Disclaimer: This is just a final disclaimer note I want to put at the end of this first arc, which you probably noticed didn't converge very far from the original story (don't worry, future arcs won't have that issue).

I don't own The Rising of The Shield Hero. I want to thank Aneko for writing such a great world with great characters in it. The LN's are the best. I can't wait for the anime to adapt the rest of them. I look forward to seeing what kind of story will unfurl thanks to the changes covered here early on.

Chapter Twelve: Darkness Lit, The World Has Changed

Naofumi breathed in, allowing the breeze coming over the castle walls to revitalize him. Even with the cool early morning breeze, he felt strangely warm and well-rested. More so than he'd felt since being summoned to this world…

'Did… did all that really happen last night?'

It was weird. He was standing just a few hundred feet away from where the duel with Motoyasu had happened. Last night felt like a dream to him. Yet he could still remember it so clearly... it was like he hadn't been an active participant in the events that unfolded shortly after the King had called him a rapist. Being so locked up in his rage and despair that he'd been a prisoner in his own mind...

Again, he felt guilt prick at him for trying to push Raphtalia away. But at the same time, he felt gratitude, happiness, and a whole heap of other emotions because of her refusing to leave him. Those emotions, he knew he'd have to sort through them himself when he felt he'd be able to.

But not now. Later. For now, he stared in awe at the beautiful city laid out below him.

'Everything's changed… yet it's all the same...'

…

He pulled up his Shield Menu on his HUD and looked in his series of shields for the two series he'd somehow unlocked last night. But they were nowhere to be found. There wasn't mention of them in his help guide either.

That had to be the greatest oddity out of everything else that had happened. He usually received updates to his help guide whenever he came across something new with few exceptions. He remembered vividly the notifications he'd received for the Cursed and Blessed Series. And yet, he could find no information on either.

...

He was so focused on his help guide, he almost didn't see the Tanuki woman approaching him with food in her hands. Almost.

"Good morning, Master Naofumi. I made something for us." Raphtalia carried sandwiches for them both.

He closed the help guide and looked up at her. "You made them by yourself?" He asked.

"I... had some help from the castle cooks." She admitted sheepishly, handing one to him. "But doesn't it look yummy?"

Naofumi stared at what she'd made. It looked like the steak from the night before had been sliced into thin pieces. The lettuce came from the salads. There were some unfamiliar condiments on it.

It looked nothing short of amazing. "It does." Naofumi agreed, a note of sadness in his voice. "It doesn't mean I'm likely to taste it…"

…

His eyes looked from the sandwich to the expectant Raphtalia. He looked over the new, beautiful grown woman she'd become without him realizing it. The woman who admitted she was in love with him…

"Raphtalia, is that really you?" He asked.

Raphtalia looked caught off guard by the question. "Sorry," Naofumi said suddenly, turning to look away. "I guess I need a little time to get used to this." He looked back down at his sandwich. "I just didn't think something like this would happen after… after Bitch."

'I mean, I did think when I first got here that I'd find the one for me. We'd fall in love with each other and... I just didn't think that'd be possible for me anymore.' He didn't say it aloud. But Raphtalia could tell what he was thinking.

She smiled again for him. "It is sudden. I was just a little kid when we first met." She could remember how it'd only been a little over two months ago, she'd been a young child playing ball with some of her friends in the village.

"Elhart mentioned it once to me before… but are you really grown up now?" He asked.

"... Yes. That's why demi-humans are seen as unnatural creatures here in Melromarc. It's why we're often abused and discriminated against since we have the option of not going through our childhood like everyone else." She explained.

Naofumi looked down guiltily at that. "Yeah… I stole your childhood from you…"

"Yes, but you also gave me something far better. Something far more meaningful." She said gently.

"You mean… you don't hate me for stealing your childhood from you?" Naofumi quietly asked.

She shook her head. "We all have to grow up eventually, Master Naofumi. To be honest, I think I started to grow up after I buried my parents." She might have not been leveling then, but she'd taken charge, she inspired the others to rebuild their village. Even if she was small, she had the heart of someone twice her size.

