Let's have the craziness continue to the celebration!
Chapter Eleven: Sacred Dodgeball
It didn't take long to absorb the various monsters into the Holy Weapons. With all four heroes working together, it was a pretty easy task.
Motoyasu took most of the Chimera's lion head. Ren took most of the dragon head. Itsuki took most of the eagle head. And little Naofumi got the viper head, as well as pieces of the other three heads. Mainly because Motoyasu had insisted Naofumi should get part of their reward for helping to protect them and the village during the fight. Ren had been cool with it. And though Itsuki grumbled, he also shared.
From the viper head, Naofumi got several cool shields! One of them would allow him to poison anyone that attacked him.
From the lion head, he got a shield with a skill that'd allow him to make his enemies terrified. Moto explained it as some sort of status con… whatever. He just found it cool that he could make his enemies afraid of him now!
From the eagle head, he got a shield that only boosted his overall defense. Itsuki wasn't just a jerk! He was worthless too!
The dragon head unlocked the coolest ability shield! It allowed Naofumi to activate a skill that let him see in the dark! Now he wouldn't have to fumble around at night again! He could sneak around anywhere he wanted! And no one could stop him! BUWHAHAHAHA!
*cough cough*
Anyway, after absorbing all the monster carcasses (and finding a shield that increased his ATK stat by 1! SCORE!), the Heroes cleaned up the town and made sure everyone was okay. The King, the Heroes, their parties, and the knights traveled back to the Capital where the large celebration was to take place.
"And I cleared a whole street of monsters with one attack! One!"
A party of noble girls oohed at Motoyasu's story. "You're sooooo strong." One of them said, batting her eyebrows at Motoyasu.
"I know, right?" Motoyasu leaned back in his chair and winked. The noble girls as well as Motoyasu's party all swooned.
His chair then crashed back onto the floor. Ruining the cool moment he was having.
"I meant to do that." He quickly stood up, brushing himself off embarrassedly. All the girls were snickering at him now. But, luckily, they found it cute and hung around.
"Nice job, Motoyasu," Ren said dryly, staring boredly down at his plate.
"That's why you shouldn't lean back in chairs." Itsuki also said boredly. "I doubt one more hit to the head will do much to you though."
"And what does that mean?!" Motoyasu angrily asked. "Naofumi, yell at them for me! I have some girls to flirt with!"
Naofumi looked up confusedly from his plate. He and Raphtalia were sitting next to each other. Both their cheeks were bulging from the amount of DELICIOUS food they held. "Hmmph?" Did Motoyasu say something?
"It's nothing," Ren said dryly.
Naofumi shrugged and continued stuffing his already full mouth as Raphtalia continued doing the same.
Mom had always said that table manners were important. But the food was too GOOD! It was practically begging him to put it in his tummy. It made Uncle Bald Guy's cooking look like a joke.
Erhard was talking to the King when he covered his mouth with his arm and sneezed. "Bless you."
"Thanks," Erhard muttered. For some reason, he felt like he was being insulted again. But he couldn't tell where it was coming from.
"Whoa, slow down Naofumi. Otherwise-"
"Mmm! Mmm!" Naofumi started beating on his chest. It was amazing how many times this exact same scenario had happened to him since coming to this new world. Itsuki sighed to himself and passed a cup of water to Naofumi, who eagerly began drinking it down.
In the middle of that, Raphtalia also started beating her chest. Naofumi giggled as he gave her the cup of water. and Raphtalia blushed as she gulped it down. Itsuki groaned again.
'Didn't anyone ever teach them table manners?' He thought as they went back to stuffing their faces with their hands. The cup was all grimy from the food that had been stuck to their fingers. Itsuki made no move to retrieve it.
"Aw, lighten up Itsuki." Motoyasu leaned in close. "Seriously. Your serious face is ruining my vibe over here." He glanced over at the party of noble girls, whose numbers had seen a drastic growth in the last few minutes.
Itsuki scoffed. "Yeah, whatever… justice…"
"Stop saying that," Ren said dryly.
Naofumi and Raphtalia continued eating. Unaware of the party around them as well as the discussing nobles.
"This is insane. There were hundreds of casualties from the Wave that struck Seaetto. But this wave only caused a few injuries."
"It's remarkable!"
"Well, we have our great Heroes to thank for that."
"Not just the Heroes. I heard the King himself moved heaven and Earth fighting the Wave."
"His Majesty was fighting in the Wave?!" The one who sounded shocked was one of the King's advisors.
"Of course. I haven't seen anything like that since the days he led us in our fight against the Claw King Tylon."
The advisor looked to the Royal Knight Commander. "And what were you doing, allowing his Majesty to get in such danger?!" He snapped.
The mustached commander awkwardly shuffled his feet. He hadn't gotten the chance to really face any monsters. Since Aultcray had had him held back to direct the knights from the safety of the staging area. So he didn't really have anything he could boast about. But to suddenly have a question directed at him made him jump. "I, um, well, uh-"
"Ugh! Enough of this! Your Majesty!" The advisor ran off towards the head table. Where Aultcray got to overlook the party with a wide happy smile.
There were plenty of people that had arrived for the celebration. The nobility was one group occupying the Hero's area and the upper deck. The knights and their wives had also been invited by Aultcray for their outstanding service in defending Lute during the Wave. They also got the chance to interact in the Hero's area, as well as the large open lower deck. Everyone looked happy, everyone was enjoying the music, and it made Aultcray smile to see his people look happy. His smile became a little bigger, seeing young Naofumi and young Raphtalia also looking happy at the Hero's Table.
Not even the boring advisor that started complaining about his safety being of the utmost importance could ruin his happy mood.
