Melty walked through the corridor of the Castle while reminiscing about the day's events. She had expected that morning that she would have had to explain her impossible situation to people who she cared about, yet from their perspective, they would not know why she cared. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief that she was not the only one flung back through time. As a result, instead of a difficult and confusing afternoon, she spent her day playing with the newly hatched filolials and one very unusual cat.

Oh, how she wished could have stayed back at Lute. She had work to do and duties to accomplish; her father was expecting her.

The guards in front of the dining room quickly stepped out of the way and opened the door as she approached.

The room chosen was one of the smaller dining rooms, one meant for small, mostly private gatherings of a few individuals, rather than a large feast. The table in the center only had two ornate seats. A small handful of trusted guards and servants stood at the walls, making themselves as unobtrusive as they could be.

Her Father stood before the small table, with enough food for just the two of them. His smile was warm, welcoming, loving…trusting, too trusting. He went to wrap her in a warm hug. "Melty!" he said.

"Father!" Melty returned the hug. It had been such a long time since she had seen her father, and the last time that was, came long after the country nearly fell to pieces.

Her father broke the hug and then gestured to the nearby seat at the table. "Please, take a seat! I am glad you are here!"

Melty nodded her head and did as was told and took her seat. A servant pushed her chair slightly forward before retreating. "It is good to see you," she said. Though she did not lie, her words were bitter.

Father nodded his head. "My brave daughter, though I am glad to see you. There are many things that have happened since I was told of your return home."

Melty nodded. "I was told of the efforts of the Heroes to save Lute. For that, I am glad for their help. I have also been informed of the incident involving my sister." Thankfully, her sister was not present; the Crown Princess was spared having to hear her regale her lies for the meanwhile; she merely had to request a private supper.

Father's brow furrowed, a sign that he was restraining his anger. Instead of shouting, he drank his cup and emptied it in three gulps.

Sensing this, Melty continued. "Mother sent me here as she felt that I would be better able to assist in mending the damage at home and that I could learn more by helping assist here."

Father let out a sigh. "On that, your Mother is most wise."

"Indeed, Father," Melty agreed, without needing to lie. After using a small spell to test for poison, she dipped her spoon in her bowl. She wished she could have been straightforward, more honest to her father about what had actually transpired, but she had seen how irrational here father could be on matters pertaining to Siltvelt and demihumans in general. Even if something nagged at her about his actions…

"Is something the matter, my dear?" her father asked, a hint of caution in his voice.

Melty's lips quaked. She must have given something away, perhaps it was her tone of voice? Her father was very perceptive on many matters, gleaning insights with the barest of hints and tidbits of data, yet was blind the closer the matter was to his heart. Her father demolished her in wargames, yet was blind to the motives of people around him. Melty felt torn lying to him, manipulating him. Still, Father… was no longer of right mind, hatred clouding his judgment. Falling back on her lessons with Mother, the Crown Princess opted to admit to something else. "I spent the day as a guest of the Shield Hero, Father."

Father's expression turned to a scowl before he set his cup down. He still harbored a deep seated loathing for the Shield Hero, even if he had been trying to be more fair this time around. She had been blind to it the first time around, but Melty was… hopefully wiser now. "Oh?"

Melty continued. "I… was told from Mother that you dislike the Shield Hero, yet I was intrigued by his actions in the Battle of Lute. I needed to meet him. He was a very courteous host." Which was funny considering how he still called her brat or "Second Princess".

"Sir Naofumi is…" Father scowled. "A competent man." It was a diplomatic answer, noncommittal.

"He showed me the ledgers he uses to manage his entire operation. Everything is tabulated, from the expenses on food and medicine, to each day's financial gains. He is incredibly organized." Melty said. The magical laptop that he had did more than just act as a music box with a built in crystal ball.

"That is very surprising."

She decided that her father would be more pliable if she talked about something else, anything else. So, she picked the issue that was near and dear to her heart, because it allowed her to stay within walking distance of those small, fluffy chicklets. "Father, I would like to assist in the reconstruction of Lute."

Her father raised an eyebrow, his tone shifting to become more pleasant. "Your mother has said that your skills in management and statecraft are beyond your years. It might be too much for you to handle an entire village at once though…"

"Mother believes I would be best served with practice on how to manage a crisis. It would additionally help the morale of the people living there."

Father nodded his head. "Indeed. I would be remiss to say I would prefer you stayed within the castle and by my side, though it is only a short carriage ride from here to Lute."

"I will visit you frequently, Father," Melty promised. She meant it. Even though father had done some many reprehensible things, she still scared for him

Father brought a spoonful of soup into his mouth and swallowed it. "I see no problem with granting your request. I will assign you an escorting party of guards and attendants."

Melty shook her head, not wanting to involve those whose loyalties were uncertain.

"I have already made my own arrangements. On top of that, Mother has already assigned members of her honor guard to my command for my protection." She needed trustworthy subordinates whose loyalty was without question, whereas not all of the knights or Shadows in Melromarc served her mother faithfully. She even knew many of the most faithful by name and by appearance. There will not be a repeat of what happened before, where assassins nearly killed her to turn into a false martyr. "Mother suggested it as practice."

Father beamed with pride. He wiped a tear from his eye, unknowing of the frustration that hung over his daughter. "I… see you have made preparations well ahead of yourself. I am certain you will become a capable ruler, one day."

Melty smiled.

Her mother taught her a simple lesson: why do one thing that can only serve one purpose, when you can do one thing to serve multiple tasks as well?

While it was true that she wanted to stay close to her closest friend, Filo, when she got the chance, Melty saw the need for a place to station her agents that was not directly within the Capital. She needed to get stronger and sooner for the troubles that lay ahead. She wanted to help the people of Lute; her presence, even if ceremonial, would have a positive impact.

"I will speak with the rulership of Lute when I return there in the morning," Melty said finally. "I need to discuss the current state of the relief aid and the reconstruction plans for the village."

Naofumi Iwatani had more or less set up a plan for her, if she wanted to stay during the week they would be trapped in Lute. During the day, everyone would be either working, training, or learning. Once night fell, Melty would spend it with the chicklets and the tiger cub in what … the Spear Hero had called a sleepover. It was so strange how similar Sir Kitamura was to his old self, yet so much more attentive.

Father beamed at her with a smile. "Oh, how I can already see how truly magnificent of a Queen you will be."

Melty nodded at her father as she took a morsel of meat and ate it. Her father, for all of his faults, did truly care for the people of his country, and of the people around him. If he didn't… he wouldn't have been so easily manipulated.


"Kwaa!" Filo chirped, her mouth begging for more food.

Raphtalia gently patted the little bird on the head and placed a strip of meat onto the tiny bird's head. She gobbled it up without any hesitation.

It was sort of funny how she had been a little jealous of the tiny bird the first time around. She and Master Naofumi had just been starting out, optimistic about their future after a grueling two weeks and that travesty of a duel. He had even gone and kissed her!

Filo came as a result of their need to expand their group and Master had told her that it might have been cheaper than obtaining another demihuman. Master Naofumi's mood brightened as soon as the little chick entered their lives. And at the time, Raphtalia was concerned about the attention Filo had been getting, mostly she was afraid of her Master growing distant. She knew better now.

Besides, Filo was so cute eating her meals. She understood why Master Naofumi acted the way he did.

