Blue Rose Sword Hero: Canon Cast Reactions

by Gadget boy

A Spin-off story from "The Blue Rose Sword Hero" where Kirito, Asuna, Alice and Yui along with the Canon cast of Rising of the Shield Hero, are going to watch and react on Eugeo's journey. Witnessing this alternative time line and how different things could have played out if the original Sword Spirit managed to reach its desired wielder (Eugeo) instead of a backup wielder (Ren).

5. Two Faced Sword Hero

To SwordOfTheGods: I know what you mean. Great reaction stories are hard to come by, so whenever I chanced upon one, I always save it in my files. I'm glad that my work was able to catch your attention.

To TheRealD3lph0xL0v3r: Just you wait, Motoyasu will be having some very interesting reactions once more of Eugeo's love life is displayed. Especially when Arthur finally makes his appearance and displays his romantic interest for Filo's counterpart.

To Lablord5: Ohhhh... Yui is definitely going to make things awkward when Eugeo and Kirito's love lives are brought into the forefront. Hehehe...

To T.V. 2000: I'm very happy to see your approval over my work so far. I hope this latest update also meets your expectations. As for Raphtalia's reaction when she sees that Rifana lives, you'll just have to wait and see. Same goes for when the three stooges finally start to throw a tantrum over Eugeo's unexplainable power advantage over them.

As for the Season 2 material, I'm not 100% sure if I will include that in this reaction fanfic. Although if I ever do write one, it's going to be a renewed batch of the RotSH cast while the SAO characters will stay the same. The renewed RotSH cast will be brought up to speed with an info dump inserted into their brains (curtesy of Zelretch's magic) just so I could go straight to the Season 2 material.

To All For One: As interesting as the scenario of Kirito challenging the three stooges over their delusion of believing the world as a game, it would break the atmosphere that I have maintaining so far. Though I just might do that in an Intermission Chapter in the far future. It's far too soon for me to break their delusion.

To SkyChaser17: Thanks a lot for your kind words. I hope this latest chapter also meets your expectations.

To Weaver Chance: We'll get to Raphtalia's introduction chapter eventually.

To DBoblivion: Sorry if you think I'm being rough with the other Heroes, I just really don't like them.

To Z-Arc: You almost got the update date right, hehehe! I was supposed to have finished this chapter sooner, but got delayed due to me being busy IRL and getting sick for a good 4 days and had to recover before I could resume my writing.

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AN: This chapter is once again a conjoined effort between me and Arementi Revnant. I hope all of you readers enjoy our latest work.

149 Reviews, 315 Favorites, 371 Follows

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The throne room was currently in the middle of what could only be called as... the most stupid and unbelievable trial ever!

"I couldn't have described it better myself," Naofumi snorted at the Other Sword Hero's opinion. The Kangaroo Trial that he was subjected to at the start of his journey truly does fit the bill of being both stupid and unbelievable.

Queen Mirellia and Princess Melty couldn't help but wince upon hearing this before bracing themselves for what is to come.

'I already knew King Aultcray and a large number of the Nobles hated the Shield Hero... but this is just insanely the lowest low of cruelty!'

It was taking every scrap of patience and self-control that Eugeo had to not just outright call out Myne aka Malty of all the false accusations she threw against Naofumi. The evidence that was being provided as proof of the supposed sexual assault was incredibly unconvincing, especially for someone who actually thinks logically about the entire situation. The very fact that Naofumi's armor and other things that weren't stored in the Shield's Item Storage got stolen the very night he supposedly committed the crime was already a big reason to be suspicious! Especially since Motoyasu was currently wearing that very same armor right now!

But since every noble in the room WANTED to screw over the Shield Hero, they were probably involved in this farce. No one tried to question the glaring hole in Malty's so called proof and the other two Heroes didn't even bother!

"Pardon my language, but are you fools simply naive or just plain out stupid," Asuna said with a very stern and foreboding expression at the 3 stooges in both anger and disdain.

Witnessing just how easily they were deceived by a pretty face just caused her already low opinions of the Heroes to drop even further. And if the grimace on Ren's face was anything to go by, he was no better than the Itsuki and Motoyasu that were being shown onscreen!

"I'm more concerned with the fact that so many so-called Nobles are involved in this farce," Alice grumbled as she saw the condescending eyes of the people who lined up the throne room. People who were supposed to be using their authority for the betterment all, now abusing them for their own petty self-interest.

The father and daughter pair of Kirito and Yui remained silent on this one, both being more concerned of what their best friend and uncle figure can do in such a sticky situation. Though the cold and hard stare that Kirito gave the three stooges were more than enough to convey his displeasure over the injustice that they had committed.

[I have to admit... that two-faced woman... has extremely good acting skills.]

Eugeo could do nothing but agree as Malty now had Itsuki and Motoyasu wrapped around her finger believing every word she says! Motoyasu most especially, because of the guy's skirt chasing tendencies.

"I have to agree," Kirito said as he whispered to his girls, "If she was ever born in our world, she would've been an extremely successful actress,"

"She does have the looks and temperament of one," Asuna nodded in agreement before adding, "Though I have a feeling that her career would be short-lived,"

As of now, Eugeo is wearing an angry and disgusted expression on his face towards Naofumi. But in reality, this emotion wasn't aimed to the very innocent Shield Hero... but to the true enemy that is sitting on the throne and the other currently in the Spear Hero's arms.

It was truly gut wrenching to watch Naofumi when he screamed that he didn't do it and that Myne set him up, but not a single person believed him. Aultcray then said that he couldn't kill Naofumi because doing so would cause the Waves to become exponentially harder. When the topic of just sending him back to his home world was brought up, it was explained that it's impossible to do so until the Waves of Catastrophe are over. To summon a new Shield Hero requires the death of all four Heroes to do so.

"I didn't know that!" Raphtalia exclaimed as she stared at her Master Naofumi in trepidation.

"Filo didn't know either!" Filo cried in equal measure of alarm.

Both girls couldn't even fathom the thought of Naofumi being replaced by someone else.

"Don't worry," Princess Melty comforted the two while smiling and waving her hand reassuringly, "Naofumi won't be going anywhere. Isn't that right, Naofumi?"

"R-right!" Naofumi stuttered in indecision but still smiled and nodded toward his companions as best as he could. Internally conflicted as a part of him still desired to go home and leave that fantasy world that he was summoned to behind.

While the Shielder's words seemed to have placated the two, his moment of indecision did not go unnoticed by the Queen as well as Kirito and his girls.

It was at the next moment when Naofumi saw the disgusted expression on Eugeo's face that seemed to be aimed at him, that something inside Naofumi broke.

[Eugeo! If you have any more plans you wish to put into motion, then do it now! Otherwise, something far WORSE is going to happen to Naofumi! His Legendary Shield is starting to get corrupted!]

"Corrupted?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"The game never mentioned anything like that."

Motoyasu, Itsuki and Ren (exactly by that order) commented in quick succession, the new information snapping them out of the shameful stupor that they were in.

Raphtalia, Filo, Melty and Mirellia felt more than a bit worried upon this revelation, having already seen the kind of damage this revealed corruption could do to Naofumi despite the incredible power that it granted him. The repercussions simply outweighed the benefits.

Meanwhile...

Although Kirito and his girls were left largely confused on what the Other Alice meant; they were still genuinely concerned. The Stacia Window that the Other Alice was using to communicate conveyed great concern for the other Naofumi's wellbeing. Which could only mean trouble.

"Wow... I didn't realize that it acted up that early on," Naofumi silently muttered to himself, completely nonchalant over his other self's plight, having already lived through this scenario once already.

Spooked by what Alice frantically told him, Eugeo quickly walked towards the kneeling Shield Hero. King Aultcray, Malty, Itsuki and Motoyasu were all so surprised at this sudden action that they didn't stop him. The soldiers that were holding Naofumi down with spears all took a few steps away in fear of getting caught in the Sword Hero's wrath. Eugeo's expression was just that intimidating.

Naofumi glared with great intensity at Eugeo as he pulled out his Legendary Sword and placed the flat side on top of the Shield Hero's shoulder.

"What the hell!" Naofumi completely forgot about the extreme anger that he was feeling and was replaced with overwhelming confusion. Somehow, he was no longer in the Trash King's throne room. Instead, he was now standing in the middle of a very beautiful meadow, the kind of peaceful scenery that would cause almost anyone to calm down and forget their troubles for a short period of time.

"Whoa!"

"Wait... did he just...?"

"Pulled Naofumi into his mindscape? Yes, he did."

Filo, Raphtalia and Melty remarked, exactly by that order.

"That... was actually quite ingenious of him," Queen Mirellia said after a moment of recollecting her thoughts.

Her words initially confused everyone but were swiftly enlightened by the ever adorable yet gifted Yui.

"It was so Uncle Eugeo could have a private conversation with Sir Naofumi, even when it's done on the spot."

"Have you calmed down a bit now, Naofumi?"

Turning to the familiar voice, Naofumi saw Eugeo with his arms crossed leaning against one of the trees at the meadow's edge. Naofumi's anger resurfaced for a moment. But when he noticed that Eugeo is looking at him with a face full of remorse, Naofumi decided to at least hear him out. After all, the two of them shared a good camaraderie during their short time together the previous day. So Naofumi was able to control his anger and give his fellow Hero a chance to speak.

The difference in the environment also helped a lot to calm his nerves down. Especially now that all the people who are now on his most hated people list are out of the picture for the time being.

"That's a relief."

Naofumi sighed in respite, glad to see his Other self successfully control his anger so that the Other Sword Hero could speak his piece. Something he himself would probably have great difficulty in doing.

Much to the delight of the girls who sat by his side, all of them hoping for a better outcome to this poor facade of a trial.

