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iliqnamus42: I'd like to say I'm not doing that, but then I realized I totally am. At least I killed off a few named canon characters, even if they were supporting ones.

Dr. Gale: Yeah, not my best. There are reasons for it, but in the meantime, it feels a little forced.

Chapter 55 – Interlude

The Strawberry Knight

Daylight poured in from the window of the bioplant mansion. Judging by the angle, there was still several hours of light left in the day. Plenty of time to train, go around the village, or go over combat strategies. It was the main reason Eclair was so frustrated to be confined to her room.

The reason didn't escape her. It was well over an hour ago that she fought the berserk Axe Hero. Her body needed time to heal properly. This fact couldn't be ignored.

That didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

Footsteps started coming toward the room. She quickly got up from the floor and sat on her bed. When the door opened, a raccoon woman stood there.

"Eclair!" Raphtalia quickly came in and wrapped her in a hug.

"Welcome back." She returned her lover's embrace. "That didn't take too long."

"Dante wanted to hurry back, and so did I." Raphtalia released Eclair from her hold. She had a stern look on her face as she checked Eclair's forehead. "You were working out."

Eclair winced. "Just a little…"

"Eclair!"

The lady knight had found that Raphtalia would exercise as much as her, sometimes even more. Of course, being this injured should have meant no exercise, but Eclair decided to anyway. It wasn't like she thought she could hide that from Raphtalia. She was quite observant.

"I'm mostly fine now." Eclair gave her wounded shoulder a rub.

"'Mostly' is not enough. Take that off and lie down." Raphtalia commanded, pulling a bottle from her belt. Both she and Rat had told her not to overdo it.

"Yes, Lady Hammer Hero." Eclair did as instructed.

Raphtalia spared a glance at the small hammer fitted under her belt before pulling out some cut cloth. In a wash basin that was prepared ahead of time, she poured out the holy water and began soaking the cloth.

"Honestly. Straining yourself like that while you're cursed?" Raphtalia brought the basin over.

"You know the curse is mostly gone now." Eclair reminded her.

That spell Dante cast, whatever it was, did a good job. Sadeena explained it while they were being looked at in Rat's lab. It would remove a curse from the target, like the holy spell cast on Dante's shoulder before, while also dissipating lesser curses in the area. It all depended on the amount and quality of holy water present. Eclair had received a fair amount of curse damage, but most of the instances were small enough. The cost was that all the holy water would become inert, which was one of the reasons they went to the church in the capital.

"How's everyone else doing?" Eclair asked as the bandages were wrapped around her wounded shoulder. After getting checked out, Rat allowed her to rest in her room. If she actually rested, that was.

"Sadeena was the most wounded, but Miss Rat says she'll make a full recovery." Raphtalia began. Dante had told Rat to give her a full physical, seeing as she was very proficient in medicine as well as alchemy. "Miss Fiadia's curse was stronger than the others, so she's going to be treated there for a while. Elvira…" Raphtalia paused.

Eclair understood. She saw the young vampire kneeling next to the body of the dead Projectile Hero. To learn that he was her cousin, and that he killed her family…

"Dante spoke with her when we got back. She asked to go home, but promised to return. Dante told her to take as much time as she needed and let her take one of the village's filolials to travel."

"I see." It was about what Eclair expected, maybe a little better.

"There's some bad news, too." Raphtalia finished applying the bandages and sat on the edge of the bed. "The man Dante talked about, Takt, escaped."

"Damn it!" Eclair clenched her fist. "What happened?"

Raphtalia explained. Dio was able to find him in an elevated position away from the village. Since Conrad likely had shadow magic, as a vampire, they suspected the three of them teleported in, hidden from view while Takt found a good spot. Dio had taken some light damage, but her speed was enough to overwhelm him. Before she could capture him, he used some sort of bomb to blind and disorient Dio. Dante said it was something called a 'flashbang'. After that, he threw some sort of foul-smelling potion at Dio to inhibit her sense of smell before fleeing. The shadow had been incapacitated before they arrived, but he would survive.

"Does Sir MacRory know?" Eclair asked.

Raphtalia nodded. "Rifana told us." She and JoJo had gone out with Dante's Aura spell cast on them to help. "Once things get settled, Dante's going to bring Dio to the capital to have a wanted poster made. She's the only one that saw his face."

