Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Rising of the Shield Hero, Star Fox, Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, or Super Mario characters.
Warning: This chapter includes some raunchy scenes.
Chapter 8: Scheming Tyrants and Eager Allies
Lurolona
Krystal's team was doing a final check around the village before they turned in for the night. Falco and Katt were with a couple of villagers who were getting rid of the body of the shadow they captured earlier. When they brought Krystal to try and read the shadow's mind, they found him dead. That's when they learned that shadows carry suicide pills with them in case of capture, to not reveal sensitive information. While looking around the village, Krystal noticed Keel standing at the docks just staring out at the sea.
"Keel?"
Krystal said as she walked toward her.
"Hmm? Oh, it's just you, Lady Krystal."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just, I'm worried about someone is all."
"Who are you worried about?"
"The strongest person I know, besides you and your friends. I'm worried that she's been turned into a slave or worse."
"Maybe we can find them. What's her name?"
"Her name is Sadeena."
"Okay, and what is she?"
"She's a whale demi-human and she's a therianthrope so she can change between her human form and whale form."
"Okay, and can you give us a more detailed description of her appearance? Like hair color or any other discernible features?"
"Well, can I share my memories of her with you?"
"Oh right, that would be quicker."
Krystal used her telepathy to find the memories Keel had of Sadeena. She saw a woman of average height with long black hair. Then she saw her transform into a large anthropomorphic orca wielding a trident.
"Okay, I'll let Slippy know about this. Maybe one of our drones has seen her."
"I'd appreciate that. She was out fishing when the wave struck. I don't know if that helps?"
"Any information we can get helps."
"The village check is done. The villagers finished disposing of the shadow's body and all the security measures were good. Are you two ready to go?"
Fox asked as he approached the two. Krystal and Keel nodded and Krystal pushed the button on her earpiece. Soon, the Star Fox team was teleported back to the base. When they arrived, Krystal approached Slippy.
"Slippy, I need you, Tails, and Purah to look for someone."
"Who is it?"
"Her name is Sadeena, and she's a whale therianthrope with black hair."
"Did you say Sadeena?"
Tails asked, overhearing their conversation.
"Yes, do you know something, Tails?"
"Yeah, one of our drones in Zeltoble picked up that name."
"Really!?"
Keel said as she rushed up to Tails.
"Yeah, let me play back the audio recording."
Tails typed into the console and a recording the drone heard between two men came up.
"So, who are you betting on tomorrow?"
"Do you even have to ask? I'm betting on Sadeena."
"She's strong, but her opponents are no joke. They've been making a name for themselves lately."
"Yeah, but Sadeena's been undefeated this whole time. Plus, I've seen those guys fight. They're good but nowhere near Sadeena's level."
"Is that so? Want to make a bet?"
That's when the recording stopped.
"From what we can gather, she's a gladiator in Zeltoble."
Tails said.
"So that means-"
"That means some bastard in Zeltoble has made her a slave and is making her fight in the arena! Lady Krystal, we have to go save her!"
Keel yelled, interrupting Krystal.
"Now calm down, Keel. We don't have all the facts yet."
"What more do we need? She's being forced to fight in Zeltoble."
"Or, she's choosing to fight of her own volition. I didn't hear anything about her being a slave."
"But, but, but why would she do that?"
"For money."
Tails answered.
"Gladiators get paid quite well, especially if they win against strong and dangerous opponents. From what I heard, Sadeena's undefeated so she should have quite a lot of money saved up already."
"But why does she need the money?"
Keel asked.
"To buy back citizens of Lurolona. That would be my guess. From what the drones gathered, Rabier owned most of Lurolona's citizens, but some were sold to other nations, like Zeltoble. She must have found them and is trying to buy them back."
Keel was relieved to hear this but then got a serious expression on her face.
"Then we have to help her!"
"Tomorrow, Keel. It's late and she's most likely asleep by now. We'll teleport you and Krystal to Zeltoble's coliseum to talk to her tomorrow. From what we've gathered, when she's not fighting, she's drinking at the bar at the Coliseum."
Krystal and Keel nodded and left for their quarters to rest for the night. In Peach's room, while she was asleep, Persephone was searching the Legendary Spear for answers. Being Peach's dark half meant that she was a free spirit when not in control, so she was able to enter the spear to discover its other abilities. One she is looking for is related to Peach's theory on the Cardinal Weapons.
"So the Cardinal Weapons may have a dark side, eh? Let me see."
Persephone continued to look through the spear's abilities.
"Airstrike series no. Chaos series sounds interesting, but not what I'm looking for. Lightning, fire, ice, all sorts of elements, but not what I'm looking for. Hmm, what's this?"
Persephone came upon an ability that seemed to be locked away within the spear. Though locked and not usable, yet, she could still read about it and what it could do.
"Curse series, now this looks interesting."
Persephone said as she began to learn about this ability.
In Siltvelt
Trinock was sitting at a large table with the other five governing members of Siltvelt. One was Valnar, the representative of the Shusaku race. He had long, straight red hair, large red feathered wings on his back, and clawed bird-like feet. One was Larq, the representative of the Genmu race. He was an old man with a large turtle shell on his back. Lady Shellina was the Aotatsu representative. She was a young woman with lizard-like features such as scaly skin, a reptilian tail, and horns on top of her head. Rehu was the Hankuko representative. He was a tiger demi-human with white fur and a muscular build but was smaller than Trinock. And finally Ozsan, the head of the Shield Church.
The group had gathered to discuss the Shield Heroine, Amy, and how to use her and deal with her companions. Shellina was thinking about this when she noticed the large grin Trinock had.
"You seem to be in a pleasant mood, Trinock. Despite the humiliating defeat of the "Sons of Siltvelt" by the companions of the Shield Heroine."
Shellina said with a hint of annoyance in her tone. Trinock just chuckled at her statement.
"Yes, those fools were defeated quite easily, but my plan wasn't a total failure."
"How could you say that, Trinock? From what I heard our men were defeated quite easily. The Shield's companions made them look like a joke! Now we can't have them replace the Shield Heroine's companions, and they can't get us information on that base they have in the sky. Your plan was a complete and utter failure!"
Valnar shouted at Trinock. Trinock frowned and shot an intimidating glare toward Valnar.
"I suggest you fix your tone, Valnar. Especially when you do not know all the details of my plan. Yes, I wanted our men to join the Shield Heroine's party and get us intel on that flying base, but that was only one of my objectives. The other was to see if our shadow's reports were true."
Trinock explained.
"You wanted to gauge the strength of the Shield Heroine's companions."
Larq said. Trinock's grin came back at hearing this.
"Yes, and I must say, they did not disappoint. The blue one, Sonic, has speed that surpasses anything we have. You can cast thousands of speed buffs on our fastest shadow, and he will still be slow compared to Sonic."
The group was surprised by Trinock's words.
"Surely you exaggerate."
Shellina said.
"Not at all. One of the men was sent flying over the guard rails of the balcony and Sonic was fast enough to run down the wall, catch him, and then run back up to bring him to safety."
