Chapter 17: The Plague.

Been working to support my heroin and hot wheels addiction, so that's why I've been ghost for a while.

All right go to their owners.

Talking: "Ring-a-ring-a-rosies. A pocket full of posies."

Thinking: 'A tissue, a tissue. We all fall down.'

There was a glow that filled the entire room, when it ended, there she stood. Like a divine angel. All the sick and ill were cured as if they were never even sick to begin with.-Quote from a Mirso villager.

Kane walks through the marble halls, alone. His party was at Erhard's. He comes across the large doors to the throne room, with two guards standing outside. They both stiffened at the sight of Kane. "I'm sorry, Spear Hero. The King will only see you if he has summoned for you." A male knight with a grey moustache spoke, standing on one side of the door. His compatriot on the other side nods, face clear of any hair, aiding the look of being young.

Kane stares unamused. "I've got a little letter from the Queen, giving the consort some demands." He speaks, eyeing the knight whose moustache looks like handlebars. "You think pissing off the Queen is a great career choice?"

The two knights look at each other, uncertainty prevalent in their faces. The elder knight sighs. He's the first to start opening the doors, his companion stands there at first, before eventually following suit, opening the other door. Revealing the throne room to Kane. The red carpet before his eyes.

Kane walks, passing the knights and the doors. Pure disdain is spat at Kane, as he walks up to the throne. "Spear Hero. I said you were banished from this throne room, yet here you are."

Kane stands before the King, the aged man stares down at him with hate. The feeling was mutual. "Believe me, dealing with you is the last thing I want, but I'm here to take my knights for the next Wave."

Aultcray stares at Kane for a moment before a mocking laugh escapes him. "Your knights? YOUR?" Aultcray shakes his head. "What makes you think they are yours?"

Kane tilts his head. "Before we get into that, remind me again. What's your position?"

Aultcray snorts. "The King, the one who truly owns YOUR knights."

"You meant to say, King Consort right?" Aultcray blinks, his eyes wide, Kane continues on goading the King. "Yeah, that's right Lüge. I know."

Aultcray seethes with the use of his name, his anger dissipates, and his lips turn into a frown. "...You spoke with Mirellia?" Gone was any mocking snideness. Melancholy is apparent in his voice and tone.

Kane pauses, his eyes squinting in suspicion at the sudden change of the King. "I did."

"...How is she? How is Melty?"

Kane's brow rises, confusion and suspicion are apparent on his tanned face. "You care?"

Any melancholy Aultcray was showing was gone. Anger replaces it, as he slams his fist on the side of the throne. "Of course, I care! They are my family!"

"So, then why have you been ignoring your wife's letters?" Kane crosses his arms, his red eyes glaring into Aultcray's purple eyes, not backing down.

Aultcray's anger turns off like a switch, confusion now apparent on his aged face. "What? What letters?"

"THE letters, y'know, the ones where the Queen wrote down instructions and orders for you."

Aultcray's eyes squint, he turns to his advisor. The senior male gives a practised smile. "The Spear Hero is lying, sire."

"I've got a letter, signed and stamped by the Queen herself." Kane interrupts immediately afterward. "There's also an extra letter from your youngest daughter." The extra letter was handed to him by a Shadow, apparently, the Crown Princess wrote it and decided to give it to him so he could hand it off to the King. Kane was expecting a lot of things when he came into a magical world but becoming a mailman for a dysfunctional royal family wasn't one of them.

The King smiles genuinely for the first time upon hearing about Melty. "Pass me this letter, Spear, I will confirm whether it is my wife's writing or not."

"S-Sire! It is most likely a fake, a conniving ruse concocted by the False Spear and the Shield Devil." The advisor nervously interrupts. His tone high-pitched.

Kane snorts. "Right, because me and Naofumi can mimic, the Queen and Crown Princess's handwriting despite never seeing it before."

The advisor points at Kane, his bony finger jabbing at him. "You most likely used a forger. The Shield Devil is a criminal, of course, she would have criminal connections."

Kane growls at the advisor for his comment on Naofumi, about to snap at the advisor. The King surprisingly defuses the situation by raising his hand. "Enough, the royal stamp will be proof of eligibility of the letter." Aultcray motions for Kane to come forward. "Hand me the letter, Spear." Kane does as asked, moving up to the throne. He hands the seated King, a scroll and a letter. The aged King hides his joy, excited to potentially read from his beloved family.

He unfurls the scroll first. His eyes moved along the page. With every movement, his joy slowly turns to shame and anger. He had hoped for warm words hidden underneath a professional veneer, as was his wife's way of speaking. Instead, he was being scolded and given cold demands, with severe punishment should he not meet these demands.

