Asuka: Sword Hero's Dance Chapter 11: Bonding Experience Part 1
Lyall the Werewolf: Now then, chapter 11 is here. I was having a little trouble with this one. I wanted to get this out before the end of February, but that didn't happen, so here we are. Enjoy!
(I don't own Senran Kagura or Shield Hero)
It had been only a few hours since the Spear Hero left with his party on another quest, and yet Evelyn still felt tired after dealing with him. That quest was particularly long and it should keep him and his party away for a few days before he came to pester her again for Asuka's whereabouts. She could already feel the headaches coming.
"Huh…" she sighed deeply.
"I know, right?!" exclaimed one of her co-workers at the reception desk. She had violet hair tied in a ponytail, wore a green beret, and went by the name Rika. "So much is happening and it's partially the Spear Hero's fault. He was a tolerable creep before, but after that sacred duel… I'd say tolerability hit an all time low for him."
"Yes, and though I am aware I shouldn't speak too loudly, King Aultcray and Princess Malty are squarely to blame for all of this madness." said Evelyn.
"For real. I have serious doubts anyone is going to survive the next Wave if they keep on like this." said Rika, "The Spear and Bow Heroes get all the financial aid from the royal family and get to do as they please, especially the royal favorite Spear Hero, while the Shield Hero is walking around with an attempted rape charge hanging over his head, and our favorite Sword Hero gets a stupid restriction placed on her, and immediately following that, they try to enslave her after interfering in the duel, on top of Princess Malty molesting her just for kicks. Just how badly do the King and First Princess want the Heroes to screw up?"
"It's quite obvious they didn't put any forethought to their decisions. The Shield Hero being accused of reportedly heinous crimes is one thing, but Asuka-san's restriction will make it difficult for her to level up and gain strength. Not to mention that traumatic experience." Evelyn cast her gaze down in anguish over Asuka's situation.
"You know, I remember when the she first came here. Asuka-chan was all sullen and gloomy after that trial with the Shield Hero, and she really looked like she didn't want to be here." said a sad Rika.
"Likely because at the time, she had assumed us all to be as bad as the King and First Princess for the trial. No one in the guild seem to think highly of her either, because she tried to defend the Shield Hero and the Demi-humans. It's utterly ridiculous how they seem to forget how important to the world the Four Cardinal Heroes are." said Evelyn. She remembered the first impression of Asuka she had, and sadly, it wasn't an overly good first impression. The Sword Hero was generally polite and straight to the point, but she gave an air of distrust to just about everyone, which made Evelyn feel uneasy around her, and unsure how to approach her.
As the two weeks passed by, the air became less hostile, and she began opening up to the receptionists, and had even earned praise from seasoned adventurers for her enthusiasm and skill.
"But thanks to her earnest personality and hard work, most of the adventurers here developed some respect for her." Evelyn smiled, "I wish there was a way to help her, somehow…"
Evelyn decided that dwelling on this issue would do no good for now. She just had to hope Asuka would recover and bounce back soon.
Perhaps it was time for a short vacation to get her mind of things. Maybe visiting home would clear up her mind.
[-Later: Vento's Mansion-]
"He did what?!" Rino shouted from Asuka's room, after hearing what happened in the throne room.
"Y-Yeah…" answered a meek Asuka. She relayed the story of what had happened earlier after Asuka was escorted to the throne room by that young knight. And then there was her argument with Trash, and how it ended. Naturally, Rino didn't take this news well.
"I can't believe that bastard!" growled Rino, "How much worse does he want to make himself look?"
"I doubt he's stupid enough to try anything now that he knows I mean business." Asuka smirked, feeling confident in herself that she managed to scare Aultcray, or rather Trash, into submission. At the same time, she was mentally kicking herself for what happened back there.
As great as it was seeing him look terrified for a bit, she could not believe she gave into her anger again. As if being depressed wasn't bad enough, she apparently had this sadistic streak in her that she didn't even know existed. Thankfully, it only seemed to come out when she was feeling extremely angry. She didn't want to feel angry like that again if she could help it, but King Trash had a special knack for bringing out such negative emotions.
It would have created fewer problems to remain civil and be reasonable with him, but he just had to threaten people close to her. Letting Trash have the satisfaction of saving face from what he and his daughter attempt to do after that was the last thing Asuka wanted as of now.
"Now that you mention it, I wish I could see the look on the King's face when you gave him that warning. It must have been something to behold! Haha!" Rino laughed.
"I-I just hope it doesn't happen again… that side of me popping out…" Asuka mumbled. The surge of bloodlust she felt… she never felt anything like that before, and it still made her uncomfortable to think that she could feel such a desire to kill someone. Everything Trash and his daughter did to her… that was likely where these feelings spurned from.
"Yeah… I guess going super sadist like that would be freaky to watch." Rino said meekly.
Just as awkward silence began to set in, knocking was heard on the door.
"Come in." she called out. To her surprise, Vento walked in, who seemed to have a bit of a stern face, "Vento-san?"
"Pardon my intrusion. I couldn't help overhearing about that private audience you had with King Aultcray."
Asuka's eyes narrowed, after hearing Trash's actual name.
"I see. So, this chat didn't end well?" Vento asked.
Asuka sighed, and decided to be upfront with Vento about what transpired in the throne room as well. After a few minutes, Vento frowned and let out a deep sigh of his own.
"Respect my business sense, does he? I'm not holding my breath on that." Vento scowled.
"I hope nothing bad comes of this." Asuka said, hanging her head in shame.
"I too think he'll at least be smart enough to stay away for a while. Of course, threatening him the way you did may complicate things later." said Vento, "That being said, I am thankful you came to my defense when he made that threat on me and Conan-kun."
"I wasn't about to let him do anything to you or Conan-kun. And if he and his daughter try to hurt you, Conan-kun, Rino-chan, or anyone else I might know and care about, I will make them answer for it."
"Asuka…" Rino smiled.
"Hehe! I honestly didn't think you cared about me that much despite the short time we've known each other. I'm a little surprised." Vento chuckled.
"Well, you've done a lot for me in this short period of time." Asuka nodded, "I would like to repay you for this kindness someday."
"It's no trouble at all." Vento smiled.
"That reminds me, Vento-san." Asuka said, "Why are you really doing all of this for me? I mean, you gave me a huge reward for clearing out bandits, you're willing to build me house, and you're willing to let me stay here to recuperate after… all that, and you even suggested I do mercenary work for money. Not that I don't appreciate it, but why?"
