Review Responses:
Guest: Yeah, Dante's basically using his book knowledge as a reference at best. Given that Kizuna was missing, he went ahead with what he knew and is basically hoping for the best. Looking back, I should have added lines about his thoughts/reactions to Glass's words, something along the lines of him confirming (or assuming) what he thought was true. With Kyo and the others, it was more of a "hey, check out these people of interest" type of thing. With the other holies from Glass's world, I agree they probably do fear for their lives and don't think they'll just respawn if killed. It's the best explanation for why they aren't even trying.
Chapter 58 – Fanning the Flames, Part II
The party made their way through the streets. They went through the back alleys as far as they could, but there was a good amount of open road between them and the castle. There was no point in trying to hide, since there were so many of them. Plus, it wasn't as if anyone could stop them. The few knights that saw them quickly ran off toward the castle.
We're going to be in for a fight, I'm sure.
They could have gotten on the filolials and rode their quickly, but Dante wanted to give his portal skill time to come off cooldown. The moment they had Ann, they were leaving.
When they finally arrived at the castle gate, there was a group of about 50 knights waiting for them. The man at the front of the group was one Dante didn't expect to see.
"Greetings, Sir Shield Hero!" The knight said pleasantly. Dante looked to Eclair, though everyone knew who he was from his looks.
"Hello?" Dante returned, not quite sure how to respond.
"I heard you had returned to the city. I assume you are here to see Princess Melty, yes?"
"That…would be right." Dante decided to play along with whatever plan was thrown together.
"Excellent! But before that, I would ask for your party members to transform." The leader said.
Dante studied his face for a moment. There was deception, of course, but he didn't feel anything imminent. With a wave to his party, they did as he said. Dio and JoJo turned back into children while Rifana and Keel resumed their demi-human forms. Sadeena and Raphtalia were already set.
The leader looked at Rishia. "And the one in that strange costume?"
"Fehhh!" Rishia pulled open the mouth of the suit, revealing her face. "I'm human."
The leader nodded, a smile still on his face. "Please, follow us and we will guide you to her."
The knights behind him made a hole for the party to walk through.
"…Lead the way." Dante said, following behind with his party.
The group of knights stayed on either side of them, plus a row in the rear. They didn't have their weapons drawn, or at least pointed at them for the spear wielders. They didn't look as pleased as the leader, either. Not that it mattered. Once the gatehouse and knights came into view, Dante had cast All Drifa Aura IX on everyone. He was ready to stop unlocking his Soul Eater Shield at a moment's notice.
Before they left the slave trader's, Sadeena had given Dante a casting of Holy Purge. The bulk of the effects left, but he felt a little remained. He didn't cast as much as when he tested out his spells, so he figured this was something more permanent. Just another reason to not cast spells outside his attributes and ability carelessly.
"Excuse me, Sir Knight?" Dante decided to fish for some information. "But why are you taking us to Princess Melty? I was under the impression I was wanted."
"The princess has given you a reprieve." The knight answered freely. "She wants to discuss the situation with you personally."
"I see." Dante hummed. "That was kind of her."
"Our princess is quite generous, given the situation. You should feel honored!" The knight jovially proclaimed.
"She is and I am." Dante answered. "Say, have we met before?"
"Indeed we haven't, Sir Shield Hero!" The knight responded, though Dante knew otherwise. Technically, they were never introduced, but Dante had seen him before. "I am Davon Mallory, captain of the royal guard."
"Is that so?" Dante spared another glance to Eclair. She kept one hand on her sword's sheathe. Her helmet obscured most of her face, so he wasn't worried about her being recognized. It wasn't as if anyone had before, except Malty today. "When did you become a captain? I don't mean to be rude, but I feel as though I would have seen you here before."
"Hah! I take no offense, Sir Shield Hero!" Davon proclaimed. "Indeed, I was recently promoted. Princess Malty herself recommended me to the position."
A third glance was given to Eclair. She returned it with a confused look, one that likely mirrored Dante's own.
There are some 4D chess moves going on here. I can't even begin to determine who's doing what. So, what's her list of acts so far? Framing me for rape, putting a kill request on me, and now getting Davon Mallory of all people promoted. There are others I'm not sure I can pin on her, like Itsuki's hostility towards me. Hostility at the feast, that is. Well, I suppose it won't matter soon enough.
"Dante." Raphtalia got close and whispered to him. "There are seven from the village here, including him."
"That many?" Dante whispered back. He noticed a few, but didn't think so many of those knights had gathered in one spot like this. "Let's see how this plays out first."
They entered the castle and kept on walking. Guards stationed around gave them passing looks, a few of which were rather concerned with what was happening, but none of them joined the march.
"Little Dante." Sadeena whispered in his ear. "There's powerful magic in the air."
"Powerful magic…" Some form of ceremonial magic came to mind. Judgement was first, but Dante seriously doubted they'd use that here. It was strong enough to level a fort. They wouldn't use it inside the castle.
A thought tickled his mind. He opened his status and viewed the portal locations with his skill.
Unable to use portal ability
Ah…Well, I guess I'm not all that surprised.
He recalled times when heroes were unable to use their portal skills. Aside from Sanctuary spells, ceremonial magic was also able to disrupt it.