To Aultcray Melromarc XXXII

As your Queen, I order you to give the Spear Hero, an army of knights. Failure to do will be considered as not only high treason but blasphemy of the highest order. I shouldn't have to tell you what punishment would await for such crimes.

Make no mistake Aultcray, your actions has caused trouble for Melromarc and for your family. When I return, there will be consequences.

Fix this. Now.

Mirellia Q Melromarc.

The purple royal seal is stamped in the bottom right corner of the paper. Proof of its legitimacy. Aultcray would rather have it be a fake than to hear the biting cold words from his cherished wife, but the truth couldn't be denied, perhaps if he had actually received these letters, his wife might not be so enraged at him. This thought causes him to swell with anger. "...Tell me, why is it, the Spear is the first to bring me a letter from my wife?" He turns to his advisor, the elderly advisor begins to sweat nervously as the King stares daggers at the advisor, the heat could almost be felt from his glare.

The man pulls at his collar. "M-My King, the letters were all fake. They did not have the seal."

Aultcray snarls, waving his hand. "We will find out if that is the truth or not later. Guards take him to the dungeons!"

The advisor steps back, shock apparent on his heavily wrinkled face. "What?!" The man looks around as two knights grab him from the back, locking his arms behind his back. The two knights walk away with the former advisor. The old man struggles and twists all that he can to be free of the knight's grasp as he is slowly pulled away.

Kane snorts, giving the advisor a middle finger as he's pulled away. "...How is my wife?" Kane turns to Aultcray. There was no arrogance or hate in the question, it was a genuine request.

"She's mighty pissed at you," Kane said.

Aultcray deadpans. "Your skills at stating the obvious are truly heroic."

"But, she seems alright. Just pissed." Kane said.

Aultcray gives a slight snort. "I've made it apparent how much I disdain you, however… you'll get your knights as my wife requests."

Kane stares at Aultcray, part of him wants to continue taunting him, informing him of the dangers he put his family through. As entertaining as the idea sounds, laziness prevails, he wanted to just go back to his group. "That's all I wanted, I'll be back for them on the day of the Wave." He turns around, moving towards the exit. His task here was complete and the quicker he left, the better for both him and anyone else here.

Aultcray watches Kane leave when he does. He looks at the remaining letter, trepidation causes him to pause. He musters up the courage and slowly opens the envelope, pulling out the folded piece of paper. The sophisticated writing matches that of his daughter.

Dear Father.

I hope you are well, my time shadowing Mother during the conference between countries has been a tense experience, everyone is so hard to read and discern what they want. Mother obviously has no such failings, it seems almost supernatural, she can sway people with such ease. Some of the ambassadors brought their own filolials. The filolials are truly amazing, their colours are so pretty! There was one whose feathers were like looking into lava and it was very well trained! A shame the ambassadors couldn't be as polite or well-behaved as the filolials.

Aultcray chuckles, his daughter's love for the birds was always adorable, the girl tried so hard to be like her mother that she also inherited her mother's weakness toward the long-necked birds. Gushing and cooing over the feathered beasts. He was also inclined to agree with his daughter, he wouldn't hate politics so much if politicians were more simple but alas they were not, instead, the vast majority were two-faced, cunning rats. Truthfully even his wife was rather cold-blooded in the politics game, she didn't mind tricking or manipulating if it meant for the betterment of Melromarc.

Aultcray grumbles, his thoughts going back to the message from his wife. He shakes his head, telling himself he would deal with it later, for now, he continued on reading Melty's letter to him.

I'm coming home soon, Father. When I get back, I want to try and fix things so Mother will not be angry at you, so please, don't cause anymore trouble.

Yours truly, Melty.

A sullen smile forms on Aultcray's face. His youngest hated when he and Mirellia would get into arguments. Shame writhes in his guts, like wiggling maggots. His youngest has to come home and help him fix his supposed errors… has he truly been failing?

Kane walks through the stone-paved streets. The hustle and bustle of the medieval city are at its strongest. With a straight face, he passes by various men and women who smile and brighten at his presence. He enters Erhard's shop. The bell on the door letting out its recognisable jangle.

"Spear Kid!" Kane turns his head to the counter. Erhard standing behind the counter like usual, however, there was another person standing, a male around Kane's age. The young man stares in shock. Kane assumes the person to be an adventurer due to the leather gambeson and other various protective equipment. "The Spear Hero is a regular here. The equipment I've made for him and his party is top notch." Erhard said, crossing his arms with a smug look. "Ain't that right, Spear Kid?"

The young adventurer looks at Erhard and Kane, his brown hair swaying with every turn of his head. He's baffled at the casual tone, a blacksmith is taking with a Cardinal Hero.

"You keep twisting and turning your head like that and it'll pop off." Kane snorts, amusement apparent.

