Raphtalia and I entered the best tavern in town, and we were greeted with an enormous populace of adventurers and townsfolk. Being surrounded by a large group of semi-drunk people, Raphtalia looked pretty nervous. I took her hand and we walked to the back of the tavern, where there were somewhat less people.
As we sat down, Raphtalia's stomach grumbled. "Are you hungry? I have some money if you'd like to eat."
Raphtalia looked a little taken aback, but then seemed to remember the better position she was in. Rather than being a mistreated slave, she was finally being treated like the person she deserved to be. "I-If it's alright with you, Mr. Maddox. I-I promise I'll work hard later on so that we can make enough money to never worry about food costs."
I laughed a bit. "I'm glad you think that way Raphtalia, though I think if it comes down to it we can always eat certain monsters. However, I doubt it'll ever get to that point unless we are frivolous with our money." I called a waiter over.
"Yes sir, what can I get for you today?" He asked.
Picking up a menu, which was also written in what seemed to be English, I asked politely, "Yes, could I have the number 14?" He took out a notepad and started to write it down.
"Of course. How about for the young miss here?" Raphtalia let out a little squeak. I figured she probably didn't know what she wanted yet, though I noticed she was looking over at another table, at a kid who seemed to be eating a kids meal.
"Do you want that?" I asked her. She looked back at me, a little guiltily, though she really shouldn't be. She nodded. "If you want it, you should tell the waiter that." I told her simply.
She looked a little shocked, as if I just stranded her on an island, though I admit I had been pampering her a bit. However, I feel that she must grow as a person, and to do so she must do some uncomfortable things. I'm here to motivate her to do better, not give it to her on a platter, though if she would get the same experience from me giving it all to her I would do so in a heartbeat. "You want it, don't you? Sometimes you gotta work for your meal. Think of this as your cost to eat."
Raphtalia looked down and away from the waiter. Mumbling, she spoke, "U-Um, S-S-S-Sir? C-Can I have…" she trailed off into an inaudible voice.
"I'm sorry miss, I didn't quite get that. Can you speak up?" The waiter asked.
Raphtalia flinched, then looked at me desperately. "You got this! Just look him in the eyes, and speak with your heart. If you have to yell it out to the world for your voice to be heard, then so be it! Now then, what do you want to eat, Raphtalia?"
Raphtlia looked pumped up now, and she took a big gulp of air. "CAN I HAVE THE KIDS MEAL WITH THE FLAG ON IT PLEASE!" she yelled, then she quickly ducked her head, as if she was worried of the wrath of an angry taverneer. Of course, it was just more noise in an already extremely noisy place, so it didn't really bother anyone. However, this was an important step for Raphtalia.
The waiter smiled, and wrote it down on his notepad. "That's a fine choice, little miss. I'll have that out for you as soon as possible. Would you like anything to drink?" I looked at the menu again, and sadly saw that hot chocolate was not on the menu. I didn't think any hot chocolate would be as good as El's, however I was trying to stick to non-alcoholic drinks. That wasn't leaving many choices, as this place was more of a bar than anything else.
"Hmm. Do you have chocolate milk?" I asked the waiter.
Looking a little confused, he replied, "Well, yes we do, but…" He didn't finish the thought.
"Hah, you thought I was wanting booze, didn't you?" I smirked.
A little flustered, he started to blush. "W-Well, yes, most people get booze, so I admit I find it a little strange that an adult would order chocolate milk."
I chuckled a bit. "Do I really seem that old? I'm only seventeen, I shouldn't be drinking anything alcoholic." The waiter's jaw dropped a bit.
"So, wait. Let me get this straight." He looked back and forth between Raphtalia and I. "She's not your kid?"
A moment of silence. "Eeeeeeehhhh?!" Raphtalia did a little surprised scream, and it reminded me of Rishia a bit. I chuckled.
"Nah, she's not my kid, though I do feel it is my job to protect her. Let's just say I'm her guardian."
The waiter bowed. "I am so sorry sir. I did not realize the relationship between you two. You don't look that old, however your facial hair and the way you act towards the little miss makes it seem like a parental bond. I deeply apologize if I've offended you."
I scratched my beard a bit. It wasn't massive, just a little scruff around my cheeks. It really wasn't even worthy to be called a beard, more like a patch of hair that grew over several months and I couldn't be bothered to shave it off. "Eh, don't worry about it. I'm surprised to hear people say I act older than I look though, I was really immature as a kid."
