Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm not dead! So, as you all may know, we are reaching the end of Season One of Rising of the Shield Hero, which is insane. I never thought I would get to this point and for my first fanfiction to gain so much attention and support throughout its existence, so I thank all of you for sticking with the story.
Without further adieu, chapter 21!
Disclaimer: I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of its characters, only my own.
P.S: I put in another easter egg. Good luck!
"Dialogue."
"Writing."
Thoughts.
Leo sat up with a yawn, the early morning sun striking him in the face through the slit of the curtains causing him to block the bright light before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Next to him, Raphtalia laid peacefully, her body covered by the soft blanket that made up the inn's bed. Due to Leo's newly regained reputation and fame amongst the population, he was offered by multiple inns to stay for free for a few nights, eventually having settled on staying here whilst they were at the capitol.
Leo made his way over to the curtains, his dog - tags clinking against one another as he did so. Pushing the curtains apart, Leo let the bright beams of light shoot into the room without warning the rest of his party, the light waking some of them up. One in particular did not find Leo's little prank very amusing as she tossed a pillow at him, to which he simply side - sidestepped the projectile.
"Alright everyone, up and at 'em. The day just started and we have a long list of things to get done." Leo stated as he stretched his arms once more. This caused Filo to complain about getting up and how she "just wanted to sleep so she could wake up to masters delicious cooking." Leo rolled his eyes and pinched the small filolial girl's cheek, getting her up in an instant with a pout.
With everyone getting up and ready for the day, Leo took a quick leave to go order some breakfast for them. It took a few minutes longer than previously expected, but eventually Leo got their orders placed and made his way back to the room. Upon his arrival, he saw that the rest of his fireteam was either finished or almost finished dressing in their uniforms or daily clothing.
"The maid says that our breakfast should be here in a few minutes. In the meantime, let's go over the plan one more time." Leo stated as he took up a chair. "First things first: Class upgrades. Everyone here save for Keel is capped at level forty, so that takes top priority. Once we get that out of the way, we head down to Erhard's and get Keel's weapon made." Leo then turned to the younger demi - human in the room. "Your weapon will take a while for him to build, maybe a week and a half or two to complete. It's quite complex."
"That's fine, I can wait. A hunter is always patient!" Keel exclaimed as he puffed his chest out boastfully. Raphtalia rolled her eyes while Rifana laughed.
Leo shook his head at the antics of the demi - human. He couldn't blame him for his excitement. It wasn't everyday that you managed to get your hands on a weapon as powerful as Raphtalia's G18 or Rifana's AKM. Raphtalia had informed him that Keel always wanted to be a hunter like "Sadeena," a hunter from Raphtalia's old village. That had definitely played a part in Leo's choice of weaponry for Keel. He and Raphtalia had copied the design of a weapon that would be great for longer ranges and deal some heavy damage, whilst at the same time be light enough to carry around without issue.
But that would have to wait. Food first, then class upgrades.
"Alright, let's hurry. We have a busy schedule ahead of us."
After taking a few minutes to eat their breakfast, Leo picked up his pack and made his way towards the door, the others followed as they left the inn and made their way into the street. Leo checked his watch, the small device informing him that it was just past seven. Should be enough time to get to Marie's after the hourglass. Leo looked over at the tall building that overlooked the rest of the area. As they walked in the direction of the looming building, the group couldn't help but notice that the symbols above now had a shield on them. Deciding to ask the Queen about it later, Leo entered the main chapel and was surprised to see a pair of familiar faces.
"Sir Shield Hero! Welcome!" Ake said as he stood by the door with his witch friend.
"Ake? What are you two doing here?" Leo asked.
"Ever since the Three Heroes Church was ousted, her highness put me and Lelana in temporary charge of the class upgrade process. I'm guessing that's why you and your party are here?" The young knight asked in reply. Leo nodded. "Alright then, right this way!" Leo and his party followed the two young friends as they led them towards the large hourglass, the tall structure somehow appearing to have become bigger in his time away from it.
"So, who wants to go first?" Leo asked the three members of his party who were at the appropriate level.
Filo immediately began jumping up in excitement as she waved her hand ferociously. "Me! Me! I do master! I wanna go first! Pleeease?!" She exclaimed in high spirits.
Leo pretended not to see her in the same way a teacher would prank a student. "Nobody? Hm, I would have thought otherwise." He stated in an unconvincing tone. When Filo crossed her arms and pouted at the man, he relented with a laugh. "Oh, Filo, I didn't see you there. Go ahead."