"S-Sorry." The adventurer mutters out an apology. His baby blue eyes were still wide. "I-Is it true? That the blacksmith here makes your equipment?"

Kane's eyes flicker, spotting Erhard giving him a thumbs up with a grin. Kane smirks. "My boy, Erhard is my go-to guy, when it comes to weapons or armour. He's the best blacksmith I know. He makes good stuff for fair prices." Kane points at the adventurer, his lips moving into a lopsided smirk. "Tell all your friends about this shop."

The adventurer nods with vigour, he turns to Erhard. "I'll take it!" The adventurer pulls out a bag and begins counting the silver coins, leaving it on the counter. He turns to Kane. "Have a good day Spear Hero!" He bursts out the door with confidence.

Kane stares at the door in confusion. "...What the fuck has got him so hyped?"

Erhard chuckles, scooping up the silver coins on the table. "He just got armour from the best blacksmith. Kid probably feels invincible with it."

Kane hums. "So, how much are you paying me for my advertisement?"

"A strong handshake and me telling you a good job," Erhard said.

Kane scoffs. "Gee, thanks." Erhard laughs in response. "How're the kids?"

Erhard hums. "Keel is sleeping, while Leo and Rifana are training in an open space." Erhard stares at Kane. "Obviously, there's not much they can do back there other than practise swordplay and archery." Erhard sighs, aggravation apparent in his weathered face. "Shen is also screwing around with my forge, talking about how. 'My flames are way hotter than this!' Damn forge room is as hot as a volcano now."

"Sorry about him." Kane said slight guilt in his voice.

Erhard huffs as he waves his hand. "Eh, don't worry about it."

Kane leans on the counter. Rubbing his tanned chin. "Well, thanks for looking after them. I don't want to leave 'em at an inn for some racist fuckers to try some shit, and I sure as shit don't want to leave them in the forest."

Erhard nods, his head pauses suddenly, an idea emerging. "Hey… how about you purchase a guild hall."

"What?" The words pop out of Kane's mouth immediately, confusion apparent.

"You should purchase a guild hall."

Kane stares at Erhard. "You think I've got enough money for that? Not to say I'm struggling but purchasing a guild hall sounds like a lot of effort and money."

"It won't be cheap," Erhard said. He takes a deep breath. "But I think it would be worth it. A guild hall would mean you have rooms to house both you and Shield Lassie, training grounds to improve on your skills, storage, the list goes on."

Kane stares at Erhard, his eyes narrow slightly in confusion. "Are you trying to pawn off a guild hall to me?"

"You wish." An amused sniff emits from Erhard. "No, I've got a drinking buddy who's been asking if I know any adventurers that would be willing to buy the property of him."

The tanned southerner hums in thought. "Do you really think I should buy it?"

"I do," Erhard said. "It will be costly, but you won't have to worry about getting ambushed by monsters in the forest, or in the inns."

"...Fuck it."

Erhard tells Kane to return the next day, as he would set a meeting between the owner of the building and Kane. Other than that the day goes by unceremoniously. The party takes a guild job, but due to their high levels and stats, the job was pitifully easy.

Kane pokes his Spear into a fire, bored as he takes night watch over the group. His party other than Shen would argue, saying that he needs his rest and that they would take the next watch and let him rest. Kane was adamant about it, not submitting to the concerned requests of his party.

The orange flame licks the Spear, with no physical damage, the steel isn't even scorched is present on the Spear. Despite the lack of eyes, Kane could feel the glare from the Spear.

{I regret summoning you.}

Kane snorts. He tugs the Spear out of the flame. He stares into the red gem of polearm. "Does that even harm you in any way?"

{No, however, it is a slight annoyance.}

"Like it's uncomfortable warm or?" Kane said, his brow slightly raised.

{No, it is just an annoyance looking through the flames.}

Kane hums to himself. He leans back and stares up at the stars.

"It hurts…" Rustling is heard along with Leo's voice is heard. The normally stoic Lion Demi-Human voice is stricken with fear. The tone and words set Kane off, pouncing up and rushing towards the tent. Violently opening the flap to the tent. He takes a calm breath finding the party all resting undisturbed despite him almost ripping open the flap to the tent.

Expect for Leo, the Demi-Human squirms on the floor. Writhing around in his sleeping bag. Kane kneels, softly planting his hand on Leo's shoulder. "It's okay Leo, it's just a nightmare."

Leo's panicked flailing slowly calms, until the only movement is the rising of his chest as he takes a deep breath. His eyes remain closed. Kane stares at Leo in quiet silence, after a while, he pats Leo gently. "G'night Leo."

Kane stands up, and leaves the tent, returning to the campfire. Kane keeps a watchful vigil for the rest of the night.