As they turned down a corridor, Davon stopped the group.
"Sir Shield Hero, before we go any further, I would ask you to change your shield back to its original form." Davon said, waving over one of the knights. He held a chain in his hands. "This will prevent you from using any of your hero skills until it's removed. Please understand, we cannot risk the princess's safety."
"Of course." Dante appraised the chain as it was brought over. He changed his shield and allowed it to be wrapped up. A notice appeared in his status.
Small Shield (unable to change form)
Dante fiddled around his status for a moment.
That's cute.
"Now then," Davon gestured to the double doors next to them. Two of the knights opened them, revealing a large room. It was the same room used for the banquet, with a few tables set up. There was food already spread out on them, though nothing fancy or time consuming to make. At least, nothing that wouldn't keep for a few hours after making. Mostly pastries or fruits, that sort of thing. "Your party may wait here. We have refreshments prepared for them. These four will escort you the rest of the way."
Wow, could they be any more obvious? Still, I'm pretty impressed with the spread, given the amount of time they had to set this up, let alone come up with a plan. I wonder what they laced it all with.
"I want to see Mel." Dio said, grabbing onto Dante's pant leg.
"I never got to meet her." JoJo grabbed his other leg. Both kids had concerned looks in their eyes. They knew something was wrong, but they were aware enough not to say anything.
"Don't worry." Dante let go of Sadeena and patted both of their heads. "Once I finish speaking with her, I'm sure Princess Melty would love to see you both." Melty had talked extensively with Dio on the brief walk to talk with Aultcray before. Not that a meeting with her was likely to happen.
"Okay…" The two responded sadly.
Dante gave them a smile before he looked up to Eclair and Raphtalia. "I'll be back soon." He got close to the pair and whispered, "Enjoy yourselves a bit. Don't make any noise."
They nodded to him, the message received loud and clear. If the villagers were presumed dead, they had no use for Davon Mallory and the other knights.
His party went into the room, the knights following right after them. Davon was the last one in, flashing Dante one last smile before closing the door.
Separated from his party, Dante walked with the remaining four knights. He already knew they were taking him to the throne room. He also understood why he didn't need to be holding onto anyone here. This entire place was filled with danger. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't feel any anxiety being out of contact with someone. It just wasn't nearly as bad.
Once they were in front of the large doors, the guards present looked at one another before opening the doors. Dante could see the room was filled with knights, several dozen of them. At the end of the room, Aultcray sat on the throne, five knights on either side of him. The sound of metal sliding was heard and Dante felt four points pressed against his back.
"Inside, Shield Demon." One of the knights said to him.
Dante did as he was instructed, walking into the room. Once inside, the doors were closed behind them. The knights kept their blades against Dante's back as he approached the throne. The ones he passed lined up against the wall began converging on him, following the original four.
"Halt." One of the knights ordered.
When he stopped, the knights removed their swords from him and stepped back. They kept their weapons drawn and ready to strike. Most of the knights in the room had spears or polearms of some sort and looked like they were waiting for a reason to move.
Aultcray sat on his throne and stared down at him. Instead of a look of rage or contempt, a smile was plastered on his face.
"You're not who I was expecting." Dante began. "Well, that would be a lie."
"You will not speak unless ordered to, Shield Demon!" One of the knights roared.
"There's no need for that." Aultcray casually waved his hand before returning it to the throne's armrest. "After all, he has no one to make threats with this time. And no hostages to take either."
Dante gave him a smirk. "You don't have any heroes with you either."
He could see Aultcray's face twitch, but that just turned into a short laugh.
"It's fitting you are dressed in such a manner." Aultcray jabbed. "Your clothes are unfit for a hero."
"Is this what I'm here for? Fashion insults?" Dante asked, hand on his hip.
"I've heard a rumor recently." Aultcray leaned forward in his seat, ignoring Dante's remark. "Have you been overcome by a curse?"
Dante turned to the side and took a step. The knights reacted, readying their weapons, but Dante paid them little mind. He paced around the small area provided to him.
"Is that what this here is all really about?" Dante asked. "You're concerned for my wellbeing? Or, are you perhaps worried I'll lash out at someone?"
Aultcray's expression didn't change. He just kept on smiling down at Dante.
Dante hummed. "Well, I took some cursed damage that festered. Got that mostly fixed, but curses can be annoying like that. My arm got fixed, by the way. I became a child for a day. Did you know some nobles, some baronesses, have death pits in their homes to throw slaves into?" He threw that bit out there, knowing they both knew who he meant. "Killing slaves by de-aging them into nothingness. That's a terrible way to go."
Dante circled back around, watching the expressions of the knights ready to strike him. "I also became a woman for a while. That one took some time to fix, since I had some extraordinary circumstances going on. Took a few more hits from cursed weapons, but those were mostly healed. Still have the scars from all those, if you want to see."
Dante stopped his pacing, returning to the center of the weapon circle. "But, I'm guessing you're asking about something else, aren't you?"
Aultcray's smile widened. "It's true, then?"
Dante wanted to see where he was going with this. "I have two. Wrath and Greed."
Aultcray sat back in his throne, looking rather content. "I see."
