Alright. There is a new link on the Character's Page of TVTropes. Clicking on it will take you to a separate page that is the start for the different weapons, abilities, and spells the Heroes and other characters have used thus far (that I've managed to add). Pandora's Box in full detail is included. For those who saw it already, you have a rough approximation for how the meeting will go. For those who haven't, well, you're going to learn in part what the skill does. Anyone with questions after this should find the skill on the TVTropes page.
Also, no, I'm not doing a crossover idea with Soul Eater. As for why: A) I haven't seen it, and B) College is starting today. Unless you guys suggest one-shots, I'd suggest taking your ideas to different authors. I just don't have the time for any other idea besides one-shots.
Special thanks to norinthemanwonder. His proofreading and ideas helped this chapter a lot. I'm glad to have his help added to the help I already receive for this and later chapters. Hope you all enjoy today's chapter!
Since Last Time: 54 more Favorites, 67 more Followers (Total: 1878 Favorites, 2082 Followers)
Updated: August 24th, 2020 11:30 A.M. (MST)
Chapter Fifty-Four: Recovering Kingdom
Naofumi wasn't sure about everything that happened after… the... very… VERY long drawn-out fight against the Pope.
He didn't stay awake for very long afterward. Between the soreness, fatigue, pain, the empty SP and MP bars, and the 50% drop to all of his stats; he only stayed awake long enough to make sure that Raphtalia was pulled out from underneath the rubble safely. There was also another demi-human there that looked vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't quite remember from where. But after that, he was helped to an undamaged portion of the castle, where he crashed on a soft bed for the rest of the day and that night.
He was worried about the rest of his party. His daughter Filo, in particular. However, he was assured that they were okay. And his HUD's party screen showed him that she, Melty, and Eclair were still alive (with varying bars of HP). So he was able to rest peacefully, knowing his friends were still alive.
The following day, Naofumi was checked by several nurses to make sure he was okay. As he had found out, one of the Pope's attacks had given his right arm a slight hairline fracture. He couldn't use his healing magic on it, since his MP was still empty, but it was nothing the nurses couldn't fix between their healing magic and his potions.
While being treated for his injuries, he got a brief summary of what had happened yesterday from the nurses.
The fighting in the Capital had gone on for some time after the Pope's defeat. However, thanks to Ren and Itsuki's party members, a fair amount of people throughout the city who had already been on the fence about the Pope and the Church's actions surrendered or defected to the Queen's army by the time the castle was retaken. A fair majority of the more die-hard believers then proceeded to either meet their demise, got captured and thrown into prison, or managed to escape from the Capital. Among them was the ArchBishop, and the last of the Church's Shadows.
The Queen had what few knights she could spare sent out, searching for where they'd gone. The rest had to stay in the city. There was much that needed to be done. The relative quickness of the Queen's assault had limited most of the damage to the Southern quarter and the castle itself. Still, rebuilding efforts, burying the dead, cleaning the streets, calming the populace, and other such tasks would take time and manpower. Stuff that the Queen couldn't spare in the present.
Something that Naofumi would soon learn the reason for.
Beyond that, as far as the nurses knew, the other Heroes were okay. Itsuki was resting with some of his party members in another room. He'd gotten a concussion from getting slammed into a wall. Ren hadn't had any visible injuries so the nurses didn't end up treating him. Motoyasu was alone in a separate room. He had several broken ribs and a broken leg. They'd just finished treating him before coming to aid Naofumi.
As for his own party, Raphtalia and Eclair were in a separate room, receiving treatment for their own injuries with medicines and healing magic. Raphtalia had a fracture in her left leg and a mild concussion from the explosion, as well as various other wounds from her fight with Altara.
Eclair had been found in the arena, defending the executees. She had been nearly faint from blood loss, and from the loss of adrenaline that came from avenging her Father. The nasty gash on her arm had been treated and bandaged, and she was currently on ordered bed rest. And by order, it sounded like she was tied down to the bed so that she wouldn't try to get up and do anything strenuous like sword training.
Despite their best work, the nurses didn't want her to move anytime soon. Eclair needed time to recover. Unfortunately, the knight had many complaints about not being allowed to do her early morning training. Or her afternoon training. Or her evening training. Or her secret night training.
She should just make an all-day sword training regiment and get it over with. Or go even further and marry her sword.
And lastly was the Pope. His statue had been moved to the dungeons. Besides a timer overhead that only the other Heroes were able to see, thanks to their more unique HUD's, they couldn't tell what Naofumi had done to his Excellency. No one knew for sure, not even Naofumi himself. But since the timer had a countdown, the Pope had been placed in the deepest part of the dungeon. To wait for what would happen when the timer reached zero. Which would be sometime this morning.
There was probably a lot more that he needed to learn after that, but after being treated, Naofumi thanked the nurses, got up, and left his room.
Now, he was walking the castle corridors with the help of one of the Queen's demi-human maids to Raphtalia's room. He needed to check up on her and Eclair to make sure they were alright before heading to the dungeons to see what happened to the Pope.
"Is this too fast Shield Hero? Do you need me to slow down?" The maid asked with concern.
"No, this is fine, thank you." He answered dryly, giving her a polite nod. His left arm was resting in a sling. Even though it had healed, he was being cautious, just in case.
He still felt sore from yesterday. But he was fine. Honest. It was probably because his stats were lower.
"Are you thirsty? Hungry? Maybe I should take you to the kitchens first-"
"I'm fine," Naofumi repeated with more assertiveness. "I just need directions to my party's room. That's all."
The maid hesitated. "Oh, ok." Her ears fell flat on her head. It was kind of adorable.