Unknown to Naofumi, Alice was also doing her best to use her influence to increase the Mindscape's soothing effect. Secretly helping to, at the very least, lessen the Legendary Shield's corruption.

"Ahhh... I guess that helps too," Naofumi murmured in surprise for the Sword Spirit's unexpected aid.

"Yes, I guess I have. So, is this some kind of magic spell you have in your world? And more importantly, what the hell is going in that stupid throne room?!" Naofumi responded with a bit of his rationality returning to him.

"I'm sorry but we only have less than 3 minutes before we are forcibly sent back out of this Mindscape of mine. So, you have to listen very carefully to everything I managed to uncover from my information gathering yesterday. Understood?" Eugeo said with great emphasis to his urgency to listen. Naofumi nodded with a new fire in his eyes as he can now get some much-needed explanations.

"First and foremost, Melromarc is a matriarch ruling system. Meaning, King Aultcray isn't the true ruler of this country, the Queen is."

"Seriously!? All of that bravado about his word being law is all a sham to begin with!" Naofumi couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle that Aultcray isn't as all powerful in Melramarc as he claimed to be.

"That might be true. But the Queen who is widely regarded as a just ruler, is currently out of the country to have International Meetings with the other nations. With her out of the picture for the unforeseeable future, King Aultcray is taking full advantage of her absence," Eugeo grimly informed.

"Another understatement of the century…" Naofumi absently grumbled, much to the silent guilt of the Royal Pair sitting beside him.

"Well that just sucks. So, what's the deal with them hating me so much?" Naofumi grunted with a bit more aggression in his tone.

"I was just getting to that. First thing you must know is that King Aultcray, the Nobles and Melramarc's main Religion, have a strong hatred and prejudice against Demi-Humans."

"Demi-Humans? You mean those people that have half human and half animal features, right?"

"Exactly that. It just so happens that many of the previous Shield Heroes were known to have a soft spot for Demi-Humans. There is no doubt that a few of the other Legendary Heroes have shown them kindness too. But it's the Shield Heroes that have made the most effort in giving them equal rights and to be treated as equals to humans."

"Great... So that makes me the most hated Hero here since I represent the Demi-Humans that they hate so much," Naofumi's face wrinkled with a very deep and bitter scowl at the unfairness of it all.

"I also have a strong suspicion that us 4 Heroes weren't even supposed to be all summoned in Melramarc. Other countries and nations are also experiencing these Waves of Catastrophe, so the most obvious and logical plan is for each country to have one Hero. But with Aultcray summoning all 4 of us, he basically left all the other countries for dead. I'm pretty sure the Queen is now stuck and can't come home as soon as possible because she needs to calm the other nations down, as they are most likely outraged by what Aultcray has done."

"It's quite remarkable that this other Sword Hero, this Sir Eugeo, was able to deduce my actions so well," Queen Mirellia complemented the Other Sword Hero for his accurate conjecture.

"So what happens now? I pretty much lost everything! I may have saved a few potions and a few silver coins in my Shield's Item Storage, but with this entire country against me now no thanks to that Bitch, fighting the Waves is the least of my worries! I highly doubt that I'm strong enough to travel all the way to another country for help. And I wouldn't put it pass Trash King to order some kind of law to make sure I never get to any of my destinations!"

"You're not alone Naofumi!" Eugeo strongly declared. Causing Naofumi's despair to lighten somewhat.

Eugeo's firm and determined voice resonated greatly with the audience, each feeling various forms and degrees of emotion:

Naofumi's comrades (Raphtalia, Filo, Melty and even Mirellia) sat up slightly straighter as they all nodded with steadfast conviction over the Other Sword Hero's claim.

Naofumi himself felt a tiny bit touched for Eugeo's words, though he was too proud to admit it. The small curl on his lip was the only sign that showed that he appreciated the other Sword Hero's words.

Kirito beamed with pride for his best friend, the same goes for Asuna, Alice and Yui. Though they also couldn't help but giggle at their husband's/man's/father's expense as the once stoic Black Swordsman couldn't stop himself from getting teary eyed.

The same could not be said for the three stooges as they remained almost entirely indifferent, though Ren did feel even more inferior to his replacement than before.

"Just before I came to the throne room, I gave some items to Kirin and told her to go straight to Erhard and tell him the truth that you're innocent. Erhard will pretend to try to beat you up and drag you to his shop to do it. Kirin will "accidentally" leave her items behind in fear that you might rape her too," Eugeo explained.

"I…" Naofumi couldn't help but feel a bit touched at his efforts, "Thank you. But why...?"

Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo, Melty and Mirellia, and even, to a lesser degree, Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu, couldn't help but lean forward with ample curiosity. All of them wishing to know why the blonde Sword Hero was so quick to stand his ground for a supposed criminal.

Kirito and his girls chose to remain silent, bracing themselves for what is about to be shown onscreen. Knowing Eugeo's past, the events that eventually lead to his arrest and untimely demise, was far from pleasant.

"Something like this happened to me too back in my home world," Eugeo confessed as he could see that Naofumi is shocked but he needed to hear this, "The accusations might be different, but I was also sabotaged by people of Higher rank and got labeled as a criminal despite not doing anything wrong."

Multiple flashbacks were soon put on display in the observatory's projections for everyone to see. For better or worse, this gave the audience a much clearer picture of the events that unfolded:

Eugeo barging into Raios and Humbert's room to check on Tiese and Ronie...

Raios abusing his authority by immobilizing Eugeo in his tracks while he and Humbert began to undress with clear intention of violating the two girls on their bed...

Eugeo seemingly breaking free from some kind of eye sealing spell that was binding him, brutally losing his left eye in the process...

Which immediately led to Eugeo activating a Sword Skill before swinging his blade with all his might, successfully cutting off Humbert's left arm despite the monumental effort that it took him to break free from Raios' restraints.

And finally, they witnessed how Kirito arrived just in the nick of time to save Eugeo from being unjustly killed by Raios and how it inevitably led to the rotten Noble's demise...

The cause of death being blood loss after having both of his arms cut off by Kirito during the heat of battle...

Well… technically, Raios died because his fluctlight collapsed as he was stuck between stopping his blood loss and breaking the Taboo Index by untying the rope that was already stopping Humbert's bleeding arm.

The flashback ultimately ended with the dynamic duo being unjustly arrested by Alice Synthesis 30 herself despite the obvious fact that the true evildoers were Raios and Humbert.

In a flash, Asuna and Raphtalia moved over to cover Yui and Filo's eyes when Eugeo's flashbacks started, determined to spare them from seeing such a horrendous sight. Though Yui wasn't clueless to the darker side of humanity, being the Mental Health Counseling Program that she was during their Aincrad days, SAO at least didn't have any rape cases and were void of any blood.

But even so, Asuna refused to let her precious baby be tainted by this level of depravity.

It came as no surprise that half of the audience (those who weren't from Kirito's world, with the addition Filo) paled and were left completely flabbergasted by what they had just seen.

The disgusting abuse of authority…

The deplorable attempt of sexual assault…

The excruciating effort it must have taken for Eugeo to break free from his eyeball induced restraints…

The admittedly short yet epic clash of blades and wills between Kirito and Raios...

And the most infuriating scene of them all...

The unjustifiable persecution of Eugeo and Kirito despite being the ones who were in the right!

"That's just messed up."

Motoyasu weakly muttered, yet seething in overwhelming dismay.

The fact that the blonde Sword Hero and his best bud were arrested for heroically saving the two innocent young maidens from being defiled... it was just so wrong!

Though the other Heroes remained relatively silent, they were all surprisingly sharing the perverted Spearman's thoughts as they were also infuriated by what they just witnessed.

Even Naofumi, as revolting as it is for him to admit, actually agreed with Motoyasu's indignation. What just happened to Eugeo and Kirito was injustice of the highest caliber, something that he and his other self is currently experiencing. Thereby cementing a mutual kinship.

As for the members of the fairer sex, well... it goes without saying that they were all pretty much at the border between righteous feminine fury and crippling disgust. Both for the sexual and authoritative violation.

"I see... So the reason why you didn't say anything back at the throne room is because you knew that doing so would be completely useless."

"It's unfortunate, but that is the truth," Eugeo sadly admitted, "I will have an easier time helping you if the entire Kingdom thinks that we are now on very bad terms."

"I suppose you're not wrong."

"That's brilliant!" Princess Melty exclaimed after a moment of clarity, just as Yui and Filo were released from Asuna and Raphtalia's blinding hands.

"Indeed," Queen Mirellia nodded in approval for the other Sword Hero's foresight, "By faking hostility with Sir Naofumi, Sir Eugeo was able to avoid my husband's and the Church's ire, thus granting him more freedom to be of aid to Sir Naofumi once out of sight."

Upon hearing this, the rest of the audience (even the three stooges) couldn't help but be impressed by Eugeo's plan. Kirito most of all, as he knew just how shy his best friend used to be back in Underworld.

"Anyway, you will have to find a way to get stronger without any more help from me. It's not so impossible now that you've learned the Combat Skills, but you will need people to join your party eventually. Going out solo can only get you so far and will become inefficient in the long run," Eugeo strongly suggested.

"That's very true. Isn't that right Ki-Ri-To?" Asuna beamed as she half-joked and half-threatened her husband. Though the infamous Black Swordsman had learned to be less of a loner, he still had his moments.

"A-Absolutely!" Kirito couldn't suppress the stutter as he agreed to his wife's words on instinct. As nearly fearless as he is, Asuna will always be one of the very few rarities in any world that could actually scare him, much to the detriment of his manly pride.

It also didn't help that the ones who were in hearing range (Alice, Yui and Melty) or had sharper ears (Filo and Raphtalia) were giggling at his expense.