"You're getting heavy, you know?" Raphtalia said as she gently lifted the little chick for a test. Her feathers were also starting to turn white, with the exception of her wingtips and the longest parts of her plumage. "You're big enough that Master Maofumi is not going to be able to carry you more like this."

Filo made a whimper.

"But that means that you'll be big enough to carry him around, pretty soon," Raphtalia added. It had been just yesterday that the filolials hatched. She remembered Filo went through a massive growth spurt, finishing within the week, with each training session causing her to practically double in size each time. Maybe in three to four more days, they chicks would be big enough to ride.

Filo made a pleased sounding noise. "Kwaa!"

Raphtalia gently patted her on the head. And pretty soon after that, Filo would be able to talk to her again. That would have been nice.

The tanuki looked out the window, noting that the sun was going to set soon.

It was here the door to the bedroom opened. Master Naofumi walked into the room, with a tiger cub covered in a towel in his hands. Though, Tama was slightly less cub-like than before, now that he was the size of a small dog. He made an angry growl, his fur slightly dripping.

Master set the tiger cub onto the nearby table and gave the tiger an annoyed look. "Don't give me that look. You shouldn't have gone after that monster and got yourself covered in blood, guts, and pond slime. Let this be a lesson to you."

Filo trilled.

Tama gave the fledgeling an annoyed yip..

Raphtalia barely suppressed her laughter.

"Now, hold still," Master said, as he took away the towel covering Tama's body. He took out a brush and started going through the little tiger's fur.

He still seemed annoyed by it.

"Is that the new grooming kit you said you made?" Raphtalia questioned as she looked at the small box her Master set on the table. It looked very plain, yet it was obvious that everything from the brushes to the combs to the scissors, to even the cloth towels was of high quality.

"Yes. I figured that with Tama and more demihumans than last time, having a proper kit might be good to have," he answered as he repeatedly ran the comb through the annoyed tiger's fur and then started to clip parts of it.

"It's also for demihumans?" Raphtalia questioned, immediately getting the idea of her Master using that comb on her tail or even her hair. Though those thoughts immediately went away when she remembered that she did tend to do that herself last time.

"It would be good for your hygiene," he said. He then took some of Tama's hair trimmings and put them into his Shield, causing it to turn into a mat of tiger striped fur.

And then, Filo made a sound a series of several squeals that if Raphtalia had to guess indicated a hint of jealousy. "Kwaa! Kwaa!"

After that, Tama's posture changed entirely, instead of being annoyed, now he sat proudly, as Master went over his fur.

Raphtalia set the jealous fledgeling on the table and then gently patted her head. "Looks like someone's jealous," she said from experience. Funny how things went this time; now it was Filo's turn to be envious of the newcomer to their little group.

"Don't worry, Melty said she'd be here soon," Master said back. He combed away a clump of loose fuzz.

Filo beamed. "Kwaa! Kwaa!"

Tama gave her a growl. He went to rub his face against Master's arm, as if to ensnare his attention.

Sighing, Master Naofumi patted the little tiger's head, causing him to purr. He then sent his brush away.

This in turn caused Filo to do the same, rubbing her tiny body against Master's spare arm.

Tama growled at the threat.

"Hey, knock it off," Master Naofumi snapped, the tone suddenly like rough gravel.

Though it didn't dissuade the animals much.

He gently went through Filo's feathers using his hands.

Raphtalia giggled as she gently drew the tiger away. Tama didn't fight back as he curled up in her arms, perhaps content.

"You know, I was having a talk with Filo just now," she said to her Master.

"Filo can't talk right now," Master Naofumi gave her a look.

She blushed a bit. "I mean, I was talking and she was responding...you know what I meant."

He snorted a little, though a small smile on his face.

Raphtalia continued. "She's a lot more attentive than she was last time she was like this. Kou and Yuki are very bright, too, but… Filo doesn't act like them."

Master Naofumi nodded his head. "That makes sense. Filo isn't like the others. They're normal filolial chicks, she isn't."

For obvious reasons, Raphtalia thought. After all, Filo had been grown before being sent back to the egg; the Tanuki had experienced something similar. Just because they had to become young again, doesn't change the fact they were more experienced.

Tama made a purring noise, drawing attention to himself.

"Filo isn't the only one different," Raphtalia said in a low tone.

"No, in fact, he's got a lot in common with Filo," Naofumi said.

Tama looked at Master and then Raphtalia with bright eyes, his ears flattened.

Even Filo seemed to pick up on this, looking at the tiger cub with a perplexed expression. "Kwaa?"

"I often wonder if they're really talking to each other." Raphtalia observed. "I know Filo makes her bird calls at him, and that gets his attention, but the way they respond to each other goes more than just what you'd think growls and barks would do."

"You might be onto something," Master Naofumi agreed. "Tama struggled against the grooming until Filo acted jealous. He settled down when we applied the monster crest, because I talked to him. And right now, he's responding to what we say and what we're doing." He turned to the small tiger. "I wonder how smart you really are."

The tiger looked up at them both, his tail thumping and the table. It really looked like he appreciated the attention. And to confirm this, he sat on his rear and stiffened his body in what could only be explained as a display of pride.

"Smart enough to be a bit arrogant," Naofumi summarized. He held onto Filo and gently rubbed his hands against her feathers to keep him content.

To that, the tiger made an annoyed huff.

"And enough to be offended, by being called arrogant," Raphtalia added. Tama was a strange addition to their team. Up until now, the little tiger had more or less acted as a kitten would. She never imagined that that strange monster could be so intelligent.

"It would be better if you could speak, but you're an animal." Naofumi said as he looked the tiger in the eye. "But since you're so bright, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Tama puffed up his chest, clearly proud of himself.

"Were you a slave before you met us?" Master Naofumi asked directly.

That caused the tiger's chest to deflate suddenly, his tail sliding between his legs. It was as if he was worried about being attacked.

"Master," Raphtalia squinted an eye at him. "You told us about the slave collars already. Why do you need to ask that?"

"Because it's only a theory. It's better to ask from the source," Master Naofumi said. "Though, I think we may have our answer." Handing Filo to Raphtalia, he set the tiger into his arms and gently held him.

Tama froze, as if seeing danger and trying to decide on how to run. It was a departure from how he normally acted.

Raphtalia wondered just what was going on through the tiger's head. While she had been a slave herself, she knew that not all those enslaved had the same experiences. To add to that, Tama had come to this world as a behemoth of a tiger who had no fear of death or regard for pain. Her meeting Naofumi involved her being so weak that she was abused and sickened near to death. Whatever, Tama went through, it would be so alien to her experiences.

Just then, Filo shifted in her arms, her wings flapping.

"Kwaa!" Filo said to the tiger.

That caused Tama to nod his head in a slow motion.

"...Rawr…" Tama answered back.

"Kwaa! Kwaa!"

Whatever conversation they had, it went over Raphtalia's head, though she had a good idea. Filo was probably trying to reassure

Tama turned to face Master Naofumi and gave him a nod.

Master Naofumi gave him a perplexed look.

"He's answering your previous question." Raphtalia said.

"I see," Master gently held the tiger in his arms. "I take it you didn't like how things were before, did you?"

Tama answered back by rubbing his head against Master's chest.

Master gently patted him on the back.

Filo didn't seem too upset this time, as if she was willing to give the tiger this moment.