'What's her deal?' He thought densely. He wasn't starving or anything. He just really wanted to see his friends!
The disappointed demi-human maid led the Shield Hero down several different hallways to another section of the castle. Already, after less than a day, work was being done to restore the castle. Granted, he was nowhere near the Throne room where the major destruction had occurred. But here, he could see that the Church decorum was being removed. Torn portraits were taken down. Broken statues were getting cleaned up.
Finally, the maid stopped before a door. Holding her hands together nervously. "Is there anything else that you require from me, Lord Shield Hero?"
"No, I'll be good. Thank you for helping me." He said. He was finally smiling. He was finally going to see his friends again. He was finally going to see Raphtalia again.
The maid blushed at his smile and quickly scampered off to do her duties around the castle. Naofumi didn't pay her any mind though. Especially since, as he opened the door, he was engulfed in a big, big hug! But not by the person he'd been expecting.
"Daddy!"
"Filo! Why are you- oof!" He was buried in Filo's feathers. The girl was in her Queen form. And Naofumi was just now discovering how thick her feathers were as his body almost disappeared entirely.
"Filo! Don't suffocate daddy!"
"But Filo missed daddy!"
"Ah! I-" Naofumi was buried in her plumage again, and then he barely managed to pull his face back out with his good arm. "I missed you too Filo, but I was only gone for ONE day!"
"Filo." Raphtalia put a hand to her head and sighed. "Remember that Daddy's hurt too."
"Oh, right!" Filo disappeared in a poof of feathers. And Naofumi luckily found himself hugging the adorable little girl. "Is this better?" She asked curiously.
"Immensely. Thank you." Now that it didn't feel like he was suffocating from heat and feathers, he was able to gladly hug the little angel girl with one arm. She wasn't Raphtalia. But as his daughter, she was the second person he wanted to see. "What are you doing here?"
"Mel-chan said she wanted some alone time to see her mommy and daddy! So Filo decided to see Filo's mommy too!" She said happily.
"... Is that so." He muttered dryly. So Melty had been reunited with the Queen and her idiotic husband. He wondered how that was going. The Second Princess seemed nice enough, but he was dreading to meet her Mother face to face after all the crap her Father had put him through. Hell, if the Queen was with the King right now, he almost didn't want to meet her.
It was only because of the fact that the Queen had shown up with an army, right when it was needed, that he didn't diss her outright. Hell, why hadn't the Queen shown up before?! Why go through all that crap with her stupid husband!? She'd better be torturing her husband when he met her. Otherwise, he wouldn't listen to a word she had to say...
Raphtalia was giving him a deadpan look. Crap, she must have been reading what was on his mind. Better get to something else before she called him out on his well-deserved pettiness. "Tell you what. How about you get some food for mommy while I talk to her Filo."
Filo's eyes glistened. That was a brilliant idea! Food always made Filo feel better! So maybe it'd help mommy feel better too! Should she get mommy the yummy fruits she saw in the kitchens with Mel?! Actually, she should get some for herself too! It was really, REALLY tasty! "Okay! Filo's glad to see you feeling better daddy!"
After letting her go and watching Filo race out the door to empty the Castle Kitchens, he sat at Raphtalia's bedside.
"You were thinking about something rude back there, weren't you?" She asked.
"Do I even need to answer that anymore?" He asked in turn with a tired look.
Raphtalia giggled. The way her ears flicked in amusement brought a small smile to his face. Seriously, he wondered how the hell he hadn't fallen for her sooner. "How are you feeling?" He asked. Rubbing her hand softly.
"The nurses healed me the best they could. But it sounds like I'll be on bed rest for now." She said with a sigh.
He couldn't use healing magic at the moment, but... "Hmmm… well luckily your boyfriend." He pulled a healing potion from his Shield. He then switched it to the Shield of Hope II. "... is the Hero of the Shield." He had more than one way to heal a person.
Raphtalia drank the potion from Naofumi. Her body glowed brightly as the Shield's special effect boosted the potion's efficacy. She sighed in relief as a low throbbing pain from her leg disappeared. The Queen's nurses had healed most of her injuries with Zweite level magic. But her leg had… been pretty hard for them to heal. "You know I'll still have to be on bed rest for the rest of the day, right?" She asked. Even with the miracle healing, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"I know. I just wanted to help. I don't like seeing you in pain." He said, switching to a different shield. The timer had appeared on the Shield of Hope II again. It looked like whatever had happened yesterday that boosted it had worn off. 'How did I manage to pull that off yesterday?' He'd gone from having a timer with five seconds on it to the feeling of being able to push on to the bitter end. It was so strange.
"... Thank you," Raphtalia whispered, blushing slightly at what he'd said. "You were amazing yesterday." She couldn't have been prouder of him, even with all his flaws. "You saved so many people."
He planted a peck to her forehead and held one of her hands. He'd think over that question sometime after this. "You're welcome." He smiled softly for her. For now, he'd rather stay in this moment.
The two continued to stare like a couple of dopes at each other. Cheeks steadily fill with color. And just when they were starting to feel brave enough to lean forward to kiss, Eclair groaned on her bed. "Sir Naofumi. Would you please give me one of those damn potions too?!"
The two blushed. They'd forgotten Eclair was there! "Sorry, be right there!" He settled for laying a quick peck on the Tanuki girl's cheek, and with cheeks ablaze, he came over to the rose haired knight to help her out.
The poor Tanuki girl. She was once again turned into a blushing mess. They were just about to have another sweet moment! And then she'd felt something rising in her! An emotion that she was steadily becoming more familiar with, whenever Naofumi was around. Why did it make her want to jump Naofumi so badly!? What would happen if she followed that line of thought and jumped Naofumi?! Why did Eclair have to ruin their moment?!
