Chapter twelve: Sorting out

Shirou hurried along to catch after Naofumi, pushing the thoughts of what motoyasu had meant out of his mind. He had promised to answer more of his questions after all.

"Naofumi! Wait up!"

Naofumi turned to look at Shirou as he approached, Shirou simply smiled, his group behind him.

"So, what questions do you have, Naofumi?"

"That spear that Motoyasu used. He said he was holding it back for you. Just what part did you have in it?"

Shirou frowned, but answered Naofumi truthfully. "As I said yesterday, it's another Noble Phantasm from the lancer of the last grail war. The weapon's Name is Gae Bolg, and it's a…deadly weapon, to say the least."

Shirou moved his hand over his heart before speaking again.

"It's a spear that reverses cause and effect, whilst always seeking out the heart once it's been activated. The only reason I can think that it didn't follow through entirely was because it was degraded, like ours."

Naofumi nodded. "It makes sense, but how did he get it?"

Shirou scratched the back of his head before speaking. "Well, I kind of gave it to him. It was a stupid idea, I know. You don't need to tell me." Shirou added on quickly, noticing the stare that Naofumi was giving him.

Naofumi could only sigh. "From the sound of it, you've already beaten yourself up over it enough, so I won't add to it. Just… what are you going to do about it?"

Shirou sagged slightly. "I don't know. I can't exactly take the spear back now, can I? I've told him that if he uses it, I'll be against him, so hopefully that's enough to deter him. Other than that? Like I said, I don't know."

Naofumi nodded, with Shirou asking his own question. "How exactly did you get Rho Aias? I didnt see you touch it at all."

Naofumi looked at him confused. "Why would I need to touch it? I just absorbed some of the shards when that petal cracked."

Shirou would let out a small sigh. "Don't tell me you didn't know about weapon copy?"

"Don't tell me this damn shield blocked another thing from me." Naofumi spoke, more frustration leaking into his voice.

"Unfortunately, it would seem like it."

Shirou would give a brief description of Weapon copy to Naofumi, letting him discover it in his own help menu, with Naofumi letting out another groan.

"At least someone told me about this now. Maybe I can unlock some more shields from Erhard."

Shirou would nod. "It seems like a good idea. All his shields and swords are great weapons from what I understand of them, though I've yet to copy one myself. It just feels bad, considering he wouldn't get paid for them."

Naofumi would have a frown on his face as he thought it over. "Yeah, the old man doesn't deserve that. I'll probably tell him when I get back. I owe him, so I don't exactly want him to fall victim to the other two." Shaking his head, he'd ask another question.

"How did your meeting with Motoyasu go yesterday?"

Shirou sagged more.

"Naofumi, I honestly think he's delusional." He'd say, staring directly at Naofumi, his party being shocked at the statement.

"What do you mean delusional? What did he do?" Naofumi asked, shocked by what Shirou had said.

"When I told him could have killed you with that spear, he started ranting. He said it was all just a game, that we could respawn and everything. That I need to stop taking it all so seriously."

Naofumi could see where Shirou was coming from now.

"Does itsuki still think like that?"

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to him. He's been avoiding me since I told him that his goal was unrealistic."

Naofumi could only sigh.

"I guess it does make sense for Itsuki to avoid you. You did shut down his hopes of being a hero of justice."

Shirou would nod. "I mean, if he kept going with it, it wouldn't end well. Trust me."

Naofumi would sigh, going back to his previous train of thought.

"Do you remember the first day? We all explained how we arrived. Motoyasu said he was stabbed by the girls he was dating and itsuki died from being hit by a truck

Shirou would nod, confused . "Yeah, I remember, but why is it relevant now?"

"Do you think it could be his way of coping?" Naofumi asked questionably. Shirou thought about it for a moment as Naofumi continued. "Maybe he just doesn't want to believe he died, so he's deluding himself into believing this is a game."

Shirou nodded, a frown on his face.

"You could be right, but what about Itsuki? I haven't seen or heard anything from him other than what he told me. He said he's only been clearing out monster infestations, so maybe he's not taking it as hard?" Shirou spoke hopefully.

"I mean, he could be doing better. I'm fairly certain the younger you are, the better you adapt to new situations, but I'm not sure." Naofumi said with a shrug.

"Right now, I'm mainly focused on getting myself sorted. We don't exactly have much cash right now and I'm not really in any position to defend myself or Raphtalia."

