Chapter Twenty-Two: Help From the Shadows
It was thirty-three days until the next wave of Catastrophe was supposed to hit Melromarc.
"And protect my target. Fast Guard!"
At first, nothing happened after Naofumi had finished the chant. But then, a blue glow came out from his outstretched hand and settled over Filo. Her head perked up as she was pulling the wagon. "Wow, Filo suddenly feels more protected! Thanks, daddy!" Filo cried out happily.
Naofumi calmly smirked where he was sitting. For once, his hood was back, and he was happy. The spell had used some of his MP, but not an outrageous amount of what was contained in his current gauge. In his screen, he got the confirmation that Filo's defense stat had been raised. "Good. That should help you with the monster attacks. Keep running Filo."
He looked back down at the medical grimoire again.
"Hmm hmmm hmm hmmm." In front of him, Filo started humming to herself as she kept up a brisk pace on their path through the forested hills. They were finally almost out of the mountain range. Filo was pulling the wagon as usual. Naofumi was on the driver's bench trying to translate a recipe for a sleep resistance potion from his medical grimoire. He wondered if it was something like coffee, or if it actually provided resistance to attacks that made the target drowsy.
Raphtalia was currently resting in the back of the wagon. Having been up most of last night because of all the monsters that had constantly harassed their camp.
Even now, miles away from their last campsite, they were being harassed by monsters.
A large porcupine burst out of the forest in front of Filo. However, because of Filo's much larger mass, speed, and with Naofumi's spell boosting her defense, Filo plowed right through the porcupine. Knocking it's much smaller body away with her wing into a tree. "Hm hmmm hm hmmhm." Filo kept on humming.
Naofumi was almost tempted to hum along with Filo as the familiar experience notification appeared next to his head again.
He still wished the little girl wouldn't call him her father. But he was in better spirits now since he could finally cast magic.
Granted, the spell would wear off after a few minutes, and he'd have to cast it once again; still, he didn't mind at all. Ever since he'd learned how to channel mana from the accessory merchant he'd found himself feeling far happier and more upbeat. And he gladly took time to practice the two spells he knew whenever he could. Fast Guard, and Fast Heal. The spell he'd learned shortly after leaving the merchant back in Algade.
Even now he still found himself sometimes thinking about what he'd learned.
"Now, observe."
Naofumi watched as the accessory merchant's hand hovered over the nicely cut emerald on the table in front of him. A blue glow then came from the merchant's hand, and then suddenly the gem started to glow. "To enchant an accessory, you first need a source to power the enchantment. And while your own mana supply will be sufficient for most basic enchantments, using a rare gemstone can provide access to far better enchantments." The merchant explained.
"You mean like how you explained the rarer the ore, the easier it is to give a better enchantment?" Naofumi asked.
"Precisely." The Merchant said with a smile on his face. "Silver is almost always better to use than Copper. But gold is better than them both. And neither of the three could ever compare to rare ores or gemstones. An Emerald won't get as good as enchantments near as often as a Ruby. And a Ruby won't get as good as enchantments that Diamonds achieve. And then rarer gemstones than that will provide even better enchantments."
"Though, with gemstones, you have to make sure they're cut and polished properly, otherwise, the effects from them won't be near as strong as they could be."
"So the reason why your Silver Ring is so rare-" Naofumi started to say.
"Is because it achieved a Gold Diamond Level Enchantment with Silver and an Emerald used for the enchantment process." The merchant finished happily. "An extremely rare possibility! One I can't hope to replicate again in my lifetime!"
Naofumi looked down at the gemstone again. What he was learning would come in handy. However… "How do you infuse mana into it?" He asked. "I mean, I'm not very good at magic." He admitted.
"Hmmm. Explain." The merchant asked curiously.
"Well, I learned a spell from a grimoire already. But whenever I try to use it, nothing works-" Naofumi was explaining.
"Hmmm, that's rather a simple issue really." The merchant said, interrupting Naofumi.
"... It is?" Naofumi asked in unbelief.
"Why yes. You obviously have the magical capability if you learned a spell from a grimoire. I've met several people in my life who knew magic but couldn't cast it. Only because they didn't know how to channel their mana." He surprised Naofumi again by grabbing his hand and moving it over the infused gemstone. "Tell me, what do you feel?"
Naofumi recovered from his surprise and focused on what he felt coming from the gemstone under his hand. "It feels… strangely warm." He said after a moment.
"Focus on that warm feeling." The accessory merchant advised. "Imagine the warmness trickling in and out of your hand. Imagine it becoming a part of you."
…
…
Naofumi was beginning to think after concentrating really hard that the merchant was messing with him, but then a surprising thing happened. The gemstone beneath his hand became cold. "Yes, good! You managed to take the mana out of the gemstone!" The merchant said excitedly. Beneath Naofumi's hand, the gemstone no longer glowed.
'What…' Naofumi quickly checked his gauges. 'Holy hell!' Naofumi found his eyes widening in surprise when he saw his MP gauge. The amount of mana he'd taken in had overfilled his gauge to over double what he was supposed to have.
Though the excess was quickly draining.
"I'd recommend putting that mana back in the gemstone before it all goes to waste." The merchant advised.
"You couldn't have told me that beforehand?!" Naofumi asked incredulously.
"Well, that's because as long as you remember what you felt, you shouldn't have a problem channeling your mana." The merchant said happily. "Hmmm… at least, I hope not." He added as an afterthought.
Naofumi wanted to facepalm. He wanted to facepalm so badly. But instead, he put his hand over the gemstone. He focused on the warm feeling he'd felt before... 'This warm feeling, the one that was emanating from the stone…' His eyes widened slightly under his hood. 'There it is!'
It was like discovering another layer of himself he hadn't realized he had before. One that felt like it was just under the surface of his skin. It was weird. He didn't know whether or not it was because of the amount of mana he was holding or not, but that warm feeling was glowing brightly inside his being. Almost too bright. Was this what Raphtalia had meant when she explained magic as being a part of herself?
He imagined that part of him, extending out from his hand and infusing itself into the emerald below him. And then, that warm feeling dimmed significantly, like a fire turning into the glowing embers of charcoals. His MP gauge dropped sharply.
"You did it, Nocturnal Doctor!"
Naofumi looked down at the now infused gemstone below him. His MP gauge currently showed itself being half full. He'd lost a good chunk of MP after absorbing it. "Now that it's fully saturated again, let us use it for an enchantment!" The merchant added excitedly.
So much MP for one enchantment? He couldn't imagine how much mana he'd need to put into a ruby, let alone, a diamond at his current level before he could use it for enchanting.
After a few minutes of excitement, the merchant had a silver bracelet with a hole for the emerald in place on the table. "This is the last step, and normally the one that most people mess up. Most trinkets, armor, and weapons can be enchanted. Normally, all you'd have to do is touch the item to whatever you're enchanting to start the process." The merchant explained. "However, if done improperly, you risk destroying both the gemstone and the accessory. To avert this, you make a slot that'll fit the gemstone perfectly. Like so." He fit the emerald into the premade slot he'd made in the side of the bracelet.
