Two chapters today. Sorry for the week delay. Enjoy!
Also, I posted a Rishia and Itsuki Christmas One-Shot called "The Perfect Gift". I recommend giving it a read if you haven't yet.
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics that appear in this chapter or the next chapter. They belong to their respective artists. Do not credit me for them.
Chapter Sixty-Two: I'm Next To You
After the celebration, three more days passed in relative peace.
Motoyasu and Itsuki departed during that time. Motoyasu, at his request, had been recommended a trainer by the Queen to help him learn to use his spear more effectively, as well as to learn some other methods of fighting that'd help him grow stronger.
Itsuki was on his way to help out a small country that was, according to Mirellia, being forced to overtax the people because of powerful monsters threatening its borders. Itsuki had apparently known about the country already. Had Raphtalia not told him about Melromarc's slave problems, he would have gone to help a rebellion overthrow that country as he'd normally do in his game. Armed with the additional knowledge and insight from Mirellia about the monster problems though, he realized what a big mistake that would be, and was thus prepared to make a real difference for the lives of the people living there.
Ren decided to stay in the castle. His shoulder still needed some additional healing. But more than that, he wanted to get started on his new training regiment under Eclair as soon as possible.
He made the decision on his own. And it came as no surprise to the rose haired knight when the Sword Hero got on his knees and begged her to train him. She accepted, of course, despite how horrid his actual sword skills were. If he was willing to put in the effort, she'd help the young boy to reach his potential.
When Ren's friends learned what he was going to do, they asked Eclair if they could train alongside the Sword Hero, much to his surprise.
Eclair's training was grueling, to say the least. They knew that thanks to Welt. But if their leader was going to walk through hell and brimstone to better himself, they resolved to do the same. Ren honestly couldn't have been happier to have them as friends.
Though their added participation seemed to excite Eclair and made her push them all even harder. Far more than she probably should have…
It was a good thing that they had healing magic and potions on hand.
Naofumi himself didn't do much. On the first day, to Raphtalia's surprise, she walked in after breakfast to find him taking a nap. At first, she'd been worried, but then, after waking him up to feed him lunch, he told her that he was taking her advice about taking this time to rest to heart.
After that, she left him be, her tail wagging behind her with glee. She was really happy that Naofumi was finally taking the chance to rest. In fact, she heard him snoring before she even left the room. He must have been really tired!
To fill her time during those three days, she either played with Filo and Melty or went through training with Eclair alongside the Sword Hero's party. The rose haired noble really knew how to push her to her limits, and learning more about "Applied Techniques" from her was really helpful! She always felt she learned something new from each experience.
Even if the Sword Hero and his party looked like they wanted to die afterward.
It honestly felt good to not have to worry about her boyfriend... Though she sometimes watched him in his sleep.
It wasn't creepy. She just loved studying the peaceful look on his face so she could memorize it in her mind. She swore that was the case.
On the second day, after breakfast, while Raphtalia was training, Naofumi met up with Mirellia to discuss his idea with her.
At first, she'd been surprised, and then, as time went on, she was intrigued.
"Where did you come up with this idea, Sir Naofumi?" She finally asked.
"I was trying to think of where we could possibly go outside Melromarc and remain independent. But with how much the Heroes are looked up to in this world, I'm not sure if such a place exists." He admitted.
"So instead of thinking where we could go, I changed my thinking and thought, what if we made a place for ourselves? And the southern tip of Melromarc came to mind." He smiled. "It's out of the way. The region is destroyed and has nobody to displace. The placement on the sea will make it easier for us if we have to travel somewhere else. And we'd not only be able to easily train with the monsters there, but we'll also be able to restore an area destroyed by a Wave."
…
Mirellia nodded after thinking it over. "That would make for a great beacon of hope in our world… However, are you sure that you and the other Heroes would be up to the challenge? Such a move would cause no small stir amongst the nations. I would think that none of you would want to dirty your hands with politics."
"Well," Naofumi smirked. "I do remember you saying your second daughter would be in my care for the foreseeable future. And I don't think playing around with Filo all the time will help her learn how to be the next Queen. So I was thinking she could run the place for us. Deal with the issues of foreign governments and other day to day matters. You know, give her some experience with ruling."
"Hmmm…" Mirellia cracked a smile. "Fufufu, you truly have thought this through. Using my own daughter too, you're a smart man." She looked genuinely impressed. After a moment, her smile became warm and genuine. "I'll make the arrangements… thank you for thinking this over, Sir Naofumi. And… thank you. Not just for all your help. But for choosing to stay. It truly means a lot."
The two shook hands. He was smiling at how well the meeting had gone. But then her Majesty's face became rock hard, and her grip like iron. "However, should you allow anything to happen to my daughter, I promise, there will be nowhere in this world where the Four Heroes can hide from me." She said in a calm, icy voice. "Understand?"
SCARY! "O-Of course." Naofumi stuttered. "I guess we'll have to beat all the waves first so we'll have an escape route to our own worlds before that happens." He tried to joke.
Mirellia did not laugh. And he left that meeting a little more freaked out than he thought he would.
You definitely did not want to get on the Queen's bad side.
After that, he made sure all the preparations were in order while he wasn't resting...
It had been exactly one week since the Ghost Ship Wave had struck. It was also the day they were set to depart from the Capital. Naofumi's wave counter said there were thirty-eight days until the next wave in Melromarc.
Naofumi awoke, feeling much better than he had in a long while. He wondered if it was because of all the preparations that had been accomplished last night. But then, after getting through the grogginess clouding his mind, he realized why he felt so good.
"Yes! It wasn't a permanent debuff! Woohoooooooooooooo!" He jumped out of the castle bed enthusiastically.
"Yawn… What is it, Naofumi?!" Raphtalia was groggily shaken out of her sleep in a different bed in the same room. Filo tiredly rubbed at her eyes next to Mommy for being so rudely awakened.
"I have all my stats back! It wasn't a permanent debuff! I'll be able to protect everyone again!" Naofumi said excitedly. He continued running around, whooping with joy. It was a wonder the whole castle wasn't instantly woken up by his screaming and hollering.
It took several seconds for it to get through their groggy minds, but when it did, Raphtalia's tea-red eyes lit up and her tail wagged fiercely behind her. Filo's reaction was the same, but without the tail. "That's great!" "Yay!" They responded together happily.