"But… your ball. And…"

"I did say that I still like to act like a child sometimes, didn't I?" Raphtalia asked with a smirk.

She had a point. Hell, even though he was twenty years old, he'd still acted somewhat like a kid before the big betrayal and all that.

Even now, his thoughts could sometimes be described as childish and petty.

Naofumi continued to stare down at his sandwich.

He really didn't deserve her. But she wasn't going to allow him to feel that. "Elhart told me the night I bought you… he warned me this would happen, but I didn't imagine it'd be like this…" He looked towards the city again. "I don't know if I'm ready for this yet…" He admitted.

'The old man really wasn't lying to me before. Damn it! I want to feel like this isn't right… But she's not a human. She's… what did that notification say last night? Half-Raccoon, Half-Tanuki? Either way, I know trying to use my world's logic is stupid. This is nothing like my world! She's a freaking different race from me. What she went through is the norm for other members of her race… and it really, really doesn't help that she doesn't look like a kid anymore either...'

He was getting a headache just thinking about it. He didn't even know if he loved her or not. Why was this such a big deal?! It was so stupid that he just wanted to forget what was normal and what was weird in his world.

Raphtalia giggled happily as she took a bite of her sandwich. "Hey, this sandwich really does taste good. Why don't you try yours, Master Naofumi?" She said, coaxing him to try and eat with her.

Naofumi looked down at the sandwich she'd given him. His thoughts were heavy with everything that had been going on. 'Might as well give it a shot… not that I'll taste it. But hopefully, it'll distract me from all of this.'

He bit into it.

…

The food was stuck in his mouth. He stared down at the rest in shock.

"Is something wrong?" Raphtalia asked, looking concerned. Naofumi had never looked like this before while eating.

…

Tears came into his eyes. "I… I can... actually… taste it." He murmured softly.

Raphtalia's face brightened up, and Naofumi started to dig into the rest of the sandwich. Tears continued falling down his face. The steak slices were surprisingly soft! The lettuce had a nice crunch! The condiment Raphtalia had added tasted similar to mayonnaise. And the way their tastes combined with the bread!

He smiled as his taste buds once again sang praises to this world's heavenly food. It was the best feeling ever, after having to eat bland tasteless food for so long… he didn't even care that he was crying again. It was that good.

He wanted to meet the chef that helped Raphtalia to make this and give him the world's biggest hug.

Raphtalia smiled happily. 'He can finally enjoy food again!' Her tail wagged behind her. "Let's make a deal." He stopped mid-bite to look up at her. "Let's promise to eat lots of delicious food from now on, okay?"

Naofumi still had tears in his eyes from being able to taste again. But... "Can I make an adjustment to that deal?" He asked.

She looked surprised. "What, what do you mean?" She asked confusedly.

He set the rest of the sandwich aside. "Let's eat lots of delicious food, together." He said. Stepping in close to hold her hands. He then laid a peck against her cheek. He resolved to himself. Whatever he'd done in the past. He refused to let it stop him from going forward. He didn't know how he felt. But he did care about Raphtalia. And after everything she'd done for him, he wanted to thank her for that.

...

When he backed away, Raphtalia's face looked to have taken fifty shades of red on it. 'Uh oh… it's times like this I wish I had more experience with girls.' He realized he'd probably done something wrong. "I'm sorry, was that over the line?" He asked in concern. Maybe she didn't mean that kind of love? Maybe she looked at him as more of a parent-

Raphtalia quickly shook her head. "No, it, it wasn't Naofumi!" She said quickly. "It was just... a little unexpected is all. You didn't warn me." She finished meekly, holding her arm while looking off to the side. "But it was nice."

Oh, good. It wasn't parental love. Thank goodness. That could have spawned a very long misunderstanding on his end had she not clarified it herself.

"You're telling me," Naofumi said. "Three weeks ago you were just a little kid who loved head pats. I never would have imagined you'd be an adult by the first wave."

"Master Naofumi, I am not a little kid anymore, and I don't love head pats!" Raphtalia said irritably. Her tail bushing up behind her.

…

Naofumi calmly patted a hand on her head between her ears. The look of anger was replaced with a look of joy, and Raphtalia's tail started to wag furiously behind her.

