To those who follow and favorite this story, thank you.

Reminder: I do not plan to read the web novel or manga of Rising of the Shield Hero. I am only updated as far as the dubbed anime.
Please, do not mention or spoil any content that has not aired in the dubbed anime.

Chapter 4: Healing and Teamwork

A flash of heat blasts into a Balloon's side, scorching it until it pops. The ticks of notifications in the corner of Tsugumasa's vision tell him that his group is making headway in leveling. At his current level, Tsugumasa felt more comfortable and at ease when fighting. However, he and Naofumi still had to make Raphtalia catch up to them, which shouldn't be much of a problem when Naofumi could hold the Balloons for her to strike. For the most part, the little raccoon girl seemed happy to help at any time of the day. She appears dedicated to trying to use her blade efficiently.

If the group were to progress faster, they would have to choose higher-level enemies. Fate, however, has decided to throw the wrench in their plot to defeat the waves quickly. When faced with an Usapil, a rabbit creature, Raphtalia couldn't stand seeing the blood and freaked out. Before Naofumi or Raphtalia could move to kill the Usapil, Tsugumasa razed the hare with his fire. Naofumi sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"We needed the meat and fur off that, Tsugu," He complained, making Tsugumasa shrug. He decided to ignore the eventual string of complaints from Naofumi and ruffled Raphtalia's hair, which made her jump.

"Hey Raphtalia, you okay?" He asked, his voice low and calming. Raphtalia shook for a few moments before looking up at Tsugumasa, some traces of fear and a few tears that dribbled down her face. Crouching down, Tsugumasa wiped her tears away and smiled at her. Raphtalia's face reddened in embarrassment. "It's okay. We all have issues," Tsugumasa reassured her. She nodded and hung her head, some exhaustion showing in her form. Tsugumasa looked at Naofumi, who was preoccupied with his Status Magic.

"NaoNao, we're going to take a break for a bit," Tsugumasa stated, and Naofumi gave a slight nod. Raphtalia hesitated to hand her dagger to Tsugumasa, a sad look on her face. Tsugumasa used a spare rag to clean it and handed the blade back to Raphtalia. "If you want to talk about it, we should do that over lunch. Okay, Raphtalia?" Tsugumasa asked, and Raptalia nodded. The pair followed Naofumi back to the small campsite they had made a few days prior, out of the way from Castle Town and not deep in the forest. Naofumi decided to cook for the party, much to the objection of Tsugumasa.

As Tsugumasa sat next to Raphtalia, he could notice that she was gazing intensely at nothing in particular. He smirked and booped her nose, surprising her and bringing her back to reality.

"Aah!" She yelped, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Do you need anything, Raphtalia? Hugs, pats, attention, a talk, advice?" Tsugumasu asked, making her squirm, but she relented and gave in.

"A talk, maybe," Raphtalia replied as her tail coiled behind her. Stress was eating away at how she talked. Tsugumasa nodded and patted her head.

"What would you like to talk about?" Tsugumasa asked. Raphtalia looked up at Tsugumasa, seeing his warm and comforting smile ease more of her anxiety. She rubbed her eyes to clear them, preparing herself.

"The blood. I can't handle it," Raphtalia started, "Every time I see blood, I remember when the wave hit my village. My parents died to save me from the monsters. When I washed back up on shore, I returned to my village and saw the knights I thought were coming to our rescue. The knights rounded up whoever was left, shackled them, and then took us to the slavers." Raphtalia's voice cracked a few times through retelling her past, but Tsugumasa comforted her by rubbing her back.

Naofumi had stepped forward and handed the two some fresh bowls of food. After Raphtalia calmed down, she and Tsugumasa gave some small thanks. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Raphtalia sighed.

"Thank you." Tsugumasa lifted his head from his bowl, gulping the rest of the food in his mouth.

