PLEASE READ!
If you were expecting a new update this week (being June 28th of 2021), I am on vacation right now. Real-life is in the way. In short, there is no new chapter this week. Please wait till July 5th until the next update. I do not want to deal with a bunch of reviews asking me why I didn't update. I'm fine. Let me enjoy this chance to relax in Florida with my family while the Northwest bakes under the devil's left armpit.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Relationship Advice
"OOOOOOAAAHHH! My god! This is amazing! Yes! Yes! Yes! YES! I can win! I feel great! I! CAN! DO! THIS!"
"I'm glad that you're excited about your class-up Dou-Lon, but could you please calm down before you draw attention to us again?" Naofumi sighed with a smile. Did he have to remind Dou-Lon of what almost happened last time?
"Ah! I'm sorry, please forgive this unworthy Hakuko Lo-"
Naofumi gave him a bemused look. The tiger demi-human paused, carefully thinking over his next words. "I'm sorry, Sir Naofumi."
"Much better." Naofumi smiled, making Dou-Lon go silent in awe.
The Shield Hero was in such a good mood today! It was the greatest thing ever!
Naofumi was wearing his Mask Shield over his face. It was the day after they'd gotten back to the village. He and his party were currently at the Capital of Melromarc. The Queen turned out to be busy today, so they didn't get a chance to see her. Fortunately, her body double, Shadow, had been waiting with the new books and scrolls that were found as promised.
Ren and Itsuki had already taken them back to the village, leaving Naofumi to get Dou-Lon his class-up, and to stop by an old friend. As for pertinent matters that'd required his attention at the village: he was surprised but pleased to find Motoyasu had handled the Bio-Plant problem really well. Fitoria had also stopped by that morning to pick up her Filolials. Motoyasu had given many of them a tearful goodbye, including one that was orange feathered.
A familiar blue feathered one had run-up to and hugged Ren again. And once more, Wyndia had looked like she was ready to eat barbequed Filolial by the time it left with Fitoria and the rest of the flock.
Naofumi thought about that amusing moment some more. It was so much better than thinking about what had happened last night. Learning what'd happened while they were fighting the Wave… his smile almost twisted to a scowl, and he had to forcibly push the memories out of his mind.
No, just think about the Tsundere dog girl being jealous of a Filolial instead. That was quality entertainment, at least.
"You seem cheerful this morning," Raphtalia spoke up next to him, her tail flicking back and forth slightly.
"Of course. We're back home, so why wouldn't I be?" He asked, gripping her hand in his. She smiled happily at the gesture.
"Hghhh! Oghhh! Aghhhh!" Dou-Lon began flexing his arms like he was a bodybuilder. "Yeah, this is much more like it!"
The Hakuko, unlike with his deleveling, was far too energetic. He was also excited, as Filo had, begrudgingly, been there with them too so he could get the Filolial Class-Up, doubling his already high stats.
Filo hated doing this since every time her crown activated with the ritual, she was reminded of the time she was cheated out of being able to spit poison at her enemies.
Filolials were supposed to have short memories. But Naofumi's daughter really knew how to hold on to a grudge.
"Next time we spar, I'm totally taking you down, Miss Seaetto!" Dou-Lon bragged.
"Yea, right. You can go and get your stats multiplied by ten for all I care, weak Hakuko. It won't make any difference when you still have the grace of a rolling boulder and wield your weapon like it's a dead fish." The swordswoman rolled her eyes.
"Grr! We'll see about that, crazed swordswoman!" Dou-Lon clenched his hands.
"Calm down children or there'll be no supper for you." Naofumi deadpanned, making the two quiet down and look at the ground in shame. But as soon as the Shield Hero turned away, they began to silently glare at each other.
'Tch, thinking he is the hot new thing now just because he killed a few more trash mobs than me during the last wave.' Eclair narrowed her eyes.
'Weak hakuko! Bah! We'll see who is weak when we get back!' Dou-Lon bared his teeth at the rose-haired woman.
Raphtalia sweatdropped at the display. 'Why does everyone around me always seem to be harboring rude thoughts?'
'Filo's hungry. Filo hopes daddy cooks something yummy soon.' The little angel girl was completely oblivious to what was happening around her.
"I can't wait to see Elhart again!" Raphtalia's eyes sparkled with excitement, deciding to focus on something positive instead.
"Yeah, I can't wait either." Naofumi smiled fondly, thinking of the old man. He wanted to get Raphtalia's new sword as well as Filo's claws set with a Blood Coat Enchantment. He also wanted to see if there was a possibility of improving on the weapons so they wouldn't have the stat debuffs. And maybe see if the various kigumuris he'd gotten from a couple of the island bosses could be turned into something useful.
When he'd shown what he had found on Cal Mira to Jerry, the blacksmith promptly passed out, and when he awoke, he started speaking gibberish about the materials being way beyond his skill level or whatever.
What good was their village blacksmith if he couldn't even help them out? Smh.
Though, to be fair, all the cooking utensils donning his kitchen that he'd asked him to make were top notch. Better than the ones he'd used back in Japan. The construction and farming tools used by the villagers were his handiwork as well. Even Granny was sporting a new hoe as of late that she was quite pleased with. Maybe Jerry was more talented with the peaceful applications of blacksmithing?