Why did mother and father have to tell her kissing was what made you pregnant!? She didn't know anything anymore!
Eclair sighed in relief after drinking the healing potion from Naofumi. Under her bandages, the rest of her nasty wound healed. The flesh of her arm spread out, blood vessels and ligaments reassembled themselves, until only a faint scar remained.
"Thank you, Sir Naofumi."
"No problem." Naofumi switched out of the Shield of Hope II once more. While it left his mind reeling a little bit, he felt it was something he could probably get used to. Maybe he should spend more time training with switching in and out of it? And maybe the Shield of Rage II too. If Motoyasu and Itsuki were any indicators, a probable reason why they could somewhat retain control while equipping their Cursed Weapons while he couldn't was because they'd had experience equipping them again and again.
Granted, he'd gone straight from the Shield of Rage I to the Shield of Rage II within minutes of him first using it thanks to Bitch, but again, these were thoughts for another time.
Looking over the bed, Naofumi found that Eclair was indeed strapped down to it. He'd honestly thought the nurses were exaggerating a little bit. But it turned out that they weren't. Eclair was strapped down by her legs, over her waist, and just under her chest. "Now, if you'd be kind enough to release me-" Eclair started to say.
"Not happening." He quickly interrupted. "After what happened, you're both resting until further notice. The last thing I need is for you to overwork yourself training."
"But I'm almost back to where I was at before!" Eclair looked heartbroken at being told not to train. "If I just train a little longer-"
"It's only been a week! A day of rest won't kill you!"
"Why are you being so cruel Naofumi!?" Eclair wasn't normally a whiner. But she was being kept from training! From being kept from finding solace in her true companion! Her beloved sword!
"You get used to it," Raphtalia said, sweat dropping as she chuckled. That was her Naofumi alright. Worrying about those he was responsible for.
"I'm not joking. You better not get out of that bed until I say you can!" Naofumi said.
"Hmmph." Was Eclair pouting about not getting her way now? He never thought the mature knight would be one to throw a tantrum over something so trivial. "Gods, she reminds me of Raphtalia as a teenager." He muttered under his breath.
"I was not like that!" Raphtalia whined.
Crap, had she heard that? Where was Filo to distract mommy when he needed her!? Wasn't their daughter getting food for her?! Had she been sidetracked by all the tasty yummies in the kitchen!? "Um, anyway, I'll be going now. I have other things to do." He said awkwardly. "Rest well you two!"
"Naofumi!" Both of them yelled at the same time. They weren't done with him yet! But he quickly noped out of the room. Leaving them resting in their beds.
It was silent for a moment. Both girls were staring at the door.
"How can you love such a… a… jerk such as him?" Eclair groaned. Was it her fault that she wanted to return to her top form so badly?! Sebastian would have never wounded her so seriously if she'd had more time to train beforehand!
Raphtalia sighed. "Sometimes, he can be a little rough." She said. And then she sighed dreamily. "And then, other times, he just has the purest heart."
Eclair scoffed. "Yeah, pure." She knew of no pure person that would keep someone from their love of sword training.
Raphtalia blissfully fell back to sleep. Dreaming pure thoughts about her Hero. While Eclair fumed in her bed, refusing to close her eyes and rest. Her sword rested in its scabbard, staring at her from the corner of her eye. She'd find a way to undo these restraints and get out of here, even if it was the last thing she did.
For Raphtalia, it was easier to understand what Rifana had meant now, talking about love before the Wave of Catastrophe hit. Even with his flaws, and even when she could tell that he was thinking rude things about her or someone else, she still loved him in a way that was different from the love that she held for her parents. It was hard to put into words.
Now if she could only figure out what her damn emotions wanted her to do whenever she was near him...
Naofumi entered the dungeons, leaving the door open behind him. Several knights stood on guard at the sides, but at Naofumi's entrance, they saluted him.
It was odd. Naofumi was more used to knights trying to kill him. But he gave them a nod as he walked past, and they stood at attention once more. Keeping guard over the hallway.
Was this the treatment he was supposed to have? Before the rape accusation and everything else?
As he walked by a familiar door, he stopped. The door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open, revealing a familiar interrogation room.
Sitting in a chair, facing an empty cell, was Motoyasu. His chest was bandaged, and his leg was in a cast.
"What are you doing here?" Naofumi asked, walking in.
Motoyasu stared at the cell. "Haven't you heard?" His voice sounded broken.
"Heard what?"
…
Motoyasu simply pointed at the cell in front of him. Naofumi looked more closely, and then he saw a pair of chains, partly melted away, lying on the floor. After that, it took him only a few more seconds to piece it together in his mind. 'DAMN IT!' He punched a wall in anger. With his lowered defense and strength stats, his hand stung.
"What the hell happened here?" Naofumi angrily directed at Motoyasu.
The poor blonde spearman's shoulders drooped with a sigh. "I don't know, Naofumi. When I decided to help you defeat the Pope, I left Myne chained in her cell. I swear I did."
Motoyasu recalled that moment in his mind. He'd been lying on the ground. Feeling so utterly worthless as a person, and as a Hero. And then, somehow, he'd found the strength to get up. He found it in himself to leave that room. To leave Myne behind. To hustle through the castle. To find and support Naofumi, and actually be a Hero.
He hadn't even thought twice about trying to free Myne. Why would he? Not only was she a Yandere, but she'd been lying to him and using him all along. And after learning about the other things she'd done, he didn't want to see the Bitch ever again. Much less, help her escape.
Naofumi forced himself to take a deep breath and calmed. Motoyasu was looking down at the ground sadly. "Do we have any idea what happened to her?" Naofumi asked.
