Now, I hope the rest of you guys are surprised to see this chapter out a week early. Thanks to everyone who's voted on the poll so far. If you haven't yet, please do. I get the sense some of you who looked over the poll will be happy with this chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter Three: Sword Party
"Thank you for your help, Sword Hero."
"I, um, don't know if I really helped that much, Fitoria." Ren awkwardly said back to the little angel winged girl next to him as they walked.
They were in the middle of nowhere. It was literally nothing but desert as far as the eye could see. The sun blazed brightly in the midday sky. If Ren remembered correctly, his game had called this place the Prad Desert. He wasn't sure where it was exactly in the world. It wasn't in Melromarc, but it was somewhere in Fitoria's territory. And a Dragon Hourglass was located here as well.
Ren had no idea why a dragon hourglass would be in the middle of a desert. But there were probably weirder places one could be. Like the bottom of the sea.
Ha, what a funny thought. He'd die if that was true.
As they moved on, leftover monsters from the Wave attacked them. There were large scorpions, scarabs, and even snakes. All of them shared a particular quirk in the form of ancient hieroglyphs that covered every part of their bodies. They reminded Ren of Egypt for some reason.
Whatever the case, they were no match for him. He easily sliced those that came at him in two. Fitoria didn't have to move even that much, since any monsters that were foolish enough to approach her were slashed to pieces by a wind spell that she'd cast around herself.
As they continued on, Ren saw his party members dealing with other leftover monsters alongside Fitoria's flock. Even if his HUD said they were fine, he was glad to see all of them were alive and well.
Thanks to Eclair's training regiment from the past few days, they'd worked together as a team from the start of the Wave and performed far better than ever before. They'd managed to form a spearhead, plowing through the monsters in their way like they were made of paper, protecting each other's flanks as they did so. They managed to fight their way to the Boss in less than an hour.
At which point Fitoria dealt with it in one blow. And Ren started walking with the bird loli while his friends helped the other Filolials with clean up.
Finally, they came across the Wave Boss's body. The Boss had been a twenty foot tall mummy wielding a large golden staff. But after a particularly powerful kick from Fitoria in her Filolial form, it had been launched quite a distance through the air. The impact crater in the sand was littered with its parts, and its weapon was shattered into many small pieces.
Twenty feet of bandages just couldn't compare to the might of a twenty story tall bird. He almost felt sorry that it'd landed here in this world.
Ren honestly hadn't woken up that morning thinking that he'd be leaving in the afternoon to fight a Wave today, but Fitoria had asked for a Hero's assistance via Filo's cowlick. Ren decided to volunteer, much to his party's relief.
Even if it was a world ending event, oddly enough, it felt more like a break. There were no villages to evacuate. No armies to prevent from fighting. They had a chance to take what they were learning from Eclair and put it to good use. And the best part, they had the backing of at least one hundred Filolials, along with the Filolial Queen herself.
He hadn't had to push himself nearly as hard as when he'd be dueling Eclair, Wyndia, Welt, or others in training bouts. It was actually kind of relaxing.
You know, besides the fact that he was standing next to one of the most powerful beings in the world right now.
Fitoria dismissed the spell around her. "You have truly gotten stronger, Sword Hero." Fitoria complimented. "Fitoria didn't have to help out as much as with other Waves."
"Oh? It was nothing." He said calmly, holding down his social anxiety with an iron grip. He was being complimented, by the most overpowered person that he'd ever met in this world! He got to see her squashing monsters in her large bird form!
This was so COOL!
"And now, this area won't have to see another Wave for 45 days." Fitoria sighed, and Ren caught the relief in it. "It truly is better, having a Cardinal Hero fight by Fitoria's side."
… holy hell, he finally realized why Fitoria asked for assistance. When a Cardinal Hero helped with stopping a wave, it prolonged the time between Waves in the area. By helping out, they were making Fitoria's job easier.
… And reducing the odds of her taking her terrifying level of power and smushing them into pancakes for leaving her overworked and underpaid.
"Well, it's really good to not be on your bad side." Ren nervously commented.
"Hmmm." Fitoria hummed to herself.
"Sir Ren, shall we start gathering the monsters for your sword?" Tersia appeared from behind a sand dune, almost making Ren scream out in surprise.
Hadn't he asked his friends to be less formal to him!? He was about to say something when Fitoria spoke. "Yes. And make sure to leave some behind for them." She pointed to a part of her flock, which had started feasting on the giant monster carcasses. Two of them were pulling a scarab apart while three more feasted on its insides.
Gross. Filolials could truly eat anything.
"Of course." Tersia gave Fitoria a bow and went to inform the others. Fitoria turned her head sideways, calmly looking at her flock digging into the feast presented to them.
"Oh, um, aren't you going to eat too?" Ren nervously asked and immediately regretted it. What kind of lame question was that?!
"Of course, but first, they have exerted great effort today. Fitoria feels it proper to reward her friends for their bravery and effort." She answered. She looked over the members of her flock again, care shining in her eyes.
Fitoria was really nice. He was glad she asked for help today. Even if it was with something major like preventing the end of the world and losing his friends and loved ones and-
Maybe it'd be better to just kill that line of thought and absorb the Wave Boss. Yes, that sounded a lot better.
Ren absorbed some of the parts from the mummy into his sword. Fitoria took a part of the boss for herself. Instead of eating it though, she absorbed the part into the carriage necklace she was currently wearing.
Mummy Sword Unlocked!
The blade didn't have as good of stats as the Soul Eater Sword. It did have a new skill called "Decay Blade". If he remembered correctly, using it would apply a debuff to an enemy hit by it. What sort of debuff though…? He couldn't quite remember.
It wasn't a skill that he'd used in his game since it hadn't looked very cool or powerful when he tried using it. And besides that, it just didn't fit well with a solo DPS build. He made a mental note to try it out later. Flying solo wouldn't cut it anymore, so every option that could help in general combat was worth considering.
He silently gathered more parts of the boss for the other Heroes. Eventually, Fitoria wandered over to her flock. When he was done absorbing most of the Wave Boss, he walked towards his friends, who had gathered on a nearby dune.