"You aren't the first to show concern about it, incidentally." Dante went on. "Your daughter—your first daughter—expressed her concern when she learned about it at the wave."
The temperature in the room went up a few degrees. "Is that right?" Aultcray said through gritted teeth.
"It is." Dante held his hands behind his back. "The second person was a visitor from the waves, though I don't expect you to believe me. She said heroes shouldn't share that sort of thing with others. You wouldn't happen to know why that is, do you?"
With a smile back on his face, Aultcray spoke. "I do."
"And it's something you're pleased about." Dante didn't ask, but stated. "Care to share?"
"I might be so inclined, but I think you should understand your position better."
"My position seems pretty clear to me." Dante spared another look around the room. "I think it's fairly obvious what you intend. Just a little confused on the why. Or, more specifically, why now? You know how other countries view me, right?"
"I have been made aware of your reputation." Aultcray continued to smile. "But the opportunity is simply too fortuitous to pass up. It's not every day that my most hated enemy willingly comes to my doorstep."
"You practically invited me with your actions."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
Dante scoffed. "Really? Arresting your citizens for doing trade with me? How petty can you be?"
The smile on Aultcray's face changed into a smirk. "Ah. You must be referring to the Shield heretic that was arrested. Is that why you are here? To free your worshiper?"
"I didn't realize the Shield Faith was illegal here." Dante gave his knuckles a crack. "But, yes, that's why I'm here. I think I'll kill all your guards and take that crown from your head before I do that."
Aultcray laughed. It was loud and rather unsettling. "That would be rather fitting for a man cursed with wrath and greed. Tell me more. What else do you plan on doing in my kingdom?"
"You seem to want me to talk a lot for someone who wants me dead." Dante retorted.
"I want you to think you have a chance. I want you to realize how powerless you are here. I want you to see your slaves slowly die from the poison they've surely eaten by now. I want you to fully appreciate the price you have to pay for daring to hurt my family."
And there it was. Dante wondered when the old man would finally say it out loud.
"What makes you think things will work out how you plan?" Dante asked.
"Have you heard of one of my titles in your travels, perhaps in Siltvelt?" Aultcray gestured with his hand. "I am known as the Wisest King of Wisdom."
"You were." Dante shrugged. "Don't seem so wise anymore."
Aultcray wagged his finger at him. "Wisdom comes in many forms, my young, foolish Shield Hero. A wise king will listen to his councilors, especially on important matters. One such matter is the nature of the Cardinal Heroes, which was told to me by the pope himself. Did you know that, should a Cardinal Hero die while afflicted by one of their weapon's special curses, a new one cannot be summoned for some time? Should the other three die, they may be resummoned again and again, leaving the cursed one out."
Incredible information was being laid bare.
Some of the pieces were starting to fit into place. Werner and the others didn't want Dante to return to Melromarc, fearing for his life. In reality, they must have known about this condition. They couldn't risk losing their 'Lord Shield' for an extended period of time.
Even after his fight with Itsuki, he never heard any threats from Fitoria, though neither one tried contacting the other.
In Faubrey, when one of the assassination requests specified killing Dante's party members first, he thought it was out of spite. Instead, it was preparing him for this.
"I'll share another piece of wisdom with you." Aultcray continued. "It's one I learned rather early in my life. You see—"
In the blink of an eye, Dante felt it. A blade had just slashed his throat. A shadow stood before him, their dagger dripping in a sticky, green liquid. A poison notification popped up in Dante's status as he gripped his throat and staggered back.
"—Overt gestures should be avoided when fighting your opponent, and you should always act to defy your enemy's expectations."
Aultcray stood from his throne and stepped forward. "You don't know how long I've waited for this. It wasn't easy obtaining that chain for your so-called weapon. As I'm sure you've noticed, it prevents you from transforming it into a more powerful form."
Dante fell to one knee, still gripping his throat.
"With hero skills locked, only your weapon effects would function." Aultcray sneered at calling the shield a weapon. "Since you were thoughtless enough to change it, I thought it only right to put you out of your misery."
With one hand on the ground, Dante watched the approaching figure of the king. A smile never left the older man's face.
"Goodbye, Shield."
However, as soon as he uttered those words, the smile quickly faded. Dante was back on his feet, the shadow that attacked him in his grasp. The dagger struck at Dante's face, but it left no mark. The throat of the shadow was squeezed harder and harder.
"Kidding~." Dante stuck out his tongue. He showed his throat to the king, not a scratch to be seen.
"W-What…" Aultcray stepped back.
"That's a good piece of wisdom, by the way. I have some of my own for you—"
"Kill the Shield!" Aultcray roared, retreating back to the steps that led to the throne.
As soon as the order was given, the knights swung their weapons and chanted their spells.
"Zweite Fire Shot!"
"Zweite Aqua Slash!"
"Zweite Defense Down!"
"Zweite Earth Grasp!"
It quickly became apparent that something was wrong. Weapons swung wildly, completely missing their intended target. Some struck the ground, but many more hit other soldiers. The spells were no better and often worse. Some of the spells had a wider range, thus hitting multiple knights. The ones hit with the Defense Down were killed rather quickly.