"No problem Raphtalia. I think you'd do the same for us," he replied with a gentle smile. While the two talked, Naofumi kept a close eye on the development of their party. An unseen smile adorning his face as he managed his menu, facing away from his party.

Tsugumasa watched the sky from his low perch in the tree, waiting for Naofumi and Raphtalia to return from selling more monster parts and ingredients. Naofumi managed to learn more healing remedies, not just for sickness. Raphtalia seemed to get much better at swordsmanship, upgrading from a dagger to a shortsword in a week. Their efforts managed to further their hunting grounds in the forest, even more so after hearing the other cardinal assholes left the Capital for their adventures. Tsugumasa sighed, worry in his mind.

"Raphtalia, you've led a fucked up life. I only hope we can help you get better from now on." He thought with wet eyes. His chest ached a bit while he breathed. "Empathy is painful." Tsugumasa sighed again, then shook his body to get the negativity out. He dropped from the perch and surveyed the area for hostiles but didn't find anything more dangerous than a lone Balloon. He decided to look back at Castle Town, trying to spot his companions if they were on the way back. After spotting a familiar green cloak and a reddish-brown fluffy figure, he smiled and walked toward them.

"NaoNao, Raphtalia!" Tsugumasa greeted his party, glee in his voice. His respected party members waved as they came. Upon a closer look, Tsugumasa noticed Raphtalia had a shortsword strapped to her hip instead of a dagger. "Her skill may improve fast, but isn't this a bit much?" Tsugumasa thought, then looked back to Naofumi.

"Tsugu, we got a job at Lute Village. Clear out a mine of monsters and get whatever we can find inside if we bring materials for Erhart," Naofumi explained. At the same time, Raphtalia handed a long cloth-wrapped item to Tsugumasa. As he unwrapped the object, he found a spell tome inside. Tsugumasa's eyes widened, then bore into the pair before him.

"You guys didn't just spend today's hunting on a romantic comedy for me, did you?" He joked, then received a slight nudge to his shoulder from Naofumi, who shook his head.

"You can thank Raphtalia for that, Tsugu," Naofumi sighed, "It was expensive, but it should be more useful to you than having only one spell." Tsugumasa shook his head and chuckled, then turned to Raphtalia.

"Thanks, Raph," Tsugumasa said with a smile, "I'll get something for you in return next time." Raphtalia waved off the offer, then followed the group back to the campsite. Naofumi quickly absorbed the tents into his shield's inventory as Tsugumasa took care of the firepit. The group was on their way to Lute village in less than ten minutes, with Naofumi holding a map to guide the group as Raphtalia stuck by him, and Tsugumasa read the tome he received earlier. As he read the book, Tsugumasa opened his menu.

Name: Tsugumasa Senju

Age: 22

Level: 23

Class: Battlemage

Weapon(s): None

Armor: Lightweight Iron Armor

Magic Spells and Rituals

Spells: 2

Rituals: 0

Magical Affinities: Fire and Earth

Spell : [Fire]

Spell Description: This Spell summons a small flame of fire in the caster's hands.

Spell : [Binding Roots]

Spell Description: This Spell summons roots from the earth to immobilize a target the caster can see.

Looking over the new Spell that he had learned, Tsugumasa grinned.

"This is going to be good," he thought, "making the enemy unable to move while we beat them to a pulp is a wonderful tactic. Thanks, Sun Tzu." Tsugumasu chuckled at his joke, imagining Raphtalia in a warlord's armor while writing a book. After shaking his head, Tsugumasu gathered his thoughts and followed his companions closely. At his approach, Naofumi glared at the slow smirk Tsugumasa lifted.

"No, Tsugu, you're not going to use Binding Roots as Shibari on our enemies. Weirdo," Naofumi huffed while Tsugumasa exploded in laughter. Raphtalia tried to piece together what was said but couldn't figure it out.

Upon arrival at Lute village a few days later, Naofumi and Tsugumasa realized they might not have to hide their faces here since the guards were only looking for Tsugumasa in the Capital. The realization eased the tension in Tsugumasa's shoulders as he walked toward a tavern.