Meanie jealously stared at the Hero's table. She sat at a table on the upper balcony near her father. He had insisted on having her sit near him as a proper royal should. Unbelievable! She should be sitting at the Hero's table instead of that little brat and his abominable friend! But nooooo! Her father was using the celebration as a way to show her how a princess should act. And no one was paying her any attention because the Heroes were far more interesting.
So absurd! When she became Queen, she would do away with all these stupid traditions! She should be the center of attention! Whether she was well mannered or not!
Motoyasu being surrounded by a large group of girls also filled her with rage. She should be the only one he paid attention to. Not those stupid whores! Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a waitress nod to her. Malty recognized the woman as the nun who'd talked to her earlier.
Good! It was about damn time! She was glad she wasn't the only one that wanted the Shield brat gone!
The 'waitress' looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to her. Only the knights there paid attention. But these ones had the rosary of the Three Heroes Church on their breastplates. They turned a blind eye and allowed her to do as she pleased.
She slipped a potion out of her pocket, putting in a few drops over the food. Malty finally smirked in her seat. 'Yes! It's about time that brat got his just desserts!' She thought as she sat up, eagerly watching what was going on with glee.
It wasn't like anyone would be watching her after all! All she had to do was wait for the brat and his friend to eat their fill of the poison, and then she could finally steal the spotlight once more! She would have Motoyasu all to herself! The plan was genius!
At the Hero's table, the girls finally left. Motoyasu sighed happily. Being a hero was soooooooo worth it. But he came to the realization that his other male heroes weren't using their titles to their fullest advantage like he was.
"Yo, Ren. You should try talking to a few girls too." Motoyasu suggested.
"Pass."
"Itsuki?"
"Hard pass." Itsuki muttered.
"Awww, come on," Motoyasu complained. "What is it? Wait, don't tell me Ren. Are you gay?" He asked childishly.
"No, I'm not," Ren said dryly.
"Then you have to talk to at least one girl, man! Live your life a little!"
"Why don't you ask Naofumi?" Ren asked. "He'd play along with your nonsense."
"He already has a lady friend," Motoyasu said, pointing to the two kids. Naofumi was whispering something in her ear, and then they both started giggling.
"Fair point," Ren said.
"Besides, you and Itsuki are always so high-strung!"
"Justice…" Itsuki wasn't paying any attention at the moment. He looked to be daydreaming about something.
"Both of you could use a girl to help chill you out!" Motoyasu said happily.
"This isn't an otome game, Motoyasu. I don't need a relationship with any of the NPC's here." Ren muttered dryly.
"But I don't want my fellow hero to always be a dark, unfeeling little edgelord," Motoyasu complained.
'I don't want to be one either! But I've never had a girlfriend before! And the kid finds it cool when I act like this!' Ren screamed in his mind. He was literally surrounded by people! How the hell was nobody noticing his social anxiety!? AHHHHHHHHHHH!
This is a literal call for help! Why can't anyone tell!?
"If I ever find a girl I like in this world, I'll let you know," Ren said dryly. The others were completely oblivious to his internal meltdown.
"Eh, suit yourself-" Motoyasu was saying when he saw what Naofumi was drinking. "Wait a sec, Naofumi don't-!"
Naofumi set the almost empty cup of dark red liquid down. Smacking his lips at the weird taste. "It tastes like really strong grape juice, but it tastes… weird."
Itsuki snapped out of his daydream. The three heroes looked at Naofumi in shock. "Is this what adult grape juice is supposed to taste like? Why do adults like this? Normal grape juice is way better." Naofumi asked curiously.
They peered into the cup and panicked at what they saw.
'WE JUST LET LITTLE KID DRINK WINE! OH **** OH **** OH ***************!' The heroes all thought simultaneously. Their eyes were wide with panic as they looked between one another for a solution.
They all shook their heads. If Aultcray finds out about this, they're screwed! They needed a plan, quickly!
The waiter was walking up to their table, preparing to take Naofumi and Raphtalia's plates to put down the new dishes. "Here, try it Raphtalia," Naofumi said, handing the cup to her.
"Noooooooooooooooo!" Motoyasu pushed the surprised waiter out of the way. Sending the tray of food she'd been carrying splattering all over the floor. He yanked the cup out of Raphtalia's hands and chugged its contents. "No, absolutely not!" He pointed down at the little boy. "Do you have any idea what you just-"
"Is everything alright down there?"
The Heroes all looked up at Aultcray. He had been paying attention to his advisors (they'd forced him too, otherwise they'd spend forever lecturing him), but the commotion had drawn his attention. As well as the attention of almost everyone else up above. The party down below was still in full swing.
"Everything's A-okay!" Motoyasu said, giving the King a thumbs up. He prayed that the man couldn't see the bead of sweat on his brow or hear his nervous chuckle.
Malty fumed in her seat. The food the little brat was supposed to eat was all over the freaking FLOOR! Other waitresses had already scrambled to the scene of the crime, helping to clean up the mess. The 'waitress' who'd tried to bring the poisoned food to Naofumi and Raphtalia snuck off, fearing that she'd be discovered.
'No! Why Motoyasu!? Why did you have to ruin my perfect plan!?' Malty ran from the room. She couldn't handle being there any longer! It was so UNFAIR!
The best part was that absolutely no one noticed her leaving.
Aultcray narrowed his eyes at Motoyasu. The sweat drop on his head became bigger. 'I'm in danger.'
However, the music soon filled the background once more as nobles stopped paying attention, and the King's attention was drawn to someone else. Motoyasu breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Naofumi.
"Did I do something bad?" Naofumi sadly asked. He and Raphtalia were both looking down sadly at the table.
BY THE GODS! MOTOYASU FELT LIKE A MAJOR JERK! HOW COULD HE MAKE THESE ADORABLE LITTLE KIDS SAD?! IT WAS UNFORGIVABLE, I SAY!