"Wow. You could have fooled me."

Raphtalia finally came to the realization as to what had happened. She would have slapped him if it wasn't for the hand on her head that felt so good! And the smirk on his face that told her he was just playing around. It was different, but it was nice.

Raphtalia blushed again and looked off to the side. Naofumi did so too. He wasn't used to the concept of flirting. He didn't even know if he had been flirting there or not. Damn, he was going to be thrust into this without any preparation whatsoever! Did he even love this girl?! Or was he actually grateful that somebody loved him?!

"So… I guess what now?" Naofumi asked, lowering his hand.

"I don't know," Raphtalia admitted truthfully. "We have till the end of the day to leave the Capital-"

"That's not what I meant."

Raphtalia looked up at Naofumi, who breathed in deeply. "I don't know how I feel about you, Raphtalia. I'm not even sure if I love you… I never really had much experience with girls in my world." He admitted. "I just don't know." He said sadly.

…

Raphtalia again softly smiled. And this time, she hugged Naofumi. Her head was now able to rest comfortably in the crook of his neck. Had she always been that tall? Past events suddenly made more sense. "Believe me, I'm still sorting through all of my emotions, Naofumi… I have so much to sort through from growing up so quickly, and it doesn't help that I didn't think much about guys before, especially the hero kind." She joked at the end. It got a small smile out of him. "That was more of what my best friend did... But I, at least, know what I said is true. I love you, and I want to stay by your side."

Naofumi sighed, one of his hands moving along her locks of hair on her back. That brought up a concern in his mind. 'What if I want to return to my world after everything is over?... will Raphtalia be able to come with me? Would I want to stay here dealing with everything that I've had to deal with up till now if Raphtalia couldn't leave?... ...'

He buried the thought deep in his mind. He decided he could address it far later after much more time had passed. For now, he was hopeful that things would get better. Someway, somehow, things would improve for the two of them.

Plus, while he didn't know if his feelings for Raphtalia were as strong as hers, he liked the feeling of her being close like this. His mind wandered. 'Maybe it was fate that I found out about that bitch's plot when I did. Had I been thrust into it head-on without knowing about it, I could have turned into a much more bitter person… Elhart might have never helped me then… and maybe, I never would have met Raphtalia…' Maybe.

You never know how fate will intervene in one's life.

"Yeah, we'll just continue like this for now then," Naofumi said. It was a start. It was more than what he would have allowed any other girl.

…

…

The two released. Naofumi looked down sheepishly. "You know, if any of my friends from back home learned about this, I'd be stuck with the terms Lolicon and Furrie Lover for the rest of my life." He found the thought so funny he started chuckling to himself.

Now that he thought about it, those terms didn't sound too bad. After all, he was already being called a devil and a rapist. Compared to that, Lolicon and Furrie couldn't hold a candle as insults.

"What do those words mean?" Raphtalia asked curiously. She heard what Naofumi was saying thanks to his shield's auto-translation function, but she didn't know their meaning.

Naofumi continued to chuckle. "I'll tell you... when you're older."

...

Raphtalia started to pout again, and his chuckling broke into full-on laughter. "Master Naofumi!" She complained.

'Oh hell, this is too much fun! I'm going to have to pick on her whenever I can cause her reaction is just adorable!' He thought happily.

"Were you just thinking something rude!?" She angrily asked. "Stop making that face!"

"Ah, I figured we'd find you here."

Naofumi stopped laughing in surprise. The two looked behind them and saw Ren and Itsuki approaching.

Oh yeah. He'd thought the two Heroes had abandoned him last night. However, it was because of them that he and Raphtalia hadn't been killed. Maybe they weren't as bad as he thought… though he still looked at them distrustfully.

"Here, take it, it's yours," Ren said calmly, handing a pouch to Naofumi. The contents inside jingled a familiar tune.

"What's this for?" Naofumi asked skeptically.

"The King gave me and Ren a little extra to try and convince us to stay in Melromarc. And Ren-" Itsuki was explaining.

"You mean you." Ren cut in calmly.

...

