Sword Hero Who Dances in Shadows Chapter 06: Callma Village
Lyall the Werewolf: Okay, so there were lots of sword ideas and couple of OCs to sort through, and so I think that will do for now. Thanks for offering. And thanks for helpful reminders of certain events in Shield Hero.
(I don't own Senran Kagura or Shield Hero)
Asuka and Evelyn arrived at a private room at the back of the guild, where the former's client was waiting. The private rooms were made for clients personally interviewing a potentially hired adventurer.
"I've brought someone willing to help, Lord Vento." said Evelyn as she and the Sword Hero entered the room.
"Ah, you must be the adventurer who took on my request." said a wealthy looking gentleman as he sat in one of the couch of the room. He was middle aged, sporting graying black hair, and trim beard. He wore a white dress shirt, and dark green coat. He looked like a pleasant man, but Asuka remained neutral until she could determine his true personality.
Calmly, she sat on the opposite sofa.
"Good day to you sir, my name is Asuka."
"Asuka? If I'm not mistaken, that's the name of the Sword Hero." said the gentleman with a bit of surprise, "So, I'm speaking in the presence of one of the Four Cardinal Heroes then?"
"That's right." Asuka replied.
"Well then, it's pleasure to meet you, Sword Hero. My name is Richter Vento." the gentleman introduced himself. She was a bit surprised to see that he barely reacted to her confirmation of being the Sword Hero. In fact, he was still being cordial.
"Now, on to the task at hand. I'm sure you know of the job request I have for you through the receptionist?" asked Vento.
"She told me a bit about your situation." Asuka answered.
"That makes things easier." Vento smiled, "As you know, these bandits have been raiding this village I preside over as the lord."
"The lord?"
"Like you, I was an adventurer in my youth, but now, I'm the noble lord of Callma Village. I also run a merchant trade, and I believe that the primary reason for these bandits to harass my village. It's especially troubling for my trade operations. If I try to transport my wears, they'll attack without hesitation." Vento explained.
"And you want me to take care of them?"
"Yes, precisely." Vento nodded, "Thanks to my bodyguards, I managed to determine their location, so now it's a matter of finding someone to drive them out. I'd ask the royal knights to do it, but as you no doubt have heard, they're rather incompetent."
"Hmm…" Asuka mused.
"So, what do you say? If you complete this task, I'll reward you handsomely." said Vento.
"Before I answer, may I ask you a question?" asked Asuka.
"A question? What might that be?"
"What do you think of me personally?" asked Asuka, "I'm sure you know of my reputation for standing up for the Shield Hero, and my upcoming duel with the Spear Hero in an effort to clear the former's name of the false charges placed on him, not to mention sympathizing with Demi-humans. Are you really going to hire me, even knowing those things about me?"
Roman was silent for a while, no doubt formulating his response. After a few short seconds, he spoke once again, "Well, regardless of that, I think you're lovely enough that if I had a son, he would propose to you on the spot."
"What?" Asuka blushed, feeling embarrassed that he even say that. Evelyn, who was silent the entire exchange, was also caught off guard a bit by Roman's answer.
"Haha, finally! An expression befitting a teenager." chuckled Roman, leading Asuka pout in annoyance. "Forgive me. You've just been so serious this whole time, I couldn't help myself. Anyway, in all honesty, I don't really care for the on-going rumors and events circulating in Castle-Town, so long as they don't affect my business too much. Neither your reputation, nor the Shield Hero's matter to me. What I do care about is if you're willing and capable of taking on my request."
This caught off guard Asuka for a brief moment, but she allowed him to continue.
"And this duel with the Spear Hero. I'd advise calling that off, but given what I've heard about you, I have sincere doubts you intend to do that." said Vento, "I also have a feeling you don't trust me very much. I'm not surprised, since you've probably run into a number of uncouth nobility and royal knights."
"Uncouth doesn't begin to describe it." Asuka frowned, remembering that particular encounter with the noble who was yelling at the Demi-human slaves he was verbally abusing, the worst part being that they were still kids.
"I suppose we don't need to get into your feelings toward King Aultcray and his daughter, Princess Malty, correct?" asked Vento.
Asuka's frown deepened at the mention of that pompous senile buffoon sitting on his throne, and his eldest daughter, whom she just had a 'chat' with earlier. Hopefully, Motoyasu and his party have left the guild by the time this conversation was over.
"I imagine they made a really poor impression of themselves with that trial for the Shield Hero." Vento frowned, "I'll admit, I don't think highly of the King myself, due to sharply differing opinions on certain subjects. Opinions I'd rather not disclose at the moment."
Evelyn couldn't help but avert her eyes from the Sword Hero. The girl had been exposed to the King and First Princess' selfishness first hand, and made worse was the general public's opinion of her changing rapidly. At the very least, Evelyn decided she wanted to ensure that Asuka was aware of at least some decent people in Melromarc.
"Never mind about them." Asuka shook her head, "I think we're getting off topic here."
"You're right." Vento nodded, "Oh, by the way, if you're wondering, I don't own any Demi-human slaves. I prefer willing employees. Better for business." Roman added.
Asuka wasn't going to believe that statement just yet. She had only just met him after all, and for all his pleasantness, he could be as conniving and cruel as a certain Princess on the inside. At the very least, it seemed he was being honest with her, save for why he and the King seem to be at odds.
"I assume that concludes the questioning?"
"Yes. And I'll take the job." Asuka nodded. On a side note, Asuka was in need of money. She still had some from selling and trading old equipment, and monster materials she farmed during her adventures, but she didn't know how long it would last until she ran out. A noble willing to hire her and pay well was something she could afford to pass up, even if she had a negative opinion of the nobility in Melromarc.