"Wait, can I- yes! Fast Heal!" He used the spell on himself. The last bit of aching he'd been feeling in his legs disappeared. "Air Strike Shield!" The large green shield appeared in front of him.
Yes! His MP and SP bars weren't empty anymore! This was amazing! It was so great to be able to cast magic and skills again! He'd never been so happy to use a non-offensive spell or skill in his life!
HA, TAKE THAT WORLD!
"Naofumi, aren't you taking this a little too fast-" Raphtalia tried to ask. She was starting to worry that he'd overwork himself, and-
"Come on! Get everyone ready! It's time we got going!" He said excitedly as he ran out through the bedroom door.
"Wait, Naofumi! Stop-" It was too late. He was already long gone. Raphtalia sighed. He'd only broken both of his legs a week ago. And now he was so energetic. What had happened to him promising to rest? Or was this what a few days of rest could do for Naofumi?
He should rest more often. Being energetic and happy was honestly a good change of pace for him.
"Come on Mommy! Filo will finally get to pull Filo's carriage!" Filo said excitedly as she jumped out of bed and tugged at Raphtalia's hands.
Raphtalia smiled. "Alright! Let's get going!" Hand in hand, mother and daughter both ran out of the room, filled with the same energy and excitement Naofumi had.
It felt like mere minutes later when Naofumi ran into Elhart's shop with his Mask Shield on. Had he always been that fast before? Hadn't he just had breakfast at the castle?! He was so pent up that he felt like he was going to explode!
HAD THERE BEEN COFFEE AT BREAKFAST?! THERE WAS NO WAY HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HERE THIS FAST OTHERWISE!
"Morning Elhart!" Naofumi yelled as he pulled the mask off.
"Hahaha, somebody's looking energetic early in the morning! What got into you?!" The kind blacksmith let out a belly-aching laugh.
Apparently, the blacksmith and some of his friends went on a small adventure of their own after Balamus had taken the throne, but it was a story for another time. They had returned, now that things had calmed down again and there was only one thing on the Shield Hero's mind. "Did you manage to get everything ready?" Naofumi asked hurriedly.
"You're not even going to answer my question? You haven't changed a bit, Shield brat!" Elhart shook his head, but he had a playful smirk on his face. "Just as usual, it depends on how much money you brought!"
"Oh, about this much." Naofumi set a sack of coins on the counter.
Elhart opened it, and his eyes widened in shock. "Where the hell did you get all this?!"
Naofumi shrugged. "Being the Nocturnal Doctor paid very well." He admitted. "The Queen gave us some funds too." Nothing too much, because parts of the Capital were still being repaired. But it was something.
"And you're sure you didn't steal any of this, hmm?" Elhart teased.
"You might have made me look like a bandit, but that doesn't mean I turned into one!" Naofumi snarked back.
Elhart laughed again. He took out several gold coins from the top, as well as a large handful of silver coins. "This should cover everything. Now let's see." He looked under his counter.
Naofumi hadn't gotten anything for Eclair since she didn't want any new equipment. Apparently, she had plenty of equipment to choose from in her room in the destroyed manor at Seaetto.
"Ah, yup, here's the miss's sword." He pulled out a new Magic Silver blade for Raphtalia. "Oh, before I forget, congrats on not blowing it! I knew it'd only be a matter of time before you two knuckleheads confessed your feelings for each other." He winked at Naofumi and the Shield Hero blushed.
Had it really been that obvious before?
"Next up, we have the tiger's new lance. A beauty if I've ever seen one." He pulled out a freshly crafted Magic Steel lance. "Some Dragonbone claws for that cute Filolial daughter of yours." He pulled out a set of shiny claws that'd fit over Filo's Filolial Queen form. "It'll be a bit before I'm able to make a suitable pair of back-up gauntlets for the tiger as well, but…"
"Ah! Here we are! Last but not least, your upgraded Barbarian Armor!"
He set Naofumi's armor on the counter between them with a loud Thud! After getting almost destroyed in the battle against Glass, again… he really should take better care of his armor. But anyway, now it looked brand new.
Elhart had been able to take some of the dragon bones Ren had given Naofumi to unlock new shields, as well as bones from the Chimera monster of the Lute Wave, and ground them into a fine powder that he'd mixed/pounded into the internal parts of the armor. It not only made the metal parts stronger and more resistant, but the skin parts were also more elastic and provided better protection. He mixed in some additional darksteel from his destroyed weaponry, giving the breastplate a slightly darker appearance, but besides that, it looked great!
Naofumi examined his repaired, new, and improved armor.
Barbarian Armor 2.0: Defense Up (Large), Fire Resistance (High), Darkness Resistance (Low), Shock Resistance (Medium), Hp Recovery (Small), Magic Up (Medium), [Autonomous Repair]
Whoa! Naofumi's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets seeing all the new benefits to the armor. It made him look even more like a bandit king now than before. The slightly darker hue didn't help in that regard either. But hey, it's defense was far higher than before. And all the other benefits would definitely come in handy down the road.
"Thanks again for doing this, Elhart," Naofumi said gratefully. "Especially since…" He grimaced as he looked around the largely empty shop. Most of the weapons were missing. The shield section had been destroyed entirely. Some of the fragments of the defensive weaponry still littered the ground where the Three Heroes cultists had gone to town.
It was almost a surprise that the Church hadn't burned this place to the ground.
"It's not a problem kid. As long as I'm able to make money again, I'll make it back to the top no problem."
"Hmmm…" Naofumi opened his bag again. There were still a few gold coins at the top of the remaining silver. He took those coins out, along with the silver, making about 25 gold coins worth that he set on the counter in front of Elhart.
"Wh-wh-what's this?!" Elhart asked in surprise. "You're not putting in another massive order, are ya?!"
"Remember that time I came in here, copying every Shield you had hanging up?" Naofumi asked.
Elhart looked at the destroyed shield wall again, and then at Naofumi. The kid had the nerve to smile. "Consider this payment on a long-overdue tab." He'd promised Raphtalia that he'd pay the blacksmith back one day. Now seemed like as good a time as any.
"Y-You mean-" Elhart started to stutter.
"Oh, and I had a small chat with the queen." The Shield Hero continued. "Your business is now exempt from taxation for the rest of your life. Also, expect a large order from the crown soon. They're set on weapons for the foreseeable future, but with all the ongoing restoration efforts, there's a great deal of demand for construction tools. I know it's not your profile per se, but 'the best blacksmith in Melromarc' shouldn't have too much trouble adjusting to the changing market demands, right?"