The remainder of the party chuckled at the joke Leo pulled on the small girl, but with her excitement back into full - swing, the filolial rushed up the steps and placed a hand upon the rim of the large mechanical device. A second or two went by as a new menu popped up on Leo's H.U.D, showing multiple arching pathways that Filo could take before being displayed a question about letting Filo freely choose. Focusing his eyes on the "yes" option, the display disappeared, only to be replaced with "ritual complete."
Looking up at Filo, Leo saw that she was looking down at herself in a confused manner, almost as if she were looking for something. "That was pretty fast, Filo. Did you get what you wanted?" Leo asked, confident in whatever choice she made. All he got was what appeared to be an almost disappointed look from the transforming filolial.
"I don't know. I tried to pick the path that would let me spit poison, but it didn't let me..." She replied, saddened at the fact that she lost her chance to actually have a reason to spit at someone.
"Maybe you did and it just didn't show up? You could make sure outside." Rifana suggested from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yeah, that must be it! I'll be riiiight back!" She called out as she rushed off to the church's entrance.
"I want you back here in two minutes, got it?" Leo called out after her, to which she replied with a faint "ok" that echoed through the halls. Leo shook his head. He knew she would be perfectly fine on her own for the short amount of time. No, his worry was more for the people around her if she actually did happen to get her poison attack. Clearing those thoughts from his mind for the moment however, Leo stepped off to the side while addressing one of the two adult demi - humans in the group. "Raphtalia, want to go next?"
The raccoon eared demi - human smiled and nodded before making her way up the marble steps and repeating the same process Filo had done. Once she placed her hand on the gold rim, the same message from earlier appeared, with Leo selecting the same option. After electing to let his girlfriend choose her own path, he could still see the many paths that she could choose from, as well as what her currently selected choice was. She had the base choice of choosing a sword, bow, staff, or cross, no doubt the symbols for melee and ranged combat, magic concentration, or a support role. He knew she would disregard the support role, as the group had Leo and Filo to take care of that. Her pistol was also her only real ranged weapon, and even then it had a shorter distance than Rifana's rifle, so that was out by elimination. All that was really left to choose was whether Raphtalia wished to increase her melee or magical potential. In the end, Leo saw that she chose the sword, which was labeled as Path of the Dawnblade, the stat boosts that came with its perk tree going towards her overall speed, agility, and endurance.
Pleased with her decision, Raphtalia walked away as Rifana took her place. Once more, the same messages and chart took over Leo's vision, with Leo repeating the process for a third time. Similarly, she chose the Path of the Dawnblade as well, the stats boosting her overall strength, resilience, and power (such as throwing and swinging).
Checking their new stats, Leo was taken aback by how much their stats had increased. The class upgrade process had doubled their general stats, making all three of his level forty companions have nearly one thousand HP and MP, with Filo's HP managing to break the one thousand mark.
"Holy sh-." Leo began to say, but was suddenly caught off by a higher pitched tone.
"Master!" Filo exclaimed as she ran towards Leo and grabbed his jacket, a saddened look on her face.
Leo already knew what the problem must have been. "Let me guess, it didn't work?" Filo shook her head glumly in response. "Hmm. Here, we can go ask Mirellia why it didn't work later today, ok? I'm pretty sure Melt is with her, so she should be able to cheer you up."
The happiness in Filo's eyes returned at the mention of Melty. "Really master? Can I play with her too?" Leo smirked and nodded, causing Filo's cheerful spirit to return in a flash. "Come on, we have more stuff to take care of." With their business here concluded, Leo and his party waved Ake and Lelana farewell as they walked away from the hourglass and out the doors of the church, the dark history binding them and the tall building being severed as they stepped onto the cobblestone street.
If there was one thing Leo could never fault this new world for, it was the clean air that came with it. Having spent most of his time in recent years on base back on Earth, he became accustomed to the smell of diesel from the many vehicles that called it home. Taking a deep breath, the aroma of foods from the nearby market district became mixed into the nearly completely non - polluted air.
Pulling himself back to reality, Leo and his party casually made their way down a street that they had taken many times. After a few minutes, they stopped in front of a tan colored, well - sized business. Pulling on the door and entering, Leo was greeted by the now very popular bald blacksmith.