"If I were to tell you that it was just for personal satisfaction of helping a Cardinal Hero ascend to glory, as well as the prestige and high standing that came with that prospect, would you believe me?" Vento asked with a playful grin.
Asuka frowned a little. She realized he was teasing again, and he wasn't intent on telling the truth. She wasn't sure if his answer to her question was the truth, but she decided it was best not to press for more details for now. He was intent on hiding his true motivations for some reason. If it was important to act like he was being greedy, then it might be more important than she realized.
"I see. Well, I was half expecting that to be the case. But, that doesn't mean I won't take advantage of your generosity since it benefits me at the moment. And like I said, I'll repay the favor someday."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Have a good night's rest." Vento nodded and went on his way, while Asuka and Rino decided to turn in early.
As he made his exist from Asuka's room, he spotted Conan pressing himself against the wall, next to the door.
"I see you were listening in too." Vento said with slight teasing grin, to the embarrassment of Conan. "If you still had doubts regarding the Sword Hero's kindness, I'd say you can ascertain how genuine it is from what she said and did back there. She truly cares about you."
Conan didn't say a word as Vento walked past him. The boy seemed lost in thought, processing what he had just learned.
Now in his study, he was looking over some letters before going to bed.
"Hm?"
Vento found a letter with a familiar seal. After opening the envelop, he read through this particular letter, and to his pleasant surprise, it appear to be of great interest.
[-The Next Morning-]
After breakfast, Asuka decided it was time to talk about the house arrangements with Vento. Now she, Rino and the gentleman were discussing it in his study.
She requested a simple one story cottage, preferably made from wood, and had enough room for at least two to three people to live in. Every house, no matter how small, should have a bedroom, kitchen, storage room, and bathroom as essentials for living conditions.
Vento suggested some stone be applied to the overall structure of the cottage, to help with its structural integrity, which Asuka agreed to.
"That should be everything. I'll have the crew get started as soon as possible." Vento smiled.
"Thank you so much, Vento-san."
"However, I'm curious as to why you want two or three bedrooms." said Vento.
"Well, I was hoping for some roommates." Asuka looked toward Rino.
"You mean you want to live together with me? I'm totally cool with that, but our third party is…?"
"Yeah, Conan-kun. I was thinking he could live with us, since it's not safe for him to go back into the wild, or worse, he could wind up as somebody's slave. And if possible, he could join us on our adventures after I've trained him in how to defend himself."
"Ah, you're aware of how Demi-humans can adventurers then." Vento said.
Yes. That and he'd be under my protection, so he won't be a slave. Assuming he's okay with it." Asuka said, unsure of to actually ask the boy.
"Why not just ask him?" asked Rino.
"A Hero protecting a Demi-human shouldn't be a tough sell." said Vento, "Since you don't intend to keep him as a slave, you're more or less adopting him. I think he should be okay with that."
"I don't know. I mean, he doesn't really seem to like me." Asuka sighed sadly.
"I don't think he really dislikes you. From what I can tell, he simply doesn't trust us very much. Because he's a Demi-human living in Melromarc, he must have seen his fair sure of hardship, getting yelled at, betrayed, and living in off the land." Vento had seen Demi-humans being treated in such appalling ways before as he traveled in his youth. It never sat right with him.
"Conan will come around, I'm sure of it." Rino chimed, "In fact, why don't we talk to him now and see what he says."
Before they could, the door opened, revealing Conan himself, as he entered.
"Conan-kun?" Asuka uttered, taken aback by Conan's sudden appearance.
"I sent a maid to fetch him." said Vento, before turning to wolf boy, "I take it you know what's going on?"
"Yeah… and… I'm in."
"Really?"
"Yeah…" Conan nodded, "I don't want to go back to the wilderness again. It was hard. Being chased away and betrayed by humans for the past two years. It was by some sheer stroke of luck that I met you. Otherwise, I'd probably be a slave by now."
"Conan-kun…" Asuka looked at the boy with sympathy. Sadness welled up within her as he told his story.
"Beside, being with you means I won't get betrayed. Not any time soon, anyway."
Asuka, unwilling to hear any of that negativity, leapt from her seat and ran up to hug him, which to his surprise, especially when his face found its way into her breasts by accident, due to his shorter stature.
"Conan-kun, I won't ever betray you!" Asuka cried, "I'm really happy you decided to come with me!"
While wrestling to get away, Conan noticed that Asuka had tears in her eyes. He could see they were that they were tears of joy, so what she said was genuine.
"I know you have very little reason to trust humans for how they treated you, but please believe me when I say you can trust me. Trust us! We're here for you! Being a Demi-human doesn't matter to us!"
Rino and Vento nod in agreement.
Conan wasn't sure what to say. He heard last night that Asuka defended him and Vento from the King, and he wasn't sure how to process this. Despite what happened to her, and despite Conan being a Demi-human, she'd still go out of her way to even threaten the King's life. The boy couldn't believe it was real.
"It does matter… to them, because you're a Hero." the boy muttered.
"Yeah, and I'll be your Hero too. I'll be someone who'll protect you, no matter what, Conan-kun." Asuka said, hugging Conan more tenderly.
"She means it…"
Conan was nearly beside himself. The affection behind this hug was real. It felt a lot like his mother's hugs, before…
Not wanting to remember, Conan wrestled out of the hug, and away from Asuka.
"I-I get it… Just don't keep hugging me like that or… I'll suffocate…"
"Sorry. You're big a boy, huh? I guess that means you're too cool for hugs." Asuka teased, which earned an embarrassed glare from Conan. "Anyway, I really am happy you're joining us, Conan-kun. It's gonna be great."
Conan didn't reply, but he gave small nod.
"Oh, that reminds me. Vento-san, I know it hasn't been that long, but have any requests come in?" Asuka asked Vento.
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I received a few letters that held a request for you." Vento answered as he held up a few letters and handed them over to the Sword Hero.
"That was fast."
"Indeed. It surprised me myself. But, are you sure you're ready for this occupation? I have every confidence you can handle fighting monsters, but just how mentally sound are you right now?" Vento asked, "You've only had a few days to recovery from that ordeal, so maybe you need more time to rest."
"Uhh… to be honest, I'm not completely a hundred percent yet, but as long as I'm able to function like this, I should be good to go." Asuka answered.
"I see." Vento smiled a bit, "And what about Rino-san and Conan-kun?"
"Oh yeah. Rino-chan, you were sold off by Myne-san, right?" Asuka asked Rino, "I'm sorry, it seems I completely forget you had your own issues. You were helping me out, but you haven't had time to deal with your own trauma."