Still, they did need weapons and armor too, so this was kind of a bummer.
...
Oh, Raphtalia was glaring at him again. Fortunately, she didn't seem to know who he was insulting this time as she didn't voice it. Either that or because he was in an unusually good mood, she didn't want to ruin it.
"I'm hungry, can you make me something daddy?" Filo pulled at the edge of her father's cloak.
"After we get back to the village," Naofumi said quietly, patting his daughter on the head.
"Awwww…" Seeing her disappointed look, Naofumi quickly stopped by a stall. Buying a few treats that they were selling.
A silver coin later, he put the treats in Filo's hand. "Here, this should tide you over for now."
"Kayyyy!~" Filo happily took the piece of street food, a shishkebab, and took a large bite out of the meat at the bottom of the stick. "It doesn't taste as good as Daddy's cooking." She commented but kept on eating regardless.
Gods, he really hoped Filo didn't get addicted to his cooking. That'd be a disaster.
"I wonder if Mel would like these, hmmm…" Filo began thinking of her best friend, who was back at the village making sure that everything was in order. The fact that she was thinking of sharing food with someone else truly went to show how much the Filolial cherished her friendship with the Second Princess.
"We'll take some more to go then so you can share it with Melty after we're done with Elhart. How does that sound?" The Shield Hero promised.
"Yayyyyy!~"
After a little while, they finally came across the familiar blacksmith's shop. As they approached it, they saw a group of people leave the store, looking very happy about their new gear.
"Hi, welcome to-" Elhart, the tall, bald friendly blacksmith, stopped speaking in shock as he saw who came in.
"Hey, Elhart, how's it been-" Naofumi began to speak.
"Shield Broooooooooo!"
"Wha-" Naofumi was suddenly caught in the blacksmith's big hug. "UGH!"
"AHAHAHAHA!" Elhart spun, and it was only thanks to Naofumi's high defense that he wasn't crushed like a soda can. "It's so good to see you again! How have things been?!"
"E-Elhart! Put me down!" Naofumi screamed.
"Lord Shield! Don't worry, I shall have you free in just a moment-" Dou-Lon moved to jump on the large man's back before he could crush his Hero, but before he could spring into action, Raphtalia chopped the back of his head with her hand. The force behind her hit was so great that it made the Hakuko slam into the floor face-first.
"Naofumi isn't in danger. Please don't do something stupid." Raphtalia told him dryly, before looking at Eclair. "Was that too much force?"
"No, that was perfect." The rose-haired knight was smiling widely. It was like Christmas had come early. When Dou-Lon pulled his face out of the latest crater in the blacksmith's floor, he looked more than a little dazed.
"Heheheh, Bakako." Eclair chuckled, coming up with the new insult on the spot.
"Says the woman who killed fewer monsters during the Wave." Dou-Lon spat back.
The two entered into another glaring contest with each other.
Elhart finally set the complaining Naofumi down, and the Shield Hero immediately backed away from him, looking at the large man with cautious eyes. "Come on, don't tell me you didn't miss me?" Elhart said happily.
Naofumi's face looked conflicted for a moment before finally settling into a smile, catching the blacksmith off guard. "Yeah, I missed you, Elhart. It's good to see you again."
Elhart shook his head. Maybe he was just imagining it. "So what brings you to my shop today, Shield Bro?"
Naofumi took some time to explain how they'd been leveling at Cal Mira, whilst also presenting Filo's and Raphtalia's new weapons to the blacksmith. As they talked, his party looked over the other equipment in the shop.
Once again, no offense to Jerry or anything, but while he'd been improving on his blacksmith skills since last time… he wasn't quite up to the task of making equipment for level 70+ individuals yet.
Elhart was surprised about a Wave happening at Cal Mira. He was even more surprised that Naofumi and his party had gained so many levels in such a short period of time. "Damn, I wondered what her Majesty was being so tightlipped about. So Cal Mira had its Activation Event start, huh? You heroes really do have an edge over normal folks like us."
"What makes you say that?" Naofumi quirked an eyebrow.
"I once heard of a fellow who, after his class-up, slaughtered monsters all day long during a previous Activation event, and he only gained 25 levels by the time it ended." Elhart chuckled. 'And that fellow was me.' "You get some sort of EXP booster or something as a Hero, kid?"
"No, of course not," Naofumi said. At least, he didn't think that was the case. "Our skills and higher stats just make it a lot easier and a lot safer to hunt and kill monsters."
Elhart smirked. "Alright then, keep your secrets, brat."
Naofumi wanted to give the blacksmith a piece of his mind, but instead, he settled for a twitching eyebrow for a few minutes after that. The fact that he didn't lash out at the obvious bait caught Elhart's attention once more.
While they discussed the details of getting the Blood Coat enchantment applied to Raphtalia's sword and Filo's claws, Dou-Lon looked over a pair of gauntlets in awe. "Such fine craftsmanship."
The gauntlets were jet black. The fingers were nice and thick with spikes protruding from the middle knuckles. Even with those, he would still be able to grip his lance while wearing these.