"Shield Kid! Damn, it's been way too long since our last meeting. How've you guys been?" Erhard brightly greeted with a wave. His shop appeared to had been completely restocked with many new ornate shields and beautiful weapons hanging from shelves or weapon racks that completely covered the walls.
After giving the man a quick handshake, Leo leaned on the counter, Erhard doing the same on the opposite side. "If you exclude the amount of horrible crap we've been through because of the higher - ups of this country, then it's been pretty good. Anyway, I'm sure you're a busy guy, and we don't have too much spare time on our hands at the moment, so I'll keep this brief. You see Keel there?" Leo asked as he pointed a thumb behind him at the demi - human child who was currently inspecting one of the walls of shortswords.
Erhard sighed as he quickly put two and two together. He had already been through this charade twice before, so he knew what Leo was implying. "Let me guess, you want another one of those custom weapons of yours for the kid." Leo nodded, causing Erhard to sigh. "Alright, what is it this time? Another one of those AKM's or whatever you call it?"
Shaking his head, Leo went on to explain. "Not exactly. You see, Raphtalia informed me that Keel always wanted to be a hunter for their village, and since hunters typically use ranged weapons, we ultimately decided upon this." Leo stated as he pulled out the new schematic he and Raphtalia had drawn. The schematic was labeled as Vintorez Integrated Rifle. "This rifle is called the VSS Vintorez sniper rifle. The aspects necessary for the scope and one of the VSS's bullets are on the back."
Erhard raised a skeptical eyebrow as he crossed his arms at the smaller man. "Kid, you do realize that I have more people than just you that come to me for custom orders, right? Not only that, but how exactly are you going to pay for all this?"
Leo smirked as he pulled out a small bag of coins from his currency shield and handed them over to the blacksmith. When Erhard opened it, he couldn't believe his eyes. The bag was filled with at least a dozen gold coins!
"I'm willing to pay a little extra if you put this project at the top of your list." Leo bargained.
Erhard knowingly smiled at the young soldier. Drives one helluva bargain. You're getting better Shield Hero. "Heh, you got yourself a deal kid." Erhard said as he closed the small pouch and put it underneath the counter. "That fancy looking rifle looks like it may take around two weeks at the least. I still have my notes from when I built that AKM, so it shouldn't be too difficult... hopefully." Erhard stated with as much confidence as he could muster as he rubbed the back of his bald head. "Oh, and before I forget!" He suddenly exclaimed before reaching for something under the counter.
When Erhard pulled out another gasmask, Leo was certainly surprised. "I had extra materials after making the last one, so I decided to make one spare just in case it came in handy. Consider it paid for with that gold."
Leo took the mask and stored it away, ready to give to Keel once he became of age (level?) "Thanks old man. Here's the extra I promised." Leo said as he flipped three gold coins onto the table. "Come on everyone, we have more work to do."
As Leo and his party filed out of the shop, Erhard smiled and waved them goodbye, but not before he opened his eyes in realization. "HEY!"
A gentle breeze blew through the open plains as clouds blocked the sun, obstructing its rays of light from hitting the planet. Filo was currently taking a nap next to the new cart that was gifted to them by some of the townsfolk before their departure. All the while, Leo was setting up the group's campsite as he prepared a crate as a table with ingredients to make some sandwiches for lunch.
Off in the distance, Raphtalia and Rifana were helping Keel level up and teach him what Leo had similarly taught them. The process was going by a bit slower than Leo would have liked, with Keel's level only going up by three in the past hour. If Keel had a crest, then this could go by a lot faster… But that's his decision. There's no way in Hell that I'm ever going to force that on someone. Leo thought as he took a bite out of his newly created item of sustenance. After taking a few bites of his sandwich, Leo took out his binoculars so as to see how Keel was doing with his training. He did not doubt Raphtalia and Rifana's ability to teach the boy, not by a longshot, but time was of the essence. It had already been nearly two months since the battle with that Glass individual, so the next Wave was scheduled to hit within the coming weeks, if not days. And we need to be ready. Our gun trick is out of the bag now.
Pushing those worries to the side for the time being, Leo refocused his attention on Keel. The boy appeared to be slightly taller now due to his recent level gain. With no more enemies in sight, Leo could see the two adult demi - humans begin another session of Keel's exercises. Alas, it did not continue for long as Keel, in his incredibly tired state by this point, let himself rest on the ground.