Itsuki grumbled to himself after a long pause. "We..." He emphasized. "Decided it'd be best if you and your party member got what you deserve for defending the village." Itsuki finished calmly. "And since the King doesn't want to reward you, we decided to reward you ourselves."

"And… it's an apology, for not acting sooner." Ren muttered quietly, looking away from Naofumi.

Naofumi still looked distrustful, but as he opened the pouch to look inside, his mouth gaped. "What the… just how many coins are in here?"

"About 800," Itsuki confirmed.

Naofumi stared at the bag, blown away by the amount of money they were giving him. "We had a talk with the Lord from Lute Village after the duel last night. He said that if you two hadn't stayed to defend his village, there would have been a lot more casualties. Himself included." Ren recovered his cool. "We can't let your actions go unrewarded."

He looked at Itsuki, who was trying to be silent again. He nudged the blonde kid on the shoulder, signaling for him to speak. "Well, erm, even if Myne was telling the truth about you trying to rape her, it wouldn't be fair for you to not receive a reward for doing your small part in the wave," Itsuki said.

…

The cocky bastard! Naofumi almost wanted to punch his face because of how prideful he sounded! Though, by the sounds of it, he and Ren no longer believed the Bitch.

These two were actually on his side...

First Raphtalia's confession, then the sandwich, and now this… Naofumi felt tears leaking into his eyes again. 'Damn everyone! They're trying to make me like them now!' And yet somehow, he didn't mind that.

"Now don't think that means I approve of a hero owning a slave," Itsuki said, feeling some need to quickly defend himself. "Because I don't!"

And of course, Itsuki had to ruin it, again. Couldn't he just learn to keep his mouth shut and be grateful he was going up the scale of approval in Naofumi's mind?

"Sir Bow Hero," Raphtalia spoke gently before Naofumi could retaliate, catching Itsuki off guard. She stepped in front of Naofumi and bowed respectively to Itsuki. "On behalf of Master Naofumi, we'd like to thank you both for your kindness towards us, Itsuki-Kun and Ren-Kun."

Itsuki stepped back at the unexpected praise. In Japanese, the suffix Kun held the meaning of calling an individual your close friend. And Itsuki and Ren both knew that. What surprised Itsuki was the praise being directed at him. Even though praise was what Itsuki secretly thrived on.

Naofumi smiled a little at that. The blonde kid didn't look so prideful now. He actually looked abashed.

Ren calmly smiled back while Itsuki sputtered. "It's no problem for me. 800 Silvers will be worth nothing after me and my party slay the evil dragon haunting Mirso Village." He said. His legendary sword changed to a stronger-looking sword as he said it. Naofumi blinked, looking at the sword curiously. He could have sworn he recognized it from somewhere.

Raphtalia smiled happily for Ren. "And what about you, Itsuki?" Naofumi asked.

Itsuki finally recovered from his unintelligible sputtering. "What about me?" He asked confusedly.

"What are you going to do next?" Naofumi asked.

...

Itsuki looked thoughtful. "I was planning on following the storyline I'm familiar with in my game… but I need to ask. Were you serious at the party when you said most of the nobles owned slaves?" Itsuki asked Naofumi curiously. He then looked at Raphtalia. "And did Melromarc's Knights really destroy your village?"

...

Naofumi looked to Raphtalia, who nodded her head after a moment. "Yes." Upon hearing her give the affirmative, Itsuki's face fell.

So she hadn't been lying before.

"After the wave… Knights came and killed all the parents in front of their children. They then enslaved me and everyone else that was left... Before Naofumi, I was owned by two different slaveholders. They were both nobles. The first one tried to train me to be a maid, but the second one…" She paused to sniff, and wipe away a tear from below her eye. "I saw him at the celebration last night. I saw you talking to him shortly before the Spear Hero challenged Naofumi. He was the one who tortured me. Idol Rabier." She admitted.

"You're, you're kidding?" Itsuki asked in a shocked voice.

Raphtalia shook her head. "There were others just like me he owned. Most of them were women and children, including my best friend Rifana. That noble loves to torture others, especially demi-humans… he hates them… And he tortured my best friend, even though she was sick, even though she was only a child. I don't even know if she's still alive or not since it was a little over a month ago when I last saw her..." Raphtalia looked like she wanted to cry. Naofumi felt he should put an arm over her to comfort her. But would such a gesture be appropriate here?