"Splendid!" Vento smiled, "Though, I must know if you're planning to go into this on your own? Wouldn't it be more efficient to go with a party?"
"I'll be okay on my own. I prefer working by myself."
"I hesitate to allow that, but word through the grapevine is that you're sufficiently skilled enough to handle monsters by yourself. Is that true?" asked Vento.
"Yes. And between you and me, I've fought groups of thugs before and have come out unscathed. I can handle it."
"Very well, I'll leave the bandits in your hands. I'll also give you directions to Callma Village, and the location of the bandits' hideout. They aren't particularly threatening, but watch yourself, Sword Hero."
"Understood." Asuka complied. She was confident she wouldn't have any trouble dealing with these thugs.
"Oh, and before I forget, in addition to being the high reward money I'm willing to pay for your service, I'll throw in a rare item I think you'll find interesting. You're free to say no, but I have my doubts you'll want to pass it up." said Vento.
"Sure..." Asuka wasn't sure why he was offering up so much just to get rid of some bandits, but she accepted the job anyway, so she would settle for discussing this rare item for later.
After Vento disclosed the location of Callma Village and the bandit hideout, Asuka exited the private room, promising to do away with the bandits. Vento decided to remain behind, stating he would send royal knights over later on to have any remaining bandits arrested. While she couldn't stop her from going alone, Evelyn had advised that Asuka should at least look for a partner, if not a party, to take with her to the bandits' hideout. The Sword Hero took it into consideration, and still decided to go alone.
As the she made her way through the guild hall, she spotted Motoyasu and his party still here, much to her displeasure. Itsuki and his party weren't around, so they obviously left to do their own business.
Motoyasu sat in a chair, recovering from the blow Asuka dealt him a little while ago, as evident by his groaning in pain, and pained expression. He was surrounded by his party members in what looked like a comforting position. One of the girls in his party, who happened to be a clergy, was healing the 'injury' to his crutch.
"Ughh…" Motoyasu groaned.
"Hold on, Motoyasu-sama, it'll be over soon!" said the clergy as she was performing First Heal on him.
"Hurry it up! What're we supposed to do if Motoyasu-sama can't fight, or do anything in his condition?!" Myne demanded.
"G-Girls… I'm fine... I barely felt it…" Motoyasu said weakly.
"Poor Motoyasu-sama!" another woman said in pity. She was tall, had medium length brown hair, and wore navy blue outfit.
"E-Elena-chan... I swear, this nothing...!" Motoyasu said with a shaky thumbs up.
"That Sword Bimbo will pay for this! How dare she refuse accepting Motoyasu-sama's kindness by striking him in the groin!" Myne barked.
"Yeah! She must do cruel things like that a lot if she doesn't feel guilty about it!" yelled another pretty girl when who wore a fur coat and had sharp features, "We should make her apologize when she comes back! If she doesn't, I'll slap her tits!"
"H-Hey, please don't do that girls. That drug Naofumi gave her made her do that, I'm sure of it." said Motoyasu, feeling a bit of his strength come back. He really didn't want his girls and Asuka fighting over him. He wished they'd all get along.
Speaking of the Sword Hero, Motoyasu finally noticed Asuka standing off to the side, staring irritably at the Spear Hero's party.
"O-Oh, Asuka-chan! Hey! Did you get that job request sorted out?" he waved at her, seemingly oblivious to the irate stare Asuka was giving him.
She was thinking of apologizing for the nut punch she gave him, but after overhearing Myne and the rest of the Spear Hero's party/cheerleading squad/harem of harlots badmouthing her, and Motoyasu acting as if nothing happened AGAIN, Asuka decided it wasn't worth the effort. She silently trotted away without a word to him and cheerleaders, who glare hostilely at her.
"Hold it, Sword Bimbo! Get back here and apologize to Motoyasu-sama!" Myne ordered. Asuka simply ignored her and get kept going. "Hey, I know you heard me! I said apologize!"
Asuka stopped in her tracks for a moment, "I'm sorry, but I'm busy. I don't have time to be sidetracked by you."
"I don't think so!" the girl with the fur coat yelled, marching in front of Asuka. "You have some nerve acting like you're better then us, little girl!"
"I'm pretty sure I am, since I'm actively avoiding a pointless conflict while you and friends are trying to instigate it." Asuka retorted, "You call me a little girl, but I'm obviously the mature one here."
"Shut your mouth!" fur coat girl came close to slapping Asuka in the chest like she promised, but at the last second, the Sword Hero simply sidestepped and tripped her up, leading to fur coat girl falling slap on her face.
"Lesty-chan!" Motoyasu was about to stand from his chair until his crutch reacted negatively to his sudden movements, leading him to sit back down and groan in agony.
Lesty turned around and glared at the Sword Hero for this slight.
"Like I said I'm busy and don't have time for this. Now, if you'll excuse me."
With those parting words, the Sword Hero made her exit and went off the complete her job request. Myne glared at her as the latter left.
A couple minutes after leaving the guild, Asuka made her way to the main gate to venture toward Callma Village. It was a short distance, south of Castle-Town, and merely two hours by foot according to Vento.
Along the way, she stopped a familiar structure towering over most of the surrounding buildings. The cathedral for the Three Heroes Church. Ever since she learned of what the Church practiced, she avoided going there as much as she could. When she did, it was merely to check the time for the next Wave and some other miscellaneous things. The priests there, while polite by default, also had an odd air about them that she didn't like.
Asuka saw no need to pay them a visit, so she went on her way. She would have gone to complete her newly assigned job request, had she not found yet another distraction. She was stopped in the middle of Castle-Town by two angry mothers and their silent sons at their side. The mothers were told by their respective sons that Sword Hero slapped them earlier and naturally, as any parent would, confronted the aggressor about it.