Observing them as he walked up, it looked like they'd gotten through the battle mostly unscathed. Bakta had a couple of scratches on his armor, but no injuries. He was wrapping a bandage around what looked to be a shallow cut on Welt's left bicep. Tersia and Farrie were talking with Wyndia, but when they saw Ren approaching, they left the dog girl to pester Bakta and Welt.
He walked up to the pile of monsters they'd gathered and began absorbing them into his sword.
Odd, why did it feel like someone was glaring at him? He looked around, and saw his friends goofing around. Strange, he could have sworn… eh, he was probably overthinking it.
If only he'd noticed the lone dog girl to the side, face as red as the sand around her. What had Tersia and Farrie meant when they said that now would be the perfect time to hug Ren?! They were fresh from a battle! And she didn't want to be hugged!
She'd much rather be headpatted than- damn it! Not that either!
Absorbing the various monsters unlocked several swords for Ren.
Otherworldly Scarab Sword Unlocked!
Otherworldly Scorpion Sword Unlocked!
Otherworldly Snake Sword Unlocked!
Etc.
Looking them over, he saw he hadn't gained any more new skills. Their equip bonuses, once unlocked, would give an increase to his ATK or AGI stats. It really wasn't a whole lot though. Was this really Naofumi's strengthening method? He thought that was supposed to be normal with weapons...
Oh well. He could figure it out later when he had more time. He equipped one of the new swords to begin the process of unlocking it. "Are we ready to head back?" He asked the others.
"Ugh… if we go back now, please promise we won't immediately jump into training again." Welt whined.
"Who knows…" Bakta took off his helmet and wiped some sweat from his red forehead. "Either way, it'd be better than standing around in this hot desert."
Looking over them all, they really were sweating a lot. When they'd arrived, the place had been eerily cold. But now that the Wave was gone, the hot sun was beating down harder than ever. Wyndia looked more used to the heat than anyone else, but that was probably because she'd grown up sleeping next to a warm dragon ever since she was a child. Ren put a hand to his forehead, and when he lowered it back down, it was covered in sweat.
Had he been so nervous that he hadn't even realized how hot he was? Now that he thought about it, his dark armor seemed to be retaining the heat a little too well.
"Fitoria, would we be good to go?" He called over to her.
"Yes. We should be able to handle the rest. Thank you again for your assistance, Sword Hero." Fitoria bowed to him respectfully.
He bowed in return. "Likewise." He was about to activate the skill when he heard a familiar gwah, and turned around just in time to get wrapped up in the wings of a blue feathered Filolial for a big hug. "Ah!"
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot Sir Ren befriended a member of Fitoria's flock." Farrie giggled.
"I think it's cute." Tersia smiled.
"Hot! Too hot!" Ren yelled through the feathers.
Wyndia growled at the Filolial. She got some odd stares from Bakta and Welt from that. But they would never understand it the way she did.
The Filolial's head turned to look at her. It winked, and stuck its tongue out at her. "Gweh."
Wyndia was honestly considering turning the creature into fried Filolial when Ren finally managed to separate himself from it. "Ugh! It's far too hot for that! What were you thinking?!"
"Gwah?" The Filolial lowered its head sadly. Wyndia smiled in triumph. Ha! Take that you stupid bird! You hold no sway where Ren is concerned!
"Fine. I'm sorry. Thanks for seeing me before I left," Ren smiled as he started petting the Filolial's neck.
It gwahed even more happily at his touch.
...
"... Urgggghhhhhhh!" Wyndia's fists clenched tightly in front of her. Maybe the heat was finally getting to her because steam came out of her ears.
How dare he be petting that foul creature instead of her!
Not that she wanted to be pet between the ears of course! She'd prefer that though than watching this monster steal her Hero's heart! Wait, why was she thinking about being pet between the ears?! It wasn't like that was where she wanted to be petted!
Double wait, what the hell was she worrying about?! Filolials were monsters! Like a monster could ever be a genuine threat to the feelings she held for- f-f-f-f-for S-S-S-Sir Re- AHHHHH!
"Do you ever look at Wyndia and wonder what's going through her head?" Welt asked Bakta curiously.
The two observed the dog girl going through the stages of Tsundere jealousy. It was truly a sight to behold. Her hands were on her cheeks, and her tail was spinning wildly behind her. She then started slapping herself while mumbling something that sounded like 'I'm not in love with that idiot. I'm not in love with that idiot.' repeatedly.
"Yes, yes I do." Bakta answered. "I know better than to try and figure it out though."
"Smart move." Tersia commented.
"See. I can learn." Bakta replied.
"Alright, you take care of yourself." Ren said to the Filolial.
"Gwah!" It gave a salute with its wing, and ran off to join the flock gathering around Fitoria.
"You guys ready to head home-" Ren started to ask.
"Yes! We're ready to escape this damn heat already!" Wyndia yelled at him angrily. "Use that blasted skill of yours and get us out of here!"
Ren stared in surprise. Wyndia hadn't looked bothered by the heat before. But now her face and forehead were all red. Crap, was she developing a fever!? "Are you okay-" He started to ask worriedly.
"YES! NOW GET MOVING!"
"Eep! Okay! I'm sorry!" Ren quickly apologized. He held his sword up. "Transport Sword!"
And with that, the Sword Hero and his party disappeared in a flash of light.
They reappeared across the world in a similar fashion and found themselves on the porch of their home in Lurolona. The cool sea breeze felt far better than it ever had before. It was almost nighttime here, unlike the desert that they were in just moments ago. Just how far away did Fitoria take them?
"Yes, cool air!" Welt cheered. "Sweet, cool air!"
"Is this heaven? Did we die during the battle?" Bakta asked blissfully. He was quickly knocked out of it by a slap to the back of his head, however.. "Ow! What was that for!?" He glared at Farrie.
"Just checking to see if you were alive or not." She giggled into her hands. Bakta grumbled. She could have at least held back with that slap! Ouch! Even though she was a party mage, the hellish training with Eclair was paying off!
"Do you think it's too late for us to train today!? Gasp! Do we have the rest of the day off!?" Welt exclaimed.
"Shhh! She might hear you." Bakta whispered fearfully into Welt's ear. "I bandaged your arm for a reason!"