Shirou would nod, looking at his own bag of coins for a moment.

"Well, I might have something I can do to help you? It's just, we need to be in a more secure place."

"That's fine, let's go back to Erhard's then. It's certainly secure."

With that, the duo and their party members walked towards Erhard's.

"So, I've figured that any basic items I create with this arm don't disappear unless I want them to…" Shirou spoke cautiously, looking as Naofumi's eyes widened in shock.

"You're not telling me…"

Shirou nodded. "Yeah, I can. But I'm not doing to much of it. I'm only going to replicate how much I have right now. I don't exactly want to destabilise everything." Shirou spoke, shooting a warning look at Naofumi who frowned.

"Fine, I guess I understand. But still, thank you."

Shirou would shake his head, a sad smile present. "It's fine. We wouldn't need to do this if you were actually treated fairly. Just how would it all have gone had it all worked as it was supposed to…" As he spoke the last part, the traced coin bag and coins popped into his hands, with Shirou quickly handing it off.

"What do you mean if everything had worked as it was supposed to?" Naofumi asked suspiciously.

"It makes sense you wouldn't know, Shield hero." Tersia spoke up, saving Shirou from having to explain it.

"Originally, the heroes were supposed to be summoned by different countries. By all rights, you four should not have met until much later, when all four of you were needed to deal with the waves."

Naofumi looked at Tersia for a moment, his mouth open. "You're telling me… this kingdom had the opportunity to not summon me, apparently one of their most hated people, but they still did so?"

Tersia nodded slightly and Naofumi let out a groan. "Why is my luck so bad… Do you know where I would've been summoned instead?" He asked weakly.

"Um, probably Siltvelt. They worship the shield as a god over there." Another groan escaped Naofumi.

"This could have all been avoided…" he spoke weakly, until he straightened up suddenly. "Wait, if the heroes were meant to be split up…" Naofumi's face turned to one of horror and Shirou nodded.

"You're probably thinking that the waves are happening in other countries, right?" Naofumi nodded and Shirou continued. "Well, you're right. They are happening in other places, so we are eventually going to have to leave Melromarc. I'm not sure if they'd let you though. From what Tersia explained before, if Siltvelt found out about your treatment, they'd declare war, which is the last thing anyone needs right now."

Naofumi nodded reluctantly. "As much as I'd love for this country to burn, the waves take priority. But to think that if I'd been summoned there, I wouldn't have met you, the old man or even Raphtalia…" he shook his head. "I guess that's a couple of things this country did right." He let out a sigh.

Shirou stood up. "Naofumi, we're going to head out. We have some stuff to do. Stay safe and grow stronger, okay?" Naofumi nodded, and Shirou pat him on the shoulder.

"Everything will get better, trust me." With that, Shirou and his group departed.

"Alright!" Spoke Bakta, getting everyone's attention. "We are going to my aunt's shop real quick to get our magic affinities checked out. She has offered to do it for free, as well as chucking in a couple of beginner books to help us learn." The group nodded as they followed Bakta, quickly moving through the city as they approached a store with a sign on it.

"Magical… Insights?" Shirou spoke, trying to understand the sign. Bakta nodded.

"Yep! This is the shop. You're getting better at reading Shirou!" He stuck his thumb up, a small smile on his face before entering the store, the group all following.

"Aunt? We're here!" Bakta shouted, a small smile on his face. The sound of a few books falling could be heard and Bakta shouted again. "Aunt? Are you ok?"

A voice was heard from the back of the store.

"I'm fine dear! Just dropped a few of the books I was preparing. I'll be out in a moment."

The sound of a door opening and slamming shut was followed by books being placed down.

"Ab, you must be Bakta's friends, am I correct?"

Shirou studied the lady behind the desk. She looked old, the wrinkles on her face proving it.

"Although, it could be from stress…"

Shaking his head, he kept studying. She was wearing the typical clothes for a witch, atleast what he has read in stories when he was younger. A pointy hat, robes. All that was missing was a wand or staff to complete the look.

What caught Shirou off guard was her eyes. It wasn't how she looked at each of them individually studying them, it was the colour. A purple, just like Sakura's, if not a bit darker.

"Sakura…" Shirou would whisper, sadness evident in his voice. Bakta, who was stood next to him, heard the name whispered by him, but kept silent.

Shirou had thought he was over it, having already accepted his fate, but he just couldnt seem to let go.