The others began to murmur about this development.
"You must have recorded this amazing feat. We can't believe it by words alone, even if said by you, Trinock."
Valnar said. Trinock just smiled and snapped his fingers. Soon, a servant came in with a crystal ball. She activated it and a projection of the fight was shown. The other members watched in awe at the abilities shown by Amy's friends.
"Unbelievable."
"It appears that the Shield Heroine's companions are strong."
Valnar and Larq said.
"Indeed, and that is why we must change our plans for them. Instead of trying to get rid of the Shield Heroine's companions, we should sway them to join us!"
Trinock said with vigor.
"I see. While I do agree with that notion, how exactly do you plan to achieve this, Trinock?"
Shellina asked.
"Simple, we'll use the "Daughters of Siltvelt" to persuade them to our side. They are still men after all. They have needs that the young ladies of nobility will have no difficulty satisfying."
Trinock answered with a grin.
"You're planning to have our nobility breed with low castes? Is that wise? It can throw our caste system out of balance."
Valnar said in concern.
"I believe it's worth it, Valnar. Imagine, a whole generation of soldiers with speed and strength unmatched by all except the gods themselves. Siltvelt would be unstoppable!"
Larq answered. Trinock nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I'm glad you can see my goal in this. In addition to having the Shield and her allies crush Melromarc and the rest of the nations, we'll use them to breed the next generation of unstoppable soldiers, shadows, and nobles of Siltvelt. Our nation will stand at the top of the world for centuries."
Trinock said in victorious laughter with Valnar and Larq joining him.
"If you can sway the Shield and her companions to our side, Trinock. What if they refuse? From what I saw, the Shield is very close to this Sonic. He may not want to breed with any of our ladies. Opting for a monogamous relationship like the previous Shield Hero."
Trinock and the others paused at Shellina's revelation.
"Hmm, I had not considered that. If that happens to be the case, then we will have to set up a trap for them."
"A trap?"
Shellina asked, raising an eyebrow at Trinock's suggestion.
"Yes, nothing lethal mind you. I'll gather Sir Sonic, Sir Knuckles, and Sir Espio into a room to discuss plans for the waves. I'll set up aphrodisiac gas bombs in the room to go off after I leave. Once they have taken effect, I'll send in the Daughters of Siltvelt and have our mages use magic to lock the door after them. Under such conditions, there will be no chance our ladies don't come out bearing the children of our guests. As for the Shield Heroine, I have no doubt she will be heartbroken at this turn of events. That is where we'll swoop in. We'll comfort and console her, make her reliant on us, and under our control. Then, while she's fighting the waves, we'll convince her to stay in our world and find her a suitable husband. Of course, we'll make sure she doesn't get pregnant until the waves are over. And once the Shield is under our complete control, we'll convince her to turn on the other heroines. To give us access to her technology and wage war against Melromarc."
"Not a bad plan, but what do we do with the other three heroines? Our reports state that they have fantastical abilities as well, and I doubt they'll be so keen to give us access to their technology, even if the Shield is on our side."
"A fair point, Shellina, but that leads to the next part of my plan. To bring the Sword to our side as well."
"What!?"
The other members said in shock to Trinock's suggestion.
"Your surprise and confusion are understandable, but the Sword is a demi as well and has no doubt faced the same discrimination as the Shield."
"I see, but it will not be so simple, Trinock. Our faith is the Shield Faith where we shun the other three weapons. Even if she is a demi, the people will still hate her, especially the nobility."
Ozsan reasoned.
"Ah, but that is where you play your part old friend. Once we convince her to join us, you will spin a tale of redemption for the Sword. Convince your flock that fate and our Shield Goddess have chosen a demi to wield the Sword to redeem and purify it of its evil past."
"Even if I do that, the people will not trust the Sword so easily."
"I know, but it will sow the seeds of change within them and our kingdom. Once the Sword goes around, helping the people of Siltvelt and fighting off the waves alongside the Shield, they will begin to change their opinions of the Sword. Once everyone is convinced the Sword has been purified, we'll change our faith to that of the Shield and Sword. Giving Siltvelt two of the Cardinal Heroes of Legend."
"I see, and once we have two of the heroines on our side, it'll be even easier to get ahold of their secrets."
Valnar said in realization.
"Yes, and that's where we start the next phase of the plan, to capture the other two heroines. While the Shield and the Sword will stand united in Siltvelt, the Spear and the Bow will be divided between Melromarc and Faubrey. We'll use the information from the Shield and Sword heroines to plan ambushes for the Spear and the Bow. We'll capture them during one of the waves."
"Capture, Trinock? Why not kill?"
Shellina asked as she would much rather the opposing heroes be dead.
"As tempting as it sounds to kill the human heroes, the waves will grow stronger if they do die. It would be best to capture them and make sure they are under our complete control. Killing them is a last resort."
"I see, I like this plan. It will pave the way to the new golden age of Siltvelt."
"Yes, to the glory of Siltvelt!"
Trinock said as he raised his glass. The other members did the same and cheered for their plan to take control of the Cardinal Heroines. But unbeknownst to them, they were being watched. A small guardian drone was recording the meeting while staying invisible. Up in the station, Purah couldn't help but shake her head at the manipulation being planned for the heroines. She would make sure they knew about this plot against them. Satisfied with the info gathered, Purah gave the guardian commands to find more information in another part of the castle.
But while the guardian was exiting the room, it too was being watched. Daven had felt something was off when Amy left with her friends. He stealthily searched for any type of monitoring device left behind by the Shield team. He was pleasantly surprised and impressed when he did find the small drone. Even though he couldn't see it, he could hear it. The small pitter-patter of metal feet.
"Looks like the Shield isn't a pampered bitch if she had the foresight to leave these behind. Let's see if she and her friends can keep impressing me."
Daven said as he left the guardian to do its task.
In Faubrey
An advisor is seen walking down a hall toward the king's chambers. In his hand is a report made by their alchemists on a new potion they made. Two soldiers wearing uniforms similar to those worn by soldiers in the 1800s saluted him as he walked by. They had a red coat, white pants, black boots, and a tombstone shako cap, and each had a musket as their weapon. The advisor opened the door to the king's chambers only to find he wasn't there.
"He must be playing with his toys."
The advisor surmised. He walked to a nearby bookshelf and pulled out a book. Once he did, the bookshelf shook and moved to reveal a secret passageway. The advisor descended and could hear the sounds of women moaning and crying. He soon reached the bottom and saw jail cells with women in various states of disrepair. Some had minor cuts and bruises, some were missing entire limbs, and then there were a few who were just sacs of meat with both arms and legs gone. The advisor walked past them to the back where the king loved to play with his "toys".
"Yes, that's right. Scream for me."
The king said as he thrust his member into a naked woman who was chained to a stone slab.
"I said scream!"
The king yelled as he took a knife and stabbed the woman in the arm, eliciting a scream of pain from her. Satisfied, the king finishes inside of her and backs away, leaving the knife in her arm and admiring the state the woman is in. That is when the advisor coughed to get the king's attention.