"Naofumi, I'll book us a room. You should check out the merchants in town with Raphtalia," he told Naofumi, who nodded and walked with Raphtalia toward the open market area. Tsugumasa entered what looked like an inn, politely walking through the open double doors as he passed a farmer on his way out from dropping off a delivery. A woman behind the counter waved Tsugumasa over once she spotted him.

"Hello, adventurer. How can I help you today?" She asked eagerly, which made Tsugumasa smile softly.

"Just like I thought, people here don't know yet, or at least don't believe too much of the rumors from the Capital." Tsugumasa thought to himself. "I was hoping to procure a room for the party I am a part of; we have three members and would prefer to have separate beds," He said to the modest-looking brunette. The woman nodded, and the two discussed the price, which was relatively cheap. Tsugumasa exchanged his coins for the room key and thanked the woman before investigating their new room.

It seemed the staff kept the rented room in better shape than those in the Capital, though not as well furnished. There was a window overlooking the rear of the town toward the forest. He saw a lightly used trail that led into the side of a stony mound in the distance. A small sign was next to the beginning of the path, signifying the mine was further down. "That must be the mine we have to clear out. It's good to know the location is close," Tsugumasa thought. He broke his gaze from the mine's trail and investigated the room thoroughly.

Once Tsugumasa was sure that there were no traps or devices in the room, he relaxed and sat on a bed. He didn't have to look over his shoulder to find a guard, be wary of anyone that would give him to the authorities, or worry about barricading the room. Tsugumasa could finally let his emotions out because he felt safer than ever. A long, drawn-out sigh left his lips as he shook. Tsugumasa felt his breath hitch as he thought about his family and friends back in their world.

"Himari's going to be scared. I know it. My little sister misses me. She might be a teenager, but she's still my little sister. I should be home, protecting her," Tsugumasa thought, his mind swirling in darkness. He could feel his heart aching to see his mom, begging to hang out with his friends again. Tsugumasa could see in his mind's eye all of his friends mourning his absence in the break room of the butcher shop, wondering where he was. "I would give all my savings to see them again," he whispered, his voice cracking under pressure. A vision of his dad appeared in Tsugumasa's mind, closing the shop early to pray at home with his mom and sister. As Tsugumasa's feelings crumbled his last defenses, he sobbed quietly into his hands.

Tsugumasa's episode didn't last long, less than ten minutes at least. After recovering and washing his face, he walked out of the room and locked the door. When he reached the ground floor, he found Naofumi and Raphtalia had finished their shopping and came in to get him.

"Hey NaoNao, I secured the room," Tsugumasa stated after clearing his throat. Naofumi nodded and stepped toward the next room that housed the eating area to get food for his party. Raphtalia stood next to Tsugumasa, observing his features. He started to follow Naofumi until Raphtalia tugged at his sleeve.

"Tsugu," Raphtalia started, "Are you okay?" Tsugumasa looked at her, seeing a face full of concern. His lip quirked into a false smile but faded away after Raphtalia held her conviction. Sighing, Tsugumasa looked at the floor.

"No, but I will be," He replied softly, then looked Raphtalia in the eye. She nodded ad gave a slight smile to Tsugumasa.

"I'm here for you like you were there for me," Raphtalia stated, warming Tsugumasa's heart. He smiled back at her and sighed in contentment.

"Thanks, remind me to hug you later," He joked and received a boop to the nose.

"I will," Raphtalia promised as the two walked into the room, then sat down at Naofumi's table. Naofumi lifted his eyes from his menu to verify the identities of his party, then resumed his study. Soon, the food arrived, and the group dug in.

At the mine entrance, there were broken boards and a sign on the ground condemning the site. Tsugumasa hummed as he searched the nearby barrels for anything useful while his party talked near the entrance. He sighed when he discovered the barrels' contents were rocks without ores or materials. As he huffed, Tsugumasa made his way back to the group. Naofumi nodded to him as he produced a torch from his inventory.

