Author's Note: Uh... I got nothing this time.

Without further adieu, chapter 13!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of its characters, only my own.

"Dialogue."

"Writing."

Thoughts.

"Sir Leopold, as the crown princess, I must ask that you talk with father to help end your troubles between each other." Melty said.

The group had huddled in the corner of Erhard's shop when Melty said that she had to talk to Leo about something. Before they got down to business, Leo thought it would a favor to help her do something, or at least do a job for her. Instead, he got this.

In a bit of shock, Leo waved his hand as he quickly and firmly gave his response. "What? Sorry princess, but there's no way in hell that's happening." Filo seemed confused as to why Leo outright denied her friend, while Raphtalia crossed her arms and scowled at the little girl's request.

Melty was taken aback at how fast Leo rejected her. "B- but Sir Leopold, you must! If not, then surely the problem will continue to become worse!" She exclaimed in a fit of surprise.

Leo crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing at the princess. "Unless you can get him to at least apologize for all the shit that he's pulled against us, then my response stands. If he can't get behind the idea of a simple apology, then he won't care for anything we have to say."

Melty was left speechless, unable to deny that Leo was right. She knew her father well enough to know how high his pride was. Before she could think of a response, a knight opened the front door and informed Melty that her father requested her presence at the castle. The poor girl seemed split on what to do, but eventually, she went with the knight.

Leo sighed as Melty left while Erhard simply watched the whole ordeal. He could see where Leo was coming from, as he wasn't the biggest fan of the queen's husband either. "Kid look, I know how tough it is for you to deal with the royals. So instead of sulking on the matter, how about you and I do some business, maybe get your mind off it." The burly man suggested.

Leo felt guilty about turning Melty away like that, but went with Erhard anyway. "Yeah ok. There's some stuff that we need you to do anyway." Before they could make their way to the counter, a knock came from the door before another knight came inside.

"Ah, Sir Shield Hero! Thank goodness we found you. We need to speak with you." A familiar voice said. Turning around, Leo was greeted with the sight of Ake alongside a two other knights and what appeared to be two magic casters.

Leo was curious as to why this group would come here for him. "Ake? Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

Stepping forward, Ake spoke with a bit of nervousness and determination. "Well uh, yo- you see uh... Sir Shield Hero, please, let us go with you to fight the waves!" The young knight quickly exclaimed.

Leo's was taken back by this sudden request, but the answer he gave was flat and precise. "No."

To say the group was shocked would be an understatement. "What?! Why not?" The female magic caster of the group asked.

"Well first off, calm down." Once Ake's group took a moment and resettled themselves, Leo continued. "Look, it's not that I don't want you to fight because you're weak, or I can't think you can do it. Rather, it's because of how dangerous the waves are. You all still seem quite young, so I don't want to see you get hurt, or worse."

His words brought a bit of comfort to the group, but failed to make them change their minds. If anything, it made their resolve to fight even stronger. "But Sir Hero, we want to fight with you! We know the risks first hand, but if we're by your side, we know that you won't let any harm come to anyone. You displayed that back at our home, Lute Village, during the second Wave." The other magic caster said.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Leo figured that no matter what he said, these kids would not let up. "Fine, you can join, but on one condition." He said before taking out a pouch of silver. Tossing it to the group, Ake caught it. "In that bag is five hundred silver. Go buy yourselves some better equipment, and don't come back here until you've been refitted with the best gear you can possibly acquire." He said as he pointed at the group with two fingers.

The group of five began smiling as their eyes shined with hope. "Yes sir! You can count on us!" Ake exclaimed before turning. The rest followed him out as they went on their mini - adventure for new equipment.

"Leo, are you sure that was a wise idea? I mean, they're all still so young, I would be worried if any of them got wounded or killed." Raphtalia's concern was appreciated. Her duty of protecting people just made her an even better person than she already was.

Shaking his head, Leo dismissed her worries. "Don't worry, it's not like I plan on sending them to the front lines. I'm going to have them protecting those who get caught in the crossfire. I don't doubt their abilities, but I'm almost certain that they're not strong enough to survive on their own." That was to be expected. Leo was always looking out for those who helped him. It was what made him the greatest person ever in Raphtalia's eyes. "Moving on, we should get our equipment sorted out." Leo told her before turning back to Erhard. "Alright, onto business." He said before putting Raphtalia's broken gas mask and damage vest on the counter. "Think you can fix these? If so, is there any magic you could put on them to make them more durable?"

Rubbing his chin, the bald blacksmith looked over the pieces of armor. "Hm, pretty sure I can. The vest isn't so bad, but the visor on that mask of yours was tough to make. And making it more durable with some magic? Yeah, I should be able to do that." Erhard informed.

Leo wasn't done however, as he took out two pieces of paper. One had multiple different numbers and drawings on it, while the other had a simple sketch design. "Also, do you think you could build these? You're the best person I know to tackle this job. Maybe even the only one." Leo was worried that his friend wouldn't be able to pull it off, but Erhard always gave him some sort of hope.

Picking up the more complex piece of paper, Erhard was completely confused at the design, having never seen it before. "Ok kid, you got me. What are these things exactly?" The man asked as he scratched the back of his head.