Deciding now was a good time to stop them and eat, Leo called out to the trio that it was time for lunch. Rifana quickly and easily carried Keel back to the campsite with Raphtalia in tow. At the same time, Filo woke up with a start at the cry about food, the giant owl rushing to Leo's side before transforming into her human form and digging into the four sandwiches he had set aside for her.
Standing up, Leo let Raphtalia take his place on the crate that he had dubbed his chair. "So, how's it going so far? Tired yet kid?" Leo directed towards Keel. The boy simply nodded his head, exhausted after an hour of nonstop training. "Well, you best get used to it, because it's going to be like this from here on out."
Keel replied with an exhausted groan, causing those around him to laugh at his current predicament. Rifana, being the good friend that she was, took one of the sandwiches and held it out for Keel to take, which he gladly did before biting into it hungrily. His development was coming along well. Now that Leo had a proper chance to look at him, he could see just how much of a slight difference he had gained in height, with Keel's head reaching just above Rifana's midsection.
The group ate quietly, none willing to break the peaceful silence that had befallen them. Well, all except Filo, who was humming to herself as she began to bite into her third sandwich. As the meals finished, Raphtalia declared for Keel's training to resume, to which he groaned once more in response but pushed himself to his feet anyway.
Due to the lack of hostile wildlife, Raphtalia and Rifana had Keel get into a fisted stance before showing him some basic hand to hand tactics. Leo went over and stayed on the sidelines, providing tips every here and there about how Keel could improve.
After having spent nearly an hour on hand to hand combat, which Keel picked up on surprisingly quickly, it was on to shooting lessons. "Rifana, go set up some targets for us." Raphtalia told her friend who immediately obliged. Looking in another direction whilst the targets were being set up, Raphtalia took out her pistol and took a shooting stance. "Ok Keel, when I give you this, stand like me and hold the weapon in a tight grip. Keep your shoulders relaxed and breathing steady in order to make more accurate shots. And do not, and I mean NOT, put your finger on the trigger," Raphtalia said as she pointed towards the trigger mechanism, "Unless you know for a fact that you are ready to shoot something."
Leo gently nodded as he listened to Raphtalia's instructions. She was doing a good job relaying all the information that he had passed on to her. Stepping away and letting Raphtalia and Rifana continue their lesson, Leo took to the one other thing he could do instead of writing: Sleep. After making his way back to the cart, he laid down on one of the seats and closed his eyes, darkness consuming him as he began his nap for the day.
Leo and his team stood in the throne room before Queen Mirellia and Princess Melty. After some formal introductions, Leo informed the royal pair about the complication that had arisen during the class upgrade process.
"Complication? By what do you mean, Sir Shield Hero? Were you actively denied your right to upgrade?" Mirellia asked with a confused tone.
Leo waved his hands in front of him. "Oh no no, not at all. Actually, the process went according to plan except for one small thing. You see, when Filo went to get her class upgrade, she said it was picked for her or something like that."
This caused Mirellia's face to become slightly more serious than it was previously. "Hm, I have heard that certain objects of interest can affect how the process works. Perhaps that is the error that occurred?" She suggested.
Leo rubbed his chin, thinking of anything that could have possibly had anything to do with what Mirellia was talking about. "Leo, maybe it was Filo's cowlick? I mean, what else could it really be?" Rifana suddenly said out of the blue.
Mirellia took a moment before responding. "Well, regardless of what it was, I am glad that it only affected one member of your party. It would have been rather worrying if all of your companions went through the process only to come out with issues of their own." She said, relieved. "Now then, there is something I would like to ask of your, Sir Shield Hero." When Leo kept silent, she continued. "I must request your presence at a meeting here soon, as with the other heroes. I understand that you must want some days of rest from all this nonsense, but I assure you that this will be well worth your time." Mirellia cryptically informed Leo from behind her hand - held fan.
Leo crossed his arms. Even if she was the Queen, he still wanted a little more intel with his intel. "What's this meeting about exactly, your highness?"
Mirellia smiled behind her fan. "That, my dear hero, is a surprise. All I ask is that you attend."
Leo took a moment to weigh his options. On one hand, he could skip it and focus on getting Keel levelled up. One the other, he was willing to trust the Queen and her judgement if it truly was vital enough for all four heroes to be in attendance. "Ok, I'll be there. When and where is it going to take place exactly?"
"Within one hour. One of the servants will guide you there." Mirellia said without missing a beat.
Leo nodded before giving the Queen a quick salute, Raphtalia and Rifana quickly doing the same with Keel also attempting one. Turning on their heels, they walked out of the room.