Spiked Dragonsteel Gauntlets
Naofumi glanced over in muted recognition, immediately feeling a tingling sensation on his forearms and hands. Checking on his HUD, the gauntlets were meant for individuals level 55 and up, so they weren't the same ones he'd made for Naofumi way back before the Lute Wave.
"How much are those?" Naofumi asked, pointing to the weapons.
"Oh, those bring back memories." Elhart directed a smirk in the direction of the Hakuko. The tiger demi-human's tail flicked back and forth curiously.
"Did something happen with these?" He asked, holding them up.
"Something definitely happened alright. In fact, you could say those were an inspiration from something I made previously. You'd have to ask Shield Kid about it though. It's quite the story." Elhart smirked at Naofumi. But the man didn't look phased by it.
"How much? My friend here could use a new pair of gauntlets." Naofumi asked again.
Elhart's eyes narrowed.
Really? Naofumi wasn't going to respond to that jab either? It was unnatural for the Shield Hero to be this friendly.
"Are you alright, Shield Bro?" Elhart finally asked.
Naofumi's face scrunched up in annoyance. "Just answer the question, old man. How much?"
Elhart wanted to say no and press, but then a dark look passed over Naofumi's eyes. A warning.
...
The blacksmith rubbed a towel over the top of his head. Had he been sweating there? He didn't remember the kid in front of him having such an intimidating presence before.
"They'll be 20 gold coins."
"S-So much?!" Dou-Lon looked down at the gauntlets in surprise. That was far too much to beg Lord Naofumi for! Even if they looked amazing, he couldn't possibly-
"Deal." Naofumi immediately agreed to the price, not even trying to heckle to make it lower. He gestured for Dou-Lon to come over.
"L-Lord Shield." Dou-Lon stammered in shock.
"You had to rely on your lance at Cal Mira since your old gauntlets wore out, right? These should last you a good while." Naofumi stated, pulling twenty gold coins from his Shield and setting them on the counter. He also set another hundred gold coins for all the upgrades and suggestions he'd given to Elhart.
Thank you Therese for all that money. He could only afford this thanks to her generosity.
Elhart stared at the pile of coins in open-faced shock. He'd jokingly overpriced the gauntlets to get a reaction out of Naofumi. And he not only accepted it but was also handing over a small fortune to pay him up front!
"Shield bro, are you sure…" He tried to ask again, but Naofumi was already talking to Dou-Lon, who looked incredibly happy to have such a good pair of gauntlets again. Naofumi gave the hakuko man a head pat, and he nearly melted to the floor in happiness.
'Naofumi… what's gotten into you?' The blacksmith pondered with a frown.
He couldn't be the only one noticing this, right? But the miss seemed happy seeing her boyfriend being friendly. The little miss also looked happy eating those treats of hers. Maybe he was just overthinking it and the Shield brat was reverting back to what he'd been like before the Princess's betrayal?
But that didn't explain the dark look that he'd seen in his eyes earlier. Just remembering it made shivers go down the blacksmith's spine.
What was going on with the Shield Kid?
...
Naofumi rested a hand on the gauntlets that he'd bought. "Now remember Dou-Lon, you need to treat these well, and…"
Weapon Copy Activated!
Dragonsteel Gauntlets Unlocked!
...
"Huh?!" Naofumi exclaimed.
"What is it, Lord Shield?" Dou-Lon asked worriedly.
"Is something going on, Naofumi?" Raphtalia appeared from the sword section.
Naofumi didn't speak to answer. Instead, his answer came by his shield flashing as it changed-
Into the gauntlet he'd just touched.
…
"My Weapon Copy System activated when I touched these. But they're not a Shield…" Naofumi looked at the gauntlet on his hand and compared it with the ones on the counter.
Elhart's eyes bugged out of his head. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAA! You're stealing more of my stock again!"
Naofumi didn't pay the blacksmith any attention. He was too busy being awed with his Shield's new transformation.
He only had one gauntlet. When he tried putting on another one from the counter, he was shocked and told he could only use his legendary weapon.
So he couldn't dual wield, huh? Then again, he couldn't dual wield his legendary shield and a normal shield either, and the other heroes couldn't dual wield with their respective weapons, so it made sense.
Still, the gauntlet looked exactly the same as the original, besides the gemstone on the back of it. It even had the cool spikes protruding from the knuckles! It was so amazing!
But comparing its stats with the original showed that it had no attack stat, just like his normal shields… yep. As long as it was the Legendary Weapon, the stats of anything it copied would look like this.
Oh well. At least its defense was far higher than the original. It wasn't enough that he'd use it, but it was very much noticeable.
Still, why had his Shield copied a gauntlet? It wasn't exactly a shield.
Then again, Ren wasn't limited to only Swords. He'd seen the Sword Hero turn his weapon into a small knife whenever he helped with cooking, not to mention the katanas, scimitars, rapiers, daggers, and countless other types of bladed weapons he changed to whenever he was unlocking a new weapon for its equip bonus.
Motoyasu was in the same boat. He could use spears, javelins, tridents, almost anything that was like a stick with a point attached to the end of it.