At least it isn't a complete loss.

"And…how is Sir MacRory?"

Next to Sadeena's, Dante's injuries were the worst. Losing his other arm and being struck in the back with that cursed weapon were some fairly large hits.

Raphtalia paused. "The priests…He…" She fumbled with her words before starting again. "He wrecked his body with that spell."

"What do you mean?" From how Sadeena explained it, using up holy water was the only detriment.

Raphtalia shook her head. "I'm not really sure. The priests didn't know how to explain it either. After hearing everything from Dante, they believe his new curse overpowered the one in—"

"His what?"

That was not something he shared with everyone. Of course, with the attack and Sadeena's injury, she couldn't fault him.

"All he said was its name: Curse of Greed." Raphtalia folded her hands in her lap.

"Then he…" Eclair remembered what he said about his last curse, about how he gained it. "But, Miss Sadeena was saved. If she had…"

"That's what I was thinking." Raphtalia said with a frown. "I couldn't really ask him about it, since he went right back to waiting outside Miss Rat's lab with Atla while Sadeena was still getting checked out."

That made Eclair think for a moment. While they were all inside, Dante held Sadeena's hand until he left. Even before, he refused to separate from her while she was carried in. Once Atla got back, it took both her and Raphtalia coaxing Dante to let go and have the three of them go to the capital. Sadeena had to insist on it, too.

I remember how Sir MacRory acted when he received the Curse of Wrath. With this new one, perhaps he is more obsessive? If he got it by healing Miss Sadeena, then I suppose I could see it.

"We can ask him about it later." Eclair patted the space next to her, prompting Raphtalia to immediately lay next to her. "We'll have time enough to worry about what's to come."

"I guess you're right." Raphtalia wrapped her arm around Eclair, resting her head on the older woman's chest and good shoulder. She then let out a giggle. "I was a little worried you might try to use that as an excuse to rush off and ask him about it immediately."

"I know how to be patient." Eclair placed her hand on the back of Raphtalia's head, running her fingers through her hair.

"Do you now?" Raphtalia glanced up with a smirk.

Eclair returned it with one of her own. "I don't want to hear that from the girl who confessed to me by—"

"Don't say it out loud!"

Eclair couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. She had Sadeena to thank for Raphtalia's confession. Apparently, she gave Raphtalia some advice that ran along the lines of "seizing the opportunity". Raphtalia interpreted that as confessing during one of their mock battles, using it as a distraction. It ended up working, giving Raphtalia the win, and they'd been together ever since.

Eclair had some doubts about the relationship, the first one being that they were both women. As a noble and now the last of her house, it was expected that she'd marry and have kids one day, something her father would remind her of every so often.

That thought led her to the second doubt. She knew that demi-humans grew as they gained levels, but she was still over twice Raphtalia's age. What's more, she blamed herself for what happened to Raphtalia and the others. She was unable to fight against the wave in her father's territory, and she was unable to stop knights and slavers from taking the survivors. It didn't feel right to be accepted by this girl like that.

Of course, Raphtalia was very perceptive. She had seen something was bothering Eclair and they talked about it. Raphtalia didn't blame her for any of it. If anything, she wanted to be there for Eclair for everything that she had been through. Being tried for treason for protecting the villagers, only to be sold off to mercenaries and used as a plaything for them. They both lost much on the day of the wave, and were able to grow close to one another because of it.

After a little while, Raphtalia shifted next to Eclair, murmuring.

"What is it?" Eclair asked, stopping her stroking.

"Khana…" Raphtalia whispered into Eclair's chest.

"Ah." The previous Hammer Hero, murdered by the now dead Projectile Hero.

"She was crude and loud and said whatever was on her mind." Raphtalia said, holding Eclair tighter. "But, she was a good person."

"I know she was." Eclair ran her hand up and down Raphtalia's back.

She, Lloyd, and so many others were killed, all so Conrad could become more powerful. All in the name of revenge, if she understood Conrad's words correctly. What could bring a man to do that to his own family, Eclair had no idea.

"What are you going to do with the Seven Star Hammer now?" The lady knight asked.

"I can't put it down, so I guess I really am a hero." Raphtalia admitted. "I'm sure Dante will be telling me how to improve it soon. I only glanced at a few of the forms it could take and they improve my stats a lot. But…"

"But what?"