"Well, Sword Hero?" asked one of the mothers.
"What do you have to say for slapping our sons? Do you get off on abusing children?" asked the second mother.
Asuka simply sighed. She had already predicted this would happen after that encounter with the boys who harassed Raphtalia earlier. Between the angry glares from the mothers, and the odd stares the two boys gave her, she couldn't help but feel very uncomfortable with this situation. She figured the best way to appease them was to bow respectfully and apologize.
"I'm sorry for my behavior towards your children. I am aware that my actions were unwarranted and I take no joy in them."
The mothers, looking pleased by this, smirked. The boys meanwhile, kept silent as the watch the Sword Hero bow. It seemed they liked how easy it was for them to get the Fake Sword Hero to do what they wanted. Unfortunately for them, that satisfaction wouldn't last long.
"That being said, isn't it the mother's job to make sure their children learn proper respect?" asked Asuka in a flat tone, which quickly got under the mothers' skin.
"What did you just say?!" the first mother asked in annoyance.
"They were harassing a girl, demanding that she give up something that belonged to her. I intervened and tried to resolve the situation peacefully, until they mouthed off, so I felt I had to teach them that such behavior isn't okay. It was light discipline from my point of view." Asuka deliberately left out the part about the girl being Raphtalia, who was a Demi-human slave, knowing that they would scoff at the idea of the Sword Hero stepping in behalf of a Demi-human.
"Are you suggesting it's our fault that our sons mouthed off to you?!" the first mother bellowed.
"Unfortunately, that seems to be the case." Asuka replied.
"The nerve! For a Fake Hero to think she can talk down to us-"
"It doesn't matter if I'm a 'Fake Hero' or not. It still boils down to your sons not respecting someone's property, and not respecting their elders, because you failed to discipline them. I am sorry if this upsets you, but that's the truth." said Asuka firmly.
"Oh, I see. That girl was a Demi-human, wasn't she?" asked the second mother snidely.
Asuka didn't reply.
"Now it makes sense! The Fake Sword Hero defends Demi-humans as much as the Shield Hero."
"What does this have to do with the Shield Hero?" asked Asuka, surprised and annoyed that they would reference Naofumi, or more accurately, the Shield Hero in general.
"You don't know? Demi-humans worship the Shield Hero. Only the Three Heroes are true to their role. Of course, that would be the case if you weren't a Fake Hero who shows sympathy to Shield Hero and the Demi-humans who worship him." said the first mother, "And if you were aware of the history we have with Demi-humans, you wouldn't be so quick to-"
"I don't care." Asuka interrupted the mothers, "I'm sorry, but I really don't care for this human supremacist line of thinking, nor do I care for your backwards religious garbage. I especially don't care about this warped perception you people have of the Cardinal Heroes, particularly because you're the ones getting angry and spreading baseless rumors about how much I supposedly deviate from that perception. So what if I stood up for the Shield Hero? So what if I'm sympathetic to Demi-humans? It's my personality, so stop complaining!"
"W-Why you…"
"Besides, all of that is irrelevant to this matter. We're talking about your sons being disrespectful due to how they were raised." said Asuka, "Kids are impressionable in general, so if there are adults not acting as proper role models, they're bound to emulate them. I'm no expert on child rearing, but even I can see this as an important thing for parents to consider, especially where toxic racial and religious views are concerned."
The mothers couldn't retort to that statement. They could only glare in frustration.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a job request that needs getting done." Asuka said with a short bow. She briskly walked past the angered mothers and quiet sons, the former of whom weren't done talking to her yet. The Sword Hero simply ignored their yelling and trotted away.
Ignoring more cold stares and harsh whispers from the detestable people of Castle-Town, Asuka finally made it out of the main gate and began traveling on foot to Callma Village.
Halfway there, as she trailed down the path to the village, the Sword Hero noticed a wide and clear area near the forest. It was nice and clear enough for a small house to be built here. She could use a place to live in, since she didn't want to stay inns or hotels all the time. If she raised enough money, she could potential have a house built after buying this pot of land, or she could purchase a house in Castle-Town. Those ideas could wait those. First, she had a job to do.
Hours later into the afternoon, Asuka eventually spotted the fairly small village known Callma from the slopped path she took. Her initial thoughts on this country's people had shifted over night after the trial. They were a conceded lot, with twisted views on the Cardinal Heroes, and this racist treatment of Demi-humans, and though she hadn't seen as many, Beastmen made her want to vomit. The times she stood up for Naofumi and the Demi-human slaves have made the public think poorly of her, and to be honest, the feeling was mutual. But still, she couldn't abandon Melromarc, let alone a miserable little village like this one.
"Whatever they think of me… I'm still a Hero, with a long road ahead. I have to protect them, no matter how I feel about this country and its people." Asuka said to herself. That was her decision.
It was time to pay a visit to the bandits' hideout.
However, as soon as she began to walk down to the village, something caught her attention. Through her Enhanced Scent Detection skill, she caught wind of four distinct odors from nearby in the woods. Two were human, but one wasn't.
She dashed passed the bushes and through the trees toward the direction of the smells, and eventually came upon the sight of two men, most likely a part of the bandit gang terrorizing Callma Village, and a Demi-human child. One of the bandits held the Demi-human hold, while the other two stood in place.
The Demi-human child was a young boy who had black slight spiky hair and dark gray eyes. He had black canine-like ears and same color canine-like tail, both of which were wolf-like, so Asuka deduced he was probably a wolf of some kind. The boy wore torn and worn-out clothing.
The two human adult males clearly had malicious intent toward the Demi-human wolf boy, and if civilians tended to mistreat Demi-human slaves, the Sword Hero didn't want to imagine what a group of bandits want do to an innocent child.