And Itsuki… hadn't he just used a freaking ballista at the last wave?!
Maybe he wasn't limited to just shields? If you thought about it, Gauntlets were another piece of protective equipment held on the hand and arm. Was that the reason why he could copy them?
Still, he'd touched a pair of gauntlets before and didn't unlock anything from it. Why now?
...
He was left to conclude that it was because he'd been too busy focusing on being able to use a weapon besides the Legendary Shield that his Shield had decided to shock him instead of activating the hidden Weapon Copy system at that time.
"Yo, why are you ignoring me now?!" Elhart's incessant yelling grabbed his attention again.
Had he spaced out again? It'd been a while since that happened. This was such an interesting piece of information. He'd have to think more about it later.
Unfortunately for the blacksmith, Naofumi began smirking at him. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to need to look over all of your gauntlets."
"No, no no no no no! You're not stealing any more of my stock after the last fiasco with-" Elhart began to object.
Naofumi dropped thirty more gold coins onto the pile in front of him. Sweetening the deal.
150 Gold coins in total.
...
Elhart sniffled loudly. "Wahhhhhhh! Fine! Do whatever the hell you want! See if I care!"
The scene was so familiar that Naofumi almost gave a real smile.
And seeing Raphtalia and Filo along with Dou-Lon happily grabbing all the Gauntlets they could find for Naofumi while Eclair tried to dodge them so she could examine a very cool looking sword on the wall definitely brought that real smile to his face.
Yet his dark thoughts still persisted in the back of his mind.
"Urk! You want me to go to a mountain summit to learn how to feel life force!?" Itsuki shuddered.
"Yes, Bow Hero. If you want to follow in Spear-Dono's footsteps as well, you'll have to do exactly what he did." Granny nodded sagely.
The Bow Hero stood in the training arena along with the Hengen Musou mistress. Motoyasu was nearby, practicing on a dummy. Rishia was also there, though she was standing behind Itsuki.
"Man, those first few days were miserable. I almost thought I was going to freeze to death." Motoyasu shivered.
"It would have taken you less time if you'd stayed up there all night," Granny stated, sounding amused.
Itsuki frowned. Did he have that kind of time?
"Now, while you go and think about that..." Suddenly, Itsuki was thrown to the side. He screamed as he flew through the air. "Did you practice like I asked you to while you were gone?!" Granny got uncomfortably close to the green-haired girl, excitement blazing from her form.
"FUEHHHHHHH!" Rishia cried out reflexively in terror at the invasion of her personal space.
"Come now! You showed such talent when we first met! Don't tell me you already forgot everything I told you about!" Granny spoke excitedly.
Motoyasu helped Itsuki up as they watched the spectacle.
"Um, well, uh…" Rishia did her best to try and gather herself. "I did try it a few times during my free time, whenever I was alone." She admitted. "I'm not sure if I made much progress though."
"Come now, there's no need to be shy." Granny picked up a rock and put it in the shaking girl's hand.
"Bro, why is Granny so interested in your girlfriend?" Motoyasu whispered to Itsuki.
"Granny said that she has a lot of talent for life force before we left and-" Itsuki paused, realizing what Motoyasu had said. "She's not my girlfriend!" He fiercely whispered to the older blonde man, who was smirking very widely at him.
"Eh, then why are you blushing so hard there bro?" Motoyasu jabbed him in the side.
Itsuki punched him in the side. Motoyasu nearly crumbled behind the strength of the hit. "Oof. Heheheh, you really got stronger at Cal Mira." He managed to wheeze out.
"Oh shoot, I'm sorry." Itsuki helped the Spear Hero to stand up again. "You know you'd be a lot stronger if you shared your-"
However, they were interrupted as, in front of them, Rishia's thumb sank into the rock.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SUCH FINE CONTROL!" Stars appeared in Granny's eyes. The green-haired girl looked very surprised at what she'd done. "YOU TRULY ARE TALENTED TO HAVE LEARNED TO DO THIS ALL ON YOUR OWN! AND SO QUICKLY TOO COMPARED TOO SPEAR-DONO!"
"... Fueh?" Rishia offered a weak fueh in response.
Itsuki blinked. He wasn't sure what was going on, but Motoyasu looked absolutely floored.
"It took me three weeks just to learn how to get my life force to expel from my body. And I made the stone explode." He said in amazement.
"Bow Hero, may I have your permission to train Rishia?" Granny suddenly went up to Itsuki and bowed her head, placing her hands together in front of her.
"Wha?" The young man looked confused.
"She has more talent than I've seen in anyone in my entire lifetime." Granny continued. "She is like a deep well that is waiting to be tapped. I have never met someone more worthy to inherit all the secrets of Hengen Musou. It would be my honor to train such a worthy successor."
"S-Successor!?" Rishia cried out behind her.
"I...I…" The Bow Hero looked at Rishia again. She looked conflicted about this, yes. This was all so sudden.
But, there was also a spark of excitement shining in her eyes. She'd just been told that there was something she was good at. Something that could prove very useful in the future. Itsuki was right. She wasn't weak after all. She had strength hiding inside her that they'd been unaware of.