A smirk grew onto Leo's face as he replied. "I call it Project H and K. I've left some notes on the back of each design so you can have more knowledge on what your building. So, you think you can do it?" The question was asked in such a way that it seemed as if Leo was trying to challenge the blacksmiths ability.

With a simple chuckle, Erhard put the paper back down. "This first one is a definitely, but the second one however, I have no idea. You may have to give me a few weeks, as some of this is confusing to understand." He replied with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, and real quick. Raphtalia and Filo have these stars next to their levels. Do you have any clue why?" Leo asked, having seen the stars earlier in the day.

Erhard appeared stunned for a moment before regaining himself. "You're already at the point for class upgrades?"

"Class upgrades? What's that?" Raphtalia asked as she came up next to Leo. "I mean, we've heard the term before, but what is it exactly?"

Erhard sighed, not surprised in the slightest at their lack of knowledge. "Well you see, a class upgrade allows people to increase their level cap. Only people acknowledged by the court have that kind of option really, but since you're a hero, I'm sure there shouldn't be an issue, or at least I hope not. To get it, you have to head over to the Dragon Hourglass, and when you do, you can choose which path in life you wish to take. I had one helluva time choosing mine, but I'm sure you won't have any issues."

All of this new information came to Leo in waves. Just how much was he not told about? "Well, thanks for the tip, old man. We'll be sure to get our upgrades, just try to get the projects completed soon, ok?" Erhard smiled and nodded before going for a handshake. Taking it, Leo then began to leave, his companions following him out into the sunlight.

On their way to the hourglass, Leo began asking a few questions to his companions. "Hey Raphtalia, Filo, what kind of upgrades do you want?" This question seemed to make even the hyperactive Filo begin to think, but Raphtalia gave him a simple answer.

"Well, to be honest, I have no idea. I was thinking about something to make myself a faster and better swordswoman. I mean, I'm getting better at my magic, and having you teach me on how to use my gun really helped, but since I mainly use my sword, I think I'll focus on that." Leo nodded, her explanation making sense.

"Alright well, whenever we get there, you'll be able to choose. Remember what Erhard said, whatever you choose essentially becomes your life's path, so choose wisely." Leo said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

Raphtalia smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll do my best sir. Always have, and always will." Her response made Leo roll his eyes.

"Whatever it is, I have full faith that it'll be the right choice."

Soon enough, the group had arrived at the nearby hourglass. Entering, they went to the staircase, only to be met with three nuns standing above them. They were in a position that seemed to block the groups attempts from getting close to the hourglass.

"Excuse me, we're here for my companions class upgrades. We were told that we had to come here to do so." Leo informed the three nuns.

The nun in the front replied, "Ah, of course, Sir Shield Hero. For a class upgrade, it will be fifteen gold pieces per person." At the end, her face held a smirk of victory, having felt as if she just insulted the man.

"Fifteen gold pieces?!" Leo asked in shock. "No, there's no way that's right. If I went to Pope Balmus, would he say the same thing?" The nuns were shocked upon hearing their church leader's name.

Stammering, the nun in the front spoke up. "Y-yes, Sir Shield Hero. That has been the policy for everyone. Our Holiness will just confirm it." Huh, so they are trying to bullshit me.

Leo's confidence grew at her simple speech mistake. "Ok then, looks like I'll have to go find him. If I may ask, where is he at?" Now the nuns seemed afraid, clearly not expecting Leo to have questioned them.

Before anyone could say or do anything, another nun, one from earlier in the day that had been whispering during the Holy Water event, came up from behind a pillar. "Our apologies, Sir Hero, but it seems as if there has been a mistake."

Ah, here it is. "We have been informed that the Shield Hero's team is not permitted to receive class upgrades at this time." The nun informed. Leo knew he had been cheated, no doubt the king being involved.

Hearing footsteps, Leo and his party looked up to see multiple religious folk standing above them, watching their moves. Leo clenched his fist in anger while the nuns smirked at him. They were taken aback when they heard Leo's hard voice echo throughout the chamber.

"Alright then. Fireteam Eagle, it seems like our business here is done. Let's go." The group began to walk out, but before Leo left, he said something that sent chills down everyone's spine. "I wonder what the queen would have to say about this." Some of the nuns and priests face's fell in fear, while others scrunched in anger.

Exiting the church, Leo couldn't help but kick a nearby rock down the street in frustration. "First, Malty, then the king, then of all things, their fucking church! What's next?! Is a fucking meteor gonna come crashing down just to rain on my day?!" He exclaimed.

People all around were looking at him as if he were crazy, and they would probably be right. Raphtalia on the other hand figured she had to help him. Walking up behind him, she gave him a hug, which instantly calmed him down a bit. With a sigh, Leo felt better after taking all his anger out on a rock.

"Are you better now?" Raphtalia asked as she held on.

Leo put a hand on her own. "Yeah, thanks. I really needed that. But in all honesty, what the hell are we going to do now? We can't get class upgrades from another country because the next Wave is too close, the King is continuing to be a pain in our ass, and now the church is also against me. I swear, that queen better hurry her ass up in those negotiations, because I'm slowly losing it." Leo said as he sat down on the steps of the church, his head in his hand.