"Ah, Ruben, what have you to report?"
"My king, the alchemists have just finished their latest potion. According to these reports, it's their strongest aphrodisiac yet."
"I see, and will it work on the heroines?"
"Allow me to demonstrate, my king."
Ruben pulled out a bottle he had and walked to the crying woman.
"Tell me, do you want the king to fuck you again?"
"No! Stay away from me! Please, just kill me already!"
The woman screamed. Ruben just smiled as he uncorked the bottle. He then forced the woman to drink it. He waited for a minute and asked her again.
"How about now? Do you want to be fucked like the dirty whore you are?"
The woman tried to resist, but the drug was too much.
"Please, please fuck me! I need a cock! Any cock!"
The woman continued to plead for sex while Ruben turned to the king who had a large smile on his face.
"The best part is it's odorless and tasteless. We can slip this into the heroines' drinks once they are here."
"Excellent, make preparations for it. We'll carry it out once they deal with Faubrey's next wave. We'll host a party to celebrate them and give them the spiked drinks. Then, once they are reduced to the pitiful whores they are, I'll have servants bring them to my chambers where I'll be waiting."
"What of their companions, sire?"
"Hire some whores to keep them occupied. Make sure they are professional whores and not some cheap alleyway gutter trash. I don't want to be interrupted while I "play" with the heroines."
"Yes, sire. I'll get started right away."
Ruben said as he left to complete his tasks. The king just watched the woman, enjoying her begging for his cock. He then went on to enjoy her, all the while he was being watched. An invisible guardian was transmitting this to the base. Slippy just watched in horror while Purah had left, not being able to stomach this scene. Tails was taken away by Vanilla as soon as they saw the woman in the jail cells, knowing what was coming next, and didn't want him to see the rest.
"What a sick bastard."
Slippy said to himself in disgust. Slippy inputs commands for the guardian to leave, not wanting to see this anymore, and find more information on what the advisor is plotting. The drone stealthily followed the advisor out of the sex dungeon. He left the king's chambers and was making his way to the alchemists' labs when a soldier walked up to him.
"Lord Ruben, the runaway has been captured and returned."
"Splendid."
Ruben walked to the main hall where a tied woman was struggling to break free. He smiled until he saw who caught her.
"Oh, it's you two again."
Ruben said in annoyance. In front of him were two fox demis. One was a large male whose hair was tied up in a ponytail and who was wearing a bamboo sunshade hat, and a cloak that covered his body. Next to him was a smaller female who had a short bob cut and wore leather fighter gear. Both had yellow fur and hair and their posture showed they were experienced fighters. The large male was a sniper as evidenced by the musket he carried, and the smaller female was an up-close fighter, as shown by her gauntlets.
"Boe and Bei, what an unpleasant surprise."
Ruben said in annoyance.
"Nice to see you too you degenerate egghead."
Bei retorted. Ruben growled at this, hating to be reminded of his baldness.
"So what business do you have here?"
"We've come to collect her bounty."
Boe answered. Ruben examined the girl and then snapped his fingers. Two soldiers came and handed Bei a small bag of coins.
"What's this?"
"You're payment."
Ruben answered. The soldiers were about to grab the girl when Bei blocked them.
"Nuh-uh, her bounty was twenty gold, there's only five gold coins in here."
"It's more than enough for your services. I can tell she's in worse condition than before, that is deducted from the pay."
"Bull shit."
"Enough! Take your coin and leave, or else-"
"Or else what?"
Bei said while getting into a fighting stance.
"You think you can force us into accepting this crap? Did you forget what happened last time someone tried that?"
Bei asked with Boe pulling out his musket. Ruben remembered the story, some nobleman tried to stiff them and had around two hundred hired guns try and force them out of his home. But within an hour, all his men lay dead, and the fox siblings demanded compensation in addition to their pay, or his life was forfeit. He paid them, but not before swearing revenge. He hired assassins, mercs, and even soldiers from Faubrey's army to try and kill them, but they all failed. In the end, the nobleman was killed in his own home. Shot between the eyes during a party. The bullet was fired from a distance far from his home, and though never proven, everyone knew it was Boe, a testament to his marksmanship. Ruben hated it, but he couldn't afford to anger the two bounty hunters right now.
"Fine, here!"
Ruben yelled as he handed the rest of the reward to Bei. After counting it, Bei backed off with Boe putting away his musket.
"Now was that so hard?"
Bei taunted.
"Just leave already!"
"One moment, where are the Cardinal Heroines? We heard they were going to sync with the hourglass."
Boe asked.
"They've already done that and left Faubrey."
"A pity."
"Why do you care?"
"We want to join them, chrome dome."
Bei answered while mocking Ruben.
"Join them, what a joke. What makes you think you're worthy enough to join the great heroes party?"
"We'll let them be the judge of that. Good day, advisor."
Boe answered as he left with his sister. Ruben just scoffed as he left for the labs while the soldiers dragged the woman to the king's chambers. All the while Slippy watched via the drone. He took note of these two and made a note to talk to the four heroines about it in the morning.
In the forests on the outskirts of Siltvelt
We see the Claw Hero in a clearing in the woods. After looking around to make sure there was no one nearby, he was covered in blue flames. When the flames dissipated the Claw Hero was revealed to be a kitsune woman. She pulled out a crystal ball and activated it.
"Lord Takt."
"Yes, Tulina, do you have something to report?"
Takt said on the other end of the call.
"Yes, the four heroines have arrived and synced with the hourglass. They are going to participate in the battle of the wave in two days."
"That's good to know. Did you meet with them?"
"Trinock asked for the Claw Hero to meet them, but I refused. I didn't want to take an unnecessary risk by meeting them."
"Good, better safe than sorry. Keep an eye on them during the wave, and find out their strengths and weaknesses."
"As you wish, Lord Takt."
"And make sure not to get caught. I don't want to reveal our hand yet."
"Of course, I will proceed with caution."
"Good."
Takt ended the call and Tulina transformed back into the Claw Hero.
In Melromarc at the Church of the Three Heroes
Pope Balmus was in his study going over new information he had received.
"This is not good."
He said to himself. His shadows had just informed him of the four heroines syncing with the hourglasses of the other nations. This development had put his plan into jeopardy, everything the Cardinal Heroines did was putting his plan into jeopardy. It should have been easy, praise the Spear, Bow, and Sword and shower them with gifts and money, thus placing them under their control. Meanwhile, hinder the Shield's growth and keep it as weak as possible. But the heroines put a stop to that on their second day here.
The king's plan was sound, frame the Shield and have society ostracize her to keep her weak. Then she would hopefully die fighting the waves, but they were not expecting the other heroines to stand up for the Shield. Despite the king and princess's best efforts, the other three heroines would not believe the accusations against the Shield. Not only that, the Spear managed to procure evidence that proved the Shield's innocence. Even the Aultcray's threat to cut aid to the heroines didn't stop them from leaving with the Shield Heroine.