The swordsman paled. "Crap. Let's go inside and pretend to be asleep in case it isn't enough! Quick!" The two rushed into the Sword Hero's home and made a beeline for their rooms.
"... I guess we'll go study our spellbooks again." Tersia said, dragging her best friend in with her.
"But, but can't we go shopping first?! We just came back!" Farrie complained.
"Farrie, we don't have any shops in town yet." Tersia rolled her eyes.
"I know and I hate it! The light green haired girl exclaimed in frustration. "Can't we get a seamstress or two here?"
Tersia snorted at her antics in amusement. "We already have that hunk of a blacksmith doing the tailoring for the villagers."
"But his stuff is so boring and practical! It has no style at all! When I asked him to make me a skirt, he gave me one made out of wool with some weird criss crossy square design! Yuck!" Farrie continued to whine as she followed Tersia inside.
Wyndia made no comments as she followed in after them. She didn't look so red anymore. However, Ren was surprised when she turned and gave him a glare before disappearing into the home.
Had he done something wrong? What was up with his friend lately? Was this one of the effects of demi-human aging… he'd have to ask Naofumi about that sometime. He seemed to be an expert on demi-humans.
Speaking of which, he had to see the other Heroes.
He knocked on Motoyasu's door first. After a minute, he knocked again. When he opened the door, he found the inside was quiet and vacant. It didn't look like he was back from training yet.
That grown man really was taking his training seriously. Now if he'd only share his strengthening methods with the rest of them...
Ren deposited parts of the mummy and other monster materials on the table. He then wrote a short note in Japanese and put it on top of the pile. After he was done, he left the house behind and knocked on Naofumi's door.
"Ah, there you are Ren." Naofumi answered about fifteen seconds after knocking. "I take it the Wave went without a hitch?"
"Mhmm." Ren nodded affirmatively. "Here, I brought these for you." He then took some more monster materials from the Wave and handed them to Naofumi. As he absorbed them, Ren told him how the Wave had gone. How Fitoria had one-shotted the Wave Boss, as well as a few other things.
Naofumi said nothing at first as he absorbed the materials into his Shield. His eyes started moving, looking over an HUD that Ren couldn't see as he continued speaking.
When Ren finished, Naofumi finally spoke. "Huh. All I got were more shields with Equip Bonuses. The Mummy Shield isn't even as strong as my Soul Eater Shield." He sighed. "Oh well. I guess not every boss gives out a great reward. Great job with the Wave. Do any of your party members need any healing? I just finished learning a new healing spell."
"I think Welt hurt his arm, but it's nothing too serious. He and Bakta are back home, pretending to be asleep so Eclair doesn't force them to do more training." Ren said.
"Oh really now?"
Ren jumped and turned around. Speak of the devil. Eclair was walking up with a wheezing, very tired and sweaty looking Dou-Lon. The demi-human collapsed on the ground a few feet short of reaching the porch of the Shield Hero's house. It almost looked like he'd stopped breathing for a moment, but then his chest started moving again.
Oh. He was only unconscious.
"You know, I was considering letting you and your party off the hook today since you were asked to help fight a Wave." A familiar, predatory look appeared on her face, sending fearful shivers down the boy Hero's spine. "However, it seems a couple members of your party are in need of some… discipline."
"Eclair-" Naofumi tried to say something, but the swordswoman was already walking towards Ren's house. The two could only stand, watch, and listen as she opened the door and entered.
It was eerily quiet for a moment…
"AIEEEEEEEE!" Two surprised screams split the air.
It was only another moment before Eclair reappeared, dragging the screaming Welt and Bakta behind her. The bandage on Welt's arm had been ripped off, showing no injury underneath. The two grown men were openly weeping. "Sir Ren! Help us!" "Save us!" They both shouted.
"You boys are pathetic! I'm going to have you duel me until you drop from exhaustion!" Eclair shouted at them like a drill sergeant. "Faking injuries so you can skip on training! You two should be ashamed of yourselves!"
The two continued to bawl as they were dragged towards the makeshift arena. Dueling Eclair sucked! They always came out black and blue and injured after it was all over! Whyyyyyyyyy?!
…
Naofumi and Ren both sweatdropped. "I'm just… going to see if Itsuki is back yet." Ren tried to not sound too awkward as he said it.
"Yeah… …" Naofumi picked Dou-Lon up off the ground, and turned to go back in. "By the way, I'm still working on that accessory you asked for, but it should be done pretty soon. I'll let you know when that happens." With that, Naofumi closed the door behind him.
…
Ren nervously gulped and headed to Itsuki's door. However, he didn't have to knock as Aksel was already walking out. "Is it true that Bakta's being dragged off to duel Eclair?!" He excitedly asked.
"Oh, um, yes-" Ren almost started to stutter in surprise.
"Woohoo! I get to watch that Payne in the &^% suffer today!" Aksel rushed towards the arena.
"Wait, but we were going to go see the town today!" Maya appeared in the doorway next.
"I never agreed to that!" Aksel yelled back.
Maya pouted, and crossed her arms under her chest. "Hmph!" It took her a moment to see that was Ren standing there. When she did see him, a bright smile appeared on her face. "Ah, Sir Ren! Are you looking for Sir Itsuki!?" She asked curiously.
"... yes. And there's no need to call me Sir! Ren is fine!" The Sword Hero replied heatedly before starting to awkwardly shuffle in place again. "Um, is he here?" Ren then asked quietly.
"He's out back practicing his archery, Sir Ren who prefers not being called Sir!" Maya winked playfully. Ren blushed at the Raccoon girl's antics. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have a certain knight that requires my attention." Maya ran out of the doorway and chanted for a few seconds. "Zweite Hiding." She disappeared from view, but before vanishing completely, it looked like she was heading towards the arena.
Ren didn't give it a second thought and walked into the Bow Hero's home. It didn't look like anyone else was in the living room or kitchen. There was a spellbook open on the table. And the dirty dishes sat in the sink, waiting to be scrubbed clean.
Now that he thought about it, wasn't it odd for Itsuki to be practicing archery? Last he checked, he was already an amazing archer.
Ren cautiously approached the back door and peeked outside.
"Explosion Shot!"
Boom!
Ren's eyes drastically widened as the explosion blinded him. What the heck was his friend thinking?! Was he trying to blow up his property?!