Thanks to being further away, they hadn't noticed her, and if she were to make any noise that would alert them, they would no doubt take the boy hostage, or kill him and run off.
Before leaping into action, Asuka activated Stealth Tread, a Bonus Skill she gained from the Panther Paw Sword. This skill amplified her stealth capabilities, and allowed her to sneak up on unsuspecting prey. She wasn't always the stealthiest Shinobi in her world, but thanks to 100% mastering it, this skill helped her greatly during hunts.
During her training, not only did she discover she could unlock extra skills from mastering one, she could also access a second tier in a specific skill. This wasn't always the case with all the swords she collect, just a few.
There was a second tier for Stealth Tread after the first was mastered, which she was in the process of working on. Before, she needed to have the sword the Bonus Skill originated from active to use it. Thankfully, after mastering a skill, she was allowed to use it even when the specific sword was not in use, and she was allowed to continue gaining experience for the second tier, albeit slower than before. Currently, Stealth Tread 2 was 10% complete.
Swiftly, soundlessly, and making use of the shade provided by the trees and bushes, Asuka approached the second party with the intent of limiting her presence until it was time to strike.
As she was inching closer, Asuka was able to hear what the three bandits were saying.
"So this is the rumored Demi-human wandering around these parts? It's a wonder anybody's caught this little shit yet." said the one bandit holding him down, while the wolf boy struggled to get loose. This bandit was thin and lean and he carried what looked like a crossbow.
"He survived this long on his own. I wager this mongrel's gonna fetch a fairly good price. I'd say the boss'll be impressed." grinned the second bandit. He was a tall, muscular, and intimidating man, carrying a large battleaxe on his back.
"So, they make a profit from selling Demi-humans..." Asuka growled under breath.
"We better get moving before some goodie toe shoes shows up."
"Grr…!" the desperate boy continued to struggle, knowing what fate awaited him if he didn't escape.
"Relax, who would risk their hides to save a Demi-human, let alone this one?" asked the crossbow bandit.
Deciding now was a good time to strike, Asuka launched forward. After having switched her Legendary Sword to the Panther Fang Sword, and actually activated its Bonus Skill.
"Stealth Strike!" Asuka called out, morphing into a shadow like blur and struck the crossbow bandit, sending him flying away from the Demi-human boy, and into a nearby tree.
"The hell?!" the battleaxe bandit exclaimed in shock and anger at his comrade being attacked. Taking holding of his battleaxe, he reared back and prepared to swing down with a horizontal axe strike on the Sword Hero. As the axe was swung down, Asuka quick stepped to the right, and leapt upward, using her knee to collide with the axe wielder's face, breaking his nose and knocking him out. With a graceful forward midair somersault, Asuka landed behind the downed Battleaxe, none the worse for wear.
The unharmed Demi-human boy looked up in astonishment at his savior.
"Are you alright?" asked Asuka as she knelt down to help him up. However, something unexpected happened. The boy recoiled in fear, and backed away from her as quickly as he possibly could.
"Eh? What's wrong?" the confused Asuka asked. The boy didn't give an answer, as he backed himself up against a tree.
"Is he afraid of me?" the Sword Hero wondered.
No, it wouldn't be just Asuka, would it? He was fearful of all humans, and given how the people of this country treated Demi-humans, it wasn't surprising. But, no Demi-human she came across acted in such a fearful manner. Most of them were resigned, albeit resentful of their position. There was a good chance he wasn't a slave given that he seemed to be roaming free as the those bandits said, but still faced heavy discrimination and abuse from the people here. And of course, there was this latest incident with these bandits.
"It's okay now…" she spoke softly, "I won't let anybody hurt you. You're safe."
The boy didn't reply. He assumed she would abandon him the first chance she got, just like everyone else who seemed nice to him. But then, why would she risk her life to save him? She was clearly human, while he was a Demi-human, and humans in this country treated Demi-humans horribly, as he learned in the years he had been here. It didn't make sense to him.
"My name's Asuka. What's your name?" Asuka asked patiently.
"… C-Conan…" he couldn't explain it, but Wallan felt she was telling the truth.
"Conan-kun, huh? Well, it's nice to meet you." Asuka smiled.
She turned to the two unconscious bandits. Before they had a chance to recover, she switched to the Rope Sword and used that sword's special skill to tie the two bandits together and leave them bound to a tree.
"There we go. Now the royal guard won't have too much trouble arresting these guys." Asuka muttered to herself.
"The royal guard…?"
"Yeah, and I don't think you wanna be caught by them, or the friends of these two. Can you hide yourself and stay close by?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Great. I'll back soon. I'll take care of the rest of these bandits, and we'll talk a little more, okay?" Asuka gave a reassuring smile.
"O-Okay…" Conan nodded.
Immediately after, Asuka dashed to the direction of the bandit hideout.
In a matter of minutes, she came upon a wooden outpost campsite near the mountain, in accordance with Roman's information. She found the bandits hideout. They seemed to be celebrating their recent raid on Callma Village, drinking and dancing like there was tomorrow. There were about fifteen or so of them, all being male. There was even a woman beside the boss.
She was quite pretty, with long curly blonde hair, and blue eyes. She wore adventuring gear, such as a short blue dress, silver chest plate, armored wrist guard, and knee-high boots. She may have been the same age as a certain red haired princess, given her stature and physique.
She looked terrified to be in the presence of these men. Clearly she was there against her will, as evident by her arms being tied up by rope, and she was gagged by a cloth.
This lit a fire in Asuka, knowing what these rogues have been doing to innocent people, especially that blonde woman. It motivated her even more to take these bastards down.
Using Stealth Tread, Asuka made her near the enemy camp, quietly approaching the outpost's main gate. There were two guards stationed at the gate, keeping watch. They haven't detected her yet.