Then came the discovery of their ability to summon allies from their home. This should be impossible, but the heroines' companions prove otherwise. In addition, these companions are very powerful, being able to defeat a platoon of knights with only twelve fighters. Balmus wondered if it was possible to defeat them, even with the sacred relic in his possession. Then there was the problem of trust within the faith of the Three Heroes Church.
Since arriving, the companions of the heroines have been going around the country. Taking quests that aid the common folk of Melromarc, and doing it for free. There have been rumors of many abandoning the Three Heroes faith and opting to worship all four heroes equally. His agents have been doing their best to silence any positive rumors about the Shield and spread their gospel as truth, but that was proving difficult. With Malty exposed as the one who sold Rino to the slavers, and the church supporting her, many are beginning to doubt the church's teachings.
"Damn, that beast whore and her filthy beast allies!"
Balmus yelled as he slammed his fist onto his desk.
"I can't let her continue to lead my flock astray. She must be dealt with soon. But first, we'll need the Spear. Once Malty sways her to our side and convinces her to give us access to her magic and spirits, then we'll take care of the Shield Demon. After that, we'll use our newly acquired strength to destroy Siltvelt and put those filthy beasts where they belong. Then the rest of the nations as well, there will be nothing to stop us!"
Balmus exclaimed with a smile. He composed himself and left to meet up with Aultcray to see how far along Malty's plan was. While he wanted to trust that the plan would work, she had already failed once, and people were beginning to doubt the king's ability to rule. He would need a backup plan just in case hers failed. He also considered if it was time to remove the royal family and have the church take control of the kingdom. Aultcray and Malty were useful pawns, but if they could no longer serve their purpose, then it was time to dispose of them.
"Pope Balmus, is there something wrong?"
A nun asked as she saw Balmus leave his study.
"Just meeting with Aultcray to see how his plan is doing."
"I see."
"Yes, but gather the other heads of the church. We need to discuss our plans in case Aultcray and his daughter fail again."
"As you command."
The nun left to do this while Balmus continued on his way.
In the throne room
Aultcray was livid with his shadow's report.
"Damn it! How could they have gotten past our guards at the border? Were they not checking to see if the heroines were crossing?"
Aultcray asked the shadow kneeling before him.
"Our men have been keeping a watchful eye at all the border checkpoints, sire. But they all report that heroines and their allies never crossed."
"Are they blind!? It seems that they were lax in their vigil. I want those agents brought here at once! I will punish them myself!"
Aultcray shouted, and that's when his advisor spoke up.
"I do not believe the fault lies with our agents, Your Majesty. Remember, the heroines possess teleportation magic that dwarfs the hourglass's teleportation spell. It's not hard to believe that they used this magic to travel the world and bypass our checkpoints."
Aultcray calmed down after hearing this.
"You're right, I had completely forgotten about that damn base in the sky they have. If only we knew how to reach it. Then we could storm in with our troops and steal their secrets for Melromarc. What of the silvers we gave them? Was the tracking magic successful?"
The advisor just shook his head.
"Sadly no, Your Majesty. It appears the heroines were onto us and tied the enchanted coins onto wild animals around the forests of Melromarc."
Aultcray cursed at this development.
"Shall I summon our magicians to make more tracking items?"
"No, we shall take no further action against the heroines until Malty's plan is executed. I don't want to raise their suspicions of us."
"But, Your Majesty, they already found the coins we tried to use to track them. They may already be suspicious of us."
"True, but if we don't take any further actions against them, then they might drop those suspicions. If they ask about the coins, we'll feign innocence, deny knowing about them. And shift the blame onto someone else, possibly Rabier again."
Aultcray explained. That is when Pope Balmus entered the room.
"Balmus, it's good to see you old friend."
"Likewise, Aultcray."
"While it is good to see you, why visit at such a late hour?"
"It's regarding the Cardinal Heroines, Aultcray. Many members of my mass are beginning to doubt our teachings."
"Damn, those fools. Can't they see this is a plot by the Shield Demon to make them turn against the faith?"
"It appears not, Aultcray. Since the Shield's companions are helping the common folk outside the city walls, and doing it for free, many are seeing the Shield in a new light, despite her being a demi."
"Bah! It'll only make them bigger fools once the Shield reveals her true colors. But we'll be ready for it when she does."
"Right, about that, how is Malty's plan coming?"
"No need to worry about that old friend. All the preparations are ready. We just have to wait for the right time to use it."
"And when will that be?"
"After the next wave. I will throw a feast in honor of the Cardinal Heroines for defeating the wave. Then, we'll spring our trap and expose the Shield as the devil she is."
"Sounds promising, I'll leave you to it then and have faith in Malty's plan. Good night, Aultcray."
"Yes, good night, Balmus."
With that, Balmus left to return to his church. But he still had doubts about Malty's plan. If the heroines were able to find the trap coins placed in the bags of silver they were given, then they would be able to see through Malty's plan. He needed to come up with a new plan soon. Perhaps, it was time to get rid of the devils disguised as the Cardinal Heroes.
Zeltoble the next day
It is midday in Zeltoble and the streets are filled with people. Many merchants trying to sell their wares, people out and about shopping, and even adventures, mercs, and soldiers searching for new weapons, armor, or gear needed for their adventures. There are even shadows stealthily hidden amongst the crowd trying to gather information. Away from the busy merchant streets, in the center of the city, is Zeltoble's most famous attraction: The Coliseum. Here warriors of all kinds compete for glory and riches. Many nobles spectate and bet on the fighters, some even employ the fighters to fight for them. Entering a contract of sorts to earn more money.
But the fights are held in the evening, and during the day the coliseum is used by warriors to practice with only non-lethal sparring matches taking place. Up in the bar area, we see a beautiful woman with long black hair drinking the place dry. After finishing her mug, she calls over the bartender.
"~Another round, if you would be so kind~"
The woman said in a sing-song tone. The bartender just chuckled as he shook his head.
"Damn, Sadeena, you're going to drink the place dry before the matches start."
He said as he brought Sadeena another mug of beer.
"I got nothing better to do until the fights start tonight. Not that I'll have anything to do during fights besides drinking anyway."
Sadeena said in slight disappointment.
"Another withdrawal from your opponent?"
"Yep. They were good fighters, just not good enough to face me."
Sadeena answered. While normally a good thing to win since she still gets paid for a victory, it's not nearly enough when it was a good fight. Her "employer" would find ways to get rid of her opponents if they weren't good enough. If the fight was one-sided in Sadeena's favor, he wouldn't make any money. Having the opponent "withdraw" adds hype to Sadeena and increases the profit when she does fight. While she did not like this, it's something that Sadeena puts up with to achieve her goal. She was about to drink her beer when she felt the presence of three people behind her.
"~Oh, does someone wish to join me for a drink?~"
She asked in her sing-song tone. She turned to face her guests and saw a blue lady fox demi with a sword and wearing steel plate armor. A brown male fox demi wearing some kind of military uniform and had a strange weapon on his hip. And finally, a wolf female demi with black hair and fur wearing a strange outfit and also sporting the same weapon as the male fox demi. But something was strange about this she-wolf, she felt familiar. While pondering on this, the blue fox spoke up.