"It also adds a bit of beauty to the final product if I do say so myself." He said in admiration, awing over the bracelet before he handed it to Naofumi. "I'll allow you to do the final honors Nocturnal Doctor."
The bracelet's item description appeared on Naofumi's status magic screen. At the bottom of the description was a new option.
Enchant Great Quality Silver Bracelet?
He selected the enchant option, and the bracelet glowed a bright green for a few seconds. Naofumi's MP gauge dropped to almost empty. Then, finally, the light cleared and a new notification appeared on his screen.
Enchantment successful. New Item: Good Quality Silver Bracelet. Enchantment Applied: Slight Agility Up.
...
"Hmmm. Not as exciting as I thought it'd be." The merchant said. "What do you think Nocturnal Doctor?" The merchant asked.
"The quality went down after I enchanted it. And it used up almost the rest of my MP to enchant it… plus, the effect I got from it wasn't what I was expecting." Naofumi spoke in a dry tone.
"That is one last detail I should mention." The merchant said. "The enchantment effects received at the end of the process are always random."
"Always random, huh?" Naofumi looked up at the merchant and smirked from under his hood. A new idea was forming in his head. An idea that, just maybe, might finally give him a way to increase his attack stat. After all, if it was always random, then there was no way his Shield could stop him from enchanting something to raise his attack. "I don't think I'd mind that at all."
"Indeed!" The merchant said happily. "Now I know we've been at this a few hours already, but if you want, I'd like to teach you more. You truly appear to have a knack for this sort of thing!"
"The night is still young," Naofumi replied as he resettled into his chair. "Let's keep at it."
He wanted to learn all he could.
Naofumi sighed happily in his seat. Not only had he learned the ins and outs of enchanting, but because he had learned how to channel his mana. He had found hope of finally having a way to increase his attack stat once more.
Before they'd parted ways, the merchant had given him a signed sheet of paper. It signified his connection with the Merchant's guild, amongst other things.
'Where spells, weapons, and armor won't work, maybe this will finally be the thing that helps me increase my attack stat!'
"What was that Master Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked curiously and tiredly as she took a seat by Naofumi on the bench.
Had she just read his mind again? Either way, her reappearance caught him off guard. "Nothing. Just thinking about the spell I'm using to keep Filo safe while we travel." He said calmly. "And why are you up? We just started an hour ago."
"I was getting a little queasy back there," Raphtalia admitted tiredly as she rubbed at her eyes.
"... You're still not used to riding in the back of the wagon? Are you?" Naofumi asked.
"Well, I'm not using any medicine today to see if-" Raphtalia was saying as she was checking her own HUD. "Um, are you sure you cast a spell on our daughter?" Raphtalia asked, looking at Filo's status.
"Yeah, I'm sure, and she's not my-" Naofumi's eyes widened when he looked at Filo's status himself. The spell had long since worn off. He'd been so caught up in his memories of several nights ago he'd forgotten to reapply the defense magic!
At that same moment of realization, another porcupine jumped out of the forest into the center of the road. It was easily as wide as Filo and blocked the path ahead. It had a purple arrow pointing down at its head. Naofumi's appraisal skill identified it as Filo stopped.
Quill King: Level 45
"The other porcupines were only level 30," Naofumi said in surprise. He was about to tell Filo to turn around and find another way when Filo slammed a foot down on the road.
"Yayyy! I'm finally going to have the chance to have a real fight!" Filo said excitedly. "I hope this monster puts up more of a fight than those other weak ones.
"Hngh!" The Quill King screeched as it reared up on its hind legs. It did not take kindly to having Filo call its kids weaklings. It brought both feet crashing down on the road, and then a barrage of sharp quills launched from its back at Filo.
"Filo-" Naofumi tried to warn her to move.
"It's okay Daddy. Those things won't hurt me-" Filo was bragging as she lifted her wing to defend herself. However, she'd thought that Naofumi's spell was still active. Unfortunately, even if it had, this boss wasn't like the other weaker porcupine monsters.
"Owie!" Filo cried as the quills pierced her wing. She fell back onto the ground, cradling her hurt wing to her chest.
"Filo!" Naofumi jumped off the bench and landed in front of Filo, shield raised towards the porcupine. "Royal Shield!" A gold-colored barrier of energy with a crown in the center of it appeared in front of Naofumi and Filo.
"Keep it distracted!" Raphtalia had already disappeared from where she'd been standing on the wagon by the time she yelled.
"I'll try-" Naofumi was cut off as more large Quills from the boss slammed into the skill he'd placed. While it stopped the needles from hitting him and Filo, it shattered the skill entirely.
The Quill King screeched angrily at Naofumi as it prepared to fire more quills from its back. It turned out the skill didn't get any special bonuses facing monsters with royal titles in their names.
Oh well, he had other skills he could use.
"Air Strike Shield!" A large green shield appeared in front of Filo and himself. The Boss Monster fired another round of large quills at them, but these ones bounced harmlessly off onto the ground. The skill stayed in place.
He should have just started out with this.
"Grrr…" After seeing its barrage fail, the Quill King growled angrily. Naofumi grimaced as he held a defensible stance in front of the whimpering Filo. 'As long as I stand in front of Filo, it won't get a chance to hurt her.' He thought logically. 'My defense is too high for it to do any damage to me, so as long as-'
More screeching sounds came from the sides. Naofumi quickly turned his head and saw several smaller porcupines that had appeared on either side of the wagon. The Quill King's growling now sounded pleased with its young.
... How long did Raphtalia need him to distract these monsters for? He was growing impatient with only being able to defend here.
Filo tried pulling at one of the quills in her wing with her beak but cried out in pain from the action. Her HUD showed that she had been poisoned and paralyzed from the first barrage.
The Quill King screeched out its orders to the smaller porcupines, and the quills on their backs bristled. Naofumi, upon closer inspection, saw venom dripping off the tips. His grimace grew deeper. Where the hell was Raphtalia-
"Hah!" Slash!
The porcupine boss's eyes widened in surprise. A dying gasp escaped its lips. Then blood burst from the gash that had cleaved it in two. From the front of its head all the way back to the tip of its tail. The two pieces fell to either side, and blood quickly coated the ground.
The other porcupines, who had been about to launch their barrage, looked stunned.
Naofumi looked as surprised as the Boss Monster had been. "How the hell-" He stopped speaking as Raphtalia appeared from her Hide Mirage spell in front of the carcass. She was taking deep measured breaths, but the glare on her face didn't look any less deadly as she looked up at the other porcupines.
She... she sliced that whole thing in two?! How?! Her sword wasn't nearly as long as it!
This world could truly be strange at times.
