To SkyChaser17: Thank you so much for your kind words. I'll try to limit my habit of referencing things from Genshin Impact, but I can't promise to never do it since the game just has so much for me to pull inspiration from. I'll also try to do Kirin's night with Eugeo justice, just like you said.
To JensenDaniels32: Don't worry, I won't abandon this story. I will definitely resume this fanfic after the Season 1 portion ends. As for Rino, I couldn't find pictures or descriptions of her at the time that I wrote her introduction, so I instead settle with Miku's (from Data A Live anime) appearance and made do with it. Sorry if I wasn't able to stay fateful to the source material on this character. And sorry, I don't it's possible for Naofumi and Eugeo to reach Level 140 by the end of Season 1.
To Ebuc: The Adventurers party for the Griffin fught were based on the Arataki Gang from Genshin Impact.
To Raidentensho: Sorry, but the twins won't be joining Eugeo's party after their arc. Though they will make some appearances as side characters.
To T.V. 2000: Thank you so much for your kind words and I'll try my best to consider your advice and suggestions. As for the Cursed Series, yes they will be somewhat like corrupted versions of his skills, but I will also put my own spin on things to keep them interesting.
To Dayside: I know that Eugeo appeared to be too judgmental on the first chapter, so I made a few changes to lessen it. But please understand that everything that happened in Underworld is still extremely fresh in Eugeo's mind, so he wasn't exactly on the best mental state to handle more bullshit after all he had to go through.
To dukkeh216: I'm sorry if the gang rape scene soured your opinion of the chapter, but I did made several warnings and markers that would allow readers to skip it if they wanted. Just rest assured that scenes like that will be rare and would most likely never happen again in this fanfic.
To Merchant: Like I said before, I'm sorry if the gang rape scene soured your opinion of the chapter, but I did made several warnings and markers that would allow readers to skip it if they wanted. Just rest assured that scenes like that will be rare and would most likely never happen again in this fanfic.
To Archduke: Naofumi's party knowing about Sacred Arts is actually a blunder on my part, so I decided to just go with it let it be assumed that they learned it from Eugeo offscreen.
To Anonymous: Oh definitely yes, Naofumi will eventually get a Perfect Weapon Control for the Spirit Tortoise Shield once we reach that point in the story.
To Twilight: Nasir's appearance is actually from a not so very liked anime. I couldn't remember its name, so when she finally appears in the story again, I'll be putting her picture on the story profile for everyone to see.
COUNT OF POLLS:
1.) Anna's special night
Femdom - 1
Fem-Bondage- 2
Male-Bondage- 2
Normal but Rough Lovemaking - 8
2.) Kirin's turn with Eugeo
After 2nd Wave (Siltvelt) - 4
After Pope battle (Toudou clan manor) - 6
Cal Mira Archipelago Arc - 4
RESULTS OF POLLS:
1.) Well, at least Eugeo would be less traumatized by his upcoming first time with Anna.
2.) Looks like Kirin aka Yuuki will be following Asuna's example, hehehe... After all, Kirito and Asuna did consummate their relationship shortly after they barely survived a life threatening ordeal.
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"Ginny thinks that's the last of them," Guinevere said with a proud croon as she pulled her talons free from the beastly corpse that she was standing on. The creature being a white tiger-like monster with a caved in skull to be exact.
"It seems so," Naofumi said with a small smile. Giving the young Filolial a satisfying belly rub that he knew the girl loved so much for a job well done before checking over to his two other comrades.
"Sharp Nail!"
"Helical Twice!"
Twin flashes of combat skills surged as a crimson sword and an amber spear found their mark with their respective targets...
(*Splurt*)
" "Baaaahhh!" "
their foes being a pair of beastly mountain rams that were the last survivors of their aggressive herd.
(*Thud*) (*Thud*)
"We're all done here as well Master Naofumi!" Rino beamed enthusiastically, with Raphtalia giving a nod of confirmation after double checking their surroundings with her sharper raccoon ears.
"I don't hear any more monsters coming from the mountain. So that should be the last of them in this area," the Tanuki girl said with more certainty.
'I can confirm that, there isn't a monster for a good few kilometers, so we're safe from any surprises for the time being.'
"Alright, that's good to know," Naofumi nodded as he silently assessed today's haul of monsters.
It had been three days since they had left Mirso village behind, and in that time, they had gone from the forest to the mountains to hunt for more exotic monsters while also grinding EXP to increase their levels.
Good thing too, since said village would probably be undergoing some major management changes. They all sensed the impending political storm that this kind of shift would entail (something the Shielders and his party had no patience for), so it didn't take much convincing for everyone to get away from there as soon as Raphtalia and Rino were healed.
As for the dragon fragments that his fellow Hero left behind, to Naofumi's slight disappointment, (with the exception of one shield that he unlocked from the dragon's teeth) they merely gave him some more stat boosters with a few flame resistances thrown into the mix. Useful they may be when up against flame-based attacks, they still didn't provide him with any offensive means of attack.
On the bright side, the {Weapon Skill} that he received from Gaelion's leftover teeth...
[Dragon Flashfang Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: High - Base Defense: 75]
[Mastery: 0/90 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Flashfire Burst - Lv. 0]
Level 45 Required
The {Flashfire Burst} is a counter type skill, similar to {Dog Bite} and {Venom Strike}. Naofumi would have to take a hit first before the offensive aspect can be carried out.
While not the outcome that the Shielder was hoping for, it was still a significant upgrade to his overall damage output.
"Let's see what we got," Naofumi muttered to himself as his mind returned to the present. Beginning the strenuous chore of absorbing the monsters that they'd reaped from the mountain's denizens.
'What do you think Mash-senpai?'
'Well... with the blunt nature of those beastly goats, along with that sizable tiger that Ginny found hiding in the snowbank... I believe our chances for an offensive shield are quite high Kouhai.'
"Okay then, here goes nothing," Naofumi muttered as he began absorbing the various monster fragments from their current mountainous battlefield.
[Ram Horn Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 75]
[Mastery: 0/90 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Horn Charge - Lv. 0]
Level 35 Required
[Ram Hoove Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 65]
[Mastery: 0/75 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Climbing Ability Up (High) - Lv. 0]
Level 30 Required
[Ram Wool Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 0]
[Mastery: 0/35 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Freezing Debuff Resistance - Lv. 0]
[Exclusive Ability: Woolly Wall - Lv. 0]
Level 20 Required
[Snow Tiger Fang Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 85]
[Mastery: 0/100 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Frost Chomp - Lv. 0]
Level 37 Required
[Snow Tiger Hide Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 55]
[Mastery: 0/75 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Stealth Ability Up (Medium) - Lv. 0]
Level 35 Required
Though most of the monster parts that Naofumi absorbed only gave small Stat Boosters like he expected, the Shielder was absolutely floored by the two new {Weapon Skills} that were added to his arsenal.
'Finally!' Naofumi mentally cheered,'Some skills that are actually used for attacking!'
Don't get him wrong, though Naofumi was able to push the limitations of his Legendary Shield's restrictions (mostly by being creative with their use and by merging {Weapon Skills} with {Combat Skills}) the Shielder couldn't deny that a part of him still yearned for skills that are solely used for attacking.
But now he finally got it!