"No, you two didn't do anything wrong," Motoyasu said quickly.
"Just… *ahem*, just try to avoid the adult grape juice in the future." Ren said. He had to cough to keep the cool and aloof exterior on.
Why was this so HARD?!
"Justice…"
"Stop. For the love of-"
"Here, I'll go make it up to you!" Motoyasu ran off. Grabbing another waitress carrying a platter of food.
Naofumi turned to his partner with a confused look. "Is something wrong with the adult grape juice? Maybe they left it out too long and it went bad?"
Raphtalia shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't gotten a taste of it or anything. So she wasn't sure.
"Um… do you feel… weird or anything Naofumi?" Itsuki decided to ask.
"Hmm… define weird."
"Do you feel...I dunno...dizzy? Like does your head feel funny?"
"My head always feels funny!" Naofumi joked. "It's because it's full of jokes!"
Your jokes still suck.
"But my shield doesn't think so. Whoever's in there is really mean and doesn't think my jokes are funny."
Ren and Itsuki shared a concerned glance. "Okay, but if things start getting weirder, just let us know okay? DON'T TELL THE KING, WHATEVER YOU DO!" Itsuki wagged his finger in the boy's face for emphasis.
"Yeah, we like living," Ren said dryly.
"... Okay!" Naofumi smiled at them happily. It felt like a huge weight had been taken off their backs.
"Hey guys, I'm back! With normal grape juice, or something like that!" Motoyasu smiled as he set a tray full of food on the table. The waitress accompanying him set down two more drinks for the kids to have with their meal. Though nobody saw it, she sweatdropped at the sheer volume of food two children could eat.
If they kept this up for another hour, the kitchen would run out of food.
"Thanks, Moto! Thanks, nice lady!" Naofumi immediately began digging into his food like a starving man. Raphtalia did the same, but with a little more control. Erhard had been trying to teach her table manners. But they weren't being put to much use in the presence of so much delicious food!
Motoyasu leaned closer to the other Heroes and whispered. "How the heck do they eat so much?"
Itsuki shrugged. "Well, they're still growing. Maybe that has something to do with it?"
"I didn't eat this much when I was a kid," Ren said. "My mom would have killed me if I racked up a food bill as big as this."
"But we aren't getting billed for this meal."
"... oh, yeah." Almost immediately, while Naofumi was distracted, he plowed through the plate on his food. Then immediately switched it out with another plate from a passing waitress before devouring that one too.
The other two looked at Ren in surprise. "What, it's not like we're getting billed for this." He said dryly. And KidFumi was distracted. He finally had a chance to be himself!
The other two rolled their eyes. Before they could discuss things further, a noble approached their table.
"Ah, if it isn't the Holy Heroes! I'm sorry I'm late to the party. But I had to congratulate you all on a masterful defense of the city!" A portly man with a curly mustache said.
Naofumi hadn't seen a man so fat in his life. He'd thought they were just a myth from the Internet. He finished chewing before leaning to his companion. "Hey Raphtalia, who do you think the weird-"
He paused. The little girl was trembling. Naofumi could see the fear in her eyes, and it immediately put him on edge. "Raphtalia-" She grabbed the edge of his cloak and draped it over herself. She shook under the cloak in wide-eyed fear.
"Thanks. But um… who are you?" Motoyasu asked curiously.
"Oh dear, where are my manners?" The portly man bowed in respect. "The name's Idol. Idol Rabier. Lord of the Rabier territory."
"Pleasure to meet you, I guess." Motoyasu smiled awkwardly. Itsuki also smiled awkwardly, and Ren just calmly sat in his seat.
Damn it! He'd finally had a moment to act like himself! And now someone else had come up and ruined it! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
"The pleasure is mine, Spear Hero. And likewise for you as well, Sword hero, Bow Hero." The nobleman bowed courteously.
Raphtalia was shaking harder under his cloak. Naofumi tried patting her head and floofing her ears to try and calm her down, but it wasn't working! "Hey, what about me-" Naofumi began.
"So tell me about your exploits during the Wave! I was a warrior on a battlefield in my youth, so these tales of battle intrigue me, you see. It's quite thrilling to hear it from someone who was there in the thick of it." Idol said with a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes.
Naofumi went back to trying to get Raphtalia to come back out. Even her tail was hidden under his cloak. And it was bristling more and more with fear.
"Well, it was definitely… different." Ren said, scratching his cheek. "I've never had to give orders to so many knights before."
"Yeah. And once the King cast his magic, the majority of the battle was over in seconds." Itsuki said.
"Oho! His Majesty still commands quite the powerful arsenal of spells, it seems. He always was the type to finish the battle in a flash. I would have given a fortune to see it in person once more."
Naofumi was desperate. He started floofing Raphtalia's tail in an effort to try and get a reaction out of her. But Raphtalia was still taking quick, panicked breaths. Her eyes were gradually filling with more and more fear. The hairs on her tail were becoming so pointed that it could have been used as a weapon.
Naofumi looked up to Uncle Bald Guy, where he was now talking to a pair of nobles.
Erhard felt a parental need to see how Naofumi and Raphtalia were doing at that moment. So when he turned, he immediately saw the panicked look in Naofumi's eyes.
"Excuse me a moment." He said politely to the two nobles. He began quickly moving from the upper deck down to the lower one that the Heroes were sitting down at.
"And what of you, Sir Spear Hero? What are your thoughts on the Wave you all had to face today?" Idol curiously asked.
"As Ren said, it was different," Motoyasu said, doing his best to smile. There was something… off-putting about this guy though. He couldn't tell what it was yet. "But it was also thrilling. Like, it felt really good to be able to defend all those people and to save so many fair maidens." Motoyasu said.