Motoyasu shook his head. "I already talked to the Queen. She says some of her knights spotted her and another party member of mine, Lesty, towards the end of the fighting. They were fleeing through the rubble at the western gate, but they disappeared after that."
"... damn it." Naofumi uttered sadly. He'd been hoping to make the red-haired Bitch pay for her crimes alongside the Pope. But it looked like that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.
"... Naofumi, I really am sorry about what I did before." Tears touched at the corners of Motoyasu's eyes. "You were right. I should have listened to you. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt when you tried to tell me the truth..."
"Hey." Naofumi put a hand on Motoyasu's shoulder. "I can't deny that you hurt me... On more than one occasion." Motoyasu grimaced. The Sacred Duel, the ambush near Dragon Village, and other such scenarios came to mind.
"However, most of what happened wasn't your fault." He continued. "Had Bitch and that damn Church not screwed with you, I doubt you would have made the same choices as before, right?"
"Well… I was being honest when we met that I thought the Shielder class was useless." Motoyasu admitted. Naofumi glared down at him. "... but no. I don't think I would have gone out of my way to make your life miserable, Naofumi." Motoyasu said.
Well, it wasn't exactly what Naofumi had wanted to hear. But it was Motoyasu. Every baby step in the right direction helped. "So. What do you think you can do to prevent this from happening again?" Naofumi asked.
What could he do? "... … …" Motoyasu glared at the cell. "I'm going to be more careful who I trust from now on." He said, before thinking some more. "And I'm going to try harder to be a Hero. I need to make up for all the harm I've caused people." For a moment, he actually did look pretty cool and heroic in his tattered armor. It was actually kind of amazing to see it firsthand.
And then a dreamy look came over Motoyasu's face. The mental image was instantly ruined. "So I can gain the praise of all the fair maidens in this land once again!"
...
Naofumi facepalmed. Of course, even after everything that had happened, Motoyasu was still a womanizer at heart. He had no doubt the next time he saw his party, it'd be filled to the brim with women.
"Minus the Yanderes, of course." Motoyasu amended. "They're not…" He shuddered. "I'm not allowing one near me again."
Oh well. At least the blonde was going to be more careful. If he'd had a problem with Yanderes before coming to this world, he was definitely going to have problems with them now.
…
Hmmm, actually, if Motoyasu blew the Yandere Bitch sky-high next time they saw her... Yeah, that'd totally make up for his weird obsession with girls. Yeah. That'd be pretty amazing actually. If he could get Motoyasu to hate Bitch as much as he did, the two of them would get along just fine.
"By the way, Naofumi. I want to ask you something." Motoyasu said, finally turning to look at Naofumi. "How did you meet Raphtalia?"
"How did I meet her?" Naofumi asked.
Motoyasu nodded. "She has to be one of the fairest maidens I've ever met in my life. Not only is she pretty… she's dependable, kind, loyal, and willing to sacrifice herself for you." He said seriously. He might have been under the Spear of Jealousy's influence several of the last times, but he couldn't forget the way she'd acted before. Especially when he'd ambushed their wagon outside Dragon Village. "So, what did you do when you met her that made her stick with you?"
…
Naofumi chuckled. "Dude, you make it out like it's supposed to be some complicated scheme on my end or whatever."
"No! That's not what I'm, I mean, um-!" Motoyasu tried to defend himself.
"Relax. It's actually a good question from you." Naofumi stopped chuckling. "Honestly, all I did was buy a slave. Helped her to become a person. And we've protected each other ever since." He shrugged. "That's just me though. If I'm being honest, the only thing keeping me from erasing her slave crest is the fact that she wouldn't get the stat benefits from my Shield that come with it." Honestly, besides the brand, she wasn't really his slave. Honestly, at times, it felt more like he was enslaved to her and Filo.
"Hmmm…" Motoyasu was actually thinking about it? Crap, he better not get into the Slave Trade because of him. Having one corrupted hero was bad enough.
"Before I go." Naofumi switched to the Shield of Hope II once more. He pulled out another HP potion from the gemstone. Motoyasu drank it, and his body glowed. As soon as he'd done so, Naofumi switched back to a normal shield. His mind reeled worse than last time.
He got the feeling he really shouldn't casually switch in and out very often. The stress of battle was one thing. Doing it casually during the day was quite another. "Do you still think my Shield is useless?" Naofumi jokes. Seeing Motoyasu feel at his chest and lifting his leg in awe. The rest of the pain was gone.
"For attacking, yes." Motoyasu looked up at Naofumi with a smirk. "But I think it's useful in other ways."
Naofumi rolled his eyes. He took out one last thing from his inventory and allowed it to absorb itself into Motoyasu's spear on his back. "I'll see you later. Please don't do anything idiotic in the meantime. Or else I'll call in the person who gave me that to give you a major butt whooping." Naofumi said, leaving the room as Motoyasu's HUD flared up.
'What does he mean- WHAT THE ****!?' Motoyasu stood upright. Line upon line of spears had just been unlocked on his HUD. All of them were under the Filolial Series. It had all been unlocked by one cowlick. "WHERE THE HELL DID YOU FIND AN ITEM LIKE-" He turned around, but Naofumi was already gone.
…
Motoyasu looked over his HUD again. A lot of the unlocked spears were pretty useless, as he remembered from his game. However, there were spears he hadn't known about in the series. Some of which required a higher level that he was close to reaching. And the stats on them were AWESOME! Especially on the one called the Filolial Crown Spear.
Motoyasu felt himself tearing up again in gratitude. He'd spent so long trying to find a higher-powered spear. And Naofumi had just given him several with just one item.