…
Elhart's lower lip trembled. Tears started to leak out of the corners of his eyes, and before Naofumi realized it, the large bald man jumped over the counter and encased him in a massive bear hug. "You insufferable piece of %$#^! Thank you thank you THANK YOU! Never change brat! You hear me?!" Elhart sobbed into his shoulder.
"Ack! Alright, alright! You can let go now," Naofumi yelled, looking very uncomfortable by the blacksmith's explosive act of gratitude.
If the bald man started kissing him on the cheek next, he was going to FREAK OUT!
It took a little while, but he was eventually able to pry Elhart off of him. The old man was surprisingly strong and had the audacity to smirk at him as if he hadn't just had a breakdown. "You're welcome in my shop anytime Shield bro!"
"Yeah, I know." Naofumi frowned in annoyance. It was honestly too bad Elhart wanted to keep his shop here in the Capital. Though Naofumi didn't think he'd mind so much now. Ugh, he needed to be less nice to other people if it was just going to lead to situations like this.
Well, thankfully, Elhart's friend had signed up to move to his village to be his blacksmith. So at least he wouldn't be down a blacksmith.
As he began to walk towards the door, he stopped by the shield fragments on the ground. Odd, his gemstone was glowing near them. Was there something to unlock here?
He picked the fragments up and absorbed them into the Shield. After he absorbed enough, he unlocked a new Shield. True Shield (Broken). True Shield?
When he equipped it, it looked the same as the default Small Shield. Only the surface was cracked, the gem was dimmer, and pulling up its stats showed it gave even less DEF than any other shield he had. What?
The only thing in the description was the following: "Meant only for the TRUE Shield Hero."
…
"Unlock anything special there?" Elhart asked curiously.
"Meh. Nothing worth mentioning." Naofumi replied, shaking his head. It was just another crap shield with nothing remarkable about it. It would never change canon events down the road. And there were much better shields to pick from, like the Shield of Hope II, the Chimera Viper Shield, the new Soul Eater Shield he'd unlocked absorbing the Wave monster, or the Savior's Shield that he copied from one of Siltvelt's high leveled soldiers.
At least that one had the possibility of doing something meaningful. He just had to reach the level requirements so he could use it.
"Well alright then!" The blacksmith laughed. "See ya soon Shield brat!"
"See ya, old man!" Naofumi waved farewell to Elhart. He received a hearty laugh as he equipped the Mask Shield again and left the shop behind.
Naofumi met up with his party outside the castle walls. Eclair and Dou-Lon were already sitting with Melty in the back of the wagon. Eclair looked fresh out of a training session. She was busy fixing her pink hair while Filo happily awaited to pull the wagon in her Queen form. Raphtalia held the reins. She smiled as Naofumi approached, donned in his new Barbarian Armor.
"I hope you didn't spend too much money." She said as he approached.
"I may have paid Elhart what we owed him before. Besides that, I didn't spend money anywhere else."
"That's great!"
So, are we ready to go yet?" Naofumi asked.
"We're just waiting for Sir Ren and his party to arrive," Eclair explained with a yawn. Naofumi noticed that she seemed a little tired, which was highly unusual for her.
It was only a minute later that Ren and his party ran up. "Sorry," Ren quickly apologized while breathing in and out heavily.
Ren's party took their seats at the back of the wagon while the Sword Hero sat near the front behind the driver's seat where Naofumi was. The Shield Hero, fortunately, had the foresight of putting all the supplies and boxes that had been in the back into his Shield. Now that he knew about the inventory space in their weapons, traveling around would be much easier.
"What took you guys so long?" Naofumi asked.
"I almost forgot we were leaving today," Ren explained while trying to get his breathing back under control. Now that Naofumi looked closely, the poor boy looked exhausted. Far more than Eclair.
Eclair must have been working him to the bone.
Wyndia and the rest looked exhausted too. But they were all smiling regardless. Wyndia took her seat next to the Sword Hero, and he subconsciously began rubbing her head between her ears to congratulate her for a particularly cool move she'd managed to pull off during training. The dog girl enjoyed it at first, but then she realized they were in front of everyone, and she promptly smacked his hand away and crossed her arms with a "hmph!"
She thought she'd made it clear to him before that headpats were to only be done in private! Ren looked too tired though to even notice the huge mistake he'd just made. She'd have to remind him about that later.
Still, who knew that training under one harsh teacher together would be so much fun? Wyndia already couldn't wait for the next training session! Maybe she'd be lucky and get to spar with her Hero again! Ooh! She could really punish him then! Bwuhahahahaha!
"It's... no problem. Now, let's get going, Filo." Naofumi faced forward again. He'd seen something in Wyndia's eyes that gave him the shivers.
"Okey-day!" Filo immediately took off at a fast pace.
Dou-Lon nearly cursed as the momentum almost launched him out the back of the wagon. He hadn't expected Filo to go so fast so quickly!
The Shield Hero's daughter was truly amazing!
After that, much of the day passed by blissfully uneventful, much to Naofumi's relief. The sun shone brightly in the clear, cloudless sky. A gentle breeze passed over the hills covered with vast fields of emerald green grass that they passed on their journey. For once, there were no bandits or monsters to worry about on the road. It was like the world around them was breathing out a sigh of relief after overcoming the last wave of destruction.
Because of how clear the road was today, Filo kept up a very brisk pace. It felt so great to be pulling her favorite wagon again! She really loved that she had it back!
But in her happiness, she didn't notice how her speed and the bumpy road were combining together for the ultimate nauseous experience for the passengers inside. It was only when Ren began yelling at Naofumi that the man himself even realized what was going on. "Whoa, slow down Filo! You're killing everyone-"
His command came too late.
"BLURGH!" Dou-Lon put his head over the back of the wagon and vomited.
Crap, his reaction caused everyone else that was sick to do the same. No! Not on the side of the wagon Ren! Noooooooooo!
Damn it! Now they had to stop so Naofumi could clean it off! He knew he should have paid more attention! It'd just been so long since he'd dealt with this kind of problem!
"Sorry…" Filo's head hung low in guilt as she stood nearby.
"It's… it's fine, Filo." Melty managed to say. She looked a little sick herself. Raphtalia worriedly checked her forehead before looking at Naofumi. "Maybe you should give everyone the medicine you gave me, Naofumi." She suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Naofumi grumbled. After he was done cleaning the sick off the side of the wagon, he took some nausea medicine out of his shield and passed it to everyone. Then, after making sure they'd all taken the bitter medicine and didn't try to vomit it up, he got back in the driver's seat and had Filo start pulling again.