Leo sat on the bench near the window, the orange glow of the setting sun shining through the lightly tinted glass. At his side sat Raphtalia, her arms crossed behind her head as she leaned against the wall with a relaxed expression. Rifana, Keel, and Filo sat across from them, the adult demi - human going over some tips with Keel.
"You know you can relax right?" Raphtalia quietly asked her boyfriend. Leo glanced at her for a second before releasing his stiff posture and letting himself lean against the wall as well. "See? Isn't that better?" She teased with a soft grin. Leo rolled his eyes as he gently elbowed her, causing her to quietly laugh in response.
Checking his watch, he deduced that he still had around ten or so minutes before the meeting started. With this spare time in mind, he took off his helmet before removing his goggles and balaclava, exposing his tanned skin, brown hair, and green eyes. Raphtalia took this time to get a good look at his features in the fading orange sunlight. His jawline appeared much sharper than when they had first met in Beloukas' tent, and even back then it was impressive. Not only that, but he now had a light stubble growing about his face.
Leo could feel Raphtalia taking in his features. With a raised eyebrow, he gave her a small smirk before asking the same using the same teasing tactic she had used on him. "Like what you see?"
This time it was Raphtalia's turn to be embarrassed. As her face slowly became red, she lightly punched Leo in the arm. "Shut up." She said with a playful smile. The two continued to joke with each other for the remainder of the time. At one point, Leo even told Raphtalia some of Klem's horrible puns which got a comically large eyeroll in response. In the midst of the easygoing group, one of the maids came along and informed Leo that the Queen was ready for his arrival.
Leo put a soft hand on Raphtalia's shoulder before getting up and following the female servant. "Go enjoy some time to yourselves, I'll be back soon." Leo said as he made his way down the stairs, leaving the rest of his group behind.
Less than a minute after Leo had left the scene, another maid addressed the group to follow her towards the dining room. There, a pleasant banquet had been set up, most of the other members of the heroes' parties conversing amongst each other. On the stairs across the room were multiple musicians playing one of those fancy party songs that Raphtalia had quickly grown to hate.
"You may sit wherever you like so long as it has not been taken already. Now please, if you'll excuse me." The maid said as she turned and walked off.
Raphtalia and Rifana scanned the room, checking for any open tables. Towards the center, they spotted one such piece of furniture that housed a familiar looking princess with purple hair.
"Mel!" Filo cried out as she ran towards her friend.
Quickly turning towards the source of her name, Melty barely had time to stand up and brace herself for the hug Filo gave her. Despite Melty almost losing her balance, the two children still laughed as they expressed their happiness to meet once more. The remaining three party members walked up towards the two with smiles on their faces.
"Hey Melty, how are you? I would say ``long time no see but…" Rifana stated as she glanced around the room.
Melty chuckled. "Of course. I'm quite surprised to see you all again on such short notice. However, your company will always be appreciated, especially yours Filo!" The princess excitedly explained. "Come, let us eat. I'm sure Sir Leo will take a while." Melty invited.
As the group took their seats, a pair of waiters came by offering small plates filled with different assortments of foods. Filo obviously took as many sweets as humanly possible, whilst Rifana and Raphtalia took a healthier, more balanced meal. Keel and Melty took the steaks and salads, both young members digging into their food.
In the midst of their dinner, Melty was suddenly approached by one of the maids who whispered something into her ear. Appearing shocked, Melty excused herself, wished the group a goodnight, and began to walk away. When Filo asked her where she was going, Melty replied that she was simply going to compliment the chef for the wonderful food. Whether Filo bought the lie or not was unknown as she simply gave her friend a thumbs up and 'kay' before going back to her own plate(s).
After another brief period of silence, the smallest demi - human suddenly asked the question on all of their minds. "So… what do you think was so important for Leo and the other heroes to know?" Keel asked after swallowing a piece of meat.
Raphtalia shrugged indifferently. "If I had to guess, I would say that maybe they were called to discuss the future endeavors against the Waves."
Rifana nodded before adding, "It would only make sense. Talking about such a thing here could cause a panic." Before anyone else could add on to the conversation further, a large, armored hand loudly slammed a glass onto the table, catching everyone's attention and startling Filo.
Looking at the culprit, the three demi - humans and filolial saw that it was none other than Mald, the giant knight who was a part of Itsuki's party. Rifana scowled as she, even from across the table, smelled the alcohol in his breath, leading her to believe that he must be incredibly drunk if he was trying to start a confrontation.