Sitting next to him, Raphtalia offered a hand of comfort as Leo was sent into an inner turmoil about the situation. "Leo, look." She said with a sigh. "I know exactly what you're feeling. Life feels tough right now, and it seems as if the entire world is against you, but it's not. You have friends that you can rely on, that you can trust. If nothing else, you have me and Filo, and you know that we will always be with you, no matter what. When I felt as if the world was against me and I was going to die, you came. You came along and helped me out of my cage, out of my despair. You saved me, Leo. Even when the world turns its back on you, I will stand beside you. Even when nobody believes you, I will. I will follow you to the ends of the planet if I need to. I promised you back before the first Wave that I will always be your sword. No matter what happens, just know that, I am beside you, ready to help in any way I can."

Raphtalia's words flowed through Leo with passion. He felt as if all of his burden's in this world were lifted, as if all of his worries were just a gentle breeze in the wind. For the first time since he arrived in this new world, his mind was clear. Turning towards Raphtalia, her smile brought him joy, brought him comfort. "Y- yeah, you're right. Even when this world pushes against me, I'll always have my friends, I'll always have you." Getting up, he offered the raccoon a helping hand in standing up. After she accepted it and stood up, Filo came out from nowhere and dove at Leo, bringing him into a loving hug. Smiling, Leo rubbed her head as she slowly let go.

"Thanks, I really needed that you two." Leo took a deep breath before coming up with a plan like he always did. "Alright, here's the plan: The best informant we have right now is Beloukas, so we're going to head over to him to see if there is any other way for you guys to get your class upgrades. If not, then we can travel once more and make some money, as well as wait for Erhard to hopefully finish our project."

Raphtalia smiled as she agreed with Leo. He always has a plan. No matter what, no matter when, he always has a plan. He truly is the greatest man to ever live, even if he was just a soldier who took orders. Now he's a leader, and the best one that I could ever ask for, that Filo could ever ask for. You have no idea just how much you mean to everyone who knows you Leo. To others, you're the Shield Hero. To Filo, you're the best master a person could ask for. To me, well, you're Leopold Wisniewski, my leader, my savior, my life, my love.

Walking away from the Church of the Three Heroes, the trio felt as if they were walking out of a dark shadow and into the light of the world. Walking through the alleyways felt like a second nature at this point, as Leo has had to pass such horrific halls many times before. Upon entering the new front wooden door of the circus tent, the sounds of birds could be heard as a man in a suit walked up to the group.

As always, Beloukas' smile was still there, ever plastered on the slave traders face. "Ah, well if it isn't the Shield Hero and his party. Welcome back. How may I help you today?" The man said as he looked up at Leo.

"I must say Beloukas, your business seems to be doing quite well so far. As for why we are here, we need information." Leo replied with a calm voice.

The fat man clasped his hands. "And all my success is due to you, Sir Hero. Your trade has made me quite a bit of profit, so I must thank you."

Leo was confused as to what he meant. "Really? But we haven't interacted with you in weeks. How could our trade be helping you?"

Stepping closer to the blonde girl who was standing beside Raphtalia, Beloukas gave his answer. "Aha, well, you see Sir hero, your filolial queen here has caught the eyes of many nobles throughout the country, many of which have been asking me about how to procure such a fine and majestic bird." Facing Raphtalia, he continued on his business rant while she simply crossed her arms and stared down at the man. "As for you, you've helped my business gain quite the reputation for providing high quality slaves. So, from the bottom of my dark heart, I must than-" Beloukas was cut short when Leo grabbed the man's shoulder and squeezed.

"Beloukas, we came for information, not so you could rant on about your business." Leo said as he brought the man's attention to him. While he did that, Raphtalia went off to look around at the other cages to view them. "Is there any way we can get class upgrades? We're being denied access by the royalty and the church here." Leo informed.

Beloukas thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Well Sir Hero, you could go to another country for access to an hourglass. If we provided the service here, I would gladly let a valuable customer such as yourself go along with the proce-" For a second time, Beloukas was interrupted. This time however, it was not with an action, but with a voice. More specifically, Raphtalia shouting something.

"Leo, I need you over here, now!" She exclaimed from a wall of nearby cages. Looking towards Filo and Beloukas, he waved for both of them to follow, which they did. Once they closed in on Raphtalia's position, she pointed to a nearby cage. Pulling back the cloth, Leo saw a small girl with ears similar to Raphtalia, although they appeared to be smaller. At the sight of the soldier's dark face due to his mask and goggles however, the girl backed away in fear. Her state was horrible, worse than what Raphtalia was in when he first saw her. Her skin was pale while her body appeared thinner than what it should have been.

As Leo was observing the girl, Raphtalia grabbed Beloukas by his suit and picked him up, fury taking hold of her face as she glared into the fat man's soul. "You bastard! How dare keep HER of all people locked up in a cage! You're going to free her this goddamn instant, understand?!"

For the first time since Leo had been summoned, he saw Beloukas' grin drop for a moment before rising again. "Y- yes yes, I u-understand miss." With that, Raphtalia set the man on the ground. Pulling a key from his suit pocket, he unlocked the cage and opened the door before stepping aside.