"I can't help but feel all the training you gave me with a sword is wasted now."

"Nonsense." Eclair shook her head. "While not all the techniques are applicable, it still gave you a foundation to work on. I'm sure there are instructors in Siltvelt that can teach you."

"But they won't be you…" Raphtalia whispered.

Eclair chuckled. "True, you might be spending more time away from the village for a little while, if an instructor can't come here. In that case, I suppose we'll have to spend as much time together as possible."

"We certainly have to today." Raphtalia glanced up, a warm smile on her face. "I have to make sure you don't try getting up again."

"I'd love nothing more." Eclair angled her head and gave one of Raphtalia's ears a peck, earning a light gasp.

No matter what came next, they still had each other.

The Blind Tiger

It was hard to imagine being any happier than she was right now. It came with a cost, but things were good at the moment. It started after Atla returned to the village.

She had been in the capital with Fohl, Keel, and Lilith. There was a noble there, Jaralis, who wanted to meet with the sisters. Dante was a little hesitant, but said it would be fine if Keel and Lilith went with them. He also gave a light warning to watch what Jaralis said and did, though he didn't say why. Not that it mattered. Atla would do it simply because Dante said so.

While in the capital, Jaralis spoke with Atla and Fohl. It was mostly about their family, specifically their father and grandfather. Dante had mentioned before that their grandfather was the Claw Hero before and was essentially the leader of Siltvelt. Apparently, Fohl resembled their grandfather. Much later, their father was called to a different war, since they were in lands allied to Siltvelt. Fohl knew more about that than her.

Jaralis was a friend of their father. While they didn't see eye-to-eye on a number of things, he held great respect for their father's battle prowess. He expressed his sympathy for his death, and what happened to the sisters after that. Had Jaralis known about the two, he would have taken them into his house.

Atla couldn't deny this would have been good. She sensed no lies in his words, and didn't doubt he would have taken care of her through her illness. Still, there was a chance she would have never met Dante had that happened. She didn't say so out loud. Fohl was too moved by Jaralis's words, and Dante didn't want her to cause any issues.

Before heading back, Jaralis also expressed his views on their current situation. He freely admitted that he—along with a number of his colleagues—didn't want to see the hakuko returned to power, nor see the other three elite races increase their slowly diminishing influence. He did, however, say he would do what he could to aid their family.

After a somewhat pleasant experience, Atla was horrified to learn of Dante's injuries. They knew something was wrong on their carriage ride back, since all their slave seals went off at once. She rushed to Rat's lab to be with him, finding him kneeling next to Sadeena—his body back to normal—with her hand in his. Her injuries weren't much better, according to Atla's senses.

While the situation was bad, it was also the start of her newfound happiness. They needed more holy water for the remaining curses, and Dante's transportation skill was the fastest way. He was reluctant to leave Sadeena's side, but she, Atla, and Raphtalia were able to convince him. Sadeena told Dante to watch over Raphtalia, then turned to Atla and told her to watch over Dante. Sadeena was in good spirits then, all but telling Atla that her time had come.

She would show Dante how reliable she was. She would put all of her teacher's training and knowledge to good use!

Dante held Atla's hand as they left the lab. He quickly pulled her along, a happy smile on her face, despite the situation. They teleported to the castle and went straight for the church. The healers their said Dante's old curse was repelled by his new one. Atla didn't quite understand it all, but she understood what they said next. The injuries caused by that wicked Axe Hero that attacked the village had festered.

"It hasn't even been an hour!" Dante yelled.

Atla, too, wanted to chastise the priests there, but reconsidered. Sadeena had said that simply going along with whatever Dante said or felt wasn't the right way to go. At least, not all the time.

The priests treated Dante's wounds as best they could with magic, but he didn't want to wait around to have them wrap him up in holy water soaked bandages. Instead, the three of them took all the holy water they needed and returned to the village.

Raphtalia left to check on Eclair—who was allowed to rest in the manor—while Dante and Atla waited outside of the lab. Rat was giving Sadeena a thorough examination and wanted to give her privacy. Dante wanted to go in right away, but he was the one who demanded the physical, so he waited. While they did, Atla did her best to calm him down. Even under the circumstances, it was an easy thing to do. She simply had him sit on the ground and she sat in his lap. She led his only hand to her head and had him stroke her ears.