Fortunately, when his eyes recovered, he quickly found out that Itsuki wasn't damaging his backyard with his powerful skills. He stood at the edge of the cliff face. Firing arrows or skills at targets that Rishia, Crystal, and some tall demi-human woman were throwing out over the sea for him.
Well, Crystal and that tall woman were throwing them. Rishia was using wind magic since she physically couldn't throw the straw-cloth targets very far.
"Pull!" Itsuki yelled. Crystal heaved, and threw another target out over the sea.
"Bunker Shot!" He pulled back hard on the string, and released a large arrow. It sailed through the air so quickly that Ren's eyes could barely keep up with it before it impacted with the target, went through the center, and exploded behind it.
"G-G-Great shot, S-Sir Itsuki." Rishia said nervously.
He nodded to her before looking at the large woman. She didn't have a tail. However, the fluffy, rounded ears coming out of her brown hair seemed almost too big for a normal demi-human.
Without Itsuki needing to say anything, she picked up a large target, and chucked it high and far out over the sea. Ren stared in surprise. That throw had to at least be a hundred feet! Which demi-human species was this woman from?!
"Second Arrow!" Itsuki released another arrow. This one also traveled rapidly through the air.
And impacted near the edge of the target.
"Hmmm. I thought your aim was always perfect, Sir Itsuki." The tall woman commented. "Maybe I threw that one too far?"
Itsuki frowned. "Send out multiple targets for this next one, please." He said to Rishia.
"S-Sure!" She stuttered, and lifted her hands in front of her. "D-Decipher the laws of nature, a-and blow my targets away! F-First Gust!"
Her wind spell blew underneath the stack of targets in front of her, and all of them were sent flying through the air. Itsuki's eyes quickly locked on to each one. After only a second, he pulled the string of his bow back and selected a skill.
"Saint Arrow's Rain!"
The fiery arrow traveled up high, and then split into many smaller fiery arrows. All the targets were bombarded as they fell toward the water. By the time they hit the water, all of them had been hit in the bullseye at least once.
"Amazing." Crystal said, her normally emotionless voice filled with awe.
"That was truly incredible." The unknown woman smirked. "Definitely better than your last one."
Crystal coughed into her hand and cleared her throat. "Yes, you're as good as ever, Sir Itsuki." She concluded in her normal tone.
Itsuki frowned. By his count, at least half of his arrows hadn't hit any of the targets. "It's not enough. I need-" Itsuki was saying when he finally noticed Ren was there. "... Is the Wave already over?" He asked, sounding surprised.
"It's been over for a while now." Ren replied with a nod.
Itsuki lowered his bow. "Sorry, it looks like I'll have to end things here." He said to the others.
"No worries, I'm sure I should be getting back to the kids anyway. I don't want those little cubs to be alone for too long." The large woman smiled warmly. "It'll always be a pleasure to be of help, Lord Itsuki!" She bowed. Rishia fuehed and quickly bowed alongside her.
Itsuki blushed. "Terra, I've already said you don't have to address me as Lord!"
"But your reaction is so adorable when I do it." The woman rose to her full height. Ren's eyes nearly boggled at how much taller she was than the two of them. It was like staring up at a mountain! "Take care!" With that, she ran off.
"... Um, want to help me with magic training, Rishia?" Crystal asked.
"S-S-Sure!" The two girls rushed into the house.
Itsuki and Ren were at last, alone.
…
"So, uh… that woman just now…" Ren began to speak awkwardly, fighting to sate his curiosity over his bad habit of not getting involved too much with people. "She's in charge of taking care of the orphans, right? I've been meaning to ask for a while, but what demi-human species is she?"
"Huh?" Itsuki cocked his head in confusion. "Bear, obviously. Didn't you see the ears?"
"I've never been much for Zoology. They all kind of look the same to me." Ren frowned before his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, crap, would this be considered racist, or… speciest?"
Itsuki smirked in amusement at the Sword Hero's fretting. "Nah, just ignorant. Don't feel too bad about it though. From my interactions with our civilian populace, I learned that some of them can't really tell other demi humans apart either. There's a whole bunch of clans of varied number and influence back in Siltvelt and most of them don't intermingle outside of the capital."
"Huh, okay then, that makes me feel a little less awkward." Ren nodded to himself.
…
So that's what bear demi humans looked like outside of their therianthrope forms. Big and imposing. Ren would have to remember that.
"Well anyways, I see you're back early." Ren decided to change the topic. "Does that mean things in that country are… done?"
Itsuki changed his bow to a weapon form that was incredibly small, smaller than the palm of his hand. He then moved it to his belt before he spoke. "Yes. We dealt with the last of the big monster nests harassing their borders today. They should be able to handle what's left."
"That's good." Ren said.
"I also talked things over between the ruler and the resistance leaders there. He promised that he'd start easing the heavy taxes on the people, and they promised to help promote the peace. Queen Mirellia also sent over some food supplies via my portal skill in a show of good faith to tide the people over until their fields start producing again. Hopefully, they'll be able to keep the peace this time around."
"..." Ren was actually genuinely impressed with the blonde teen. If only he wasn't so socially awkward around people. "Good job."
"Yea, it should feel like I've done a good job…" Itsuki turned to stare at the rolling waves of the ocean.
Ren continued to stand there awkwardly, unsure how to respond to such a strange and confusing comment. Eventually, he started taking out monster materials from his sword, then wondered if maybe he was intruding on Itsuki's time. He kept on going back and forth on it when Itsuki spoke again, interrupting his thought process. "Is it bad that I can't get that conversation out of my mind?"
"What conversation?" Ren narrowed his eyes in confusion.
Itsuki sighed. "I can't stop thinking about our last counsel together with Melty." He admitted. "It's been bothering me for the last few days. I know it isn't a simple matter. But no matter what I do, nothing seems to take my mind off it! Not even training my aim is helping!" The bowman exclaimed. "If anything, it's making me more frustrated, because my mind keeps wandering, preventing me from fully focusing on the targets, which makes my accuracy drop!"
So that was why he'd been practicing his archery. Ren frowned. "I'm trying not to think about it either-"
"Do you really?! Didn't you agree with Naofumi?! Do you think we should enslave everyone here!" Itsuki suddenly yelled at Ren.