"Oh, how rude of me! I haven't introduced myself. My name is Elise, grandma to Bakta. I can tell you plenty of stories about him if you want" she said with a small smile.

Bakta cut her off. "Please no. We're just here to get everyone's affinities checked."

Elise simply tutted. "Always so serious Bakta. Fine, who's first

All eyes turned towards Shirou, who let out a small sigh, stepping forwards.

"I'll go first, but I can tell you that it's probably going to be nothing special. I already know where my specialty lies."

This peaked the group's interest, aswell as Elise's. "Oh? You've had your affinity read, sword hero? Was it in this world, or your previous."

"The previous." He confirmed. "I'm not sure how you do it here, so would you mind explaining?"

"Of course not. It's simple, all things considered. You simply touch this crystal ball, she pointed towards the crystal ball on the desk. "and I'll tell you what elements you will be able to use for. Would you mind telling me what your affinity was before?" She inquired, curious.

Shirou shrugged, seeing no reason to hide it here. "My affinity was sword, as well as my origin."

"Origin? I'm afraid we have nothing like that here. Could you explain what an origin is?" The crystal ball was moved to the side, Elise moving forward to pay more attention.

Shirou shook his head. "I don't really know much. My old man kept the knowledge away from me because he didn't want me to learn his magic. He only ever taught me the basics as well as my origin and affinity. From what he said, it was rare to have an aligned affinity and origin, so he wanted to keep it hidden."

Elise frowned, but sat back. "It's a shame you weren't taught much. I'd have loved to hear about magic from another world…" she shook her head. "Well, we might as well see if it's carried over or if you are able to use our magic. Come, place your hand on the crystal ball."

Shirou did as he was told, the insides of the crystal ball fogging up for a moment before something appeared inside. Looking at it, Shirou nodded to himself. He knew nothing was going to change, he was simply going to have to practice.

Elise looked thrilled. "My, how interesting! I've never seen someone with 'Sword' as an attribute before. No wonder you were summoned as the sword hero. It's almost like you were made for it!"

Shirou simply smiled, moving backwards as Elise called for the next person to come forwards. Welt stepped forwards, quickly putting his hand on the crystal ball.

"Looks like you have a good affinity for earth magic. Quite helpful in many situations. I'm sure with enough training, it will be of great assistance to you." Welt nodded, a small smile on his face as he stepped back.

"What about you, lass? Do you want to know your affinity?"

Farrie shook her head.

"Sorry, but I've already had mine checked. I can use wind magic."

Elise nodded in understanding, motioning for Tersia to step forward. He quickly placed his hand on the crystal ball, the dog inside it turning dark.

"Oh my, that's quite a strong affinity for shadow magic. You have quite a bright- ahem, excuse me, dark future ahead of you." She spoke teasingly.

Tersia had a small smile on his face as Bakta groaned. "Please stop trying to intimidate them…"

"Oh it's fine. They don't seem to have much issue with it. But I'll stop, for your sake I suppose."

Elise quickly moved through the books she though, checking over the titles before putting them to the side.

"Alright. I have three books here. One for earth magic, made specifically for beginners. One for illusion magic and one for wind magic, as I'm not sure how proficient you are at using it." She spoke the last part to Farrie, who responded it easily.

"I mainly use it as a speed boost, but if there is any way it can help me improve my fighting, I'll take it!" She spoke with a smile.

"That's the attitude. If you two have the attitude to learn like that, you'll master your spells in no time!" Elise declared.

Both Tersia and Welt nodded, both saying thank yous.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you out sword hero, but you're more well versed in your world's magic than me."

Shirou shook his head. "It's fine. All I can do is practice and refine what I have learnt. I appreciate the willingness to help." He replied, a small smile on his face. "I'll make sure we drop by every now and then. How much do the books cost?"

"Oh they're free. You and the shield hero helped defend my hometown, so it's only right. Oh, if you see him, please go tell him I want to see him and his companion. I'd like to help them progress more if possible."

Shirou nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Thank you again, for all of this."

She waved her hand. "It's no big deal. They were simply collecting dust in the back. It's better they be put to use."

Shirou nodded, with the rest of his party saying goodbye, promising to visit at some point before the next wave.

They all filed out of the shop.

Shirou looked at his group, a question on his lips.

"What's with the stars next to your name?"

"Ah! That means we've reached the level cap. To think we've reached it already…" Farrie spoke in excitement.