"Compared to what you experienced, I think me being sold off might be small potatoes." answered Rino, "After what those bastards did, I swore I'd protect you as best I can. I won't let anything like that happen to you again."
"Rino-chan…" Asuka smiled, with a faint blush. She truly found a great friend in Rino.
"Besides, slapping Moronyasu and telling off that skank of a Princess actually did me wonders." Rino joked.
"M-Moronyasu?! Hahaha!" Asuka laughed, finding that nickname to be so hilariously accurate.
"Well, at least they're in high spirits." said Vento as he turned to Conan, "And what about you, Conan-kun? Are you up for helping the Sword Hero fight?"
"Me, fight? I can fight… but, I don't know what I can contribute to actual battles…"
"That's no problem at all!" Asuka declared, "I can train you to fight, and we'll work together during battle. That's why we're party now."
"Yeah, we got each other's back!" said Rino.
"Now, just to be sure, are you sure you want to come with us, Conan-kun? I am still happy you want to, but if we're going to be together on this, we're going to need you to be at your best. That means, you'll have to endure some combat training, and then the real deal, especially with the Second Wave on its way in two weeks. I'm giving you fair warning that this will be very tough. I want to know if you're really up for this."
Conan paused for a few moments before nodding firmly.
"Alright!" Asuka smiled. She had now accepted her first job as a mercenary and her party officially.
A new prompt appeared in Asuka's UI appeared.
|Party Invites Accepted:|
Rino has joined your party!
Conan has joined your party!
Immediately following this, their stats appeared in her HUD.
|Companions|
|Party Member: Rino|
|Level: 17|
|Class: Swordsman|
|Stats|
|MAX HP: 2600/2600|
|MAX MP: 20/20|
|ATK: 105|
|MAG: 14|
|DEF: 90|
|MDEF: 29|
|AGI: 44|
|Party Member: Conan|
|Level: 4|
|Class: ?|
|Max HP: 130|
|Max MP: 100|
|ATK: 10|
|MAG: 18|
|DEF: 9|
|MDEF: 9|
|AGI: 12|
Naturally, it was time to prepare next, and the first thing that came to mind was equipment. Asuka needed to check into Erhard's shop to pick up her armor anyway. They may as well buy new armor and weapons as well.
With their destination goal and set, it was time to leave Vento Mansion once more.
Asuka and her new party wore at the front door, receiving some supplies, like camping and cooking gear, as well as the job requests for the Sword Hero. He also gave her mercenary's pass so she could avoid paying travel tolls.
"Be careful out there. Your new life as a mercenary won't be easy, as anything can happen out there." said Vento, "Finding mercenary work isn't terribly difficult most of the time, but I would advice picking your future jobs wisely. Just as there are good customers willing to pay good prices for your services, there may be a few unsavory customers looking to take advantage of your good nature as well."
"We will. Thanks for the camping gear, and the pass. Since we're going to be on the road taking on jobs and training, we probably won't be back here for a while."
"It's been a pleasure having you. While you're gone, I'll have the construction workers get started on that house immediately, Sword Hero."
"Hey, just call me Asuka from now on, okay?" Asuka smiled.
"You trust me enough to allow me to call you by name and not your title?"
"At this point, I think we're passed being strangers. I mean, you've done so much in the short amount of time we've known each other. You've honestly been a better help to me than the King."
"Very well, Asuka. I'm glad you feel so comfortable around me." Vento smiled.
"Thanks for everything, Vento-san!" Asuka said.
"You may as well call me, Richter, since you're on a first name basis." said Richter.
"Alright then, Richter-san. Goodbye for now!" Asuka bowed to her benefactor, before she and her party set off for the capital.
[-Later: Erhard's Shop-]
The Sword Hero's Party made their way to Erhard's shop, the owner of which was happy to greet them. He immediately announced that he had just finished the repairs on Asuka's War Maiden Armor.
"There you go! Good as new!" Erhard smiled proudly.
"Ahh! It looks just like it did before!" Asuka cheered as she held it up.
"Yeah, but I wish I could fit with an auto-repair function." said the blacksmith.
"Auto-repair function?" Asuka asked.
"It's a function that lets clothes repair themselves automatically from any damage taken." Rino explained, "Most high ranking adventurers have them, I think."
"That's so cool! That would definitely be helpful!" Asuka said.
"Yeah. If you bring me material with that kind of function, I can upgrade your current armor with it so the auto-repairs do its own thing."
"Alright! I'll try looking." Asuka nodded.
"Great. Looking forward to that." Erhard said, "Now, what about you two? I assume you want some armor for the little guy here, right?"
"Little guy? Are you talking about me?"
"You see any other little guy here?" asked Erhard, "That reminds me, you were with that noble trader guy at the duel. The one the Sword Lass knows. What's the story behind that?"
"I rescued him and Rino-chan during my last job before the King placed that restriction on me." Asuka answered.
"I see. And because you don't like slavery, I'm gonna assume he isn't your slave." Erhard said with a knowing smile.
"Oh, absolutely not!" Asuka replied proudly, "Conan-kun a member of my party, starting today."
Conan blushed a bit while Asuka gave him a beaming smile.
"Good for you." Erhard smirked, "I guess this means you'll want weapons and armor for him."
"Yeah. Can you give us something light for him?"
"Sure thing! Let's see what we got."
"Do you mind if I look for a new sword and armor? After I was sold off, my weapon was taken from me, and my armor was banged up."
After a few minutes, Erhard gave Conan a brown leather sleeveless form fitting tunic, black trousers, and brown boots. He was given a short dagger.
"That looks really good on you, Conan-kun." Asuka smiled at him.
His only reply was enough blush.
"That'll do for now. Once he grows up a little, he'll be ready for better equipment." said Erhard, "For this stuff though, that'll be 50 coppers. As for your other friend…"
Rino had found a good steel sword to replace the one she lost. It appeared light and easy to use, something she preferred.
"10 silvers."
"Gotcha!" Asuka took out the requested amount of copper and gave it to Erhard.
"By the way, I heard you got into another fracas with the King yesterday."
"How do things like that spread so fast?" Asuka frowned, "Admittedly, I do feel better about myself after seeing him squirm… but, he was going to hurt Conan-kun and Richter-san just to get to me. I couldn't allow that."
"Makes you wonder how low he'll sink." Rino spat in revulsion.
Conan said nothing, but even he was visibly angered the King threatening his life.
"Well, I don't blame ya." Erhard shrugged, "After what he and his daughter pulled, I doubt anyone has much respect left for him now. It's gonna be a long time before anyone in the country's gonna let him live this down. I'm pretty pissed at him myself."