Kane follows Erhard, the two wandering in the residential area of Castle Town. The street is silent as only a few passersby wander about the area in comparison to the market area of Castle Town. "There it is." Erhard stares at the supposed building. Kane observes the structure for himself. The building itself was large, like a miniaturised mansion. Three stories high, the walls were sturdy, although vines have grown on the side of the brick, the well-crafted windows dirty and grimy. Kane grimaces at the lack of maintenance and care for the building.

Erhard grins, waving at a man standing by the entrance of the building, Erhard and Kane approach the man. "Mikhail!"

Mikhail turns to Erhard and smirks. The now-named man most definitely had an expensive style. Fine robes with rich patterns on the chest of his clothing, the robes being of high-quality silk and leather. Various rings on his fingers. A feathered chaperon upon his head. "Erhard, good to see you, my friend." Erhard and Kane stand before him. "And the Spear Hero, an honour to meet you Spear Hero, truly the stories do not do you enough credit."

Kane scoffs, a lopsided grin on his face. "Enough with the ass-kissing, you won't be able to butter me up."

Mikhail shrugs nonchalantly. "Well, you can't blame me for trying." The man turns. "Well, we can start off by looking at the front door."

Kane's brow rises. "...The front door is how we're starting this tour?" Staring at the door and then Mikhail. The door itself seemed a bit odd, an enormous, ornate metallic door with a crystal ball embedded above the knocker. "It's a fucking door, why are we starting with it like it's something of importance?"

Mikhail snorts. "If it was just any ordinary door, I would agree, however, this door is a Hueve door."

Erhard hums while crossing his arms, Kane's face, however, contorts even more in confusion. "A fucking who ha?"

"It's a door that you can adjust the parameters of magically, you don't even need a key. If the owner set it so you can enter, all you need to do is push open the door." Erhard said, he goes on to further explain it. "You can't even pick the lock, since there is none." Erhard pouts his lips and nods. "Honestly, it's a good start to the tour."

"Why is it called Hueve?" Kane said. It was the most simple question, far more than asking how it worked.

"The creator of it was called Tobi Hueve, he was an arcanesmith. Originally, he called it the Magically Enhanced Secure Door, but that was too long and the abbreviation of it wasn't catchy so he just named it after himself." Mikhail said, his palms pressed together. "It has various features, you can choose what time someone is allowed in, what day, if someone can have permanent access, in case you need someone to look after the building, the list goes on."

Kane stares at the Hueve door. It sounded excessive to him but the extra features did sound useful, it at the very least didn't hurt the idea of Kane buying the building. Mikhail plants his hand on the door and pushes it open, as if was never really closed. It was rather odd at how a real estate agent or this world's equivalent of it, pushed open a massive metal door with no difficulty.

Those thoughts quickly left Kane's head as the front room of the building came into view. Four paths to take. A hallway to the left, to the right, and straight ahead. A set of rich mahogany stairs leads to the second floor. The walls match the stairs with the mahogany wood, along with maroon, embossed wallpaper.

A few hours pass as the Kane and Erhard follow Mikhail throughout the building, the refined man showing off certain rooms such as the training yard, kitchen, dining room and bathroom. Even showing off the first floor with numerous amount of bedrooms. All the rooms vary slightly in size and furniture.

They ended the tour right where they started, in the front room. "So, what do you think Spear Hero?" Mikhail said, staring at Kane with a charismatic smile.

Kane crosses his arms. "It's nice, other than having to dust and clean the place."

Mikhail clears his throat, embarrassed at the state of the building. "Yes, if my schedule was not filled to the brim, I would have delayed this meeting, so, I could prepare the house, but despite its need for a clean, the house is still exemplary, I will even hire cleaners for you, should you purchase this building."

Kane hums, he looks over to Erhard, and the towering blacksmith shrugs. "It's a good deal, big enough you don't have to worry about space, but not so big you won't be able to find someone else in the building. You're not gonna find another building like this either."

Mikhail nods in agreement. "Correct, this guild hall is rather unique for its size and utilities."

"If it's so unique, why hasn't it been bought for so long? That ivy on the wall has almost reached the top. Better yet, what happened to the owners? There's still a bunch of furniture here." Kane said, suspicion and curiosity mixing into one.

"This building was specifically made for a guild of young adults who came from noble families, you know the type. The ones that want to get all the glory and fame of being legendary adventurers, however, once the Wave started and one of the nobles was severely harmed the rest… reconsidered the idea of being adventurers. They all went back to their families and abandoned the building." Mikhail said, not yet finished with his explanation.

Mikhail sighs. "The reason with people not purchasing the building is its uniqueness." Kane and Erhard both stare at Mikhail in confusion, the middle-aged man further elaborating. "You see, this building is too big and expensive for any small-time adventurer groups, but it's too small for any of the big groups. It's a middle ground but there's no group that can take as they are either staying small to ensure fewer cuts of pay, or gain large amounts of adventurers to take multiple jobs to earn as much as quickly."