"Well well well, no wonder my wine tastes like crap, there's a buncha filthy demi - humans amongst us." Mald drunkenly announced.
Raphtalia, Rifana, and Keel all glared at the larger man angrily while Filo dropped her happy expression in exchange for one that spoke of death. Off to the side, the other companions were exchanging worried glances towards each other, wondering if they should intervene or not.
It was what Mald did next that really ticked off the two soldiers. When he bent down to get to their height, he spoke in such a way that nearly made Raphtalia shoot him right then and there. "Heh, you demi - humans are all the same. You may think you're important when you're around the Shield Hero, but without him, you're nothing more than pests. Abominations." He stated with a smirk.
Raphtalia attempted to keep her cool, as she had been in many of these kinds of situations before. In and out, just as Leo taught. She thought as she silently did some breathing exercises. Honestly, if it weren't for Leo showing her this, she would have more than likely stabbed the iron - clad giant by now.
Rifana on the other hand wasn't so used to dealing with these kinds of situations as Raphtalia. With a sigh, she got up from her chair and began to walk away. When Mald saw this, a combination of victory and pride morphed onto his face as a shit eating grin. "Yeah that's right, walk away! You're kind doesn't deserve to be here!" He exclaimed with a laugh. What nobody in the room was expecting, however, was for Rifana to turn around and run full sprint at Mald. When she was close enough, she jumped and delivered a high powered drop kick to his torso, sending him crashing into one of the pillars.
Rifana was standing over him faster than he could recover. When Mald finally shook himself out of his daze, all he could see was the darkness of the barrel of Rifana's AKM. At this moment, Mald knew he was quite literally staring death in the face. Pride or not, an early death was surely not on his to - do list.
The other companions, who were quietly chatting amongst themselves earlier, had decided to not intervene. Itsuki's party knew how much of an asshole Mald was to nearly everyone, so in their mind, he deserved a good asskicking.
The iron - clad giant shook in fear as he heard the bolt slide into place. "Apologize." Was all Rifana said in the heated moment.
Mald stuttered heavily as panic took control of his voice. Before he could get any words out however, Raphtalia had come over and put a hand on Rifana's weapon, signaling for her to lower the gun. Once Rifana did so, albeit with some reluctance, Raphtalia grabbed Mald's chest plate and pulled him to his feet. To say Rifana was confused was an understatement. Why was her friend helping someone who had just insulted them?
Her question was quickly answered when Raphtalia suddenly punched Mald in the jaw with as much force as she could muster, knocking the larger man out in one swing. As his large body hit the ground with a thud, Raphtalia simply shook her hand at the slight sting that was coming from her knuckles.
At that, the party continued as everyone cheered, congratulating Rifana and Raphtalia for teaching Mald quite a valuable lesson: Don't mess with the demi's.
Leo stepped inside the room as the servant held the door open for him. Inside, the other three heroes, alongside the Queen and someone Leo did not recognize, were in the middle of a light hearted discussion. Leo made note to keep an eye on the newcomer though. Bright pink hair was certainly not ordinary.
"Ah, welcome Shield Hero." Queen Mirellia warmly greeted with a slight bow of her head.
At the mention of Leo's presence, the other three heroes turned towards the door. Itsuki flashed Leo a smile while Ren offered a light hearted but silent wave. Motoyasu grit his teeth but still waved at the man. Leo waved back to the group before taking a seat in an empty chair.
Queen Mirellia cleared her throat before speaking. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I understand if you all wish to be elsewhere at the moment, but I assure you this meeting is of utmost importance. Now, before we get into the main discussion, I would like to introduce someone."
At the mention of her existence, the pink - haired female stood up and politely bowed. "Greetings, cardinal heroes. My name is Eclair Seaetto, daughter of the late Lord Seaetto. It is my greatest pleasure to meet all of you." She calmly stated with a smile.
"Madam Seaetto is one of my most trusted and loyal knights." Mirellia quickly added. "As for why she is here, it is quite simple." With that, she extended a hand towards Leo. "She will be joining Sir Leopold's party."
Motoyasu grit his teeth. How dare Leo get someone that was not only extremely beautiful, but also noted as actually loyal?! If anything, he deserved to have Eclair, especially after Myne betrayed his trust!