Before he could think if that was a good idea or not, her face took on an angry look as she glared at Itsuki. "I don't ever want to hear you complaining about Naofumi owning me again! You got me?!" She yelled, mimicking the same words Naofumi used for her whenever he was angry or serious.

Itsuki took a step back in surprise at her anger. "But, but I-" He tried to say.

"No! Not until Naofumi is the only slaveholder left in this kingdom! In this world! Because he's one of only a few people I know of who treats his slaves like people instead of as objects to be tortured, killed, or abused at a moment's notice! And I'll reaffirm that till the day I die!" Raphtalia said fiercely, getting into Itsuki's face.

Itsuki breathed in sharply as he backed away from the fierce-looking demi-human. Naofumi quickly stepped forward beside Raphtalia and put an arm in front of her to calm her. She then clutched to his arm as if her life depended on it. "I need no saving from the man I love." She said seriously. "But my best friend, the rest of my village, and countless others all over Melromarc need help. Now, what will you do Sir Bow Hero?!" She asked. "Will you also try to pry me from Master Naofumi like the Spear Hero?!"

Itsuki immediately shook his head. "No. I'd never do that. Never... I planned on helping out other people while preparing for the next wave. I just…" He'd wanted to do what he was familiar with. But learning about this... A determined glint appeared in his eyes. "If what you say is true, then I'll free them. I'll free every last demi-human this kingdom has ever enslaved!" Itsuki promised. "I'll make Melromarc and its nobles pay for what they've done to your people!"

...

Naofumi was shocked to hear such words come from the young boy, and with such determination in his features too... … he found himself smiling, and internally, he reevaluated his standing on Itsuki. 'So I'm annoyed about his Robin Hood like sense of justice, but maybe it'll accomplish some good if it's aimed in the right direction.'

"Do you know if the guild has missions for doing that?" Ren asked Itsuki.

"I don't care if they do or not. I'm not in this for the money… not all the time at least. But certainly not in this case! If there are people out there being tortured for some nobleman's fun and pleasure then screw the guild and their money! They need my help, and those nobles need to be put in their place." Itsuki said, pounding a fist into his hand.

Okay. He still sounded like a prideful little snot. But it wasn't as annoying as before.

"They're going to regret the moment they ever thought they could abuse another person for fun and get away with it!" The way he said that… Naofumi stared at Itsuki. He realized he was taking this more personally than he was letting on. Maybe it wasn't just his Robin Hood sense of justice guiding him after all...

Raphtalia smiled. 'If one of the Heroes helps them, maybe Rifana and the others will stand a chance…' It made her feel happy that another of the four Cardinal Heroes was standing up to help her race. After all the persecution they'd received in Melromarc…

It made her remember something else her Father had told her. How legends talked of a time when the Bow Hero was a friend of the demi-humans.

"This isn't much, but there is one noble I know of who helps out demi-humans and treats them kindly in his land. His name is Van Reichnott. If you find him, then he should be able to help out any slaves you manage to free. He also knows the names of most of the nobles who commit horrible atrocities to their slaves." Raphtalia said. 'Including the one next door to him where Rifana was when I left… Idol Rabier.'

"Van Reichnott. There. Got it bookmarked on my weapon's menu. Well, I know where I'm off to now. See you all later!" Itsuki said quickly, before running off to find his party members. They had one hell of a quest to embark on!

"Well, that settles it for Itsuki. What about you Ren?" Naofumi asked Ren.

Ren crossed his arms as he calmly looked at Naofumi. "You know I still don't fully trust you, right?" He admitted.

"... I wouldn't expect you to," Naofumi said honestly. "I still don't fully trust either of you after last night… but I did run away, and I never tried to defend myself from Myne's accusations. Maybe this whole mess could have been avoided if I was upfront with that at the castle."

Ren nodded his head. "You did run away. You also broke into a Church." He added, much to his chagrin. "However, I don't think any of Malty's accusations against you are true." He gave a brief explanation of what happened that first night.