"Ah, yes. The feeling of victory is something to be savored! Why, if only you were here to witness the war against Siltvelt! Oh, the stories I could tell you would-"
"Excuse me."
Idol stopped as he was interrupted by Erhard in all his tall, muscly glory. The man scowled at the intrusion. "Have you no manners? I was clearly speaking with the Heroes! Begone with you, peasant!"
"This peasant is with the Heroes. Specifically the Shield Hero." Erhard sent a small glare at the shorter man, who flinched. He looked down to Naofumi worriedly. "Is this guy bothering you, kid?"
"It's Raphtalia. I don't know what's wrong, but she isn't responding to anything." Naofumi said worriedly. Her tail had bristled out so sharply at this point that he couldn't floof it in fear of being cut. It really was a weapon! But now wasn't the time to discover that cool fact!
Idol scowled at the two of them. He hadn't seen Raphtalia yet. Motoyasu started nervously laughing, trying to break the tension that had suddenly appeared at the table. "Oh, you don't have to worry about Naofumi. He's cool!"
Idol's left eye twitched. "The Shield is… cool?"
Motoyasu eagerly nodded. "Yeah! I mean, it was because of him that the fight with the Wave Boss was so easy!" Something felt very off now, but he couldn't tell what it was yet. Both Itsuki and Ren were starting to get sinking feelings in their guts.
"What?!" Idol didn't just look shocked. He looked mad. Erhard and Naofumi were still trying to coax Raphtalia out from under his cloak.
"Yeah, I mean, he helped protect us from taking damage from the thing. He took its attention so we could attack. And he managed to trap the monster in this awesome skill so we'd have enough time to fire off our most powerful skills at the same time-"
"And where would I find this 'Naofumi' anyway? I only see three heroes at this table." Idol interrupted, looking around.
"I'm, um, right here."
The chubby man glared down at the child, whose cloak was still trembling. "You? The Shield Hero is a child!? Ha! Hahahahahaha! This is a joke, right?"
Motoyasu raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no? That's him, alright. For a little guy, he's really tough."
"... You're telling me that the Shield Hero is a child!? THAT'S LUDICROUS!"
"But I'm-" Naofumi started.
"SILENCE DEVIL! The Shield is nothing more than a stain on this world! It would be better if you died right where you sit! And you, Heroes, why have you tolerated such filth all this time!?"
…
…
…
Motoyasu's left eye twitched. Itsuki looked surprised to hear little Naofumi referred to by such a term. And Ren was trying to hide it, but he was getting very, VERY angry with this piece of **** that had insulted this awesome sweet kid who thought he was cool.
"What did you just call Naofumi?" Motoyasu asked. His voice didn't sound very sweet and nice anymore. His fist gripped the Legendary spear tightly.
"Raphtalia, please, just come out and tell us what's wrong," Naofumi said worriedly. He wasn't paying attention to the scene at all now. The man was too mean! He was trying to tear off the cloak to reveal the smol girl. But she didn't want to come out! She was too scared! The vile man outside was so scary, and-
"Oh for Pete's sake." Erhard, with one tug, pulled the cloak off from over Raphtalia. She eeped at being revealed, and the eep finally made Idol realize there was a third person.
"What are you-" His eyes widened, and Raphtalia froze in sight. "I remember you..."
The Heroes and Erhard looked between the noble and the frightened demi-girl. Idol growled, and his hand reached to his belt. "I wondered what became of you after I sold you back. Had I known this was where you'd end up, I would have finished the job. Just like I did to your best friend."
Raphtalia paled. "N-no, you, you don't mean Rifana is, is…"
Idol laughed maniacally. "She didn't even last a day!" He pulled out a whip from his belt. "And you won't last another one either, you little demi-"
The rest of his sentence was cut off. Because Erhard lifted the pudgy man by the collar. "Okay, what the heck is your deal!" He wanted to attach cuss words to that. But there were kids around.
"Let go of me, you stupid peasant! You don't know who you're dealing with-" Erhard slammed the noble's face down into the table. The other heroes, even Ren looked pissed off as well.
Social anxiety or not, THIS WAS NOT COOL!
"Raphtalia, who is this guy?" Naofumi asked Raphtalia. Gripping her by the shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "Please, you're scaring me Raphtalia. I'm right here, so everything's going to be okay."
"He, he…" Raphtalia started bawling. "He was the one that beat me and my best friend every night!" She cried.
The commotion was drawing attention.
"He… he…" Naofumi looked shocked. Beat her? Who could be so heartless as to beat such a sweet and awesome person like her?
Raphtalia continued to cry. "He hung me by his wrists each night. He beat me and my best friend with a whip until our backs were bloody! He forced me to look at recordings of my village being destroyed! And, and-" Raphtalia broke down into more sobs.
'Wait…' Naofumi's eyes widened in realization. He remembered the first day he met Raphtalia. She had looked so scared back then. Her back had also been covered in blood and scars.
Was she saying… this was the man responsible for that?!
He felt something within him snap. His mom warned him not to beat people up, but this is the type of bully that definitely deserved it. Unfortunately, his Shield didn't give him much of an option.
Idol started laughing against the table. "Yes! I remember it just like it was yesterday! You were a hard slave to break! But the day you broke, I couldn't remember a time where I felt happier-"
The table wasn't enough. Erhard lifted the man with both hands and slammed him into a wall. The wall cracked from the impact. All four heroes approved of the action. "You better shut up this instant, before I end you permanently."
Idol struggled. Trying to release the strong blacksmith's hold on him. "Let go of me this instant! Otherwise, I'll-"
"What's going on?" Aultcray had finally gotten away from his advisors. He'd heard the commotion going on, and decided to personally come down this time to see what was happening.
The Heroes stood. All three of them, even Itsuki, had hatred in their eyes. They pointed towards Idol at the same time, but surprisingly, it was Naofumi who beat them to the punch.