The waiter straightened his back. "Well, I'm sure everyone was immature as a kid. I feel like that's kind of the point of being a kid, carefree and not worried about anything at all." I looked at Raphtalia, who was absentmindedly playing with her hair. "Everyone but her." I thought to myself. I cleared my thoughts.
"Anyway, chocolate milk for me. Raphtalia, have you ever had chocolate milk before?"
She snapped back to the present. "Ah, no I haven't. I have had regular milk, but I don't really know what chocolate milk is."
I slammed my hands on the table. "What do you mean you've never had chocolate milk?!" I turned to the waiter. "Two chocolate milks, as soon as possible! We gotta give this girl a taste of childhood!"
The waiter smiled again. "Yes sir! Right away!" He turned and left to give the order to the kitchen. "Never had chocolate milk before, what kind of way is that to treat a child? It's literally free spirit in a glass!" I muttered under my breath.
"Um, Mr. Maddox? Is it really that good?" Raphtalia asked.
"Oh, if it's anything like back home, it's incredible. I've never grown out of liking chocolate milk, though I've always had a sweet tooth. I promise you'll like it, Raphtalia. And if you don't, I'll drink it myself! Win-Win scenario!"
Raphtalia giggled a bit, but then she started to get lost in her head again. "I haven't been thinking about it, but I've noticed that she has been coughing a lot as well. I needed to figure out how to make health drinks, and fast." I snapped back to the present.
"Hey. You okay?" I asked her.
She slowly nodded. "Y-Yes, I-I'm fine." Her eyes seemed to get darker by the minute. I let her think for a while.
"You don't have to lie to me, y'know." She looked startled, then stood up.
"I-I'm not lying! I'm fine, I really am…" She trailed off again. She looked embarrassed to have reacted like that, though I could tell there were bigger things on her mind.
"Raphtalia. Lying to me is fine, as long as it's something that doesn't jeopardize our lives. However, I insist you be honest to yourself. If you aren't honest with yourself, then you can't hope to improve and grow. You say that you are fine, and that's what you tell yourself, but is it truly how you feel? If it is, then I'm happy you are doing so well so soon after what you've been through. But if I had suffered like you did, I wouldn't be 'fine'. I would be miserable, even if there was someone to save me like I did to you. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's okay if you aren't fine. It's okay if you aren't feeling happy all the time, or even any of the time. Being okay with yourself and taking that initial step towards self growth is hard, but deluding yourself isn't gonna get you anywhere. You just stay in that same funk. It's okay to feel broken, to feel hopeless, to feel sad. What matters is that you realize that you're sad, and you try to do things that'll make you happier and feel whole again. It's also okay to rely on others, especially whenever you can't seem to rely on yourself, though ultimately YOU are in control of your life, and only YOU can make yourself feel better. However, I promise I will be here to support you all of the way, and if you ever need a shoulder to cry into, or someone to vent to, I'm here. Hell, you could even try to beat me up if you wanted to, I have such a high defense rating I won't feel a thing. So don't think you don't have allies, and don't think less of yourself. Be confident, and be true to yourself. Get it?" Raphtalia had looked deep into my eyes my entire monologue, and she seemed to understand. She sniffled a bit.
"T-Thank you Mr. Maddox. I'm not sure why you care for me so much, and I don't feel like I'm worth all this trouble, however I promise I will fight hard for you, and I'll try to grow myself as a person."
I smiled. "That's all I ask, Raphtalia. That's all I ask." Just then, the waiter returned with two plates of food and two glasses of dark chocolate milk.
"Hey, I talked with my boss, I'll take care of the payment. Enjoy your meal guys." He started to walk away.
"Wait a second." I called out. He turned around. I beckoned him closer. "Hey, listen. I'm worried I'm gonna get into some hot water pretty soon. I've heard rumors about me being potentially framed for a crime I didn't commit, so I'd like, if it was possible, could you serve as a witness? It would make my life a whole lot easier."
He looked a little confused. "All right, what do you need me to do?"
I looked around the room, searching for Motoyasu's party. Sure enough, they were all being rowdy on the opposite side of the tavern. Turning back to the waiter, I said "I just need you to state the facts. I came in here to order a meal with my ally, I ate, then left. If anything would happen between now and me leaving then bring that up too. Is it too much to ask?"
He shook his head. "Not at all, I'd be happy to. I'll keep an eye on you guys too, just to make sure I don't miss anything." I nodded my thanks.
"One last thing. I don't plan to spend the night here, so it is imperative that you mention that I never rented a room, or even went upstairs for that matter. I know it seems insignificant, but trust me that it'll be super important evidence."
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "I see. I'll get some of the other waiters in on this as well. The more eye witnesses, the better, right?" I nodded.