Peering into the darkness, Raphtalia saw the eyes of her long lost friend stare back at her, afraid of the adult demi - human. "Rifana? It's me, Raphtalia." The raccoon softly said to the weasel demi - human.

"Raphtalia? I- is that really you?" Rifana asked, her voice just above a mere whisper. Raphtalia nodded in reply. Leaning down so Rifana could see her ears, the weasel's eyes lit up once her hopes were confirmed. Speechless, Rifana went to hug her old friend who promptly hugged her back.

Standing next to Raphtalia, Leo let her have a moment to herself. For a moment, he thought he saw some tears in Raphtalia's eyes. Thank God Raphtalia found her. We may not be able to help everyone, but we can help those closest to us. Maybe some goals in life aren't impossible after all.

Crouching down, Leo placed a hand on Rifana's shoulder. When her eyes opened and she met Leo's covered face once more, she tensed up in fear. "Hey, don't worry, I'm here to help. My name's Leo, the Shield Hero." Leo told her with a smile as he uncovered his face.

"The Shield Hero?!" Rifana asked in excitement. When Leo nodded and showed her his changing shield, she looked like she was about to celebrate, that is, until she began coughing.

Slightly panicked for her friend's health, Raphtalia took out a great quality healing pill and antibiotic. "Here, take these. They'll help you get better really fast, just like how they helped me." She said.

Rifana appeared confused as to what the two strange objects were, but decided not to question it if it helped Raphtalia get better. Seconds after the pills, Rifana felt better than she had in months. "I feel so much better! What were those?" She asked the raccoon in wonder.

Smiling, Leo gave a response faster than his companion. "Those were pills. It's a type of medicine from my world that helps treat illnesses. Now that you're feeling better, how about we go get you some food?" At the mention of food, Rifana's eyes sparkled with delight. "I'll take that as a yes. Alright then, c'mon kiddo." Leo said as he took hold of Rifana, surprising her. Lifting her up, he pleased her on his shoulders so that she could sit on his backpack comfortably. To say that Rifana was surprised at everything that just happened would be an understanding. This person- no, the Shield Hero- just picked her up and is carrying her just like her father would. The memory brought a few tears of joy and sorrow to her eyes as they made their way out.

"Sir Hero, wait." Beloukas called out. "Your new demi - human requires the standard slave crest." Leo sighed as he crouched down so the man could go on with the process. Leo grit his teeth at the pained burning sound the crest made, but it ended as fast as it began. "Now, for all your help in my business, I would like to give you these for your filolial queen." Reaching into a box, the fat man provided a pair of sharp metallic talons.

Taking the talons, Leo passed them over to Raphtalia before looking back at the slave merchant with a slight smile. "Thanks. For as horrible of a person as you are, you're not as bad as I originally thought you were. A little advice though: You might want to change what your merchandise is soon, as I don't think slavery is going to be as profitable in the future." With that, the group stepped out of the tent and into the sunlight.

The Shield Hero and his companions walked a familiar path which led to a restaurant that Leo and Raphtalia had eaten at so many times before. As they approached the door, Rifana saw the sign and began trying to get Leo's attention. Before he could say or do anything about it, Raphtalia simply walked through the front door.

"Why did she just go in? This place doesn't serve us…" Rifana said dejectedly.

Leo smirked at the girl on his shoulders. "Oh really? Well then, like I told Raphtalia weeks ago, if they have a problem with it, then they can take it up with me. If they make it a bigger deal, then they can face Raphtalia." Rifana's spirits rose after hearing that the Shield Hero and her friend would protect her.

Entering the shop with Filo in tow, the trio saw Raphtalia already sitting at a table, waiting for them. Putting Rifana on the ground, Leo walked over to the table before sitting next to his girlfriend, Rifana and Filo taking a seat across.

When the waiter arrived, he noticed the new addition to Leo's team. Before he could comment, Leo ordered three of their cheapest meals and one kids meal. The smile he gave the waiter told him to 'either take his order and fuck off or make a scene.' The waiter gulped under Leo's smile and Raphtalia's gaze, so he wrote the order down and walked off.

"Wait, how come I get a kids meal while Raphtalia gets an adult one?" Rifana pouted at Leo. Filo and Raphtalia giggled while Leo playfully rolled his eyes at the girl.

"It's because you're still a kid, while Raphtalia here is a big girl, isn't that right?" Leo asked her teasingly. This did not sit well with Raphtalia, as it was now her turn to pout as she playfully punched Leo's shoulder. The effect was instantaneous, with the other three members of the party laughing at the raccoon's reaction. It's almost like back home when Klem would come by at lunch. Man, she was so good at comebacks. I swear she was the goddess of them! With the laughter finally dying down, Raphtalia having joined in soon after, their food arrived, the waiter hastily leaving the table once the plates were down.

"Hey Rifana, watch this. Leo taught me that no kid's meal is complete without a flag." Raphtalia informed Rifana.

Rifana was confused at what she meant by that. "But it already has a flag. Is this flag not good enough or?" Raphtalia smiled at her friend's confusion. Wordlessly, she took the white flag from the weasel's meal before dipping her finger in the sauce of the steak from her own meal. Swiping her finger across the bottom, she passed the flag back to Rifana. "Uh, what flag is this?" She simply asked.

