so suddenly would have such adverse effects?
Gods… maybe my issue this entire time wasn't confidence, but cowardice…
"I hate to ask, Kekal-chan, but… what exactly were they going to do? I know Ren said they were going to rape Chazon-sama, but-"
"You know the drug they were going to use? That Succubus Lust Elixer?" Kekal gritted her teeth in anger. "That's no ordinary drug. It's an aphrodisiac of extreme potency, capable of making an imbiber a sex-crazed beast or, at the very least, very susceptible to seduction.
"Even drops of the stuff are dangerous, but if one were to take an entire potion their mind will be warped beyond repair. And to top it all off, it's also a fertility enhancer. Female imbibers start heavily ovulating, to the point where one round of intercourse could result in twins or even triplets. Men, on the other hand, start producing hyper-concentrated sperm in excess quantities and said sperm can cause forced ovulation."
To say Merlay and Chazon were horrified was putting it lightly. "That thing is like a date-rape drug at BEST. What the hell- who thought making such a thing was a good idea?!"
Kekal shook her head. "I don't know. All I know is that it's simultaneously considered the weakest, yet worst of the 7 "Deadly Sin Drugs" in the world. The Dragon Wrath Elixer is considered the strongest because of how much it boosts stats, but enraged people are easy to deal with if you know how and it takes multiple doses to break someone's mind."
What a way to learn about another aspect of the dark underbelly of this world… to think I was going to drink something like that…
Kekal turned around and grinned at the two. "But we don't have to worry about it anymore, so don't think too hard about it! As the Vampire Lord, I'll ensure nothing like that can happen again!" She laughs boisterously.
Funny… I don't find that aspect of her annoying anymore.
"What do you girls want to do to try and shake this whole thing off? For that matter, what's everyone else doing?"
Kekal tapped her chin. "Rifana and Rino went sightseeing around town while Kardia took the two kids to a water-park of sorts."
"We could check on the status of my new staff, maybe relax at the Bellring Cafe, and do some shopping. I think that sounds nice." Merlay was exhausted by today but she didn't want to just go back to the room.
"Then that's what we'll do. Apologies to Rifana ahead of time if we start buying "frivolousies" during our shopping trip!" Merlay and Kekal cheered at that.
I need to start making up for lost time, starting with you two. After everything that happened today, you deserve it. I might not have the courage to say it up front for now, but...
I really do love you two.
The Shadow managed to reach the port of Cal Mira in order to stow away on a boat. "Hmph, to think that weakling would actually turn on us and deny our birthright as daughters of Faubray. As much as I want to kill her, I have no doubt that she's enjoying protection from the Sword Hero's party. Looks like two heroes are-"
"You certainly have a lot to answer for…" The Shadow turned to see a very unhappy Kelo with an already drawn sword. "I overheard that whole ordeal. Maybe you should have picked a much more isolated location for your crime."
"Indeed. Your attempt to rape and steal the Spear Hero from his party and loved ones will not be borne." Lene appeared beside Kelo and she had the look of pure fury on her face.
The Shadow quickly realized that she was surrounded on all sides by three other mercs. She scoffs. "You think too highly of yourselves, mercenaries. Or did your kind start doing charity work?"
"Charity? Perhaps. But as far as people go, you're certainly among the most rotten. Make peace with whatever gods you pray to. You're about to beg for their forgiveness in person!" Kelo throws a dagger at the Shadow, followed up with him rushing forward.
"You underestimate me just because I'm alone." The Shadow deflects the Dagger and goes in for a swift kill. What she didn't see coming was him jumping high enough to clear her reach.
"Kele, Lerino, NOW!"
"Zweite Aqua Blade!"
"Zweite Fire Burst!"
The Shadow got slammed in the back with a Water spell from Lerino, only to get a face-full of fire from Lene. The force from the Zweite Fire Burst knocked her backwards, right into a plunging blade courtesy of Kelo, which ripped through her heart. "And with that, all of the loose ends are tied."
"Maaaaan, I didn't get to do anything." Cel pouted a bit as Dari patted her on the shoulder. "I guess the reputation Shadows built for themselves is actually rather hit or miss."