"If you could get a copy of the list of all of the tavern's customers too, that would be irrefutable evidence as well."
The waiter nodded. "All right, I'll see what I can do. Do you know exactly when you'll need me?"
I nodded. "Tomorrow, an hour after dawn. At Melromarc castle."
He raised an eyebrow. "All right then. Would you happen to be a noble or something?" I chuckled.
"Something like that, but nothing so luxurious. I'll tell you after the trial tomorrow, though you will most likely find out during it anyway."
He shook his head. "You are full of mysteries, aren't you?" I laughed.
"Indeed I am. The inner maginations of my mind are an enigma." He chuckled at that.
"All right, I'll be there after dawn. Enjoy your meal guys." I shook his hand.
"Thanks man. I'll see you soon." He walked away. Raphtalia looked confused, but I could tell she tried to follow along the best she could.
"So, um, Mr. Maddox? Are we going to the castle tomorrow? Did we do something wrong?"
I cracked my neck. "Well, technically yes. Slavery IS illegal in this country, despite all the corrupt nobles that own them. However, that's not why we will be going to the castle. A certain someone is going to frame me for a crime I didn't commit, hence why I asked the waiter to be a witness and gather me some evidence, so that I can be prepared and prove my innocence."
Raphtalia nodded. "Okay, Mr. Maddox, I understand that part, but how do you know for sure you'll be framed tomorrow an hour after dawn? I hadn't met you yet when you were in the castle, did you happen to learn something there?"
I sat back and crossed my arms. "I admire your observantness, Raphtalia. Do you recall how I knew your name and age despite never being in this world before? I'm sure you do." Raphtalia nodded, a little nervously. "Well," I continued, "It's the same reason I know I'll be framed tomorrow. I don't know 100% for sure, though I know the odds are more likely than not. The reason why I think this way or seem to know a lot of information I shouldn't is something I would like to keep to myself, at least for the time being."
Raphtalia nodded again. "O-Okay, Mr. Maddox."
I reached over and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, it's not a you thing. I have a very important piece of information that I shouldn't tell anyone until the time is right. However, I promise whenever that time comes I'll tell you first, all right?"
She nodded. "Okay, Mr. Maddox. I'll trust you."
I smiled a big grin. "Thank you Raphtalia. You don't understand how much your trust means to me."
Suddenly, I realized that neither of us had touched our food. Looking back on it, I remember during the conversation with the waiter that Raphtalia was glancing hungrily at the food. "Shoot, what am I doing? Let's eat, shall we?" Raphtalia's eyes lit up, and she quickly dug in. I ate too, and I admit it was pretty damn good.
"It's so good!" Raphtalia exclaimed, holding the little flag that came on top of her meal in her hand.
"Heh, you think that's good? I got something real delicious for ya!" I slid over the cup of chocolate milk. Raphtalia set down her food, and looked over the rim of the wooden cup.
"It's… brown?" She asked.
Nodding, I picked up my own cup. "Yes ma'am! Filled to the brim with chocolatey goodness!" I held up my cup. "I propose a toast! To our good future!" Raphtalia picked up her own glass, and we clinked our wooden cups with a satisfying 'clunk' noise. I quickly downed mine like a shot of whiskey, despite it being a full sized glass of milk. Raphtalia was a slightly more hesitant about it. She took a sip, and her eyes grew wide. Quickly, she drank and drank until there wasn't a drop left in the cup.
"Was it good?" I asked her. She looked like she was in a state of shock, as if she was just now realizing the importance of chocolate milk.
"Y-Yes!" Raphtalia exclaimed.
"Ha Ha HA!" I belted out a laugh. "I'm glad you liked it so much! Trust me, when the waves are over and the worlds are at peace, I'll get you all the chocolate milk you can stomach."
Raphtalia's eyes glittered. "R-Really?!" I nodded.
"My treat, and my promise. And I would never break a promise to you Raphtalia."
Raphtalia looked super excited. "Yes please! I want all the chocolate milk in the world!" I laughed again.
"Well, I'll do my best. But do you think you can really drink all that chocolate milk by yourself?"
Raphtalia though for a moment. "Hmm. No, you're right. How about we split it half and half then?"
I chuckled. "Sounds great to me Raphtalia. I'm looking forward to that day." She nodded, still pumped up.
"Yeah! I am too!" She continued to devour the rest of her meal, now with even more vigor. I couldn't help but wonder if all I did was just give her a massive sugar rush. "Doesn't really matter in the end, I'm just glad she got to experience a little bit of joy after the hardships she's been through."