"Man, wish I could party in there right now. Heard they got some good wine from that village."
"Yeah, me too. Bet it tastes good. Maybe next time, we'll join in and grab some loot. Then they'll let us drink, and have some fun with that woman who was sold to us!"
"I had the same idea!"
The guards laugh together for a bit until they were hit by an Air Strike Bash, an Equip Bonus Skill she got from the Rope Sword, and sent flying into a camp, unconscious from the sudden surprise attack. This caused the rest of the bandits to stop what they were doing and gaze in
"What the hell?!"
"What happened?! Weren't they two supposed to guard the entrance?!"
"Coulda sworn I saw a blue light just now."
"Quite bellyaching and find out what that was!" the boss bandit yelled at his men. He kept the woman fastened beneath his armpit, ensure she wouldn't escape.
"Hey, over there!" one bandit called out, pointing to the main gate and seeing a lone figure striding on from the shadows and into their turf.
She was small, wore blue, and had admirable pair of jugs. She only a sword in her hand, and because of that, she was most likely insane for thinking she could take on a group of bandits by herself.
There was one thing these overconfident bandits didn't realize; how Asuka, the Sword Hero, was about to give them a world of hurt.
"I don't know who you think you are little girl, but you stepped into the wrong place!" grinned the boss, leering lustfully at the girl. "Boys, get her, but be sure not to damage the merchandise!"
The bandits immediately comply with their orders, charging forward with their weapons drawn.
With one breath, Asuka dashed forward, unfazed by the intimidating numbers. With quick movement, Asuka released a Horizontal Slash at the bandits in the front row, taking them all out. The next few were soundly defeated by tactical strikes from either her sword in none vital areas, or physical attacks such as punches, kicks, or shoves, with counterattacks being the main defense strategy. None of these bandits seem all that strong or coordinated, so countering their attacks was easy. It sort of reminded her of the fights she had with those street gangs back in her world.
And just like in those fights, she held back so as to not kill them. Leaving them injured was fine, but there wasn't a need to kill them, since Vento said she was free to handle it herself.
It wouldn't take long until she had all fifteen of the bandit grunts floored and unconscious.
The bandit boss was flabbergasted that all his men were taken out by a little brat like this.
The blonde woman was in awe of the girl who appeared from shadow and her display of strength, defeating a group of thugs all by herself.
Asuka turned her attention to the bandit boss, ready to engage him next.
He stood up, with his sword drawn, "Girl, I don't know how you beat my boys, but you'd better think twice before you go toe to toe with me!" the boss declared, trying to be intimidating.
To this, Asuka grinned, not afraid in the slightest.
"I warned you!" the boss lunged forward, swinging his sword down toward the Sword Hero. While he was admittedly good with a sword, he wasn't a match for an extensively trained Shinobi. She blocked, parried, and dodged every attack with little to no effort on her part.
However, bits of her last fight with Homura flashed in her mind. This often happened when she was in battle, but she never allowed it to get to her. It didn't affect her combat ability too much, but it was still a hindrance she didn't need.
In desperation, the boss tried one last heavy strike on the Sword Hero. It wouldn't take long for her to leap over the taller man's head to avoid that strike. Landing a distance between man and the blonde hostage, Asuka decided to end this fight.
"Magic Steel Sword!" she called. The Legendary Sword shifted to the Magic Steel Sword, to the shock of the boss and the hostage. The latter of the two seemed to recognize the shape shifting ability of the Legendary Sword. Charging up energy, Asuka released a slash wave with "Magic Slash!"
BLAM!
The wave hit the stunned boss and blew him away in an explosion of magic energy. He lost consciousness upon hitting the floor, with his sword landing on the ground next to him.
With the fight over, Asuka rushed over to the blonde woman.
"Are you alright?" Asuka asked, undoing the gag in the woman's mouth.
With a big gasp, the woman spoke "Y-Yes! Thank you so much!"
"It's no problem." Asuka said with a smile.
"A-Are you by chance the Sword Hero?" the woman asked, "Your sword was a lot like Motoyasu-sama's spear."
"Yeah, that's right. I'm Asuka, by the way." Asuka replied, a little bit surprised to hear her mention Motoyasu.
"Oh thank the gods!" the woman cried, "I can't thank you enough for saving me!"
"I-It's seriously no big deal!" Asuka stammered, "Anyway, who are you, and how did you wind up like this?"
"I… I…" tears began streaming down the woman's face, "M-My name is Rino. I'm small time adventurer… I recently joined a party, but… they sold me to these bandits as a slave!"
Asuka was blindsided to hear this. A party of adventurers selling their own comrade? How was this allowed to happen? And why? Rino seemed like a nice person. Who would do something so cruel? One person came to mind as an answer to that question, but just to be sure…
"Rino-san… this party you mentioned… was it Motoyasu-kun's party?" Asuka asked grimly, "You mentioned him just now, since you seem to know how my weapon worked similarly to his spear."
"T-That's right… I was in the Spear's Hero party for a short time. I was initially excited to join a Cardinal Hero's party, especially since he asked me directly to join him. Not to mention, he was very handsome. But, I was so surprised to learn that the rumors about his party being cheerleaders for him were true and I was so confused I couldn't help questioning why the party was like that…"
"And, who was the one who sold you off? There's no way it was Motoyasu-kun." Asuka deduced. For all his arrogance and delusion, Motoyasu seemed to care about women a lot. He wouldn't condone hurting a woman if he could help it. It didn't stop him from not listening to reason, though. He was just that stupid.
"I-It was Myne-san…!" Rino answered, with a mixture of sorrow and anger in her voice, "She tricked me into going with these people, just for a few coins!"
"That's what I thought." Asuka grimaced, "I'm so sorry you had to go through this."