"Honestly, all I did was buy a slave. Helped her to become a person. And we've protected each other ever since."
"Thanks, Naofumi. I owe you one." Or two. Maybe three.
He got up. Feeling much more motivated than before. While he still kept the bandages on his chest, he removed his leg from the cast. And though he had a slight limp, he walked out of the Dungeons.
After talking with the Queen earlier, and now Naofumi, he knew what he had to do now...
At least, he had an idea of what to do. Baby steps.
The rest of Naofumi's trip through the dungeons went rather well. Knights standing guard at their posts gave him proper directions when asked. None of them yelled Shield Devil. None of them tried to attack him. They were mainly silent. A few gave him salutes as he went by.
Again, it was weird. He almost expected an ambush. Yet it never happened.
Finally, after about ten minutes, Naofumi walked out of the winding tunnel into the deepest part of the Dungeon. It was a decently sized underground room. But there was only one cell at the end of it. Inside the cell rested the statue of Pope Balamus.
His hand was still raised to beat against a wall that was no longer there. His face was frozen in fear and disbelief. There were also gashes in the stone, representing where his clothing had been torn before being frozen. The crown insignia on his mitre was burnt away. A consequence of Ren's Crimson Blade skill during the fight.
5:00, 4:59, 4:58, 4:57...
Over his head was a timer. In five minutes, he'd see what would happen to the Pope...
"Shield Hero."
Naofumi turned. From the Shadows, a woman appeared. She was dressed in a fancy noble's dress, and held a fan over her face. "Who are you?" Naofumi asked.
Was this the Queen of Melromarc? The woman had purple hair tied up in a bun. Her poise was perfect. Her eyes piercing behind her fan... and yet something felt off.
"You did well in your fight yesterday." The strange woman walked up beside Naofumi to inspect the Statue. "Taking down Balamus while he wielded the Replica. I daresay, that is indeed a worthy achievement."
"Daresay…" Naofumi inspected the strange woman more closely. And then he recognized it. The slight glimmer of illusion magic surrounding her. "You're not the Queen."
"Indeed. I am not." Even though the Shadow had been found out, she kept her illusion up. "Her Majesty is busy attending to other matters. I daresay though, it'd be wise if you addressed me as her Majesty if Balamus is unsealed as she theorizes."
So Motoyasu hadn't talked with the Queen. He'd only talked to a doppelganger and hadn't realized it. Though, if Motoyasu believed it, Naofumi guessed that he was seeing a depiction of what the Queen actually looked and sounded like. The Shadow's magic had even changed her voice from before. "If you really want to fool the Pope. You'll have to drop the 'I daresay' act." Naofumi said dryly.
"I said, I daresay, so you'd recognize me for who I am, Shield Hero." Though her lower face was hidden behind the fan, he could tell she wasn't lying.
Naofumi had almost forgotten about the Shadow since it'd been a while since he'd last seen her. But then again, he hadn't met anyone else who used the words "I daresay" to begin a sentence. And realizing the Shadow worked with the Queen, things she'd said before made too much sense now.
"So. Just to get things straight. You wanted me to protect the Queen's daughter, Melty?" He asked.
"Indeed. And you've done well with that duty so far, Shield Hero."
He groaned. "If you ask me, this all seems a little too convenient." He grumbled. "Especially the part with the Queen and her army showing up exactly when they were needed." Naofumi glared distrustfully at the Shadow. Without saying it, he'd raised a silent accusation that the Shadow has been spying on their activities and keeping him and the other heroes out of the loop deliberately just to set it up so all this could happen.
The Shadow nodded. "That it is a fair statement, Sir Naofumi. I was correct when I warned you of my mistress's daughter needing protection. However, if you feel this was all set up by her Majesty, that is not entirely the case."
…
Naofumi's glare softened, but the distrust on his face was still evident. "Explain it to me then."
"Her Majesty couldn't interfere in her Kingdom's affairs herself while she was abroad. What little influence she could accomplish could only be done through us Shadows. But, I daresay, there isn't much we ourselves can accomplish when we're spread thin dealing with many different matters inside the Kingdom."
"So if it all wasn't set up, why did the Queen arrive when we did?"
"That was merely a happy coincidence, Shield Hero. When her Majesty learned Balamus made his move early, she forced her army to march day and night, sometimes having them consume stamina recovery potions in place of sleep to get to the Capital as fast as possible. The hero's plans coinciding with her attack was a happy coincidence for her. As your battle with the Pope kept him and a large portion of his followers occupied while she retook her city."
That was true. Even though it'd taken them a long while to defeat Balamus, that time kept his Followers occupied with them. Instead of assisting the Church Knights with defending the city. Had even half of Balamus's followers been focused on using Support magic and ritual magic to help the knights, Mirellia would have hardly stood a chance.
Okay, he could understand a bit better now... And then he realized what the Shadow had ended with in a previous sentence. "What did you mean by so far? Are you saying I still have to protect the Second Princess?" Naofumi asked.
The Shadow looked to Naofumi. He couldn't tell if the purple eyes piercing him were actually the Shadow's, or the Queen's. "I daresay, Shield Hero, Balamus has been dealt with. His punishment if he is released from that statue has been set by her Majesty… but he isn't the only threat in our country the princess needs protection from." She looked at the statue again.
"What else is out there that she'd need protection from?" Naofumi asked in annoyance. So he was still going to have the Second Princess in his party?! Granted, that'd make Filo far happier. She could use more friends her age. But a week had been bad enough. Having the Second Princess around for the long haul? Get real!
"An invasion force from Siltvelt."
… It was Naofumi's turn to stare slack-jawed at the Shadow.