"Something that I learned in my youth was that you shouldn't make longwinded speeches to your enemy. Ever. The exception is if you're trying to buy time or make a distraction."
"What are you doing!?" Aultcray called to his guards. "Stop this madness and kill the Shield!"
Dante walked forward, the shadow firmly in his grasp.
"Another exception—if you're particularly neurotic and just need to hear yourself talk—is to say what you must to your enemy's corpse. I've done that a few times to people I just absolutely loathed. We're both failing that right now, though."
"What have you done!?" Aultcray demanded from the approaching Shield Hero. "What have you done to my knights!? How are you uninjured!? Guards! Send more Guards!"
"Well, now, I have to keep some secrets~." Dante winked.
The truth of the matter was fairly simple. Just as Aultcray said, the chain wrapped around his shield prevented it from changing forms and using skills, and only that. It didn't prevent the use of abilities, nor did it stop Dante from using any of the power up methods.
Small Shield +20 (10/10) AT
equip bonus: defense bonus (tiny)
equip effect: Haze, Silence
status enhancement defense up (huge)
Sure, the base stats were bad and it didn't upgrade that well, but it could be easily upgraded a lot. The ore for Smelting was an incredibly common drop and the energy required to increase Rarity was small. Additionally, once the probability of success started going down, the cost to increase it through the Projectile method was dirt cheap. Dante was able to increase the Rarity to Artifact at a substantially low price, thanks to all the coins he took from that dead baroness.
Even with all the upgrades, it wasn't nearly as good as his main shield. But, it was more than up to this task. It didn't hurt that Drifa Aura IX was still active on him. The Claw method really boosted the duration, with a little help from the Staff method. Plus, most of the stats he gained from the Curse of Wrath were tied to him, rather than his shield's stats.
As for the knights, the Haze ability took all the credit. It was an ability from the Toxic Shield he revealed at the mercenary-occupied Seaetto manor. It would unleash a poison in the air that affected everyone around him, including allies, which was why he never used it. He could also use a poison he created, such as an odorless, colorless, slow-acting neurotoxin that greatly inhibited perception and motor skills. Once the afflicted started moving, they wouldn't be able to keep track of their target. The major downside to the poison was that it needed constant exposure until it took effect. Against a group of closely packed, unmoving knights, it was perfect. It was why Dante moved around, to see when the poison started to take effect.
Ironically, it was partially thanks to Aultcray that Dante was able to make the poison at all. So many of the adventurers and assassins used poison on their weapons in the North Ferret Forest. Dante absorbed as much as he could, and one of the revealed shields gave him a few recipes. With a lot of time on his hands, he was able to play around with them and make a few.
Of course, the poison was somewhat heavy and couldn't spread out far, so it hadn't reached Aultcray on his throne, nor the knights that stood next to him. Those 10 men were his next targets.
After finally crushing the throat of that shadow, Dante tossed the corpse aside.
He began to chant a spell.
The still coherent knights charged him, their swords doing nothing against Dante's flesh. The magic clothes he wore were getting damaged, but he could restore them easily enough afterwards. Dante noticed Aultcray standing in front of his throne, attempting interruption magic. By the looks of it, Aultcray wouldn't finish in time.
"As the source of your power, I command you! Let the true way be revealed once more! Incinerate my enemies in a torrent of fire! Drifa Firestorm!"
Whirling flames wrapped around the attacking knights, scorching their bodies and armor, tearing through them like a small tornado. Most of them fell, but a few remained standing. A few strikes to each of them was enough.
"You've lost a step or two, old man." Dante approached Aultcray, who fell back on his throne. "Or, maybe you didn't realize I could use attack magic. Which is it?"
"Guards!" Aultcray called again.
In response, Dante merely smiled and tapped his shield. "No one outside of this room can hear a thing."
Aultcray looked behind Dante. He realized the doors must have been opened. "Guards! Quickly, kill the Shield…"
The words quickly quieted down. Dante looked over his shoulder to the throne room's entrance. At the doors was his party, the ones that could having transformed again. They walked inside dragging the bodies of knights behind them. There were seven in total, six of which were already dead. Dante assumed so, since he saw six XP notifications before. Raphtalia had unlocked the Humming Hammer from one of the extra silencing stones they got at Reiko's cave. It had easily kept their own battle quiet.
Those were the only notifications, since Dante didn't kill any of the knights in this room. Yet. The knights that killed each other were the exception.
"Sir MacRory, I must speak with the king." Eclair said, dragging the only living knight of the group.
"I thought you might." Having already deactivated Haze, Dante walked down the steps to the throne. He stood to the side, close enough to interfere should Aultcray attempt anything. It wasn't likely, but it was better to be prepared.
Sadeena walked right up to Dante, holding his face in her hands. "You cast another strong spell."
"This one wasn't so bad. I was learning it anyway. I'm pretty close, too." He was told learning a new Drifa spell might be better than trying to increase the level of known spells, since it was taking so long. It was mostly just an excuse.
"Little Dante…"
"I know, I know. Can you help get this thing off of me?" Dante gestured to his shield. Despite his strength, he was unable to pull off the chains. A quick jab from Sadeena's harpoon was all it took.
Huh. Strange.