Raphtalia gently held onto the filolial chick, almost proud of how she had matured as well. Maybe when Filo grew up, she could tell them what Tama is actually saying, since they seemed to understand each other.

The moment ended though as there was a sudden knock on the door.

Raphtalia walked over to it and then pulled it open to see Melty in the door, two of her guards hanging nearby.

"Raphtalia! …and Filo!" the Princess said brightly. "May I come in?"

"You may," Raphtalia handed Filo to her and got out of the way.

Filo bounced in the Princess's arms.

The Princess giggled in delight. "Oh, Filo, you're so soft! And you're so big already!"

Tama didn't murmur a complaint. Instead, he curled in Master Naofumi's arms.

"I haven't forgotten about you, you little kitten! Though you're not so little anymore." Melty giggled. She then turned to Master Naofumi. "Thank you for inviting me, though Father doesn't know the specifics of our arrangement."

"I'm not going to be bragging about it any time soon," Master replied. He then turned to Tama. "You still willing to play with the Princess tonight?"

Tama's tail started to wag, his mood brightening.

Master then set Tama down onto the floor, which allowed the young cub the freedom to run around his legs.

Melty was delighted.

Then she dismissed her guards and walked deeper into the room, taking the two animals with her.

This left Raphtalia and her Master to themselves.

"Motoyasu will probably be back soon, along with his filolials," Raphtalia said. Melty didn't ask about them, but Motoyasu went out of Lute with the others, practicing foraging with Rifana and Keel.

"... Do you know what a clone is Raphtalia?" Master Naofumi asked her.

"Not really," Raphtalia answered. The word felt familiar, though she did not know much beyond that. She did vaguely feel it was a gardening related topic, even if she couldn't remember why.

"A clone is a copy of sorts of a living thing, as identical to the original as a twin would be to another," Naofumi answered. He frowned. "It happens sometimes in nature, but I don't think that's what matters for Tama."

Raphtalia mirrored her Master. "Why wouldn't it apply to him?"

"He and the other tigers were called 'white tiger clones' according to my HUD," Naofumi's expression seemed to darken. "Most people in my world, when they talk about cloning, they mean the use of artificial means to duplicate or recreate a creature using scientific means. The specifics vary, but the point is to create a living thing for some sort of task."

"You mean to say that Tama was created." It was not a question, but a statement of fact.

"As a living weapon." Master Naofumi looked furious. "I don't know much about him or where could have come from, but I can now guess that he was subject to torturous experiments given how Tama acted."

Raphtalai felt sick. The idea of making a slave, not just taking a person who had a family, but outright creating one for the sole purpose of using him for a weapon did not sit well with her. Tama, and possibly his other siblings, had no other existence than what his master made for him.

"There's good news, though," Master Naofumi said.

Raphtalia immediately saw what her Master was thinking about. "Just like us, he has a second chance."


It was just before noon of the fourth day. Most everyone had left the house already, but Motoyasu stayed behind as he went to give the final touches to the first creation he truly felt proud of.

Exhausted, he set aside his knitting needles and looked upon his work. It was nothing more than a simple square cloth made of red fabric.

The Spear Hero let out a sigh. It had taken a while to learn how to do the patterning correctly, but it was all worth it in the end. He wasn't fully sure if it was purely his own skill, or if the magic of his needle shaped Spear was giving him an edge, but he didn't care. He had made something…pretty.

Even with the filolials trying to climb him, pecking at his sides for attention, he couldn't help but smile. Kou even tried to eat the thing before the Spear Hero hid it in his pockets.

Motoyasu laughed as he turned to face the two birds. "Sorry, guys, I was just a little distracted!"

"Kwaa!"

"Kwee!"

It had been three days since the filolials had entered his life and Motoyasu marveled at just how fast they grew. Sure, he had already seen Naofumi's girls grow from kids to maturity, but there was something different about seeing the little chicklets grow before his eyes into what must have been a fledgling state.

Yuki and Kou reached up to his waist, the growing birds rushing over to his side with excited glee. Their soft down feathers had almost completely exchanged rigid quills.

While he knew this world was not a game, the fact that it had game-like qualities was not lost on him. The fact that the filolials grew with levels just boggled the mind. It made no sense to him, but that was just how this world worked.

The Spear Hero brought his hands over to their heads and gently patted them with all of the affection he could muster.

"When did you get so big?" he told the former little chicklets. A part of him knew it was the result of the Filolial Spearseries of weapons Naofumi encouraged him to unlock from the feathers, blood, and egg shells the little birds came from.

"Kwaa!" Yuki chirped.

"Kwee!" Kou leaned his head against Motoyasu's hips.

"Master! Chickies!" Beryl shouted as she stepped in, a large bag of seeds in his hands.

Yuki and Kou wobbled over to her and reached into the bag with their hungry mouths.

No matter how big they got, it was always so cute how much they liked eating.

Motoyasu wondered idly just how far he could have fallen if no one was there to pick him up. If Naofumi hadn't come along and took him off the streets at his lowest moment, or if Beryl did not genuinely care for him. He might have ended up going on a rampage. Or maybe he'd have gone crazy. Who could say?

Rino's fate still weighed on his mind, but Motoyasu had come to accept three important things. There was little he could do to save her without knowing where she even was. He was not going to save her as he was right now. She was probably too valuable to let die if they went through all the trouble to spirit her away.

So for now, he focused on letting his party grow. Then, one day, they'll save Rino together.

Idly, the Spear Hero checked the levels of his team.

Motoyasu Lv42

Beryl Lv26
Kou Lv17

Yuki Lv17

That was more progress than he had been expecting. Neither of the birds really fought much yet, instead the experience points were just force fed into them.

Then, Motoyasu blinked. He hadn't noticed it until now, because it was far more subtle than the leaps and bounds the filolials grew, but Beryl had also gotten taller.

She was now around Keel's height, as opposed to what Raphtalia and Rifana had grown into. The skirt she wore was very thin against her body, her legs almost too tall for it. She could use the outfit for a bit longer, but she must not have been comfortable in it. The Spear Hero knew that he was still not good at making whole clothes, but maybe one day he could make something for her… though, he may have had something already.

"Master," Beryl's voice drew his attention. "Is something the matter?"

"I was wondering if you might like something," Motoyasu took out the square of red cloth.

Beryl's eyes widened. "Oh, what's this?"

"Just a little project I made," Motyasu said, eager to show the girl. He moved close to Beryl and put it in her hands. "You can use it in all sorts of ways; as a bandana, to cover your head, even to bandage wounds if you got nothing else."

"I like that first option." She took the cloth and tied it around her neck. She turned and gave him a smile. "I like it!"

Motoyasu smiled back, happy to be thanked. Especially since this was practically the first article of clothing he had given her that she actually wanted, instead of what he wanted.

Kou and Yuki chirped by her side, also happy. And also not eating.

Beryl inverted the sack once it was emptied and then both Kou and Yuki rubbing against her. The fox let out a giggle. "Alright, settle down. It's almost time for your special day!"

Both filolials let out shrill cries of excitement.

"Special day?" Motoyasu murmured. "Isn't that tomorrow?"

"Master, did you forget?" Beryl giggled. "It's today. Sir Naofumi even told you this morning before he left on early morning business."

"I may have been a bit distracted," Motoyasu gave her a nervous grin. He may have forgotten what day it was exactly, his nights occupied by late work. He had been working on getting himself better skilled at sewing, tearing apart and remaking textiles as much as he could. The bandana Beryl now wore was only just part of it.