Naofumi's face contorted into an intense scowl at the thought. Trusting Eugeo was one thing; the young man had shown wisdom beyond his age because of the harsher world he originated from compared to the other two Heroes. The fact that Eugeo was in the very same position Naofumi himself is in now, also helped in shaking away the doubts he had for the Sword Hero. But learning to trust others in this world was a totally different story altogether!

"Understandable…" Alice said her piece, as she couldn't really blame the Other Naofumi for the newfound distrust for people.

Seeing the inner conflict on Naofumi's face, Eugeo wanted to convince him more. Unfortunately, they simply didn't have the time since they only had less than 1 minute left before they get sent back.

"Naofumi, we only have 52 seconds before we get sent back so listen closely," getting the Shield Hero's attention, "The moment we return, we'll be right back where we left as time slows down to a crawl when in the Mindscape. I will strike you with a new Skill that I learned yesterday. It's an attack that's more suited for multiple enemies so the damage it does on single targets is significantly weaker. You shouldn't have much trouble in using your [Shield Counter] to block it. This will cause a strong burst of wind that will send all the surrounding Castle Soldiers slamming into the walls."

"Eeeehhh!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Don't you think that's going a little bit overboard?!"

Filo, Raphtalia and Melty (exactly by that order) yelled in protest for what Eugeo planned to do. As sturdy of a defense Naofumi might have against attacks, he still had to endure some of the pain that came with them.

"Maybe so," Queen Mirellia commented, as calmly as she could, "But it had to be done."

"Actions speak louder than words as they say," Naofumi adds as he nodded with complete acceptance.

Naofumi's eyes widened as he caught on to the ingenious idea, "Thus creating an EXTREMELY convincing illusion that you seriously tried to kill me despite the warning that Trash King said about it. Cementing in their minds that the camaraderie we had yesterday is now long gone."

"Exactly!" Eugeo confirmed with an out of character smirk before he gently smiled, "As soon as you get some decent clothes, go synchronize with the Dragon Hourglass in the town's Church as soon as possible. Doing so will cause a timer to appear in your view to show how much time before the next Wave hits. It also teleports you directly to the Wave's location."

Naofumi couldn't help but groan as another thing to hate Bitch is added to the list in his head, as she didn't tell him anything about that either.

"That's another crucial piece of information that you three idiots just conveniently forgot to mention," Naofumi grumbled as he glared at the three so-called Heroes who sat by his left.

Said stooges, not really having anything to say to defend themselves, begrudgingly stayed silent as they avoided Naofumi and his girls' piercing eyes.

While it was true that the whole 'screw Naofumi with info deprivation' wasn't entirely the three Heroes' fault, (the King and the Church being the main instigators of the whole thing) it was still both irresponsible and cruel of them to not inform the Shielder about the teleport function. Especially after Naofumi just barely avoided getting left behind by the other Heroes during their first Wave, discovering the transport function just a poultry few hours before their first Wave countdown reached zero.

"Absorbing the sand from the hourglass will also give you a Teleport Skill once you reach Level 50. But I highly doubt that the Church would give you some because of their hate towards you. For now, I will do what I can to help you in more subtle ways. Things might be a bit different after the first Wave. Once I get stronger and have a firmer grasp on how this world works, I should be able to help you more openly. Just survive and grow stronger until then, okay?"

Eugeo reached out for a handshake, Naofumi hesitated for a second but quickly returned it.

"Awww…"

"That's so sweet."

"Mmhmm!"

Raphtalia, Melty and Filo (exactly by that order) beamed at the display of camaraderie between the two Heroes, relieved that their Hero wouldn't be left to fend for himself during his lowest point.

Kirito and his girls along with the Queen were also elated by this development, feeling reinvigorated by the prospect of seeing a brighter path for Naofumi to walk.

The three stooges on the other hand, while feeling a tiny smidgen of remorse for withholding such an important aspect of their Legendary Weapons, were still far too stubborn and prideful to bring themselves to apologize.

A few seconds later, the countdown hit zero and a flash of light sent them back out to the real world.

Eugeo raised the Legendary Sword aloft and transformed it into a multicolored blade with a few balloon scraps attached to the guard before swinging towards the disgraced Hero, "Air Burst!"

Naofumi activated his Shield Skill and met the swing head-on, "Shield Counter!"

Just like what Eugeo had hoped for, the air-bursting sword and glowing shield colliding caused a whirlwind to blow all of the nearby Castle Guards away. It also had the unexpected side effect of causing Eugeo to slide backwards to join the other two Heroes while Naofumi slid back to the throne room exits.

"Impressive..." Ren lightly complemented Eugeo's display of power.

Though the Weapon Skill {Air Burst} looked far from impressive, especially when compared to the much flashier skills that he picked up later on, Ren could acknowledge the power behind Eugeo's strike. The newbie skill being more powerful than he thought if the blowback alone was strong enough to send the surrounding soldiers flying like bowling pins!

The Bow and Spear Heroes nodding in agreement for the other Sword Hero's strength despite lacking any sort of Gamer Knowledge that he could take advantage of. The Shielder among their ranks on the other hand, was much more focused on the fact that his counterpart was able to tank such a powerful strike seemingly without breaking a sweat. Once again promising to himself that he'll dabble on [Combat Skills] as soon as he's enabled.

"Eugeo! Stop!" Itsuki exclaimed as he grabbed the Sword Hero's left shoulder while Motoyasu held the right.

"Sir Eugeo! As justified as it may be, killing the Shield Hero will do more harm than good!" King Aultcray said with a hint of worry in his voice.

Eugeo took a very deep breath, as if he's trying his best to calm himself down before speaking, "Get out of here while you still can Naofumi. Because when the next one comes, you might not be able to deflect it again."

"I was just leaving!" Naofumi yelled in anger before turning around to leave. The Castle Guards were too scared to stop him now that they saw a fraction of the Hero's power. If the Shield Hero survived the Sword Hero's strike, then what hope do they have in standing against him. As Naofumi exited the room, the Guards that were scattered all over the room are now starting to get up, a bit shaken by the whole ordeal.

"That was very well executed, if I do say so myself," Princess Melty complemented with a rare mischievous smile, feeling a rare case of childish amusement at seeing this other Sword Hero successfully duping her father and the Church.

"Indeed, they executed their act very convincingly," Queen Mirellia whispered wistfully, sporting a similar – albeit a more dignified smile that she tried to hide behind her unfolded fan.

"Who knew Uncle Eugeo and Mister Naofumi could be such good actors!" Yui cheered as she gave the projected counterparts a round of applause. Something that was also shared by her white angel-winged friend and her raccoon-eared big sister figure.

"Good going Master!"

"Great job!"

Filo squealed as she and Raphtalia clapped their hands, much to the aforementioned Shield Hero's embarrassment.

"What happened to you Eugeo? You were so calm and collected during our short times together. Your reaction just now is so out of character of you," Itsuki asked with a bit of worry and wanted to hear his answer.

"Yeah. I mean, sure I think beating him up a bit is something I also wanted to do. But just now, you seriously tried to kill him right where he stood despite what the King said about what happens when a Hero dies," Motoyasu chimed in also, very curious of why Eugeo just flew off the handle when he had shown to be a level headed guy for the most part.

Turning away to hide his face, "Back in my home world, a rival of mine who couldn't stomach the fact that I'm a better swordsman than him, set a trap for me. He lured my female Sword Apprentice and her friend into an enchanted room where they were forced to obey every word he says. When I arrived to save her, he also sprung the trap on me where I'm going to be forced to watch her get violated while he gets away with it."

Itsuki and Motoyasu couldn't help but flinch at the thought.

Just like the two projected Heroes, their counterparts and everyone else in the audience (with the exception of Yui and Filo, who were once again temporarily blinded by Asuna and Raphtalia) all winced at the brief flashback.

Fortunately for everyone involved, they were spared from being shown anymore of scandalous flashback.

"Those two perverts make me sick!" Motoyasu growled in disgust, seemingly wanting his own pound of flesh from the two scummy nobles.

Unfortunately for him however, while his display of empathy might be seen as admirable under normal circumstances, everyone, especially the female half of the group, knew of the one-sided nature of his empathy.

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 'Look who's talking...' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

The rest of the audience, even the less knowledgeable ones, (Kirito, Asuna, Alice and Yui) had seen of how selective Motoyasu is when he shows concern for another.

"It's only pure luck that I managed to break free and cut off one of the his arms before anything could really be done. Since then, I always had an extremely short fuse when it comes to sexual abusers," Eugeo finished.

Accepting the Sword Hero's explanation, finding it to be quite reasonable of why he suddenly lost control like that. The King then cleared his throat, "Aside from dealing with this unsavory matter, I called all three of you Heroes to provide you some Crystal Balls that you can use."

"Really? That's great!" Motoyasu cheered.

"Yeah! Now we don't have to spend our money in buying those," Itsuki commented with a smile.

"You three really had strength given to you on a silver platter now didn't ya…" Naofumi growled at another blatant display of Trash's favor toward the stooges, with nothing but hatred towards him.

"Now, now Master Naofumi…" Raphtalia gently rubbed the Shielder's shoulder as she calmed him down.

"Yeah Master, it's not like those silly balls helped them much since they still end up being so weak!" Filo added cheerfully, unknowingly hitting a nerve on the three stooges' prides, most especially Motoyasu's.

This turned out to be just what Naofumi needed to hear, actually; since he briefly stopped frowning at the stooges, covered his mouth and gave an amused snort after he processed Filo's comment.

Because Filo's comment was SO~ true!

"That's where all those Crystal Balls went!"