The rest of their journey went by much more smoothly. And a lot less bumpily too.
Still. The thought of what had happened weighed on Naofumi's mind. Filo would no doubt be unwilling to part with her carriage. So he'd have to think about investing in upgrades for it in the future. That way it'd be better able to handle bumpy roads more smoothly so he wouldn't have to rely on medicine to help them along.
He was still busy thinking about that when Raphtalia surprised him by speaking into his ear.
"Where are we going Naofumi?"
"What the- holy hell, you scared me." He turned to look at her, and the Tanuki girl giggled. Oh, so she'd done that to him on purpose, eh? Naofumi smirked. "Don't worry, we're almost there," Naofumi said.
Raphtalia pouted. She could tell just by the look on his face that he was hiding something. "What aren't you telling me Naofumi?"
"Awwww, you're starting to act like a kid again." Naofumi completely ignored her question to tease her.
"I am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
The childish banter continued between them for a little while. Eventually, though, Raphtalia grumbled and crossed her arms in front of herself. Her ears fell on top of her head too. It was nothing short of adorable, even if she was angry.
"Don't worry. We'll be there soon… I think? Hey, Ren, how far away do you think we are?" Naofumi asked back.
…
"Ren-" He turned his head to look behind him and Raphtalia. "-oh…"
Yeah, he'd almost forgotten the sleep effect the nausea medicine had on people. Raphtalia was used to it. But since it was their first time, everyone else was dead asleep.
Dou-Lon was curled up like a cat in the corner, licking at his bandaged arms in his sleep like a cat grooming itself. Eclair rested against her sword sheath. Bakta was splayed out on the floor like a bear rug. Welt had his arms crossed and leaned back on the wall of the wagon. Farrie rested against Tersia's shoulder while the latter rested her head on her best friend's. And, now that he was paying more attention, he could see Melty's head resting on Raphtalia's lap. The bluette began to fidget, and the Tanuki girl's hand started to run smooth, motherly motions between the girl's twin ponytails. She eventually calmed down, and her sleep became peaceful once more.
Now that was adorable...
Oh, and Ren, being completely unable to keep up appearances in his sleep, had his head thrown far back, snoring slightly with his mouth wide open. His arms were limply hanging at his sides and his legs were spread out wide. Wyndia was laying sideways, resting her head on one of the sword hero's legs and openly drooling on his pants in her sleep.
Naofumi smirked to himself at the display. Even if he had to suffer from the pain of getting both of his legs broken at the time, he still noticed the exchange that the two had after the wave. Had that dog girl subconsciously awakened to her degenerate lap pillow fetish after Ren let her rest her head on his lap?
Hopefully, that wouldn't come back to bite the sword hero in the butt later on. Or hopefully, it would in a good way.
Raphtalia started to give him a quizzical look. What was he thinking about this time?
He coughed into his hand before saying something again. "Oh, um I guess we'll have to wait until we get there," Naofumi said, shrugging helplessly. "Sorry."
Raphtalia sighed but didn't move from her position. She continued stroking the blueette's head as the shadows of trees, buildings, and other things passed the wagon covering. The sun continued to move until it was soon evening.
The ride was certainly peaceful. Raphtalia almost felt tempted to sleep herself. But her curiosity kept her awake, wondering where Naofumi was taking them now.
Then, when everyone was finally beginning to wake up, she noticed a familiar smell filling the air.
"Wait… is that, salt?" Raphtalia asked.
"Damn. Yeah, I should have figured you'd be able to recognize that," Naofumi said with a smile.
Raphtalia helped the waking Melty sit up so she could get out to sit beside Naofumi on the driver's seat. Now that she was out here and paying attention, she recognized the hills they rode past. And she watched, almost breathlessly, as they crested over one last hill and looked down on the site of her old village.
It did not look the same as before.
The old Church was in the process of being rebuilt. Most of the burned up structures had been torn down. In their place, smaller homes of stone were in the process of being finished up.
Wyndia's eyes slowly opened, and when she realized her position, she quickly sat up, looking away from the drowsy Sword Hero with a light blush on her face. Had she really fallen asleep on his lap?! Oh no! She hoped nobody else had noticed! Damn it, Ren! Why did his leg have to be so soft and strong and firm and- oh noooooooooooo!
'Why do my pants feel wet?' Ren thought groggily. His legs also felt strangely warm for some reason. Had his dream about a cute baby dragon cuddling his leg been real?
Nah. Maybe he'd just drooled on them in his sleep. That was embarrassing to think about.
And why was Wyndia glaring at him? Had he done something wrong?
As they approached, Raphtalia saw several demi-humans. One had dog ears and a tail, another had weasel ears, a third had fox ears. They all wore identical bandanas with the insignia of a bow on them and were working together to clear out rubble to free up space to build more structures. Knights were also assisting them.
"Hey, Raphtalia!" An energetic Keel ran up to their wagon as it came to a stop. Welt and the others got out and began to stretch. "What do you think?! This place is really starting to look like a village again!"
"I… I don't know what to think." Raphtalia said, looking around in shock. "What's going on, Naofumi?" She asked him.
"This is what I arranged with Mirellia." He admitted. He helped her to step down from the wagon.
"You… what…" The poor girl looked so confused. "When? How?"
As if on cue, Melty, after yawning into her hand, got out of the back of the wagon and walked up to Naofumi and Ren with an expectant regal look. He pulled out a piece of parchment that had the royal seal on it from his Shield and gave it to the princess. Melty gave him a curtsy in response before unwrapping the scroll and holding it out in front of her. She began to read it out loud in a commanding and regal tone of voice.
"Let it be known to all that from this day forth; I, Mirellia Q. Melromarc, the sole sovereign of the kingdom of Melromarc, do bestow the region of Seaetto to the Four Cardinal Heroes of Legend. For helping me and my subjects in our time of greatest need, and for their numerous good deeds in my kingdom, I have decided to grant them both my blessing and my support in using this land to establish a new city-state.
A land where the Heroes can let their strength grow unopposed without the outside influence of other nations, including my own. A place where they can be united without the hindrance of religion. A new home where they can feel safe and secure from the machinations of others.