Leaning forward on the table, Leo gave the answer this time after motioning for Raphtalia to go ahead and eat. "That kiddo, is the flag of my country, Polska, or Poland. Who knows, you may be able to get that flag soon." Leo said with a wink. Rifana had no idea what Leo meant by that, but nodded and began eating. At that, Leo began digging into his own meal, Filo having downed hers the moment she got it.

When Rifana started pounding her chest, Leo knew exactly what had happened. Passing her his cup of water, she quickly down the liquid. Just like Raphtalia. That's definitely something to tease them both about later. Smiling at the fact that the girl was enjoying her food, he finished off the last of his own meal alongside Raphtalia, Rifana finishing soon after.

"So, how was that kiddo? Did you enjoy the food?" Leo asked the girl. He chuckled at her response, which involved very fast nods. Rubbing her head, he stood up. "Alright, checking the counter we have about… ten or so days left before the next Wave, so for now, we're going to use that time to level Rifana up and get her trained. Hopefully we can go out and make a bit of money too. For now though, let's get over to an inn. I'm sure we could all use some rest after today, some more than others." With no more words, Leo turned to walk out, Raphtalia walking beside him while Filo and Rifana walked behind him.

The group made their way to the nearby inn, the same one that Raphtalia had her hair cut. Entering the establishment, Leo ordered a large room from the man behind the desk. Once they had the key, his companions followed him up to the room that he requested. Opening the door, the room was similar to the inn that they had stayed at with Melty.

Putting his back down beside the larger bed, Leo took out the Holy Water from it. "Here we go Raphtalia. This should dispel that curse of yours." He said as he filled a bowl with some of the liquid.

Rifana's face dropped in fear and worry. "Curse? What do you mean Raphtalia's cursed?"

Raphtalia quickly kneeled and put a hand on her friend's shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry Rifana, I'm fine. I just had an accident during a battle, but the Holy Water will get rid of it. For now, go get washed up. We'll have some clothes waiting for you after you bathe." Rifana looked like she was going to respond, but fell in line with what Raphtalia said. Heading towards the bathroom, she went on to wash up while Raphtalia sat on the bed, Leo dipping one of the bandages into the Holy Water.

Wrapping the bandage around her arm, Raphtalia tensed as a slight burning sensation came from the affiliated areas. When she saw Leo's concerned face, she reassured him that everything was alright. "I know that look you know. Yes, I'm fine, just keep going so we don't have to worry about this curse anymore, ok?" Leo smirked and nodded as he continued to wrap the bandages.

"Hopefully you'll be completely healed within the next week. We're gonna need everyone to be at their peak performance for this next Wave. No matter where it hits, there's bound to be a few civilian casualties, so we're going to need stockpile on more medicine too." Leo said as he moved on to her other arm. Raphtalia appeared to be in deep thought however, her eyes staring down at the floor. "Hey, Raphtalia," Leo said as he snapped his fingers, "You listening?" He snapped his fingers a few more times before she blinked. "Hey, you were spacing out. What was that all about?"

"Well, I was thinking about what happens after the Waves are defeated. I mean, since you were summoned here to fight them, then does that mean that you'll be sent back to your world once this is all over?" She asked in a worried state.

Leo thought about it for a moment. The idea that he would be sent home seemed like an option, but what he felt was worrying her was if he had an actual say in the matter. "You know, I used to think about that early on too. Even now, I have no clue if I'll get forced back home, or if I have the choice." Leo replied.

His response made Raphtalia even more worried about the end's possibilities. After a moment of silence, she broke it, her voice full of uncertainty. "Leo, whatever happens after this is all over, you'll take me with you, right?"

Leo had no idea on how to respond. To be honest, the thought of what happened had completely slipped his mind. With no words coming to him, he instead replied in actions. Placing a hand on Raphtalia's cheek, Leo leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. Pulling back after a moment, he gave a calm, reassuring answer. "No matter what happens, you'll always be by my side Raphtalia. If I get sent home, I'll take you with me. If I stay here, I know you'll fight with me. You're my partner, so no matter what, we'll always be together."

When she relaxed, he figured that his answer helped relieve her worries. "Come on, let's get some sleep. We can worry about that later on." Leo said as he gently took hold of Raphtalia's arm. Bringing her down, they lay next to each other as they pulled up the sheets and went to sleep.

When Rifana finally came out of the bathroom, she had changed into the clothes Raphtalia had provided for her; the very same ones that she wore when she was still a kid. Grateful for her friend's help, she went over to thank her, but instead found her sleeping in the same bed as Leo. Rifana had mixed feelings at the sight. For one, she was happy for her childhood friend, on the other hand, she was pretty jealous that Raphtalia got to sleep with the Shield Hero.

Thank you Shield Hero. You're just like the legends foretold. I just know that you'll save us all. With that in mind, Rifana climbed into the bed Filo lay in and went to sleep herself, the night closing on a peaceful note.