"That fool…"

Princess Melty and Queen Mirellia simultaneously grumbled and mentally face palmed over the wasted resources. Giving away one or two Crystal Orbs to each of the Cardinal Heroes would have been fine but giving them all of that was ridiculous! And the fact that none of the three stooges even used a single magic spell, relying solely on their Legendary Weapons for all their fights, just made the icing on this wastefully deplorable cake!

Eugeo on the other hand, was confused, "Crystal Balls? What's so great about those?"

"They are magic items that let you instantly learn a spell by releasing the power sealed within. It's a really convenient way to learn magic," Itsuki helpfully explained.

"They are also really expensive. So, the King getting them is actually a huge help for us and our party members," Motoyasu said as he grinned.

"Is that so…" Eugeo mumbled in thought as Aultcray called for the maids to bring in a cart that is full of Crystal balls.

[Yet another clear indication that these people are purposely supporting the three Heroes while the Shield Hero is being denied of any sort of help.]

"I couldn't agree more, my other self," Alice huffed at the blatant display of favoritism before adding, "Not like those orbs would benefit them in the long run. If those Magic Spells are anything like Sacred Arts, mastering them yourself will always trump out short cuts like what those orbs provided."

"I concur wholeheartedly," Asuna nodded with firm agreement, having experienced what it's like to be handed over supreme power, "It just feels wrong to wield such power without actually working for them."

While the strength that she wielded as the Goddess Stacia was exhilarating, it still felt cheap and hollow when compared to the strength that she had earned in SAO and ALO. Not to mention the severe headaches that she received after using her so-called Divine Powers for too long.

"Mmhmm!" Yui cutely agreed with her mommy before adding her own piece of wisdom, "And as my observations have shown me, too many shortcuts often lead to complacency."

Kirito remained silent this time around, the inner gamer within him deciding to step in at the forefront of his mind as he pondered these self-proclaimed gamers turned Heroes. Judging by what he overheard from the others of their world group, the three stooges were eventually outshined by the so-called 'weakest' Hero Naofumi, despite of all the advantages that they had over him.

After processing all the facts that he had gathered so far, as little as they might be, Kirito soon came to the conclusion that actually surprised even him. Giving the three stooges that sat at the left side of the observatory, Kirito couldn't help but feel both pity and indignation for their plight.

'I'll keep my hypothesis to myself for now,' Kirito thought to himself, not wanting to jump to conclusions before he gets to see the big picture. Who knows, he might be wrong and things wouldn't be as bad as he thought they were.

'Why do I feel like I just jinxed myself at the highest order?'

Myne, who has suspiciously recovered from her supposed trauma, is now helping Motoyasu in choosing the Orbs that they are getting. Itsuki also helped himself with a few offensive Orb spells.

'Either they already knew about the Item Storage function or Myne told them about what she learned from me and Naofumi,' Eugeo thought as he saw them storing the Orbs they chose into their Spear and Bow.

He decided to let the Bow and Spear get most of the Orbs. He settled on picking all the Orbs that have the Recording and Communication function instead. Which was 4 out of the 20 orbs that the King provided.

"Why would he want those?" Ren asked to no one in particular, merely feeling confused as to why his replacement would specifically want those orbs in particular, "They're useless."

Though Motoyasu and Itsuki didn't voice out their respective opinions, it was clear by their facial expressions that they also share Ren's thoughts.

However, for the ones who are actually using their higher brain functions, (basically everyone with the exception of Filo and the three stooges) they all disagreed with Ren's assessment.

Though Eugeo's decision of choosing non-combat orbs wouldn't bring him the immediate returns that one would hope, they would undoubtedly prove invaluable once they are utilized and entrusted to the right people. Whether Eugeo had some kind of grand master plan in the works or not, it no longer mattered. Eugeo just made an incredibly crucial decision, one that was unknowingly disguised as something completely insignificant. A choice that will inevitably cause a domino effect involving him and so many others in the future.

Both Eugeo and Kirin already knew how to use magic, even if his type is different. If they want to learn more, it would be simple enough to purchase Magic Books from a shop. Although he still needed to get through the language barrier to read normal literature; let alone magic writings.

After the whole ordeal, the three Heroes went to their separate ways. Alice then reported to him that a small amount of SP was deducted from him when he used the Weapon Skill {Air Burst}. It turns out that SP stands for Soul Points; a type of energy exclusive to Heroes which a set amount is spent whenever a Hero uses a Weapon Skill.

"So, using Weapon Skills consume SP while Sacred Arts or Spells consume MP. That's good to know," Kirito commented as the gamer in him perks its head again, seeing the Heroes' energies being divided into two seperates categories to be a very convenient system.

Asuna, Alice and Yui could only nod as they too were reminded by Underworld's rules of combat. The energy that you consume when utilizing Perfect Weapon Control and when discharging Sacred Arts are almost entirely the same. So, no matter how powerful a warrior a person is, even the Integrity Knights themselves, still had to be conscious of their energy consumption.

Before Eugeo went too far, he managed to overhear that the other two Heroes' plan to go to a place called Zeltoble. Saying that they have the best and most powerful man-made weapons in this world available in their shops.

'They are going to have a field day of Weapon Copying all the strong items that they can find in Zeltoble, without telling the merchants what they are doing aren't they?' Eugeo sighed at their plans of technically cheating those people out of their products.

[Well, not many people can be as honest as you are Eugeo. Besides, we already have an EXTREMELY powerful sword form in stock. Although it will take quite a long time before you can use it, I highly doubt that any man-made Weapon can surpass that completed Holy Sword Series.]

No words were needed to be said as several pairs of eyes peered at the three stooges. Said fledgling Heroes unrepentantly avoiding their gazes as they still firmly believe that they didn't do anything wrong. The royal pair among the audience could only sigh while shaking their heads over the three stooges' nonchalance over their thievery. Again, not the kind of mentality an aspiring Hero is supposed to have, though it just might be a cultural difference at best.

Naofumi got a free pass on this one as the Queen and Princess are now aware of his positive relationship and business agreements with Erhard.

Maybe the three stooges' worlds didn't have any Heroes that were as noble of heart as Eugeo's and Naofumi's perhaps?

"What do you think Miss Liz would do if they ever tried something like that in her shop?"

Yui's seemingly innocent and humorous question caused Kirito, Asuna, and Alice's faces to blanch as their respective imaginations set in to fill the blanks.

"S-She would not be happy…" Asuna shakily answered, followed up with nervous nods from Kirito and Alice.

As it was very well known among their circle of friends, Lizbeth took great pride in every sword, spear, axe, bow and shield that she ever forged into existence with her hammer. Not to mention the blood, sweat and tears that she spent in gathering their materials and raising her skills in the craft, both before and after she was freed from Aincrad. So, it goes without saying that Liz would be more than a bit livid if anyone dared to undermine all her hard work by brazenly copying all her creations without paying their due.

They could already picture it – how Liz, or even Agil would react if he discovered that the three stooges visited their shops to brazenly copy their weapons without permission.

Agil would probably be like:

"Are you brats trying to run me out of business?! A weapon copy skill?! And you've been using it on my weapons that were on display and not buy any of them?! The nerve! I'm not letting any of you leave until you cough up the money for all the weapons you've been stealing till now!"

And Liz would probably react similarly:

"You three have been using this weapon copy skill to copy all my weapons on display without asking for permission or paying for any of them?! Don't you realize that's no different from stealing?! That you've trampled on the pride and sweat of us blacksmiths for every weapons we create?! You better give me the sum of all the weapons that you've been copying without permission NOW, or my mace will be caving in your pretty faces so that all your girls will be leaving you and your thieving party!"

If the three Heroes existed back in their world and they use their weapons copy skill to steal from Agil or Liz, all Kirito, Asuna, and Alice could think was that they would not envy the three stooges one bit should they be discovered on their thievery – for Liz and Agil would probably bleed them dry of their funds and/or work them to the bone; not literally of course, but you get the point.

While walking towards the inn where he spent the previous night with Kirin, Eugeo could hear the rumor mill already in full swing about the evil Shield Hero. 'There's no way the info about the False rape accusations would have spread throughout the town in just a few hours. Especially in a town this size.'

[The King's handy work most likely. He wants everyone to hate Naofumi so he went out of his way to deliberately spread the word to the entire town.]

It made Eugeo sick to see how an innocent man is now going through this just a day after arriving. Eugeo could only try to ignore all the gossip as he walked as fast as he can.

"He really didn't waste time in spreading that false information now did he?" Yui grumbled in a somewhat adorable manner, surprising her seat mates for being the one to voice out Eugeo's thoughts, "No offense Melty, but your father is a miscreant of the highest caliber!"

"Filo didn't understand those big words but Filo agrees!" Filo added while pouting, creating a cute face despite her efforts to look more intimidating due to her anger.

"N-No offense taken Yui, Filo..." Princess Melty replied with a slightly sad tone of acceptance in her voice.

The same thing goes for Queen Mirellia as she silently mourned for the great man her husband once was, leaving her with the husk of his former self.

When he arrived in the room, he found Kirin sitting on one of the beds with a solemn look on her face. No doubt she heard all the drivel that was openly being spoken outside.

Eugeo decided to leave Kirin alone with her thoughts while he thought of what to do next. 'Are there any spies around?'

[Surprisingly none. Whoever those spies are, the one with malicious blades is probably involved in this entire scheme; the Three Heroes Church perhaps. The one with the neutral and loyal blades on the other hand, that one probably belongs to a different group altogether.]

"Outstanding..." Queen Mirellia remarked in awe.

She was amazed over how easily the Other Sword Hero was able to distinguish her own benevolent Shadows apart from the Church's malevolent ones solely by their weapons. An opinion that was shared by everyone else in the audience.

Even the three stooges couldn't deny the benefits of such an ability if they had used it in the right circumstances.