"Hey, no fair!" Motoyasu shouted with a huff. "Why does he," Motoyasu exclaimed as he aggressively pointed at Leo, "get another companion after Myne betrayed me?!"
Mirellia glared at the blonde man, her stoic eyes commanding him to be quiet. "Sir Spear Hero, if you act like that again I shall have you promptly removed from this meeting. As for your question, I believe it would be better for you to hear it from Eclair herself."
Taking the spotlight once more, Eclair's smile fell as she glared daggers at Motoyasu for a moment. "My father was the Lord of the Seaetto Region, an area built to provide more equality to demi - humans. Having lived at one of the now destroyed villages, Lurolona, I had many demi - human friends who spoke highly of the Shield Hero. Since I grew up within that atmosphere, I hope you can understand my decision to join Sir Leopold's party. I do hope that quells your… concerns." Eclair informed with a hint of annoyance at the end.
Motoyasu stumbled over his worlds before grumbling as he defeatedly sat back into his chair. Queen Mirellia simply gave the man a polite smile as everyone's focus shifted away from Motoyasu. "So how about it Sir Leopold? Do you accept Miss Eclair's proposal?"
Lee shook his head as he stifled a laugh that was saved for Motoyasu's failure. "Of course not. Any help, no matter how little, is always appreciated. Let's not make this any more complicated than it's already become, shall we?" Leo asked as he went for a handshake. Eclair gave a warm smile as she accepted it. Unbeknownst to Leo however, she was just as excited as a kid who was getting a life supply of free candy.
"It will be an honor serving with you, Sir Hero."
"The honor's all mine Miss Seaetto. Welcome to the Fireteam Eagle."
After the two warriors returned to their seats, Mirellia cleared her throat. "Now then, since that appears to be resolved, let us move on to why I requested for you all to be here in the first place." At that same moment, the door opened once more allowing Melty to enter the room. "Ah, welcome my dear. Thank you for joining us." Mirellia said.
Melty's focus wasn't on her mother in particular. In fact, it was to the female adult sitting next to her. "Eclair!" Melty exclaimed as she rushed for a hug.
Eclair stood up so that her midsection could take the brunt of the ten - year - old's sudden charge. "Hello Princess. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Eclair said with a chuckle as she gently hugged the child.
"...While we allow them to have a moment, let us continue. First, I would like to once more apologize for all the trouble the Three Heroes Church has given you four. I understand that I cannot undo the hardship you must have gone through, which is why I would like to make up for everything. Through some recent reports, I have been informed that the Cal Mira Archipelago will be active soon, something in which I highly suggest you all participate in." Mirellia informed the four, as she quickly refocused on the meeting.
This immediately curbed Motoyasu's prior attitude. The Cal Mira Islands were active? Double the XP? A potential date? Yeah, there's no way he's missing out on this.
"Really?! No way, that's awesome! / Woah, really?" Itsuki and Ren exclaimed in surprise.
Leo tilted his head in confusion. The Cal Mira Archipelago? What even is that place? "Uh, sorry to rain on your parade, but does someone mind telling me what Cal Mira is exactly?" Leo asked.
Itsuki seemed surprised at first from Leo's lack of knowledge but immediately recovered after remembering everything the older man had been through. "Oh, well, Cal Mira is a group of islands off the coast of Melromarc and a neighboring country. Imagine a high end beach resort."
"And what's this whole 'active' thing about?" Leo added. From an outside appearance, Leo held a calm aura as he questioned the other hero for information. Behind the mask however, Leo's thoughts were taken over by images of Raphtalia in one of those bathing suits he had been at Marie's shop.
"What the Queen means is that, once every decade, a quite useful phenomenon hits the island. Imagine a double XP boost or something like that." Ren stated as he stepped in.
Leo sat back in his chair in awe. Was this the kind of break he and his companions had been looking for? An island far from the mainland where they could level up in some fashion of peace? And not to mention, the resort… Ya know what? I think it's time we got to properly spoil ourselves.
"Count me and my team in. There's no way in Hell we're passing up an opportunity like this!" Leo exclaimed joyfully.
Mirellia and Melty chuckled at Leo's enthusiasm, while Eclair smiled at her new leader's happiness. "I thought you would say that, which is why I had some rooms reserved for you and your parties aboard the ship that will be taking you there."
"Woah, thanks your highness. / Really? Thank you! / Oh wow, that's great! / My party and I appreciate the help, your highness." The four heroes all said at once.