"That cruel man scared Raphtalia and beat her with a whip!"
…
The other Heroes couldn't add anything to that. Naofumi had pretty much summed it up.
Aultcray glared. "Rabier? Is this true?"
The man coughed a few times but kept his smirk. "Of course, Your Majesty? I *cough* was pleasantly reminded of the time I spent beating this little monster when this peasant here assaulted me!"
The King chanced a look at Raphtalia, who was clinging to Naofumi as if her life depended on it. She was visibly shaking in fear of the man before them.
Suddenly, the air became heavy. Extremely heavy. "You beat her?"
Erhard let go of the man and backed away. "Why would I not? Beating her was so much fun! Seeing her here makes me want to beat her even more!" The Heroes were surprised. Idol wanted to beat Raphtalia, even while they were celebrating beating the Wave of Catastrophe!? "Let me tell you, I beat her so much, you couldn't tell if her skin was supposed to be red or-"
"Young Raphtalia, how do you feel about Mr. Rabier here?" Aultcray asked, ignoring the rest of the man's rambling. The fact that he didn't outright kill Idol on the spot was a testament to how far he'd come in controlling his temper.
Raphtalia sniffled. "He's horrible, Mr. Aultcray! He beat me every day. And…" She started crying. "He said that he killed my best friend! I didn't - I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to her when he sold me back to the Slave Trader!"
She buried her face into Naofumi's back. "Please don't let him take me away! Please! I'm scared! I won't go back! It hurts! It hurts so much! I-I, I- WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The pressure in the room suddenly became suffocating. The tension in the room was too thick to cut with a knife. You'd need a cleaver to even put a dent in it. And everyone in the room felt it.
Aultcray knew his country practiced slavery. He hadn't paid it much thought because he thought it was supposed to be free labor. At hearing such a sweet girl like Raphtalia had not only been a slave but had been used as a whipping post for Idol's cruel desires, something in him snapped.
"And why, may I ask, have you been treating slaves so poorly Rabier?" His tone was cold. Had Mirellia been there, she would have been proud.
The man laughed, pulling out a rosary for the Three Heroes Church. "Why else!? You know as well as I do that these beasts deserve no less than humiliation and torture! You fought a war against them for that very reason! THIS IS THE JUSTICE THEY DESERVE FOR TRYING TO USURP THE TRUE GODS!" Idol yelled crazily at the end.
...
A shockwave of wind came out from Aultcray. Tablecloths with nothing on them were sent flying into the air. Silverware clattered to the floor. Hats were blown off. And the food was almost sent flying off their plates. "THAT'S IT!" Aultcray shouted. If anyone's attention wasn't already on them, it definitely was now.
Aultcray grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it, sending all the silverware and food clattering to the ground. He jabbed a finger in Idol's face.
"When this country needed me to fight, I fought for her. When this country needed me to rebuild, I rebuilt. But when our great country needed a ruler, I was weak! Lenient with those who would undermine what Melromarc stands for! But no longer!"
He continued with a booming voice. "Our own citizens suffer underneath a policy that is long outdated. The first step to fixing our country is doing away with the hatred that has festered within our people for years!"
"Y-Your Majesty, surely you aren't suggesting-"
"SILENCE!" Aultcray roared. "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK UNLESS COMMANDED TO DO SO! AM I CLEAR!?" The gravity in the room doubled, forcing the majority of guests to the floor. The few who remained were Erhard and a select group of royal knights.
Idol actually looked afraid. He hadn't seen the King this furious since his days during the war. When his sister had been kidnapped and possibly killed by a party of Hakuko claiming to have peaceful intentions.
"For too long the Three Heroes Church has been a festering wound on our country's beautiful face! My first royal decree of the day is as follows: The Three Heroes Church is officially declared heresy against the crown! The Four Heroes Church will be reinstated immediately! Anyone who dares follow the old beliefs will be imprisoned on sight! Anyone who resists will be KILLED WITHOUT HESITATION!"
The nobles all whispered amongst themselves at the King's outburst. He hadn't shown so much backbone in the entirety of his time in control of the throne, and it was either very terrifying or very amusing. Who did this old man think he is? Thinking he could just order them around. Those nobles started to smirk. This blasphemer wouldn't get through the night.
The Church knights in the room, at his words, immediately stepped forward. They ran to ambush the King. To put a stop to this blasphemy before-
"Drifa Stone Burial!"
Without looking, at his command, and without an incantation, the ground beneath their feet rose and clamped onto their boots. They struggled to move, but the ground kept growing up their legs like vines. They started screaming in fear. Realizing what was happening to them. But their screams were in vain, and they didn't stop screaming until their entire bodies were encapsulated in stone.
The display was so shocking that the nobles who'd pretentiously thought of the King as being weak and easily capable of being dealt with were struck with paralyzing fear.
"Unless you wish to feel my wrath, you'll throw down your rosaries and arms this instant!"
Many of the nobles did as commanded, ripping the rosaries off of their necks and throwing them to the floor in panic. So quick were they to comply with their King.
Naofumi stared in awe at the King. He had never looked so cool before in his life! And was it just him, or was his hand beginning to glow?
"B-but Your Majesty-"
"BE SILENT, WORM!" Aultcray boomed, grabbing Idol by the scruff of his coat and lifting him effortlessly off the ground. "Just wait until Mirellia returns. You won't like what happens when she's angry, I promise you. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy rotting in a jail cell. There will be no forgiveness for harming my children!"
Idol started screaming at that. "But our faith! Our battle against the devils and the Shield Demon! Were they for nothing-"
"The Shield Hero is no devil! The demi-humans we fought against are no devils! The true devils are people like you, who happily condemn innocent children to a life of pain and misery!"