"There is also a faction of nobles out there who supported the Church. The Church forces that escaped. The possibility of more traitors to the crown hiding in the city. Her Majesty's first daughter, Malty, as well as her desire to seize the throne…" The Shadow spoke calmly. "With her Majesty's full attention being needed to clean up the mess that is her kingdom. She needs someone she can trust to protect her daughter until it's safe for her to return. And who better to protect her than one of the Cardinal Heroes?"
"Invasion force?" Naofumi muttered. He still looked hung up on that.
"... … Shield Hero. Were you not aware of the reason why the Church was gathering here?" The Shadow finally asked.
...
The stunned look on his face was all the confirmation she needed. The Shadow let out a sigh. "I daresay, this complicates matters indeed."
Naofumi was still reeling from the revelation. The Kingdom was being invaded? By Siltvelt? What the hell had happened to spark a war in the middle of the Waves? Were they STUPID?!
"I daresay, a confession is needed here, Shield Hero. After everything her people put you through, her Majesty was afraid to meet you in person because of the small chance you did all this to support Siltvelt's takeover of her country."
"No… that wasn't it at all…" How had they not known war was going on?... was this why they couldn't get any news about the eastern part of the kingdom? Had there been a war going on all this time, and the Church had been hiding it from the rest of the people?
"No matter. I will inform her Majesty of this development when she is through with her husband. I daresay, she will be relieved to know you weren't supporting Siltvelt's invasion." The Shadow said calmly, adjusting the fan over her face again.
The timer over the Pope's head had only fifteen seconds left on it. "You and the other Cardinal Heroes will be allowed to rest and do as you please for now. Should you need it, the Dragon Hourglass will be staffed for your parties' Class-Ups. Just know, in two days, Shield Hero, we will be marching in defense of our country. The Cardinal Heroes will have until then to state whether or not they'll be joining us in making peace with Siltvelt, or staying behind to prepare for the Wave of Catastrophe."
Naofumi didn't get the chance to respond. As only a couple seconds after the Shadow finished speaking, a bright blue light came off of Balamus's statue. He covered his eyes to protect from being blinded. The Shadow merely raised her fan a little higher, covering her eyes.
After a few seconds, Naofumi felt a rush of strength go through him again. On his HUD, all his stats returned to normal. His SP and MP bars began recharging again. He definitely felt more refreshed, as some of his aches and fatigue disappeared. However, he'd need time before his bars were full once again.
"AHHHH-" The still screaming Balamus's fist went forward. And he face-planted into the ground, cutting off his scream. Naofumi only saw it after uncovering his eyes. He kind of felt bad… not because an old man had tumbled to the ground. But because he hadn't been able to see it himself.
"Ah, Balamus." The Shadow's tone changed. Becoming oddly regal. Something King Trash had lacked. "I was hoping you'd stay sealed."
"What, where am I?!" Balamus looked around crazily.
"You're in the dungeons." Naofumi took a few steps back, allowing the Shadow to speak. "I had you dragged here in case your seal wasn't permanent. Seeing how it wasn't, now I'll be able to hold you prisoner until it is time for you to answer for all your crimes."
Balamus was still reeling from being sealed. But he was able to get onto his hands and knees. "You think you can hold a God captive?" He looked up, a crazed smile on his face. "You mere mortal, I never imagined you could be so naive-"
"Your followers have abandoned you." 'Mirellia' said. "Your Church shall be abolished from this land. The Cardinal Heroes you so demonized shall be compensated for all the troubles you've caused. You have lost."
"I HAVE NOT LOST!" Balamus stood up, glaring at 'Mirellia' with a crazed look in his eyes. "My holy crusade has just begun! You cannot stop me! No one can stop me! The will of the Gods can't be stopped! Not until the last of those demi-human abominations are purged from this world, along with their fake God! The Devil of the Shield!"
"How can you still think that I'm the devil here?!"
Before the Shadow could refute Balamus, Naofumi pushed up against the bars with his one good hand. "Tell me, Balamus! Who's really being the Devil here!"
"Why must you ask?!" Balamus said, his voice still crazed. "You are obviously-"
"I am not a Devil!" Naofumi yelled.
"You can't deny what you are-"
"IF I'M A DEVIL! THEN TELL ME! WHO WAS THE ONE THAT MANIPULATED REN TO KILL A DRAGON FOR A FORMER SLAVE GIRL?!" Naofumi roared.
Balamus opened his mouth to respond. "Who was the one that tried to have Itsuki killed for punishing corrupt nobles?! Who was the one that tried to kill Ren inside the Church?! Who twisted Motoyasu into doing horrible things to others! Who had the Nocturnal Doctor, who was going around helping people all over the kingdom, locked away!? Who spread false rumors about him and tried to ruin his life since the moment he set foot in this world?!" Naofumi pointed a finger at Balamus. "YOU DID THAT! YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THAT YOU SICK BASTARD!"
"And what is your point in bringing this up, Devil." Balamus spat. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty for doing what was right?"
"HOW IS ANY OF THAT RIGHT?!" The Shield Hero bellowed. "HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY RUINING MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY FRIENDS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE YOUR WORLD?!"
"Your mere existence is a blight-"
"ENOUGH OF THAT RELIGIOUS BULL CRAP!" Naofumi beat a fist against the bars of the cell, glaring at Balamus. "You claim to be a God. Yet you sunk to levels so depraved even devils would scorn you in disgust. Tell me, do Gods allow each other to lie to their neighbor, to dig a pit for good people, to steal what doesn't belong to them, to harm innocents who did NOTHING? To do evil in the name of GOOD?"