Dante picked up the chains and held them to his shield. The gem sparked, pushing back the chains as he tried feeding them to it.
Very strange.
He gave them to Sadeena to hold for now.
The pair quieted down as Eclair reached the base of the steps leading up to the throne. She thrust the squirming Davon Mallory forward, landing him in front of her and the king.
"Do you have any idea what this man has done, my king?" Eclair asked with conviction.
"Who are you?" Aultcray asked his own question.
In response, Eclair removed her helmet, revealing her face.
"You!" Aultcray roared. "You should be in the dungeon! How did you escape? Was it the Shield?"
Eclair let out a breath. "It seems you didn't know. That sets me more at ease." She looked deep into Aultcray's eyes. "After my level was reset, I was never returned to the dungeon. I was sold off to mercenaries who took over my father's territory and was tortured for over a week."
"What madness are you speaking?" Aultcray slammed his fist on the throne. "You were kept in the dungeons."
In response, Eclair smashed her boot into Davon's head. "This vile Captain sold me to mercenaries that you allowed to ravage Ronota! The same one I said organized a raid on Lurolona the day after it was the site of the wave! And now he's captain of the royal guard? I ask you, what madness is this?"
"Who I promote is not your concern, criminal! Lurolona and Ronota were completely wiped out in the wave! I'll hear no more of this!"
"As you say, your majesty!" Davon chose now to speak out from his position on the floor. "This fallen knight speaks nothing but lies!"
"Indeed! She has chosen to ally with the Shield in his quest to destroy my kingdom!"
"Well, this is going pear shaped." Dante commented. This meeting with the king didn't go how any of them thought it would.
"Sir MacRory." Eclair looked at him, but said nothing more. Instead, she tried another approach with Aultcray. "With me are three survivors of Lurolona. Each of them were enslaved due to this man's actions."
"I will say this one last time, former knight of Melromarc." Aultcray spoke while clenching his throne's armrest. "Lurolona and Ronota were destroyed in the wave. As far as I am concerned, that is what happened."
It wasn't quite an admission, but Dante took it for what it was. Whatever happened to the village and town, Aultcray didn't care. To him, it was just a pair of eyesores getting removed. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?
"So that's how it is." Eclair removed her boot from Davon's head and walked back.
"You aren't going to kill him?" Dante asked as she passed.
"I have already killed one defenseless knight in anger. Without the authority of the queen, I would not do so again." She continued on to the rest of the party.
"If you say so. Sadeena." Dante nodded to the orca woman. Eclair's words were clear enough.
In one swift motion, Sadeena thrust her harpoon into Davon's chest. The knight cried out in horror, vainly gripping the harpoon as his life slowly left him.
"Y-You…" Aultcray seethed at the display. "You dare murder in the presence of the king!?"
"I've dared to do a lot." Dante ascended the steps once more. "We came here for one purpose: to free a single prisoner. A fight was expected, sure, but you made it so much worse with this piss poor plan. For that, and everything else you either orchestrated or allowed to happen, you will pay the price." He extended his hand, placing it mere inches from the cowering king's face.
"Sir MacRory." Eclair's tone carried a warning.
"I will not kill him." Dante eased her worries. "But, he will suffer."
Aultcray resolved himself, staring defiantly at Dante. "Whatever you do, Melromarc will not forgive this!"
"Quiet. I'm concentrating." Dante searched his mind for the spell he needed. It wasn't difficult, since he knew exactly what he wanted. Best of all, this was a spell—or ability—that Holy Heroes had. He just had to bring it out.
"The Hero of the Shield commands you! Vassal Weapon! Reject this unworthy hero! Vassal Staff Hero! I strip you of your status!"
The spell was cast. The gem of the Holy Shield shined. Dante could feel something within Aultcray react to his words.
But, something pulled back.
"W-What are you…" Aultcray was at a loss for words.
Dante tried again.
"The Hero of the Shield commands you! Vassal Staff! Reject this complacent hero and seek out a new host!"
The incantation was more of a command innate to the Shield and less of a spell. As such, there were no set words to say. Similar to Way of the Dragon Vein. It was more accurate to say he was communicating with the Vassal Weapon. He just didn't know how to do it before.
Still, it responded to his command with refusal.
Dante had one more angle to try. One that he didn't want to follow through with, at least at this moment, but he would if he had to.
He grabbed Aultcray's kingly robes by the front and lifted him from the throne. Aultcray held onto Dante's hands, trying to break free, all while held in the air.
"Vassal Staff! This is your final warning! Abandon this sorry excuse for a hero and fight for the world, or lose him forever!"
"Sir MacRory!" Dante ignored Eclair's outburst. There was no way he'd let the Staff hang on to a man who just tried to murder a Holy Hero and his companions, especially given what Aultcray just said would happened to a cursed hero.
This time, the Staff responded favorably. Feeling the connection, Dante released the king from his grasp. Just as Aultcray fell to his throne, a look of horror filled his face.
In Dante's hand was the Seven Star Staff.
"You…how…"
"You are unworthy." Dante simply said. It was only partially correct. Once or twice, the Motoyasu from the web novel mentioned trying and failing to remove Aultcray's Staff from him. The threat of permanent, irreversible separation seemed to do the trick.