When they were finally allowed in, Dante went straight to Sadeena and sat on the ground next to her cot, holding her hand again. He gave Rat the holy water and she got the bandages prepared. Sensing another opportunity, Atla volunteered to wrap Dante while Rat handled Sadeena. While she couldn't see normally, Atla could sense life force, allowing her to more accurately sense where the curses in Dante were strongest.

The pair worked together in wrapping their patients. Dante remained in contact with Sadeena the entire time. Once they were finished, Atla sat against Dante again while Rat went around to check on everyone else. Minutes became hours, and night had fallen before long. Sadeena tried to encourage Dante to go to bed, but he refused. Likewise, Alta was resolved to stay by Dante. She sat in his lap and slept there. Fohl had come by to complain, but Atla completely dismissed her. She was worried Dante would send her with Fohl, but he kept her close instead. It was another happy moment.

The next morning, things started to go downhill for Dante. He didn't make breakfast, instead opting for some fruit that Atla fetched for them. Before they ate, he wanted to give Atla her daily dose of medicine. It was a little awkward, since Dante didn't want to let go of Sadeena.

Atla gave him a hug. "It's okay, Mister Dante. It can wait."

Dante sighed. "No, it can't. Sorry for being unreasonable."

He stood up and went to drop a vial from his shield. The second Atla separated from him, he pulled her close again. Atla looked up at him, confused, but still pleased.

"I just…want you to keep holding me." He hesitantly said.

Atla just beamed and held him tightly. "Yes, Mister Dante!" She was quite pleased her affection was so wanted.

He let a vial drop onto Sadeena's cot and retrieved it. Popping off the cork with one hand, he held it against Atla's waiting lips. As she drank it, she felt the effects of the potion. But, it felt different.

"Hm?" Dante seemed to sense it as well. "Are you feeling okay?"

Atla was about to respond, saying she was great as always, but she stopped herself. That was another thing her teacher told her about. If something was wrong, she needed to tell Dante, especially if it was important. Her health was very important to him, so she couldn't brush it off.

"It feels weaker than normal." She said.

"Damn it…" Dante murmured, but said no more on the issue. He did crush the empty vial in his hand, but that wasn't so bad. Her medicine vials always broke apart after they were used anyway.

The next thing to upset Dante happened a while later. He discussed a few things he wanted to try out, but insisted on staying near Sadeena. With a good amount of persuading and ending with an order from her, Sadeena was able to convince Dante to leave her side for a time. After all, he also had a parade to do today.

Dante wasn't happy, but he agreed. Sadeena asked him to bring Raphtalia with him. Atla didn't see why, but she sensed it was something between them, so she didn't ask. He got one of his cloaks he used when he was missing his other arm and teleported out with Raphtalia, Lilith, and Keel.

Atla waited patiently for Dante to return, doing what she normally did in the village. Thankfully, he wasn't gone as long as he was when the parades first started, or even the more recent ones. The second he returned, she took his hand the moment he set Lilith down. That earned a grumbly 'gao' from the slowly growing dragon, but Atla paid it no mind.

The two of them walked around, hand in hand, and looked for one of the new girls, Rishia. When they found her, Dante explained how he wanted to see if Atla could draw out any life force from her. It was something about her having a talent for it, thought Atla couldn't see why. Rishia didn't seem to have a different life force about her than anyone else.

When Atla went to have a quick mock battle with her, Dante pulled her back again.

"I…er…" Dante couldn't seem to say anything.

"What is it, Mister Dante? Did you change your mind?" Atla asked him.

"No, I…" Again, he couldn't really respond. Atla didn't want to complain, since it was still nice having him hold her hand like that. Still, Sadeena convinced him to do this, so Atla would do her best to help.

"Why don't you cast your spell on her?" She suggested.

"My spell?"

"Your Aura spell. It increases the life force on us when you use it." Atla explained.

Dante stood there for a moment, saying nothing. Then, he sighed and brought Atla closer to him again. Rishia made that strange noise when Atla wrapped an arm around Dante, though it was quieter and shorter than normal. Dante chanted out his spell, though it was a little different this time.

"Drifa Aura IX!"

"Fehhhh!"