"Are you Sadeena?"
"Yes, I am. And who would be asking?"
"Pardon our intrusion, I am Krystal, the Sword Hero."
"Oh, the Sword is a demi-human? Well, that's surprising, but pleasantly so. And your companions?"
"Right, I'm Fox Mccloud. Krystal's right-hand man."
Sadeena nodded and looked over to the wolf girl who was nervous about introducing herself.
"It's okay, remember, this is why we're here."
Krystal said to the wolf girl. She then stepped up to introduce herself.
"Hello, Sadeena. I know this will be hard to believe, but I'm Keel."
Sadeena just stood in silence at this.
"Excuse me, you said you were Keel?"
"Yes, I am."
Sadeena examined the woman in front of her before a smile formed on her face.
"My, oh my, look at how you've grown, Keel. Why, I remember when you were a little girl, asking how to become as beautiful as me."
Sadeena said, but her statement confused Keel.
"What, no, I never asked that."
"Really? Then why did you look up to me?"
"Because you saved my life. I was drowning in the ocean when you came and rescued me. Ever since then, I've looked up to you and admired how strong you were. I asked how do I become as strong as you."
Keel answered. Sadeena had an even bigger smile after hearing this.
"It really is you."
She said as she grabbed Keel and pulled her into a hug.
"Sorry for lying, but I had to make sure you were the real Keel."
"I see, and it's okay, Sadeena. I look very different since I've leveled up."
"I can tell. To think, the rambunctious little wolf boy who idolized me would become a beautiful wolf woman. Speaking of which, were you always a woman, or was this gender change due to a spell or curse?"
"No, I've always been like this. Gender is a state of mind after all. There is nothing I can't do as long as I set my mind to it!"
Keel proclaimed proudly.
"Oh my, you're definitely Keel. So I take it Lady Krystal is the one who rescued you?"
"Yes, not just her, the other Cardinal Heroines as well. They saved everyone from Rabier and helped rebuild Lurolona."
This caught Sadeena by surprise.
"Truly? Lurolona has been rebuilt?"
"Yes, almost everyone is back. Raphtalia, Rifana, and even Eclair. The Cardinal Heroines saved us and even let me, Raphtalia, and Rifana join their parties."
"Oh, that's good to hear. I was devastated when I heard of the destruction of Lurolona. I felt even worse upon learning of the enslavement of its people. That's why I'm here actually. I found three villagers of Lurolona in the slave markets of Zeltoble."
"So Tails was right. You're not a slave. You're trying to save more villagers."
Keel said getting a chuckle from Sadeena.
"Do you believe I would let anyone make me a slave, Keel? I would die before I let that happen."
Sadeena said with pride. That's when she turned to Krystal.
"So, if you've rescued the other citizens of Lurolona, do you mind helping me save more? I paid the slave trader to hold onto them for now. But I still don't have enough money to buy them, and I don't know how long he'll hold onto them."
"That is no problem, we have more than enough money."
"Excellent. Shall we go then? The fights don't start until the evening, so we have time to buy them."
Sadeena then led Krystal and her team to the slave trader where a shocking surprise awaited them.
"Hello, and welcome to my shop. How may I help you today?"
"Beloukas!?"
Krystal said in shock as the person in front of her was the same one who sold Raphtalia to her and the other heroines in Melromarc.
"Oh, you already know of me then?"
"Yes, you don't remember? Me and the other heroines bought a slave from you in Melromarc."
The slave trader just laughed at this.
"Ah, I see you've met my nephew then. He runs the family branch in Melromarc."
The slave trader explained.
"Oh, I see. Wait, family branch? Does that mean?"
"Yes, Lady Sword. Our family runs a business that trades in all kinds of products. We operate in all nations and kingdoms, with each branch run by a trusted family member."
"Ah, that explains it. But what about your appearance? You look exactly like your nephew."
"Genetics, Lady Sword. Our good looks run in the family."
The slave trader said with pride. Krystal just accepted the answer and moved on with their main objective.
"Right, now on to business. We're looking to purchase some slaves."
"Oh, right this way, Lady Sword. I'll show you my wares."
"No need, we already know which slaves we want to buy."
"Oh, and what slaves would they be, Lady Sword."
That is when Sadeena reveals herself.
"Ah, Sadeena, I assume you've teamed up with the Sword to buy the slaves you had me save for you then?"
"Yes, you still have them, correct?"
"Of course, Sadeena. I'm a businessman of my word. Now, while I do still have them, their price has gone up."
"Gone up? How much has the price increased, and why?"
Sadeena asked in concern.
"It was three gold for all three slaves, but now it's thirty gold for them. And as for the price increase, you can thank the Sword Hero and her friends for that."
Krystal was confused by this.
"Huh? Why? What did we do?"
"You're out of the loop, Lady Sword. It's already well known how Lurolona was restored and protected by the four Cardinal Heroines when the noble Rabier led a platoon of knights against the village. Words already spread about how the heroines and their allies have advanced magic and technology that dwarfs even Faubrey, the strongest kingdom in the world. Now the slaves from Lurolona can be used as bargaining chips to try and get some of that magic and technology from you and your friends."
The slave trader explained. Krystal didn't like how this turned out. Now trying to get any other slaves from Lurolona will prove more difficult. Plus, they would have to look out for people trying to use slaves to get their secrets. She did not doubt that many would try to pass any enslaved demi-human as a former Lurolona citizen to try and get something from the Cardinal Alliance. She would bring this up with the others later.
"Thank you for telling me this. I will make sure to let the other heroines know. Now, the slaves we're going to purchase."
"Of course, right this way."
The slave trader brought them to some cages that were set aside. Inside were three demi children, no doubt orphaned due to the wave that struck Lurolona. Krystal handed the slave trader a bag of gold and they went through the process of branding the children. Krystal would free them later with her ink sword. As they were leaving, Sadeena turned to address Krystal.
"Thank you, Lady Krystal. Because of you, we managed to save these children."
"No need for thanks, Sadeena. We were going to do this eventually anyway. I doubt Keel, Raphtalia, Rifana, or Eclair would let Lurolona citizens stay slaves if they found them."
"That's good, now, while I understand your business in Zeltoble is concluded, I would urge you to come back in the evening. There is something in the coliseum I think you would find very interesting."
"I see, very well. We'll return in the evening."
"You're not coming back with us?"
Keel asked Sadeena.
"I can't leave yet. I'm still contracted by my "employer" and have to end things amicably with him, less consequences would follow me back to Lurolona. But do not worry, I will return in the next few days."
Keel smiled in satisfaction at Sadeena's explanation. That's when Fox hands Sadeena a badge.
"What is this?"
"It's a badge that connects you to our teleportation system and allows us to keep an eye on you."
"Oh, you don't trust me?"
Sadeena asked while faking a hurt tone.