"I think this building will be perfect for you, Spear Hero. There's more room for you to grow your party, a place to train, and storage for whatever spoils you find during your adventures."

That last tidbit was negligible due to Kane's unlimited inventory, however, everything else was valuable to him, a building which he owns, so none of his party would be harassed. He sighs. "Alright… 100 gold coins," Kane states his offer.

Mikhail shakes his head. "No that's too little, 200 gold coins."

"125."

"190."

"130."

"180."

"150, and I give it all to you in gold coins right now."

Mikhail hums, rubbing his chin. Moments go by before Mikhail speaks again. "Deal."

Kane's hand shoots out, Mikhail shaking it. "Come with me, we'll go sign the documents, and you'll be the new owner of the Hallowsword Estate."

Hours later, Kane was 150 gold coins lighter, but with a new deed to a building where he and his party could rest in peace and safety. His thoughts went to Naofumi, wondering how she was doing.

The Shield Hero and Raphtalia sit in the carriage as Filo and Sakura tug it along on their journey. The approach to Mirso village was marked by thick smog, the sunlight completely smothered, making the forest almost pitch black. Naofumi grimaces, her reaction is the most held back in comparison to her other party members. Raphtalia gags, her hand covering her mouth. Filo and Sakura cover their beaks with their wings, the foul stench in the air, affecting them just as much.

"Shield Hero." A Shadow pokes its head from the passenger seat into the driver seat. The canvas is held to the side as the Shadow stares at Naofumi.

Naofumi and Raphtalia, both yelp in surprise, and Sakura and Filo both skid to a stop. The four whip their heads towards the intruder, Raphtalia, slightly unsheathing her sword. The Filolials and Naofumi glare at the shrouded figure. Naofumi growls out, her tone full of menace. "Who the hell are you?"

The figure raises one hand in a peaceful gesture, Naofumi's growl not even fazing the figure. "I serve the Queen. I am here to give you vital equipment to enter Mirso village and to inform you of the situation in Mirso."

Naofumi glares even harder, scrutinising the Shadow. Although such a thing was pointless, the Shadow gave off no cues, they didn't even look like they were breathing, almost as if they were mannequin. Naofumi couldn't even tell the gender of Shadow.

She sighs. "Why did you have to sneak in there? Couldn't you have just stood in front of us, on the road?"

"I did." The Shadow said, completely devoid of any emotion or tone. "You went past me."

"...Oh," Naofumi muttered. "Well, can't exactly see you in this dark forest."

"That's the point." The Shadow removes a large satchel strapped to them. They hand it over to Naofumi, who cautiously accepts it. "Inside the bag are masks; they will protect you from the plague, provided you avoid certain areas, and a recipe to create disease resistance potions, along with ingredients needed for it."

Naofumi pulls out a mask, it resembled a plague doctor's mask. The entire protective mask was black, apart from the brown stitching that hold in the eyepieces of the mask. "Certain areas?"

"The path to the mountain is toxic, the mountain even more so." The Shadow said, it continues on speaking, revealing something horrifying. "The dragon is alive, it's roars can be heard from Mirso village."

Filo and Sakura both grin in glee, the idea of a dragon to fight fills them with excitement, Raphtalia and Naofumi however have completely different reactions to the revelation. "What the hell do you mean the dragon is alive?!"

The Shadow doesn't even flinch as Naofumi raises her voice. "The dragon is alive, whether it was feigning death or it has been resurrected by some means we do not know. Unfortunately, we can not even scout out the area, the air is too toxic for us. All we can do is make educated guesses that the dragon is likely on the top of the mountain as that was where it was last seen, the miasma around the mountain is also the strongest in comparison to anywhere else in the region."

Naofumi kisses her teeth. "Tch. This was supposed to be a simple job, I should just cut my losses and leave to make sure none of my party get sick." She didn't want to risk it, she didn't want to risk anyone she cares about getting seriously sick for a bunch of people she didn't even know. For a bunch of people who probably despise her like so many others.

"Naofumi…" Raphtalia looks at Naofumi in disappointment.

The Shadow if it was angry at the callous nature of the Shield Hero didn't show it in its voice at all, the same monotone voice speaks. "You understand that you are Mirso's only hope? If the plague continues on as it does, we will be forced to contain it. Mirso village will be put to the sword, and everyone there will be killed and burned." The Shadow pauses for a moment as if contemplating something, before speaking. "There is no guarantee that the containment will even work, as the dragon is the root cause of the plague, it could spread beyond Mirso, perhaps across all of Melromarc, the Waves are already causing trouble for Melromarc, imagine what would happen if a plague spread while the Waves are still ongoing."