The large critters turned tail and bolted back into the forest. Not wanting to deal with Raphtalia's rage.
She slowly sheathed her blade back in its sheath. "No one… no one… is allowed, to harm my daughter." She said evenly.
The Air Strike Shield disappeared. Naofumi reminded himself to never piss of Raphtalia.
"Mommy!" Filo whined behind Naofumi.
Raphtalia without a second thought ran by the monster carcass and past the still surprised Naofumi to reach Filo. "Are you okay Filo?" Raphtalia asked worriedly.
"That last monster really hurt!" Filo pouted as she looked at her wing. A fistful of porcupine quills was still sticking out from her feathers. Some spots were lightly dripping blood, staining her feathers red.
Raphtalia tried to reach for one, but Filo worriedly put her other wing over her wounded one. Not wanting the pain to somehow get worse. "It's okay. I promise it won't hurt." Raphtalia said.
"... Okay, mommy." Filo moved her wing away, and Raphtalia got to work pulling the long sharp quills from Filo's wings.
"Ow!" Filo cried out when Raphtalia pulled the biggest quill out. "It stings mommy! Mommy lied to Filo!" She continued to cry.
"There there. It'll be okay." Raphtalia comforted Filo as she tried to work as gently as she could. "It'll be over in a moment."
…
Naofumi finally snapped out of his reverie and pulled two potions from his inventory. He kept his shield out, just in case the other porcupines came back as he began to mix the two together.
"Hey, it doesn't hurt as much anymore!" Filo suddenly said.
"That's great!" Raphtalia said happily.
Raphtalia finished pulling the last quill out of Filo's wing. Right as Naofumi finished the little mixed concoction he'd been working on. "Alright, my turn now," Naofumi said as he and Raphtalia switched places.
"As source of thy power, I order thee, decipher the laws of nature, and heal my target. Fast Heal!" Naofumi chanted.
Green light appeared from Naofumi's hand over Filo's wing. The small holes the quills had in her wing closed over. Within a few seconds, besides a couple of scars hidden in the feathers, Filo's wing was as good as new. "Here, drink this," Naofumi ordered as he handed Filo the potion.
"What is it for?" Filo asked curiously. "Does it taste nasty?!" She then complained.
"... Just drink the damn thing please." Naofumi said impatiently.
Filo took the bottle from Naofumi's hand with her beak and leaned her head back to drink it. Her body glowed in response to the potion beginning to take effect.
"How do you feel Filo?" Raphtalia asked.
Filo spat the glass potion bottle away. "Wait, don't-" It crashed into the path a dozen feet away, shattering into a thousand pieces.
He'd... still... needed that...
"Filo feels... amazing Mommy!" Filo yelled happily after a moment.
"That's great!" Raphtalia clapped her hands together happily.
Filo jumped forward, and in a poof of feathers, she wrapped her small child arms happily around Raphtalia. "Filo feel really great now!" She said happily. "Filo could take on the entire world!"
"Remember, what do you say to daddy for helping you out?" Raphtalia said in a mommy tone.
"Thanks, daddy!" Filo said happily to Naofumi.
"Sure, no problem," Naofumi said in a guarded voice as he picked up the pieces of the potion bottle from off the ground. After that, he chanted and selected Filo on his HUD. "Fast Guard."
The protection spell went over Filo's body again. The status of the spell taking effect appeared in Naofumi's vision again.
"Now that you're healed up..." Naofumi went to the dead boss monster and began to cut it apart. "Filo, give me a hand here."
"Yes, Daddy!" Filo said happily. She jumped out of Raphtalia's embrace and ran to the carcass of the great porcupine. Raphtalia smiled happily at Filo's childlike antics.
It took a few minutes, but with Filo helping with her talons, and after Naofumi made sure she didn't try eating anything he needed, he absorbed the boss monster's various parts in his shield.
Sadly, the only shield he unlocked had an equip bonus that slightly increased his resistance to poison.
Naofumi grabbed the edge of the wagon. He was growing tired of these constant monster interruptions. He could hardly work to translate the medical grimoire with how often they were occurring. When the hell would they leave them alone?!
His thoughts were cut off as Raphtalia embraced him from behind. "I'm so happy your hard work in magic is finally paying off!" Her tail was wagging fiercely behind her.
"... Oh, um, it's nothing really." Naofumi tried to wave it off calmly. However, the hug and praise were starting to make him blush. "Besides, you saw how useful I was in that fight."
Raphtalia giggled as she let him go. "Yes, but you were able to heal up Filo." She said happily. "And you kept her from receiving worse injuries."
As he thought over her words, he recalled when he'd been hurt by that porcupine outside Mirso. Then he remembered another time when Raphtalia had received a nasty cut on her arm from a plant-based monster a week and a half after the dog monster. But now that he knew spells that could either prevent injury or apply immediate first aid…
It didn't give them an excuse to be reckless. But who knew that a lot of the more basic troubles they'd had to deal with on the road could be solved with a few simple spells? Maybe he could be more useful in a fight… or after the fight, or before.
Once he was done translating the medical grimoire, he really needed to learn some more spells. He still had to find a spell that'd fulfill his dream of a blurry Raphtalia pounding Bitch and Trash into the ground at the same time.
All he'd need is an offensive spell, and then...
"Hmmm, this is surprising." The witch said, looking amazed. From the orb, a green ball of energy swirled in harmony with a white ball of energy.
"What is it?" Naofumi asked.
"You have a rare affinity for healing, and support magic Shield Hero." The witch said happily.
"How rare is it?" Naofumi asked skeptically. 'Seriously, healing, and support!? Why not fire or ice or lightning or, or something offensive!?'
"Kid, out of the hundreds of magic users I've met in my life, I've only met a dozen or so who said their affinity was in support or healing magic. You're the first one who I've heard of having an affinity for both." Elhart said, sounding rather impressed. "Not to say that a water mage couldn't learn a water spell that'd heal someone. But you have magic that's capable of bringing someone back from death if you get it powerful enough!"
"Alright. But does that mean I can only learn that kind of magic, or can I learn-" He tried to ask.
The witch answered, knowing what his question was. "I'm sorry, normally if you had an affinity for something like, let's say Earth. You'd be able to learn all sorts of Earth spells. But since you have these two rare non-elemental affinities, I'm afraid it'll be impossible for you to learn any type of elemental magic outside of those attributes. So no Water Heal. No Earth Guard. No Healing Warmth. Just plain Support and Healing like Guard and Heal."
"... Yay…" Naofumi muttered weakly. 'Great. So now I'm really specialized to be an unarmed cleric in battle.' Naofumi thought sarcastically. 'Thanks a lot shield for taking away another option for offense! Not!'
If the shield could read his mind, it didn't show it. But in all likelihood, even if he did have a Water attribute, it likely would have still limited him to Support and Healing spells in that attribute since, while his Magic stat was high, his ATT and Magic ATT stats were still as abysmal as ever.