"No, we trust you, it's your employer we don't trust. Just in case he does something stupid, we'll be able to pull you out."
Fox explained. Sadeena nodded at this.
"I see, you have good foresight. But what else can I expect from one of the Cardinal Heroines?"
Everyone had a light chuckle at this.
"Well, we'll see you later tonight. Until then, Sadeena."
"Until then."
Sadeena said as Krystal, Fox, Keel, and the children were covered in a blue light and teleported away. Sadeena couldn't help but be impressed by this.
"Most impressive indeed."
Sadeena said to herself as she went back to the Coliseum.
In Melromarc
Zelda and her team have taken a quest from the board at the adventuring guild. This one seemed fairly straightforward, the quest giver was a local lord who was having problems with burglaries. They came every night, pillaging and destroying crops and terrorizing the citizens on their lands. Because of this, merchants stopped coming and their monetary problems were increasing. They begged Zelda, the Bow Heroine, to help them with promises to pay her at a later date. But Zelda refused the payment, saying that she would help them for free as it was her duty as a hero. The lord and his wife thanked her profusely and let her know that their daughter was recently kidnapped by the burglars.
Zelda asked if they knew where the burglars had taken their daughter. The lord revealed that it was the neighboring lord who was hiring the bandits to attack them. How did he know? Because the other lord would brag about it. The rival lord asked for half of the funding the local lord received and his daughter in exchange for "protection". When the local lord refused, the burglaries began. The morning after the burglaries, the rival lord would gloat and ask if they wanted his protection now, in exchange for more money of course. The local lord continued to refuse, which only ramped up the burglaries. Eventually, their daughter was kidnapped and taken hostage.
Despite knowing the rival lord was the culprit, the local lord couldn't do anything about it. Without solid evidence, the army wouldn't move against the rival lord, and the local lord didn't have the funds to hire adventurers or mercenaries to help. Zelda and her team were the only ones who could save them. With all the information, Zelda and her team left to confront the rival lord. With her were Link, Sidon, and Neia. The others were performing other duties to help the Cardinal Alliance.
Yunobo was with Knuckles helping clear a mine that had a cave in. Teba was helping the Star Fox members with reconnaissance, and Buliara and Riju were training some of the villagers of Lurolona so they could defend themselves. Even so, Zelda was confident that they could rescue the local lord's daughter and put a stop to the rival lord's schemes. That is when Purah contacted her.
"Zelda, come in."
"Yes, Purah?"
Zelda said as she put her hand over her earpiece.
"I have something I want to show you."
Zelda's screen appeared in front of her, and a video began to play. It was the rival lord, talking to his men about the assault tonight.
"So, we proceed as normal tonight then?"
"Yes, the old fool won't be able to hold for much longer."
The rival lord answered a bandit her hired.
"What of the Bow Heroine? Our scouts reported seeing her meet with the old man."
"Hah, not to worry. There is no hard evidence of our involvement. She'll leave once she finds nothing in her investigations, just like the soldiers. Besides, we still have the fool's daughter. If it comes to it, we'll use her as leverage to make the Bow Heroine leave."
Zelda just shook her head at this. Appalled that such corruption was allowed under the king's rule.
"The drone managed to record this conversation. I believe this should pass as "hard evidence"."
Purah said with a smile.
"That's great, Purah. Can you find the location of the kidnapped girl?"
Zelda asked.
"The drone is scouting the evil lord's mansion now. I should have a full map of the place soon along with the girl's location."
"Good job, Purah."
"Just doing what I can to help."
Purah said as she hung up the call. Zelda and her team continued to the evil lord's mansion. Soon they arrived and were let in by the servants of the lord. They were waiting in the main room when the lord arrived.
"Welcome, Bow Heroine, to my humble abode. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit."
The lord greeted with a smile. But Zelda noticed the disgusted look he gave to Sidon and Neia. It appears he is a devout follower of the Three Heroes faith.
"Hello, we are here to speak with you about your attacks against your neighboring lord, and the return of his daughter."
"I see, he's at it again."
"What do you mean?"
"I apologize, Lady Bow, but I have nothing to do with the attacks on his land. I sympathize with his plight, especially the kidnapping of his daughter, but I am innocent. I'm afraid he is simply grasping at straws, driven mad by grief."
The lord explained, but Zelda and her friends weren't buying it.
"Is that so? He states that you've admitted to your crimes, bragging about them to him."
"Lady Bow, it's his word is against mine. There is no evidence implicating me."
The lord had a smug smile on his face. That's when Zelda pulled out a crystal ball. It projected a video showing the conversation he had with the bandit. The lord's smile vanished and shock washed over his face.
"As you can see, we have ample evidence of you planning your crimes with the bandits you hired. Now, I ask that you surrender yourself and allow us to take you into custody. Also, that you surrender your neighbor's daughter to us. Otherwise, we'll have to take you and her by force."
Zelda said. The lord scowled at this, but it turned into a grin.
"Very well then."
The lord snapped his fingers and the two servants by the doors shut and locked them. Then they pulled out short swords and prepared to attack. That is when around two dozen bandits flooded the main hall from the adjacent rooms.
"We can't let them escape! Kill the men and capture the women!"
The lord ordered. The bandits all rushed Zelda and her team. But they managed to evade the first set of attacks and counterattack. Link and Sidon jumped into a group of bandits and began to beat them. While Neia took on another group, using her training with Buliara and Link to prevail. Zelda couldn't help but admire how similar her fighting style was to Urbosa's, especially when she infused electricity into her attacks. While she was admiring this, five bandits tried to attack her. Luckily, Zelda was nimble and evaded their attacks. Zelda then aimed her bow at the bandits and sparks began to form around her. One of the bandits saw this and attacked her to try and interrupt her spell. Zelda evaded the attack and didn't fire her spell.
"Don't let her finish her spells! Keep up the pressure!"
The bandit who attacked her said. Emboldened, the other bandits became aggressive to not let Zelda attack. Zelda kept using the same skill, summoning more sparks of light. But she had to evade the bandits' attacks so she couldn't finish her spell, or so it seemed. Finally, six bandits and the two servants were surrounded by sparks of light. Zelda then fired a light arrow into the center of the group. A circle of light appeared underneath them and they all began to glow.
"Huh? What the hell was that?"
"Must've been a dud. It didn't do anything."
"Hah! And I thought the Shield was supposed to be the weakest of the four heroes."
The bandits mocked. Then one of them turned to Zelda.
"So what was that "hero"? Did you get cold feet, or are you weaker than you look?"
The bandit asked. Zelda just smiled at this.
"No, now you can't escape."
Zelda said confusing the bandits. She lifted two fingers and pointed them at the bandits. Suddenly all the sparks of light flew at the bandits. They tried to evade, but the arrows of light were chasing them. Soon they all hit, and the bandits lay dead. Link, Sidon, and Neia had just finished with their opponents, leaving the evil lord.
"That's enough!"
The lord shouted from the top of the stairs. Zelda and the others looked to see the lord had the kidnapped girl and held a knife to her throat.