We continued eating for a little longer, just going back and forth about various topics. I didn't even notice the red-haired vixen until she was right on top of us.
"Why, if it isn't Mr. Shield Hero! I never expected to see your handsome face here!" Malty exclaimed. She was already clad in expensive looking armor, and I could see a silver sword at her waist. In any case, she looked like she had spent an entire day fighting monsters.
Anyway, she sidled into the booth next to me, and grabbed hold of my arm. I didn't make any move to stop her, though I tried to look indifferent. On the inside, I was boiling with rage. I just wanted to punch this woman. Who does she think she is, just walking up to a pretty much complete stranger and interrupting their meal? She smiled at me.
"I see you have a little friend here! Mr. Shield Hero sure does work fast, doesn't he?" She inquired, quite suggestively may I add.
I scoffed. "I'm looking after her for the time being. Her parents are away right now, so I'm gonna be watching her for a while."
Raphtalia looked confused, but she obviously noticed my anger with that woman.
"Oh, so the Shield Hero has taken upon a babysitting job? That's very kind of you to do so."
I started to scowl. My emotions were starting to get the better of me. "Not necessarily. More like a training course than babysitting." I was trying to endure as much as I could, just to the point of rejecting her, but she was taking a while to get to the point.
"Hmm. I see. Well, my offer still stands if you want me-" I cut in.
"Absolutely not." Malty's expression paused, then she switched tactics.
"Well, how about we just drink tonight, hmm? I'm sure a guy like you loves his booze." At this time, I was looking for the waiter from before. He noticed me, and I locked eyes with him. I nodded, then gestured at Malty. He nodded in understanding.
"Sorry, but I don't do alcohol. I'm not old enough yet, and stuff like that will hamper my mental growth." Malty frowned a bit, though on the inside I knew she was teeming with rage.
"A-Are you sure? Just one, teeny, tiny drink?" I held up my hand.
"No means no. Not interested." I freed my hand from her grasp, a little roughly. "Now, if you excuse us, we have something more important to take care of." I got out of my seat, and gestured to Raphtalia. I took her hand, and we started to walk away.
"W-Wait!" Malty exclaimed. She ran up after us, and latched onto my free hand once again.
"How about we have a little bit of fun upstairs, hmm?" She whispered to me.
I want to mention that the waiter I had talked to was less than a foot away, pretending to count his tips. He was hearing everything.
I looked at her with disgust. "You would bang a person you have barely even met? How desperate are you?" I snatched my hand away from her. "No thanks. That shit doesn't work on me. In case you didn't know, I'm asexual, so don't even try to wrap me up in that fucking mess."
Malty's jaw dropped. "Wh-Wha-" I turned away again.
"Now if you excuse us, we have to go buy some gear. Please stay away from me." I left her there, her jaw dropped and hanging open.
As I walked past the waiter, I whispered to him, "She's a real bitch, isn't she? I bet she has a nice 'framed' picture of herself on her wall." His eyes grew wide, realizing what I meant, and nodded. He left to go group with a couple of other waiters, and they were all scribbling on their pads. I walked out. Raphtalia, poor confused Raphtalia, looked up at me.
"Who was that woman? Did you know her?"
My expression hardened. "Not really, no. Though the stories I've heard depict her as the evilest, most manipulative woman in the kingdom. Best to stay away from her."
Raphtalia, sort of understanding, nodded. "Be careful who you trust, right, Mr. Maddox?"
I nodded. "That's a fine way to look at it. However, I want to add to that a bit. 'Be careful of who you trust, but those you do trust, do so with your life.' I think that rule alone will help us a great deal in the future."
Raphtalia nodded. "Okay! I trust you, Mr. Maddox."
I chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that, Raphtalia. I trust you more than anything in this world."
I thought for a moment. "Hey, one more thing."
Raphtalia cocked her head. "What is it?"
I kneeled down to her. "I realize that I'm not giving you much opportunity for me to gain your trust, so I want to put a rule in place. If you really trust me, I want you to do so wholeheartedly. However, if you feel as if you need a question cleared up or something you feel is vital for you to know, I want you to just ask. I'll answer the best I can, though I may not say how I know."
Raphtalia nodded, understanding. "Okay! I trust you now, though I do have a couple questions I want to be answered." I smiled.
"Atta girl. Sun's going down in an hour or two, so mind if we wait until after we get out to the fields and make camp? It would be easier to have a conversation then rather than while we are out doing activities."
Raphtalia nodded. "All right then. It's a deal!" I smiled.
"A deal it is."