"Yes, it really is quite impressive. To think it's only been a month. Then again, those monsters in the wave did help us level up quite a bit." Bakta added in, a small smile visible on his face.

"What's a class up?" Shirou asked confused.

"It's a ritual which is done to break the limits of level 40. Holy heroes and seven star heroes don't need them at all. They can keep growing without limits. It is what makes them so important to fight against waves."

Shirou nodded. "So, how do we do this class up?" He asked, curious. He didn't want to stifle his groups growth after all.

"Well, we have to go to the church for that and after your defense of the shield hero, they might be a bit more wary."

Shirou nodded, a frown on his face as he thought it through.

"So, I would probably stay behind whilst you go to class up. What's the standard procedure for a class up, excluding a hero?"

"Well, usually, you'd have to get permission from the kingdom to class up, aswell as pay a fee, but as far as I'm aware, they scrapped it when the waves started, as they needed all the power they could get."

"So, you will all head to the church and get your class up done, whilst I go inform Naofumi and Raphtalia about the magic shop lady."

The group nodded, easily parting ways after agreeing to meet back in front of the magic shop.

"Erhard?" Shirou called out, the man in question poking his head out from the back door.

"What's up sword kid?"

"Mind if I go up and see Naofumi?"

"Sure, go right on up. Though I have some stuff I want to discuss with you later." With a nod, Shirou walked up the stairs, quickly walking into the room Naofumi was occupying.

He paused as he watched Raphtalia hand Naofumi another meal, the Shield hero quickly scoffing it down.

"Um… did I walk in on something private?" Shirou asked. "I can step out if you want me to?"

Naofumi shook his head, putting down the plate.

"No, come right in. Sorry about that. It's just, well I can finally taste things again."

Shirou raised his eyebrow in concern.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you couldn't taste anything?"

"Well, it's not like it was majorly important. We still had to fight the waves and grow stronger, so it was towards the back end of my list of problems to deal with."

Shirou accepted that logic. "I see, well then. I'm glad for you, Naofumi."

"Thanks, so what did you want to see me for?"

"I just wanted to pass on a message. The lady from the magic store said she wanted to see you two. Said she wanted to give you a gift for helping to defend Riyute." Naofumi nodded.

"Looks like tommorow is going to be busy then. I'll go see her when I can, but I can't promise anything."

Shirou nodded, turning to leave, but Naofumi called out to him.

"Oh, I told the old man about weapon copying. Seemed annoyed, said he wanted to speak to the heroes. Be careful, will you?"

With that, Shirou walked out of the room to meet Erhard.

Shirou sat, staring at Erhard as he ranted.

"...damn spear and bow hero!" He spun to face Shirou. "Have you copied any of my blades?"

Shirou shook his head. "I haven't copied them into my sword, no."

That seemed to calm Erhard down slightly. "Atleast you two haven't… wait. What did you mean by not copying them into your sword?" He spoke, concerned.

"Well…" Shirou pointed at a sword on display. A common rapier imbued with a blood clean enchantment. A similar rapier appeared in his hand, with Erhard staring at him in shock.

"Is this another function of the damn weapons?"

"No, it's due to my nature. Every weapon I look at just kind of gets stored in my mind and I'm able to recreate them, although it's a bit worse than the original."

He handed the sword off to Erhard, who began to inspect it. After a few moments, Erhard spoke up.

"You sure this is worse than the originals? It seems the exact same. My appraisal magic can't find anything wrong with it."

"Try hitting my creation with your sword. See how it holds up then."

Erhard did as suggested, the blades clashing together. Nothing seemed broken, but Erhard used his appraisal magic anyways.

"Huh, you're right. It's definitely weaker. Your sword could only take a couple of hits like that constantly."

Shirou nodded. "That's where weapon copy comes in for me. I can just recreate swords I see and copy them. But I haven't done it to any of your swords and I won't unless you give permission. I'll pay for each weapon if I have to."

Erhard sighed. "It's fine, might aswell let you and the kid copy them. You have to be at your best for the waves and I'm not going to let pride stop me from helping. Even if you creating them from nothing strikes at my pride."

Shirou looked away. "Sorry? But technically, your weapons are still better to copy." Erhard only grunted at that.

"Just leave for now, yeah? Got some things to work on that I think you and the kid would like."

With that, Shirou left quickly, not wanting to earn the blacksmiths annoyance.

Sorry for not posting, been a bit busy sorting other stuff.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and have a good day/night!