…Maybe, Naofumi's teaching methods were rubbing off on him too much, given how late the Shield Hero stayed up on his own projects.

Still, today was going to be a special day for Yuki and Kou, and Filo, too. There was no way he was going to miss that.

Motoyasu donned on the cloth hood that constituted his disguise. It wouldn't fool anyone who stared too closely, but the average street goer wasn't going to be a problem. And even then, as long as his Spear looked mundane, no one was going to think he was the Spear Hero without going up close.

"Alright, follow Daddy, and we'll give you a special surprise!" he urged the growing filolials as he stepped outside. He didn't guide them using leeds, but he trusted them enough to follow him. "Stay between Daddy and Beryl, okay? We'll even get you some fancy treats later if you're good."

"Kwaa!"

"Kwee!"

The two birds chirped, seemingly eager and obedient. Motoyasu was not quite sure if they understood him exactly, but he was sure they got the idea from his tone alone.

Lute bustled with activity as soldiers and workmen had rebuilt the damaged buildings. At this point there was no rubble, no debris that was left over from the Wave. New houses were still being assembled where old ones were destroyed, but thankfully, no one slept in tents anymore as temporary communal housing handled that.

Where Motoyasu took his flock was to a farmstead that herded filolials and tended to their needs.

"Kwaa?" Yuki made a questioning cry as she watched the other filolials in their enclosure.

"I promise you'll like it," Motoyasu urged. "It's something every filolial wants."

That seemed to please the growing fledgeling, as she kept a steady pace following him.

Motoyasu caught a glimpse of Naofumi along with the rest of his party and the princess talking to some men. One appeared to be the owner of the ranch and he talked towards Naofumi, whilst the other men were fixing up two wagons.

Princess Melty was gently patting Filo on the head, the bird now grown as much as Motoyasu's own.

Meanwhile, Tama had grown larger, now almost the size of Beryl. His eyes focused on the penned filolials - they seemed uneasy with him around, looking at them.

None had seemed to notice Motoyasu or his group approach.

"...can't believe she's grown that much. You Heroes are really something, you know?" the farmer's voice became audible midconversation. His hands went over Filo's feathers, probably giving her a quick inspection. "What have you been feeding her?"

"Everything," Naofumi responded dryly.

Filo made an annoyed grumble. Then, suddenly, her head turned into Motoyasu's direction. She froze slightly.

But that was the opportunity Kou and Yuki had been waiting for. Motoyasu's feathery fledgelings dashed over with enthusiasm. That jogged Filo out of her daze as she quickly went to meet the other two and they both met in the middle.

The filolials squawked and shouted at each other, even going so far as to tackle at one another. Tama was tempted to join in, but the growing tiger stayed out of it. Melty also watched from a distance.

"Grey," Naofumi called to the Spear Hero with his alias. "You're a bit late."

"Naofumi," Motoyasu replied back as he walked closer, letting the filolials play with one another. "I got a little focused on practicing."

"Regardless, I don't exactly have much time. There's a meeting that I am due for later on water problems." Princess Melty said, still eying the filolials frolicking, almost longing to join them. "I'm actually using my break to be here."

"It is important enough," Motoyasu agreed. It was kind of unfortunate how much responsibility the girl had for her age. Now that he was paying more attention, he recognized that this was quite an effort on her part, when her heart was elsewhere.

Beryl ran over to the farmer, just as excited as the filolials in play. "Uh, are they ready?" she then made an awkward grin when she realized a mistake. "Uh, sorry… uh Sir. I just…. You know."

The rancher made a quick look towards Naofumi and then returned to speak with the fox. "Yeah, I get it, I get it." he cocked a grin and gestured towards the wagons behind him. "They're almost done. Just a few more touches and you can pick them up! Your birds can then drag them whenever they get big enough. Probably the cat, too, depending on how big that thing gets. Why don't you check them out?"

Motoyasu grinned. His birdies will love their present!

"Kou! Yuki!" Motoyasu called. "Come and see your present!"

"You, too, Filo!" Naofumi shouted.

The birds were currently rolling in the dirt next to each other, a dust bath Beryl called it. They ruffled their feathers, shaking dust away before returning to their parent's side.

Kou and Yuki affectionately rubbed their heads against Motoyasu, whilst Filo did the same for Naofumi.

The disguised Spear Hero led his birds over to one of the wagons the rancher pointed to.

"Now, these aren't new wagons exactly, but the Wave hitting this place has more or less put the price of wood on a premium," the rancher explained. "Couple that with the sudden increase of demand for transporting goods, and you have to made due with what you can. In this case, we've refurbished some old wagons that were sold off on the open market and adjusted them to your specifications…"

That mostly went over Motoyasu's head, but he understood enough from what Naofumi taught him about money and labor that building wagons was not something one could do on the fly. It needed someone chopping wood, making nails, creating screws, and then assembling each and every part into a cohesive whole. Really, he was just glad to have anything to carry all of the equipment and materials, rather than fussing about whether it was used or not.

Kou and Yuki wandered over to the mostly assembled wagon. The wheels on the bottom supported a flat bed of wood.

Kou pecked at the wagon, perhaps thinking it was something to eat.

Yuki, meanwhile, got on and sat in it, maybe thinking it was some sort of nest. That was sort of the right idea.

"No, sillies." Beryl giggled.

Motoyasu smiled at the two of them. This might have been their first time seeing a wagon up close; they've seen grown filolials and knight dragons carrying wagons before, but they might not have been paying attention too much or know how the concept worked for themselves. "That's right, it's for carrying," he corrected them. "When you're all grown up, you'll be carrying the wagon, because that's… what filolials do! It's like a nest you can drag around!"

Kou and Yuki exchanged looks and went to explore their new home. Then they started lightly pecking at each other, perhaps a small sibling argument?

"Huh, Mast-Grey," Beryl corrected herself, "Do you think we should have gotten a second wagon? I know Sir Naofumi wants one for his group, but don't you think we'd need another since we have two filolials?"

"No. So far, it's just the two of us. And it's what I could afford." Motoyasu thought. "Naofumi said that the wagons can support somewhere around a ton. That's ten people, plus equipment, but… less if you want to carry goods and cargo. So, we don't really need another wagon unless we have a bigger group." Not that anyone would want to side with him, beyond a loyal few.

At this point, Kou and Yuki were now tackling each other from within the wagon, flapping their wings and jumping to get an advantage.

"Though it does occur to me that maybe Yuki and Kou might not like sharing…" Motoyasu mumbled.

"But what about Lady Haven and … Rino?" Beryl sounded hesitant.

Motoyasu stifled his anger before it got a hold of him. "They… I don't know if anyone would want to stick around me, I'm ready to wish them well when they choose not to accompany us." Even if neither of them believed that swine's lies, there was the fact that he was seen as a public who knew what Rino was going through right now. He hoped they would still want to be his friends, but it was better that they were alive and as far away from him as possible.

Beryl nodded in acceptance and quietly changed the topic. "So, who will be carrying the wagon? Will it be just one of them or will we try to find a yoke to let both of them carry it at the same time?"

At that, Yuki ran out of the wagon and flew towards Motoyasu, extending her wings over his legs in the closest thing she could do to a hug.