September 1, 2020

"It has almost been a month since I first took a step in this new world. While that seems like a long time to write down, it does not feel that way. I often reflect on the time when I met my first true companion: Raphtalia. She was such a sweet, innocent, kind little girl back then, and she still is, but now, she has grown into the most beautiful woman any man has laid eyes on. At this point, I owe her my life, for if she had not been with me, then I doubt I would have survived long in this world. Moving on to my next companion, our filolial: Filo. I had bought her egg from the same slave trader I got Raphtalia from, a man named Beloukas. While she eats more than any person, and is quite a lot to deal with at times, she is a sweet girl who is sometimes not meant for this world. Onto my most recent companion, and Raphtalia's long lost friend: Rifana. She is a demi - human like Raphtalia, but instead of being of the tanuki (raccoon) race, she is part weasel. I have little information to provide except that she and Raphtalia were both slaves under a cruel man named Idol Rabier. From details Rifana provided a few minutes ago, he has a dungeon of sorts where he tortures many of their kind, all of which are locked away in total darkness while he sits in the light and sips tea. When I find him however, the only light he will see is the flash of our guns.

...

May God have mercy on his soul."

- Private First Class Wisniewski

Closing his journal, Leo took a deep breath. The more I learn of this damn country, the less I feel compelled to protect it. If it weren't for our friends here, I would have abandoned this place long ago. Putting his journal into his pack, he put on his mask and goggles before speaking to his team, who were at this point mostly awake. "Alright, today we're going to get back into the trading business. Alongside that," He said as he looked towards his demi - human lover, "Raphtalia, I'm going to entrust Rifana's training to you. You know her better than anybody here, so while we travel, teach her everything I taught you."

"Yes sir." She simply replied as she smiled at Rifana. Rifana was excited for whatever this "training" was, since she got to be taught by not only her friend, but one of the strongest people she knew.

Leo rolled his eyes at how giddy Rifana seemed. "Alright, with that settled, let's get to it. Our main priority is getting Rifana levelled up. Making money is secondary." Looking at Raphtalia once more, he addressed her with a term that Rifana had never heard before. "Eagle two, go ahead and get the cart ready. I'm going to head over to Erhard's to check out the progress on the projects."

With a quick salute, Raphtalia replied, "Sir." before motioning for Filo and Rifana to follow her outside while Leo went off to Erhard's shop. When the door's bell went off, Erhard came from the back to see who it was. Upon noticing Leo, a smile formed on his face as he leaned on the counter.

"Well well well, if it isn't soldier boy himself. And here I thought you left already." Erhard joked to the man.

Leo rolled his eyes before leaning on the counter as well. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up old man. You may be older, but at least I still have some working bones." Leo shot back. Erhard slammed a hand on his counter as he laughed at Leo's quick retort.

"I'll give it to ya, that was a good one. But seriously though, I'm guessing you came by to see the progress for your equipment huh?" Erhard asked after he regained his composure. When Leo nodded, Erhard went on to explain what he had done so far. "The equipment you gave me that required repairs is underway. Expect it to be done in a few days at best. That complex piece you gave me, well, let's just say that the good news is that I got some of the pieces made. Bad news is that it's going to take a few weeks at the least to get this thing assembled."

Leo rubbed his chin at the information. "Hm, well that's better than what I had expected overall, so I guess that's all good news. What about Project H? Is it ready yet?" Leo asked the burly man.

"Yeah, it's all set. Give me a minute and you'll have it. Once I got the first side done, it became a piece of cake." Erhard said as he went to the back of his shop once more. Shortly after, the blacksmith came back with two large wings connected by a piece of metal. "I gotta ask kid, what is it that you had me build anyway?"

Taking hold of the object, Leo looked it over before replying, "This Erhard, is a part of what my country calls the Hussars, one of the greatest cavalry units in the world. Normally the wings would be strapped to the armor of the rider, but since I don't have nor want that kind of armor, I had you create this version so Filo could wear it."

New Item Acquired

Wings of the Hussars

Equip Bonus: ATK Bonus (Low), DEF Bonus (Low), MAG Bonus (Medium), AGI Bonus (High)

Transformation Ability Affect

Paying the blacksmith the one hundred fifty silver it cost, Leo left the shop and made his way back to the cart. Upon nearing it, Leo saw Rifana in the middle of some exercises, no doubt Raphtalia beginning her training. Speaking of the raccoon, she was now wearing her normal BDU once more, her tank top beneath in case it became too hot or the top layer was ripped again.

"I suppose we're all set to go?" Leo asked as he came up on the two demi - humans.

Turning to the voice, Raphtalia grinned at Leo. "Yep, just got done a few minutes ago, so I decided to get Rifana started early. As you can see," She said as she motioned towards the weasel who was starting to sweat, "It's a good start. I have high hopes that she'll become strong in no time."

Leo looked over to Rifana, noting that she seemed to be getting tired. No doubt from the lack of almost everything a human needed for who knows how long. "Alright then, just make sure not to push her too hard at first. She needs to regain her strength first, then you can get her into more exercises. In the meantime, get yourselves loaded up. I have something I need to do with Filo first before we head out."

At the mention of her name, the bird in question came forward while Raphtalia went on and helped Rifana into the cart. "Master, did you say you had something for me?" The filolial queen asked.