He'd be a horrible friend if he tried to hold her back now.
He smiled at her, and bowed his head to Granny, giving her the same respectful gesture she'd given him. "I'd be honored to have my friend train under you, Granny. As long as she's okay with it."
"Fueh! R-Really?!" Rishia asked, looking excited despite her initial whimper.
"Of course. Just remember that you promised to help Tersia and the others with their studies." Itsuki told her.
Rishia proudly stood up tall, which wasn't much since she was shorter than the Bow Hero, who was already the smallest of the four Heroes. "I-I'll do my best, Itsuki! I won't let you down!"
As Granny and Rishia began to excitedly talk with each other, planning out what kind of training the girl would undergo, Motoyasu grabbed the Bow Hero by the shoulder. "Let's give them a moment. I could use a break and there's something I need to talk with you about."
Itsuki agreed and walked away from the training arena together with the Spear Hero. They saw Ren dueling Eclair as they left. The rose-haired knight was giving the Sword Hero a good beating with her wooden sword while the knights and kids watched in awe.
Dou-Lon was also training Keel in hand-to-hand combat. And it looked like Wyndia was dueling against Bakta, Welt, and Karn.
"Is this about last night?" Itsuki took a guess when they were away from everyone.
Motoyasu nodded. A serious look appeared on his face. "Itsuki… How do you deal with it?"
…
Itsuki raised an eyebrow. "Deal with what?"
Motoyasu frowned. Looking down at his hands. "Deal with… killing people?" He finally asked.
…
Oh...
Oh.
Itsuki felt like he was growing even smaller after the Spear Hero's blunt statement. He'd thought he wanted to talk about something else. Not… this...
"It's just… I've been suffering from nightmares lately. Last night's nightmares were especially bad." Motoyasu admitted. "When I woke up this morning, it felt like my arms were covered in blood up to my elbows." He shuddered as he hugged himself. "When Rino came to wake me up, she found me scrubbing my hands and arms clean until they were raw like I was in a trance.
"I just can't get their faces out of my mind. I know I didn't have any other choice, but…" Motoyasu looked at Itsuki again. "Does it get easier with time?"
…
After a moment, Itsuki nodded. "Yes. It gets easier to kill people from here on out." He admitted.
"Wha… but, I wasn't…" Motoyasu looked stunned.
"Sorry, but I can't sugarcoat it," Itsuki told him. "We've both killed people, and as sad as it is for me to say it, it only gets easier to do it again after the first time. You must have noticed it during the fighting, right? After the initial shock had passed."
Motoyasu cringed. "Bro, you're terrible at cheering people up."
Itsuki smiled ruefully. "Yeah, Naofumi told me the same thing once. Sorry, but if you want helpful advice, you would be better off asking him."
…
…
The two stood in silence for a while. Neither one was sure what to say…
"Hey Itsuki, what level are you right now after all that training on Cal Mira?" Motoyasu suddenly asked.
The bow hero gave him a look. Perhaps changing the topic would be for the best. "I'm level 80 right now."
"... I'm Level 81," Motoyasu whispered without turning his head.
"Huh!?" The bow hero turned to face him in disbelief. "What the? How?! When did you have the ti-" He stopped talking as realization painted his face gray. "Oh my god..."
"Yea..." Motoyasu muttered.
"H-how many?" Itsuki stuttered in horror.
"I don't know. I wasn't counting. But at some point, I could barely see in front of myself over all the exp gain notifications." Motoyasu answered in a hollow voice. "By the time I'd killed the Church Shadows, I found that I was five levels higher than I'd been at the start of the day."
He put his face in his hands. "Bro… I killed so many people that day… this really sucks!"
Motoyasu was really taking it much harder than he'd thought.
"... … I'm not sure if it's helpful or not." Itsuki finally spoke up again after calming down. "But I don't regret the deaths of most of my victims… There are, however, some that I deeply regret. It hurts. It's suffocating. It keeps me up at night. But I'd rather have it be like that. I don't want to forget it. Because if I do, I feel like I'd be no better than those people I killed with no regrets."
...
"If I may add some of my own advice here?"
The two heroes nearly jumped out of their skins. Without them realizing it, Granny had just walked up to them. "Oh, um, of course, Granny!" Motoyasu said nervously.
"I apologize for eavesdropping, but I just want you to know, you may always come to me in the future if you ever feel troubled, Spear-Dono. You are my pupil as well, and I am willing to give you good advice should you need it." She smiled wisely. Itsuki blushed. Just how much of their conversation had she overheard?
"It may sound cruel but violence and conflicts are simply the nature of the world that we live in. Everything has a cycle of life and death. Some go early. Some go later. But everyone eventually goes." She paused, looking the two of them over.
"These feelings of regret that both of you are experiencing is simply proof that you haven't lost your humanity yet. My best advice would be to not dwell on your actions too much, but do not forget about them either. Whether you like it or not, you now have blood on your hands. However, that blood alone does not determine who you are in your cores." As she said this, she pressed a finger to their chests.
They weren't sure if it was only their imaginations or not, but it felt like their hearts had begun to beat louder in tune with that action.