'(*giggle*)... It looks like you finally got your wish Kouhai,' Mash said with small giggle at her junior's good fortune before taking a look at their latest additions, 'Hmmm... the {Horn Charge} skill seems to be a headlong forward shield bash that mimics the headbutt that those mountain goats would normally do against their rivals. Meanwhile, {Frost Chomp looks to be a literal bite from teeth-like icicle projects that can appear a few meters in front of the shield. The final one though...'
Much to Naofumi's confusion and surprise, his Senpai began laughing profusely. It was such a melodious and pleasant sound to be honest, leaving Naofumi stunned for a few seconds for hearing his Senpai's laughter before he asked what was so funny.
Refusing to answer, Mash simply took it upon herself to transform the Legendary Shield into its [Ram Wool Shield] form before insisting him on using its ability.
It goes without saying that judging by its appearance alone, it was not suited for combat. The shield looked more like fluffy shield-shaped pillow that someone would hug in their sleep than anything else!
'You might want to take a step back everyone,' Mash warned the baffled girls before signaling Naofumi to let it rip.
"Alright then..." the younger Shielder mumbled uncertainly but obeyed his senpai nonetheless, "Woolly Wall!"
The green gem of the now fluffy pillow-like shield shimmered for a second before it, along with its wielder got completely entrapped in a thick layered ball of soft fluffy wool!
"WHAT THE HELL!"
Naofumi exclaimed in embarrassed indignation as Mash began laughing at his predicament in reckless abandon as the Legendary Shield vibrated and broadcasted her amusement to the rest of their comrades in arms. Raphtalia, Rino and Guinevere followed suit shortly after once their initial surprise wore off and gave way to humorous laughter.
"It's not funny!" Naofumi yelled in offense over his current dilemma as he struggled to free himself but only succeeded in popping his head out from under all that fluff. Which, unfortunately for him, only made the girls' laughter grow that much more hysterical.
"I'm sorry (*gasp*) Master Naofumi! Hahaha!"
"But that's (*gasp*) just too hilarious! Hahaha!"
"And look! Hihihihi..." Guinevere snickered as she gave the squirming ball of wool a big warm hug, "You're really nice and warm to hug."
The Shield Hero could do nothing but groan as Raphtalia and Rino joined Ginny in hugging his fluffy entrapment. It took a few minutes of waiting, but his companions soon returned to their senses once they got their laughter out of their systems.
"Now that you four are done, can someone please tell me what the point of this ridiculous skill is?!"
'Well, other than becoming an unlimited source of wool that you can harvest any time you want...' Mash jokingly replied (which actually caught some of Naofumi's attention purely for the money he could get out of it) before turning more serious,'It also provides complete and nearly absolutely protection against all blunt type attacks that ever gets in contact with. So even if you fall from hundreds of feet in the air or get pummeled by a full-scale battering ram, you won't receive any damage to your health. Additionally, it also provides great resistance against freezing debuffs.'
"(*sigh*) Alright, alright, I admit it, it's not as useless as I thought. But it's also not something I can use often since it prevents me from being able to move when activated. So, if you would please-"
Having proven her point, Mash promptly deactivated the skill, much to the girls' (especially Guinevere's) disappointment.
" " "Awwww..." " "
Trying his hardest to fix some of his damaged dignity, Naofumi cleared his throat in a more audible manner...
"AHEM!"
before pushing to more important matters.
"Moving on... how are you two holding up?" Naofumi said much more gently as he aimed his eyes toward Raphtalia and Rino's hands, "They're not hurting or anything, right?"
"N-No they aren't, Master Naofumi."
"Other than being slightly numb due to all the fighting, my hands are just fine Master."
The two girls couldn't help but smile fondly, feeling both flattered and giddy on how their Master still worried for their well-being, despite his efforts in maintaining his cold facade.
"That's good to hear," Naofumi said with a small sigh of relief before opening his [Stacia Window]. After taking a tentative look at the contents of his [Item Storage], the Shield Hero soon came to a decision.
"It's time for us to head back. We'll start heading for the capital tomorrow."
"Huh? So, you're wrapping up the trading trip already?" Raphtalia asked in confusion. Something that was shared by the rest of the girls.
"But why?! I was just beginning to have some fun... especially with some of those Griffin leftovers still lying around," Guinevere childishly grumbled while also severely understating just how many hours they'd already spent monster hunting.
"If you're worried about the armor set that you commissioned to Mr. Erhard, then don't be," Rino chided in as she did a full 360 spin to show-off that her gear is still in relatively good condition. Admittedly, there were a few provocative wear and tears here and there, but nothing too severe that could inhibit her ability to fight, "I should be able to make do with this until the upcoming Wave."
Despite their reasonings however, Naofumi's decision was final, thus prompting everyone to begin preparations for their return.
'Why are you in such a hurry Kouhai?' Mash eventually asked the question that had been plaguing everyone's minds as they walked back to retrieve Ginny's carriage,'While I'm sure it's partially for Rino's sake, seeing as her paper-thin armor is on the verge of becoming indecent, I've known you long enough to know that you wouldn't go back unless absolutely necessary. You hate being in Melromarc's capital after all.'
'Well, you got me there Senpai,' Naofumi lightly smirked as he lowered his head to evade a low-lying branch,'And you're right, it's not just for the armor set that I commissioned to Erhard.'
Mash literally and figuratively nodded (the shield vibrating a bit as she did so) as she patiently waited for her Kouhai to further explain himself. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait for long.
'The last time we visited the Slave Trader, I thought I saw a pair of talons that looked to be far too big for a normal person to use, but just the right size for a Filolial. I have a hunch that he was specifically waiting for me to eventually purchase them. But I'll do it one better by commissioning him to have some Filolial armor build set for Ginny in preparation for the next Wave.'
'Really? That's wonderful!' Mash squealed happily at her Kouhai's thoughtfulness,'I'm sure little Ginny will be thrilled.'
'Yeah, I know, but I want it to be a surprise. So, hush for now.'
'Roger that!'
With the mental conversation between the two Shielders over, Naofumi refocused on his journey through this forest path. Just now catching the tail end of Raphtalia, Rino and Guinevere's own exchange of words.
"That's strange..." Guinevere said as her head perked up, pausing in her stride before pointing her wing at the group's right, "I can sense quite a lot Filolials gathering up right over there."
"Are they?" Rino inquired while focusing her gaze at the given direction, but of course, her inferior human eyes weren't keen enough to see what Guinevere was referring to.
"What makes them so strange Ginny?" Raphtalia asked as her ears twitched at the distant sound of squawks coming from beyond the tree line, "They don't sound any different from all the other Filolials we've seen so far."
"I can't put it into words... but I can't help but feel that they're a bit different somehow," Guinevere replied, sounding genuinely confused with herself before suggesting to go and investigate.
Looking past the outskirts of the forest, Naofumi and his comrades soon had a visual of a human girl being fondly surrounded by a flock of wild Filolials.
"Is that...?" The Shielder muttered as he stepped forward towards the flock of 5 Filolials plus 1 girl.
Their approach didn't go unnoticed however, as the simple sound of a twig snapping under Naofumi's foot was enough to cause the wild flock to go from sleepy and relaxed to attentive and alert in a matter of seconds. The Filolials didn't waste time in fleeing the scene upon seeing the intruders, thus exposing the baffled, blue-haired, twin-tailed, formally dressed human sitting in the middle of the meadow.