Learning an offensive spell would do him nothing but waste MP.
...
Naofumi looked like the world was crushing him after recalling that...
Oh well, at least he still had the chance of possibly producing an enchanted item that would raise his attack stat… hopefully…
"Filo, you done over there yet?" Naofumi asked.
"Just about Daddy!" Filo said. She was finishing her feast on the last things Naofumi hadn't absorbed in his shield.
"Think you'd be up for driving this time?" Naofumi asked Raphtalia.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind one bit," Raphtalia said cheerfully as she climbed up into the wagon and sat in the driver's seat next to Naofumi. She was wide awake now after the last fight. By the time she was all adjusted, Filo came back in her large bird form. The carcass behind her was gone.
Had she already... Naofumi got a little queasy. The porcupine had been huge... this bird truly didn't have a bottom to her stomach, did she?
"Filo's ready to go!" Filo easily gripped the wagon with her wings. "That was fun! Filo hopes we get to fight even more powerful monsters today!"
Naofumi sweatdropped where he sat. Hadn't she just whined and complained about being injured at the start of the fight?
Raphtalia held the reins and started to hum along with Filo as Naofumi looked down at the medical grimoire. At least they wouldn't have to stop for lunch. Still, he couldn't help but think that Filo was one special bird.
"Were you thinking something rude Master Naofumi?"
...
HOW THE HELL DID SHE DO IT?!
"Hmmm hmm hmmm hmm hm hmmm hmmm." Filo and the wagon continued on down the path down the forested hills out of the mountains.
…
"Looks like we chose to watch the right path."
"That was the Shield Demon and his party. Finally, at last, we shall capture him and make him pay for his sins..."
"Shall I send word to the other shadow groups?"
"... no, I think our group should be enough."
"Are you certain? We could at least contact Lady Altara and let her know-"
"I'd rather Lady Altara didn't take all the credit for us capturing the Shield Demon. I will be the one credited for this. Not that false human."
"... as you wish sir. We will set up the ambush immediately."
"Good. Let us hurry."
The Church Shadows took off into the trees. The head Shadow of the group followed along behind them.
Twenty minutes passed, with nothing of note happening.
"Do you hear any monsters Raphtalia?" Naofumi asked.
Her ears flicked as she carefully listened. "I hear a few, but it sounds like they're keeping their distance." She said after a few seconds.
"Thank God. I guess killing that last monster scared them off." Naofumi said with relief.
His shield still remained on his arm for the moment despite that comfort. As long as no one else was on the road with them, he felt it'd be safe to have it out. He was close to finishing his translation for this potion.
Just one last paragraph...
…
"Mas, Master Naofumi." Raphtalia suddenly said shyly.
Raphtalia speaking threw him off from where he had been in the text. "Yes, Raphtalia?" He asked her.
… Raphtalia shook her head to clear it of whatever she was thinking. "Oh, it's nothing Master Naofumi." She said quietly.
"... Alright then." Naofumi started to try and find where he'd left off in the last paragraph.
"Hmm hmmm hmm hm hmm." Filo continued humming to herself in front of them.
...
"I just, um... I hit level 40." She admitted quietly.
…
Naofumi blinked in surprise at that, and quickly checked their stats again. Raphtalia was level 40, and a star had appeared next to her name.
"What does it show on your HUD, Raphtalia?" He asked.
Raphtalia was quiet for a moment… "It says I can't go up any more levels… not unless I go to a Dragon Hourglass and get a class upgrade." She said quietly.
'I almost forgot. Ren said Heroes don't need them, but the rest of my party will after they hit 40.' He looked at Raphtalia again. He would have thought she'd be happy that she'd managed to hit such a high level so quickly, but instead, she looked sad… sitting down with her tail drooping off the driver's bench behind her.
It took Naofumi a few seconds of thinking to figure out why. There wasn't an hourglass they knew of where they could have the ritual performed besides the Church. There were others out there somewhere, but they had no idea where. So for now, this was the highest level Raphtalia could achieve.
"Hey, come here."
Raphtalia didn't make a move. So he put his grimoire away and put an arm over her shoulders. "It's okay. I'm sure we'll find a way for you and Filo to get your class upgrades somehow. So don't worry about it." He said seriously to her. "Just because you won't be able to level up now, that doesn't mean you're not going to continue to find ways to get stronger."
Raphtalia stiffened… and then she relaxed into Naofumi's side. "How did you realize that's what I was worried about?" She asked quietly.
"I don't know. I could ask you the same thing." He admitted. "You always seem to know when I'm worried about something, or when I'm feeling down… or whenever I'm thinking about something rude."
Raphtalia started to smile again. Naofumi rested his head to Raphtalia's. "I'm supposed to be the Shield Hero. Yet it always seems like you're working your hardest to get stronger so you can protect me."
He was beginning to appreciate moments like this more and more now. He got the feeling she was too. The way her tail was wagging happily behind her and all. "I just want to be able to protect you and Filo from whatever danger we face," Raphtalia admitted quietly.
"And I have no doubt you'll do a great job of it. Class Upgrade or not." He said to her. "Though to be honest, I don't know what I'd do if you got a class upgrade."
"What do you mean?" Raphtalia asked curiously.
"You're so strong, you one-shotted a level 45 boss at level 39. If your stats get any higher, then they might think about sending only you to fight the waves instead of me and the other heroes." Naofumi said sarcastically. "You'd put me out of the job."
Raphtalia lightly laughed. "I'm sure they could have you cook the victory feast afterward."
"Nuh uh. No way." Naofumi laughed along with her.
...
"Awwww, where did all the monsters go?"
Naofumi and Raphtalia were dragged out of their moment. At first, they thought Filo was complaining about them being all lovey-dovey again. Which made no sense, as parents were supposed to be loving towards each other.
But then, they saw Filo was looking around at the forest around them with a look of disappointment on her face and not them.
"What are you talking about Filo?" Raphtalia asked.
"I'm not hearing any monsters around us anymore. They're all gone." Filo said with disappointment. "Filo was really hoping that more would come out and attack Filo."
"Seriously? After what happened last time?" Naofumi asked in a flat voice.
"It was a big porcupine daddy! Filo wouldn't have gotten hurt if it was smaller!" Filo complained.
Raphtalia's ears twitched on top of her head as she moved off of Naofumi's shoulder and listened to their surroundings.
The sounds they'd been hearing the last while were gone. No snapping twigs. No heavy breathing in the bushes. It was just... unnaturally silent.
Well, besides Filo and Naofumi, who were arguing with each other about the fight with the Quill King.
"Shhhh." She shushed Filo and Naofumi. She said nothing after that, but gestured for them to look around.
Her tail that had been wagging before was starting to bristle. At the same moment, Filo slowed to a stop. Naofumi looked around, stuffing the medical grimoire into the wagon behind him.
"Something isn't right. The air feels… strange." Filo said ominously.