She smiled at them. "There is no shame in fighting if it is to protect those you love or to right a horrible injustice. Spear-Dono, you in particular are one of the kindest people that I've had the pleasure of meeting in my lifetime. I can only hope you'll be able to hold on to that kindness. It will serve you well if you do and help you see the light of truth no matter how dark it gets.
"The same goes to you too, Bow Hero. I can see the reflection of the gentle glow coming from your heart shine through the eyes of my newest pupil. That adoration and love is not something that can be forged or faked, I assure you."
Itsuki and Motoyasu both rubbed the backs of their necks in embarrassment. However, the old woman's warm encouraging words did make them feel a little better.
"So, um, was there a reason you followed us?" Motoyasu asked.
"Oh! Of course! I wanted to ask Spear-Dono to use his spear to portal me and my new student to the mountains so we could start her training!" She said, laughing happily. "I need to get that girl into shape immediately!"
The two heroes both sweatdropped. It was amazing how despite her age, she could flip right from serious to casual so quickly.
"Um, would it… would it be alright if I came along too?" Itsuki asked.
"You want to be my student as well?!" Granny clapped a hand over Itsuki's shoulder, and he almost felt like a jolt had traveled down his body. Did Granny ever have such a menacing aura around her before?
"I'm warning you man. Her training is brutal. I'd suggest dressing warm." Motoyasu whispered in his ear.
Itsuki gulped. It'd be better if he could stay in the village. But Mirellia didn't have any new tasks for him. And besides… the villagers were still avoiding him after what'd happened before.
Plus, maybe a new kind of training would help him out. It certainly wasn't so he could spend more time with Rishia or anything like that.
That'd be weird and inappropriate.
"I mean, I might as well, right?" He shrugged awkwardly. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Splendid! I'll go grab your girlfriend immediately and we'll be on our way!" Granny began hightailing it back to the training arena. Holy, her speed was astounding!
"She's not my-" Itsuki clamped his hand over his mouth. She probably wasn't listening anyway.
"Anyway, before you go, there was one last thing I wanted to talk to you about," Motoyasu said seriously.
"Naofumi, right?" Itsuki asked, hoping he was right this time.
The Spear Hero nodded. "I did want to ask him for advice before coming to you, but I can't help but notice that he's been looking… off lately. Did something happen at Cal Mira while you were there?"
"Hmm…" Itsuki tried his best to think about everything they'd done together on the islands. After a few seconds, he shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't notice anything. He seemed normal to me then."
Motoyasu frowned, he wanted to press more. But Granny was already racing back, a "fuehing" Rishia held in her grip. "When you can, try to keep an eye on him, ok? I don't know why, but I think he's struggling with something. I'm not sure what though." Motoyasu said.
Itsuki nodded, and then Granny and Rishia were there.
A couple party invites and a "Portal Spear" later, Itsuki, Granny, and Rishia were sent to the mountains to begin their life force, Hengen Musou training.
"Ha! Huah!" Ren parried a strike and then slashed with his sword. His opponent blocked it only inches away from her face.
"Very good, Sir Ren. Your reaction times have improved." Eclair commented before they separated.
A few seconds later, they were at it again. Both exchanging blows so quickly that the spectators found it hard to keep track of them.
Ren was surprised at how well he was doing. It'd been a rough start, as he hadn't practiced much at Cal Mira. But now, he was really getting into it!
It was like he could feel his sword as an extension of his arm! This wasn't just him practicing swordplay! He was becoming one with his weapon!
He sidestepped right as Eclair slashed down instead of blocking, and her sword headed towards the ground. The look of surprise on her face told him he'd finally done something she hadn't been expecting!
Yes! He finally had an opening! He stepped forward to end the duel and-
Her sword swung sideways, sweeping Ren's feet out from underneath him. "Ahhhh- oof!" His back slammed into the ground, knocking the air out from his lungs. As he struggled to take in a breath, the tip of Eclair's wooden sword pressed under his chin and he instinctively froze.
"Your form could still use some work, however," Eclair stated with a pleased smile.
…
It'd certainly ended alright. Ended with his defeat.
Ren groaned about losing for what was probably the hundredth time in a row now. There were also groans as the knights and kids watching the ordeal left the training grounds. They'd thought the rose-haired knight was finally going to be defeated. What a letdown.
Wyndia continued with her own duel against the three men. They were trying to surround her and attack in sync, but she kept on stepping in between them with an agility and dexterity she definitely hadn't started the battle with before.
It was likely she'd cheated by using some Dragon Vein buff spell to power herself up during the match. Not that anyone would dare bring that up. The girl was all too happy to use her special magic whenever she had the chance to now that it didn't leave her exhausted and weak like before.
Ren went to the side and started washing his face off at a fountain the knights had installed. "Am I ever going to win against you?" He asked Eclair, who walked up behind him.
"Maybe, maybe not. That depends on you." She stated. Before he could sigh, she continued. "What I can say is that you're much better than before Cal Mira. The speed of your sidestep there at the end caught me by surprise. Had you still been watching my sword as you closed in, I have no doubt you could have won."
…
Ren looked shocked. Had he really been that close?!