"A human child?" Naofumi finally finished his sentence.
Sighing in sadness upon the departure of the Filolials that she was playing with, the twin-tailed girl turned around to observe the new arrivals.
"I was right, those birds aren't just any wild Filolials..." Guinevere said as she looked at the retreating Filolials in the distance, "They're under the wing of another!"
"Under the wing of another?"
"You mean there's another Royal Filolial out there besides Ginny and Arthur that has command over them?"
"I would assume so... the Old Man did say something like that occurring naturally in the wild," Naofumi agreed on that possibility.
'Though I highly doubt those wild royal Filolials could morph into human forms like Guinevere and Arthur can,' Mash added her own two cents as she tried but failed to analyze what sets the fleeing avians apart from the regular ones,'Incredible... to think you were able to tell the difference between them and the normal Filolials by instinct alone... you're amazing Ginny.'
The young Filolial couldn't help but preen with pride at her mother's praise. Any further exchange of thoughts were quickly disrupted however, when the girl with twin tails decided to join in the fray...
"So big..."
Her eyes more focused on the Royal Filolial behind the humans and Demi-Human than anything else.
"Are you really and truly a Filolial?" the blue-headed girl asked, both in reverence and amazement as she was now surprisingly within speaking distance already.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who you asked, either it was by surprise or a moment of weakness (much to Papa Naofumi and Mama Mash's dismay), the young Filolial accidentally disobeyed one of her parent's rules. For some inexplicable reason, Guinevere decided to reply to the unknown girl before them.
"Do you mean me?"
Guinevere's parent figures along with Raphtalia and Rino were all left gawking at the girl's sudden bout of disobedience.
' ' ' 'This is bad!' ' ' '
Each member of the party were hit with varying degrees of concern on just how the stranger would react.
But much to their surprise (and relief) , the quartet were met with jubilant fangirling and childish squealing...
"And you can actually talk as well!?"
as the girl began fawning over Guinevere's uniqueness.
"Hmmm...! I've always dreamed of talking to a Filolial! And here I am now doing it!"
"Uh, Huh?!"
The little lady's enthusiasm was so extreme that even Guinevere was taken aback by the attention.
"Oh! This is for you!" rummaging through her pockets, the girl held out its contents, "It's dried meat."
Not sensing any sign of hostility or ill intent, Guinevere once again did something unexpected and went on to accept the gifted food from the stranger.
As the Filolial and human pair got more acquainted...
"What's your name?"
"My name is Guinevere, my loved ones call me Ginny for short. And you?"
"Guinevere is a beautiful name! I'm Melty, nice to meet you."
"That's great! I'll call you Mel."
"Only if you let me to call you Ginny."
with both girls cheerfully and carelessly revealing their names to one another...
Raphtalia, Naofumi and Rino on the other hand, were left reeling and slightly anxious over what repercussions they should expect from this interaction.
"Do you think she's from the village?"
"No way, she's too well dressed. She's probably some noble family's daughter."
"That's not good. If her parents happen to be a bunch of Shield haters, this could spell big trouble for us."
But before the trio could dig any deeper into their own pits of paranoia...
'Now hold it! Let's not jump to conclusions everyone.'
Mash cut them off with her calming voice of reason, which surprisingly did the trick, especially when she added:
'I just used [Appraisal] on this Melty girl a few moments ago. I found out that she has a "Lawful Good" alignment.'
It was thanks to this nugget of information that the trio were able to relax their guard, allowing logic and rationality to seep back into their minds. Though Naofumi did feel a tad bit embarrassed that he also momentarily forgot about the useful yet invasive skill.
"Oh, I forgot..." Melty said as she went through her skirt's pockets and pulled out another piece of dried meat, "Would you like some more of this?"
"Ohh! I do, I do!" Guinevere cheered happily over the offered food and was quick to gobble them up.
As the juvenile avian and the preteen human get more acquainted with one another, the grown-ups began their serious discussion once again, albeit a little more calmly and rationally.
"She doesn't seem to be the bratty kind of noble lady. So that's one predicament that we don't have to worry about."
"Not just that, but she also doesn't speak all pretentious like you would normally hear from the typical Melromarc nobility."
"Regardless, it still doesn't change the fact that Ginny just blew her cover. We can't really be sure if we can trust a girl of her age to keep her mouth shut about our secrets. And as I'm sure you two are well aware... any rumors involving me in this damn country will no doubt be twisted into something ugly."
'We can't really avoid that Kouhai. I'm sure you've already acknowledged that we can't possibly keep Guinevere's ability a secret forever.'
As much as Naofumi didn't want to admit, his Senpai had a point. With how much manpower the Three Heroes Church and the Trash King had under their disposal, it was only matter of time before they put the pieces together and figure out Ginny's true nature. While still obscured for the most part, there was no doubt that a select few random bystanders would have been able to piece together Guinevere and Arthur's true natures.
"Then what should we do Mash-senpai?" Naofumi finally asked, not really knowing the more intricate aspects of a medieval hierarchy, aside from the obvious and the things he watched from movies.
After pondering for a few moments, Mash soon replied.
'I think I have an idea that might work. I'll explain it in full as we go along, but for now, let's make a good impression with our little girl's new friend.'
Naofumi and the two girls were understandably weary of the spontaneous shift in tactic. But in the end, the party of three decided to put their trust on the Senior Shielder, nodding amongst themselves in agreement.
"Hey Ginny!" Naofumi called out to the two girls to get their attention, "Don't forget, we still have to go to the village to do some work. But in the meantime, you can play with that girl. And make sure to stay out of sight if you want to show off!"
Naofumi's last remark left Melty a tiny bit confused. Though it didn't last for long, as her question was quickly answered when suddenly...
"You mean it?! Ooohh boy!" (*poof!*)
Guinevere shifted into her human form while cheering in absolute glee, a couple of her feathers fluttering in the wind after doing so.
"(*gasp!*) Wow! You can really transform whenever you want to?!"
"That's correct."
"Soooo cool!"
Melty squealed in both happiness and awe as she shook Ginny's hand up and down in a fan-girlish manner.
"She seemed to have taken that surprisingly well."
"They certainly seem to like each other."
'And I don't sense any signs of deceit from her either.'
"That's good to hear. Ginny really does need to spend time with other kids. Kids that are not Arthur at least."
Naofumi, Raphtalia, Mash and Rino commented (exactly by that order) as they watched the two girls playing from afar.
"Daaaaddyy! Can I play a little while longer with Mel?!" Guinevere asked.
"Wait, daddy?!" Melty yelped in surprise upon hearing that.
"Just make sure you're back by sunset," Naofumi answered...
"Okaaay~!"
"Let's go."
before the foster-father and foster-mother sternly added, "And don't go too far away, okay?"
'And make sure to conceal your wings before you enter the village!'
"Okaaay!" Guinevere answered both her parents' pleas (though Melty couldn't hear her mommy's voice) before they went frolicking away to play some more.
Unknown to everyone but Naofumi however, despite trusting their daughter to be more than capable of looking after herself, Mash still made sure to keep an eye on her {Map Projection} skill to ensure their little girl's safety.
Several hours later...
With the sky turning orange as the sun began to set on the horizon, Naofumi and his two part-time nurses were hard at work providing medical treatment to the families that asked for his services.
"Now drink this slowly," Naofumi said as he aided the bedridden man that was his current patient.