Moreover, I, Mirellia Q. Melromarc henceforth swear upon my title and name to provide the Cardinal Heroes my continuous support in protecting the people of our world from the Waves of catastrophe and encourage our fellow countries to do the same, as long as their desire to save our world remains firm.
That is my decree, as the leader of the kingdom of Melromarc!"
…
Raphtalia looked at the little girl, and then up at the smiling Naofumi and the nervous Ren. "We all talked about it. And we agreed." Ren admitted. "Having our own place would make it a lot easier to train and level up."
"I talked it over with Fitoria as well. Since we're going to be more cut off from the world's affairs here, she'll be able to come by every now and then when she needs one of us for a Wave." Naofumi said with a smile.
Raphtalia looked at Filo in surprise. "How come you didn't tell me about any of this?!" She asked their daughter.
Filo put her hands behind her back and moved back and forth in place with a mischievous smile. "Daddy promised Filo another buffet if Filo remained quiet around Mommy," Filo said innocently.
… Why, that scheming little bastard-!
"As well as that, if anyone from Melromarc or anywhere else crosses over to cause us trouble, they'll become subject to the laws we're going to establish here," Naofumi smirked evilly. "Even if they're nobility, it'll mean squat in my domain."
"You mean our domain." Ren corrected. Though he was smiling too. Even Itsuki had been on board with the idea. Mirellia had talked it over with them. They not only had the Three Heroes Church to worry about. There were bound to be slavers, politicians like those from Siltvelt, and others who'd want to cause them trouble or convince them to cause trouble for their enemies instead of defending the world. Since some of the slavers were nobility, and since some of these politicians were held in high esteem in their countries, it'd be hard for Mirellia to directly punish them, and sending Itsuki after all of them would be tedious.
However, if they came here to break their laws and cause a fuss, well, that made things a hell of a lot easier. The announcement Melty had read was going to be read at the next conference of nations. It was likely when that happened that there'd be some backlash. But hopefully, by then, they'd be well-established to the point that they'd be able to handle it.
Hopefully.
The tough one to win over had been Motoyasu. And that was mainly because he didn't want to stay tied down in one spot. After that was resolved though, he was all too happy for the idea.
Raphtalia was stunned again. Not only was her village being rebuilt, but the heroes were also putting forth efforts to make sure it wouldn't be made a target again. She looked around at everything with wide eyes. Her village, the village she thought she'd lost forever...
"Come on Mel!" Filo suddenly grabbed Melty by the hand and dragged her off.
"Wait, Filooooooo-" Melty's cry faded as they disappeared amongst the structures.
"Let's get settled in," Ren told his party. They immediately agreed and ran off after him into the village.
"Hey, you promised a feast for me too!" Keel complained.
"Yeah, yeah, later," Naofumi said dismissively.
Keel pouted. "Wait, why were you promised a feast?" Raphtalia asked.
"Oh, well, um, I can't say! I'll see you later Raphtalia!" Keel quickly rushed off to help out somewhere else.
What was going on?! She'd already been surprised by the village! What else could they be hiding from her!? She pouted, looking at Naofumi for an explanation. He merely smirked as he grabbed her by the hand.
"Come on, the best is yet to come," Naofumi said excitedly. This had been the thing that'd made him excited for today, and Raphtalia could, unfortunately, do nothing but follow.
"We'll see you at the flag-raising ceremony, Naofumi!" Ren called after him.
Naofumi first led her on a tour of the slowly rebuilding town. There wasn't much to speak of. A lot of the rubble had been cleared away. A memorial had been set in the middle of a graveyard. On it were the names of those who had perished both during the Wave and the Church's subsequent attack. The names of the children who'd been enslaved were on another side of the memorial. It served as a testament to those who were rescued, or in need of rescuing.
As they continued on, Raphtalia studied the people they came across. They were different from what she remembered. And the knights… upon closer examination, she realized they bore the Seaetto crest on them!
"How did all this get done so quickly?" She meekly asked the only source for answers.
"Van told me his people had been rebuilding this place when they got news about the Church being overthrown. And then, when they learned that we were going to stay here, some of the people Itsuki saved decided to stay behind. A few of Mirellia's knights also volunteered to help out. They found those sets of armor gathering dust in the Royal barracks. And… I guess this was the end result."
Again, the village wasn't very big. Out of all the demi-humans that Itsuki had saved, only around ten had chosen to stay. That didn't include the children from the village, including Keel, as well as several others who wanted to start anew. About twenty knights were there to help. It was going to be a while before they had a true village. It'd be longer before they had a true nation.
Still, it was more than Raphtalia had ever dreamed of ever being here. "Hell, I'm surprised how much progress they made," Naofumi admitted.
She had nothing to say to that. But as they walked down the main street towards the Church, they were met with three familiar faces.
"Now ain't this a surprise!" Jerry exclaimed happily. He stood in the doorway of a stone building. "I'm glad you and the lass arrived safely!"
"Oh ho, Shield Hero. It's good to see you." The old apothecarian had a small smile on his face. "I'm looking forward to seeing everything you've learned to compound!"
"And I can't wait to see what magic everyone here will be able to do!" The witch appeared from a third shop, holding several grimoires in her arms.
"Nice. I'll be looking forward to working with you three." In addition to those mentioned before, he had three essential craftsmen. Jerry was no Elhart, but at least he had a blacksmith who could craft equipment and tools. Apothecarian could help him make medicine and sell it while Witch could help them learn magic.
They'd probably given their names long ago. But he couldn't remember, so he was going to stick to calling them Apothecarian and Witch.
He continued leading Raphtalia along, passing by the Church. Raphtalia wondered why at first, but then she saw four newly built houses near the cliff, overlooking the village. They all stood in a semi-circle. Their wooden roofs reflected the light of the evening sun. Ren and his party had just entered one with the symbol of the sword etched over the front door.
The one they were approaching had the symbol of the Shield etched over the doorway.
"Naofumi… is that..." She whispered to herself, not believing what she was seeing.
The two stopped in front of the wooden door. Raphtalia looked at the knots in the wood on it. Her hand alighted on it, feeling the rough texture beneath her fingers. She… she felt like a ship on a tossing sea. She wasn't sure what to expect when she'd flip over and see the water underneath. Yet she was breathless all the same.
Naofumi's excitement finally bubbled down. He gave her a nervous look.
"This… this is it." He admitted. "Is it alright for me to… to take the lead here?"