Dang it! Hindsight really was 20/20!
"How about we remember this for today's lesson." Eclair then said. "When you're facing off against a strong opponent, sometimes, brute force isn't the answer. Instead, the key to victory may rely on you learning to read your opponent's movements so you can counter them." She lectured.
"Is that what you do whenever you face me?" Ren asked in realization.
"No. When we started, your movements were so sloppy that I didn't even bother." She shrugged.
Wow, she didn't even sugarcoat her words. Had he really been that bad?
"However, when you surprised me there, I read your body's movements to predict what you'd do next and hit you where you were weakest. So congrats on progressing this far."
"... Thanks Eclair." He said genuinely. "I'll do my best to remember that."
"Of course. Now that you're finally starting to show some technique and form, I can begin to teach you these skills." Eclair said, sounding relieved. The Sword Hero was finally shaping up into a proper swordsman.
Ren looked like he wanted to say more, but he heard a familiar 'hmph' and turned his head. Wyndia had just started walking away from the training grounds. Karn, Bakta, and Welt were all breathing heavily on the ground where they'd been dueling. Had she already won?
"Hey, Wyndia, do you want to duel-" Ren tried to ask.
"Sorry but no. I have some books that require my immediate attention." Wyndia flatly stated, not turning around to face him.
"Oh, um… alright then." He withered under her tone of voice.
The dog girl continued walking on.
Ren stood there, unsure what to say.
...
Later, when Eclair and he were doing a kata to cool down and finish the training session, he finally spoke again.
"Hey Eclair, can I ask you for advice on relationships?"
The rose-haired knight almost stumbled in her sword's movement from surprise. She briefly wondered if he was testing out what, if any, distractions would work on her for the next time they dueled. However, when she turned her head and saw the conflicted look on his face, she realized the Sword Hero's question had been genuine.
"What on Earth would prompt you to ask me for advice on that?" She almost spat the words out.
Ren nearly withered again. Maybe Eclair wasn't the best source for advice on this topic. But Naofumi seemed off to him lately, and Farrie would only tease him if he asked her.
"It's just that…" He explained to the knight how he and Wyndia had been growing closer lately. And he really valued the friendship they'd formed between each other. And he really, really liked her but was too anxious, and didn't want to ruin what they had going, and didn't want everything to go wrong, and… "I just… I'm not sure about trying to take that next step."
"Again, why are you asking me about this?" Eclair asked flatly. "If you couldn't tell, the only thing I care about is my sword." She stopped her kata to point to it.
Ren blushed. "Err, I guess it's because I feel more nervous about asking my other friends than I do asking you, since you're a neutral party... And because you're my teacher I guess? You've taken so much of your time to help me and everyone else to improve that I can't help but hold you in high regard." He admitted.
They went into their finishing katas. Eclair thought about it while they were silent.
Bakta, Welt, and Karn eventually left to shower off.
...
She tried to remember the crush she had on the Shield Hero. The other times she'd ever given a thought to romance in her life. When her duties, the sword, and the Waves had given some room for feelings...
"First off, don't build your relationship on whatever grandiose imaginations you're thinking of." Eclair started.
"Huh?" Ren looked confused.
Eclair shook her head. "You sound like you have a lot going through your mind right now. Does she like you, does she not? Will you be happy together? Will you argue a lot?"
Ren shakily nodded his head. "Yes. I can't stop thinking about it, and I just don't want to mess things up-"
"My point is, Sir Ren, you shouldn't rely on your mind for matters like these." She flourished her sword, showing the boy's reflection on its blade. "The mind comes up with all sorts of obstacles. All sorts of distractions that keep us from acting on what's in our hearts." She sheathed her blade at her side.
"Sometimes, it's good that it does that." She paused, thinking about what a good thing it was that her mind kept her from trying to get with Naofumi. Then frowned, remembering how it was because of her mind that she painted Naofumi to somehow be far greater than he actually was before he ever met him. "But often, it doesn't capture what reality is."
"You want relationship advice? The best advice I can give you is this: do not rely on your mind. Instead, rely on your heart. Does it want to be friends with Wyndia? Does it want something more? Does it want to give her something in return for everything she's done for you?
"That is what you should be listening to. Your heart is the most honest part of your body." She clearly stated, pressing a finger into his chest. "And hers too. I've learned that much from sparring with that stubborn dog girl. I can assure you, if you both listen to what's here, you won't be led astray."
Ren genuinely began thinking over her words. They really did help to clear his mind at first… but then the thoughts from before came surging back into his mind.
He sighed in defeat. "I can't help it. All I can think about is how everything might go wrong. I can't tell what it is my heart is trying to tell me."
"I'm sorry. Maybe my heart isn't ready for this yet." He said sadly.
"... I'm going to give you an assignment, Sir Ren," Eclair said after a pause.
"Huh?" Ren asked in surprise.
"I'm not one to normally suggest this... but I want you to spend some time listening to what's in your heart. The sooner you discover yourself and know what to do, the sooner you'll be able to focus on your training." She explained.
"Oh, um, sorry, I guess this was distracting me a good bit today," Ren admitted.