Upon drinking the Shielder's concoction, the man's body was briefly enveloped by a soothing aura as his physical condition visibly improved. Much to the elation and relief of the patients' family watching by his bedside.
"Thank you, our savior, for saving him!"
"We're very thankful for you..."
Naofumi graciously accepted their gratitude but couldn't rest for long...
"Master Naofumi, this woman needs our help too."
"As well as this little boy, Master."
as Raphtalia and Rino called out to him while nursing their respective patients.
"Sure... just give me a second," Naofumi replied as he discreetly activated his {Appraisal} skill on both patients before approaching the little boy first, seeing that he needed more immediate help.
It was already dark by the time the part-time doctor and his nurses were done treating their patients. Though they were a bit exhausted by the day's work, they were still left somewhat uplifted by the positive reception that they received from the families of their numerous patients.
"How's Ginny doing by the way, Mash-Senpai?" Naofumi asked his senior Shielder as he did some mandatory inspection on the Legendary Shield's inventory. Considering how many potions they had consumed throughout the day, he might have to perform some late night brewing in order to replenish their supplies.
'Guinevere appears to be perfectly fine Kouhai,' Mash answered promptly as she maximized the {Map Projection} in order to monitor their daughter figure better,'Actually, she's on her way here right now.'
"Well, that's good to hear," Raphtalia sighed in relief upon learning Mash's report, "I was beginning to get worried."
"Me too. Especially since it has already gotten dark," Rino added while taking a look out the window.
And sure enough, the young Filolial queen was now coming their way. All the while folding her wings as small as she possibly can so they were partially concealed by her long blonde hair. Not the perfect cover when in broad daylight, but surprisingly effective when in the cover of night.
"Daddy! I'm baaack!" Guinevere announced her arrival upon entering the room that they were renting for the night.
"Hey there Ginny, glad your back," Naofumi greeted the young avian warmly, waving away his Stacia Window so he could put his focus on his little girl, "How was your day?"
"It was great daddy! I'm so happy cause I made such a wonderful new friend today," Guinevere exclaimed cheerfully as she narrated what she's been doing for the past several hours...
"She told me she's traveled to all sorts of amazing places, just like me."
"Uh huh."
"And then, she told me about so much other stuff I didn't know."
'Is that so?'
"She also told me how she got separated from the rest of her people while she was playing with those Filolials."
"Wait..."
'What did you just say?'
The two parental figures perked up as their respective thought processes went to a screeching halt upon hearing the little noble lady's unexpected blunder. It was at this point that Melty entered the room and embarrassingly explained her predicament to the surprised party of four.
As it turns out, Melty was currently on her way to the capital city of Melromarc with a small group of bodyguards as her escorts. But due to her sneaking away and being so distracted by her play date with Guinevere, she ended up being left behind. So, with a blushing face and a flustered plea for help, Melty ultimately asked Naofumi if she could hitch a ride with them until they reach Castle Town.
"I realize that it's a selfish request. But you see, I must return to the capital right away! I beg you!" Melty pleaded with a bow of her head.
'If she really is a nobleman's daughter, we might get a reward. But it might cause problems if I'm the one who takes her home,' Naofumi pondered in hesitation over what to do, though it didn't last for long as he immediately got hammered with a much larger dilemma right after.
'Act as casually as you can Kouhai, but we're currently being watched,' Mash warned Naofumi of the unknown eavesdropper.
'What?!' Naofumi's eyes widened for a brief moment upon hearing this, but was fortunately able to maintain a convincing poker face as Mash quickly pulled her junior Shielder into the Mindscape for a brief chat.
"Is it an enemy?" Naofumi asked upon entering the snowy landscape of his Senpai's mind.
"Fortunately, she isn't," Mash answered with a large sigh of relief as she began elaborating, "Whoever that eavesdropper is, she's an incredibly skilled Shadow. I couldn't dig too deeply into her armor's history since it barely classifies as a shield construct for me to look into. But I can confirm with absolute certainty that she isn't affiliated with the Church."
"That's some good news at least," Naofumi remarked as he was able to relax his tense shoulders a little before reaffirming himself once again, "You said you couldn't dig too deep into our spy's history because of your limitations... then what were you able to gather from our eavesdropper?"
"Aside from her being admittedly attractive for someone of her profession and that she isn't an ally to the King... I was able to garner a great sense of loyalty and protectiveness towards Melty."
"Loyalty and protectiveness, huh...?" Naofumi mumbled as he hypothesized that Melty might be some kind of heiress to some big shot noble. So much so that her parents might have to hire some top-tier security service in order to keep her safe from would be assailants. Pretty much like those corny dramas and medieval movies that he once watched back in his home world.
"I would have to modify my original plan a bit, but I think it's still salvageable," Mash said as she did some pondering of her own before garnering her Kouhai's attention, "I believe we should take her with us."
Seeing that Naofumi was still hesitating to go through with this, Mash decided to add:
"I don't know how Sir Eugeo and Alice plan to introduce Arthur to human society; if they even have a plan at all. But for us, forging potential connections with people like Melty, along with the rest of her family if we're lucky, would only be beneficial for us in the long run."
"Well... if you put that way, I guess you do make a pretty good argument," Naofumi eventually relented as he scratched his chin in thought, "We have much more to gain if this plan of yours works than what we could potentially lose if things go wrong."
And with that, the two Shielders finally reached a consensus, thus compelling Mash to send her Kouhai back to the real world.
The very next day...
It goes without saying that the final decision was pretty much unanimous. Especially now that it was plain to see how Guinevere's carriage had an extra passenger sitting at the driver seat.
"Our savior, we truly cannot find the words to thank you," the Mirso Elder said with reverent gratitude as he and the rest of the villagers decided to bid the Shielder and his companions a proper send off. Even the members of the Shah Gang were there waving amongst the crowd to bid their comrades save travels.
"Yeah, well... just promise to give me a good word once we leave and we can call it even," Naofumi answered with a matter-of-fact tone, putting into practice the suggestion that his Mash-Senpai told him to do. Spreading his good name to further reinforce his improving reputation, while also gradually unveiling the lies and deceit that the Three Heroes Church had wrought for so long.
"Ohhh... Of course!" the Mirso Elder replied with much vigor as he and the rest of the villagers were more than happy to oblige with the Shielder's request.
"See you around my compadres!"
"What he said!"
"Take care!"
"Bye!"
The Shah gang and everyone else bid their own brand of farewells to Naofumi and his friends. The females' goodbyes being much more mischievous as Sekkura and the local nurses winked and fist-pumped at Raphtalia and Rino. Wishing them good luck on their quest for romance with their chosen Hero.
"Okay Ginny, let's get going," Naofumi said as he lightly whipped Guinevere's reins.
"Guaahhh!" The young Filolial replied with her normal fowl squawk before happily pulling away, leaving Mirso Village and starting their journey back to the capital.
And it goes without saying that the trip back to Castle Town became much more livelier now with the avian mount's new playmate in tow.
"Hahahaha! Guinevere's so fast!"(Melty)
"Heh, I can go even faster!"(Ginny)
(*Bump!*)
"Hey Ginny! Don't get too carried away! It's dangerous!"(Rino)
"Gyaa!"(Raphtalia)
Though in Naofumi's opinion, things also got much more troublesome. Because despite the fact that their party had managed to cover much ground for the past couple of hours, their rickety and unstable mode of transport also caused much chaos and turmoil for the rest of the carriage's passengers.