"What are you doing!? Let her go!"
Zelda shouted.
"I don't think so. Now, unless you want me to slit her throat, you're going to drop your weapons."
The lord ordered. Zelda and her friends were hesitant, but they couldn't risk the girl's life. So they dropped their weapons.
"Good, now-"
The lord was about to make some demands, but Zelda pulled out a strange device and pointed it at the lord. It was a Sheikah Slate and she used Magnesis to pull away the lord's knife.
"What the hell!?"
The lord yelled in shock. Zelda took the opportunity to throw the knife back at the lord. It impaled itself into his shoulder, causing to lord to release the girl. Link, Sidon, and Neia grabbed their weapons and rushed up the stairs. Link and Sidon held the lord with their weapons pointed at him, while Neia tended to the girl.
"Damn, you bastards! Do you know who I am!? I'll make you all pay for this!"
The lord shouted.
"We know who we're dealing with, a criminal who needs to be punished."
Zelda answered as she ascended the stairs.
"Link, see if you can find some rope so you and Sidon can tie him up."
Link nodded and left to find some rope. Meanwhile, Neia was comforting the terrified girl.
"I was so scared! I thought I was going to die!"
The girl cried.
"There, there, everything's going to be alright now. We'll take you back to your home."
Neia said to the girl. Soon Link arrived and helped Sidon tie up the evil lord. The group then made their way back to the local lord's house. When they arrived, the lord and his wife rushed out with the girl running up to her parents.
"Oh thank goodness you're safe! I thought I would never see you again!"
The woman said as she embraced her daughter.
"I'm so happy to be back home Mother. The Bow Heroine saved me and defeated the man who kidnapped me."
The girl said. The local lord was happy that his daughter had returned safely. When he saw the rival lord his smile turned into a frown.
"So, you're schemes all end here, you bastard. It's about damn time."
The rival lord is angered by this and begins to struggle against his restraints.
"Damn it! I won't let it end like this."
"I'm sorry to say, but it's not as if you can do anything about it. Best to stop struggling until we hand you over to the proper authorities."
Sidon said, but the rival lord just smiled wickedly. Soon he broke free of his bonds and charged the local lord with a knife.
"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!"
He yelled as he rushed to kill the local lord. His escape had caught everyone by surprise and had given him a lead on Zelda's team. Neither Link, Sidon, nor Neia would be able to catch the man before he stabbed the local lord. With no other option, Zelda aimed an arrow at the man and released it, shooting him in the head. The evil lord dropped dead right before he could reach the local lord.
"That was too close."
Zelda said as she and her team began to inspect the body. It was determined that he had a knife up his sleeve and had used it to free himself to attempt to kill the local lord.
"My apologies friends. If I had searched him before I tied him up, then this wouldn't have happened."
Sidon said.
"No need to apologize, Sidon. This falls on all of us. We were too lax and believed he wasn't a threat. We'll have to be more vigilant from now on."
Link said with Zelda and Neia nodding in approval. Zelda then turned to address the local lord.
"Our apologies for that."
Zelda said with her and the others bowing. But the local lord waved it off.
"It's quite alright, Lady Zelda. You managed to save me and I don't think anyone would have seen that coming."
"Still, it's a shame we won't be able to bring him to the knights so he could pay for his crimes."
"It's probably better this way. He had many connections with some shady people and even some higher-ups in the church. If you had brought him to the knights he could've used those connections to get out and attack my lands again."
"I see, it's unbelievable how corrupt the church is."
"Indeed it is. They preach equal treatment of all humans, but unless you have coin for "donations" or something of value to them, they don't lift a finger to help. Hell, I've heard stories where they dispose of people speaking against them. It's why we haven't set foot in that damn cathedral of theirs for years."
The local lord explained.
"Well, hopefully, the problem of the church will be taken care of once the queen returns."
"Amen to that. Thanks once again for your help, Lady Zelda. Are you sure you don't want any kind of reward?"
"Do you have any kind of special weapons or artifacts?"
"No, we do not."
"Then it's fine. Keep your coin and use it to help the villagers under your protection."
"You and your friends are too kind."
"What do we do with the body?"
Neia asked.
"No need to worry about that. Despite being dead, we still need to turn it over to the knights so they know of his death. Once they record his death, they'll appoint a new lord over the lands. Hopefully one that's not as corrupt."
"I see, thank you for handling that."
Zelda said with a bow. As they were about to leave, the young girl spoke up.
"Wait!"
She called out, stopping Zelda's team.
"Yes?"
"Lady Bow, I want to thank you once again for saving my life."
"You're welcome. I'm just doing what a hero is supposed to do."
"Yes, but there's also one more thing."
"What is it?"
"Well, if it's not too much trouble, I, I, I. I want to join your party!"
"Rishia! What are you saying!?"
The girl's, now known as Rishia, mother asked in shock.
"I know it's sudden Mother. But when I was kidnapped I felt so helpless. But seeing Lady Zelda fighting off the bandits and the evil lord, well, it made me want to do more. I want to help her on her quests."
"But still, you were just kidnapped. Don't you think you should rest first?"
"I know I should, but I want to thank her for saving me. Lady Zelda, you may not want coin, but what if I join your party?"
Rishia asked Zelda.
"That's quite a request, Rishia. But I'm not so sure about it. We will be fighting dangerous foes meaning you will be in constant danger. Are you sure you want to be put in that situation?"
Zelda asked.
"I know it's dangerous, but I can be useful to you and the team."
Zelda looked at Link with an inquisitive look. Link nodded and turned to Rishia.
"Okay, what can you do? How will you help us?"
Link asked.
"Well, I can use magic."
"What kind?"
"I can cast healing magic, fire, wind, water, and earth as well. I also know many languages and can learn new ones in a few days."
Link was impressed by this and gave a nod to Zelda.
"Very well then, you earned a chance, Rishia."
"Oh, thank you, Lady Zelda."
Rishia said as she was about to walk to the group, but Zelda stopped her.
"Not yet, you were just rescued. Take the rest of the day to rest and recover from this. I'll send someone to pick you up tomorrow."
"Right, of course. I'll see you then."
Zelda nodded and was teleported away with her team, leaving Rishia and her parents awestruck.
Later that night in Zeltoble
Krystal had returned with Fox and Keel joining her. They went to the bar area where Sardeena was waiting.
"~Yoohoo, over here.~"
Sadeena said while waving them over. Krystal and her team joined her at the table where many empty beer mugs lay.
"Oh my, you do enjoy your liquor."
Krystal commented.
"What can I say, I enjoy a drink now and then."
Sadeena said. Fox just looked at the empty beer mugs.
"What does she mean "now and then"?"
He thought, still staring at the empty mugs. That's when a waiter brought more mugs of beer for them.
"Go on and enjoy. The Coliseum serves fine beer."
"Very well. By the way, how did things go with your employer?"
Krystal asked as she drank some of the beer.
"It went well. I just have to finish the next few fights and I'm done."