"Now, if we're done here, I'm certain that Sir Naofumi has dinner ready for us." Eclair waved him off.
"Alright… and Eclair!" He suddenly shouted behind her. "Thanks! I promise I'll do what you asked!"
…
"Good. Maybe next time, you'll be able to focus enough on the duel to give me a proper challenge." She replied, looking back at him and giving him a smile.
"Oh, it'll be more than just a challenge! I'll defeat you one day!" Ren announced proudly, unusual confidence in his voice.
Eclair laughed. "I can't wait to see that day."
He went back to his house. Still not sure what he should do next.
But whatever it was, he promised himself that he'd listen to his heart.
Author's Notes:
Alright, kind of a slice of life section here. Been a while since the last true slice of life stuff, hasn't it? Let's enjoy the break before it ramps up again.
Hero Clips!
Battle of the Pupils
"What is this, Bakako? You want our pupils to battle?" Eclair asked.
"Yes!" Dou-Lon proudly announced. The two stood in the training arena, facing each other.
"You may have an edge over me when it comes to combat, but a true master is one who can pass their teachings on to their pupil!" Dou-Lon continued.
"And you really believe there is anything you're capable of passing on that could beat the Sword Hero?" Eclair asked, looking genuinely curious.
"Oh, I don't just believe. I know the Sword Hero will never be able to beat this!" Dou-Lon crossed his arms, a smug look on his face.
"Hmmm... what shall the victor gain?" Eclair asked.
"If my pupil wins, you will have to admit that I'm stronger than you!" Dou-Lon exclaimed.
"And if I win... you'll have to go by Bakako for the rest of your life." Eclair smugly smirked.
The two shook on it. "It's on!"
"Alright Keel, just remember everything I taught you." Dou-Lon patted the dog boy(?) on the back.
"You can easily handle this, Sir Ren. That stupid Hakuko only taught him hand-to-hand combat. You'll have no problem defeating him." Eclair said.
"Um, why am I doing this again?" Ren asked confusedly. He'd been having thoughts of cute dog girls before this.
"So I can call that stupid Hakuko Bakako for the rest of time. Now get out there!" Eclair pushed him into the arena.
Ren reluctantly faced the younger kid in front of him. "Sorry, nothing personal kid." Ren raised his sword in a combat stance.
"Nothing personal either, Sword Hero." Keel smirked, cracking his(?) knuckles in front of him.
Eclair started the duel, and Ren charged forward to put a quick end to it by knocking the younger dog demi-human out with a hilt strike to the head.
But instead of charging forward, Keel disappeared. His strike hit nothing but thin air.
"Huh?!" He looked around. Had Dou-Lon been teaching him more than just hand to hand?! But dog demi-humans weren't capable of illusion magic! So how did-
"Hey, down here, doofus!"
Ren looked down, and his eyes bugged out. Eclair's eyes also bugged out.
Keel hadn't used illusion magic. He'd turned into his(?) therianthrope form, a form with higher stats than his normal form! He(?) was standing on two stubby legs, proudly flexing his small, puppy-like arms. Keel's only piece of clothing was a loincloth around his (?) lower legs.
Yes, Keel's therianthrope form is a small puppy. This is canon. I have no better way to explain it.
Dou-Lon started to laugh. "Really, Miss Seaetto! Did you believe I was only teaching my pupil the art of hand-to-hand! I didn't think you'd be so naive!"
"Im-Impossible!" Eclair's eyes widened in terror.
"Now then, Sword Hero, it's time for us to-" Keel began to say.
"OH MY GOSH! SHE'S SO ADORABLE!"
All pretense of a battle was thrown right out the window. Ren picked Keel up, stars appearing over his eyes.
"Hey, what the- cut that out!" Keel screamed in terror as Ren's hand started to furiously pet his(?) back.
"SO DAN CUTE, OH MY GOD! I WAN TO PET HER! I WAN TO SCATCH HER EARS!" As Ren said these things, he did them to the poor demi-human kid.
"HEY, WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHE?!" Keel yelled angrily up at the Sword Hero.
"SHE'S ANGWY! THAT'S EVEN MORE ADORABLE!" Ren looked like he was on cloud nine. Was this the form ALL dog demi-humans were capable of?!
He really needed to see if Wyndia could learn how to turn into her therianthrope form too! There couldn't possibly be anything better in this ENTIRE world!
Where she was practicing her magic, said dog girl suddenly stopped. A chill of absolute terror went down her spine. 'What is this foreboding feeling I'm having?'
Dou-Lon stared, his jaw hanging open, stunned at the turn of events.
"My my, this was certainly unexpected." Eclair stepped next to him, a smirk on her face.
"Stop! Uncle! I quit! I QUIT!" Keel shouted desperately, trying to pry himself(?) from the Sword Hero's grasp. But the Sword Hero wasn't letting go. He was too happy getting to hold, rub, and pet the cutest puppy ever!
"Bakako." Eclair had never looked so happy.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrr!" Dou-Lon's fists clenched at his side. An agonized growl escaped his lips.
Dou-Lon never suffered a more humiliating defeat in his entire life.
Till Next Time
Allen