Mirellia gave the four a true, genuine smile. "It was the least I can do. It truly warms my heart knowing the four cardinal heroes are helping each other in this time of crisis. Such a contradiction to how it was only a month ago."
"Thing is, if it weren't for Leo, we'd probably be at each other's throats right about now. That, or we'd be dead." Ren stated with a grateful smirk.
Queen Mirellia noted Ren's sentiment with a 'hm.' " Yes well, we can be grateful that that is not the case. On that note, I will end the meeting. That is, unless you each have some information you would like to share amongst one another?"
"You know what? I'm actually curious." Ren said as he focused on Leo. "How exactly did you get that skill with the jet and whatever that other thing was?"
Leo shrugged. "If I'm being honest, no idea. It just came to me when we were in the middle of the battle against Glass. Frankly, your guess is as good as mine." Leo replied with a hint of confusion.
Motoyasu narrowed his eyes at the man. "I'm not really buying that, but I guess I don't have a choice but to believe you." He said condescendingly. Leo shot him a look from behind his goggles, but the blonde didn't seem to notice.
"Well, if we're on the topic of sharing info, then I believe this could be of use." Itsuki added. "If you hold a weapon similar to your own, in your case a shield, it'll copy it and add it to your skill tree."
"Also, if you want to craft something, you can take the materials and put them to the gem of your shield. Doing so will make your weapon automatically craft the item you want." Ren then stated.
Motoyasu jeered for a moment. "Hehe, don't tell me you didn't know that Leo. Those are some of the most basic functions of MMO RPGs after all."
Leo let out a controlled breath in an attempt to hold himself back from going on an all out verbal assault against Motoyasu simply for the sake of the others who were in the room. "Not everyone thought of this world as a game, Motoyasu. Some of us actually took it seriously." This remark made the Spear Hero frown and slam his hands on the table.
Before he was able to retort, he was interrupted by Itsuki rubbing the back of his head, an apologetic look on his face. "Yeah, speaking of that, I just wanna say sorry. You were right from the start. I, we, should've treated this as reality rather than fantasy. Just wanna get that out there."
Leo quickly waved off the teenage hero's concern. "No need to apologize, I forgave you a while ago."
Silence filled the room once more as Ren and Itsuki gave Leo thankful looks. "-If that is all for today," Mirellia suddenly said, "Then I guess I can officially call this meeting adjourned. Hero's, you may return to your companions." Mirellia said before turning to Eclair. "As for you Eclair, I know you'll make your father proud. This is what you have been working for after all."
Eclair gave her Queen a strong bow. "I will not fail you, my Queen." With that, Eclair jogged over to Leo who was standing at the door to the room. Mirellia watched as the pink - haired knight followed the soldier back to the party.
Leo and Raphtalia lay next to each other under the soft covers of the bedroom that had been provided to them when they had first returned to the castle with the Queen. Over in the bathroom, Eclair was in the process of readying herself for the night. Filo was nowhere to be seen, as she had chosen to join Melty in her room. With the lack of beds for four adults and a child, Keel and Rifana opted to use the sleeping bags.
Once they finally arranged how they would sleep, Keel had gone straight for a sleeping bag and immediately collapsed into it, passing out in an instant. The others chuckled at the exhausted demi - human. No doubt it was a long day for the young boy. Raphtalia and Leo had gone to freshen themselves up first, giving the remaining two fireteam members time to get themselves acquainted with one another.
By the time Rifana finished cleaning herself up some time after the couple, Raphtalia and Leo were already in bed, the former currently burying her face into the crook of the latter's neck. All the while, Leo was looking through his help menu on a quest for the weapon copy system Itsuki had informed him about. Having spent nearly ten minutes searching without any results, Leo finally decided to give up for the night. With a high, he closed his shield's menu. Pulling Raphtalia slightly closer, he closed his eyes and let the darkness consume him as he allowed himself to rest.
Weapon Copy Unlocked
No Weapons Available
Author's Note: Finally done! Wow, that was quite an extensive one if I do say so myself. Honestly, I don't feel like Motoyasu and Naofumi in canon would simply get along with each other so well after the trial as they did in the anime and such, which is why I'm leaving some lingering tension between Leo and Motoyasu. Leo may be more rational, but that doesn't mean he'll forgive something like that so easily.
I decided to end the chapter not at the end of the episode. You guys have been waiting for this chapter for so long that I decided to just start the next chapter where episode 22 leaves off.