Even though he didn't have as good sight or hearing as Raphtalia and Filo, Naofumi was able to sense that something wasn't right. It was like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
The Church Shadows looked at each other in the foliage. It was now or never.
He didn't hear it, but he saw it flying through the air. Right out of the brush in the tree above them. "Filo-"
The dart hit Filo in the neck. "Ahhhh!" Filo quickly pulled out the object, a steel-colored dart, and crushed it in her wing. A green liquid spilled out from the dart. "Owie-" From all around, more darts came flying out of the trees heading for the three of them.
"Shield Prison!"
A green ball of chains and plated metal wrapped around the whole wagon. Protecting Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Filo from the barrage outside. Naofumi knew, however, that it wouldn't last very long. 'Why are they attacking us!? We've done-' He suddenly felt at the lowered hood on the back of his head and looked down at the Shield still out in plain sight on his right wrist. 'DAMN IT! I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL ALONE OUT HERE!'
"Filo, are you okay?!" Raphtalia asked in worry.
"Filo feels fine," Filo said as she rubbed the area where the dart had hit her. "For a sec there, Filo felt kind of sleepy. But Filo's okay now."
Naofumi grimaced. "Great, so those darts are filled with a form of tranquilizer." He said through gritted teeth.
"What?" Raphtalia asked.
'Whoever is out there knows who we are. And they're trying to capture us...' "Prepare to run Filo!"
"Got it!" Filo responded as she got ready.
"Raphtalia, get in the back! I need you to slow them down with whatever magic tricks you have!" Naofumi ordered.
Raphtalia obeyed even though Naofumi hadn't answered his question.
"As Shield Hero I order thee, decipher the laws of nature and protect my targets! Fast Guard!" Naofumi used the spell twice in quick succession, selecting Raphtalia and Filo on his HUDs. The spells washed over the two, increasing their defense.
Naofumi gripped Filo's reins tightly. He switched his shield over to the Chimera Viper Shield, and waited…
The Shield Prison dropped, and almost as quickly the darts started flying through the air again. "NOW!"
"Huahhhh!" Filo ran forward, pulling the wagon away from the spot right before the darts could hit her precious wagon and its precious occupants. Her parents.
All the blow darts that had been aimed at her bounced off back onto the ground. At the same time, Raphtalia finished chanting.
"Fast Light!" A ball of bright light appeared behind the wagon like a flashbang. The half-Raccoon girl hoped it'd provide enough of a distraction for them to escape.
"Way to go Filo!" Naofumi said. He hadn't had to raise his shield to block anything.
"Thanks, daddy!" Filo said happily.
"Looks like we escaped that ambush pretty easily!" Naofumi said with glee. They had avoided the trap, and now Filo was tearing down the path faster than the average Filolial. They were as good as-
"Um, master Naofumi, behind us!" Raphtalia shouted back to him.
He looked back through the open flaps of the wagon. The ball of light disappeared, and then he saw their ambushers. A group of black-garbed people moving through the trees. Jumping from branch to branch so lithely that hardly a sound came from their movements. There had to be at least a dozen of them! And not only were they keeping pace with Filo's speed, but they were gradually catching up!
Were they... ninjas, or something? Their agility and dexterity stats had to be incredibly high to keep up with Filo!
Whatever they were, they were gaining, and fast.
"Try to slow them down!-" Naofumi tried to yell back to Raphtalia.
A dart glanced off his neck. He quickly turned just as three black-garbed figures jumped out of the trees they were passing. Two landed on either side of Naofumi while one landed onto the wagon's covering. The masked ninja tore a big hole in it. Revealing Raphtalia and all the supplies in the back.
"Daddy-" Filo started to yell in worry.
"Keep running!" Naofumi ordered as he blocked what looked like a dagger from the ninja in front of him. The ninja behind him made to stab one of the darts into Naofumi's back, but Naofumi quickly jumped back into the wagon. The ninja's dart stabbed into his compatriot, who immediately collapsed. The ninja's eyes widened in surprise at accidentally tranquilizing his friend.
"Hah!" The figure turned to late as Naofumi grabbed him and threw him off the wagon with his strength. While it did no damage, the ninja crashed into the trunk of a tree. Naofumi then pushed the other sleeping figure off the wagon onto the side of the road. 'Got two down.' Naofumi turned around just as Raphtalia sent the last black-garbed figure flying using the flat of her sword. Half of the wagon covering was missing, exposing the whole right side to attack.
"Who are they, Master Naofumi?!" Raphtalia asked.
"How the hell should I know?!" The Shield Hero replied. He hadn't seen any identifying markers on them yet. It could be mercenaries hired by the bandits, but that didn't make much sense for a simple group of bandits to be able to hire so many. He'd also revealed he was the Shield Hero, but these people weren't backing down. Did that mean the King had hired them, or was it the Church?
The black-garbed ninjas that had initially ambushed them had been steadily catching back up to the wagon while Naofumi and Raphtalia had fought the other three. More were joining them from the forest all around. Then, while still jumping from tree to tree, they began blowing more steel-colored darts from blow dart guns at Filo, Raphtalia, and Naofumi. Some ninja stars were also thrown into the mix.
The rest of Naofumi's thoughts were put on hold. "Air Strike Shield!"
Naofumi formed a sideways green shield to the side of him, helping to protect the exposed right part of the wagon.
"Hah! Hah!" At the back of the wagon, Raphtalia sliced darts out of the air with her sword. As she did so she started to chant. "As source of thy power, I order thee, decipher the laws of nature, and send a slash of light at my target!" Her sword glowed with light. "Light Slash!" She made a slashing motion with her sword, then an arc of light came out from it. It traveled through the air at the trees. It shredded several more darts and a ninja star before impacting against one of the black-garbed figures. He was sent reeling with a bloody burning wound across his chest down into the forest.
The rest, however, continued to pursue the fleeing wagon. Not relenting with their assault.
"Royal Shield!" He tried the same skill from earlier since his Air Strike Shield was already out while facing toward Raphtalia. It appeared just in front of her at the edge of his range. However, while it lasted longer than it had whilst he'd been protecting Filo, it didn't hold for long under the continuous bombardment of darts and ninja stars and quickly shattered just as his other skill shattered.
Raphtalia quickly went back to deflecting more projectiles from herself.
"Ugh…" Naofumi growled in frustration. If only he could figure out who was attacking them and find a way to escape. He just felt so useless since he didn't have much in the way of ranged attacks to help protect Filo and Raphtalia. His best skills were on cooldown, so all he could use was his shield to block the darts on one side from hitting Filo. Trusting his defense and his armor to protect himself from the darts and ninja stars.
A skill's cooldown finished. "Shield Prison!"
The tree he pointed at was encased in the familiar ball of chains and plates. One black-garbed figure was trapped inside, several more slammed into it and fell to the ground. The rest, however, dodged around or over it and continued the pursuit.