"So enslaving a Cardinal Hero is a big deal?"
"You don't know the half of it. Hording the Four Cardinal Heroes and hamstringing the kid is one thing, but enslaving you? That's gonna cause problems on a major scale." Erhard said with a deep frown.
"Yikes… that bad?" Asuka asked.
"Very bad. Huge war bad. Every major country gunning for Melromarc bad." Erhard answered.
Asuka was baffled by the notion that for all of his talk of protecting Melromarc's peace, Trash was absolutely terrible at his job as a monarch. Not only did he prioritize his game of pin the tail on the Shield Hero over the potential safety of his country, he'd give the entire world a reason to target said country by attempting to enslave the Sword Hero for the pettiest of reasons.
"How can someone, even royalty, be so stupid they'd nearly cause a war that would lead to his own country's destruction?"
"He wasn't always like that. I hear he made a name for himself as a strategist in wars or something. I can only assume years of peace while raising his spoiled first daughter made him liked that." Erhard surmised.
"And because of his bitterness over his family in the past, he doesn't have an ounce of good sense left." Asuka said, "Even if that's the case, it doesn't excuse any of what he or his daughter have done."
"I hear ya." Erhard sighed, "I ain't gonna ask you to put up with it for a while longer, but the Queen's gonna do something about it when she gets back from the political mission she and the Second Princess are on."
"What's that really about, anyway?" Asuka asked, "I was told that she away for political reasons, nothing else."
"You probably guessed by now, but I think relates to the Four Cardinal Heroes and how they were going to be summoned. I'm not an expert on politics, but because you were all brought here to Melromarc, things might be getting more complicated for the Queen during negotiations."
"I see…" Asuka remembered the Siltvelt envoys from before. If she was to get more information about it, it would probably be best to ask them. If not that, then Lora might be able to shade more light on the situation, since she worked for the Queen. Going to Trash for information was out of the question.
For now, it was time to put a pin in this. First, work, and then the Second Wave.
"Well, enough about that." said Erhard, "All I gotta say is good luck out there!"
"Thanks, we'll be leaving now!"
The Sword Hero's party left the weapon's shop and were going to leave Castle-Town for one of Asuka's jobs.
However, along the to the front gate leading outside of Castle-Town, some strange things happen one after the other.
Various street vendors in the market place called out to the Sword Hero and offer her free food from their stalls. And some people, mostly men, showed up to give her gifts, like fancy jewelry, and pretty flowers. Some even invited her to their home, offering their own support. Some were… leering at inappropriate angles of her body.
This came out of left field for Asuka. While admittedly, she liked the food the street venders offered, she was uncomfortable with random men giving her expensive looking gifts. These men with the gifts were nobles, who up to now were either snobbish or rude, so the last thing she wanted was for random men giving away random gifts, particularly these noblemen. To avoid a scene, she politely turned each of them down.
"This is ridiculous." Asuka muttered as she and her party walked through town.
"I'll say. I didn't know you were so popular, Asuka." said Rino.
"I wasn't up until recently. I was getting used to the scorn and whispers surrounding me, but now they're being friendly to me? Do they still pity me or something?"
"Lord Vento did say that not all people in Melromarc are narrow-minded. I'm sure some of the people here feel genuine remorse for the harsh things they said and did." said Rino.
"I can't say it'll be that easy to swallow… but, it's a start." said Asuka, a small smile of appreciation beginning to form.
"My thoughts exactly. But, be extra careful around some of those noblemen." Rino warned, "They must be trying to get into your good graces to get a higher standings politically."
"I know. Grandpa did tell me not to go with strangers." Asuka replied.
"Smart man. I'd like to meet him one day."
"No. Trust me, you don't." Asuka shook her head, knowing the headache it would cause if Rino met with her grandfather. He wasn't just a Legendary Shinobi, he was also a notorious dirty old man.
Conan remained silent, as usual. Something about how those nobles approached Asuka made him irritated for some reason. Maybe it was because they ignored him. Maybe they had plans to try to earn Asuka's trust like Vento, but seemed sleazy about it. Either way, he felt a protective urge over Asuka, similarly to how he felt compelled to tail her when she went to the lake. He still didn't understand it, but being in a party with her may make this easier to figure out.
[-Later That Evening-]
It didn't take long for the Sword Hero's party to find a comfortable spot the forest to camp out.
After setting up camp, consisting of two small tents and a cooking pot over a fire, the party decided now was a good time for dinner before bed.
Because Asuka was unable to read the job requests, she elected to cook the food given to them by Richter, while Rino was reading the job requests for the Sword Hero. Conan kept silent as he cautiously stood watch over the camp.
Asuka prided herself on being a good cook, and was more then happy to prepare dinner tonight.
"Someone's coming!" Conan called out. His ears picked up faint footsteps approaching them.
Rino was about to draw her sword, but Asuka put a hand up to motion her to keep still.
Using Enhanced Scent Detection, Asuka quickly discerned who was approaching their campsite.
"It's okay. It's Naofumi-kun and Raphtalia-chan." Asuka said with a reassuring smile.
Just as predicted, Naofumi and Raphtalia exit the bushes and come upon the Sword Hero's campsite. Raphtalia, having a keen nose, smelled something good nearby. Deciding that he could some way of persuading (with force if necessary, by way of balloon monsters) the camper with the food to share some, he approached, but he had no idea it was Asuka and her party. And thankfully, it didn't take much persuasion to convince them to share some food.
Moments later, he and his slave joined sat at the campsite with the Sword Hero's party.
All five sat around the campfire.
"Sorry for giving you more mouths to feed and wasting your food." said Naofumi. He was caressing his shoulder for some left for reason.
"It's okay. We still have a lot." Asuka assured, "Besides, it's a lot more fun eating together with friends, right?"
The Sword Hero couldn't help fondly remembering the meal times with her friends at Hanzo. Although she didn't cook for everyone on most days, it was always exciting sampling each other's work. One of the most memorable of which was Ikaruga's Dried Squid Ramen: Futomaki Addition Plus Sweets, which she blended every one of the class's favorite foods together. Despite it looking like a malformed blob, it inexplicably turned out delicious. How she managed to pull off putting everything together and making it taste so good will forever be a mystery.
"Yeah… I guess so." Naofumi said sadly, "I had a lot of money before thanks to your noble friend, but almost half of it disappeared after I copied those shields from the old guy's shop."
"Were those shields expensive?" Asuka asked.
"Yeah."