Rino continued to sob to herself in misery. Asuka felt great empathy for her. Something was indeed seriously wrong with this country if they let the First Princess get away with things like this. First there those innocent men who were executed over nothing, then Naofumi, and now Rino.
And of course, there was Motoyasu, who no doubt allowed this to happen without him even realizing it. How was he this stupid? He went on and on about how wrong Naofumi was for attempting to rape 'Myne', but he had no clue one of his own party members was sold off to a bunch of bandits, which would have led to an awful fate had Asuka not saved her. That was cruel irony at its finest.
Deciding it was best let the blonde have some time to herself, Asuka rounded up the unconscious bandits with her rope. Afterward, she sat with and comforted Rino, who continued to sob in misery.
A couple minutes later, Asuka heard heavy footsteps in the distance. Those were likely the royal guard, arriving fashionably late, and just in time to arrest the tied up bandits.
One of the knights, one distinguished by his stylized helmet and dark red cape, possibly a commanding officer, like a Captain, approached Asuka, while his men begin making the arrests.
"We were told by Lord Vento that the Sword Hero may need assistance in dealing with a mess of bandits near his village. However, it would appear you've sorted out these pests on your own. Commendable, for a Fake Hero, I suppose." said the smug and mustachioed Captain.
"Thanks for at least bothering to show up." said Asuka, snidely. Clearly, this man wasn't taking his job as seriously as he should.
The commander clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearly not wanting to bother with this Fake Hero brat.
"Captain!" called a knight. He had a distinctive scar across the bridge of his nose, and a navy blue cap, indicating a rank second to the captain. Unlike his commanding officer, he seem to be taking his job more seriously, given the more stoic expression in comparison to his arrogant Captain.
"What is it?" asked the Captain irritably.
"We finished the arrests of the bandits and gathered the stolen goods. We're ready to transport those goods back to Lord Vento, but we found this Demi-human hiding nearby where we found those other two bandits unconscious." the Vice-Captain said, pulling Conan up by the arm, who was struggling to get loose.
"Conan-kun?!' Asuka gasped.
"You know him, Sword Hero?" asked the Vice-Captain.
"I saved him from those two bandits a little while ago. I told him to hide until things were settled." Asuka answered.
"He certainly hid himself well before we eventually caught him. I'd say he's got good survival skills if he was able to roam free for this long." said Vice-Captain. Conan still struggled to get free. He developed his survival skills for about two years ever since he got to this country, and it was because of these humans who had to live on his own in the wilderness.
"If you're wondering what to do with him, I don't give a damn. Throw him in with the rest of those bandit trash for all I care." ordered the Captain.
Conan quickly felt fear for his life and freedom.
"Don't!" Asuka shouted.
"What?"
"He's with me, so don't arrest him. He's done nothing wrong." Asuka said, to the surprise of Conan.
"With you? Hah! It would only make sense for a Fake Sword Hero to save and even stand up for a filthy Demi-human brat! What a joke!" the Captain arrogantly laughed, to Asuka's irritation.
"I don't think that's funny." said Asuka, "And I really don't care for this prejudice attitude you got. You're very lucky I decided to take this job, which essentially means cleaning up a mess you didn't even bother to clean yourself because you're a lazy idiot."
"Y-You dare to insult me?!"
"Excuse me Captain, but I believe the Sword Hero is correct." said the Vice-Captain, "In addition to this boy, she also rescued the woman who was about to become a slave, so the Sword Hero's compassion isn't limited to Demi-humans. If it wasn't for the Sword Hero, they both would have ended up with Slave Crests at some point or another, and the people these bandits stole from were also released from oppression. All because we, the royal knights, wouldn't lift to help any of them. You can't deny that."
"Quiet, soldier! You're in no position to backtalk me!" the Captain barked. The Vice-Captain didn't flinch and silently complied.
Asuka was surprised to see the Vice-Captain stand up for her. She greatly appreciated the input he gave, since he legitimately seemed to be more serious about his job.
Meanwhile, the Captain scowled at Asuka, the insults she had given him, and for making his Vice-Captain reprimand him.
"Hmph! If the Fake Hero want to keep this little mutt as a pet, be my guest! I need to file a report, anyway." the Captain turned to his Vice-Captain, "Release him!"
The Vice-Captain did as ordered, letting Conan go without complaint, gently even. It would seem he didn't hold Demi-humans in high contempt with everyone else.
"Lord Vento is waiting in his manner. I suggest you don't keep him waiting, Sword Hero." the Vice-Captain said with a flat tone, while Conan scurried over to Asuka.
The knights eventually cleared out, promising to have jail the bandits and return the stolen goods to Vento's manor once every stolen valuables had been accounted for.
"We should go too." said Asuka, "Are you both alright?"
"Yeah, I am! I owe you so much for this, Sword Hero!" Rino said with a cheerful smile.
Conan simply nodded.
"Great! Let's go to Callma Village and meet with Vento-san at his manor." Asuka said.
"Good call, because I really need a nice warm bed right now." sighed Rino.
Conan stared off to the side, expecting these humans to ditch as quickly as possible, but to his surprise, Asuka approached him.
"Conan-kun, you too."
"Eh?"
"I'm not gonna let you stay out here in the wilderness. I'll take care of you." Asuka smiled.
Conan wasn't sure what to say. This human girl with a sword was so different from the humans he had encountered through the entirety of his life in Melromarc.
Though with great reluctance, Conan followed Asuka and Rino, who didn't complain about a Demi-human accompanying them back to Callma Village.
[-Callma Village: Vento's Manor-]
The trek through the village was an odd change for Asuka. The majority of the people she had met and interacted with in Castle-Town, Melromarc's capital city, were prickly in a manner of speaking. The people of Callma Village were a little more pleasant, and they didn't seem to have much issue with Conan accompanying the Sword Hero to Vento's home.