'Didn't Kirin mention that her family have their own private spies that gather information for her clan? Do you think that other spy is a Toudou member who specializes in stealth?'

[It does sound plausible. Her family does seem to be well versed in combat after all.]

'With the Church's spies too busy with this Shield crusade of theirs, maybe we should have a talk with Kirin's family while we have the chance. I need a reliable source of information that can keep me updated about the latest events in this world. Kirin's mother just might be my best shot.'

[I think it's a good idea.]

"Clever... very clever," Queen Mirellia complemented once again, her approval for this Other Sword Hero grew.

"Wow... wasn't expecting that from Eugeo," Kirito commented as he looked at his best friend's projection on screen, "I guess he actually learned something from Raios and Humbert."

"And that is?" Asuna asked, though it was clear that Alice is also confused over what Kirito could possibly mean from his statement.

"He learned to be tricky…" Kirito answered with a proud grin, "Eugeo preferred to tackle his problems in a more direct approach. He was never a huge fan of using deception to win his battles. But after everything he's been through, he has learned to think outside the box."

"Hmmm... I see... I understand now," Alice hummed while holding her chin in thought, a memory resurfacing in her head about Eugeo's creative mind.

With a new plan in mind, Eugeo caught Kirin's attention, "Hey Kirin... why don't we pay your family a visit before we leave the town for our journey?"

"Huh?" Kirin blinked in confusion since she was still a bit lost in thought.

---

The Toudou Clan's compound is a bit big, looking more like a school instead of a clan home. Unknown to Eugeo, all the buildings look like a Medieval version of Japan with Dojos, wide open fields and extravagant gardens that are perfect places for people to meditate.

"What the hell!?"

"That's a...!"

"Is that an honest to goodness Dojo?!"

Motoyasu, Itsuki and Ren blurted out (exactly by that order) as they saw the Japanese themed architecture of the Toudou Clan's home compound.

"I never knew a place like that existed in Melromarc," Naofumi also blurted out, albeit a little more calmly as his eyes shifted toward the royalty among them for confirmation.

"As much as I wish it is so, it does not," Queen Mirellia replied to the subtle question aimed at her.

"If my memory is correct, that section of Castle Town is nothing but a few chains of storehouses; a place where we keep our surplus of crops and other imported products," Princess Melty added in support to her mother's claim.

"Is that so…" Yui mumbled to herself as she adorably held her chin in thought, "Then this is most likely one of those dimensional ripples that Mr. Zelretch told us about. This being a reality where the Toudou Clan exist, while to another like yours Melty, it does not."

"That seems to be the case," Queen Mirellia nodded in agreement.

"So either that world has a nation that closely resembles Japan…"

"Or one of those previous generations of Heroes brought some of his or her Japanese culture into that world."

Asuna and Alice chimed with their own thoughts over the origins of this cultural site.

Kirito remained silent in this exchange though, being more concerned on what they would find inside. After all, there's a reason why the age where clans reigned supreme was known to be a very chaotic period in Japan's history.

'What kind of regime could this clan be under to govern its members,' Kirito wondered.

When the two entered the gate, the guards greeted Eugeo with respect but looked at Kirin with fondness. Hinting that Kirin has a good standing within her clan. Looking around as they walked past one of the extravagant gardens, there were a few Fox and Dog Demi-Humans tending the plants there. Much to his relief, they seemed to be treated nicely here as they didn't show any signs of bruises, exhaustion or starvation.

"That's a relief," Kirito commented as he let out a small breath of relief.

"They don't seem to be malnourished at the very least," Naofumi said with his own sigh of relief, though he still hasn't let his guard as he closely observed the surrounding Demi-Humans' physical well-being.

"And they don't seem to be overly skittish either," Raphtalia resolutely added, giving her the slaves a thorough once-over. After all, she knew from first-hand experience what it's like to be abused, so it was literal child's play for her to distinguish a fellow abused soul.

And these slaves weren't it...

Collective sighs of relief could also be heard from the rest of the audience... and yes, even the three stooges were happy to see that the so-called slaves are being treated appropriately. Whether or not their show of concern is genuine remained to be seen, if Motoyasu's lecherous gaze toward the female slaves were anything to go by.

In a few open fields, several people are in the middle of their sword training. Swinging their wooden swords in sync as they went on a few stances and sword katas. Eugeo couldn't help but smile as he remembered the fond times he spent with Kirito when they trained in Centoria.

A flashback of Kirito and Eugeo doing some intense Sword Skill drills at the Academy's training grounds was suddenly shown onscreen.

" " "WHOAA!" " "

Yui, Filo, and Melty gasped in awe, all of them staring intensely at the strength behind each of Kirito and Eugeo's strikes. It didn't matter if the duo were merely using wooden practice swords, each of their swings was enough to create powerful gales with wind pressure alone! A clear indication of just how damaging they could be if they were aimed at an actual target.

"Outstanding!" even Queen Mirellia was left flabbergasted by what she witnessed, giving the two swordsman-in-training a small round of applause.

"I am definitely learning the skill!" Raphtalia exclaimed with bright sparkles in her eyes, her fist clenched in excitement over the prospect of replicating that power for herself. It didn't matter if it would take a lot of time and effort to master it, it would all be worth it for her Master's sake.

Naofumi could only nod in silence, his brain doing a pretty good job in overlapping Raphtalia's visage over the two practitioners, practicing those very same motions shown onscreen. Just how powerful Raphtalia would be once formally trained by a master swordsman he wondered.

Kirito was also left speechless, though the cause of his silence leaned more to the bittersweet variety. Reminiscing in his head of the 'good old days' that he spent with Eugeo back in Underworld. As he lowered his gaze in sadness for the friend he lost, Kirito's two seat mates quickly jumped into action.

"You thought him well Kirito," Asuna beamed with pride over what her husband achieved with his best friend, resting her palm over his shoulder for emotional support.

"Indeed, you did," Alice sincerely agreed with Asuna as she placed her hand over Kirito's other shoulder.

Meanwhile...

"I-I have to admit... those sword moves of theirs are pretty impressive," Ren finally admitted, though it was obvious from his tone that he did it with great reluctance.

"No kidding…" Motoyasu also reluctantly relented, now silently hoping that either his other self or other spear users would be displayed for him to learn from.

"Well... I still think it's a waste of time," Itsuki stubbornly huffed at hard work, "Not like those fancy Combat Skills would do much good against the full might of our Weapon Skills."

Hearing this, Asuna couldn't help but wonder how the proud and borderline arrogant Bow Hero would react if he saw Kirito's ability to cut through fast projectiles. Kirito had the ability to cut bullets aimed at him with his almost inhuman reflexes that he demonstrated during the broadcasted GGO's Battle Royale tournament.

He had also shown the ability to cut fast projectiles when he faced a guild that were trying to tackle the New Aincrad's 27th floor's boss and trying to buy her and the Sleeping Knights time to get into the boss room first. Kirito had cut their magic attacks like he had cut the bullets in GGO, claiming that their attacks were easier to cut since they were slower than a bullet.

She remembered fondly that even Yuuki herself was flabbergasted at seeing that feat.

And she now tried to imagine Itsuki's face when Kirito cut the arrows that Itsuki fired at him. The resulting expression she imagined would be on Itsuki's face made her shoot a hand to her mouth to suppress her laughter.

Kirin soon led them to the Clan Head's home which is two or three times bigger than the normal homes of the clan. As they walked through the halls, they walked past a door with an eye-catching symbol on it. It was a red heart with a pair of white wings.

"This is my room. That symbol is something very special for me... but I can't really explain why. Although I won't be using this room for a long while since we'll be traveling out of this town soon," Kirin pointed out before walking on to the Head's private room.

Now it was Asuna's turn to become overly emotional... as the hand she used to suppress her laughter seconds earlier was now being used to keep herself from bursting into tears again.

"That symbol…" the Undine whimpered at the 'Sleeping Knights' symbol that decorated Kirin's private room door. Clearly very touched and ecstatic to see that some of Yuuki's old memories still lived on in Kirin, "She still remembers..."

Kirito and Yui (who left her seat to comfort her mommy) gave Asuna a double comforting hug, sandwiching her between them for a three-way embrace.

Causing a few of the more sentimental audience (Filo, Melty, Raphtalia and even Motoyasu) to mentally squeal at the familial bonding moment.

Entering a heavily decorated door, a gorgeous woman with long purple hair wearing a lavender combat kimono, was meditating in the middle of the room. Behind her was a beautiful long katana on top of a pedestal. The walls were decorated with drawings of flowers and birds flying among the floral background.

"Hello mother," Kirin greeted with a bright smile.

The woman opened her eyes and returned the smile in kind, "Hello my little Kirin and welcome Sir Sword Hero. My name is Aoi Toudou, the current Head of the Toudou Clan."

"Man her mom is HOT!"

Aaaaaand the undisputed perv amongst the audience just couldn't help himself... Motoyasu unashamedly letting out a cat call whilst giving the MILF worthy of a woman (to what he thinks to be) a respectfully appreciative look.

This of course just made the blonde spearman even more detestable in the eyes of the fairer sex. So much so that he even caused the high Queen of Melromarc herself to be unsettled. Begetting the admittedly alluring matriarch to unconsciously cover her ample bosoms with her fully expanded fan. The rest of the girls' faces wrinkled in disgust for the man's sheer lack of respect for woman kind.

On the other side of the gender spectrum, the rest of the males could only roll their eyes over their fellow man's hyperactive libido.

While the men would begrudgingly admit (yes, even Noafumi would be forced to agree) that Kirin's mom is quite the hottie, there are just some lines that one shouldn't cross.

And pursuing another man's wife...

as well as one who already hailed a child...

was one of them!

Eugeo nervously bowed in greetings, "I-It's really nice to meet you Lady Aoi. My name is Eugeo Zuberg."