Somehow, Naofumi wasn't surprised that the Bitch was also a Whore. He felt even better about not falling in love with her. It sounded like he'd dodged a bigger bullet than he'd realized.

"I had my doubts after that. I kept track of her afterward by having to… endure talking with Motoyasu." Ren shuddered.

Poor guy. The stories he must have heard. The things he had to have endured being around that simp.

"I knew something wasn't right. And after last night at the celebration, after seeing her cheat in the Arena, I no longer have any doubts that she lied about it all." Ren admitted. It'd taken a lot to get through that cultural bias of guilty till proven innocent.

But Bitch was bad enough that she'd managed to accomplish even that for a Japanese person.

"... well, thanks, I guess," Naofumi muttered quietly. It was hard for him to try and express how grateful he felt that, finally, somebody else believed him instead of that THOT.

"Also, after seeing the way she and the King treated you last night, I highly doubt you'd have been given fair treatment for turning yourself in. So in a way, I'm glad you ran away. I wouldn't have been motivated to look into this otherwise." Ren admitted. Much to Naofumi's surprise. "However, there's still something else I don't like about all of this. The fact that the Church was trying to get at you during the celebration."

"Would you believe me now if I told you that I ran away because I heard that Bitch discussing the details of her plan to have me killed with a nun?" Naofumi dryly asked.

"Hmmm…" Ren's face darkened somewhat at that. "To have you killed... that's a little extreme this early on in the story... Are you sure that's what they said, Naofumi?" He asked.

Naofumi nodded, a cold hard look in his eyes. "I am absolutely &^%$%^& positive that that is what they said."

"But you're only a Shielder. You shouldn't be that big of a threat... There's too much that doesn't add up for me." Ren said to himself.

Naofumi scowled. "Hey, I'm not useless!"

Ren shook his head. "Either way, I won't extend to you my full trust right now, but that's for my own reasons." He added before Naofumi could angrily retort. "I'm not going to throw away what you told me. I'm going to think it over and try to figure out what's going on. And, maybe, someday down the road, things can be different." He looked to the side again. It was taking everything he had to try and sound cool and aloof.

However, Naofumi was finally beginning to realize it. Ren was putting on an act. This wasn't the real him he was talking to. That was what had felt off when he observed the Sword Hero before.

...

Though it still stung that Ren thought it weird for a religion to kill off because he was a useless shielder, he found himself having to reevaluate his opinion about the young Sword Hero. 'It's not because of what happened that he doesn't trust me or others… and his pride isn't the issue either. I was mistaken to label his actions as being prideful. No. It's because of anxiety that he doesn't act like himself around others, isn't it.'

Whether it was something that had happened before he came to this world or just a part of Ren's personality, he wasn't sure. But he had a good feeling that that was the reason why Ren didn't trust him right now.

"I'm off to get stronger, as strong as I can possibly get. But while I'm at it, my party and I are going to keep an eye out for more information." He said, before turning around. "If I learn anything, we'll talk during the next wave. Maybe by then, I'll have a plan of action for what we can do."

"The next wave…" Naofumi looked in the corner of his HUD. A red hourglass had appeared there. It said the next wave was in 45 days. "Before you go, can I ask where you got that sword?" Naofumi asked. 'I swear I've seen it somewhere before.'

"This, this is a Magic Silver Sword," Ren said with a shrug. "You can find it in any blacksmith shop and use it once you reach level 40."

'Wait, that was one of the swords Elhart showed me when I was first looking at buying a sword!' He finally remembered. It had been alongside an iron sword, a magic iron sword, some other weird name for a sword, and a regular Silver sword. "What monster did you absorb to get that?" Naofumi asked.

"I didn't absorb a monster. I acquired it using the Weapon Copy System," Ren answered.

"... Weapon Copy?"

"All you have to do is pick up an item similar to your legendary weapon, and then it copies it over. Itsuki and Motoyasu have been using it too." Ren said.

'What? How come I don't know about it!?'