"... huh?" Where the hell had he gotten that idea from?!
"Don't you "huh" me! You were supporting Naofumi during the meeting! Don't even try to deny it! Do you want to help him enslave the people I'm supposed to protect-"
"Itsuki, shut up, right now." Ren interrupted the Bow Hero before he could say something that he'd regret. The kid breathed in and out tensely, but did as Ren said. "I'm still forming my own opinion on the matter. And I didn't come here to talk about that. Okay?"
Itsuki started pacing again. "I mean, you saw Terra there, right?! She's plenty strong for being level 30! Surely, she wouldn't need some stupid stat boost by becoming Naofumi's property!"
Ren groaned and put a hand to his face. He should have known better than to drop by and see Itsuki when he was like this. It was always annoying. And even if he did shut up when you asked him to, he always went back to his line of thought like it was the most important thing in the world.
'Please, I don't want to deal with this now.' Or ever. He'd be happy if the whole matter was swept under the rug. One less thing for him to worry about.
If only life was that simple.
"And there's no way that I'm taking away a person's free will just to protect them! That's wrong on so many levels! A person's autonomy is more important than-"
"How about we arrange a town meeting about it then?" Ren suddenly cut the Bow Hero off.
…
…
…
A long silence settled between the two. Ren was actually surprised that such an idea had actually come so readily to his mind. Maybe he'd been so desperate to get Itsuki to stop talking about it that an actually helpful idea had been born.
"Whatever we decide to do, maybe including everyone else on it will help us know what we should do. Because even if we do go for it, it's still going to be up to our citizens whether or not they want to support it. Right?" Ren asked.
"Hmmm, good point." Itsuki finally relented and Ren breathed out a sigh of relief. "If we had the opinions of everyone in town, that'd definitely get Naofumi to realize how bad this idea is!" Itsuki said excitedly. "Yes, that's genius! Thank you, Ren!" He said happily.
He shouldn't have taken that sigh of relief. Ugh. Ren wanted nothing more than to just retreat into his home right now and pretend that nothing else existed. "Don't mention it. Now, unless you wanted to hear about the Wave-" Ren turned to leave, inwardly hoping the answer would be no.
"Oh yeah. How did fighting with Fitoria go?" Itsuki asked curiously.
Darn. Ren reluctantly told Itsuki more or less the same things he'd told Naofumi. Without mentioning Naofumi of course, in case it got Itsuki on another one of his vigilante rants. He then pulled out the monster materials he'd saved for Itsuki, and gave them to him.
It was more or less the same results that Naofumi got. Bows with equip bonuses, no new skills, and the Mummy Bow didn't have as good of stats as the Soul Eater Bow. That made Ren wonder. Were all the waves over the world more powerful than the last? Or was there a discrepancy in their power levels that gradually shifted higher and higher the more time passed?
Oh well. Thoughts for another time, he supposed.
"Thanks again for doing that Ren." Itsuki said gratefully. "These materials will definitely be used to help me become stronger so I won't have to rely on slaves, unlike Naofumi!" He yelled the last part at the Shield Hero's home.
Whether or not he was heard, Ren didn't want to know.
And here he was hoping that Itsuki had already dropped the subject. Perhaps it was time for him to peace out. "Well, I'll be seeing you later Itsuki." The Sword Hero muttered.
"Yeah, I'll let you know when I have the town meeting set up with everyone!" Itsuki said excitedly. Before Ren could register what he meant, the Bow Hero dashed away to the side of his house. By the time Ren finally caught up and looked around the corner, he saw the Bow Hero already running past the Church and into the village proper.
He really was going to arrange a town meeting with everyone. No, seriously, why are you being so obtuse, Itsuki? It was bad enough having to talk about it in front of the other Heroes and Melty. If he was forced to talk about slavery in front of everyone, he'd have a panic attack for sure!
Ren sadly shuffled over to his house.
Perhaps some time for himself was in order.
He was about to enter when he heard a shriek from Motoyasu's house. "What are these gross things on the table!?" Was that Elena?
"Get back, I say! I have no idea what these are, but they may be dangerous!" That was definitely Motoyasu.
"I don't think they're alive." A third voice pointed out. That was probably Rino. "Please, just clean them off before whatever it is stains our table."
Oof, it sounded like Motoyasu and his party were back. He did not want to deal with that anytime soon. He'd already left a note, so he'd leave it at that.
He closed the door and didn't look back.
"Heh, heuh, heh, heuh,"
Wyndia breathed in and out heavily. She stood on the beach, the waves of the ocean lapping at her feet. Clouds obscured the night sky up above. It looked like there was going to be rain tomorrow.
Wyndia focused on the ocean, and on the puzzle in her mind. The puzzle which she'd become well acquainted with thanks to years of training from Gaelion. As the puzzle pieces moved to their desired spots, words appeared in her mind. "I call upon the power of the Earth to come to me and take form. Dragon Vein, hear my petition! Earth Vein, lend me your strength! Channel the waves, lend me your strength, give me the power to turn my defeat into a victory! Ocean's Serenity!"
Blue energy surrounded her figure like an ethereal mist. For a moment, she almost felt like she could hear the ocean in her mind. A calm, soothing melody that made her relax, as if not only her body, but her soul was being healed.
Then, the moment passed, and she collapsed to her knees from how exhausted she was.
"D… Damn it… damn it, damn it, damn it." She started punching her fist into the sand again and again.
How many Draconic spells had she been able to cast before collapsing? Three? Four? This wasn't how it was supposed to work! She'd practiced Earth Vein magic with Gaelion for so many years without an issue! Yet now, it was exhausting for her to do it!
Why was this exhausting her?! She was taking the vitality of things around her and molding it into a spell! She wasn't using any energy on her part, so she shouldn't be exhausted by using this magic!
This had been bewildering her ever since she'd cast that spell inside the Three Heroes Church. The first time she'd touched that magic system since her Father's death. After she'd recovered from that incident, she'd tried it again in private, and got the same result.
She knew for sure now. For some reason, her magic wasn't working properly.