"My my, such a gentleman you are," Aoi giggled before inviting them to take a seat on the other cushions available in front of her. Her expression soon turned serious as the pleasantries are now out of the way. "So, Sir Eugeo... before I hear what you came here for, I just had to ask. What is your honest opinion about this latest event concerning the Shield Hero?"

'Alice?'

[There are two spies, one at the ceiling and one at the window. Both of them are neutral spies since there aren't any evil intent in their blades.]

"The entire thing is a complete sham," Eugeo answered with a frown, surprising Lady Aoi and the two eavesdropping spies, "Whether or not King Aultcray is in this plot, I know for a fact that an innocent man has been labeled a criminal for a heinous act that he didn't commit."

"He doesn't pull any punches now does he," Raphtalia couldn't help let out a small snicker on how bluntly the Other Sword Hero worded his answer.

"He's right though," Naofumi huffed in grumpy acknowledgment on how accurate Eugeo putted it.

"I'm more amazed on how he was able to locate those Shadows without even batting an eye lash!" Melty exclaimed incredulously, shocked over how easily the two agents were exposed by Eugeo's eyes.

While Queen Mirellia shared some of her daughter's concern over this, she ultimately dismissed as something inconsequential. Though the prerequisite for unlocking their Weapon Spirits haven't been explained yet, she was confident that Naofumi is the only one among the four that already met that requirement.

Eugeo took a deep breath to calm down before looking at the Lady, "One of your private spies were keeping watch over us since yesterday, right?"

Lady Aoi just smiled, "I'm impressed, so you noticed one of the Toudou Clan's private Shadows. But you should know that the Queen and the Church also have Shadows of their own. How did you know that the spy belonged to this clan?"

Eugeo decided to give an answer in a way that doesn't expose much of his abilities and could easily be misunderstood as something else, "The blades of the Church's Shadows were tainted with malice while the other was neutral and traced with loyalty."

"I see, so it's their weapon's history that gave away the Shadows' affiliations. You Heroes truly are amazing," Lady Aoi is both right and wrong, but Eugeo decided not to correct her.

"Now that's a skill that would've been very useful... don't you think so, Alice," Kirito jokingly jibed at the former Integrity Knight.

"It certainly would have been…" Alice replied with a hint of guilt in her voice, contemplating in her mind of just how many atrocities were allowed to fester. Especially after she had her eyes opened to just how easy it was to exploit the once coveted Taboo Index.

Though Queen Mirellia and Naofumi remained silent upon hearing this new concept of Weapon Reading, they also couldn't help but imagine just how easy their respective jobs would have been like if they had such an ability.

After all...

any man or demi-human would lie between their teeth just to save themselves from retribution...

but their signature weapons certainly couldn't!

"But I am confused, if you knew that Sir Naofumi is innocent, then why did you strike him with that powerful Weapon Skill you learned?"

"I managed to use one of my abilities to mentally tell him about what's going on. If I'm going to help him, the kingdom must think that we are no longer in good terms. So, we made that entire act where it looked like I seriously tried to kill him to cement that belief in the minds of everyone watching. As Kirin could confirm, I asked her to leave some items in Erhard's shop for Naofumi to pick up after he left the throne room," Eugeo answered with Kirin nodding in confirmation of what they did to help the Shield Hero.

Lady Aoi was speechless for a moment before she started laughing, "Hahaha... That was ingenious thinking! You two did a very good job in selling that belief with your very convincing acting. Hahahaha..."

"If even you were fooled, then that just means that our plan worked," Eugeo awkwardly chuckled for the complements as he couldn't help but blush at how beautiful Lady Aoi's laughter is before shaking his head of impure thoughts.

"Oh man, her laughter is just too adorable for words!" Motoyasu hollered with his usual display of perverseness once again. Though his exclamation was met with less hostility this time, as the rest of the audience couldn't deny the spearman's claim.

Lady Aoi truly has a melodious laughter.

"Whew! That was a real good one," Lady Aoi sighed as she finally calmed down.

"So Sir Eugeo, what is your purpose for visiting my Clan's compound to meet me? Do you wish for my daughter's hand in marriage perhaps?" Lady Aoi asked with a mischievous face and snickered.

"MOTHER!" Kirin screeched as she blushed in embarrassment.

"No! That's not it at all!" Eugeo yelled in protest, blushing as well. Especially since he already considered himself taken.

"Wow... just... wow," Princess Melty incoherently blushed with second-hand embarrassment over what just transpired, something a certain Demi-Raccoon was also experiencing. Their imaginations soaring with a certain Hero of the Shield being the focus of their respective fantasies.

"So Kirin is going to be the Nice Sword guy's second mate?" Filo asked in such a clueless and adorable tone that it was just downright illegal.

"I guess you could say that…" the presumed human-fairy hybrid answered as she caressed the innocent Filolial's head, "You'll understand it more as you mature."

This caused the angel-winged girl to pout at such an unsatisfactory answer. Especially since, in her mind, Yui isn't all that much older than Melty and herself!

He was already dead set on getting Alice a human body so that in the future, they can finally be together. A married life with Alice was already at the back of his mind, something that he planned to turn into a reality once the Waves are finally over.

[I don't know if I should find Kirin's mother to be hilarious or not.] Alice seemed to be grumbling.

"Well, one cannot deny Sir Zuberg's loyalty," Queen Mirellia admiring the blonde Sword Hero's devotion for his woman, feeling a tad bit envious for the bond that they share despite their young ages.

"If only every man could be content with just one woman," Asuna said with an over-the-top exclamation while glancing at Alice and her husband, giving them a half serious and half mirthful stare. Prompting the Black Swordsman and Osmanthus Knight to blush and avert their gazes from each other.

"Ok, ok, I had my fun. It's just something that popped into my head. You see, one of the traditions in the Clan is that only someone who has bested the Heir – which is Kirin – in a fight can be worthy to marry her in the future," Lady Aoi explained with a chuckle, "Kirin has remained undefeated for the last 2 years and has proven herself to be a prodigy. I'm by far the only one capable of beating her in a fight. Over 100 suitors have already tried and failed to win against her, even with the handicap of her not using any of the Toudou Sword Skills. Since you're the Legendary Sword Hero, it is only natural for you to become an exceptional swordsman."

"Over a hundred suitors and not one of them managed to best her!" Motoyasu blurted out in shock on how many men attempted to try their luck for Kirin's hand in marriage.

"She must be a much better swordswomen than I thought…" Ren muttered under his breath as he pondered over Kirin's strength and compared it to his own.

Itsuki simply huffed on this revealed fact, still believing such skills to be trivial when faced with the might of his Legendary Bow.

Naofumi and his party, along with the two royals, were more focused on just how skilled Kirin would have to be in order for her to remain single after all this time. This lighted an even a brighter fire under Raphtalia as she is now even more determined to grow stronger.

'Maybe I should ask Lady Asuna or Lady Alice to give me some tips in my swordsmanship.'

"I guess Yuuki's still got it," Kirito chuckled while patting her wife's head at the reveal of Kirin's unbroken winning streak, "Despite getting reincarnated into a completely different world, and no longer remembering the life that she once lived, she's still the undefeated Zekken that we all know and love."

"Yes... she is," Asuna replied with a slight whimper as she smiled at another display of Kirin's former self bubbling to the surface of her psyche.

Yui and Alice could only smile as they saw this, though they both decided to allow their father/friend to handle Asuna's moment of weakness.

"I see, well... that's not my decision to make. Kirin's the one who decides who she would like to spend her life with," Eugeo answered firmly.

[Once again, you just made things worse.]

'Urk…'

"He truly is your star pupil, Kirito," Asuna softly giggled out despite the remaining whimper that still laced her voice.

Kirito could only chuckle in second-hand embarrassment over Eugeo inheriting his incredible luck with women.

"Very well said," the Clan head smiled while clapping her hands before getting serious, "So what do you want from my Clan, Sir Eugeo?"

"What I want are two things: first is to have a reliable source of information. As you already mentioned, you, the Queen, and the Church have Shadows which also serves as a spy network," Eugeo explained as he grabbed one of the Crystal Balls from the Storage and handed it over to Lady Aoi. "There will be times that I need to know all of the details before acting on my duties as the Sword Hero. Or else, I just might be used like a puppet by others, most especially the nobles who are on Aultcray's side in their crusade against Demi-Humans."

"Wow, I didn't expect Eugeo to think that far ahead," Kirito once again complementing his best friend for his surprising degree of foresight.

"Considering the kind of trouble you two got into no thanks to a bunch of wicked nobles, a course of action like this is very much warranted," Asuna said with a nod for the blonde Sword Hero's decision.

"I couldn't agree more," Alice added with an equal measures of approval in her voice.

This was something a few of the other viewers could wholeheartedly agree on... mainly for Naofumi and his group of allies.

Unfortunately, whether it is

denial (Ren),

pride (Itsuki),

or sheer imprudence (Motoyasu),

the three stooges still refused to believe that they ultimately became pawns in the grand scheme of things, despite their defiance of not being as used.

Lady Aoi nodded with a smile of approval, "And the other one?"

"I want to receive training on how to be a Shadow," Eugeo said, surprising everyone in the room and outside of it, with his request.

"He wants what?!"

"A Sword Hero, trained to be a Shadow…"

"Now that's an interesting idea."

"More like frightening…"

In a once in a blue moon moment, Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki and Naofumi (exactly by that order) actually agree on something. With the exception of Kirito and his girls, the remaining viewers (even the normally oblivious Filo) couldn't help but feel a tiny bit unnerved.

The thought of a Sword Hero, possessing the skills and discipline of this world's master of stealth, is both exhilarating and terrifying.