Ren sighed, seeing the look on Naofumi's face. It was just like their first night in the castle when Naofumi knew nothing about what was going on. "If you didn't know about the Weapon Copy System, I should probably mention this. Our levels as heroes are unimpeded, but the rest of your party will need a class upgrade at the dragon hourglass when they reach level 40. I doubt the Three Heroes Church will let you use theirs, so I'd recommend finding somewhere else to get her class upgrade when the time comes." Ren suggested, pointing to Raphtalia before walking away.

Naofumi looked at Raphtalia, who looked confused. "I'm sorry, I don't know anything about weapon copy, but he is right about the class upgrades, Master Naofumi." She admitted.

"Got it." 'We might not know about the Weapon Copy System... But Ren isn't lying about the Class Upgrade. And I don't think Ren has been lying to me so far…' Even though Ren was naturally distrustful of others he didn't know very well, he'd still taken the time to help him.

...

"Hey, Ren!"

Ren was almost to the stairs leading back down from the wall when he turned around to look back at Naofumi. "Just remember that this isn't a game! If you or Itsuki die trying to help me and Raphtalia, I won't forgive you!" Naofumi yelled after him.

...

Ren cracked a small smile, then he turned around. "I'll keep that in mind Naofumi." He responded, walking away from the two while giving them a wave of goodbye. "Don't get yourself killed either. I'd rather we both got to live at the end of this whole mess." Naofumi heard him say before Ren disappeared to find and gather his party.

The two stood there side by side, looking at where the Sword Hero had disappeared for a moment more. "What about us Raphtalia?" He asked her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Was he taking it back to the topic of what their relationship would be like from here on out again?

"You said we had until the end of the day to leave the Capital. But I'd feel safer if we left before midday. So what do you want to do before we leave this place?" He asked.

Raphtalia thought to herself for a moment. "First, I want to get myself a new slave crest." She decided.

Naofumi sputtered in surprise. "Are you sure- I mean, no, I don't want you to get one-" He tried to say.

"Master Naofumi." She said seriously. "I want you to be able to trust me at all times to never lie to you. Even about my feelings. And if I need something to scold me to help me remember to fight at your side, then I don't care." She said determinedly. "I want it back. I want the symbol of my loyalty to you."

He stared down at her in surprise. She didn't say it, but even after hearing the false accusations against him she was willing to go as far as trusting him with herself. To put herself in a position where she'd have to follow any order he gave, no matter what…

'She… she really trusts that I'm not an abuser…'

Tears reappeared in Naofumi's eyes. He didn't know how he'd done it back then, but he truly realized he'd won the lottery buying Raphtalia. "I already trust you… far more than anyone else I've ever known my entire life. But if it's what you want, I won't try to stop you." He said.

He also remembered that the gemstone of his shield glowed to glow when it was near the slave ink. Now that he knew it signified something that could unlock a new shield, he could, perhaps, absorb some ink and see what it unlocked?

Raphtalia smiled happily for him.

"As long as we also stop by Elhart's to get you that armor afterward." He added.

…

Raphtalia started to pout again. He found it so adorable on her adult form, he patted her head in mock sympathy. Then he started to laugh again.

"Master Naofumi!" She complained.

"Unless you're telling me your body is going to get bigger than what it is now," He joked. "A promise is a promise."

"Gah!" Raphtalia started to blush and turned away. Unsure of how to respond since she wasn't sure if what he'd said would be worse or better. She was already… very well developed as it was.

Naofumi also started to blush awkwardly, not meaning to have implied what he said at all. 'This… this is going to take some getting used to.'

...

When he looked at Raphtalia again though, his small smile returned. 'But something tells me I won't mind getting used to this.'

Finally, the pessimistic part of him had stopped fighting against Raphtalia. It had accepted her and this world as if she'd been the missing piece for him to live on.

In a world, which his more hopeful perception was helping him to realize...

... wasn't so bad after all.

One Week Later...

"So, is that what the King has been up to?"

A royal figure with long, flowing purple hair looked out the window onto the Kingdom of Faubley. Her maids stood around her, helping to make sure her outfit was fit and pristine for her meeting with Faubley's Ruler. Outside the window, a mysterious cloaked figure with a familiar mask over her face crouched down on the window ledge. Hiding out of view of Faubley's soldiers patrolling the walls with their old-fashioned rifles resting on their shoulders.