"Then it serves you right for copying the shields without asking, like I warned you beforehand! Boss even got mad at me, you know!" Asuka scolded.
"Hehe, sorry. I got so excited, I had to mindlessly get three of them." Naofumi meekly said, "But, on the positive side, I got some pretty handy shields to use, so I won't be totally helpless during the Waves."
"That definitely is a good thing. And Boss forgave us in the end, so no harm, no foul."
"No foul, huh…?" Naofumi whispered forlornly.
"What's wrong?"
"No… I was just thinking… if I were a better friend, you wouldn't have wound in that situation. Getting a humiliating defeat, getting molested in public, and almost getting turned into a slave." said Naofumi, "I closed myself off to you, thinking you'd betray me like Myne, despite how obvious it was that you cared enough about me to fight a duel to clear my name. And then, all that horrible crap happened, and I'm partially responsible for it…"
The Shield Hero grimaced at the memory of those royal bastards trying to enslave her. That was just one more crime he would never forgive them for. It was also something he couldn't forgive himself for, since he let it happen because of his anger toward this world.
Raphtalia softly clung to her master's arm in an attempt to comfort him.
"I'm honestly surprised you haven't blamed me for anything of this."
"What good would that do? None of it your fault. You helped me when you did after the duel, and I feel loads better because of it." said Asuka, "Trash and his hell-spawn daughter were entirely responsible for their actions. Besides buying a slave, you've done nothing wrong."
"Besides buying a slave?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow, while Raphtalia slumped next to him. "Also, did you just call the King, Trash?"
"He did something that really set her off." Rino said with a smirk, "I wish I was there to see him pee himself after Asuka threatened to kill him."
"Guess that makes two of us!" Naofumi chuckled.
"Please stop bringing that up." Asuka said, slightly regretful of her actions, "Like I said, the King was at fault for his actions. Hopefully, he'll think twice before he makes careless threats against the people I care about."
Naofumi could see a dark look in Asuka's eye as she said this. She must hate Trash more than he did. Not that he would blame her, since most of everything that went down after the duel was intentional on his part. And of course, there was that bitch Myne doing whatever she wanted after she interfered with the duel, and Motoyasu acting like a complete idiot.
"Well, enough about that. The soup's ready!" Asuka began pouring the finished the chicken and egg soup she prepared into multiple bowls for her friends to eat. It was sort of a makeshift chicken and egg, since not all of the usual ingredients were in this world, but nevertheless, the soup turned quite good. The Demi-human children loved it, and Rino was very impressed by Asuka's cooking skills.
"This is pretty good." Rino said.
"Thanks, Rino-chan!" Asuka smiled, "Conan-kun, Raphtalia-chan, is it good?"
"Y-Yes! Very Good!" Raphtalia answered, while her face was covered in soup due to less than graceful table manners.
Conan just gave a simple nod, finding it difficult to express his delight in its taste. Compared to the food served at that noble's house, this soup somewhat reminded him of when his mother cooked.
Meanwhile, Naofumi hadn't said a word as he was just mindlessly shoveling the soup into his mouth the spoon. He didn't seem to be enjoying it either, as he wore a flat expression.
"Naofumi-kun? Is it not to your liking?"
"It's not that… I just can't taste it."
"Can't taste it?" Asuka exclaimed, "Oh yeah, you did say something about not being able to taste the food at Richter-san."
"Ever since the trial, I haven't been able to taste a thing."
"Maybe your sense of taste was numbed because you're stuck in this hateful mindset." Asuka suggested.
"Maybe… I don't feel as bitter about everything as before after we talked, but some things haven't changed." said Naofumi.
"Trial…?" asked Raphtalia, confused by the conversation her master was having with Asuka.
"It's nothing that concerns you." Naofumi quickly stated. Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, Raphtalia stayed quiet.
Asuka understood why he would want to keep this a secret from her. He must still have some trust issues that he hasn't worked out yet. It'd probably be better to tell her at some point.
"Let's just say that bad things happened to Naofumi-kun because of bad people." said Asuka.
"Speaking of bad, are you sure you should be wandering around after that messed up business you had to go through?" asked Naofumi.
"I can't keep feeling sorry for myself. We still need to fight the Wave of Catastrophe coming up, and there's not a whole lot of time. I can take my time to recover while taking on mercenary work." said Asuka.
"I see. Just take it easy, okay?" Naofumi said.
"Yeah. Thanks for worrying." Asuka smiled at the Shield Hero.
"Speaking of which, Asuka." Rino called out as she finished the remainder of her soup, "One of your job requests came from the Lord of Lute Village."
"Lute Village?"
"Yeah, and it's close by to where we currently are, according to the map we got from Lord Vento. Looks like they're asking you to exterminate the monsters prowling around." Rino explained.
"I see. I guess that'll be my first job as a mercenary." Asuka pumped her fists in anticipation.
"So, you guys are going to Lute Village too?" Naofumi asked, "We just came from Lute."
"Really? What's it like over there?" asked Asuka.
"Relatively peaceful, all things considered. There's a lot of resources there, so I figured I could sell whatever I could find. But, I was talking with a merchant in town and he said that ever since the First Wave, monsters having hiding in the mines. We fought one of them and barely managed to kill it." Naofumi explained. Raphtalia flinched at the mention of the beast the two fought.
"You fought one of the monsters in the mine? But, that would mean…" Asuka cast her gaze to Raphtalia, who was shaking like a leaf.
"It was… a big two headed dog monster… I-It attacked us, and it was strong and scary…"
"I see…" Asuka came over and patted Raphtalia on the head. "You did your best, didn't you?"
"Y-Yes… for Naofumi-sama…" Raphtalia replied, looking more slightly confident.
"She's calling him by name now?" Asuka wondered, before she smiled at the younger girl, "That's really brave of you. I think your master is very luck you have you by his side."
To this, Naofumi blushed.
"So, as a reward for your hard work, how about seconds on the soup?"
"Y-Yes!" Raphtalia immediately replied with tail wagging eagerly.
"Hey, don't spoil her!" Naofumi scolded.
"Why not? It's okay to spoil kids some times when they do a good job. You should especially award her more!" Asuka argued.
"And who are you to tell me how to raise a kid when you don't have one yourself?"
"W-Well, I think I'd be better at it then you!"
"Sure…" Naofumi rolled his eyes.
"Hey, what's that look for?!"
Rino and Conan look on as Asuka and Naofumi continue to argue while Raphtalia tried to calm them down. There was something oddly pleasant about it.
"I really can't tell if they're acting like parents or if it's like a big brother acting like jerk to his sister just to get a rise out of her." said Rino.