Naofumi frowns just a bit. "Why is it my responsibility to save you? Haven't you bastards taken enough from me, now you want me to risk people I care about for your damn country."

"It is your responsibility because you are the only one who can do anything about it." The Shadow stated.

"Get Kane to do it, he's the selfless one that likes helping people," Naofumi said. "Or, go get the two Cardinal Stooges, I'm sure those two will help out great." The venomous mockery drips from her words like poison from a snake's fang.

"I was not exaggerating when I said you were the only one that can save Mirso village. Only you; the other three Heroes do not have your abilities when it comes to potions and medicines, only you have the skill to

create both a cure and poison resistance potions; strong enough to cure the plague and to resist the mountain's malignant air."

Naofumi tightens her grasp around the bag, and Raphtalia stares at her, pleading. Naofumi for a few moments stared into Raphtalia's eyes. The Tanuki girl doesn't falter from the cold stare from Naofumi. Naofumi deflates. "...Fine. I'll do it, but I expect fair compensation for this."

The Shadow nods. "Understandable, I will ensure payment adequate to the risk of the job will be secured for you." The Shadow pulls out a small black bracelet, with a tiny bell attached to it. The Shadow hands it to Naofumi, who takes it, staring at the odd bracelet. "Once you create the poison resistance potions, summon me with this bell, I will appear and take the potions off you, with that I and my fellow Shadows will scout out the area of the mountain, to confirm if the dragon is there and to see the state it is in."

Naofumi nods in agreement, it was a sound plan really. Let the Shadows test out her potions and get potentially vital intel on the dragon. She looks back up, the Shadow that was in the back vanished, not a single sign of its presence was left. Naofumi hums, a bit disturbed at the talent of Shadows appearing and disappearing in a supernatural manner.

The group put on their masks, even Filo and Sakura had their own masks which were shaped differently to fit against their beaks. Naofumi attaches the mask to her face, tightening the straps to snugly fit against her head. Surprisingly, the mask was comfortable. The foul odour of the air was filtered by the mask. The party gets back to move, although Filo and Sakura are no longer blocking their beaks with their wings, the forest is still too dark for them to run through safely.

The party moves along, slowly trotting through the dark forest. Not a bird can be heard, nor a cricket. Not even the bushes rustle. The area is completely devoid of life, the trees diseased and dying or already dead. Complete lack of forest critters and other wildlife, one would normally see in a forest.

"You should act more like a Hero, Naofumi." The Tanuki girl said, displeased with Naofumi's callousness.

Naofumi doesn't even twitch. "I don't care. This country has screwed me over and they expect me to be charitable?"

"You protected Riyute village, you helped Lemo village, even Staule, a whole country."

Naofumi raises a hand, punctuating every one of her points with one of her fingers. "One. I protected Riyute village only since I was already there, I didn't go out of my way for it, Two. I helped Lemo village unintentionally, only reason I stuck with Kane was to get monster drops from him and to make sure he didn't hurt himself. And three. All I did for Staule was give them a seed, something that I asked for compensation for."

Raphtalia's brows furrow. "You know that isn't the whole truth. You still have those wooden statues from trading with those villagers from Staule."

Naofumi shrugs nonchalantly. "There's nobody that wants to buy it, they're not really worth much."

"Then why did you accept it as payment?" Raphtalia responds to something that Naofumi couldn't come up with an answer to, Raphtalia doesn't say anything else, her point having been established. Silence washes over the group.

(-)

The party slowly cart their way into the village, Naofumi transforms her Shield into book form, so as to hide her identity. The area is glum and desolate. Not a single person can be seen walking about, no sound of idle chatter between neighbours, no children running around playing, not even a bird tweeting its song. Naofumi looks around the area. "...Place might already be dead."

"Not yet." A muffled voice causes the party to turn their heads. They find three guards with masks approaching them, the one in the centre at the front, assumes is the leader. The mask on his face is of higher quality, including his armour and weapon. The group of guards stop a foot or so away from Naofumi's carriage. "Mind telling me who you are? I find it a bit odd you just wandered into a dying town."

Naofumi clears her throat. "I'm a healer, I came here to sell my services."

The two guards at the back look at each other, the leader however crosses his arms. "You good enough to cure the plague?"

"Yes." The steel in Naofumi's voice could easily be heard despite the mask muffling it.

The leader stares at Naofumi. The two sides not speaking at all. The leader nods his head. "Alright, head over to the church." They point out the path for Naofumi. "it's the place where all the sick are gathered. Talk to the Sister there. When that's done, tell one of my guards and they'll lead you to me, I want to have a talk with you afterward."