Raphtalia sliced another dart out of the air. She quickly turned towards Naofumi and gasped. "Master Naofumi, behind you!" She yelled.
Naofumi turned, and his eyes widened as he saw another black-garbed figure wielding a dagger dripping with venom come jumping out of one of the trees on the other side up ahead. He raised his shield to react, but he had been paying too much attention to the opposite side behind him. His shield wasn't going to block it in time. And while he had high defense, if that nicked him, it'd mean squat if it poisoned him!
That'd cost him precious time having to drink an antidote, time that could be used to attack Filo and Raphtalia!
Too slow, he was too slow!
As if in slow motion, the black-garbed figure gained more detail as he got closer and closer. The figure was dressed entirely in black, only the eyes visible underneath his mask. In the midst of that black though, a silver chain hung around the figure's neck. And on the chain…
The rosary of the Three Heroes Church.
Naofumi's eyes widened.
"And blow my targets away! Fast Tornado!"
Right before the black-garbed figure was able to drive her dagger into the Shield Hero, a blast of wind in the shape of a tornado slammed the figure away into a tree. The spell itself continued into the trees, blasting away more of the black-garbed figures on that side of the path who hadn't been prepared for the spell. "No one is allowed to harm Filo's daddy!" Filo yelled as she ran by.
Naofumi quickly turned, looking down at Filo in surprise. "Wait, you know wind magic!" He yelled in shock. "Since when could you do that?!"
"Filo read the one weird book with mommy," Filo said back to Naofumi. "Filo learned how to manipulate the mana around Filo with it! That's how Filo learned magic!"
She'd been born only two weeks ago and yet she could already use magic?! Yet, far from complaining about it, he was ecstatic, even if he hadn't entirely understood her explanation! Because he wasn't poisoned, and this bird had ranged attacks that they could utilize!
"Was that okay for Filo to do Daddy?!" Filo asked in worry.
"Yes, it's more than fine! Keep running! And use more of that wind magic on those bastards!" Naofumi ordered. "Air Strike Shield!" He made another shield to the side, helping to keep them safe from darts on that side for the moment. He then raised his shield, defending Filo from the other side.
"Light Slash!" Raphtalia finished her chanting again and sent another slash of light through the air into the trees using her sword.
"Fast, Tornado!" Filo sent another tornado of air at the black-garbed figures. Most of them dodged this time, but one unfortunate soul was slammed headfirst into a tree from the spell. The dozens of Three Hero Church Shadows who had gradually joined in as Filo fled down the winding path in the forest were slowly starting to get dwindled down.
Raphtalia breathed in and out heavily as she slashed through another wave of darts that came in retaliation. Her MP bar was almost depleted from use of magic. Especially her costly Light Slash spell, which she'd learned recently. "Master Naofumi, they aren't slowing down!" She yelled back to him.
"Try using your invisibility spell and attack them in the trees!" Naofumi suggested.
"Got it! As source of thy power, I order thee…"
Naofumi thought to himself as he guarded Filo. 'Somehow, the Three Heroes Church knew we were coming this way. And they set up an ambush in the middle of the forest just for us. But how did they-' He was finally connecting the dots in his mind. He quickly pulled his map out and looked at the forest they were supposed to be in. 'Stupid! I chose to backtrack and go our original route away from Bellona Village! The commotion with the demi-humans there probably grabbed the Church's attention! I should have just continued past Algade!' He was beyond pissed with his stupidity.
He looked ahead on the map, trying to find a way for them to get out of this mess. Filo released another Fast Tornado on the group. They'd lost half of the pursuing Shadows so far, but they were getting tired. He had to find a way out of this, and quick-
"And hide me from my targets! Hide- Augh!"
Naofumi quickly turned around and saw Raphtalia fall back into the wagon. She had deflected a ninja star from hitting her face while chanting, but a steel-colored dart was sticking out of one of her arms. It had pierced her skin despite Naofumi's Fast Guard spell boosting her defense. "Raphtalia!" He jumped into the back of the wagon and crouched over her, holding his Chimera Viper Shield above him. More darts and stars made their way through the large hole in the white covering of the wagon above them. "Are you alright?!" He asked.
Raphtalia shakily nodded as she pulled the dart out of her arm. "Yeah. I'm alright… Master..." She weakly slumped back down onto the wood boards of the wagon. Within seconds she was snoring away.
And to think Filo had been able to resist that...
"Daddy, is mommy okay back there?" Filo asked worriedly.
Naofumi blocked another dart that tore through what was left of the cloth hanging over the back entrance. Was it just him, or were there less of them coming at him than before? Maybe they were finally starting to figure out that his defense was too high for their ranged attacks to work on him? "Yeah, she's just taking a nap." He said.
"... A nap sounds nice about now Daddy," Filo said drowsily outside.
'... Oh hell! Filo!' He got back to the front and opened the wagon flap. He quickly realized why he hadn't needed to block any darts. There was, of course, the rest of the white cloth covering over the wagon that made it hard to get clear shots. But more than that, his Air Strike Shield had worn off, and most of the black-garbed figures had moved ahead to target Filo. She had several more darts sticking out of various parts of her body, and was visibly starting to slow down while trying to block the barrage.
"Filo!" He raised his shield, blocking another dart that came close to hitting his neck. While the majority were firing on Filo, a few aimed at Naofumi to try and keep him back. "You can't stop Filo! Keep running!"
"But, Filo's tired… Filo only wants to nap for a moment…" Her head was starting to nod off. Several more darts sank into her feathers.
If she stopped running, they were done for! He couldn't fight off these shadows by himself. He couldn't damage them no matter how hard he tried. He had to think of something! 'Come on, think, think think think think-'
A lightbulb went off in his mind, and he almost wanted to facepalm. Filo had one motivation above all else!
He wasn't her daddy. He was her damn butler! "FILO! If you stop now and fail to get us out of this mess, then I'm never going to cook for you again!" Naofumi yelled in his best threatening grouchy tone.
Just as Filo had been about to stop and fall asleep, the words she'd most dreaded to hear reached her ears. 'WHATTTTTTTTT?!' Filo instantly became alert, all thought of sleep being expunged from her mind. "But Filo loves Daddy's cooking!" She complained.
"Too bad! Unless you run as fast as you can, then I'm never-"
"High Quick!"
"- going to- Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The rest of what Naofumi was going to say was cut off as Filo activated a spell he'd never before and drastically picked up speed. He was thrown screaming into some boxes in the back of the wagon near Raphtalia.
"Please, just five more minutes Master Naofumi," Raphtalia mumbled tiredly.
Naofumi quickly disentangled himself from his merchandise and looked out the back of the wagon. Filo was running so quickly that a trail of dust was being left in their wake. The black-garbed figures that had been pursuing them were also falling behind. Some of them had to stop because they were coughing from the sudden inhalation of dust, others stopped because they were surprised at the speed Filo showed after being injected with enough tranquilizer to put a dragon to sleep. Some of them recovered and tried to follow, but within a few seconds, they turned a bend and the Shadows disappeared from view.