Naofumi continued to glare harshly at the Pope. Maybe the Pope was finally beginning to realize his position, noticing how he didn't even have the Replica anymore. For the first time, his face began to fill with fear. "Because if they do, that's a bunch of bull ****. Those are nothing short but the excuses of an evil man."
After glaring for a moment longer, Naofumi stepped back. 'Mirellia' nodded to the Shield Hero, before glaring harshly at Balamus. "As the Shield Hero just said, your actions against not only this kingdom, but against the crown have been nothing short of devil work."
"Wait, I only did what I did to protect humanity! To protect our world! You have to believe me-" Balamus started to yell.
"Silence, worm." 'Mirellia' raised a hand threateningly. Ice appeared over her fingertips. Naofumi knew it was only an illusion. But Balamus didn't. He cowered into a corner of his cell in fear. "You are not only responsible for the deaths of thousands in our kingdom, but for sparking a war between us and Siltvelt during the Waves of Catastrophe. Instead of helping the people stay spiritually strong, you have led them to indulge in hatred and shaming. You deposed the royal crown, and replaced those loyal to me and the Heroes with cowards bent on raising the Church to power. You will not only be punished for your sins against Melromarc, but your sins against the whole world as well."
Balamus whimpered. The sound was ultimately pathetic.
"Try to repent during these next few days if you can, Balamus." 'Mirellia' said icily. "For they shall be your last."
"No… NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"
'Mirellia' turned around. Naofumi followed suit. The crazed religious man yelled from the corner of his cell. "I am a God! This world needs me! You can't do this! YOU CAN'T!"
Naofumi got the Shadow's underlying meaning. It was probably a statement straight from the Queen herself. Balamus was going to die for what he did. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. His fate was sealed. Yet, despite knowing that, he didn't even feel a shred of guilt.
He didn't care if this man died to the guillotine or whatever.
He held no forgiveness for him.
Not even a little bit.
"Goodbye, Devil Balamus."
It was time to rest. And to deliberate over what they were going to do now. The sounds of Balamus's screams followed the pair out of the dungeons.
Mirellia breathed in deeply.
She'd been awake all day and all night. Keeping a cool exterior while helping with the clean-up efforts in her kingdom. There was still so much to do. Yet she couldn't spare any more energy. She was exhausted, and she had to leave for something even more exhausting soon. A war that she needed to end as bloodlessly as possible.
But now, she faced her greatest hurdle yet. The master bedroom. Where her husband had been taken to be treated by the castle's nurses.
They reported to her that Aultcray, besides some whip marks, dehydration, and starvation; had been okay. Yet he didn't respond to anything that they asked him. Attempts at conversation had been met with nothing. And the only action they'd been able to get him to do was to eat and drink. That was only when they'd raised either to his lips for him.
Mirellia breathed in slowly again. She had to do this. After everything that her husband had done...
She raised a fan to her face. She nodded to the knights on duty, and they opened the doors. She walked in, purple robe flowing behind her.
The master bedroom, being far from the Throne Room, had escaped being damaged. It had also escaped the lecherous hands of Balamus and his Followers. Everything was as she remembered. The dressers. The mirror. The portraits lining the walls. Including a family portrait. Where she stood next to a smiling Aultcray, who held a little sleeping blue-haired baby girl in his arms. A redhead smiling girl stood next to her Mother. Only a trace of mischief in her eyes hinted at the psychological problems she was in the process of developing.
"M-Mother?" Finally, in the back of the room, sitting on their bed was her husband. Melty sat in a chair in front of him. She looked at Mirellia in surprise. But Aultcray didn't look up. He didn't move, or make any attempts to defend himself. He merely continued to look down at the ground.
"Melty, dear."
Melty immediately stood up, racing over and hugging her mom around the waist. Mirellia allowed a moment to hug the crying bluette. "Mother, I can't get Father to speak. Nothing I try works. Nothing!"
…
After a little bit, Melty released the hug. Wiping away the tears from her eyes with her arm. "Please, don't be too hard on him." She murmured quietly.
Mirellia simply gave her daughter a nod. "I will do what I must."
Still crying, the girl fled from the room. She didn't want to see what would come next.
Mirellia took another calming breath, holding her fan over her face. "Aultcray."
Her husband didn't respond to her voice. She approached him, moving the chair away so she could stand in front of him. "Your Queen is here. Speak." She said icily.
Aultcray still didn't respond…
…
SLAP!
She lowered the fan, backhanding Aultcray across the face. His head jerked to the side from the blow, but his expression didn't change. Without the fan covering her lower face, Mirellia's rage was plain to see. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, husband?! Do you know of all the troubles you've caused for me since I left!?"
At not getting a response, she slapped him again. "Let me tell you! My one-month diplomatic mission became nearly three, due to your foolish actions!"
Without getting a response, she slapped him again. "When it was discovered that you allowed the Church to summon all four Cardinal Heroes, almost every country tried to declare war!"
She slapped him again. Aultcray's facial expression still wasn't changing. "I had to run ragged, day and night, trying to convince everyone not to start a war while we were dealing with the Waves of Catastrophe!"
She slapped him again. "I had to keep my hands tied with diplomacy! Barely able to keep watch over anything in Melromarc!"
Aultcray still wasn't reacting, so she slapped him again, even harder than before. Aultcray's face was looking red from all the hand marks. Yet his expression still didn't change. "I bargained with the King of Faubley to support a peaceful solution! I told the other countries we would help strengthen all four Cardinal Heroes! BUT THEN YOU CONTINUED MISTREATING THE SHIELD HERO!"