She'd managed to lie to Ren and the others by saying this was a natural result of using Dragon Vein Magic, even though it wasn't. Although, if she were to truly use Dragon Vein, the magic Gaelion and other dragons used, she'd die before she ever managed to cast her first spell. Instead of relying on the vitality of the earth, of a fire, of a body of water, or even the air, it relied solely on your own vitality. And normal people, even the heroes, didn't have enough vitality to cast a true low tier Dragon Vein Spell without using up all of their vitality and dying.
That's why the Dragons invented Earth Vein for those they gave their blessings to. By relying on the vitality of the world around them, they wouldn't kill themselves casting these spells. It was like another magic system that didn't rely on the standard MP magic system at all. In theory, she could pull from the ocean's vitality indefinitely and only stop because she'd need to sleep, or eat, or do the normal activities people did to keep themselves alive.
So why was this exhausting her so much?! It didn't make any sense!
For how long she laid there, she had no idea. However, she eventually felt well enough to stand up again. She glared at the ocean, like it was mocking her for her weakness.
She began arranging the puzzle pieces in her mind again. She wouldn't give up. She'd figure out what she was doing wrong. Which puzzle piece she was using that didn't belong. And then, she'd overcome this hurdle, and she'd ensure that she'd be far more useful than any stupid bird, and-
"Wyndia, what are you doing out here?"
"Eep!" Wyndia's concentration was instantly broken. The puzzle pieces disappeared from her mind, and she turned to face Ren.
"What am I doing?! What are you doing out here bothering me?!" She angrily asked him.
"Oh, well, we didn't see you at dinner again, and the others are turning in for the night. So I wanted to make sure that you were okay…" Ren explained timidly.
Wyndia felt her chest tighten. Damn it. Why did this boy hero make her feel like this?! Her ears fell on her head in shame for yelling at him.
"I'll head back then. Sorry for bothering you-" Ren started to turn around to walk away when Wyndia grabbed him by the arm.
"Ren, wait. Could you… could you watch me for a moment?" The dog girl asked, quietly.
…
Ren slowly nodded, and walked back a few feet. He then turned around and began to watch her, just like she'd asked.
Wyndia felt oddly nervous. But maybe a second set of eyes watching what she did would help.
She breathed in, trying to calm down and focus her mind. Eventually, the puzzle pieces from before appeared again. She began arranging them, trying to find what she was doing wrong. Yet, when the puzzle became clear and the words appeared in her mind, she couldn't tell if she'd missed something or not. So she started casting it to see if maybe she'd gotten it right.
"I call upon the power of the Earth to come to me and take form. Dragon Vein, hear my petition! Earth Vein, lend me your strength! Channel the waves into a great surge and rush forward! Give me the power to turn my defeat into a victory! Ocean's Roar!"
This time, instead of settling around her figure like a mist, a roar of water appeared from the air in front of her. The blast shot like a jet over the ocean. Had there been anyone standing in front of her, they would have been sent flying by the power of that spell.
Ren stared, amazed at Wyndia's ability. He wished he could use a water spell that powerful. But he couldn't achieve that kind of power until he learned how to read in this world. And even with Naofumi's help on several different occasions, he still hadn't made much headway on that front-
His train of thought was interrupted as Wyndia's spell ended, and she collapsed face first to the sand in exhaustion. "Wyndia!" He ran up and turned her over in worry.
"I'm… phht, fine, you, phht, idiot, ugh." Wyndia groaned tiredly while spitting out sand. Ren sighed inwardly in relief. If she was still calling him an idiot, then she was okay. However, her next words caught him by surprise. "Damn it, why isn't it working?"
"What isn't working?" He asked.
"That spell. Was there anything wrong with it that you could see?" Wyndia asked in exasperation.
"... What?" Ren blinked in confusion at her inquiry.
…
Wyndia glared at him. "You were paying attention, right?" She asked.
"Yeah, of course I was! But I didn't think you wanted me to watch for something-"
OOF!
Yep, she was definitely alright. She'd just given him a nice elbow hit to the gut. "Idiot! Why do you think I asked you to watch me?!" She asked as she started to shakily get up on her own two legs.
"I'm sorry, I didn't get what you meant, and- whoa!" He caught her just as she slipped and almost face planted into the sand again. "Don't push yourself!" He chided her.
Wyndia growled. She pushed herself off of him, and managed to stand upright. "Watch me again. And this time, pay close attention!" She said frustratingly. She moved to take a step away from Ren, and nearly blacked out.
He caught her, again.
"Wyndia, I don't think you're in any condition to train more right now-" Ren began to say worriedly.
"No! I'm fine! I just… ugh." She groaned as her legs gave out underneath her. However, pride and stubbornness made her refuse to give up. She had to figure out what her problem was. She had to-
"Please, you're worrying me, Wyndia." She felt a familiar, warm hand start rubbing between her ears.
… Noooooo, why did he have to start doing that? Wyndia gave up on resisting entirely, and allowed Ren to calm her down. When she stopped moving, the Sword Hero got under her, and pulled her up on his back. "Here, let's get you back home." He said with a warm smile.
She didn't say a word. It was already embarrassing enough for him to be seeing her like this. Pathetic, small, useless, helpless…
Weak.
After a little while, she felt like she could walk again. But she didn't try to until they were entering her room in the Sword Hero's home. It wasn't because she'd enjoyed being carried by him, nor was it because she was so close to him that she could smell his distinct scent that she didn't enjoy, or anything like that. No, nothing like that.
She just didn't trust herself to walk after coming so close to blacking out earlier.
Yeah, that was totally it! See, Ren had just set her down, and she could walk to her bed without a problem now! Thanks for nothing, Sir Ren!
"Do you need anything? I think there's still some food on the table-" He started to ask.
"No, I can get it myself." Wyndia replied with a huff.
"Oh, okay, just, take it easy tonight." Ren instructed her with concern in his voice.
Did her Hero seriously have to treat her like a child?! She thought it was more than obvious at this point that she was around his age now! She turned to face him to say just that when she finally noticed the worried look on his face.
Damn it. Why was she being so angry and cold to him? He wasn't treating her like a child. He was genuinely concerned for her. She looked at her hands and noticed that they were trembling. It felt like she was about to enter yet another roller coaster of emotions.