"Although we may be here for supplies to improve our equipment, we must be wary. We have to keep a clear head as there are monsters in here. The number of monsters could be from one to ten as far as the information we received. I'll be in the front, Raphtalia in the middle, and Tsugu in the back," Naofumi informed his party. Raphtalia and Tsugumasa nodded, falling in line behind Naofumi as they delved into the mine.

As they continued down the passage, Tsugumasa noted the many empty ore veins, scraps of wood lying around, and general emptiness of the mine. He would have thought the mine was safe if he hadn't seen the giant paw prints along the dusted floor of the tunnel. Tsugumasa kept his eyes peeled for danger, wary of anything. In a few moments, the party found an area was several crates, carts, and pickaxes. There were ore veins in a wall on the far side between two passageways. Tsugumasa picked up a pickaxe, slipped it into his belt, and looked into a few crates.

"Naofumi, we have an empty crate and a half-full ore crate," Tsugumasa toled his party leader, who nodded and looked at Raphtalia.

"Raphtalia, keep on guard while I mine the ore. Tsugu, you keep looking in the other crates," He ordered and received a light grumble from Tsugumasa. Raphtalia drew her sword and stood guard between her party members, gripping the blade tight. After a few moments, Naofumi had collected a handful of ore chunks while Tsugumasa finished looking through the crates. As he turned around, Tsugumasa glimpsed at the large two-headed wolf who entered the room from the passage on the right, which sprung him into action as he launched a few flames at the creature.

"HOLY SHIT, THAT FUCKER IS HUGE!" Tsugumasa screamed, causing Naofumi and Raphtalia to jump in fright. Naofumi readied his shield as he looked at Raphtalia.

"Raphtalia, I'll block the creature while you attack! Go!" Naofumi ordered as the beast snarled. Tsugumasa noticed Raphtalia quaking in fear behind Naofumi, the gleaming sword shaking in the low-lit room. On instinct, Tsugumasa rolled to the side and dodged the creature's second head's bite when the first head bit into Naofumi's shield. Naofumi used an air strike shield to block it from attacking Tsugumasa again, forcing it to pay attention to Naofumi.

Tsugumasa shook himself and used his new Spell to bind the creature, earthly roots wrapping around the creature's legs, trapping it. Naofumi looked back at Raphtalia, who still hadn't moved.

"Come on, kill it!" He ordered, causing her to wake from her panic-induced state. Raphtalia rushed forward as Tsugumasa used a few more flames to distract the wolf's heads, stabbing the creature's ribs with her shortsword. As the beast howled in rage, Tsugumasa tightened the roots so Raphtalia could finish killing the double-headed wolf. She quickly stabbed the beast, over and over again, in its ribs as it slowly collapsed from blood loss and punctured organs.

For a moment, all that Tsugumasa and Naofumi could hear were Raphtalia's shrieks as she continued to stab the creature. Tsugumasa ran around the beast and approached Raphtalia with Naofumi.

"Hey, Raphtalia, it's dead! It's okay!" He assured her, making her slow to a stop as she shook in fear. Raphtalia let go of her sword after backing away, allowing Tsugumasa to hold her by her shoulders. "It's okay, Raph. Come on, get it together," he stated softly. When Tsugumasa looked back at Naofumi, he could see Naofumi's eyes shift in his gaze. Tsugumasa slowly pulled Raphtalia away to calm her down more as Naofumi collected monster parts from the beast.

A few moments later, Raphtalia seemed to have brightened up. Some of her past burdens had lifted from her features, giving her a boost of confidence. Tsugumasa kept by her side as they helped dispose of the remains and gave Naofumi monster parts to stuff into the inventory. After a thorough search, the party found plenty of ore and equipment in the rest of the mine. When the party packed everything they could, they returned to the village.