Conan simply grumbled. Although, something about this reminded him of his parents.
After lively diner, it was decided that it was time to turn in.
Because the tents were small, it was decided that Rino keep one tent, while Raphtalia and Conan share the second one, and the Two Heroes kept watch over the camp. The form three went sleep soon after.
"That was great. I haven't had such lively meal time like that in ages." Asuka sighed happily with a full belly. She sat next to Naofumi while he was tending to the fire.
"Was like this in your old world?" Naofumi asked.
"Yeah. Every day was a lot of fun!" Asuka answered, "We sometimes play around when not training, or get into petty arguments, and laugh over it."
"High schoolers must really enjoy their youth nowadays." Naofumi groaned.
"Hey, you sound like a grumpy old man." Asuka pouted.
"Compared to you, I might as well be." said Naofumi, "Anyway, what were your friends like before… all that happened? You talked about them before, but you didn't go into too much detail."
Asuka was pleasantly surprised that Naofumi was taking an interest in her friends from Hanzo, and she was more than happy to share what she could.
"Okay! Where should I start…? Including myself, there were five Shinobi students in total at Hanzo Academy, our Ninja School. From the third years, there's Ikaruga-san and Katsuragi, but most of us call her Katsu-nee." Asuka began, "Ikaruga-san was our class representative, and she was really cool. She always knew how to take care of everyone. She was so pretty and dignified, I kinda wanted to be like her."
"Sounds like a an actual princess." Naofumi said.
"She was the heiress to a prestigious ninja clan, and her father owns a huge company, so I guess princess isn't too far off the mark. And naturally, she's leagues better Myne-san."
"I'll bet." Naofumi smirked, "And what Katsuragi was she like?"
"Well… Katsu-nee… let's just say she was basically a female Motoyasu-kun, but far less stupid, though it's hard to tell." Asuka said, "She was always groping my boobs just to get a reaction from me! She didn't mean anything by it, but gets annoying super fast!"
"Seriously…?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow. What kind of antics did they get up to before shit hit the fan?
"Yeah! Hers are bigger than mine, so wouldn't make more sense to grope herself?"
"Casual sexual harassment doesn't make sense in the slightest." Naofumi grumbled, "Shouldn't she have had a restraining order?"
"Ikaruga-san was usually the one to punish her when she got out of hand. Other than that, Katsu-nee was always the fun loving big sister type who looked after us." Asuka said, "On a side note, I think if Katsu-nee ever met Motoyasu-kun, she'd kick him in the privates for trying to flirt with her."
"Hehe! That reminds me! I heard you punched him in the balls the day before the duel!" Naofumi chuckled.
"Um, yeah… he said something that ticked me off, so that was the natural response I guess."
"Haha! I wish I saw the look on his face!" Naofumi laughed.
Asuka stared at the Shield Hero in amazement. She hadn't seen him laugh like this before. It must be because the thought of Motoyasu suffering from some slapstick punishment made him happy. She found it easy to relate, since she actually got some satisfaction from seeing him in pain to some extent. Despite that, she really didn't want to explore those darker feelings and impulses if she could help it.
"So, who were the other two?" Naofumi asked after his laughing fit.
"Our first years were Yagyu-chan and Hibari-chan." Asuka replied, "Yagyu-chan was a prodigy. She had skills on par with Ikaruga-san and Katsu-nee. I could barely keep up with her."
"Despite being a Legendary Shinobi's granddaughter?" Naofumi teased.
"We all have our pace!" Asuka glared in annoyance, "Anyway, opposite to her was Hibari-chan. She was really sweet and innocent. She was also pretty clumsy. She always tried her hardest, and we were always there for her, especially Yagyu-chan, who was pretty much her best friend."
"Wow! It's a short roster, but your classmates sound like they were a colorful bunch." Naofumi smiled.
"Yeah, but…"
"But, what?"
"We may have built up a bond, but I think everyone had things they wanted to hide. Like personal crosses to bear. It was generally unspoken that we keep these burdens to ourselves."
"Just like how you didn't say anything about how you died?" asked Naofumi.
"Y-Yeah… Homura-chan was like that too." replied Asuka.
"Homura… she was that Evil Shinobi you fought and tried to save, wasn't she?"
"Yeah. She was the most amazing person I've ever met. I know she was considered Evil because she went to Hebijo Academy, but I couldn't help feeling drawn to her. She was fierce, but gentle. She was also really strong, and she wanted to protect the friends she made at Hebijo. That's why we came into conflict."
Naofumi silently stared at Asuka as she wore a crestfallen expression.
"You know, you remind me of her a little bit." the Sword Hero stated, "You're both pretty brooding and stubborn."
"Huh?" Naofumi scowled.
"But, she was a good person deep down, and so are you." Asuka smiled at Naofumi.
"I think you might be a bit confused." Naofumi said with a light blush, "I can't really see myself as a nice guy. I still bought Raphtalia as a slave, and I'm pretty strict with her."
"Really? She looked pale when we first met, but she seems healthier now. I'm not sure how strict you are with her if she's healthy."
"I didn't explain it very well last time, but Raphtalia was really sick when I bought her. That, and the nightmares she was suffering from were memories of the First Wave, where her parents were killed by one of the monsters that spawn from the Wave. I learned this just a little while ago." Naofumi explained as he looked to the tent where Raphtalia was sleeping. She looked peaceful, which was a good sign.
"Oh…"
"Since I couldn't make her fight while she was nearing deaths door, and gave her healthy food to eat, and I learned how to craft medicines to treat her illness. She was slowly getting better, so I started teaching her to kill monsters when she was healthy enough."
"Even a two headed black dog? That sounds terribly frightening." said Asuka in concern for the younger girl.
"You don't know the half of it."
[-Flashback: The Day Prior in Lute Village Mine-]
"Raphtalia, you have to kill this thing!" Naofumi ordered as the two headed black dog approached the Shield Hero and his slave menacingly. This beast had attacked them minutes prior as Naofumi was mining crystals. Raphtalia was the first to notice and had a panic attack upon seeing it. She remembered that a similar monster had ravaged her village and killed her parents during the First Wave. The only difference was between the two beasts was that the one chasing them had two heads, while the monster that killed her parents had three.
Naofumi knew that she was scared, but if they could get kill it, then he'd be able to gain more levels, as it was level 15.
"If you take this monster out here and now, we'll gain more strength, and we'll be able to face the next Wave." Naofumi said, "Face it. Your parents aren't coming back. But, we can prevent more tragedies like that from happening. No one will have to experience the things you and Asuka went through."