Motoyasu knelt down to the growing bird and patted her head. "Well, I think she wants the wagon to herself."

"Kwaa!" Yuki replied in an affirmative.

"Kwee…" Kou wandered out of the wagon, his feathers slightly ruffled. It was a voice of disapproval.

"And Kou doesn't like that."

Motoyasu ruffled his feathers, getting the disappointed bird to lighten his mood. "That's okay. We'll just alternate. And maybe, whoever isn't carrying the wagon can let someone else ride them."

"Kwee!" Kou's mood brightened.

Motoyasu didn't know how intelligent these animals really were, but he was very sure that they were smart enough to listen to what he said. Enough that he could say or promise something and that they would be happy to know it. Or how they can be so transfixed on an anime.

It was around this point, the Spear Hero went to check on Naofumi's group.

To his surprise, Filo didn't seem to be happy about the new wagon. Instead, she paced around it and lifted her head up in what had to be refusal. Raphtalia and Melty went around her, trying to assuage her.

"Filo, don't be too hard. It's a mostly new wagon!" Naofumi barked, though he didn't invoke the monster seal on the filolial's belly.

"Is something the matter?" Motoyasu questioned as he walked over.

"Filo's just being… picky," Naofumi seemed frustrated.

"Any idea why?" Motoyasu questioned. It wasn't too odd to think that animals had preferences; it's just he didn't expect Filo to have a preference on a wagon. Then again, he hardly knew Filo as the bird shied away from him.

"I have a few." Naofumi sighed. "Filo!"

Filo looked like she was about to cry, but she took one look at Motoyasu and hesitated.

"Hey, don't worry about Uncle Motoyasu," the Spear Hero said, raising his hands in a placative gesture as he backed away. He knew his presence often confused the poor bird. It was hard to explain, but Filo always seemed conflicted whenever he was around.

Filo continued to look at the Spear Hero, as if expecting something to happen, but nothing occurred. She instead turned back to her Master/Father and gave the closest thing she could manage to sad puppy dog eyes.

"Filo, that's not going to work," Naofumi sighed.

"I don't know, it's working on me!" Motoyasu chuckled. Where do these birds learn these things in a week? Maybe it was from the laptop.

Motoyasu walked over to the saddened animal and gently stroked her head. "Look, I know it's not what you wanted, but we can't always get everything we want," he said, sounding like an ideal father should; caring, compassionate, yet also firm in his own way. It was honestly like Naofumi did this before. "I can't get you the exact wagon you want, but this is what I could give you."

Filo bent her head down, though she did poke an eye towards him.

"Look, can you promise me you'd give it a chance?"

Filo hesitated for a moment before tilting her head. Then, out of the blue, she flapped her wings and showered Naofumi in feathers and a hug.

Naofumi hugged the bird back.

It was so sweet, touching. And Motoyasu felt a tad envious. He couldn't remember having such a talk with his parents.

Kou and Yuki waddled over to him, both eager for their affection. He saw now reason to hold back.


On the night of the fourth day, Melty spent her time with the filolials.

Melty couldn't understand the show as the animals watched it beside her, each of them fascinated as the girls on the screen changed into witches to the background of a high pitched song. In particular, Filo tried to sing the tune, whilst Yuki twirled herself in a dance just as the girls on screen did so.

Despite this, Melty still enjoyed herself, just spending time with Filo and the others was enough. After a whole day spent negotiating on how to handle the short term water shortage caused by the poison of the water supply because the Waves apparently dropped monsters into it, she simply wanted to relax before going to bed.

Naofumi was busy at the moment in the next room over, organizing boxes of equipment and reading documents along with Motoyasu. The Shield Hero entrusted the Princess with this strange contraption as a sign of trust, yet also warned everyone, especially the filolials to be careful about it, since there was only one of these things in the whole world. Thankfully, the threat of never being able to watch this show again made them behave.

The trio of heroines were out fighting in an old, abandoned ruin that stretched all the way to the sky. As far as she could gather, the monster of this "episode" trapped people in paintings and the girls were trying to save them. And there was something about this boy who seemed to have a crush on the pink colored heroine, who looked very similar to one of the villains.

"Kwaa!" Filo said to her, eager and excited about the goings on. "Kwaa!" she said again, pointing a wing towards the screen.

"I don't understand you yet," Melty said, a giggle on her lips. "But I can't wait until you can start speaking soon."

"Kwaa!" Filo agreed.

She then leapt onto Melty's lap, covering her in flying feathers.

"Oh, you're getting so big!" Melty continued to laugh. "You're almost too big for me!"

"Kwaa…" Filo looked like she wanted to complain.

"Rawr…" Tama said beside her. He sounded impatient.

It was honestly so surprising how eager all of the animals became such quick admirers of the "show" Naofumi brought. It was basically like a crystal ball that recorded a very lengthy stage play, chock full of magical effects. Maybe she would have seen the appeal if she could understand everything being said.

"Uh…. Princess?"

Melty turned her and found Rifana, the weasel girl who should have been dead, looking right at her. "Hello, Rifana. I uh… fancy meeting you here."

"I do sleep here," she said with an awkward grin. She dropped a satchel full of herbs onto a nearby table. "And we have met each other every day for the past week, though we don't talk much."

"No, I'm afraid not," Melty agreed. It wasn't as though they were avoiding each other. Their tasks simply kept them apart naturally; and usually, by the time they were both in the rental home, they were either exhausted or had other things to do.

Or perhaps that was just her making excuses and they really had been avoiding each other…

"Uh, Rifana…" Melty grimaced, having a hard time putting this in the words. "I…I'm glad that you're alive." Was there really no other way to say it?

"As am I," the weasel girl said softly. "I… thank you for the service you gave to me, for Raphtalia's sake," she said in a formal manner, perhaps to hide the oddity of it.

There was an awkward silence, as both the Princess and the weasel failed to speak again.

"Kwaa!" Filo made a complaint, with the other animals beside her also voicing the same frustration.

"Sorry!" Melty said as she turned her attention back to the show.

At the moment there was what appeared to be a magical duel between the three heroine witches against the boy who may have also had a crush on the pink haired one. Right now, he was dressed in a very fancy suit and concealed his face with a mask. They flung spells at each other, the girls respectively using Fire, Ice, and Lightning, while the boy wielded the power of the Earth.

Rifana took a nearby chair and sat herself nearby. "You know, I'm sad that you won't be traveling with us," she said to her. "I really wanted to get to know you more."

Melty nodded. "It's unfortunate, but I'm glad that I got to spend what time I could among friends… even if I had to spend so much of it working."

It was the downside to the plan that she and her mother had concocted before the Princess left for Melromarc. As much as her mother wanted to ensure she would be close to Naofumi, the danger posed by the Church and her elder sister needed to be checked. While her father was the authority while the Queen was away, he was too easily swayed by the wrong people. Mother, thankfully, decided that any… romantic pursuits could wait until after the Church was dealt with.

"But, we can always spend time later, when the situation permits." After all, Melty hadn't been to Cal Mira. And a part of her wanted to go with Filo there; when the Church was gone and the looming threat that sought to overthrow Melromarc was nipped in the bud, she would have plenty of time then.

Filo put a wing over her leg, her eyes pleading. "Kwaa?"

"She must be sad about hearing that," Rifana deduced.

Melty nodded. "I'm sorry Filo. I didn't want to tell you, but I have to be responsible now."