She looked up into his green eyes. Staring for only a moment, before nodding, entrusting herself to him completely.
He opened the front door, and, after giving her an expectant look, he led her into their home.
Kayoi nareta itsumo no michi
"Hey, Mommy! Check out this couch! It's really nice!"
Raphtalia stared around at the living room they entered. Somehow, it looked so painfully familiar to her. It reminded her of the one from her old home. The couch Filo laid on was different, but similar to the one her parents owned. And the rocking chair that Melty sat in, Raphtalia recognized it instantly.
That was her father's rocking chair. She'd forgotten it in the ruins of her home, but now it was here!
"H-How?" She gasped out.
"I'll admit. You watching over me during the day made it hard. Fortunately, Itsuki and Ren's portal skills still work at night." Naofumi smirked.
"At night…" She connected the dots. "I thought you promised to rest!" Raphtalia pouted at him. Naofumi laughed.
"Hey, I did rest. You saw me resting, didn't you? Don't pretend I didn't notice you watching me sleep." Naofumi teased.
Raphtalia's blush returned tenfold and she focused on more of the house. To the side behind the living room was a kitchen. It had a wood stove, countertops, and cabinets full of various items that Naofumi would need to be the best cook in town. The back door was beside the kitchen. And to the right were two hallways. One leading to the side, and the other to a set of stairs that went up to the second floor.
"Come on, there's more to see."
"Yay!" Filo and Mel got up to tour the house as well.
Still blushing heavily, not trusting herself to speak, Raphtalia continued following Naofumi.
Misugoshisou na hana ga yurete
"These rooms will be for Eclair, Dou-Lon, and anyone else who might join us down the road." Naofumi gestured at a side hallway. There had to be at least five doors down it.
"Join us? How many party members are you planning on?" Raphtalia asked.
Naofumi shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I want there to be enough room for them though." To think he'd been so distrustful of people before. And now he was making plans for when their party got even bigger.
"I'm not sleeping in one of those rooms, am I?" Melty asked curiously.
"Of course not. I already know you wouldn't use it anyway." Naofumi replied.
"Hmph! For rude!" Melty turned her head to the side indignantly. She could get used to such drab furnishments… eventually! She wasn't a spoiled princess!
"Now, to the fun stuff." He led Raphtalia down the other hallway up the stairs. Filo and Melty followed along behind them.
Atarimae to omoikomi dore dake Taisetsu
"This is going to be Filo's room." Naofumi opened a door, and the little blonde girl ran inside ahead of him and Raphtalia with wide eyes glowing with wonder.
The room was very spacious, with a tall ceiling. A set of windows lined the outer wall, allowing a lot of natural light inside. The walls were covered with pretty blue wallpaper with cloud designs. A huge, round heavy duty bed was set by the wall, overflowing with many colorful pillows bearing various cute designs on them like balloons or usapils. The bed gave an impression of a large bird's nest from a distance which was most likely intentional, as the shield hero was aware that their daughter preferred to sleep in her natural form unless she slept with either of them.
There was also a smaller, regular bed next to it. A sturdy wooden box with a lock on it was set in a corner. It was open at the moment, revealing what appeared to be a bunch of junk that the filolial had collected over the course of her short life. But to those in the know, it was a treasure chest full of precious memories. The hairpin Naofumi had made for Filo rested on the top of the pile. A small table with drawing tools on it completed the room.
"Huh? What's the extra bed for?" Raphtalia asked curiously.
"That's in case Melty wants to share a room with Filo," Naofumi explained.
"Huh? But Filo thought daddy got it in case Filo would get a s-" The shield hero hastily covered his daughter's mouth. "A sleepover! In case Melty would want to sleepover. That's right Filo. Would you?" He addressed the princess.
Filo pouted, but stars appeared in the little girl's eyes. "Would I?!" She looked at the extra bed, and then at Naofumi again to make sure that he wasn't pulling her leg. He looked entirely serious though, and then, with an excited bout of laughter, she jumped through the air onto her bed.
"Yay! Filo gets to sleep with Mel-Chan every night!" Filo ran after her to play. Naofumi watched as the two little girls happily embraced.
"You… you called her by her real name," Raphtalia said in surprise.
"Yeah. I had to promise to call her by her real name for a week to keep her from spoiling the secret." Naofumi admitted. "Small price to pay. I'll get back to calling her Second Princess in no time." Raphtalia chuckled at Naofumi's antics. She swore one of these days she'd get him to call Melty by her name permanently.
"I heard that!" Melty yelled at Naofumi.
"Come on Mel! Let's push the beds together so Filo and Mel can sleep together at night!" Filo said happily.
"Ack! Don't say it like that Filo!" Melty blushed a bright red.
"Why not?" Filo asked curiously.
"Because… because… that's not an appropriate thing to say!"
"Eh?" Filo looked confused.
"Come on. There's still one last room for you to see." Naofumi whispered in Raphtalia's ear.
Raphtalia and Naofumi left the room.
Na mono ni kizukazu ni itan darou
"This, this will be our room." Naofumi opened the door at the end of the second floor's hallway.
There were two beds in the room. Large enough for them to share if they wanted, or in case Filo wanted to sleep with either of them. Naofumi had a desk set up near his bed where he could compound and craft accessories to his heart's content. And by Raphtalia's was open space. She could decide what to do with it, whether it was working out in the morning, or… something?
Naofumi felt bad that Raphtalia didn't have much in the way of hobbies. He made a mental note to fix this as soon as possible.
Raphtalia felt the blankets on her bed. There was no way. "Where… how did you find them?" She quietly asked. "How did you know what to look for? The chair. These..."
Naofumi gave her a solemn look. "For everything from your house? I asked your dog friend for help finding and moving it here."
"You mean, Keel…" Keel had found the blankets her parents used? But… she thought she'd looked all over the destroyed house. And yet here they were, clean and pristine.
"He didn't really trust me at first. But after I mentioned you, he was very eager to help. You have good friends, Raphtalia." Naofumi smiled softly.
Raphtalia continued to stroke her bed's cover with a wistful expression, unable to form a reply to that. She could remember snuggling with her parents under these covers during cold winter nights. And to see them here...
Itsuka awa no you ni atashi mo anata mo
After a moment of letting Raphtalia take the room in, Naofumi took her by the hand. "Come on. There's something I want you to see."