"I-I…" Raphtalia whimpered.
"Here it comes!" Naofumi lunged out of their hiding spot to engage the beast. Naofumi could only defense against one head with his shield, while the other one took a bite out of his shoulder. Thanks to his high defense stats, he could withstand the pain, but it still hurt due to the beast's higher level of strength.
"Raphtalia, now! Pick up your sword and kill it while it's distracted! I can't keep this shield up for long!"
"I-I can't!" the slave girl cried.
"If I die, then you'll die too!" Naofumi was struggling to fend off the bites form as the two headed dog pressed its attack, trying to break through.
"Please no!" Raphtalia cried more.
"That's an order!" Naofumi shouted, activating the slave curse on the terrified and disobedient Raphtalia.
"Agh!" purple sparks formed on Raphtalia's chest, causing her pain. More tears welled up as she recalled the graphic memory of seeing the heads of her mother and father being torn off the by three headed monster. It caused more debilitation and hesitation.
Seeing this, Naofumi decided there was only one thing to do. She may have sworn to fight for him, but if she couldn't do so now, then it was best to let her escape. "Just forget it then!"
At this, the curse subsided and Raphtalia couldn't feel any more pain.
"M-Master…?!"
"I'll buy time for you to escape!"
"B-But, that's… you'll end up like my parents…!"
Finally, the Shooting Star Shield was beginning to wane wall gave, and
It was right then that Raphtalia gathered all of her strength and decided to attack, determined never to lose another person she cared about.
"NOOOO!" with a mighty cry, Raphtalia leapt forward into the air and stabbed the two headed dog attacking Naofumi. She landed a strike against the right head's long neck. Following this, Raphtalia fell to the ground, and the angry two headed dog growled at her, signaling its next attack.
"Siderite Shield!"Naofumi quickly called out the name of one of his new shields, and lets loose with its bonus skill, "Shooting Star Shield!"
A shining thin wall of light emerged in front of Raphtalia, protecting.
Naofumi had picked up the Rope Shield before entering, and could have used its bonus skill, Air Strike Shield, but he had a feeling the Shooting Star Shield would be just as effective, if not more so. This shield prevented outsiders from attacking, but it also the selected party member to pass through. This was perfect, as Raphtalia passed through the wall and stabbed the two headed black dog's chest, causing it to bleed profusely and eventually die.
Resting on the floor, Raphtalia breathed heavily from the adrenaline rush subsiding.
"Nice job, kid." Naofumi smiled as he walked up to his slave. He was still injured from the bites, and exhausted from having to wrestle with the monster. It was a hard battle, but on the flip side, they gained 340 EXP, which gave a significant boost to their levels.
"N-Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia cried as she ran up to and tackled Naofumi to the ground, hugging him tightly.
"Ow! Hey! I know I have high defense stats, but this wound still hurts like hell!" Naofumi grunted. He was surprised to hear her use his name.
"Naofumi-sama, please promise me! Promise me you'll never die!" she whimpered as she poured out tears into his chest.
"You attack, and I defend. That way, we won't have to worry about dying." Naofumi said, gently patting her head.
"A-Alright…"
"We'll get out of here once I feed this monster to me shield."
"O-Okay, but c-can we stay like this a little longer…"
Naofumi let out a long sigh. He really didn't want to deal with any more surprise attacks from monsters hiding in this mine, but he figured Raphtalia could use a little comfort after this ordeal.
[-Present Day-]
"How scary…" said Asuka after having heard the story of Naofumi and Raphtalia's adventures in the mine, "Are you guys okay? You did get hurt pretty bad."
"My arm still hurts a little, but yeah, I'm fine. And I think Raphtalia is doing better now than she was before." Naofumi rubbed his shoulder gently. Some medical treatment from Lute Village's clinic helped too.
"That's good to hear. Still, after hearing that, it really helped hammer it in for me…" Asuka stared at the fire, "This really isn't a game, is it?"
Asuka was saddened to hear that Raphtalia and possibly many others have suffered so much because of the Waves of Catastrophe, and even after, because monsters were roaming around still, and two halves of the royal family was unapologetically incompetent.
"No. This is reality." replied Naofumi, "I bet Motoyasu and Itsuki don't see it that way, though."
"You know, I talked with Itsuki-kun a little while ago." said Asuka, "I asked him if he missed his old world, but he told me he didn't want to go back, because he really liked it here."
"I guess being a Hero's gone to his head if that's the case. Same could be said of Motoyasu. I bet he's not even trying to process all the crap that's been said about him now, though." Naofumi said with a slight scowl at the mention of Motoyasu and his seemingly willful blindness to reality.
"Hey, Naofumi-kun…"
"Hm?"
"You think about home a lot, right? Out of all of us, you want to go back to your world the most, after all." said Asuka.
"Hate to say it, but I haven't really had to time to think about my world or my family all that much. I've been busy with thinking about how to stay alive after all that BS with that piece of trash and his daughter." Naofumi answered, "And what about you? You wanna go home too, so you can fight that Orochi monster, don't you?"
"Yeah. More than anything." a determined Asuka said, "I wanna avenge myself and my friends and hopefully put an end to Orochi's rampage."
"This is a weird dynamic for the Cardinal Heroes. One half wants to leave because of the crap they've been through, the other half loves being here because of all the faint praise they get."
"Aww…!" Asuka yawned.
"That's a sign that we should get some shut eye." Naofumi said, "You go first. I'll stay up a little longer."
"Yeah…" Asuka complied, covering herself with a blanket and going asleep in Rino's tent. They had a big day tomorrow, and she was going to need all of her strength.
However, a couple minutes later, she found that she couldn't sleep. Largely because someone was hiding nearby. Thankfully, they weren't hostile, and the presence was familiar.
Asuka exited hers and Rino's tent, and Naofumi had fallen asleep beside a tree some time ago. With everyone sleeping, it was the perfect time to confront the person spying from a far.
She snuck out and walked a short distance from the camp. Once she was certain a safe distance away, she stood still, waiting for the presence to make themselves known.
"You can come out now. I'd say we're at a good enough distance to talk."
"I dare say, even after what you had suffered, your senses are as sharp as ever, Sword Hero-sama."
Asuka turned and found one of the Queen's Shadows. Despite her face being completely covered, her voice and her scent were immediately recognized by Asuka.
"It's good to see you again, Lora-chan."