"He has. I'm sure Princess Malty must have talked him into it. I would have had to intervene if it wasn't for the Sword and Bow Heroes acting when they did." The lady responded.

"Interesting. I'm glad you didn't have to. It would have revealed more of my hand than what I want to share right now." The Queen then sighed. "Still, it's a shame to think my once wise husband has turned into such a fool…" She sighed regretfully again. 'I knew it. He still harbors ill will towards demi-humans after they killed his sister all those years ago… but I never imagined he'd take his need for revenge this far.' She recomposed herself. "How is the Shield Hero holding up?"

"I'm sure the other Shadows have informed you how I set up the Shield Hero's procural of a demi-human girl from a slave trader a while back. I daresay, she has been of greater help to him than I could have hoped. They have been sticking out of sight better than most Shadows, and have managed to avoid capture by the King and the Church thus far."

"And the other Heroes?"

"... It appears that the Sword and Bow Heroes are listening to the Shield Hero, while the Spear is still seduced by your oldest daughter."

"Is that so?" The Queen asked curiously. "Well, besides the part about my daughter, that is a relief. I'm glad the Shield Hero has more support." She brought her fan up to cover the bottom half of her face. "However, news of Melromarc summoning of the Four Cardinal Heroes is making no small impact here. Though it pains me to do so, I must stay and continue to divert part of our forces to make sure we prevent our neighbors from meddling in our affairs and the affairs of the other heroes for now. No matter what."

"Never fear my lady. We'll continue to keep a watchful eye on events in and around the Capital."

"Good. I'm counting on you." The Queen replied.

The mysterious masked lady stayed on the windowsill. "Before I go, there is one last thing you should know, my lady."

"Hmmm?" The Queen hummed curiously.

"The King still holds to his hatred for the Shield Hero, but my observations lead me to believe he is not foolish enough to do anything that'll start a war. His actions have been motivated by his love for you and his family. Yet… I've overheard rumors of the Three Heroes Church preparing to remove the Shield Hero by any means necessary. I fear they will bring us to war with Siltvelt and Shieldfreiden before the coming of the Next Wave of Catastrophe should they do so." She added to her report.

…

…

A troubled look came onto Mirellia's face at first. "I will have to double down to ensure that doesn't happen." However, after saying that, a smirk replaced her worried frown. "But my, Pope Balamus must have more nerve than I gave him credit for." The Queen of Melromarc responded upbeatedly. "If he makes his move soon, I could be allowed to leave this dusty old kingdom to squash a rebellion. A rebellion that has long since been overdue." She did sound genuinely happy. If things worked out, then maybe their troubles could end far sooner.

"Keep watch over the Shield Hero and his companions, Shadow. And help out the Bow and Sword Heroes wherever you can. They must survive if events are to unfold exactly as I want them to in our Kingdom."

"Yes, your Majesty." The masked lady replied. "It will be as you command."

"And Shadow. Thank you for bringing this information to me so quickly." Mirellia added.

"..."

One second she was there, the next second, Shadow disappeared from the window ledge. The Queen, however, continued to stare off at the smokestacks of the kingdom of Faubley out the window. A smile resting on her face.

'Hmmm, I've been waiting a long time for Pope Balamus to make his move… he's always been a little too political for his own good.' She sighed to herself as the maids got down to the finishing touches. 'He has been my last obstacle to trying to establish lasting peace with the demi-humans. Even if Aultcray didn't like it, at least he supported my actions. We have to be united if we want to survive the waves together...'

She thought about it some more.

'Maybe, yes, I'll allow Melty to leave and see her Father. Goodness knows she's been bugging me for quite a while to do so… if only we could travel as fast as my Shadows. Still, if I hire a good carriage, it should shorten her return trip from a month to three weeks. Maybe, hopefully, she'll be able to talk some sense into Aultcray and get him to stop hunting the Shield Hero. And then maybe, just maybe, if things work out, we'll be able to rid Melromarc of the Three Heroes Church. Before they bring about war again with Siltvelt.'

Finally done, she turned around and exited the room.

End of Arc One

Till Next Time

Allen