What started as confusion and horror quickly turned to rage. "Y-Y-Y-YOU! How dare you!?"
"You brought this on yourself, old man." Dante looked at the Staff in his hand.
"I am the KING of this country! You are nothing but a vile criminal who causes chaos and death wherever he goes! You and every beast that follows you! This insult will not stand! I will kill you! I will—"
"Shut up!" Dante roared, quelling Aultcray's tirade. However, his eyes weren't on the king. They were instead focused on the weapon in his hand.
The Staff complained at him. It wasn't with words, but something like emotion. What started as mild humming when he first commanded the Staff had turned to something much louder, like nails dragging against the blackboard of his mind.
Dante gripped the Staff with both hands as he shook it. "I am the Holy Hero! You are the Vassal Staff! You will do as I command, and I command you to find a worthy hero among my allies!"
He could practically feel the resentment in the weapon. Still, it quieted down, acknowledging him. It turned into light and left his hands. A moment later, Dante saw it shoot out and land in Rifana's paws. The woman stared down at it, her mouth agape. Dante watched as her slave information disappeared from his status.
"Wise choice." Dante commented. Out of everyone in his party, Rifana was the most adept at learning magic, except for maybe Sadeena.
"You dare give MY staff to a lowly demi-human!?" Aultcray roared. "I will call for the other Cardinal Heroes! They will—
"They will do nothing!" Dante spat back. "I am stronger than the other three heroes combined! The Staff and Hammer are with me, the Claw protects Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden, the Gauntlets have no wielder, and the Whip, Projectile, and Axe are dead! You have nothing to use against me. You will never threaten my family again."
"Family? Hah!" Aultcray's red face had a manic smile on it. "You call these things your family? What a joke!"
Dante took a step toward Aultcray. Then another. "They are." His voice was low, filled with threats of violence. "And you tried to take them from me last time we were here."
Aultcray bellowed with laughter. "Even then, you called them family? How long could you have known them for? A few weeks at most? I saw how you looked at that disgusting orca."
"Watch. Your. Mouth." Dante switched his shield to his favored combat form.
Ignoring the approaching danger, Aultcray continued to provoke. "You love that beast, don't you? Long before you disgraced my celebration with your presence, I think. Tell me, Shield, how did that come to pass? Did she snake her way into your heart? No…I think not. She's a replacement. She replaced what you lost before you came here. How else could you let yourself fall in love with a beast so quickly? Even for the Shield, that is pathetic-!"
Aultcray found no more words could escape his mouth. His throat was gripped fiercely by Dante.
"You don't know when to shut up!" Dante could barely contain the rage Aultcray fueled within him. "You live solely to keep the Staff in my possession! Test me again, and I'll reconsider its value." He held his free hand in front of Aultcray's face. "You can live, but I never said you would be unharmed. Let's see how well you function with both of your arms reduced to ash!"
"Sir MacRory, that's—"
"Little Eclair." Eclair tried to intervene, but Sadeena held her back. "Little Dante will do what he must."
Dante couldn't tell what she was thinking. His mind was too focused on the worthless man before him to understand her intent. It didn't matter. If she wasn't going to stop him, then he'd do as he pleased.
"Sir Shield Hero!" A young voice did halt him before he could even begin casting.
Slowly, Dante looked over his shoulder to the entrance of the throne room. Melty stood there, right in the center of the opening. A pair of knights stood at her sides.
"Mel!" Dio happily waved a wing at the second princess.
"Melty!" Aultcray cried out, Dante's grip on his throat having been loosened. "You shouldn't be here. Run!"
Melty took a step forward, her guards following behind her. Even from where Dante stood, he could see a slight tremble in her movement. "Sir Shield Hero, please release my father."
"What are you doing? Leave!" Aultcray called out again.
Dante kept his eyes on her for a moment as she continued to slowly walk forward. He wasn't above harming a parent in front of their child, but it wasn't something he preferred doing. That was especially true with someone so young, and someone who had helped him. Or, tried to help, as the case may be.
He released Aultcray, who fell back into his seat.
Melty relaxed her posture and breathed out, then clasped her hands together, keeping them low. "I thought we agreed you would not try speaking with my father again until my mother returned."
"Hmm." Dante walked down the steps. Aultcray went to stand, but Sadeena came up and blocked his path with her harpoon. "I seem to recall that. This meeting was set up by your father, so it was out of my hands."
"Why didn't you refuse?" Melty asked.
"Because I need to get someone out of the castle dungeon and a squad of knights met with us first." Besides, Dante was curious what their plan was. It wasn't as if they could just ignore the knights, and fighting them there would have looked bad. Well, it would have just added to the problem.
"The dungeon?" Melty looked around at the fallen knights. "Then…if I were to have this person brought to you, you would leave without any more violence?"
Dante shook his head. "I'm not giving any knights the chance to hold her hostage. I'll be going to the dungeon to get her and then we'll leave. Of course, any knights that get in our way will get their throats crushed."
"Sir MacRory." Eclair stepped into view. "I don't know every knight in the castle. They are not all your enemy."
"Well then, someone had better lead me down a path with the fewest knights in my way." Dante pointedly told her.