"M-Master Naofumi…" Raphtalia moaned with a bad case of nausea as she clenched her stomach and covered her mouth, "I'm sorry but... can I get some rest...?"
"I – ugh… – second that..." Rino groaned in pain alongside Raphtalia, though the pangs that ached her so were a tad different and a lot more embarrassing compared to the Demi-Raccoon's.
"A little rattling and a few bumps, I can handle no problem. But enduring nonstop tossing and lurching for nearly three hours straight! It's just too much!" Rino hissed as she caressed different parts of her body instead of her stomach, "I feel like my boobs and butt are going to fall off!"
Naofumi couldn't help but facepalm at this, doing his best to hide his embarrassed face as he hastily pulled on the reins in order to give the two women a break. Fortunately for him, both Guinevere and Melty were far too distracted by the wild carriage ride to pay attention to Rino and Raphtalia's issues.
As the group's transport slowed to a stop, the younger half were quick to run off to play while the other half did their best to recover from their respective body pains.
Knowing that the inevitable queen of stomach growls would be sounding off at any moment now, Naofumi thought it best to start working on his food prep early. It's not like lunch time was that long of a wait anyways.
Browsing through his inventory, Naofumi noticed that they now have a large stock of meat, cheese and eggs, courtesy of the Griffins that they'd hunted and the food payments that they received from his patients. Having overheard that Melty had already run out of her dried meat, and how quickly Guinevere grew to love them, Naofumi decided that he should make some dried meat himself.
A small portion would be served for today's lunch with some roasted nuts, cheese and eggs on the side, while the rest of the meat will be preserved as emergency food rations.
'That's actually pretty clever Kouhai,' Mash voiced her opinion as she caught on to what her Kouhai planned to do with their large surplus of meat,'If it's not too much trouble, I have a suggestion that might go well with the food that you're preparing.'
'If that is the case, then I'm more than happy to listen,' Naofumi mentally replied with a smile, all the while playfully spinning his trusty knife in his palm as he prepared to get cooking.
"First of all, cut the meat into thin slices about 5 millimeters thick," Naofumi thought out loud as he did just that, "The rabbit meat looks good as it is, but the meat we got from the Griffins might need some more proportional chopping."
'They are a lot bigger than your typical chicken after all,' Mash giggled in amusement on seeing her Kouhai trying to chop what seemed to be a jumbo-sized chicken leg down to size.
It took some time, but Naofumi was soon able to line up all the thinly sliced meat on top of several spare chopping boards and began the next step.
"Put the meat next to each other and beat them!" Naofumi said as he started smacking the meat several times with his improvised rolling pins.
"Uhm... why are you beating the meat?" Melty soon asked as she and Guinevere approached him, having noticed all the smacking sound that he'd been making for the past few minutes.
"You never prepared our barbecues like that before," Guinevere chimed in as she saw the unusual method of food preparation.
"I plan to make some dried meat of my own, so I'm beating the meat like this to break the flesh fibers down," Naofumi explained while he continued on with his task, "It makes it easier to chew through the meat once it's finished drying."
"I see."/"Ooohhhh...!"
"Uhm... Can I help you with that?" Melty blurted out as she stared at the unusual activity with wondrous curiosity, "I never knew how dried meat was made before."
'That's because aristocrats normally wouldn't be interested with this kind of stuff.' Naofumi thought to himself while he observed the surprisingly eager face of Melty.
'Well, Melty has already proven that she isn't like those normal aristocratic archetypes,' Mash playfully reminded.
'I suppose she does have the eyes of a studious child.' Naofumi admitted before ultimately relenting, extending his hand to hand over the smoothened log, "Alright then... do you want to try beating the meat?"
"Y-Y-Yes!" the twin-tailed noble lady eagerly accepted the offer.
"I want to help too!" Guinevere exclaimed after hearing Melty's claim, resulting in her being given the task of gathering the firewood that they would be needing for this noon's cooking.
And so, after Melty and Naofumi finished smacking the sliced meat down to their desired texture...
"Rub the beaten meat with salt and some spices before letting them sit to marinate for at least 15 to 20 minutes."
Next, at Naofumi's instruction, Melty and Ginny made a triangular construct using some of the tougher logs that the Filolial gathered earlier...
"Then let them dry for a few hours."
where they hung the meat that they'd pounded above the fire for them to be slowly dried and roasted.
'I actually thought of asking Ginny to run around the camp with the meats tied around her neck for them to dry,' Naofumi thought to himself and his Senpai as he imagined the scenario in his mind,'But thought better of it since they might all be gone by the time she gets back.'
'Hehehe... While I would like to believe that I've managed to instill some level of restraint in our little girl after all this time, when in the face of delicious food literally dangling in front of her beak, it would be nearly impossible for her to resist,' Mash agreed with restrained laughter as she found the image her Kouhai was visualizing to be both adorable and hilarious.
After all, expecting a growing Filolial to resist good food in front of them for long would be just like expecting a cat to not devour a fish once presented to them.
"Moving on, let's start cooking these ingredients while we wait for some of the meat to be cooked," Naofumi collectively declared to both his internal and external companions, revealing the side dishes that he had on reserve.
"Nuts, cheese and boiled eggs?" Melty asked in confusion.
"That doesn't sound all that yummy," Guinevere blankly commented, but didn't say anything further as her daddy did have a knack of making tasty treats from seemingly mundane ingredients.
"We spread a few tea leaves on top of a plate and placed them in a pot. Set a net on top where we'll then place the cheese, eggs and nuts over it before hanging the pot over a fire," Naofumi instructed to himself as he did the task while both Guinevere and Melty watched in awe.
'While we wait for that to be smoked all the way through, let's finish it with the final staple that will literally wrap all of them together.'
'Pretty on the nose there, Mash-senpai.'
The two Shielders chuckled at each other in good humor before getting started on their last staple for their noon meal.
'It's the same recipe as making regular bread, right up through the part where we let it rise. Though I propose we also add some of your spare herbs to give the bread a mild aftertaste to it. It would complement well when eaten with food that have stronger flavors like cheese and meat,' Mash instructed and explained at the same, fondly recollecting all the unusual yet delicious dishes some of the Chaldean Servants introduced to her during their happy times together.
'Next, we roll the dough out with a rolling pin, flattening them until they're only a few millimeters thick before sticking on the underside of a heated pot.'
This left Naofumi slightly confused at the unorthodox method of cooking flat bread but obeyed his Senpai's instructions anyway.
'I admit that you'd normally cook these inside of a full-fledged stove, but since we're doing it on an open fire, we'll be doing it this way instead,' Mash reasoned before adding, 'I've also seen some of my friends back home that cooked them using this method before, so I'm sure it will work out just fine.'
Satisfied with what his senpai explained to him, Naofumi resumed with the work of cooking the bread in such an improvised manner. And eventually, a small stack of flat bread was formed beside the Shielder as the rest of their food was now finished cooking.
"That looks so good!"
"And it smells great too!"
Rino and Raphtalia simultaneously voiced out as they approached their Hero over the numerous cooking fires, both now seemingly a lot better after being given time to recover from their stomach and body pains.