"I'm sorry if I did something today to make you mad, again." Ren said sadly. "I'm honestly trying to do better like I promised, but I'm not sure-"
"It's, it's okay." Wyndia managed to mumble out. She put her hands over her heart to try and keep them still. "It's not your fault this time. It's mine." She whispered the last part.
"... … …" Ren looked dumbfounded. You mean, it wasn't because of him that she was angry and frustrated this time? Wow, he suddenly felt a lot lighter than before!
Then the weight returned all at once in the form of worry. If he wasn't to blame, what was going on with Wyndia to make her like this?! "Is there, um, is there anything I can do to help?" He meekly asked.
Wyndia looked up into his eyes. She felt guilty seeing such a strong person worrying about her. She shouldn't have taken her anger and frustration out on him. "Could… could you get that food you mentioned?" She meekly asked. Her stomach growled, and her cheeks almost blushed brightly at its timing.
"S-Sure! I'll be right back!" Ren hustled out of the room.
Wyndia clutched her arms to herself and sat down, wondering what she should say about what was going on with her. She tried to put it all in a neat line inside her mind. A simple explanation that would help ease Ren's worry without giving him a bunch of information that he wouldn't understand.
However, when Ren came back with the dish Naofumi had made for his party, the smell hit her nose, and the tears had begun to run down her face. She was a mess as she explained what was going on with her Earth Vein magic. How it was supposed to be like putting a puzzle together in her mind. How it wasn't supposed to exhaust the user when used. How she was struggling with trying to figure out why it was exhausting her to the point of barely being able to move. And so on. And so on. And so on.
She didn't even realize she'd been eating the meal while she cried and explained. By the time she finished explaining in a way that likely made no sense whatsoever, she looked down and realized the plate was empty. Her cheeks blazed an even fiercer red at that.
Oh no. What had she done?! Now she was bound to look even smaller in his eyes! This was not how a teenager was supposed to act! She was definitely being a child, and Sir Ren would never appreciate her as a child, and-
She looked up at Ren, afraid to meet his gaze. If he had understood any of what she'd said, he'd certainly realize just how long she'd been lying to him about her magic. And-
"You mean, if you manage to find out what's draining you when you cast that awesome magic, you'll be able to cast even more of it!?" He didn't look mad. Or sad. In fact, he was staring at her in wide eyed wonder.
Wyndia found herself blushing even more fiercely now. Why was he reacting like this?! It made no sense! Did he actually possibly- "S-S-Stop staring, you idiot!" She slapped him across the face. She then looked down at her hand in shock, blushing even more for her action.
However, Ren didn't look hurt. He was too busy thinking it over in his mind. "If we could figure out what the problem is, then…" A series of battle scenarios went through his mind. If a fight went south, he had to worry about Wyndia exhausting herself using her magic to turn things around. However, if that obstacle was removed, then she could use it before the fight even started without worrying about it affecting her performance for the rest of the fight.
He looked at Wyndia again. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked seriously.
"You… you mean, you're not mad?" She asked sadly.
"Mad, how could I be mad?!" Ren asked in disbelief. "I just learned that your magic is even more awesome than I could have ever imagined! I'm not mad! I'm thrilled!"
…
Wyndia stared, unable to hide the blush forming on her cheeks. "Wh-what is it with you and things being awesome? Are you actually stupid?!" She pouted.
Yes, she pouted at him. Now Ren knew what Naofumi meant when he said a demi-human's pout was the most adorable thing in the world.
He hadn't known why Naofumi mentioned that offhandedly to him after one of his training sessions with Eclair. But it was clear the Shield Hero was a fountain of wisdom where demi-humans were concerned.
"Maybe a little bit…" He started rubbing between her ears again. "But if one of my friends is struggling, I want to be able to help them in any way I can."
Wyndia was surprised at the combo move. His kind words mixed with the loving headpat almost made her heart explode out of her chest! She wanted it! She wanted to tell him so badly! She wanted him to tell her so badly!
However, the entire moment was ruined when she realized what he'd labeled her as. "F-F-Friend?!" She asked.
"I mean, it's awkward for me to refer to Farrie, Tersia, and the others as party members at this point. I think using the term friend would be more appropriate than something shallow like-"
"BAKA!"
Next thing Ren knew, he'd been thrown out of her room and into the hallway. "Ow, what did I say-" He barely caught the dishes she threw afterwards in time.
"I'm tired! And you should be going to bed yourself, stupid Ren!" She said angrily as she approached the door.
"Wait, what did I do now-"
SLAM!
He could have sworn he felt the house shake from that door slam.
…
"Yawn, isn't it a little late to be causing trouble, Sir Ren?" Tersia, dressed in a nightgown, asked from her doorway down the hall.
Ren sighed. "Haven't I told you guys to stop addressing me as Sir?" He asked.
"Sorry, force of habit, Sir Ren." Even though she looked tired, the mage girl smirked teasingly. Ren groaned to himself again. "Don't worry by the way, I'm sure Wyndia will forgive you by tomorrow morning."
"I still feel bad though. I was only trying to help." Ren admitted. He'd only been trying to help her. He was concerned about the long nights she'd been spending outside. He didn't want her to be hurt or anything… seriously, what the heck had he done wrong there to piss her off? He could have sworn he was being nice.
Maybe he should ask Naofumi for more of that demi-human advice.
"Well, look on the bright side." Tersia smiled playfully again.
"What bright side?" The Sword Hero asked with a tired sigh.
"If she hasn't forgiven you by breakfast, then she'll definitely forgive you after our training session with Eclair tomorrow." Tersia giggled into her hand.
Ren paled as he remembered that Eclair planned on having the two of them duel each other again. And he'd like to say that his time in kendo back in his world was helping him adjust to learning how to use his sword properly. But Wyndia was advancing far more quickly in skill than he was.
He really hoped that she'd forgive him by tomorrow.
"Good night Tersia."
"Good night Ren."
It wasn't until he reached the end of the hallway and was back in his living room that he realized she hadn't called him Sir Ren there. He actually perked up at that. Hopefully, all this really was a sign that he was bonding more with his party, and that-
Someone began knocking on the front door just as he set Wyndia's dishes in the sink.