Some of the villagers went out of their way to great her and be cordial. It was like they didn't know of the rumors spread far into Castle-Town. Some had even thanked her for getting rid of the bandits terrorizing them.
Asuka felt a sense of accomplishment and appreciation for being recognized for her action. She mainly did it for the money, but this brought a familiar feeling of doing good for its own sake. And, it felt pretty good, all things considered. Of course, she was careful not to let this prize go to her head. Her grandfather taught the importance of humility in one's talent and deeds to her, after all.
Now waiting in a private room in of Vento's manor, Asuka felt anxious, being in such a lavish space such as this. The same could be said Rino. Conan was taken in by the maids, who had decided he needed bathing before he could speak with their master. Asuka was hesitant to let him go, but they reassured her that they meant no ill will toward the young Demi-human, so Asuka allowed it.
Sometime later, Conan joined the two women, now cleaned up, and donning a new set of clothes. He wore a white dress shirt, and black trousers, along with brown shoes.
"I guess you weren't worried for nothing, Sword Hero-sama." smiled Rino.
"I suppose not. He looks a lot better than before." said Asuka. She had been fretting about what could potentially happen to Conan unattended, like if the maids had decided to sell him away or something nefarious like that. She was glad to see that wasn't the case.
Conan didn't speak, but his anxious expression pretty much spelled how he felt about this situation he was in. Confusion, embarrassment, and suspicion swirled around in the wolf boy's head. Asuka could see that much. She sat up from her seat and walked over to him. She gently patted him on the head, resulting in a minor flinch.
"It's okay. I don't think anyone here is going to hurt you." the Sword Hero said with a reassuring smile. He didn't answer her, only shying away.
The three sat on a coach located at the center of the room, where there was also an arm chair, coffee table, fire place, and various book shelves.
"I apologize for the wait." said Vento as he entered the room. He sat in the arm chair, while one of his maids set tea down on the coffee table. "First off, Sword Hero, I want to commend you on a job well done on taking care of those bandits and retrieving my stolen goods. Very outstanding!" Vento said after sipping a cup of tea.
"The knights did the retrieving part. I just handled the bandits. That was my job." Asuka replied.
"Yes, and there are the people you saved as well." said Vento, "I'd say you've more than earned praise as a Hero. You saved not just a village, but two victims of cruel circumstances."
Asuka wasn't sure what to say. Rino beamed a smile at her, while Conan remained silent, but seemed to be showing a level of gratitude. It was all very embarrassing for the Sword Hero.
"Now, as much as I'd like to keep singing you praise, I believe it's time to give you your due reward." Vento took out a large bag of money placed it in front of Asuka. She quietly took the bag, unraveled the top, and found a large sum of gold coins inside.
"100 Gold." Vento smiled.
"W-Wait! This much for taking down a group of bandits?" Asuka exclaimed in shock.
"I think it's fair." said Vento.
"But, this is way too much! I did need money, but I couldn't possibly take this!"
"I think you should." said Rino, "It'll certainly help with your adventurers and preparations for the next Wave of Catastrophe."
"R-Really?"
"Naturally. And there's that rare item I promised as well. It was among the stolen loot, and thankfully, it wasn't damaged, or even used yet." Vento urged his butlers to bring the rare item, which was stored in a fairly long chest. After a short wait, the butlers brought in the chest and set it down on the table, allowing their employer to open it and present the rare item.
It was a black colored sword.
"This is an Iron Sand Sword. It was forged from a rare substance known as iron sand. This is one of the few of its kind, and it is of good quality. More so compared to most other swords." Vento explained, "Like I said, you can have it if you want."
"Iron sand…" Asuka muttered. If she remembered correctly, according to Hanzo, iron sand could be used by Japanese blacksmiths to forge strong weapons from a type of steel called Tamahagane, which was made from iron sand. This way back in the Feudal Era of Japan, where blacksmiths discovered that iron sand, and by extension Tamahagane, could produce stronger, high quality steel. Nowadays, weapons like these were rare or entirely known existent save for perhaps a view shown in museums. How this kind of sword came to be in this world was a mystery, but it could be useful. She certainly wasn't going let this chance go waste.
"You're sure I can have this?" asked Asuka, "Not that I don't appreciate it, why did you prepare this sword for me? The money should have been enough reward, but why the rare sword too?"
"I'm afraid that's a secret. However, I can say that I'm doing this as a sort of favor to someone."
"A favor? So, I guess whoever it is, you can't say either?"
"Correct and I am sorry for being so secretive. So, do you accept it or not?" asked Vento.
Asuka thought long and hard on this. Vento must have some reason to go out of his way to give away a rare sword like this, thus the secrets he was keeping intrigued her. She didn't exactly trust him at first, but he had at least been forthright with her about the bandits and their whereabouts, and he seemed sincere when he said he and the villagers were thankful to Asuka for what she had done. So, now it only made sense that she accept this gift. though not in the way Vento might be thinking.
"Thank you, but here's the thing. I don't really need to physically carry that." said Asuka, to the confusion of everyone in the room.
"Hm? What do you mean?" asked Vento.
"I guess I'll have to show you, because explaining would it be difficult, since I don't really understand it myself." Asuka walked over to Iron Sand Sword, and bent over to pick up the sword, thus allowing the Weapon Copy System to do its thing.
|Iron Sand Sword Copy Complete!|
|ATK: 29+|
|Equip Bonus Skills Unlocked: Black Sand Sword, Steel Attacks Resistance 1|
"Weapon Copy complete." Asuka said flatly.
"W-What did you just do?"
"Iron Sand Sword." Asuka called, holding out her Legendary Sword, which switched to the newly copied Iron Sand Sword form. This shocked everyone who witness.