"All right everyone, lunch is ready!" Naofumi declared as he removed the finished meal from the fire, "It's a variety of smoked food."
"It looks surprisingly good for something that you cooked over smoke," Melty commented in wonder as she held one of the smoked boiled eggs in her hands.
"Can I take a bite now?" Guinevere eagerly asked as she salivated over all the good food that was now being served before her.
Melty couldn't agree more as she took a tentative bite of the egg that she was holding.
"It's delicious!" the twin-tailed girl exclaimed in culinary delight, "I was wondering what would happen to the smoke from the tea leaves. The smokey aroma makes the eggs even thicker!"
"The cheese taste ten times better when they're melted down like this."
"And the smoked nuts... the taste doesn't stop at all."
"Mmmhmmm...!"
Rino, Raphtalia and Guinevere (exactly by that order) happily complemented their Hero for the delicious food.
"This one is smoked as well, though it isn't completely dry yet. Try eating this." Naofumi commented as he offered one of the meat strips that Melty herself helped in making.
"This is... the jerky that we made just now..." Melty mumbled under her breath before taking a bite.
"HNNG! Delicious! How can dried meat be so delicious...?!"
"Is it really something to be praised about? Maybe she's just not used to eating things like this since she's a noble and all," Naofumi said in confusion over all the overzealous praise that he's receiving from the little noble lady.
' " "Doubt it." " '
Mash, Raphtalia and Rino commented at the same time. A Cardinal Hero's cooking skills really was just that good, at least those who took the time to hone them anyways.
"Anyways, to literally and figuratively wrap this all up, we'll be filling these flat breads with bits and pieces of the meat, cheese, eggs and nuts and roll them up together into a mixed wrap crepe," Naofumi instructed while doing so right in front of his stunned companions before taking a bite, "Hmm... it's surprisingly tasty despite the bread only being added at the last improvised minute."
This caused everyone else to hurriedly copy what the Shielder just did so they could try it for themselves.
" " " "Soooo goood...!" " " "
Both new and old Shield Hero's couldn't help but smile as they watched the joy on their friends' and comrades' faces as they had their fill over their well-earned meal.
The rest of the 2 days of travel passed by almost uneventfully, the only highlights being the gleeful cheers of Melty whenever Guinevere (and sometimes Raphtalia and Rino) would play around with each other; the innocent frolicking the two would do when they played at the open fields and the culinary surprises that Naofumi continued to pull out from his repertoire.
Melty integrated into their party exceptionally well, much better than Naofumi ever expected. They were even promised by the young noble lady that she would definitely put in a good word for Guinevere's sake once she reunites with her family. As it turns out, Melty's mother is also quite the Filolial enthusiast, so it should be easy for them to ask for her help regarding Guinevere's situation in society.
"I would go so far as to say that mother might attempt to adopt Guinevere if given the chance," Melty playfully claimed, much to foster family's chagrin, though it was quickly laughed off as a joke.
That was one phase of Mash's plan that went off without a hitch.
It was only during the night before their arrival that two unusual things happened at the safety of their camp. The first being a pleasantly informative surprise while the second leaned more on the hilarious side.
The pleasant surprise was the fact that all three of Naofumi's party members are eligible for a Class Upgrade. Mash-senpai explained that the majority of this world's citizens can only reach Level 40 as it is their Level Cap. In order to bypass this Level Cap, some sort of ritual had to be performed with a Dragon Hourglass. That was another reason why they had to return to Castle Town. Though they shared their suspicions that the Church might prohibit them from accessing the Dragon Hourglass out of spite.
The second unusual event that occurred... well...
"Heeeey... where's Mel?" Rino woozily asked as she was unfolding her sleeping bag, her agreed night watch now nearing its end.
A newly awoken Raphtalia was just sharing her blanket to the book reading Naofumi when they both perked up on this notification. They all stood up and approached the sleeping Guinevere and soon saw some of Melty's clothes haphazardly lying around right next to her. Before the trio could speculate anything outrageous however, Mash was able to point out that Melty was simply sleeping inside Guinevere's large fluff of feathers.
This ultimately caused all of the girls to fall asleep against the face of Guinevere's surprisingly comfortable and sleep-inducing feathers.
"Do these feathers have some kind of sleep-inducing powers?" Naofumi incredulously ask as he picked one up from the ground
"I don't think so Kouhai,"Mash simply giggled at the humorous question,"They're just that comfortable to sleep in."
"Do you think making pillows out of these feathers could fetch a fair price?"
"Absolutely not!"
The two Shielders soon laughed at the notion as Naofumi openly admitted that it was just a joke.
A day earlier at the outskirts of Lerno village...
'" " " "WHOA!" " " "'
Needless to say, the entirety of the Sword Hero's party was left enraptured by the stark contrast the place now held from before and after the Cursed Seed purification.
No more were the hideous vines that once ravaged the land and its people. Now they were replaced by the wondrous plant life that not only decorated the landscape with their foliage, but also provided food, shade and (quite possibly) an unprecedented business venture. That business venture being the unexpected tourism and floral monopoly Eugeo's flower garden would provide!
"Sir Sword Hero! Where did you come from?!"
"Hey there, mister Sword Hero!"
Alfred the farmer and Shiina (Rino's younger sister)greeted the new arrivals in great surprise, having not noticed the Sword party's approach due to Eugeo's use of teleportation.
"Have you come to take a look at the flowers?" Alfred asked with barely concealed pride. He and Shiina paused from their watering so they could present the fruits (or rather buds) of their labor.
Eugeo and his party could only reply with bright smiles as words could not describe just how beautiful the flower garden has become.
Due to the accelerated growth that the Misty Blue Roses inherited from the former Cursed Seed's genetic makeup, the flowers have now already grown into rosebuds, meaning it was only a matter of time before they all bloom into full-fledged roses.
'If I'm not mistaken, it takes around two weeks for a normal rosebud to fully bloom,' Alice recalled in thought before adding,'but since these roses are far from normal, they might just bloom in a week's time if we're lucky.'
'Then I hope my luck holds out for a little while longer...' Eugeo mentally nodded with a chuckle, he really wanted his Blue Rose Sword back. However, there was nothing he could do but wait and hope for the best.
Turning their attention toward the Osmanthus trees, though not as farther along as the roses, they were still a sight to behold. While they are also growing at an accelerated rate, now sporting thick branches and impressive heights, they are noticeably maturing at a much slower pace due to their nature as trees.
'I never got the chance to learn how fast a normal Osmanthus tree matures, so I can't estimate how long we have to wait,' Alice admitted after admiring the thriving flora before them.
'That's okay. I'm willing to wait,' Eugeo replied with a positive tone before returning his focus back to Alfred, "You've really outdone yourself here Mr. Alfred. Thank you so much."
Arthur, Kirin, Anna and Rifana all followed suit in showering the two gardeners with praise for a job well done, causing both Alfred and Shiina to blush.
"I'll be back in a week's time," Eugeo said after closely inspecting one of the rosebuds, slightly feeling the cold that was now building up within its petals, "I have a feeling that these roses will be blooming by then. Just make sure to wear thick gloves by then since they may be too cold for you to handle with just ordinary gloves."
Both Alfred and Shinna nodded in understanding, having also noticed the subtle temperature drops in the rosebuds. After handing over a small sack of silver for their work, suggesting that they'll be needing more helping hands in the future, Eugeo and his party didn't waste any more time and teleported away.