"I as well am glad to see you are doing better, Asuka-sama." Lora smiled, removing her mask. It impressed her once again, that Asuka could deduce her identity with little effort. She even used different cologne to mask her natural scent, knowing that the Sword Hero had skill that enhanced her sense of smell. "Especially after what King Aultcray and Princess Malty attempted to do. By the way, that was quite the performance in the throne room."
"So, you saw that, huh?" Asuka asked sheepishly, "I had no idea I even had that in me. I know he's the King of the country, but he's honestly lucky I didn't attack him, let alone kill him after everything he and his daughter have done."
"You needn't worry. Once the Queen returns, she'll give the King and First Princess their just punishments, I dare say." Lora said, "Assuming of course, you don't hold her accountable for their misdeeds?"
Asuka didn't answer right away. She had yet to meet Queen Mirellia, but she had the impression that she was just and wise ruler, contrasting her husband. That belief still held true, seeing as the Queen sent a message to stop the duel and the enslavement. But, who knows if that would change by the time the Sword Hero would meet Mirellia in person in the future. The more she interacted with the royal family here in Melromarc, the more she began to think they were all evil.
"I don't hold her accountable." said Asuka, "I'm very grateful that she had the forethought to send a direct order to stop the King and Princess Malty from doing whatever they wanted, even if it makes me mad that the duel was declared a draw."
"She had her reasons for doing that." said Lora.
"I assume so. But, let's be real here." Asuka sighed, "I don't know how much more I can take of the two members of the royal family here refusing to leave me alone."
"Are you thinking of leaving Melromarc again?"
"It's… possible. Envoys from Siltvelt invited me to visit their country and asked me help out with the Waves there…" Asuka said, "Personally, I just hate being here with these rotten people, but I declined, since I still has issues to sort out. There's still the next Wave here. And I'm still worried about Naofumi-kun."
"Well, please be careful then, Asuka-sama. I'm certain you're aware of particular powers taking interest in you."
"Like the Three Heroes Church?" asked Asuka.
"Yes. The envoys of Siltvelt can be included, as well. Siltvelt values strength above all else. In all likelihood, they must see your strength as desirable, for more than one reason. It's still your decision, but please be careful when dealing with them."
"Yeah, I thought something was up with those guys…" Asuka thought. She remembered that lion guy, Ugo, having his eye on her for most of their interaction. She hoped she wouldn't run into them too often if they were planning something shady. "I'll do that."
"Thank you for taking my advice into consideration. I'll be taking my leave now."
"Wait! I just wanna say thanks for intervening when you did. I know the whole enslavement thing failed thanks to my sword, but at least I know the Queen is watching out for us."
"She also extends her deepest apologies for you being put through that awful experience." smiled Lora, "Now then, I must be off. We can't speak for too long I'm afraid."
"I understand. You need to keep watch over those two. I'll just do what I can do for now." Asuka said, "Also, tell Queen Mirellia that I'm doing fine and thank you."
"Certainly. Farewell, Asuka-sama. Good luck on your mercenary venture." Lora disappeared following these parting words.
Asuka decided it would be best to return to camp, and get some rest.
[-Castle-Town: Fancy Restaurant-]
"Can you believe such insolence?!" yelled the Captain.
"The nerve of that Sword Wench! Thinking she can casually threaten to kill the King!" Mald replied, equally angry.
Mald had returned to Castle-Town with the Bow Hero after an insignificant quest. Sometime later, he met with his good friend, the Captain.
The two were in a high class restaurant, drinking and eating loudly to their hearts content, and discussing what transpired just a ago with Asuka and King Aultcray. Word had spread quickly of Asuka threatening the King by the end of her audience with him. Neither of the two men was happy that the Sword Wench had been disrespectful to the King, and they were very vocal about it, as noted by the irritated costumers around them. Some people, namely commoners, were even applauding the Sword Hero for making the King cower after the things he did, which pissed them off even more.
"Why isn't the King punishing for her disobedience?!" Mald asked.
"Largely because she's more powerful than she let's on." answered the Captain, "What's worse is, no one in Castle-Town seems to care. Some are even saying he deserved that humiliation for what he tried to do to her."
"Those are just the peasant filth whining." said Mald, "She won't get away with this. She won't get far in this world. I'll see to that."
"You really have it out for that girl, don't you?" the Captain smirked, "Not that I blame you. Lecturing me on how to do my job? Hah! What utter nonsense!"
"Exactly! She thinks she can just toss me aside before I can even show my worth. I assure you, she's going to regret it! I see now making the Bow Hero famous isn't enough! I need to squash her before she can get a bigger head. No little girl like her can succeed where a powerful man like me can! Having a pretty face and a nice rack is all she's good for! I'll remind her of her place!"
"Ha! I can't tell who has the bigger head! That Fake, or you!" the Captain chuckled, "But, you are right. We can't let that vixen get away with turning this country on its head, in addition to humiliating us. She needs to pay for the insults she's given us and learn her place."
Meanwhile, many of the patrons in the restaurant gave the two men unpleasant stares for their comments. They seem to be forgetting how important women are in this country, especially considering that the ruler of Melromarc is in fact a woman.
The same could be said of Aultcray, who attempted to force a Cardinal Hero into slavery, which was a serious affront by the people. That Cardinal Hero was a woman as well, so her presence was of great importance to not just Melromarc, but the world as well. There were already doubts about King Aultcray's ability to properly rule in place of Queen Mirellia, but after the events of the sacred duel, those doubts were tragically confirmed. If he was smart, like he was in the past, he would cease antagonizing the Sword Hero and focus on doing his job.
"Even so, putting that girl in her place won't be an easy task. Not only has she earned praise for her fighting prowess, she's gain sympathy after that charade of a duel." said Mald. He had heard whispers of people pitting the Sword Wench for having her victory stolen and almost being branded a slave. How to ensure she won't gain any more of a following was unclear.
"You know, I heard she's going to take up mercenary work." said the Captain, "And she appears to be on her way to that miserable Lute Village. Her first job must be there."
"And you're suggesting we sabotage it, am I right?" asked Mald with a growing malicious grin.
"Indeed!" Captain nodded with a malicious grin of his own.
Lyall the Werewolf: So Mald and the Captain are officially are up to no good. In case anyone is confused about the previous chapter mentioning how Mald and the Captain are friends, here's the skinny. They aren't in canon. In fact, they don't have any interaction in the canon story of Shield Hero. Here though, in this crossover, they are acquainted, due to how having similar personalities and views. Let's also say that the Captain is a noble like Mald as well, since he has the arrogant personality that fits many of the nobility in Melromarc, baring a certain few. As for what they intend to do, we'll just half to wait and see.