Naofumi nods her head, smacking the reins on Filo and Sakura, causing the two Filolials to move towards the church. Passing by the quiet street, only a guard here and then there can be spotted. They eventually make it.

Standing outside the church, there are three statues, made out of carved stone. The three statues represent the three Cardinal Heroes; the Spear, the Bow and the Sword, or at least what's left of the Sword statue. It's been defaced, chunks broken off and angry graffiti written all over it, the other two statues were not spared from the graffiti, but the Sword statue was the worst off.

"It seems the people are very unhappy with the Sword Hero," Raphtalia states, looking over the condition of the statues. "But why have the Spear and Bow been mistreated?"

Naofumi speaks with a frown. "Because they're not here. They're just looking for something to hate." Naofumi leans down, a chunk of chiselled stone on the floor. She picks it up. She looks around quickly, ensuring no one is watching, before planting the stone on the gem of her book Shield.

Stone Shield unlocked! +10 Def, Medium resistance to slash.

Skill unlocked! Stoneskin: Transform your skin into pure stone, boosting your defence by 50% but lowering your agility by 80%

Carved Stone Shield unlocked! +18 Def, +2 Carving.

Naofumi winces slightly at the massive reduction in agility, such a thing would essentially slow her to a crawl, perhaps it would be good to use it in bursts, to take her foes by surprise.

Naofumi turns around to the cart, her eyes on Filo and Sakura. "You two, stay here by the cart and don't do anything."

"Okay, master!"

"Okay."

Filo responds with her natural excitement while Sakura responds with her usual aloofness.

Naofumi and Raphtalia enter the church. The empty streets were far better than the overcrowded church. The air was miserable, crying and wailing can be heard. The occasional dry cough sounds like someone was choking to death. Naofumi grimaces at the sight, while Raphtalia's ear droop.

A woman in a nun outfit walks up to her, a mask covering her face. Her eyes were bloodshot, dark circles underneath the eyes. "Can I help you?"

Naofumi sighs inwardly, having to explain herself again. "I have medicines and potions to cure the plague."

The nun's face noticeably brightens. "O-Oh! That's fantastic. Please follow me, I will show you the ones who are the worst off."

The nun turns around, walking through the sea of the diseased. Naofumi and Raphtalia followed directly behind. Raphtalia tries to keep her eyes straight, but the sight of a child coughing blood causes her eyes to water. Her heart wrenched at the sight. Raphtalia refocuses when they reach a sectioned-off area. The nun parts a section, making an entrance for Naofumi and Raphtalia to squeeze through.

If the sight before was causing pain for Raphtalia it was even worse here. There are a few children mixed with adults, their skin pale. Wheezing can be heard, the patients struggle to even breathe. Another person can be spotted, with long braided green hair. Her green eyes are just as tired as the nun. No ordinary medicine can help these wretched victims, so, Naofumi pops out a potion straight away, activating a bunch of skills that boost her potions.

Skill used! Potion Efficiency High.

Skill used! Potion Radius Medium.

She gently grabs a man by the head, and the man groans in agony. She plants the potion on his lips and slowly lifts it. The man drinks the liquid, and a golden hue envelopes him. His skin returned to a more healthy tone. His groans of pain slowly die down, the golden hue expands, and a third of the sectioned-off area even a few outside it are affected by the hue, their skins just like the man returning to its usual tone.

The nun stares in amazement, and even the other girl watches in awe, while Raphtalia smiles. Naofumi stands up, another potion on another plague victim, the potion taking effect and curing the illness, including a number of others, it didn't take long before the worst of afflicted were cured, all of them still sleeping to recover their strength from the plague. The nun wipes her eye. "You are a blessing in these dark times." Naofumi huffs, she leaves the sectioned-off area, and she moves on to curing everyone else in the church.

Her skills make quick work of the plague, in a matter of minutes, she cures everyone in the church, the plague completely removed. Naofumi recoils as a group of people thank her, praising her endlessly. Naofumi squeezes out, Raphtalia right behind her. Sobs of joy can be heard, the atmosphere just a little lighter.

Naofumi steps out of the church with a sigh, Raphtalia following. Two guards can be seen standing outside, their weapons drawn. "W-What happened in there? Why was there a golden light emitting from it?"

"It's… a talent I have, all your sick are healed. Where's your captain, they wanted to speak with me apparently." Naofumi said, calm, without her usual edge in her tone, or the occasional cold tone. The healing of the sick did lift her spirits.

"Can you take her? I… I gotta check up on my son." One of the guards asked its fellow compatriot. The other guard nods, the first one rushing into the church, passing by Naofumi and Raphtalia.

"Come with me then, I'll take you to the captain." The guard turns, moving.

Naofumi turns to Filo and Sakura. "Stay there you two." She turns back around and follows behind the guard, Raphtalia doing the same.