They had some recuperating and resupplying to do back at Castle town, all in preparation for the impending final siege of the North.
Back at the Present...
Naofumi and his crew were now crossing a city gate, having successfully arrived back to Castle Town shortly after they ate their breakfast that day.
Though some were feeling more agitated than others however, as the green themed Shield Hero narrowed his eyes at the royal castle. His aggression aimed at the Trash King who was likely sitting pretty at his stolen throne this very moment.
"Well then, I really can't thank you all enough," Melty says in gratitude as she gave them a polite curtsy.
"Daddy, is it alright for me to take Mel home?" Guinevere asked with hopeful eyes, no doubt wanting to spend a little more time with her new friend before they go their separate ways.
'I don't see why not. This could also be our first step in introducing Guinevere to the less biased people of Melromarc,' Mash said as she shared her thoughts with her Kouhai,'Though I'll feel much better if she doesn't go alone.'
'Agreed. We can't be too careful.'
"Alright then," Naofumi finally answered for real before adding, "Just make sure to bring Rino along with you, if you wouldn't mind?"
"Of course not," the mature blunette replied with an affirmative nod, "I'll also make sure to keep the reward safe until we get back together later."
"Good."
With that agreement over with, the two girls and one woman began to walk away.
"Farewell; until next time," Melty says with a cheerful goodbye wave before departing with her two escorts.
"I think we'll miss her," Raphtalia whispered to Naofumi as she returned Melty's farewell wave with her own.
"I'm sure we'll see her again. With any luck, her parents would be the decent sort and spread the good word about us like Senpai was hoping for," Naofumi replied before focusing on more urgent matters at hand, "First things first: let's pay the Slave Trader a visit."
"Right!" Raphtalia cheerfully replied out of habit before pausing, "Wait? What?!"
"I'm actually going to purchase some Filolial claws for Guinevere to use," Naofumi explained himself as to calm the young Demi-Raccoon down, "I'm also planning to commission a full set of Filolial Armor for Ginny to equip in preparation for the next Wave."
"Really?!" Raphtalia exclaimed with an excited clap, "Guinevere would be so happy!"
"Yeah... and it's supposed to be a surprise, so keep quiet about it alright?" Naofumi said with a surprisingly mischievous shush before waving her over toward the Slave tent's direction.
"Huh, well if it isn't Sir Shield Hero back with us again," the bespectacled Slave Trader grinned in delight as he approached the two who entered his tent, "and how can I help you?"
"Looks like your business is doing okay," Naofumi replied as he noticed the many empty cages scattered about.
"And it is all thanks to you and the Sword Hero if I may be so blunt."
"Hmm?"'What?'
"Yes, your traveling trade and the Sword Hero's exploits has been extremely profitable for me as well as you, thank you so much," the Slave Trader flippantly answered, playfully withholding the rest of the details.
"What does that mean?" Naofumi asked in slight annoyance, something his Mash-Senpai wholeheartedly shared.
"Your little Filolial Queen and the Sword Hero's Filolial King have gained quite the reputations. Nobles from every corner of Melromarc are contacting me to ask how they can procure one for themselves! Quite extraordinary actually," Beloukas gleefully replied before turning his attention towards Raphtalia, much to her disturbance, "And then there's you! You helped my business gain a reputation for providing high quality slaves! And the money just doesn't stop rolling in!"
Both current and previous Shield Heroes couldn't help but feel slightly irked by this unintentional outcome. Unfortunately, there was simply nothing they could do about it; slavery was just too tightly integrated into this society for it to be so easily dismantled. They would have to dismantle slavery little by little.
"Anyway…!" the Slave Trader returning their attention back at the present, "How may I help you today? Would you like another slave? Or perhaps you need some assistance with your Filolial experiment."
"It's the latter," Naofumi answered before pointing towards the shelves where he stored the rest of his wares, "The last time I was here, I think I noticed some metal claws that looked just the right size for a Filolial."
"Ohhh...! The Wyvern talons!" the part time merchant exclaimed as he browsed through his merchandise and soon pulled out the items in question, "I actually predicted that either you or the Sword Hero would eventually decide to equip your noble steeds with weapons of their own once the next Wave draws near. So, I took it upon myself to prepare several pairs in advance just in case."
"Well you're in luck," Naofumi said as he took the claws from the man and stored them into his inventory, "Because not only will I be buying these talons, but I'll also be commissioning you to have some Filolial armor custom built for Guinevere in preparation for the said Wave."
"Whoa! I love the way you think!" the Slave Trader's eyes were practically sparkling at the prospect of embarking another profitable business venture, "Let's go and talk about our prices now, shall we?"
Fortunately for everyone involved, the discussions and bartering didn't last for very long. The raw materials and labor cost were actually pretty reasonable considering the timetable. It would be cutting a bit close to their schedule, but it should serve its purpose once its finished. And as an added bonus, Sir Erhard will have a much easier time upgrading them once he has the baseline to work on.
Naofumi and Raphtalia soon exited the Slave Tent and were just walking through the town square when suddenly...
"Wait! S-Shield Hero!" a young knight called out while running towards them out of the blue.
"Start running!"
"Huh?!"
Moving more out of instinct than any form of logical reasoning, Naofumi pulled on Raphtalia's hand and started to make a run for it.
"B-But, why are we running?!" she questioned, slightly blushing at the sudden handholding Naofumi had initiated.
"What else can we do?! He's coming for us!" Naofumi hastily replied, having no fond memories concerning any knight that works under the Trash King. Something that Mash couldn't really blame him for, but still.
'Umm... Kouhai, I don't think he's here to cause you trouble. I'm not sensing any ill intent from him at all,' the Shield Spirit commented after she took a glimpse at the young knight's alignment.
'Sorry, but I'm not taking any chances!' Naofumi blurted out in reply to his Senpai before telling Raphtalia that they're going to split up, to Raphtalia's slight disappointment, despite the current situation. Deducing that he was the one the knight is after, the Shielder ordered her to take a right and return to the carriage, hopefully meeting up with Guinevere and Rino on the way.
"Hey, over here!" Naofumi yelled in the open to get the knight's attention before making a sharp left to try and shake his pursuer off.
"Wait! Please stop!" the chasing knight hollered as he started to follow, albeit with some difficulty due the walking pedestrians.
Naofumi ran for a good distance with no real destination in mind, all the while hearing his Senpai prodding him over the possibly unnecessary chase.
'All I'm saying is that maybe we should at least hear what he has to say. As I said before, I didn't sense any ill intent from him.'
'And as I said before, I don't want to take any chances,' Naofumi argued to his senior Shielder as he stopped to take breather,'Even if the guy doesn't have any bad thoughts about me, that doesn't mean his friends would be the same.'
Mash was just about to dissent with her Kouhai's assumption...
'Oh Kouhai...'
when she suddenly sensed an approaching attack from above!
'INCOMING! Take a leap back! Quickly!'
Flinching and slightly confused at the sudden bout of warnings. His unspoken questions were instantly answered by the voice of his least favorite Hero yelling at him from out of nowhere.
"NAOFUMI!" the infamous Spear Hero Motoyasu hollered as he came at his fellow Hero from above with a spinning overhead spear drop.
"Haaaaaa!"