"Kwaa!" Filo huffed. Probably something about how she didn't like being responsible.

"Don't worry, when you're big and strong, Melty can come and join us, once things are safer," Rifana promised.

"Kwaa?"

"That's right, don't worry. I'll join you later, okay?" Melty ruffled the filolial's soft feathers.

"Kwaa….." Filo said back in begrudging acceptance, before turning her attention to the laptop as the sounds of the girls fighting drew her attention back. "Kwaa!"

Melty sighed, wistfully. She had more or less put it out of her mind for a time, but now that the end of the week drew closer, she knew her time with the growing filolials was coming to a close. Filo and the others were soon going to go off with their respective Heroes into Melromarc to get even stronger.

She knew nothing lasts forever, but Melty felt that the week passed by too quickly. She supposed she might as well enjoy what little time she had left.


A week. It had been a week since the filolials hatched and Naofumi felt like he only truly noticed when they were just in the fields outside of Lute.

Motoyasu got on Yuki and started riding her on the dirt path outside of the settlement.

Then, following that example, Filo raced around the fields with Melty on her back. The Princess let out cries of pure excitement as she buzzed forth. Meanwhile, right next to her was Kou with Beryl on his back.

Rifana, Keel, and Raphtalia stood watching them, cheering the riders on with shouts of joy.

The filolials had grown big enough to ride, now looking like normal adult filolials. They were just a step away from becoming plump looking Royals, and from there, they'd end up looking like angelic children.

…Naofumi looked forward to hearing Filo's first real words again.

He turned towards Tama. "Hey, do you think you're going to turn into a boy with tiger ears?"

Tama blinked. He didn't understand.

Suddenly, Yuki changed directions abruptly and headed towards him. Motoyasu, still wearing his fox eared cloak raised a hand and greeted the Shield Hero.

"Hey, Naofumi, this is great! You should try it!" he said with such excitement.

"It does look fun," Naofumi admitted. "But I think Melty is enjoying herself." He wanted Melty to enjoy these last few days with Filo together. She was going to be alone really soon.

Motoyasu smiled. "That's very kind of you."

He pursed his lips into a frown and then asked, "Hey, how do you feel about a race?"

"A race?" Naofumi questioned.

Yuki let out a cry of approval, echoing her adoptive father.

"A race?" Melty came over, Filo under her. Both looked quite intrigued.

"Yeah!" Motoyasu continued. He flashed Naofumi a grin. "The way I figure it, we can celebrate the little ones being old enough to ride by racing on them." His expression turned a bit awkward. "Of course, I was thinking it would be me and Naofumi doing it, though I realize Kou and Tama might feel left out…. Maybe we can do more races later?"

Tama decided to find somewhere to lay down; an obvious display of disinterest.

Meanwhile, Kou and Beryl wandered close by, no doubt drawn in by the developing crowd. "There's going to be a race?"

"That depends on Filo," Melty said, patting the filolial's crest feathers. "But I wouldn't mind seeing the Shield and Spear Hero race against one another!"

"Kwaa!" Filo looked very excited. She chirped in the Shield Hero's direction.

It was odd that Motoyasu of all people was going to be challenging him to a race on this day no less. Last time he did, the fate of an entire village was at stake.

Naofumi supposed it wouldn't kill him to race with Filo today.

"If you guys insist, I'd like there to be stakes." Naofumi then thought about it. "Loser does all of the dishes tonight?"

Motoyasu cocked a grin. "You're on! … Just let me think of the course."


Some minutes later, Naofumi found himself on Filo for the first time in months. The now mostly-grown filolial chirped happily. She practically bounced on her feet, threatening to knock him off.

Naofumi adjusted his seating, trying to quickly relearn how to ride the land bound bird in preparation for the race.

He also made an effort to absorb a saddle, mostly because it seemed like a good idea. Motoyasu had done the same. It mostly gave them small, generic benefits while riding animals.

Rider's Shield 0/20

[Locked] Equip Bonus: Riding 1, Mounted Combat Proficiency Increase (Small)

"I can't believe you're making a bet with Motoyasu," Raphtalia said, though there was a hint of laughter in her voice. "And this time, you're betting on doing the dishes instead of a lordship."

"It's odd to think that the only thing that's different about the race would be bet," Naofumi muttered. Motoyasu had apparently picked out the same exact route through Lute as last time, going through the brushes and through the village's perimeter where in a previous life a certain bitch rigged traps in an effort to cheat. "And I suppose, Motoyasu isn't a dirty cheat. That's different, too."

"Kwaa?" Filo turned an eye towards him.

"I mean it. This Motoyasu anyways." Though come to think of it, Bitch cheated for the Spear Hero rather than him actively asking for help.

That seemed to satisfy Filo.

Raphtalia smirked. "I guess it's better if the terms were something completely harmless instead of it being… severe."

"I'm kind of interested, too. It's another duel between two Heroes," Rifana said. "Though unlike last time, we're the only ones who know Sir 'Gray' isn't actually a demihuman."

"I don't mind the lack of publicity," Naofumi admitted. "At most, the villagers will think it's some sort of training exercise among my party, which it technically is."

"I don't imagine that the secret about Sir 'Gray' will last forever, but his secret should remain intact for at least a few days more even with this race," said Melty. She then flashed Filo a smile. "You go beat him, okay? Just… in the race, not in a fight."

"Kwaa!" Filo chirped an affirmative.

Melty turned a glance towards the Shield Hero. "I'm saddened that I didn't get to see the race before, but I'm glad for the opportunity to see it with my own eyes."

"I hope you'll enjoy it then," Naofumi answered back.

"Sir Naofumi!" Beryl's voice cried out. "We're ready!"

"And that's my cue to move," said the Shield Hero.

Guiding Filo, Naofumi took the filolial and brought him towards an indentation on the dirt road.

Motoyasu was already there. He flashed a grin towards the Shield Hero and adjusted the collar of his cloak to prevent it from falling off. "May the best man win?" he said.

"May he win," Naofumi agreed. He didn't have the same spite that drove him to want to crush Motoyasu's spirit that he did last time; instead, he felt like he could let himself enjoy himself for one.

Keel stood in between them both, a white flag in his hands. "Alright, when I drop this thing, you guys race, got it?"

Both racers nodded their heads.

"Good." The dog girl flashed a grin. "Now, the first to three laps is the winner! I want a clean race. Nothing but raw speed and acrobatics! No magic, no fighting, just racing!"

There were no complaints.

The other assembled outside of the line, each of them cheering for their favorites. Melty cheered Filo, for Raphtalia was Naofumi, while Beryl shouted for Motoyasu's sake, and presumably Kou wanted Yuki to win.

"On your mark!"

Naofumi tightened the grip on Filo's reins. On his right, he could see Motoyasu taking several deep breaths.

"Get set!"

Filo scratched the earth at her feet, Yuki flexed her wings.

"GO!" Keel's voice rang, as he dropped the flag to the ground.

Both filolials came out running, bounding over the dirt roads with frightening ease. Filo and Naofumi took the initial lead, their familiarity with having done this before serving them this far.

But Yuki gained speed, Motoyasu flashed the two of them a grin as he gained closer until they ran parallel with their opponents.

Naofumi rounded the village first, as they rounded a bend. Motoyasu gained the advantage, surpassing him by a head

It took the Shield Hero by surprise to see that, but then again, the old Motoyasu needed the help of someone using support magic to actually over take him. This Motoyasu, he didn't need such cheap tricks.