Lerino adjusted his glasses with a smirk. "It was all within my calculations. However, nothing is guaranteed, that's why I had you and Dari along as well." He gives Kelo an odd look. "What made you go out of your way to do this, though? Still wanting to repay Spear Hero Chazon's mercy?"
"Perhaps that, but there's another reason." Kelo looks at the sky after cleaning his blade on the corpse. "Chazon-san reminds me of my deceased older brother, personality and all. He had a similar scenario happen to him back when we lived in Faubray, thanks to us being hero descendants.
"Sadly… unlike Chazon-san, nobody had come to help him when his dearly beloved was murdered and he was forced to breed the selfish whores of that country. They never even gave him a chance to at least fall in love with another woman to fulfill his so-called "Sacred Duty". He took his own life not long after… and I escaped from the country, thoroughly disgusted with it." Lene held his hand to comfort him.
Dari gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry we dragged up such a painful memory, Boss…"
"It's fine. Besides… Maybe my brother guided me to Chazon-san from the great beyond so that I could help prevent it from happening again. Even if we only killed one thanks to the Sword Hero's intervention, it'll prevent anyone else from getting the same idea for a long while."
Kelo smiles at his group. "That kid has a lot of growing to do and… a part of me wants to watch over him. But for now, I am satisfied. Thank you for humoring me on this subject."
Cel beamed at him. "Hey, don't forget that we are part of the Nika Mercenary Group, where our work is honest and our bonds are strong!"
"Indeed, even though it took a near-death experience to get the "honest" part down better. Perhaps we should head back, the others might be getting worried."
"The fact that we tried to steer him towards accepting the love of multiple girls seems kind of… hypocritical in this scenario." Lerino crossed his arms with a frown at that.
"The way I see it, my brother only married one wife because she loved him for who he was as a person, not as a sperm bank for "strong" descendants. Chazon-san, based on the information we've heard, has multiple girls who love him for who he is and that's why I wanted to give him the advice we did."
Lene held Kelo's hand. "I knew what you were going for, that's why I helped the way I did. I pray that the Spear Hero's party won't suffer anymore on fronts such as this."
After throwing the Shadow's corpse into the sea for monsters to eat, the merc group heads toward their inn, planning their next trip.
"The situation ended up sorting itself out?"
Back in Melromarc Castle, Mirellia had just entered a crystal ball communication with the Shadow in charge of Chazon.
"Indeed, your majesty. Apparently, one of the instigators had a change of heart and beseeched the aid of the Sword Hero's party, with Kekal hearing of it as well. Thanks to their intervention, Spear Hero Chazon and Merlay, who was mistaken for Rino, were able to escape their clutches."
Mirellia crossed her arms in front of her as she looked up a bit. "Even so, it worked out by a paper-thin margin. It relied on both the turncoat's conscience and Kekal's "right place, right time" positioning. If this were to happen again, I fear there may be no second miracle."
"Actually, the Nika Mercenary Group had met with the Spear Hero before that point. I just witnessed them going out of their way to silence the Faubray Shadow that escaped the Sword Hero's party. I imagine that they would have helped if the Sword Hero wasn't warned."
I can't tell if Sir Chazon is incredibly lucky or not. Hopefully this event is what proves to him that he can't marry just Rino. For all their worth in stopping the waves, a lot of this world views the Legendary Heroes as either pawns in their games, or as convenient tools. Their personal political influence isn't actually worth all that much in the grand scheme of things until they attain their true power.
"I… must apologise for my own failures, your majesty…" The Shadow kept going, her emotionless voice breaking a bit. "Not once have I been able to warn Chazon-sama's party about the danger. Things were too hectic thanks to the Cal Mira Event."
"It is quite alright. For now, keep a close eye on them and make note of any further suspicious activity. Let's make sure word of this doesn't get back to Faubray, else our nation may find itself facing a powerful enemy."
And there we go. Like I told some people through PMs, I wanted Cal Mire to be more than just a Leveling-fest for Chazon since it's unknown what the 3 Heroes were up to in canon during their stay. Hopefully you guys can see why I chose to put the two chapters together rather than just double-uploading.