Raphtalia looked at Naofumi in shock. What other surprises did he have planned?! It was almost too much already! However, he didn't elaborate and led her back down to the living room. She followed behind, wondering what would come next. Was it an indoor bathhouse? But they'd already explored the rest of the house! So what was there left-
He led her out the back door into the backyard.
Melty had, at Filo's urging, been convinced to push their beds together. Especially since Filo had so many fluffy pillows dotting her bed that she'd feel bad about not sharing. And after that, they waited for Naofumi and Raphtalia in the backyard when they finally came out.
Raphtalia stopped, staring this time in shock. But it wasn't because of those two waiting expectantly for them.
Kirei ni kiete nakunaru no
At the end of the yard, where the cliff met the sea, rested the tombstones of her parents and Rifana. However, both of the graves had been cleaned up.
Stones were been laid reverently along the patches of land, outlining where they laid. Two large stones, one with the names of her parents, and the other with Rifana's name, marked the spots. Both of them had vase holders next to them.
And the little flag Raphtalia had made for Rifana had been given special attention. The little rag waved in the breeze from one of two small holders Keel had convinced Jerry to make so it wouldn't be blown away. In the other flag holder was a small version of the former village flag. A gift from Keel to their fallen friend.
It was… it was...
Semete sono hi made wagamama wo kiite
"I… I know how special your family and friends are… so I wanted our house closest to them. That way you'd be able to pay your respects whenever you needed to." Naofumi said quietly, respectfully.
It was a Japanese tradition to honor one's ancestors. He didn't know if it was that important in this world. But it wouldn't have felt right if Raphtalia wouldn't be able to pay respect to her parents.
…
"Raphtalia?" He asked, after noticing how quiet she was.
The Tanuki girl couldn't speak. She had tears running down her face.
"Mommy? Is something wrong? Is this… bad?" Filo asked worriedly.
Naofumi also became worried. "Raphtalia, is this too much? I mean, if-" He started to say.
"No, it's… it's perfect." Raphtalia sobbed out. One of her hands wiped tears from her cheek. But more tears followed those, falling onto the ground below. "I love it."
"Well…" He gestured to Filo, and she and Mel ran to the side of the yard where two bouquets of flowers had been hiding out of view. They were wildflowers that they'd picked on the outskirts of the village. The petals had an auburn hue to them, just like Raphtalia's hair. And, as respectfully as they could, they put the bouquets in the vase holders. Adding some beauty to the graves.
"There. Now it's perfect." Melty nodded in satisfaction.
Raphtalia began sobbing into Naofumi's shoulder. Filo and Mel ran up, giving Raphtalia a comforting hug. As she sat there on the grass of their yard surrounded by several loving people, she suddenly noticed a familiar feeling welling in her. Something she never thought she would feel again. A sense of belonging. Just like when her mother and father used to hug her.
She had a family again.
Demo ienai ya iesou ni nai ya
…
Naofumi looked down at her for a while. And then, after a little bit, he spoke again. "Are you feeling up for one last gift?"
Raphtalia, tears still leaking from her eyes, shakily nodded her head. "Okay. Just close your eyes for a moment. Filo, Melty."
She did as she was told. Waiting for what he was going to do. She heard the sound of him taking something out of his shield. Something jingled from Filo's hand. There was a rustling like something being taken out of a pocket from Melty. Then it sounded like he was piecing something together.
He whispered something quietly to Filo and Melty. The two ran off. And then… he placed a round object in her hand.
"Alright. You can look now."
She opened her eyes.
In her hand was a locket.
Atashi ga tonari ni iru uchi ni Ai wo motto atashi ni kudasai
The locket was a solid gold color, just like the chain it was attached to. The design of his Air Strike Shield was etched into the surface in silver. She stared at it, stunned by the beauty and attention to detail. When she opened it, the inside revealed a small recording crystal. Activating it showed recent images of Naofumi and Filo.
"You wouldn't believe how long it took me to figure out how to make that work." Naofumi chuckled. "There's still plenty of room on it too, so you can fill it with whatever you like."
"Wh… but… I thought…" The girl was floored. She hadn't seen it for herself. But she remembered a long time ago. How Naofumi had told her about a locket similar to this that he'd tried to give to someone.
That scenario hadn't ended well.
In the distance. Melty looked confused at her reaction to being given a simple accessory, but Filo was smiling widely.
"Well… there was a part to that story I didn't tell you back then." She looked up at his face, which looked oddly vulnerable to her. "I made a promise to myself after that day. That I wouldn't try to give a gift like this to anyone ever again... unless I was sure I was in love with them." He smiled at her.
Raphtalia thought the tears had been coming before.
What came next was like a waterfall.
"Raphtalia, I can't put in words how grateful I am for you. For sticking with me through everything, for all your sacrifices, and for working so hard despite all the challenges we've faced. That night when you held me while I was broken, my life changed forever. I was so depressed, and so angry, and…" Tears appeared in his eyes. "Had you not been there for me, had you not stuck with me, I would have turned into a monster. You saved me."
She was barely able to see as he spoke. "I wanted to thank you for that. And I've said it before, but I'll say it again. You are my rock, my foundation. You are my light in the dark. When I'm next to you, there's nothing I can't do. And even though there are times when I don't feel worthy of it, I'm glad that the person I fell in love with was-"
He was cut off, as Raphtalia crashed into him, kissing him on the lips again and again.
"It's perfect! It's all perfect! Thank you! Thank you so much Naofumi!" She said in between kissing him.
"Hey, we helped out too!" Melty yelled at the two adults indignantly. "Right, Filo?!"
"Shhhh, don't ruin Mommy and Daddy's moment," Filo whispered to Melty.
"But Filo-"
"Shhhhhhh!"
Naofumi gladly kissed Raphtalia back. The nights spent sneaking out and getting little sleep, having to deal with the Tsundere Princess and a bunch of other details suddenly seemed very worth it to him now.
The two separated briefly. "I'm still mad that you arranged all of this behind my back!" The girl pouted adorably at him. The red flush filling her cheeks didn't help matters.
"Noted." He leaned in and kissed her again, and she just could not hold onto the brief bout of anger. It really was perfect for her.
And Raphtalia. She felt it bubbling up in her again. The desire to grab Naofumi by the shoulders, to throw him down onto the ground, to get on top of him, and-
Yokubari de gomen nasai Anata no ai ni oboretai
"Hey, Naofumi! Take that inside, will ya?!"