Aultcray's hand glowed brightly. Everyone could see it. "For many years I loathed demi-humans for what they did to my family. I loathed the Shield Hero because he represented the pain that I suffered when my beloved sister was taken from me." The King's voice was calmer but no less chilling. "Young Naofumi and Young Raphtalia taught me that clinging to such hatred is pointless. Our entire world is in grave danger, and there is no room for petty conflicts."
"Y-Your Majesty, don't be a fool-!"
Aultcray shook his head. "No, Rabier. I was a fool, so determined to hate with every fiber of my being. But sometimes, you just need to take a step back and look at everything from the eyes of a child." He smiled down at the two children. "I have these two to thank for bringing me back to my senses. And for that, I will do everything within my power to see them succeed. It is my duty as a man to help raise the younger generation to be better than I was. To be better than I am."
The glow disappeared. In Aultcray's hand was a staff made of gold, with a shining gem on top. As he held the weapon, the King overflowed with magic power that was visible to the naked eye.
"My second royal decree is as such: slavery of demi-humans is officially prohibited! Anyone caught trying to continue the slave trade will be dealt with." He looked to the ceiling, his eyes far clearer than they had been in a long time.
"My Wife's Shadows. If you would point out to me who here is in possession of slaves, that would be greatly appreciated."
"Yez zir." One of them said, appearing from the rafters in a black uniform that covered his or her body completely. More appeared, pointing at nearly every noble in the room.
"You have one day to free your slaves." Aultcray addressed the accused nobles. "If you fail to do so, or if you kill them in an attempt to spite me." Aultcray pointed to the knights covered in earth. He didn't need to finish.
The nobles rushed out of the room. They had to set their affairs in order or plot how they'd escape with their property and their lives. But more shadows tailed them. Sticking to make sure the nobles would comply.
Aultcray pointed his staff at Idol, who cowered in fear. "Y-you're not serious, are you? Surely this is a joke! How could you defend the Shield Demon and this-this mangy beast of a child!?"
The King slammed the staff into the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "That beast you're talking about is Naofumi's friend, and he is my son. Not by blood, but the family you choose is the one that matters. She and the Shield Hero are officially adopted by the royal family, effective immediately."
Naofumi wasn't exactly sure what was going on anymore. The other heroes looked stunned at everything that had changed in so short a time. This kind of scenario had never played out in any of their games before! They were literally speechless before this man who suddenly looked twenty, no, thirty years younger than before! And who was emitting even more power now than he had during the Wave!
Idol started sniveling pathetically. "This can't be. This can't be! You can't do this to me-"
"Oh I can, and I will." Aultcray hid the noble over the head, knocking him out. "Drag this vermin to the dungeons! Give him the worst cell and the worst rations! The next time I see him, I want him to be as thin as a stick!"
"Sir!"
A group of knights appeared, grabbing the fat man by the ankles and unceremoniously dragging him away. They could have tried lifting him, but he looked too heavy for that. And it was more satisfying to watch his face hit the stone steps repeatedly.
...
Finally, with everything done, the King let out a sigh as he relaxed. Looking down at Raphtalia and Naofumi, he gave them a soft smile. "I'm sorry you both had to see such an ugly side of me. I hope I didn't frighten you."
"Are you kidding me?! That was freaking awesome!" Naofumi yelled.
Raphtalia was smiling now. There was still a little fear in her eyes from seeing Idol. But her tail was wagging happily behind her again at seeing someone stand up to him. Everything was right in the world.
"That was really something, old man. Good to see you back to your old self again." Erhard said with a proud smile on his face.
"Ha! You're older than I am, old friend."
"I daresay, is there anything else you wish of us, your Majesty?"
Aultcray looked the Shadow over. While she was dressed like the rest, she definitely looked female. He recognized her as Mirellia's body double, despite the attire she was now wearing. "You've been keeping an eye on me ever since I was put in charge, haven't you?"
"Yes. Her Majesty was afraid you'd lead her country astray in her absence. But I believe she will be most interested at this turn of events."
"Understandable. I would have done the same move had I been in her position." Aultcray said. At last, his mind was finally alive. No longer did it feel clouded or blinded by hate and prejudice. He was, at last, the Wise King of his youth.
A random thought came to his mind. This beard of his felt too old for someone like him. He decided to shave it off later before he went to bed.
"If I may speak freely?"
"Granted."
"It's good to have you back, Your Majesty."
Aultcray nodded. "Tell Mirellia of what happened. Let her know that her old fool of a husband has reclaimed his senses. She'll know what I'm planning. She always does." The shadow nodded and vanished into the shadows. The Heroes looked around in shock at that. Not even Itsuki had a stealth skill that was that cool!
"Um… your Majesty…" Motoyasu wasn't sure what to say. How do you address something like that?!
"Woah..." Ren stood in awe, trying his best to keep his expression neutral. He failed miserably. Now that was the definition of cool!
"Finally, justice…" Itsuki muttered.
For once, Ren didn't ask Itsuki to stop saying that.
"M-Mr. Aultcray?" Raphtalia mumbled. "Are you r-really going to adopt us?"
Aultcray smiled brightly. "Why of course I am! I wasn't lying when I said you two taught me a valuable lesson! In fact, you two have practically saved the whole kingdom!" He started head patting the girl, and she smiled brightly in return. Her tail wagging harder in happiness.
"Really!?" Naofumi asked excitedly. "I never had a king as a dad before! This is sooooo awesome! Hey guys! My king dad's the coolest around!"
The group all chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. Raphtalia blushed a bit, smiling up at the King with the brightest smile any of them had ever seen.
"Mr. Aultcray? Thank you...for everything."
The King knelt down and hugged both children tightly. "I may not always be there to protect you in battle, but you'll always have a home with me."