"I'm surprised it was that easy. I thought he would want to keep you as his prized fighter."
"I'm sure he wanted to, but didn't want to risk losing so many men to try and keep me."
Keel smiled proudly at hearing this. Sadeena noticed and giggled at how Keel was still her biggest fan.
"That's good to hear. We can use the help to protect Lurolona while we deal with the waves. I don't think Aultcray or the church have given up on destroying it."
Krystal said. Sadeena sighed in disappointment at this.
"It is both hard and not hard to believe he would do this. His hatred of demi-humans is well-known due to his past actions in the Siltvelt war. But what is more well-known is his fear of his wife. Melromarc being a matriarchy makes his position as king just a fancy title unless given more power by the queen. And her wrath is legendary. While he is renowned as the hero of Melromarc, everyone knows Mirellia is stronger. It was his tactical mind, not his raw power, that defeated Siltvelt. I wonder what made him choose to go against his wife's wishes and attack Lurolona. That's an imprisonment, if not an outright death sentence since she commissioned Lurolona's founding."
Sadeena explained.
"The church. When she left, they took his ear and used his hatred of demi-humans to make the decision."
Krystal answered.
"I see, then they are the true enemy. Pulling the king's strings from the shadows."
"That's correct. That's why we're aiding the queen in taking them down."
Fox said.
"Then I have nothing to worry about. With your magic and technology, taking down the church should be easy."
"Here's hoping so. Now, why did you want me to come here?"
Krystal asked. That's when Sadeena pointed to the arena.
"Scouting a possible ally."
Krystal and the others looked to see a young man fighting off a group of vicious beasts. He was a demi-human with black and white hair, round ears, and a tiger tail with white fur and black stripes. He seemed to be wearing martial arts gear and was using hand-to-hand combat to fight. Despite being weaponless, he was doing well against the beasts.
"He's good. Do you know his name?"
Krystal asked.
"His name is Fohl Fayon. I did some research and found out that he is fighting to get money for his sick sister."
"Oh my, do you know what disease she has?"
"Unfortunately no, Krystal. I only gathered that the medicine is quite expensive, so he fights almost every night to earn money to buy the medicine and pay for their accommodations."
"I see. Well, he does look like a good fighter, and we could use the extra help."
"That's good to hear. Now, the apothecary that sells him the medicine is charging him more and more every time he buys it. He says it's due to a shortage of supplies to make the medicine, but that's a lie. In truth, he's trying to extort as much money as he can from Fohl."
"That's terrible! We have to do something about this, Krystal!"
Keel said as she stood up, but Sadeena sat her back down.
"There's not much we can do. There is no law that the apothecary can't increase his prices, and if we try to force him to give away the medicine, or try to steal it, we would just make things worse for Fohl and his sister."
Sadeena explained.
"But, but, but we have to do something. We can't just let him be used like that."
"True, and that's why you're here. I figured we could hire him to fight for the Cardinal Alliance. Most people have their eyes on him already, but don't want to hire him yet due to the amount of money he's asking for. They're waiting until he sells himself into slavery to buy him."
"I see, money is of no issue, but I would like to cure sister as well."
Krystal said.
"Oh, do you have access to medicines that may cure her?"
Sadeena asked.
"Not yet, but we have amazing doctors and people who have otherworldly healing magic back at our base."
Krystal answered.
"Splendid! It looks like his fight just finished. The apothecary he gets the medicine from is located in front of the west side of the Coliseum. You should be able to meet him there."
"Thank you, Sadeena."
Krystal said as she, Fox, and Keel got up from their seats. They were about to leave when Keel noticed Sadeena staying behind.
"You're not coming with us?"
Keel asked.
"You don't need me to go with you, Keel. Besides, I have a fight coming up."
Sadeena explained. Keel nodded and left to join Fox and Krystal. The group came upon the apothecary's business. As they approached, the door swung open with great force.
"Bastard!"
Fohl yelled as he exited the building.
"It was three hundred silver last time, and now it's four hundred? You greedy son of a bitch, you won't get away with this!"
He yelled back at the store. The apothecary just laughed it off.
"Unless you can find someone else who has the medicine for your sister at a cheaper price, I will you brute. By the way, you better bring more coin next time to pay for my door!"
The apothecary yelled back. Fohl just grits his teeth and begins to walk off when Krystal approaches him.
"Excuse me."
Krystal said, getting his attention.
"Yeah, what do you want?"
Fohl said back.
"You are Fohl, correct? The strong martial artist of the Coliseum?"
"Who wants to know?"
"I am Krystal, the Sword Hero, and I would like to hire you for my party."
"Oh, the Sword Hero huh? Well, if you can afford me, then I don't see a problem in joining you. But you have to pay first."
"How much?"
"Forty gold a month! With an upfront payment of twenty gold."
Fohl answered. Keel was taken aback by this ludicrous amount and was about to tell him off when Krystal stopped her. Despite being an expensive price tag, Krystal knew he wanted the money to help his sister, not out of greed.
"While I can't promise that amount every month, I can pay you twenty gold now, and offer you something else that you would like."
"Oh, really? And what is that?"
Fohl asked in a skeptical tone. That's when Krystal went up to his ear.
"I can help cure your sister."
She whispered. Fohl was shocked by this.
"How do you know about her?"
"Some investigating, your skills are well known among many who would want to hire you, and they know why you fight."
Krystal answered. Fohl didn't believe her. He's tried to find a permanent cure for his sister but with no success. How could this fox woman have a way to cure her? She may be the Sword Hero, but that doesn't mean she's trustworthy. But the twenty gold she's willing to pay is tempting.
"Okay, I'll humor you. First, the twenty gold, then we'll discuss payment after you cure my sister. Deal?"
"Deal."
Krystal said as she shook his hand. She then pulled out a small bag of gold from her pocket space and handed it to Fohl. Fohl opened it and whistled, impressed by this.
"You're a woman of your word. Alright, so where's the medicine?"
"I don't have it on me. Take us to your sister, we need to see what disease she has, and then we can find out how to treat her."
Krystal answered. Fohl nodded and led them back to where he and his sister were staying. All the while the apothecary watched.
"This isn't good, if they cure that beast's sister, then we'll have lost a valuable product. I need to let the boss know immediately."
The apothecary said as he went back into his shop. He went to his desk and pulled out a crystal ball.
"Hey, we have a problem!"
"What problem?"
A voice from the other end of the call asked.
"Our product, the tiger boy, is about to be freed from our control."
"What, how!?"
"It's the Sword Heroine, sir. She's going to cure his sister so he will fight for her."
"Damn it! We can't let that happen. I didn't want things to come to this, but it's about time we claimed our prize. Do you know where they're going?"
"Back to his home to see his sister."
"Good, I'll gather my men to confront them. Make sure to join us. I won't let our prized product get away."
"Yes, sir."
The apothecary said as the call was ended. He prepared with many poisons and potions and chased after Krystal and her team.
And that's the end of the chapter. Thank you all so much for reading my story, please feel free to leave a review if you like, and have a nice day.