It was the middle of the night! Who the hell was wanting to visit at this time-
The door opened, and as Ren reached for his sword to defend himself, he froze when he realized it was only Itsuki...
Wait, no! It was Itsuki.
'Don't tell me…'
Itsuki smiled brightly. "Oh, good, you're still awake! I arranged with everyone to meet in the town square tomorrow evening!"
…
'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…'
"I'll try to make it." Ren muttered defeatedly.
"Good, I already told Naofumi, now I just have to tell Motoyasu! See you tomorrow!" And just like that, Itsuki closed the door and was gone.
Ren was beginning to wish he'd never left his room that day. Looking at the corner of his HUD, the next Wave of Catastrophe couldn't come soon enough.
Melromarc: 29 Days Till Next Wave of Catastrophe
Author's Notes:
You know, I'm glad I'm not the only one here who likes Tsunderes. XD
I've been meaning to do something like this ever since I learned in depth how Dragon Vein: Earth Vein is supposed to work. I'm kind of embarrassed to say I've accidentally been using the Rule of Cool trope or something similar by turning Wyndia into a glass cannon. Not sure if it is Rule of Cool, but anyway, the effect using Earth Vein has on the caster isn't supposed to be a glass cannon.
Hero Clips!
Gatherer of Demi Knowledge
"Oh great gatherer of demi knowledge, please share with me thy wisdom."
"Uh… Ren? What are you doing?" Naofumi asked.
Naofumi stood in the living room of his house. Ren was prostrated on the floor in front of him. "Oh ye who taught Itsuki the art of headpatting, please share with me thy wisdom regarding demis." Ren repeated again.
"Ah. That's what this is about. One moment." Naofumi nodded to himself before turning around and bringing his to the side of his mouth to shout. "Filo! Filo, honey, get me my box!"
"Kaaaaay~" An adorable blonde little girl appeared after a minute, carrying a little wooden box.
"Thank you," Naofumi smiled and stroked his daughter's hair, eliciting a happy giggle from the angel-winged girl. He then opened the box, revealing that it contained a fabulous white wispy fake beard. He put it on before sitting down on the floor in lotus position across from Ren. He began to stroke his fake beard as he spoke in a weird tone.
"What knowledge have you come seeking from me today, little dragon?"
"I want to buy a gift for Wyndia to thank her for her hard work. What would you recommend?" Ren humbly asked and clasped his hands together in front of himself in pleading fashion.
"Hmmm, I suggest you to seek out a fine brush for her tail. Self grooming is an important ritual for the demi humans." And according to Raphtalia, it felt really good. Really, really good.
"...Really?" Ren asked.
"Indeed, you have my word, little dragon, she will be most pleased by your offering."
"I shall trust in thy judgment, great one." Ren bowed so deeply in gratitude that Dou Lon would have felt envious.
"Oh great gatherer of demi knowledge, please share with me thy wisdom."
Naofumi looked up from his latest dish at Ren. The Hero had prostrated himself further onto his kitchen floor. "Greetings, little dragon. I admit your quick return is surprising, could it be that the words of wisdom that I shared with thee have failed?" Naofumi quickly replied while hastily pulling out his beard from the Legendary Shield and putting it on.
"No, it worked perfectly. She really enjoyed it." Ren sighed happily. He had a brief flashback in his mind of Wyndia cuddling with her new brush, smiling very wholesomely at the nice gift. Ren started to smile wholesomely as well.
"Then what could you possibly require of me then?" Naofumi asked while stroking his long wispy fake beard in sage-like fashion.
"I want to do something for my friend to help her be happy, but I'm not sure what demi-humans like." Ren said humbly.
"Hmmm…" Naofumi thought on it, and then looked down at his dish. "Thy companion is still growing, is she not? If you seek her approval, then you must learn the art of cooking. Should you master it, the target of thy affections would love thee for the rest of her life." Naofumi suggested. After all, it was part of the reason why he'd won Raphtalia over.
"L-L-Love?!" Ren sputtered. However, after thinking over Naofumi's idea, he saw merit in it. "C-Could you teach me, Naofumi-sensei?" Ren meekly asked.
"Very well I shall do so, for our village would benefit greatly from another master of the cooking arts." Master Naofumi closed his eyes and nodded while stroking his beard. And he would also benefit from not having to cook for everyone anymore.
"YAY!" Ren jumped up enthusiastically, then blushed before he bowed again. "Thank you."
"Oh great gatherer of demi knowledge, please share with me thy wisdom."
"Wh-wha?" Naofumi tiredly pulled his bedsheets down to look at Ren. He was prostrated at the foot of his bed. "Little dragon? What could possibly have happened for you to wake me in the darkest hour of night?!" The Shield Hero looked around his bed in desperation, seeking his magnificent facial hair only to come empty handed. Had Filo taken it again to play with Melty and the other kids?!
"I'm sorry, I came here to ask how one is supposed to beg for forgiveness and protection." Ren said sadly.
"... did you mess up the dish I taught you?" Naofumi asked, dropping the facade with a sad sigh. It just wasn't the same without the props.
"No, I was able to make it exactly as you instructed, and she loved it even more than the tail brush!" Ren fearfully put his head to the ground again.
"If she enjoyed it, then she shouldn't be… What did you do?" Naofumi asked, his face paling in horror. Had he gone offscript and-
"Well, I thought about what you'd suggest next, and figured since she was a dog demi-human… that she might appreciate… a belly rub?" Ren said meekly.
…
"Oh sh-" Naofumi started to say.
The door burst off its hinges. "There you are, Sir Ren!" Naofumi paled further. Wyndia's tail was bushed out in anger. Her fangs were showing. Her eyes were slits of anger. This was the ultimate form of anger demi-humans possessed. And Ren had accidentally triggered it!
Naofumi grabbed the Sword idiot by the hand. "I can already tell you that begging for forgiveness or mercy isn't going to work here, so my last piece of advice for now about demis; when they're this pissed off, RUN LIKE HELL!" Naofumi leapt out the window, pulling Ren along behind him.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"GET BACK HERE, BAKA!" Wyndia leapt out the window after them.
And thus, was the wisdom of the great sage of demi knowledge taught to a fellow Hero. And the two almost perished because of it.
Till Next Time
Allen