"I will take you there." Melty immediately offered.
"Melty!" Aultcray couldn't keep his mouth shut. At this point, Dante didn't expect him to. He did expect him to object to anything that put his daughter at risk, like any father should.
"I'd much rather take care of any knights dumb enough to attack me." Dante casually remarked.
"Please, Sir Shield Hero, there's been enough bloodshed here."
"There has not." Dante glanced back at Aultcray on his throne. "If there was, this old man wouldn't have continued picking a fight with me. No, he needs to fully appreciate how little power he has to stop me."
"Little Dante…" Sadeena frowned at him.
"You know I'm right. Do you have any idea how many people tried to kill me in the North Ferret Forest?" Since Aultcray's job posting was there the longest, it was the one that attracted the most attention.
"You want a deterrent." Melty reasoned, nodding her head in thought. "I have a proposal then."
"I'm listening." Dante turned back to the princess.
"When you leave—and you will leave in peace—take me with you to Siltvelt. Heroes can travel quickly to places, correct?"
"Melty, you can't go with him!" Aultcray slammed his fist down.
"I have to agree with the old man." Dante said. "I'm not looking to take hostages."
"Then consider me a guest." Melty offered. "I would like to bring a few attendants with me as well." She gestured to the two knights with her.
"Hm." Dante would rather just kill anyone that got in his way, but with his mood settling back down a little, he decided against it. Even the people in his party that were more okay with his killing would object. "Alright."
As a bonus, he could make sure Malty and the church didn't do anything to Melty. Just because he didn't know exactly what they all were planning didn't mean Melty wouldn't end up a target to one or both of them.
"Shield! If you dare even touch my daughter—"
"You'll do nothing!" Dante shouted back. "Be thankful your daughter is far more level-headed than you."
"Please, Sir Shield Hero, leave it at that." Melty pleaded.
"Fine. But, first things first." Dante walked back over and tapped his shield against the body of Davon Mallory. It disappeared from sight, pulled into his monster drops.
"What are you doing!?" Melty cried out.
"Taking what's mine." Dante said flatly. "He and the other dead knights belong to me now."
"Sir Shield Hero, leave them there! Let their families bury them."
"They tried to kill a hero. This is a fair price for that." Dante walked over to the next corpse.
"Stop!" Melty shouted, running in front of him. "You can't!" She held her arms out to her sides.
"Melty!" Aultcray shouted.
"I can." Dante looked down at her. "It's what they deserve—"
"You want compensation, correct?" Melty tried bartering. "In exchange for leaving them, I can pay you."
"I have money, and a means to obtain a lot more." Aside from selling his battle potions and selling any drop items his party couldn't use, the equipment from these knights would fetch a high price. He would have plenty of money to buy more enslaved children here. Besides, there was at least one potion recipe that could use human corpses. Reiko would appreciate having more bodies to work with, too.
"T-Then…something else! I can give you something from the royal vault!"
"I don't want…" Dante didn't want to give up what he was owed, but he had a thought. The royal family would likely have a great number of things that he wouldn't be able to get normally, or at least not without paying some great price. There was one thing he did need, and Melty might be able to get it for him.
"Yggdrasil Elixir." With his ability to give Atla medicine severely crippled, Dante needed something to help her. Completely curing her was the best option.
"That's…" Melty looked down, her eyes shifting. "…Okay. In exchange for leaving all these knights here—"
"All but Davon Mallory and his six buddies." Dante would not allow them to have any proper burial. They definitely deserved having their bodies used to empower the Shield Hero.
"…Very well." Melty lowered her arms and stepped aside. She waved over one of her guards. "Go to the vault and retrieve one vial of Yggdrasil Elixir. Meet us in the dungeon."
"Yes, Princess!" The knight saluted and ran off.
"Melty, you can't—"
"Father, please stop!" Melty cried out. She took a deep breath and collected herself, folding her hands together again. "Sir Shield Hero, please…collect the knights you indicated and let's be on our way."
"Of course." Dante ignored the knights that he turned on one another and went straight for the ones his party dragged in.
"As the source of your power, I—"
"Shield Prison!" Dante wrapped Aultcray in his skill, cutting off his chant.
With the only real threat in the room taken care of, Dante absorbed the six dead knights. He and his party followed Melty and her guard.
"Shield! I will kill you for this! You and your entire family! They will suffer!" Aultcray roared from within the Shield Prison.
Dante spun in place. "They are mine! You will never harm anyone I love! If you try, I'll burn down your home and slaughter everyone you call friend!"
"That's enough, Sir Shield Hero." Melty called from the room's entrance.
Turning back around, Dante was led out of the room.
The group walked down the halls of the castle. They passed by the room Dante's party waited in, the doors open and showing the knocked out knights strewn about the floor.
Idiots. Trying to kill a hero and his party. I should just finish them all off and—
Dante's arm was wrapped around Sadeena's. She transformed into her demi-human form and held him close as they walked.
"What is it?" He looked over at her.
"Oh, nothing~." She smiled. "I just want you to hold what's yours~."
Dante grimaced at that. Being in contact with her, he felt his mind relax even more. "Shit. I really said that, didn't I?"