She slapped him once, twice, and then thrice. Aultcray took each hit. Not offering any resistance. The Queen finally stopped, breathing in and out frantically. Her hand stung. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt?! Having to defend your foolish actions by myself! Having to deal with those that wanted me dead!... do you know how destroyed I was... the day the Siltvelt delegation came in to tell me that they were declaring war on Melromarc?! Seeing all my hard work torn to shreds before my eyes?! Do you know what that was like for me?!"
Aultcray just continued to stare silently at the floor. He knew Melty was alive. But he still looked dead inside.
As Mirellia got more frustrated, coupling with her exhaustion, the pain she felt became more apparent on her face. "You betrayed our country. But more than that," She gasped for breath. "You, you betrayed me Aultcray. You betrayed our daughter, Melty. You betrayed our family!"
She gasped again. Struggling to hold back all the hurt that she felt. He still hadn't reacted. "TELL ME! DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?!" She raised her voice.
Why, why wasn't he saying anything?
…
...
"I'm…"
Mirellia had been about to turn around. Mad, frustrated, exhausted, and hurt because of her husband. But his face lifted slightly. And his eyes, though unfocused, looked at her. "I'm… sorry." He whispered.
The former prideful king was gone. The look on his red, stung face expressed nothing but deep sorrow and genuine regret.
Mirellia gasped and quickly turned away while covering her face with her fan. She struggled to recompose herself. "Do you know how scared I was?" Her voice, though still hurt, contained a lot less anger than before. "When I learned that the Church was going to have you executed… do you know how afraid I was of losing you, Aultcray?..."
He didn't respond. And she eventually sat down on the bed next to him. Holding one of his hands in hers. "What happened to you Aultcray?" She whispered sadly, vulnerably. "You used to be so grand. So wise... Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if the man I love is still there at all."
...
Tears came from Aultcray's eyes, seeing how devastated his love was. Yet he didn't, or couldn't respond. He knew he'd messed up terribly. He'd done what he thought was best for his family. But he'd been wrong, so, so wrong. And the worst part was that he felt there was nothing he could do to make up for it.
All Mirellia could do was hold Aultcray's hand. Wondering how the hell she'd be able to bring herself to punish a man when he'd already been punished to the point of losing his pride and hope.
Author's Notes:
Crap, I wasn't expecting this last scene to make me cry. Now I feel bad for the Melromarc family. They're being torn apart because of the actions of one foolish man. A man who has come to realize just how foolish he was.
If you expected Bitch to just stay in her cell after being betrayed (in her mind) by Motoyasu, I was just as disappointed as you. So no, the Trial is not happening now, or soon. However, silver lining, we will get Balamus's execution. Just... likely after the last of this plot arc is dealt with (if you expected the Church to be the end of the plot arc, you thought wrong, Siltvelt still has to be dealt with). I'll be looking forward to that.
Enjoy the omake!
Hero Clips!
Training Montage: Cursed Shield edition
"Alright, take one."
Naofumi switched to the Shield of Rage II. He grimaced as he tried to hold it. "You doing okay, Naofumi?!" Ren yelled.
"Yeah... I think- AHHHHHHHHH!" Naofumi was suddenly covered in Cursed Flames, and he slammed the Shield into a target dummy, incinerating it and the others behind it.
"Crap, get him out get him out get him OUT!"
...
"Alright, take two." A more tired-looking Motoyasu said.
Naofumi switched to the Cursed Shield again. "Remember, try to hold onto a memory while using it. That normally helps me." Itsuki suggested.
"Urgh..." Naofumi groaned. Flames slowly spread out over the large shield from the red gemstone. But his memory of making out with Raphtalia at Van's estate helped him to stay in control.
"There we go, you're doing great!" Itsuki yelled encouragingly.
"Just stick to it, you got this-" Ren was saying.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Ren speaking reminded Naofumi of what had interrupted that awesome moment. Covered in cursed flames once more, he ran for Ren.
"AHHHHH!" The three Heroes freaked out as they once again had to get Naofumi out of the Cursed Shield.
...
Several... dozen tries later...
"Okay... I think I've got it now."
"Are you sure about that?" A very tired, burned Motoyasu groaned. He'd lost track of how many attempts they'd made at this point.
"Yeah... I'm sure." Naofumi not only had the Cursed Flames contained to his Shield. But he was also in the awesome black spiked armor too. Besides the red aura surrounding him, he still looked... kind of in control.
"I don't think gripping Ren by the neck sounds 'in control' Naofumi."
Oh yeah, Ren was also being held up in the air by one hand, being choked by Naofumi. "What... did... I... do... now?" The poor boy choked out.
"I'm not burning him this time, am I?" Naofumi asked Motoyasu with a calm glare.
"No, not at all!" Motoyasu immediately reassured Naofumi. Naofumi was still only one step away from going full demon all over again. Plus, if Naofumi was angry at Ren over one small incident over a dozen chapters ago, who knew the horror that'd be unleashed on Motoyasu if he tried to interfere and remind Naofumi of all the crap he put him through. Naofumi nodded and focused on his captive again.
"So, um, I think I'd call this a success," Motoyasu said to a tired and burned Itsuki.
"Yeah, besides Ren, he's staying... somewhat in control." Itsuki agreed.
"Now that I think about it, you never apologized for ruining that moment, didn't you?" Naofumi's hand squeezed harder, and Ren literally started to choke in his grasp. Unable to speak... his face turned a shade of blue.
"Alright, it's your turn to stop him this time." Motoyasu sighed.
Itsuki groaned but got up to do so.
The two of them really hoped Naofumi got the hang of the Cursed Series soon...
Or learn to rely on the Blessed Series entirely. At least that didn't make him want to go full murderhobo on people.
Till Next Time
Allen