"But I don't wanna live with Meanie!" Naofumi whined, pouting.
"I don't want to live with you either, brat!" came the redhead's shout from across the room. No one paid her any attention, even though the drive for attention had brought her back to one hell of a scene.
"Um… I guess what do we do now?" Motoyasu asked the big question.
"Well the party is ruined, thanks to me. I suppose we could call it a day and rest up. Unless you all have a better idea?" The King opened the floor for discussion.
Naofumi raised his hand excitedly. "Ooh! Ooh! I have one!"
"This'll be good." Erhard snickered.
"What are you suggesting little Bro?" Motoyasu asked.
"What about a dodgeball game?! The winner gets all the leftover food!"
…
The other Heroes looked at Naofumi confusedly. "Dodgeball?" Itsuki asked.
"Yeah! It's been awhile since we've done anything fun together! And me and Raphtalia have been practicing really hard!" He said excitedly. "Plus, Raphtalia could use a little fun after tonight."
The other heroes looked at the sweet smol girl.
They instantly agreed.
"Okay. But where would we get the balls-"
"Oh! I have like, a ton of balls to play with!" Naofumi tipped his shield over, and a cascade of balls fell onto the floor.
A lot of innocent(?) monsters had died to supply them.
…
"Uh, kid? Where'd you get all of these?" Erhard asked. "I only remember getting you one."
"Huh? They were drops from the balloons we killed. And I was able to make more with my Shield."
"Wait, so you're telling me your Shield can also MAKE STUFF FOR YOU!?"
"Well, duh. All our weapons can do that." Itsuki said proudly.
"You shut your mouth kid! I'm talking to this kid here, not you!" Erhard yelled at Itsuki.
Itsuki looked offended at that. He's not a kid! Naofumi is the real kid here! Naofumi groaned as Erhard prepared to give another one of his boring lectures.
"Come on, old friend. Let's end this night on a fun note. Goodness knows we all need it." Aultcray said with a laugh.
Erhard grumbled. But he didn't try to push it. "Alright, how are we doing this then?"
"I'll oversee the match. It'll be a free for all between the Heroes supported by their individual parties. The last one standing wins." Aultcray said.
"Ha! That'll be easy!" Itsuki said with a proud smirk. He had six party members who could back him. And a quirk that allowed him to hit anything he aimed at. This was going to be a piece of cake.
"Wait, but Naofumi only has two party members. Won't that be a little unfair-" Motoyasu was saying.
"Don't worry Moto," Naofumi said happily. "It'll just mean more food for me and Raphtalia when we win!"
"Oh ho! Look who's suddenly mister confident over here!" Motoyasu said teasingly.
Naofumi and Raphtalia suddenly had evil smirks on their faces. "You think we can take them?"
"Yeah." Raphtalia looked very excited, tail wagging quickly behind her. "We've practiced for this."
The three heroes suddenly felt very nervous. The two little troublemakers looked a little too confident. It felt like they were walking into a trap. And after going out, finding their party members, and gathering again to the arena for the Sacred Dodgeball duel between all the Heroes, they soon found out why.
Pow!
"Ahhhhh!" Meanie, of course, was the very first one out. Naofumi and Raphtalia's balls slammed into her chest, sending her flying into a wall.
"Myne, n- Woah!" Motoyasu quickly ducked, avoiding the next ball that had been thrown by Naofumi.
The little kid laughed victoriously. "The food will be ours! Nothing will stand in our way! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
One of Itsuki's party members tried throwing a ball at the kid, but he easily dodged it. He summoned an Air Strike Shield to block the next one. And then the boy beaned the poor guy with a dodgeball to the head. The STR behind the throw launched the poor guy who never stood a chance across the arena into a wall.
"How are they so strong!?" Itsuki panicked. Even with his ability to hit whatever he's aiming at, it didn't do much good when, somehow, the balls were deflected or dodged by Naofumi.
"Don't forget about me, brats! RAAAHH!" Erhard roared as he threw two balls at once. Both of them hit two of Ren's party members. Naofumi's ball had chucked the one dude across the arena. These ones buried the two into the FETCHING WALL!
Meanie groaned as she stood back up. She growled, wanting to find some way to cheat this game. But then another ball slammed into Meanie as if from out of nowhere! "HEY! I'm already out! Who keeps on hitting me!?" She cried. Nothing this night had gone right! Was this some sort of torture she was being forced to go through!? Another ball slammed into her face. "Wahhhhhh! Papa, they're being mean to me!"
"Malty, dear, it's just a game! Have some fun for once in your life!" The King chuckled from the stands. This was beyond entertaining. He hadn't taught the kids everything he knew about dodgeball strategies, but they seemed to have a talent for it that was unmatched.
"Guys! Help!" Motoyasu's party of girls was already out. He was getting backed into a corner, trying to defend against Naofumi's onslaught. Naofumi's grin was truly evil, but it was SO ADORABLE AT THE SAME TIME!
"A little busy here!" Ren was avoiding Erhard's balls. They were practically on fire from how fast they flew out of his hands. He desperately tried to get the blacksmith back while avoiding what was probably certain death. A thrown ball hit the wall behind him, shattering the stone into pieces.
The Sword Hero gulped. Yep, that would have definitely killed him.
The blacksmith was laughing, having the time of his life. But then Itsuki got the jump on him, beaming him in the back of the head with the most perfectly placed ball ever.
"Yes! I got the big guy!" Itsuki cheered. Ren relaxed, thinking it was over.
Erhard smirked. "Too bad I was downgraded to being the distraction."
The two heroes were confused. But then Raphtalia appeared out of her illusion magic behind them. "Huah!" She chucked them both with all her might.
The two heroes were both beaned in the gut and launched across the arena. The smol girl was STRONK! They slammed into the wall, leaving indents of themselves in the wall.