"Yep!" Sadeena moved one of her hands over her chest. "And here's the proof of ownership~."
Did one spell really do that much to my mind? No…it wasn't just the spell. This place, with the danger present, I don't need to be touching anyone. But, I'll still be on edge. And with that old man, my anger just comes out. My curses really do amplify one another, at least at an emotional level. I really shouldn't cast anymore spells I normally couldn't. I'll have Sadeena purge the curse effects when we get back.
"Sadeena, I…" Dante stammered. "You know I didn't mean…" He looked around at his party. "You aren't my slaves. I…"
"It's fine." Keel smiled up at him. Dante could see it was somewhat forced. Between coming into contact with the people who attacked their village and Dante's raving in the throne room, he wasn't all that surprised.
Most of the others weren't that much better. Raphtalia—also back in her demi-human form—and Eclair cast worried glances at him. Dio and JoJo seemed split between worrying for the father and being excited to be near Melty. Rishia had her face hidden with the kigurumi's hood pulled over her head, though Dante didn't doubt she was scared about the whole thing. She'd made her noise a lot during Dante's spat with Aultcray. Rifana, however, was more focused on the Vassal Staff in her paws. Dante would need to get her up to speed after they returned, and see what the Staff had unlocked.
As for Dante, the words Aultcray said to him echoed in his mind.
I know I fell in love quickly. That bastard didn't need to say it out loud. It's not like I never wondered if things would stay like this. When we don't have to fight anymore and when things get settled, how would we be with each other?
A quick kiss on his cheek from Sadeena brought an end to that line of thought. The look on her face told him she could see what he was thinking about, or at least had an idea.
Well, it doesn't change how I feel. I'll protect her, all of them, until the day I die.
They passed a number of guards as they traveled to the dungeon. These ones looked even more concerned than before, but Melty kept them from taking any actions. A few did up tailing them, but they kept at a distance.
As they reached the door before the dungeon, Melty's other knight stood waiting. In his hands was a vial of liquid. Dante's appraisal showed it was indeed Yggdrasil Elixir.
"For you, Sir Shield Hero." Melty gestured to the knight as he extended his arms.
"Yeah, I'm not touching that." Dante said.
Melty looked up at him. "This isn't some sort of trick, I promise."
"I believe you, but anything that I hold and treat as mine degrades in quality."
"Aw, even me~?" Sadeena pouted at him. Dante gave her a pleading look.
"I'll carry it." Raphtalia offered, accepting the vial.
The group entered the dungeon, quickly making their way through. Melty got directions from one of the guards inside, who looked very hesitant to answer. A looming group of demi-humans with the Shield Hero quickly persuaded him otherwise.
It was a few minutes later before they were in front of the cell they were looking for. Inside was a woman slumped against the wall, chains binding her to it. Dante could see her sandy blond hair in the torchlight, but she was missing her glasses. In place of her dress and work apron was a set of rags.
"Ann?" Dante gently called to her, earning a startled yelp in response. She slowly lifted her head to get a look at who called her.
"Dante?" She weakly responded.
"Yeah, I'm here. Don't worry, we're getting you out of here."
"I'll call for a guard to bring the keys." Melty offered.
In response, Dante separated from Sadeena. He placed his hands on a pair of bars and pulled, ripping them from the floor and ceiling with little effort. They fell to the ground with several loud clangs.
"That works." Keel commented.
Dante stepped into the cell and over to Ann. He took her chained wrists in his hands and broke the steel apart, freeing her. One look at her told him she had been roughed up. A quick casting of Healing Warmth helped her, but Dante would have Rat give her a physical when they returned.
"Join my party. We'll get you somewhere safe soon." Dante told her. "You too, Princess. And your shadows."
"Ah!" Melty let her voice out. "How did…"
"I have my ways." Dante answered cryptically. He realized the other reason Sadeena grabbed his arm was their old code. Seeing as everyone in the castle was watching them, he assumed the knight was a shadow in disguise. Plus, Raphtalia gave him a nudge and nodded toward the knight as they walked. "They may disguise themselves however they want, but I expect them to behave in Siltvelt."
Melty gave him a slow nod. The shadows, likely seeing no point in keeping up their disguises, changed their appearances back to how Dante had seen them during his last meeting with Melty.
"Good." Dante helped Ann to her feet. "We'll need to leave the castle before I can teleport us. I can carry you, if you're okay with that."
"That's okay." Ann gave a light cough as she stood. "I can walk."
"Alright." Dante led her to the others.
"Oh! Little Dante, the magic in the air isn't as strong down here." Sadeena informed him.
"Perfect." Dante double checked his status to make sure everyone was in the party. With Ann and Melty's group, he was at his limit for people, unless he spent more skill points or used it more for the Claw method. "Portal Shield!"
Once they were back in Siltvelt, they had a lot to do.
Author's Notes:
Dante is really good at causing problems for himself.
As an aside, I need to look at my notes more. I had a dialogue exchange idea I wish I had used between Dante and Glass: "Either go save the woman you love, or I'll tear you apart like I did to Iaoth." * "How do you…who is Iaoth?" * "Doesn't matter, she's dead." It might have changed how the conversation went had I remembered this, but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