They reached the leader of the guards, they found a group of people surrounding a blazing hole, guards standing by on the sidelines. A number of villagers can be seen, wailing in sorrow over the hole, a priest nearby, and staring into the pit with an empty gaze.

Raphtalia tilts her head in confusion. "What's going on over there?"

"Mass burial." The guard states blankly as if they had to witness it plenty of times.

Naofumi stares at the hole, slight pity in her chest, her good mood vanishing immediately, she may not really care about these people but it was still a sad sight to see. Raphtalia's ears lower in sadness. She turns her head to the guard, unable to stare at the crowd crying over the grave. "...How many?" Raphtalia asks.

The man sighs. "13… Sad to think that's a good day."

Naofumi frowns. "13 is a good day? How much is a bad day?"

The man is silent for a few moments. "...39."

Raphtalia stares at him in shock, while Naofumi doesn't even respond, just silently watching the scene of villagers bawling their misery at their lost loved ones. Time passes, and the crying of the villagers doesn't weak. The captain of the guards walks up to Naofumi and Raphtalia. "You're back from the church earlier than I expected."

"I already cured everyone in the church."

The captain sighs, he turns back to the group of wailing villagers before facing Naofumi again. "Come with me then, we can talk in my office." Once again Naofumi and Raphtalia were following someone else, although thankfully the trip was extremely short, the three of them entering a spartan room in what Naofumi assumes is the guard's barracks.

The man takes a seat at the table and pulls off his mask, planting it on the table. The captain was a man who looked in his mid-30s, with a strong jaw and chiselled cheeks. Messy dark green hair nestled on his head. "So, how much time do we have before the village is put to the sword?"

Naofumi shrugs. "They didn't tell me."

The man stares at Naofumi, a deep frown on his face. Just like the nun and so many others his eyes were tired. He sighs. "Did they send the Shield Devil to her death, or have they actually not yet decided when they plan on exterminating us."

Naofumi's head shoots back for a moment, even Raphtalia looks surprised at this. "You know, I'm the Shield Hero?"

The man shrugs. "Green eyes, black hair, and something attached to your arm with a green gem in it, not that hard to put that one together, although to be fair most people don't even know the characteristics of the Heroes other than their Legendary Weapons, even less so for the Shield."

"Will anyone else figure it out?" Naofumi said, concerned at her identity as the Shield Hero being figured out.

The captain shakes his head. "Other than Father Grisori? Doubt it." Naofumi kisses her teeth, the lead priest knowing who she was would surely lead to trouble down the line. The captain however speaks against the thought. "He's got too much on his hand to worry about the Shield, so I wouldn't worry about him. What I would worry about is how although you cured our sick, unless you have an ability to cleanse the air of the plague then we're screwed no matter what."

Naofumi did have an idea and it had to do with a Bioplant. "I might have something that can purify the air." She straightens in the seat. "That's not all, see the Shadows here are willing to scout out the mountain if I can make them a potion that resists the plague in the air."

The captain hums, a fire in his eyes seeming to reignite. "If you can make a large amount of these potions, then I can get a group of fighters together to fight the dragon."

Naofumi turns to Raphtalia, who in turn looks at her. Naofumi turns back to the captain. "And how strong are these fighters?"

"The strongest I can get in this village, you won't get any adventurers as they were the first to fall but you won't get frail bumpkins either." The captain said.

Naofumi nods her head. "Alright. I get the potions made now for the Shadows, then I see what I can do for purifying the air."

The captain nods and the fire that burns within his eyes seem to get brighter with a plan being made.

Artoa stares at an unfurled map, resting atop the marble desk in Artoa's study. Two Church Shadows surround the table.

"We will call a meeting between you and the leader of Lerno. We will make a suspicious comment, about how you offer to protect him with an entourage of your own guards, force him to be paranoid and cautious of us, resulting in him taking a number of guards with him away from the village. While he is gone, we will set a group of rampaging monsters upon Lerno village, which will be weakened with the lord of Lerno taking away guards. As the lord of Lerno is returning to his village, we will assassinate him, also with monsters or perhaps bandits." A Shadow laid out the entire plan, no emotion at all, not even a slight tinge of it.

Artoa was slightly perturbed by the Shadow's cold words. This was essentially terrorism, they were going to exterminate an entire village, Artoa begins justifying it in her head, or at least tries to. A small seed of doubt sits in Artoa's mind.

When I first wrote this fanfic, I wanted to make a Sword Hero OC, someone who's all gruff and moody. Decided against it since Naofumi already exists and he or in this case she is already grumpy, and so along came the idea to make a hot-headed jock asshole as the Spear Hero. Someone who has no clue what the fuck a Isekai is, or really any anime or manga tropes. The idea was funny to me so I went with it, and along came Kane.