"Hahahaha! Brilliant, young Raphtalia! Simply brilliant!" A jovial Aultcray watched from his throne. "The Sword and Bow Heroes are out!"
Meanie whined from her spot on the sidelines. Nobody was paying any attention to her since she was out! And it happened so quickly that she didn't even get to play! This SUCKED!
"No, guys!" Motoyasu yelled at the two heroes. He was the only one standing now against the unstoppable force of two kids who really wanted the leftovers!
"Sorry Moto! But you're going down!" Naofumi yelled ecstatically. He couldn't do any damage. But his Shield wasn't shocking him for what he was doing, even though the balls could have been considered as weapons in this situation! It was like the Shield was allowing Naofumi to have fun!
For his part, Motoyasu lasted a good minute after the other two were out. But with Raphtalia joining Naofumi's onslaught, his fate had been sealed.
"Huah!" Both Naofumi and Raphtalia launched two balls at the same time. All four hit Motoyasu. Launching him across the arena into the wall between Itsuki and Ren. His crater was deeper than theirs.
"The Shield Hero is the winner!" Aultcray proudly announced.
"Yay! We did it!" Raphtalia hugged Naofumi happily.
"Good job Raphtalia!" He hugged her and started patting her head. The happy smol girl became even happier. And moved Naofumi's hand to start floofing her ears too.
"Yes! We have food FOR DAYS!" Erhard yelled, lifting the two of them up in a proud hug. Finally, he didn't have to cook dinner for them! They could live off of the leftovers for a long while! And the best part, Naofumi could store them in his Shield so they wouldn't go bad!
"We couldn't have done it without you Uncle Bald Guy!" Naofumi said happily.
"Thanks, Uncle Bald Guy!" Raphtalia said, smiling happily.
Erhard had never been so proud as to have earned that title from these two adorable little kids.
The three heroes as well as the members of their parties groaned.
They mentally decided at that moment that they needed to involve little Naofumi in their activities more. If only to learn the reason why he and his party were so stronk now.
Whatever silly cheat they had, the rest of them wanted some of it.
Author's Notes:
Allen Blaster: How long does it take for KidFumi to make Aultcray worthy of the Staff again? Approximately eleven chapters. XD
Oh, KidFumi, what wonderful trouble you have caused for everyone. I can't wait to see what else you cause down the road!
RLTygurr: It's getting real. The waves don't stand a chance now that Aultcray is back to his old self! Kudos to Allen for writing a large majority of this chapter, since I've been dealing with a lot of other stuff (including rewriting one of my best stories, which takes a TON of time).
At this point, you could argue that our whole fic is revolving around Aultcray. You probably wouldn't be wrong.
Hero Clips!
Shadow's Report (Thanks to Octopie21 for the suggestion!)
"How are things going in the Capital?"
"I daresay, things are going very well, my lady."
"Very well?"
"Indeed."
Mirellia stood at a window. Looking out over the smokestacks of Faubley. Just outside, her loyal Shadow knelt to give her report.
"Tell me. Has my husband done as I asked and treated the Shield Hero the same as the other heroes?"
"No, I daresay, the shield has received very special treatment from day one." The shadow said honestly.
The Queen sighed. Preparing herself to hear the worst. "Tell me. What did he do?"
"First, he personally arranged a party member for the shield when no one else wanted to join."
That snapped Mirellia out of the mindset she'd been preparing to brace for the bad news. "What?"
"I daresay, he has also been teaching the Shield to read our language so he can learn magic." The Shadow continued. "He has also, so far, punished one of his advisors for mistreating the shield, had a Three Heroes priest that tried to kill the Shield sentenced to death, and recently abolished the Three Heroes Church to reinstate the Four Heroes Church."
…
Five minutes of shocked silence followed. Even with the best outcomes in mind, Mirellia hadn't been expecting something like this. The gears in her brain had grinded to a halt.
"My lady?" The Shadow asked.
"Well." Mirellia finally recovered. "Hopefully this treatment will make my discussions with Siltvelt and the other nations easier."
"That may no longer be an issue."
Mirellia didn't think she could take much more news like this. What happened during her time away from home!?
"The King has not only been on friendly terms with the Shield Hero, but with the demi-human nations as well. Today, he officially outlawed slavery. Along with the removal of the wall between us and Siltvelt, the peace is expected to reach an all-time high."
…
"I have also received reports that there is a...dodgeball tournament in the works between our nations."
Mirellia was even more shocked than before. She didn't even know what a dodgeball was, much less, how there could be a tournament for it.
"...Who is this man, and what has he done with my husband?"
"I daresay, it's likely because of the little demi girl the Shield befriended. He is as overprotective of her as he is of the Shield himself. He once lectured his daughter for her."
"He did what?!" Out of everything, this surprised Mirellia the most. Last she checked, Aultcray loved Malty with a zeal that would almost be considered blind loyalty. To hear that he'd lectured Malty though... "What happened to make my husband do that?!"
"From what I saw. The First Princess insulted the demi-girl. And he forced her to apologize."
…
…
Error. Exectutable program 'Mirellia' has stopped working.
"There's more, my lady."
Mirellia listened in silent shock as the shadow explained in detail what had happened the previous day. When the Shadow had finished, Mirellia's fan dropped to the floor.
"Have a carriage prepared for me and my daughter at once."
"My lady?" The Shadow asked confusedly.
"Do it."
"...As you wish."
It was a two-week journey to the Capital. Mirellia had to see this for herself before whatever drugs Aultcray was on wore off and he turned into the pitiful shell of a man he was before.
And if he wasn't on any drugs, and if this wasn't her imagination, she would have a very nice reward for him upon her return.
Her job as a politician had just become a hell of a lot easier.
Till Next Time
Allen