"Sir Eugeo, why would you want to train to be a Shadow?" Kirin asked as this wish of becoming a Shadow, wasn't something she expected from a Legendary Hero. She fully expected that Eugeo would ask for more advanced training in the Toudou Sword Style to add to his skills.

"As twisted as it may be, I would have an easier time in being a Hero if no one knows who I am," Eugeo said as he explained his reasons further, "With the Three Heroes Church, the Nobles and the King himself involved with the corruption in this country, it's by far my only choice. I also plan to travel to another country to fight one of their Waves after the Melramarc Wave is done. And I can't do that as Eugeo Zuberg, the Sword Hero. I need to be someone else... I need to be... something... else."

"T-This is...! This is great news!" Melty stuttered out in exclaimed glee. After all, not only would such actions greatly reduce the loss of human and Demi-Human lives but would also undoubtedly aid her mother's counterpart.

Said Queen of Melromarc also shared some of her daughter's enthusiasm, albeit internally, while also feeling a tiny bit envious. With the Sword Hero aiding the Shield Hero from behind the scenes, her other self would certainly have an easier time in convincing the Demi-Human leaders from doing anything drastic. Thus, giving her counterpart more time and options to work with in bringing down the Three Heroes Church.

The silence that followed was so thick that one could cut the air with a knife. That is until one of the two Shadows that were listening in their conversation, decided to reveal themselves with a flicker of movement and some kind of camouflage magic. Kirin flinched back in surprise while Lady Aoi and Eugeo remained still as they already knew that they were there. The Shadow's outfit left nothing to be identified with, having black robes, metal mask and silver and black themed armor.

"A very intriguing idea Sir Sword Hero. While I cannot contact my Queen at the moment, I'm very sure that she would approve of your decision. This will actually help her immensely on the mess that the King has made," Shadow 1 said before facing Lady Aoi, "Although this is not a direct order, I wish for you to grant his request to be trained."

"Aahhh, it's always refreshing to see them still have their individuality despite their strict training regime," Queen Mirellia commented with a sigh of relief before adding, "and yes, if they ever got in contact with my other self, I'm sure she will definitely approve."

As a trivial side note, Kirito couldn't help but chuckle when he pictured his best friend donning a Shadow's black stealth garb. Thus, creating another matching Black Swordsman in this new world...

if only he knew what how close his conjectures would become in the near future.

The Clan Head just nodded since Eugeo's idea really did have a lot of merit and potential, "Very well. Though my Kirin will also have to join in this Shadow training, if she wants to stay by the Sword Hero's side. I approve of this decision."

"Excellent," the Shadow seemed to have smiled a little bit, "I shall be on my way now. This is a piece of good news that must be delivered to Her Majesty as quickly as possible."

With another blur of movement, Eugeo lost sight of the Queen's Shadow.

[Well... if you can do something like that after your training, then your job as a Hero will certainly be a whole lot easier.]

'No kidding,' Eugeo chuckled.

"Alright then, let's get this Shadow training started, shall we?" Lady Aoi declared, "You may reveal yourself now. Sir Eugeo already knows that you're there after all."

The second Shadow then dropped from the ceiling, not making a single sound as she did so. Eugeo couldn't help but feel impressed at how good these Shadows were at what they did. The Shadow then removed her mask and black cloak to reveal the person beneath.

"You may call me Ayane... Ayane Toudou, at your service," The Shadow introduced herself, she had maroon hair and possessed what one could call an exotic beauty. A beauty that hides a deadly secret within, which fits her occupation quite well.

"I like what I'm seeing~" Motoyasu salivated near instantly upon bearing witness the Shadow's sexiness and beauty. His lecherous eyes already breaking down what Ayane would look like when stripped from her assassin garb, much to the disgust of the female viewers.

"You do know that she's a highly trained assassin that would most likely kill you if she truly wanted to right?" Kirito voiced out what everyone is internally thinking.

The male half of the audience may have their own libidos that they need to wrestle under control, but they at least had something that they would like to call self-preservation!

"It seems that I will be your teacher for the coming two weeks, Sir Eugeo and Lady Kirin."

"Thank you for having us," Eugeo and Kirin replied in unison as they bowed towards her.

[Something tells me this is going to be a long two weeks.] Alice seemed to be sighing.

Eugeo had no idea how right Alice is by her assumption.

"I'm going to have to do a time skip on this one," Zelretch finally let's his voice be heard after quite a long while of verbal inactivity.

"Wait! What?!" (Motoyasu)

"But I want to know what kind of training they had!" (Itsuki)

"Same here!" (Ren)

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with them. I also want to see what kind of Shadow training Sir Eugeo and Lady Kirin received from Miss Ayane!" (Raphtalia)

"Mmhmm!" (Filo)

A good chunk of the audience complained and whined over the missed opportunity, even the ever-antisocial Naofumi looked grumpier than usual because of Zelretch's announcement.

On the flip side of the coin, the royal mother and daughter pair sighed in relief, both being aware that a country's Shadow Training Regimes are considered as closely guarded military secrets for a reason.

Kirito and his girls were a little more on the neutral territory on this topic. While Alice found Shadows to be a dishonorable occupation to have, she acknowledged them as a crucial part of this nation's security personnel... Kirito, Asuna and Yui are a little more on the indifferent side as they saw the role these Shadows are playing as something similar to what their friendly neighborhood info broker Argo does for a living.

"SILENCE!"

In a rare show of force, the dimension hopper raised his voice in order to silence the noisy crowd. Deciding to throw the childish Heroes a bone to chew on so they wouldn't accuse him of being 'unfair', Zelretch snaps his fingers twice for a minor adjustment to the observatory before explaining himself.

"Just to clarify... observing the entirety of their Shadow Training would take far too much of our time and won't really move Eugeo's journey forward by any substantial amount, so I deemed it necessary to skip it."

The childish Bow Hero was just about to whine of Zelretch being unfair when the Real Magic Wielder cuts him off by adding...

"And if it makes you feel any better, I decided to be generous and show you the tail end if their Shadow Training. Their graduation test to be exact, before they are officially recognized as newly minted Shadows."

This seemed to satisfy the whiners as they halted their complaints on the tip of their tongues. Though some were more begrudging than others, they had no choice but to take what they could get from their immortal benefactor.

[System Call - Generate Aerial Element - Form Element String Shape – Discharge!]

Eugeo and Kirin both casted the Sacred Art on their feet before breaking into a burst of intense speed towards an obstacle course that Ayane had set up for them. Sprinting sideways on the walls, avoiding laid out traps, dodging airborne projectiles and choosing the safe footholds to step on as they went for the finish line.

For the past two weeks, they spent most of their time inside one of Melramarc's Hidden Dungeons where they can also grind Levels and gather materials for Eugeo to absorb.

Apparently, Dungeons are special locations in this world that naturally spawned monsters from within its deep underground caverns, making it one of the best places for Middle Class Adventurers to Level up. What made this particular Dungeon unique from the rest was that it's a top-secret location where the Queen's newly recruited Shadows are taken for training. With fragile pavements, elaborate rock formations and the poor lighting, it was the perfect training ground for them.

This is where Eugeo and Kirin learned how to walk, run and parkour like a Shadow.

"Amazing…"

"That's so cool!"

"No kidding!"

"I have to admit, that is one hardcore training course," Kirito's comment pretty much voiced out everyone's opinion concerning the dungeon that Melromarc's Shadows call a training boot camp, "Your top Shadows must be leagues above the rest in terms of strength with an initiation like that!"

"Well, they had to be," Queen Mirellia said as she observed the projection of her agents' training grounds, "The Shadows are the iron fist that is hidden beneath the silk glove of any respectable ruler of any given nation."

The Queen's words unnerved a few of her fellow viewers (Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki and Raphtalia), but were seen as reasonable for others (Melty, Naofumi, Kirito, Asuna, Alice and Yui). One in particular, saw it more as a challenge instead of a makeshift death trap...

"Well, Filo think it's a lot of fun!" the juvenile Filolial Queen exclaimed while enthusiastically waving her arms and flapping her wings, "I want to try it!"

"Ehhh! Filo! I don't think that's such a good idea!" Princess Melty swiftly denied in a fluster out of concern for her friend.

"R-Right! That kind of hellish training isn't meant for someone like you anyways!," Raphtalia added in equal levels of worry for their youngest party member.

Though Naofumi remained silent, it was obvious by the look on his face and the cross form by his arms that he also disapproved of letting Filo try the Shadow course!

"Aww! Come on! Everyone is no fun!" Filo whined childishly at their disapproval, and her whining was obviously not enough to change their minds on this matter.

"(*Cough!*) Anyways!" Queen Mirellia cleared her throat to get everyone's attention after noticing the full length of the time skip, "With only 2 weeks of training to spare due to Sir Eugeo's duties as a Cardinal Hero, he and Lady Kirin would still be considered novices as far as Shadow standards are concerned."

Ayane was then given the permission from the Queen, to give the two some Mirage Belts. They were special equipment for all the Shadows who have proven themselves worthy to serve the Queen. It was extremely useful since it had the ability to change his name and his appearance. It was no wonder that these Mirage Belts and their method of creation is at the highest level of confidential. Only the top rulers of each country can know about them, so this was something that is beyond the Church's reach, even with King Aultcray's help.

Needless to say, with the exception of those who are in the know (Mirellia and Melty) and one who simply didn't care (Filo), the rest of the audience were flabbergasted by just how useful and borderline overpowered such a piece of equipment could be.

The three stooges complained more on how unfair it was that they weren't provided with such 'late-game level' equipment like that...