...
After a few seconds, Naofumi finally relaxed with relief onto the seat on the side of the wagon. "Thank goodness."
"Daddy's not going to take away dinner from Filo, right?" Filo tiredly asked. Her skill was starting to wear off, but she was still running as fast as she could.
"No, you're getting extra helpings tonight Filo. Good work." He answered.
"Yayyyyyyy!"
Naofumi closed his eyes in exhaustion. "Finally, we're safe."
"I daresay, you are far from being safe, Sir Shield Hero. The Church's Shadows will eventually catch up to you yet."
Naofumi quickly became alert again at the appearance of another black-garbed figure that appeared almost as if out of the shadows of his supplies. This lady, however, wasn't completely garbed in black like the others, and she wore a silver-colored mask over her eyes and nose. No rosary could be found on her.
"Who are you?!" Naofumi asked as he held up his shield in defense.
"I daresay, I am not your enemy. If I had wanted to, I would have struck you down the moment you let your guard down, Sir Shield Hero." The Shadow to him.
…
Naofumi looked conflicted with himself, but then he put his shield down on his lap. "Who are you? And what do you want?" He asked more calmly.
"You have done well Sir Shield Hero. You've hidden so well from the Capital and the Three Heroes Church that they are still unaware of your newfound calling as the Nocturnal Doctor, despite them discovering you out here." The shadow continued, not answering the question he asked. "Yet, I daresay it has become obvious that the Three Heroes Church has become more aware of your actual movements in this area. And leaving your hood down and your Shield out for this group of Shadows to recognize you was a very foolish choice."
Why did she keep on saying daresay?
"Up ahead you will soon reach a fork in the road. I daresay, it would be for the best if you were to take the left fork to the north. For the right path to the south will be full of surprises for the Church's Shadows, set by me and my associates. I would hate for one of the Cardinal Heroes and his party to accidentally get caught up in them."
Naofumi growled in frustration. This lady, whoever she was, wasn't answering any of his questions. He didn't like this at all.
"Hey Filo, when we reach a fork in the road, I need you to take a left!" He yelled to the large bird pulling the wagon.
"Okay!" Filo yelled back.
Naofumi looked back at the Shadow. He didn't know how trustworthy she was, but anyone who was an enemy of the Church… how did the saying go? The enemy of my enemy is my friend?
Whatever the case, he at least didn't want to get caught in whatever traps they had set up. "Can you at least tell me what you want, or who you're working for?" He asked. "Cause last I checked, almost everyone else in this world wants me dead." He added sarcastically.
"I daresay, I cannot Sir Shield Hero. At least, not yet." The Shadow answered. "I cannot reveal my mistress's identity at this time. I can say, however, that my mistress's main purpose is to keep you and the other heroes alive." At least he got an answer that this mistress, whoever she was, didn't want to kill him. "Us Shadows are spread thin. Our enemies have hired more of us than I care to admit. They grow and become more bold with every day... I fear I may not be able to help you as I have in the past,"
An incredulous look spread on his face. This wasn't the first time they'd received help from her?! Before he could ask, she continued.
"Beware, Shield Hero. Your enemies are more numerous than you realize. Some of them will be who you'll least suspect... And soon, the time will come when you will come face to face with my mistress's daughter. I already know we will be unable to keep her safe when she arrives, for those in the country are already plotting against her. Only you will be able to protect her from the plots unfolding in our fair land." The Shadow said seriously.
"Wait, I have to protect someone's daughter?-" Naofumi tried to ask.
"It is a lot I ask of you, Sir Shield Hero. I daresay I am unsure if you will want to protect her after what has been done to you by Melromarc. But know that when you find her, then you shall know who it is I'm working for. And that it is within our best interests to protect you and the rest of the Cardinal Heroes from the politics of our world."
Naofumi was baffled. "What do you mean?-" He had so many different questions. Why did she have to be so vague?! What enemies were out there other than almost everyone in Melromarc!? Why did he have to protect this mystery girl?
Why couldn't he just get a &^%$ing straight answer!?
However, he blinked as he spoke, and the moment he blinked the shadow disappeared from view. Not even a hint was left as to how she had disappeared.
...
Had that... just been a figment of his imagination?
He looked around, but the only thing he saw that the Shadow had left behind was a mask. Similar to the one that she had been wearing. There was a note left next to it, written in Melromarc's characters.
"Absorb this mask into your shield, Shield Hero." Naofumi read aloud. "I daresay, if our research is correct, the unlocked shield will help you out in the future."
...
"Filo sees the fork in the road up ahead Daddy!" Filo yelled excitedly.
"Alright, make sure you go left!" Naofumi yelled back.
"Okay!" Filo cheered.
Naofumi sighed and looked back down at the sleeping Raphtalia. "Well, this turned out to be quite a day." He grumbled.
"Mmm…" Raphtalia rolled over in her sleep and began cuddling his legs. She smiled as if she were cuddling with her favorite teddy bear. '... Would they call them teddy bears in this world? Wait, would demi-humans use teddy bears, or would they use human bears…' He shook his head at the weird thought.
Now that was just ridiculous.
He took the mask and placed it next to the shield's gemstone. Sure enough, it began to glow, so he absorbed the mask into his shield.
Conditions Met!
Mask Shield Unlocked
'Mask Shield?' Naofumi changed it to the new shield and was slightly surprised when the Shield was replaced with a variation of the Shadow's mask. It was a pure white like the moon, with a small green gemstone in its forehead. He put it over his face and then raised his hood over his head.
Besides his lower jaw showing, it was hard to tell that this traveling night merchant was the Shield Hero. As an added benefit, he didn't have to uncomfortably hide his shield under his cloak.
'This… this could work…'
Filo continued to hum happily outside. She took the left fork as promised, and behind them, Naofumi saw something he'd never expected to see. The air shimmered over the left fork, and then trees appeared. Not just over the entrance, but at least a hundred yards up the road too. Whether the illusion was solid or not, it would definitely cover their road from view.
'… I wonder if Raphtalia will ever learn illusion magic that powerful…' He looked down at the snoozing Raphtalia who smiled widely in her sleep. "As Shield Hero, I order thee, decipher the laws of nature, and heal my target. Fast Heal." The last of the MP in his gauge was used as the spell washed over Raphtalia and Filo. While both were healed of their wounds, Raphtalia remained fast asleep. It turned out, his spell couldn't work on sedatives that induced sleep.
Well... it was a good thing he'd almost finished learning how to make sleep resistance potions.
He pulled out the medical grimoire again and began working on translating the last paragraph for it. Pushing all his other currently developing thoughts for later tonight when he could process them more easily.
He could think over the Shadow's words later that night.
It was two days before Naofumi had been ambushed. Motoyasu stood in the throne room in front of the King.