Naofumi and Raphtalia instantly separated. Looking down at them from the windows of their homes, Itsuki was smirking widely, while Ren was blushing fiercely. Seriously, did he HAVE to look out the window RIGHT as they were going at it AGAIN!? He'd just heard some strange noises while he was unpacking and decided to look out the window and BLAM!
This was even worse than the time he accidentally walked in on them at Reichnott's Estate! There were children out there for goodness sake! Take it inside you weirdos!
"OI! CAN'T A GUY HAVE A LITTLE PRIVACY!?" Naofumi yelled up at them.
"If you wanted privacy, you should have done it in your house, right Ren?!"
"HEY, I WASN'T PEEPING! THAT WAS ALL YOU THERE ITSUKI!" Ren accused the Bow Hero.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! I WASN'T PEEPING ON ANYONE!" Itsuki yelled at Ren.
"WERE TOO!"
"WAS NOT!"
Raphtalia, meanwhile, was breathing in and out heavily, flushing so red it looked like she was going to burst. "Are you alright mommy?! Your forehead feels really really hot!" Filo said after she'd pressed her hand against Raphtalia's sweaty forehead.
"It's fine, everything's fine!" Raphtalia said embarrassedly.
Why, just why did this keep on happening to her?! Kissing Naofumi felt so good! But it led her to a place she'd never even imagined before!
This was going to drive her insane at this rate!
Or perhaps, she already was insane and didn't realize it.
"You know what, screw it! I just wanted to tell you that everyone is ready to raise the flag!" Itsuki chose to end the pointless argument and informed Naofumi about the real reason for their appearance.
"But that isn't supposed to be till- wait, how is the sun already close to setting- argh! Alright! We'll be right there!" Naofumi yelled back.
Itsuki and Ren quickly rushed away from their windows.
"Wasn't… Wasn't Itsuki supposed to be out on some mission?" Raphtalia finally asked meekly.
Naofumi breathed in and out to calm himself before he smirked. "There are a few perks to having weapons that can portal you around. He and the others promised to be here for the country's creation." He took Raphtalia by the hand. "And that starts with the flag-raising ceremony!"
Melty's eyes widened. "Oh no! I need to get to the Church now!"
"Don't worry, I'll help you, Mel!" Filo transformed into her Queen form, and Melty quickly hopped on.
Naofumi and Raphtalia raced for the village center hand in hand.
Atashi ga tonari ni iru uchi ni Ai wo motto atashi ni kudasai
"Are we ready?!" Keel excitedly asked as Mel appeared at the top of the Church on Filo's back. The dog boy held tightly to a rope, an excited look on his youthful face.
"Not yet! We're still waiting on Sir Naofumi and Sir Motoyasu!" Melty told him.
"Aw come on! What's taking them so longgggg!" Keel complained. "This is going to be epic!"
Naofumi and Raphtalia appeared, running up to the crowd of party members and villagers already waiting at the base of the Church.
Raphtalia was still blushing red from earlier, but she didn't let go of his hand. The locket he'd given her hung around her neck.
"Oh, um, nice to see you two," Ren said, blushing awkwardly. He decided not to say anything more. It'd only make what happened earlier even more awkward.
"Remember, training resumes immediately after this," Eclair informed him. "Your katas are horrible. They are in desperate need of fine-tuning."
"Wh-what?! But it's almost night, and we just got here-" Ren started to whine.
"We'll look forward to it." Wyndia cut off Ren before he could make a bigger fool of himself. Ren groaned, looking down at the ground again.
Couldn't he at least finish unpacking before being dragged off to train again?
Afureru you na omoi de
"Sorry, I'm late!" Motoyasu came running up, his two girls behind him. He looked to be covered in sweat. "I almost lost track of time while grinding!"
"How?! We have the hourglass counting down in our HUD's!" Itsuki asked incredulously.
"I'm trying to get stronger, alright?! Now let's not argue! This is a time to be bros watching our nation unfurl!" Motoyasu said excitedly, putting two long arms over the other three Heroes.
"Hey, too close," Ren complained.
"Agreed. Back off you sweaty simp," Naofumi dryly said.
"Now!?" Keel asked.
Melty smiled and nodded. "Yes."
"Then here I go!" Keel raised the green flag up the flagpole, unfurling it.
Anata wo
Gasps of delight came from the party members, the villagers, and the four Heroes.
"Wow, it's so pretty." Farrie awed.
"Heck yeah! We have our own country now!" Bakta said excitedly.
"Marx, I hope you're watching this," Itsuki said, holding Rishia's hand tightly in his.
"Mom! Dad! Rifana! Can you see it? We have a flag raised over our village once again." Raphtalia said beside Naofumi. She raised a hand to wipe a tear from her eye.
"It's such a beautiful flag too," Rishia said happily.
"May it stand as a symbol of our union!" Motoyasu happily cheered.
"May it give hope to those in the world."
tsutsumikomitai no
…
While the others admired it, Naofumi's eyes widened. The flag's design had been Melty's idea. A Filolial crest of arms amongst a backdrop of green. The four sections of the crest were different colors. Orange, Green, Blue, and Gold. Corresponding with each of the Four Heroes. Motoyasu was right in a way, this symbolized the start of them working together to save the world.
Staring at the flag though, a distant memory came to his mind.
"You see Raphtalia. This is the flag I have back at home where I'm from."
Naofumi held up the little white flag with the dot on it. "It represents the rising sun. That, no matter how dark or scary things will get, a new dawn will come and push the darkness away… to me, it represents that no matter where I go or what I do, I'll still have a family, friends, loved ones… a home to return to."
"It helps me to remember that I have a reason to continue living despite the hell the world puts me through. That no matter what happens, everything will be fine since I know there's one place in the world where I'm accepted... home."
Naofumi stared silently. Remembering the words he'd said to Raphtalia in the inn of Lute Village long ago.
'Home… a home…' He looked around him at everyone. At his party. At the other heroes and their parties.
Strangers, friends… loved ones… family.
Insert beginning instrumental of Kimi No Namae
"Naofumi? Is everything alright?"
Naofumi looked at the auburn-haired Tanuki. She was looking at him curiously while everyone congregated or dispersed to celebrate.
That was right. He… no, they had a place where they could be accepted. A place where they could find peace. Where they could be themselves.
He smiled at her. A place where they could be a family. "I think… I found home."
This was it.
This would be his new home. This would be the end of what had come before.
This would be his new start as the Shield Hero.
Till Next Time
Allen