Naofumi was a bit more concerned on why the Queen didn't gift him with such a convenient item back when he was on the run from the church after being framed of kidnapping…

While Kirito, Asuna, Alice and Yui weren't that concerned with such a reveal, being more accustomed to the fancy illusion magic Alfhiem Online had to offer, they could understand why such a confidential piece of equipment like this would impact that other world so much.

Having sensed the betrayed gaze from the Shielder, Queen Mirellia decided to nip this misunderstanding in the bud before it could fester into something ugly…

"First of all, those Mirage Belts are considered as top-class military secrets and are not supposed to be imparted with others lightly. Not to mention the fact that they are very prone to being abused by people who don't understand the power that they are being entrusted with," the Queen leered at the three stooges on this, sending the silent message that she sees them as perfect examples of those who would abuse them before moving on to the sole reliable Hero among the four, "As for why I didn't bestow you one during your days on the run, Sir Naofumi, it's simply because there were too many eyes focused on you at the time. Whether you believe it or not, you made a big name for yourself among the common folk that simply vanishing without a trace would be far too suspicious, thus exposing my hand to the Church's spies far too soon. And after everything got settled and done with, you didn't seem to even need it anymore."

After hearing the matriarch's words behind her inaction, Naofumi let out a heavy sigh but begrudgingly understood her reason. While things would have been much easier if he had that Mirage Belt back then, Naofumi could understand why some events needed to happen so that they could formulate the best possible outcome.

Which is a great relief in Eugeo's mind as he finally has an advantage over the King and his corrupted allies. Eugeo shortly asked for another one of those Mirage Belts which he absorbed along with one of his Recording/Communication Crystal Ball to the Legendary Sword which gave him...

---

[Multipurpose Orb Sword Unlocked]

[Quality: Low - Base Attack: 40]

[Mastery: 0/60 - Resonance: 0%]

[Equip Bonus: Flash Sword]

[Exclusive Ability: Recording, Communication]

Level 30 Required

---

[Illusionary Sword Unlocked]

[Quality: High - Base Attack: 120]

[Mastery: 0/150 - Resonance: 0%]

[Equip Bonus: Air Strike Slash]

[Exclusive Ability: Invisible Air]

Level 40 Required

---

Eugeo was beyond happy to see this ability. The most noticeable aspect of the Legendary Sword that can give his identity away was the Blue gem engraved in its guard after all. With the {Invisible Air} , a layer of wind envelopes the Legendary Sword and turns it invisible. He can now use the Legendary Sword, and no one would ever know that he is the Sword Hero as long as he is careful.

"Now that's a very convenient sword to have," Kirito said while slightly salivating over his best friend's invisible blade, feeling just a tad bit jealous as he now also wanted one.

Asuna, Alice and Yui could only giggle at their man's/daddy's antics as Kirito always did have a thing for rare and exotic swords.

The same could not be said for the three stooges as they were all nearly green with envy, feeling wronged for not being handed over with such exotic unlockables. Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for everyone else who were aware of their stupidity in heroism, a single bone chilling gaze from the fed-up Queen was enough to shut them up.

It was also during their first days of training that Eugeo unlocked the [Companion's Sword 2] when he experimented with absorbing some of Kirin's hair. It then upgraded to [Companion's Sword 3] when he absorbed Kirin's blood at the time when she accidentally got wounded from a hidden monster suddenly popping out and hitting her with a surprise attack. Causing her Stat gains to go up from small all the way to large.

Alice also unlocked something when he reached Level 30, something that caught them completely by surprise, the Telepathy Ability. Just like the Mindscape Ability, it also has a cost of 50 Fluctlight Points which Eugeo had no problem in spending. With this, the couple can now communicate a lot better than before which made them very happy. The only limitation was that if Alice wants to communicate with other people besides Eugeo, she will need to use some of his SP to do so. Although it seems a bit wrong, the two decided to keep Alice's existence a secret from Kirin. At least for a little while since they need to focus on their training first and not get distracted.

"That actually works?!"

"If I only knew about this, I would have done it a long time ago!"

"And my quests fulfillments would have gone much easier too if I knew!"

Motoyasu, Ren and Itsuki (exactly by that order) groaned in extreme frustration over not unlocking such a useful yet easily accessible ability of empowering their respective party members. A sore spot that the once underpowered Shield Hero couldn't help but rub it in on his fellow Heroes' faces.

"Ohhhhhhh~… So, you guys don't know about that huh~?" Naofumi voiced out mockingly, an uncharacteristically smug look on his face, "I guess this explains why each and every one of your parties were so incredibly weak when compared to Filo and Raphtalia despite the level disadvantage. None of you idiots knew about this empowerment method."

"Wait! You knew?!" (Motoyasu)

"Then why didn't you tell us?!" (Itsuki)

"Yeah!" (Ren)

"Are you three seriously asking me that question?" (Naofumi)

Naofumi's face, alongside Raphtalia, Filo, Melty and Mirellia, all got reduced to deadpanned expressions as they all stared at the three angry stooges.

'Are these three seriously accusing Naofumi of being selfish?'

Meanwhile...

Largely because they were still clueless of the full extent of the three stooges' selfishness over information, Kirito and his girls were a bit more interested on the unlocked skill that Eugeo spent his Fluctlight points on.

"It's quite sweet of Eugeo to prioritize Alice's comfort over anything that might have aided him combat," Asuna complemented after catching a glimpse of Eugeo's skill pool.

"Indeed. Though if Eugeo cares about this Alice as much as Kirito cares about me, I suppose it's not so surprising," Alice beamed with a hint of feminine vanity in her voice as her eyes gleamed toward Asuna.

"Ohhh~... is that sooo~…" Asuna countered the blonde's gaze with her own piercing eyes as metaphorical lightning bolts seemed to be clashing between the two women at the Black Swordsman's expense.

Driven by self-preservation, Kirito wisely kept his mouth shut while Yui could only try to suppress her giggles over her daddy's ever growing girl troubles.

Back at the present time, Ayane can now classify Eugeo and Kirin as Average Level Shadows. They are by no means professionals, but they now have a solid chance in outsmarting and escaping any of the best Shadows the Three Heroes Church may throw their way. Which is more than enough in Eugeo's opinion.

Just a few minutes later and the two Shadow trainees eventually crossed the finish line that she had set for them. Ayane couldn't help but think of how convenient the Sword Hero's brand of magic is. While Eugeo's Sacred Art may be a bit lacking in terms of raw power, it makes up for it by being more versatile and precise when compared to this world's type of magic.

"So that's the difference between your world's magic system and ours," Princess Melty commented, visualizing in her mind on how she's going to replicate or even merge the two systems into one.

Queen Mirellia was also in the same mind as she once again silently affirmed with Kirito and his girls of sharing knowledge with each other once they reach their first intermission period. Something Naofumi, Raphtalia and even Filo were all highly interested in, as any form of knowledge that could increase their combat capabilities would only benefit them in the long run.

As for the three stooges...

Same old, same old...

They still found the concept of sitting down to seriously study the fundamentals of magic as far too troublesome and a waste of their valuable time. Preferring to unlock new and more exotic Weapon forms for their respective Legendary Weapons in order to compensate for their lack of magical spells in their repertoire, aside from ones they'd unlocked from Orbs.

As Eugeo and Kirin leaned on each other as they caught their breath for all the running they did at intense speed, a loud clapping came from Ayane. "Well done you two. Although you two are far from being Professional Shadows, I think both of you are now ready to face anything King Aultcray or the Church can now throw at you. You are now free to go on your journey Sir Eugeo."

Eugeo then straightened up and gave her a bow of respect, "Thank you very much for all your help. I promise to use all your teachings wisely on my journey as the current Sword Hero."

"Yes, thanks a lot Ayane-sensei," Kirin said alongside Eugeo.

"You're very welcome," Ayane beamed in pride for her temporary students.

But just as she was about to leave, the Sword Hero had one more task that he wants to be done. "Miss Ayane, if it's not too much trouble, I would like for you and your colleagues to look into something for me."

"What might that be Sir Eugeo?"

"I want to find out where the majority of the Demi-Human survivors of Lurolona ended up at. As silly as it sounds, I would like to do something... Heroic... before the Wave of Catastrophe arrives in Melromarc," Eugeo answers with a slightly sly grin. Kirito's habits truly are contagious.

"Ohhhhh, something heroic!"

"I wonder what kind of quest Uncle Eugeo would be embarking."

"Whatever it is, I can only hope that it is something actually benefits the Queendom in the long run."

"Agreed."

Filo, Yui, Melty and Mirellia (exactly by that order) commented upon hearing Eugeo's request for a mission.

"Yeah... unlike some people that we know," Naofumi muttered under his breath as he subtly peered at his less than honorable colleagues.

"If Eugeo is anything like you Kirito, he's probably going to end up rescuing some damsel in distress during her time of greatest need," Asuna predicted half-jokingly and half-seriously with a rare mischievous look on her face. After all, as much as she didn't want to admit it, her beloved husband does have a long history of being at the right place in the right time to give aid to those who are in need. Those people just happening to be female 85% of the time.

"And if said damsel just happen to be the honorable sort, then chances are high that she'll join Eugeo's party and become his second recruit."

"Then she's going to fall in love with Eugeo before deciding to join his party in order to repay her debt."

"P-Please don't joke about that like it's already a certainty," Kirito stuttered in embarrassment over what the girls were insinuating.

Poor Kirito...

if only he knew just how accurate the women's predictions would be...

---

AN: I regret to inform that the next chapter of Blue Rose Sword Hero (BRSH) Ch. 31 won't be coming for quite a while since I'm going to be very busy with stuff IRL. But I promise that I will keep on working on this fanfic and will never leave it for dead.

As always, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I'm open for compatible suggestions and any advice that you readers could give. As for those nasty Reviewers who loves to insult us authors for no reason other than just to be mean, please just leave us alone.