Naofumi felt pride bubble within him. Win or lose, he didn't care. "Let's go Filo!" he said, taking the reins.

"Kwaa!" Filo burst forward, kicking up the dirt before her as her steps doubled.

She ran fast enough to catch up with Yuki.

Motoyasu glanced at them again. His grin grew wide. He leaned himself forward and braced. Yuki darted again.

Naofumi took that as a sign. He also pressed his chest against Filo's back, cutting the distance between the filolials.

Yuki and Filo turned to each other, letting out chirps and cries of excitement before darting again.

Naofumi spotted the villagers taking note of them, gathering to watch the two Heroes race. Onlookers raised hands and their voices.

At the end of the first lap, the Heroes caught sight of their parties again.

"You can do it, Master Naofumi!"

"Go Filo!"

"Kwee!"

"Go Mast-er-Grey!"

It was hard to tell who actually crossed the finish line first, but the next lap began without pause.

Naofumi brought a hand against Filo's back and whispered in her ear. "Pace yourself, Filo. We don't want you burning out before the last lap." Speed was one thing, but he knew just how far Filo could push herself before exhaustion.

This slowly Filo down only slightly, as she adjusted her speed to be slightly less.

On the other hand, Motoyasu saw this and ordered the same for Yuki.

"You're good at this!" the Spear Hero said with surprise.

"You're not too bad yourself!" Naofumi replied back.

But the race continued. Both Heroes leaned forward again as the finish line came into view. The filolials ran faster and crossed the finish line in what felt like the blink of an eye.

"I'll see you when I win!" Motoyasu shouted.

"Your prize is doing dishes!" Naofumi snapped.

Filo and Yuki raced neck and neck at the start of the third and final lap. The two filolials gave it their all, both enjoying every moment of it.

The villagers of Lute all turned and cheered to them as the duo raced past, each of them glad to see something so energetic.

Naofumi turned towards his right and saw Motoyasu by his side. Sometimes, he was ahead, other times he was behind. And there was no telling who was the favorite to win just at a glance

Up ahead, Naofumi saw the finish line.

"Filo! One more push!" he commanded.

The filolial obliged sped forward, breaking the stalemate for only a few short seconds

"No, you don't! Let's go Yuki!" Motoyasu commanded, causing his filolial to dart forward as well.

Naofumi thought he had secured victory as he saw the finish line right before him, but at the last possible moment, Motoyasu and Yuki blazed forth past him.

Everyone skidded to a halt right after, kicking up dust in their wake.

"Master!" Beryl cheered, with Kou running up to Yuki and wrapping her in a hug.

Motoyasu unstrapped himself and tried to get down, but ended up falling into the dirt. That did nothing to stop his cheering. "Yes!" he shouted as climbed to his feet.

"Master Naofumi! Filo!" Raphtalia called to them both as she ran towards them. She sounded worried.

"I'm fine, Raphtalia," he reassured her. In fact, Naofumi felt great. When was the last time he had ever done anything like racing against a peer? When was the last time the stakes for losing were something so trivial? Far too long, if he had to guess.

"Kwaa…" Filo on the other hand seemed a tad upset.

Tama walked over to her and licked her in the face, much to her annoyance.

"You guys did great!" Motoyasu hugged his filolials for a moment before breaking off and trying to hug Filo. "And so did yo- Wait, Filo?" he blinked a few times. "When did you get so… big?"

Filo looked rather indignant, though Naofumi's hand calmed her down.

This was also the point where he suddenly realized that Motoyasu was right. Filo's feathers fluffed out all at once, giving her the impression that she had turned fat. Really, it was just an illusion common to birds; their feathers were simply arranged in a way that it made them look big, while in actuality they were very lean.

He then pointed to Kou and Yuki, who had also gone under similar transformations. "It's not just her."

"Wow…." Motoyasu marveled as he gently moved his hands Kou's yellow fluff. "I didn't know filolials could do that. They're so soft."

"Yes, they are!" Melty agreed, her hands sinking into Filo.

Motoyasu then turned back to Naofumi, a grin plastered on his face. "Have you had any practice before? You seem like you've ridden animals before. I didn't think I'd win until the last second."

"I have a few times," Naofumi said aloud. And it wasn't just from having rode on Filo before either. "I actually rode a big dog as a kid before, if you believe it."

"You're one lucky man, you know?"

"I wouldn't say that," And to think, only two months ago, he never thought he would be talking to Motoyasu like this, like they were old buddies or something.

Then again, Naofumi supposed that might have been the case now.


Later that night, Naofumi washed the dishes as he promised. He wasn't even sad about it, since it was just doing dishes. Really, he couldn't feel too mad. Motoyasu won fair and square and deserved a win after having been treated like dirt.

The only thing he really complained about was the fact the birds just ate so much… That however was a small price to pay to have Filo back.

"It's hard to think that it's only been a week," Raphtalia said to him as she wiped down the table. She wasn't allowed to do the dishes, but the table was perfectly fine. "So much happened in such a short amount of time that it all feels like a blur."

"I only really noticed the passage of time whenever I realized the animals were getting bigger," Naofumi said as he scrubbed the cups with soap.

"Do you think Motoyasu will be okay?" she asked, concerned for the Spear Hero.

"He should be fine. And I haven't heard as many fake rumors about him beyond the original crime," Naofumi said back. He then patted his Shield. "And if all else fails, we could also talk to each other using our cell phones."

"I suppose that would work," Raphtalia looked skeptical, though then again, she never came from a place where people could talk to each other from across the globe.

Naofumi then rinsed a dish and set it to dry. "You know you could be outside with the others."

"It was kind of getting cramped and I thought I'd rather be here," she said firmly, flashing him a smile as she set up the chairs and wiped down the table.

Naofumi smiled at her. It was good to have Raphtalia with him.

Outside, the others were grouped around his laptop, watching the magical girls anime that Naofumi had introduced them to at the start of the week. The filolials and even Tama were clearly enthusiastic about it. Because the filolials had all grown too large to easily get through the door frame, Motoyasu set up a table outside for them to watch together.

He couldn't think too much about that though as Motoyasu came rushing in through the door.

"Naofumi! Something happened!" the Spear Hero cried, his voice full of exasperation.

"What's wrong?" Naofumi asked, though given the timing, he had a good idea as to what.

"When the witch girls did their magical transformation dance, the filolials copied them and…uh…" Motoyasu blushed. He backed out of the way and revealed three winged children dressed up in oversized cloaks.

The first was a boy with bright yellow wings and hair. Next to him was a girl with silver eyes and white hair. The last was a girl with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. She was happy to see the Shield Hero.

"Papa!" Filo cried out and she leapt and hugged Naofumi.

"I guess I am," Naofumi said. He didn't mind, not this time. He was glad to have her back. He gently ruffled her hair.

Raphtalia approached from behind and hugged her.

"Uh… Naofumi. You're… not surprised…" Motoyasu sighed. "Of course, you're not. You just know everything."

That was not an image the Shield Hero liked to think he had. "I don't know everything. Though I may have read something like this. Didn't know if it would also affect your chicks, though." Naofumi said, bringing up his cover that it came from the book..

"So, this is perfectly normal then?" Motoyasu said as the two children by his side wrapped their arms around his legs. He seemed somewhat perturbed.