"My word!" Vento exclaimed.
"What did you just do?" asked Rino.
"I can copy weapons that are the same type as my Legendary Sword and gain new abilities." Asuka answered.
"Huh… I heard the Heroes could do things like that. I guess this confirms it." said Vento, "It certainly softens the blow of the knowledge that my gift is useless to you now."
"I'll pay for copying the sword if you want."
"I'll let it slide this once. The only thing that's of minor annoyance to me is thinking of something new to give you as thanks."
"The money and the new sword skills are plenty, thank you." Asuka bowed to Vento.
"Very well. I won't pursue the issue." Vento said, "But, Callma Village and I are in your debt for helping us, so if there's anything you need from our meager village, don't hesitate to ask."
Asuka couldn't help feeling more humble from all of this. But, since he was being generous right now, it might be appropriate to try asking for something. "Actually, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Well, before I dealt with those bandits, I hound a nice clearing on the side of the path. I thought it would be cool to have a house built there…"
"You want a house?" asked Vento, a little surprised, "You do realize that I own most of the land here, right? You're basically asking for a pot of land in my property."
"Yeah, that's what I figured." Asuka muttered, a little dejected.
"Now hold on, I didn't say I wouldn't do it. Between hiring an architect and finding materials, and depending on what kind of house you want, it'll take time and money. Are you sure that's all you want?"
"If you're willing to put up with my selfishness, then yes." Asuka answered, "And I don't want anything fancy, just something like a small cabin I can come back to after a long day. And if I need to pay for any expenses, I'm more than willing to do that."
"Alright, I think I can arrange something." nodded Vento, "Speaking of housing, you and your friends are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. There's plenty of room, food and clothes, so make yourself at home until your actual home is ready."
"Okay, that's way too generous. I don't want to impose on you more than I already have."
"It's no trouble at all. Besides, it'll take about twelve to fourteen weeks to build a cabin, even if we do it quickly." said Vento, "And I doubt you want to ask the King for anything, given your current relationship with him."
"Ugh… you're right. I don't want to ask anything and owe him later… and honestly, I am tired of renting rooms at the inn…" Asuka sighed, "I'm in your care."
"Splendid!" Vento smiled, "Rino-san, I'm certain you've had a harrowing experience, so you may as well as take up my offer. I'll have my medical staff see to your well being too, just in case."
"Yes! Thank you so much, Lord Vento!" Rino cheered, "I haven't had good food and a warm bath ever since I was sold to those bastards!"
Asuka had almost forgotten about that. She decided she was going to have a chat with Motoyasu about this later. Right now, the Sword Hero couldn't agree more with a stay for one night at Vento's manor.
Vento turned to Conan, who remained silent the entire exchange. "Conan, correct? You're welcome to stay if you like. You don't seem very trusting of humans, so this is your choice. You can stay, or you go back out into the wild, where the chances of meeting humans like us is slim to none." the gentleman said.
Conan still kept silent. He wasn't sure what to make of this. He was still anxious, and had not adjusted well to his new surroundings. His only reassurance was the Sword Hero next to him, who was the first person in a long time to show any form of kindness. He had been on his own for so long and chased away by so many people, he had nearly forgotten what being treated decently was like. He didn't seem intent on leaving now that he was somewhere not out there.
Asuka herself was rather taken aback by Vento's offer to let the boy decide to stay in the manor or go. It looked like the older gentleman didn't have the same hatred of Demi-human most of Melromarc seemed to comprise of. His servant also don't seem to extrude that mentality, assuming they kept it hidden. Just knowing that Vento didn't seem to hold Demi-humans in contempt made it easier for Asuka to think that he could be trustworthy for now.
"Very well." nodded Vento, "In any event, I have a feast ready, to celebrate today's occasion. There's plenty, to gorge to your heart's content." Vento said.
He brought them to the dining hall of his home, where a large feast was indeed waiting for them. It didn't take long for Asuka, Rino, and Conan to dig in. While Asuka and Rino were savoring every bit they could, Conan seemed to all too eager to horde as much as he could grab to himself and ate like there was no tomorrow. It was likely an effect of not having the best of foods out in the wild. Some of the servants tried to scold him for making so much noise, but Vento told them to leave him, as was likely stressed out over everything that had happened today.
Asuka knew it was more than that, but she also knew that it would take time for the boy to talk to them. She just hoped it wouldn't be too long.
Lyall the Werewolf: Okay, not as action packed as I would have liked, hopefully that will do. Besides, the promised duel is drawing near.
I actually wanted to get this out before Christmas, but stuff happened, like Christmas shopping and all that, but I had do that online to avoid getting catching COVID-19. Between that and writing this fic, as well as other things, I was way late for an upload. At least I got it in on New Years.
A lot of you have mentioned the character of Rino, who briefly appeared in a side story to the light novel. From what I read of the side story, Rino no idea what she was getting into when she joined Motoyasu's party, who were basically cheerleaders while he did the fighting. Because Rino didn't agree with how things worked in the Spear Hero's party, Malty and the rest decided to sell her off as a slave, all of which takes place after the race with Naofumi and Motoyasu and before Motoyasu's demon seed screw up. I decided to introduce Rino earlier than that and have her be rescued thereafter. This also includes the OC one TapHero offered up in the reviews, but under a different name. I like this OC, but felt I should give him a new that would fit his character, if you don't mind (assuming you're still reading this after all this time). The personality, history, and abilities will be the same rest assured.
Anyway, it only seem to make sense to me to do it like this and now Asuka has two companions.
By the way, regarding Malty's character in this story, it'll be based on the light novels, as she is a normal human and not connected to an evil goddess, thus all of her evil actions are on her.
That's all for now. Stay safe, and Happy New Year!