As Rishia cried out, Alta could see her life force surge even more than everyone else's had. This girl, who was so timid before, was now bursting with power.

"What the…" Dante said, his tone agitated.

"What is it?" Atla asked.

"It's…weak. It's weaker than when I cast it as a Zweite spell!"

"It is?" Atla checked Rishia again. While that spell was never cast on her before, it seemed like it had a much stronger effect. Atla offered a suggestion. "Maybe try casting it on the two of us?"

Dante did just that. Atla could see what he meant. It wasn't by a large amount, but her stats didn't increase as much as when he cast his spell at a lower level.

"So that's what it meant." Dante growled as he glared at his shield.

"What, Mister Dante?"

He didn't give her an answer. Instead, they concluded the session for now.

The third thing that happened was at dinner. While Dante hadn't made breakfast, he wanted to make at least one meal for everyone. He didn't have two arms, but the servants in the manor helped him prep the food. Atla kept one hand on him all the while, just like he asked her to when they began.

Once the food was prepared, it was brought out. Almost everyone in the party was there, except for Sadeena and Rat, although Rat normally kept to her lab anyway. One of the maids brought them their dishes. Reiko started joining the group, since her curse had finally finished changing her.

Everyone sat at the table, with Alta's chair pressed right against Dante's. Fohl protested, but Atla simply told her to "mind her manners." The two were still seated next to each other, so Atla wouldn't let her complain further.

Once they began eating, Atla noticed something. It seemed the others did as well.

"Hey, Dante, are you okay?" Keel asked.

"I'm fine." Dante was terse, but not outright angry.

"Oh. Okay."

"Something wrong?"

"Well…" Keel seemed to fidget a bit. "No, it's nothing really."

Dante didn't seem convinced, since he looked around. "Something is wrong. What is it?"

Atla could feel the mood in the room. After what happened yesterday, this seemed like such a small thing.

"It's not important, Lord Shield." Fiadia voiced.

"Yeah." Keel continued. "I mean, you're missing an arm again, so it makes sense."

"Rat and I will have a replacement ready by tomorrow." Reiko added in.

"There, see? Nothing to worry about! Your food will be back to tasting good again in—"

"Keel!" Raphtalia chided. Keel quickly covered his mouth.

"My food?" Atla could hear the tone in Dante's voice shift.

"It's really not a big deal, Sir MacRory." Eclair voiced.

"Y-Yeah, Mister Dante." Rifana spoke next. "And we know you've been worried about Sadeena. Your food isn't bad at all, it's just…not as good as before."

Atla didn't want to bring it up. She knew Dante had some things on his mind, but he didn't want to say what. Instead, she opted to tell him she'd eat his cooking no matter what.

Before she could, a loud boom echoed in the room. It didn't take sight to realize what had happened. The table they all sat at had fallen to the ground. Dante's fist shook, resting at the same level the top of the table once was.

"Even this is affected by—" Dante yelled, but cut himself short. He took in a deep, long breath and slowly let it out. He repeated it, placing his hand on his face and slowly dragging it down. He stood from what remained of the table, Atla quickly following suit. "I will replace the table later."

Dante turned around, Atla shifting her arm to grasp Dante's hand in hers, never breaking contact.

"Hey, where are you taking her?!" Fohl yelled as the pair left the manor. They went to the lab, Dante clearly wanting to be with Sadeena again.

The two of them ended up sleeping in the lab again, in the same position no less. Sadeena tried getting them to sleep in an actual bed, but Dante wouldn't have it. Atla didn't mind at all. She spent years incapacitated by her illness. Sleeping on someone's lap wasn't bad at all, especially since it was Dante's.

She wanted him to say what was bothering him, but he wouldn't. In that case, she would simply be by his side and help him feel better. That's all she really wanted.

The Former Priestess

Sadeena spent some time with her thoughts. She wasn't lonely by any means. Plenty of people came in to check on her, Dante and Atla being the most common, even more than Rat. Strictly speaking, she wasn't even confined to the lab. She was able to get up and walk around, but Dante insisted she rest as much as she could, getting regular checks by Rat. It would help speed up her recovery. Funnily enough, Raphtalia was a little like that with Eclair. It appeared Eclair was able to win that argument.

Still, Sadeena had a growing concern. Two, in fact, and they both revolved around Dante. The first was around his newest curse.