Naofumi nodded. "It's something that happens to filolials raised by Heroes."

"I… did not know filolials could do anything like this," Beryl said. "They can become demihumans?"

Yuki and Kou broke away from Motoyasu and went to circle the fox demihuman with glee.

"Hi!" Yuki cried.

"I'm Kou!" the boy giggled. "And that's Yuki."

"... I already knew that," said Beryl meekly.

Keel, Rifana, and Tama walked in; the latter was still a tiger, unchanged.

"You know, you told us this was a possibility, but it was still surprising," Rifana sighed.

"Yeah, it's a good thing we had those spare cloaks and they liked the idea of dressing up, or it would have been worse," Keel agreed.

Upon seeing Tama, Filo broke away from Naofumi and leapt over to the tiger. She blew a raspberry in his face.

"Filo!" Naofumi and Raphtalia snapped at the same time.

"What? Brother is always mean to me!" Filo said back. "Especially today. I lost because my legs were too short!"

Tama sat on his rear and gave her an annoyed expression. He growled something.

"Hey! I'm not little!" said the preteen girl talking to a grown tiger.

"Brother?" Naofumi questioned.

Tama made a purring noise.

"It's his idea…" Filo grumbled.

Tama growled again.

"Hey!"

As interesting as it was to learn that Filo could talk to Tama, their bickering was getting annoying.

"Cut it out you two!" Naofumi raised his voice.

"But Brother is mean to me!" Filo complained.

Tama growled back, probably saying the same thing.

"That still doesn't mean you can be rude," Naofumi said bluntly. He suspected that because they had essentially grown up together, they might have seen each other as siblings… which would lend plenty of context to their interruptions up to this point. "I didn't do that to my brother when I was much younger. Now, stop fussing over each and apologize!"

Filo pouted, and Tama looked brothered, but both seemed to begrudgingly accept the order.

"I'm sorry!" Filo said, though insincerely.

Tama growled something back, probably the same.

"...Good enough."

Motoyasu walked to Naofumi. "Wow, you are so good at this."

"You'll get the hang of it. And Beryl can help you out." Naofumi told him.

In the back, Beryl was mostly getting acquainted with the two filolial children.

"... It's not what I was imagining, but I think I can manage," Motoyasu said. "Anything we have to do?"

"First goal, shape changing clothing," Naofumi answered. "They can transform into their filolial and human forms, and we want clothes they can't lose or destroy."

"Seems sensible enough. Any other surprises?"

"Not that I am sure of."

"Oh, hey, uh…" Filo walked over to Raphtalia. She seemed bothered about something.

"Is something the matter?" Raphtalia asked.

"... Do I call you Big Sister or Mommy?"

That froze Raphtalia.

"... Uh, Beryl might have the same problem?" Naofumi said, not sure where to take this.


Just one more stop before Mirso, Ren observed on the map.

The Sword Hero might not have known how to read the language, but he had enough practice understanding maps to know where he was going.

Absent-mindedly, he grabbed onto his bread loaf and bit into it.

"So, is there any truth to the legend that Holy Water harms the undead?" he heard… Bakta ask of Mald. The two sat close to each other on the same table as the others, whilst Ren had a table to himself. Before the group made the journey to Mirso, the group asked to have dinner at a local outdoor restaurant.

"Sort of," the older knight told the younger man. "It depends on the grade of the water, I heard, but I had once seen a man burn a whole skeleton to ash."

"Wow. That sounds amazing!" said Farrie.

"It's also expensive," agreed Mald. "I mean, we've got that Holy Water that Sir Ren acquired just sitting in the bags, but even using the cheapest bottle on weak undead isn't exactly worth it."

"I still want to see it!" said Bakta.

"Yeah, but the hard part is going to be getting a skeleton or zombie worth using it on," said Mald. "They're not exactly common in these parts."

"We'll run into one soon enough," Ren said. It took him a while to feel it was a good time for him to speak. "One that I think will be worth using the Holy Water on."

"Huh, is this going to be before or after the dragon we're contracted to hunt?" Farrie asked.

"After," Ren admitted. Assuming of course Naofumi was correct, but the Shield Hero's knowledge of the lore of the setting had proven to be uncannily accurate. There was little doubt in the Sword Hero's mind to follow the advice he told him when they first met. Though implementing his plan would require an excessive amount of waiting. Maybe, there would be other, worthwhile tasks in Mirso. "Remember to pack additional supplies for this, we'll be out in the field longer than usual."

"I'll factor it into the budget," said Welt. "Though it might mean carrying more equipment than usual."

"You'll manage," said Mald.

Then, just as Ren was to continue eating his breadloaf, he noticed two sets of hungry eyes looking at him.

There were two children, one was a demihuman boy, while the other was a human girl. They looked at him with pleading eyes and with dirtied skin. They looked very young. "Uh, please Sir, can you spare us some coin?" one asked.

Ren felt an immediate surge of unease.

He knew intellectually that none of it was real. The children did not actually exist, they were just bytes and scripts assembled by the developers to play on the emotions of the player, him. The children were at best actors, not actually suffering, not like real people.

"Hey, no beggars!" Mald snapped at them both.

This caused the children to flinch.

Was this a Quest? Or maybe this was a reputation or affinity choice, where my actions would have an effect later or on a hidden bar? Ren went through the scenario in his mind. The obvious "good" solution was to give the children some coins and just forget about it. There was little chance of a pay off, but maybe it increased a hidden faction meter somewhere.

On the other hand, Mald disapproved. "In fact, there's a sign that says no beggars."

The children looked away, ashamed. They wanted to run.

Feeling like he was being forced into making a choice, Ren put several silvers on the table.

Mald gave him a questioning look.

The children looked at him hesitantly.

"Just take it, and go," Ren spat at them.

The children grabbed the coins and ran out.

"That's very nice of you," Bakta approved.

"We don't exactly have an endless supply of money," Mald groaned.

"It was only a few silvers," Ren defended his actions. "Besides, we're going for a much bigger bounty."

"Right, one dragon, coming right up!" Farrie agreed.

Ren let out a sigh and took another look at his map.

He had seen beggars before, both in Melromarc and Zeltoble. It was almost saddening to think just how many there were.

In his home world, there was war, poverty, illness, and many worse things. On the newsfeed, there was always talk about some tragedy. It was either the endless series of wars the dragged on forever and burned countries to ash, the soul crushing news of corporate workers committing suicide, or even the slow rot of society itself.

In Ren's hometown alone, there were stories of people being murdered by a serial killer, which ended up becoming all too real and relevant for Ren.

This world had plenty of that, but thankfully, no one was actually suffering. They were all set pieces, playing pretend, simulations. He was playing a game, the entire setting was merely window dressing.

It was great that none of the things he experienced in this world are real.


Fun fact, ostriches reach the size of adulthood in four months. I bring this up to put into context filolial growth rates. That means canonically, Filo's growth was only 8 to 16 times the normal rate if we used ostriches as a base, compared to the Raphtalia's growing at somewhere over 200 times. Granted, they're only as tall as adults, not proper adults.

Also, I actually struggled a bit to figure out if I wanted the entire growth over one chapter or two. But it's actually quite hard to write characters who cannot talk.

I did always feel like ending the growing of the filolials over the Race though. It was a major set piece in the story since that's when Naofumi and Filo first got tested.