(*STAB!*)
(*CRASH!*)(*CRUMBLE!*)
The Legendary Spear's pointy end pierced and smashed both deeply and widely into the medieval concrete floor. A testament to how much stronger Motoyasu has grown since the last time the two of them fought. Though that was not the most important thing right now.
In response to Motoyasu's sudden and unprovoked attack, the civilians around them started to scream and scamper away from them in panic.
"You're attacking me in the middle of the street?!" Naofumi yelled in indignation at the unprovoked assault, "What's wrong with you?!"
"Shut your face!" ignoring his fellow Hero's words, Motoyasu went for another swing at the Shielder's head (which was easily dodged once again) before pausing for a second to take a passable fighting stance.
"Where is that slave girl?! Bring her now!"
The Spear Hero swung his Legendary Spear overhead, prompting the Shield Hero to bring out his [Chimera Viper Shield] to block the incoming attack.
(*CLANG!*)
"You're a real pain, you know that?! Raphtalia isn't-!"
"I'm not talking about her," Motoyasu growled softly.
"Huh?" this answer confused Naofumi.
"I'm talking about the blonde girl with wings on her back. I saw her with you, so don't lie to me," Motoyasu explained himself, though still holding the same level of contempt.
"Wait, Guinevere?"
"Guinevere's her name! How could you make her your slave?! I've never seen a girl that perfect. She's incredible! It's hard to believe there's a girl just like Freon from Hellworld," Motoyasu's voice started to sound less angry and leaned more on the whole lot of creepy.
"Huh?"
'Wait... don't tell me-!'
"Actually... I have this thing for angels," Motoyasu straight up admits with a creepy smile on his blushing face.
"I don't care," Naofumi replied with a deadpan expression, though underneath his calm demeanor, his parental instincts were slowly shifting into high gear. And judging by the vibrating of the Legendary Shield along with the reddish tint of its gem, the same could be said for Mash.
"My heart has been in overdrive ever since I got my first look at that wonderful face! I love other worlds! And I love that beautiful blonde angel!" Motoyasu exclaimed with that same perverted enthusiasm on his face.
'Seriously... this guy is just the worst…'
'DISGUSTING! This creep is going nowhere near my little girl!'
The foster father and mother pair of the aforementioned angel both felt repulsed by the Spear Hero's newly revealed fetish. Though something peculiar soon caught Naofumi's attention, diverting his and his Senpai's focus to something much more humorous.
"Hmphff! Dude! What's up with that?" Naofumi chuckled while pointing at the barely visible armor plates that are now woven to his crotch area. Causing even Mash to momentarily forget about her maternal fury and laugh at the spearman's unfortunate nether regions.
This caused Motoyasu to snap out of his fantasies and look down at himself in embarrassment. Briefly recalling the excruciating pain he felt when he was kicked below the belt by a certain Filolial Queen. Completely clueless that the fat bird that he insulted back then and the angelic girl that he admired now are the same individual.
"Oh yeah... I almost forgot, that fat bird's yours too isn't it," Motoyasu growled at the unpleasant memory, his previous anger now back in focus, "I'm gonna send you and your chubster friend both to hell!"
The Legendary Spear starts to glow red as the air at its blade compresses itself to be more aerodynamic before being launched at Naofumi.
"Air Strike Javelin!"
Not really seeing any other way, Naofumi quickly raised his shield to protect himself from the air enhanced projectile...
(*CRINK!*)
(*CRASH!*)
causing the attack to ricochet, demolishing a few unlucky market stalls that just happened to be in the way. Not content with the ineffectiveness of his first skill, Motoyasu fired another one...
"Chaos Spear!"
this time being a multi-hit skill that ended up destroying several public walls and a few private properties as collateral damage.
"Knock it off! What are you, crazy?!"
"Yeah! What're you doing fighting around here?!"
Nearby bystanders started to protest on the Spear Hero's unruly behavior. But unfortunately, the man was too single-minded in his pursuit for Naofumi that he didn't realize the destruction that he was causing.
"Hey Naofumi!"
Motoyasu charged for a full sprint stab when suddenly...
"Wait! Spear Hero you can't!"
when the chasing knight from before stepped forward with arms wide at the line of fire, forcing Motoyasu to hit the brakes. Just barely managing to avoid the young knight's neck.
This greatly confused Naofumi as he didn't expect a Melromarc Knight to have the guts to defy the Trash King's favored Hero. Mash on the other hand, was elated to see that her suspicions about the young knight turned out to be correct.
"This is a public place!" the young knight hastily explained while refusing to budge, "Take your differences elsewhere, this is no place for a duel!"
Unfortunately, luck just didn't seem to be on Naofumi's side as the number 1 bane of his existence decided to rear her evil head.
'The trouble maker is here.'
"It is now~!" Princess Malty's voice rang out through the marketplace as she smirked at Naofumi from afar, all while being surrounded by her corrupted knights. After ordering her followers to block out any of the Shielder's possible escape routes, Melty proudly raised up a scroll that looked to be a royal decree, "Ladies and gentlemen! I hereby declare this an official duel between the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero! All thanks to the royal crown which has vested me with the authority to do so!"
Naofumi could only growl in frustration over just how quickly things had escalated to this point. And it was all a big misunderstanding in the first place since Guinevere didn't even have a Slave's crest! Thereby making all of this completely pointless!
But just before the situation could escalate even further out of control, two authoritative figures spoke out and pierced the air yet again.
"Put your weapons away!"
"Chain Hook Fang!"
Though one of them had a more literal weight thrown behind it as a pair of needle-like knives attached to chains dived down from above. Zipping through the air like a pair of snakes, the needles with chains effortlessly subdued not only Motoyasu and Malty, but every single knight who were opposing Naofumi in seconds. Trapping them in an entanglement of chains where they can barely move a muscle.
"Just what in the world is going on here?!"
NEW POLLS:
1.) I'm contemplating if I should or should not give the False King some kind of monstrous trump card for the Heroes to fight. Perhaps not in the level of the T-rex Dragon that Fitoria obliterated in canon, but still a formidable foe that will give the Sword and Shield Heroes some difficulty. What do you readers think?
- Yes, make a monstrous trump card
- No, stick to human enemies (but I'll be adding some more emotional drama to it in order to compensate for the lack of big climactic fights)
2.) If you answered yes for the first question, what kind of beast will Eugeo and Naofumi fight?
- Silverback (from Danmachi)
- Stonehide Lawachurl (from Genshin Impact)
3.) I've been second guessing myself if whether or not I should include a rebel group (that Kaguya Yamai was able to rally) to join Eugeo and Naofumi on their quest to overthrow the False King. What do you readers think?
- Yes, go for it with the rebel group idea
- No, they'll just get in the way. Let the two Legendary Heroes handle it.
4.) What kind of role do you wish Princess Henrietta to take at the final battle for the Northern Territories?
- A defiant damsel in distress [a powerful long range mage, will help once freed]
- A fighter at heart through and through, so much so that the False King was forced to tame her with a Slave Crest [a short range combatant who's proficient with swords and hand to hand, will also help once freed]
- A shrewd tactician where she was able to escape before she could be caught by the False King [average on magic and close combat so she makes up for it with her brains, will also help once she sees the perfect moment to strike]
As always, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I'm open for compatible suggestions and any advice that you readers could give. As for those nasty Reviewers who loves to Insult us authors, please just leave us alone.