"Yes, I did. In order for me to give it to you though, you have to close your eyes first." He informed her. Excited, she did as told without any second thoughts. Leo took this opportunity to hook up the Hussar Wings to Filo. "Alright, you can open your eyes now."

When Filo opened them, she was met with Leo holding a mirror. Within that mirror however, she could see two large wings on her back. In the midst of her surprise, Leo told her to change to her human form. When she did, the wings transformed into a small headband that had two miniature versions of the Hussar wings on the side.

Erhard you genius bastard. "So, do you like it Filo?" He asked the girl. When she bounced in delight and noted how pretty the headband was, Leo took it as a yes. "Alright, let's get you hooked up and get out of here." With that, Filo was reconnected to the cart and began to pull out, the group three on the move once more with their new equipment, clothes, and companion.

Crossing the gates, Leo's group soon found themselves going about the countryside. Since there were no monsters around, Raphtalia began teaching Rifana all of the terms, hand signals, and formations that Leo had taught her long ago. As the day went on, the amount of numbers the group found was surprisingly minimal, with Raphtalia having Rifana defeat them. By the time they reached a run down village, Rifana had only gone up to level 4.

Nearing the gate, a single knight stood at a checkpoint of sorts. Taking out his merchant's pass, Leo handed it to the guard, along with some silver.

"Hey, are you alright? You don't exactly look the best." Leo asked the guard as he moved the barrier.

The brown haired knight nodded, his face devoid of any joy. "Yeah, I'm fine. You people are the first ones to actually come here... and maybe even give a damn." That statement made Leo and his party concerned. Just how long had this area been neglected by the kingdom?

Riding into the village, they saw that not only was it worn down, but almost completely barren, with no life to be found at the entrance. "Shit, just what happened to this place..." Raphtalia said as she came to the front.

Leo shrugged and shook his head slowly. "Your guess is as good as mine. Whatever it was doesn't matter now, because if the Wave were to hit here, then this place would be wiped off the map."

As they went further on, the group finally managed to locate a small pocket of people, some with children, but all with almost nothing. The group of people were dirty, with all of them appearing tired and hungry. The stench around them warranted Raphtalia to use her scarf to cover her face.

As the wagon came to a halt, the small crowd walked up to the opened back holding different assortments of useless objects. "Sir, please, we beg of you, we'll trade you this stuff for something to eat." One of the men said as he lifted a small totem - like carving. A few others came forward carrying sticks, others broken spoons.

Leo waved the man off before speaking, his voice sad and concerned. "No, keep it. You people look like you've been through enough already." Stepping back into the cart, Leo cried out, "Fireteam Eagle, get an emergency kitchen set up! These people need food, so get some soup prepped for them."

Soon enough, a large pot had been set up over a fire, a multitude of ingredients used to create a soup that the people would be capable of eating. One by one, Leo and Raphtalia filled bowls of soup to hand out to the people, Filo and Rifana watching from the cart. All four of them were worried for the people here in some way.

Once everyone had been provided with some food, Leo went over to the man who originally requested for food. "Hey, I have a question for you if you don't mind." When the man shook his head, Leo went on. "What exactly happened to you people? No offense but, you all look like you've been through Hell and back."

The man told his story after setting his soup down. "Well sir, we're refugees who fled from the lands further North. We heard some stories about some adventurer from here being hired to help a resistance against the King. Rumor had it that he was a bowman with perfect accuracy, but other than that, we know nothing about who it was."

A bow? I swear, if this is Itsuki they're talking about, I'm going to whoop his and Ren's ass the next time I see them. First a plague, now a coup? The hell are those two doing? Do they think that this is still a game? Leo sighed and thanked the man for his cooperation before heading back to the carriage. Going back to the kitchen, Leo told Raphtalia to go train Rifana some more while he took over. Once she agreed, she went off while Leo continued to hand out more soup to the refugees. As day turned to night, Leo and his party packed up the kitchen. After directing the crowd of refugees towards a nearby village, they were off once more to try and level Rifana up before the Wave.

September 9, 2020

"A few days ago, Raphtalia's curse finally dissipated and her stats began returning to their max. Not only that, but Rifana has made extreme progress in her training, both physically and mentally. She has managed to become level 28, so her body has now matured into that of an adult. We have also managed to acquire equipment for her, such as a uniform, a new vest and gasmask, and a custom made tomahawk. Due to her training, she has become quite proficient at both melee combat and throwing her weapon with extreme accuracy, so while Raphtalia is faster than her, Rifana is the stronger of the two. Regardless, she and Raphtalia continue to act as if they were children sometimes when we relax, but I cannot blame them, as their childhoods were technically taken from them. Anyway, we are currently en route to the capitol once more so as to stock up on supplies. Hopefully Erhard had managed to complete the other project by now as we do not have much time left before the Wave."

- Private First Class Wisniewski

Disembarking the cart after entering the main gate of Castle Town, the team of four quickly made their way to Erhard's shop. When they entered, the bald man greeted them warmly, but then inquired about the new girl.

"Her name's Rifana. We managed to find and save her at Beloukas' place. She's Raphtalia's childhood friend, so it's really hopeful that we found her. Anyway, how's the build coming?" Leo informed.