He exploded at dinner the other day, according to Raphtalia, though she didn't understand why. Sadeena did, and she made sure to pass it along. It was the detriment Dante got with his Curse of Greed.

With all the evidence he got, Dante concluded that anything he gave to others had its effects diminished. From beneficial spells, to created objects, to even the food he cooked, the quality was lowered. It didn't appear to affect Dante himself, just for others.

That was just the Status effect. He didn't seem to want to admit it, but he also needed to stay in physical contact with someone. It wasn't just anyone, either. It only seemed to work with someone that had his slave seal or monster seal on them. Someone that was his property, technically speaking. It was why Atla was with him all the time, not that the girl minded.

To take her mind off of that, Sadeena thought about the more humorous things going on at the moment. One in particular was after Dante got his right arm replaced earlier in the lab.

"I'll need to test this." Dante had said.

"Oh! Dante, Dante!" Reiko was excited. "You should pick up a huge column of stone and throw it behind you!"

Dante had given a light laugh at that. "Are there any big rocks around here?"

They ended up settling on Dante splitting a large tree in half in the forest.

Beyond her skills in alchemy, Reiko was a good source of relaxation for Dante. So much so that Atla would come to Sadeena while Dante was in one of the parades to ask her questions.

"Teacher, I don't understand this joke." She would start and explain what was said between Dante and Reiko. It was endearing to be called that by her, though Dante might have issues with it. Sadeena would send her to Reiko to learn these things about Dante's old world.

His newfound ability to use Way of the Dragon Vein completely untrained was a cause for concern, especially since the source seemed to be his new curse. At the very least, he said he wouldn't use it again until Sadeena properly taught him. It was the same for suddenly being able to cast Drifa spells.

The Axe was another issue, though for a different reason. It remained in the same form as when it was wielded by that man, and Dante said it was clearly a curse series form. He didn't know why it stayed like that, nor why the weapon curse had a form for the Axe while his curse came as bonuses and penalties.

What's worse, when one of the surviving knights tried to move it to a safer location with the Projectile and Whip, the man went berserk. Thankfully, Dante was able to remove the Axe from him without too much issue. It didn't try to return, so the knight wasn't considered a hero, but Dante was able to hold it without going crazy. They speculated that it was because Dante was already a hero or had already unlocked the curse series, or at least the one they assumed the Axe was using.

At least it was stored away safely, along with the other weapons. From what Sadeena heard, Dante made a building out of thin air and stored the weapons in separate safes inside. He mentioned he could do that, those this was the first time he did so.

Sadeena was, of course, proud that Raphtalia was chosen by the Seven Star Hammer, though that came with its own issues. She didn't know how Q'ten Lo would react to this news. There was no attack yet, so they might not know what to do. It was the reason she had Raphtalia stay near Dante while she rested, or at least in the same general area, like during the parades.

Sadeena couldn't explain things properly to Raphtalia for the same reason. She was there when Sadeena told Dante that bit about her past. Sadeena didn't want Raphtalia to look at her like she was a monster, and she didn't really, but Sadeena knew the thought was there.

As for her second main concern…well, it didn't need to be said yet. With everything that's happened, both recently and from some time ago, there were enough things to worry about. She did chastise Dante for keeping things that bothered him to himself, but he also told her she could keep her secrets.

Sadeena decided to keep this one. At least for a little while longer.

Author's Notes:

Feels like a lighter chapter this time, though that's more compared to recent chapters. I wanted to give the perspective of a few others, so an interlude chapter was in order. One of the drawbacks of third-person-limited is you don't get to see other people's thoughts. I think this POV is better for this particular story, but multiple and omniscient are still good, as well as first person.

The Shield of the Beast King has a skill called "Territorial Reform". It's basically like a city builder menu for any territory that's his. While Fiadia is the governor, she considers the village to be as much Dante's as it is hers. Siltvelt did give him the land to do with as he wished. He hasn't used it before because he doesn't fully understand how to gain 'points' to build things, so he mostly wants to save them for now.

For anyone wondering, the Vassal/Seven Star Weapons can be moved by normal people. Probably. It was in the spinoff concerning Takt's weapons after his death, so there might be underlying reasons for it, but whatever. I think the Gauntlets decided to embed themselves in stone all on their own, as well as the Katana.