"First you overtaxed my citizens in Lute, then you abandoned the food cart you were tasked with protecting, you've done little to improve your reputation amongst the people! And now, you've had the audacity to awaken an ancient seed that's currently wreaking havoc on one of my territories!" The King bellowed angrily. "Are you trying to make me look even more foolish than before!?"
Motoyasu shuddered under the piercing gaze of King Aultcray. A rather furious King Aultcray that was standing in front of his throne, holding a staff in one hand. Myne was somewhere else at the moment. "Your Majesty, I swear, I only left that food cart so that I could resolve the famine. I wasn't trying to-" The Spear Hero was defending himself.
"Trying to what?! Turn my own people against me! Abandoning important relief supplies for bandits to plunder! Trying to use a seed to harm my people and make an even bigger mess while we're in the middle of the Waves of Catastrophe?!" The King asked.
"... But, but your Majesty, why are you angry? I was only doing what Myne suggested would be best-" Motoyasu again tried to say.
"Don't try to pin your blame on my daughter!" Motoyasu went silent at the King's words. "You are just as much to blame as she is! To think you'd go off and lead her to do such incredibly foolish acts in the name of royalty!"
Motoyasu stayed silent as the King seethed for a moment more before pointing at the doors. Motoyasu looked oddly broken at that moment. "Get out of my sight. It is time I had a talk with my eldest daughter about recent events."
… Motoyasu nodded and turned around to walk out of the room. He still looked oddly broken, as if something inside him had shattered.
He was led by an attendant to a fancy room, that had a fancy dinner already set at a table. "Don't fret Cardinal Hero." The attendant said upbeatedly. "You are the King's favorite. I'm sure after he's been given time to fume, you'll be restored back to his good graces."
Motoyasu didn't respond as he sat down, and the attendant left the room. Likely to retrieve something for Motoyasu. Motoyasu stared down at his food, not moving or anything.
'Am I really not being a hero…'
…
"Thank you, Sir Hero!"
"You have saved our lives from this horrible famine!"
"We can never repay you Spear Hero!"
"We love you, Sir Hero!"
The voices of the people from the southwestern village of Leruno went through his mind. For a moment, he'd really done it. He'd done something good. He'd felt like a hero. He hadn't doubted Myne, or himself. He had made these people happy...
Together, he and Myne had gone into an ancient temple he'd remembered from his game and unsealed the seed inside. They'd given it as a gift to the region. The famine was supposed to be solved. It was supposed to be better. That's how it'd gone down in his game...
'For a moment, I actually thought I was being a hero… but I only did something else to hurt someone…'
He began to be filled with doubt. About the sincerity of his title. About the sincerity of his friendship with his party members. His friendship with Myne.
'Am I really worthy of being called a Hero… can I really do this if even the fair maidens curse my name?... but I'm supposed to trust my friends! I'm supposed to trust Myne… ... ... ... but... but all I've done is hurt others... every choice I've made with Myne has only led to hurting others... but if I can't trust her... then...'
He sat there for a moment more. His mind being torn apart by his inner conflict. The room was getting smaller and smaller around him. He put his hands over his head. 'What do I do?! What can I do?!'
…
…
"Sir Spear Hero?"
A knock sounded against the door. The attendant's voice sounded from outside again. "Sir Spear Hero, I have your dinner with me…"
…
The attendant knocked on the door again and then moved to open it. "Sir Spear-"
The room was empty. Besides an open window. The food that had been on the table was untouched.
"Sir Spear Hero!"
The attendant's cries were in vain. The Spear Hero, Motoyasu Kitamura, had long since departed the castle. Needing time to himself to resolve his inner conflict.
Hero Clips!
What Do Demi-humans Prefer?
'This is… probably… the most complex thing I've ever had to think about…'
Naofumi stood in a store, looking at the two items on display in front of him.
'Would demi-humans prefer to use a regular hairbrush, or would they prefer to use a dog brush?' On the shelf in front of him was a hairbrush on one side, and a dog brush on the other. 'I know Raphtalia loves it when I brush her hair, but I don't know which one she'd prefer. Or would she prefer a Raccoon Brush? Do they even have those?' He thought in all seriousness.
"... Um, Master Naofumi, what are you doing-" Raphtalia tried to ask.
"Just a sec. I'm thinking about something important here." Naofumi said impatiently as he looked the items over. He had to get a nice gift for Raphtalia as a thank you for everything she'd ever done for him, but he didn't know what to get for her.
'I know Raphtalia looks like a human, but her hair is thicker than a human's. But she isn't really a dog, but I don't know if the regular hair brushes work on her hair or not. Maybe I should look to see if they do make brushes for half-Raccoon demi-humans.'
"Naofumi, I don't think I need a new hairbrush-" Raphtalia was saying. It didn't seem like a good thing to waste their money on.
"You're right. I need to get you something else." Naofumi said in realization as he moved on to the next shelf. A hairbrush could never express his gratitude to her. He had to go for something better!
But the items on this next shelf presented him with another predicament. 'Wait, I don't know if Raphtalia ever grew up with dolls or stuffed animals!' On one end was a barbie doll, and on the other end of the shelf was a stuffed teddy bear.
'I mean, I know girls are supposed to like Barbies! But Raphtalia isn't like other girls! But that stuffed teddy bear could look a lot like a demi-human!' Though he hadn't met any bear demi-humans yet. Or knew if they existed. But it was a possible factor! 'I don't know which one I should get for her! Would she even be into this little kid stuff anymore?!'
Raphtalia started to look at Naofumi as if he'd gone crazy. "Master Naofumi, please. I really don't need anything from here-"
"You're right!" Naofumi moved away from the cases. "I need something bigger, something better, something-" Naofumi gasped in surprise at what he saw next.
On display in a glass case was the most beautiful diamond necklace. It glittered spectacularly from the light of the room. It was extravagant…
But in the other right next to it was a diamond-studded collar!
'I know girls are supposed to like necklaces, but Raphtalia's isn't like most girls. I don't know if demi-humans prefer necklaces or collars! And they both have diamonds! Didn't I always hear back home that diamonds are supposed to be a girl's best friend!?' Naofumi internally freaked out where he was standing.
"Master Naofumi, please, I don't want anything from here. All I want is your lo-" Raphtalia tried to say.
"I don't know which one to choose!" Naofumi yelled, having completely ignored what Raphtalia said over the mental conundrum inside his mind. 'Do demi-humans prefer human products or animal products! I just don't know the answerrrrrrrr!'
Filo appeared from behind Raphtalia, looking curiously at the mentally torn Naofumi. "Mommy, why did you fall in love with daddy?" Filo asked.
Raphtalia sighed. "I don't know sweetheart." She said almost to herself. "I really don't know."
'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! COLLAR! OR NECKLACE! WHICH ONE DO I CHOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!?'
Till Next Time
Allen