Erhard rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "To be honest, I thought making the specific parts was tough, but actually putting it together is a whole different story. Come back later in the day or tomorrow and I may have it ready then."

"Alright then, thanks for the update. If you need help at all, just tell me." Erhard quickly shot him down, saying that he could do it just fine.

Everyone's attention turned to Filo when her stomach growled, the noise filling the room. "Maaaster, I'm hungryyy!" She exclaimed.

Leo rolled his eyes at her antics. "Well then, I'm sure we could all go for some lunch. Thanks for all you've done so far Erhard. We'll get out of your hair now." With that short trip, the group left while Erhard muttered to himself about being bald.

Making their way down the street, Leo and his party entered a different restaurant than usual. The interior was larger with more tables scattered about the room. Sitting at a table, they four waited for someone to come take their orders. As they did, Leo saw a familiar face out of the corner of his eye.

Wait, Ren's here too? And is that… Itsuki? Well then, at least I don't have to go hunting for them. Deciding to deal with them after he and his group ate, Leo joined the conversation between Raphtalia and Rifana. When Itsuki was handed a piece of paper, he began speaking to Ren about something, but what exactly Leo couldn't tell. When Rifana told a funny joke though, the whole table laughed which caught Itsuki and Ren's attention.

As the laughter died down, Leo heard a young voice next to him say, "Hey, what's so funny?" Looking over, he saw Istuki and Ren standing over him. Leo swore he felt the tension in the room increase between them.

"Oh, just a joke my companion told me, why?" Leo was confused as to why Istuki seemed slightly angry.

Istuki stood tall, his bow reflecting the candle light that flickered throughout the room. He seemed to have grown a little, but Leo knew that he was still taller than the teen. "I uh, nevermind. We came to ask if you know anything about our money being taken from us. Apparently, someone's been taking the money that we were supposed to be rewarded for doing jobs for the guild. Do you have any ideas?" The blonde asked. Itsuki felt that he could trust the man to have not stolen what was rightfully theirs, but Leo's answer was not what either of the two teens had been expecting.

"Hang on, before we talk about your payments, let's talk about what you guys specifically did. Itsuki, you went to help overthrow a king in the north, right?" When the blonde nodded with confusion, Leo went on. "Well, let me tell you something. When you overthrew the king, did you think about putting another, better ruler in his place? Because from what I was told by refugees from that country, they had to flee with many of them dying due to the broken provisional government ramping up taxes even further."

Istuki recoiled back in shock, surprised by what Leo had just told him. "B- but they said they would work on making the country a better place! Instead, you say that they made the situation worse…" Itsuki trailed off in a saddenned state, obviously only having wanted to help the people, but having the knowledge that he made it worse? It made him feel as if the money he wondered about didn't matter at all since the situation didn't get better.

When Leo turned to Ren, the teen was about to speak, but Leo had other plans. "And you. Did you skip out on science class? You know, the whole 'creatures decompose when dead' thing? Well guess what. The corpse of that dragon you killed decayed, which caused an epidemic to hit the village and almost kill everyone." Ren was speechless as he sputtered to formulate his thoughts. "Also, that dragon that you killed was the defender of that village, and you killed him as if he were nothing. And when we had to fight its zombie form, it put a curse on Raphtalia, my girlfriend, that just recently healed up after getting some Holy Water." The harshness of Leo's words dug deep into Ren's mind.

Wait, girlfriend? His companion is his girlfriend, and I got her hurt. Wydia mentioned that the dragon was her father, but why would the guild have me kill him if that were the case? Regardless, I hurt people who were close to us… Ren's face fell, sadness taking hold of him at the fact that he, the Sword Hero, hurt his and Leo's companion's. All he could simply mutter was a weak "I'm sorry."

Itsuki was the first to actually respond to Leo, even if it was in a weaker voice than he held previously. "We just wanted to help people. We didn't think that it would cause problems." Leo just sighed, disappointed in the two's actions. Yes, they had done wrong, and many people did die because of it. However, they did think that they were helping the people and even realize the terrible outcomes of their actions. Maybe there was hope for them after all.

"Look, I understand that you two thought about this world as a game and that all these people were NPC's. However, that is not the case. Everyone and everything here is real. If somebody dies, there is no respawn. Your actions as cardinal heroes can have severe consequences. Now, with all that, I don't think that you guys are doing bad. I see that you two truly are trying to help the people, so I commend you for that. All I ask however is that you treat this as if it were real and not a game."

With that, Leo began walking out, his companions getting up and following him after having finished their meals during the heroes' conversation. "Oh, and before I forget, listen close and listen well. Many of the nobles in this hellhole of a country hold slaves which they beat and torture everyday. What I am tasking to you two is to help any slaves you come across. It doesn't matter how, just help them." Leaving the two teenage heroes in complete shock and surprise at how corrupt Melromarc actually was, Leo and his party left the restaurant in a deafening silence, awaiting the beginning of the next wave.

Author's Note: And that concludes chapter 13. We see that Filo gained her own item of Polish origin now. Also, Rifana has joined! I was wondering whether I should have her live or not, but you can see what I decided. Anyway, as usual, stay safe. Bye!