To Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh: Thank you for the kind words. I'll try to keep the quality of this fanfic up and make use of the resources that was missed by the Canon events like the Shadows.
To jaws.white7: I'm sorry, but I'm trying to limit the number of cross references when it comes to monsters so I already know their strengths and weaknesses.
To SkyChaser17: Thanks a lot for the kind words. I'll try to limit my references with other animes since I know not everyone can understand the humor that's related to other source materials.
As for Naofumi's version of the Blue Rose series, I think it would be similar to Eugeo's version, only much more concentrated on a single spot. Sort of like an orb of ice covered with countless blue rose vines and thorns.
To Master0z: I apologize for the misunderstanding, but the False King I was referring to is one of the revolutionaries that kicked out the previous king at the Northern Territories. Not the Trash king.
To Redburndragon: I'm sorry, but its a no on ancient golem idea.
To T.V. 2000: As always, thank you so much for your considerate and kind words. I hope I continue to live up to your expectations as we continue to move on in this story.
As for Eugeo's other sword forms and skills like the Obsidian Scorpion series and the Hundred Swords skill, he'll definitely be using those in the coming Wave.
About Eugeo scolding Motoyasu for his carelessness with the BioPlant seed, I'm sorry if I disappoint you but that won't be happening any time soon. Even though Eugeo's social skills isn't that good, he has improved substantially enough to know that Motoyasu isn't in any condition to listen. With him being too emotionally high on his self righteousness and constantly surrounded by so many negative influences (Malty and her corrupted knights), Motoyasu would be too stubborn and close-minded to acknowledge his colossal slip up. Motoyasu WILL get the massive scolding and slap fest that he deserves, but just not today.
Concerning the number of chapters for the Northern Territories, I've made another voting poll that will decide if I should expand it to 2 chapters or compress it into 1 chapter. Go ahead and look before casting your vote.
To Pharamine: The False King is the one who tricked Itsuki the Bow Hero into ousting the real king of the Northern Territories and stealing the throne. Since Itsuki just upped and left once his so-called Quest is completed, he left the North leaderless and ripe for the taking to any interested usurper.
To The Disquieting One: Like I said to the reviewer above, the False King is the one who tricked Itsuki the Bow Hero into ousting the real king of the Northern Territories and stealing the throne. Since Itsuki just upped and left once his so-called Quest is completed, he left the Northern Territories leaderless and ripe for the taking to any interested usurper.
To Leonard lemon3891: Thanks a lot for the kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy this fanfic despite its flaws and less than pleasant parts of its narrative.
To KenjiApex: Yup! The Poison Capsule is from Bofuri!
No, Rino is not a descendant or anything. I just used Izayoi's appearance.
And yes, Naofumi will definitely freak out if he ever finds out about Arturia's true identity.
I think I will put some inhibiters on the kids when we reach the more intimate scenes on the Reaction fanfic.
The Hot spring town was never given a specific name, so I just decided to use the name from Genshin Impact since it seems to fit in with the medieval setting.
I'm sorry, but the Star King Kirito idea won't be happening in this fanfic.
POLL RESULTS:
1.) False King gets a trump card
Yes - 10
No - 3
2.) If yes on the trump card, which monster
Silverback (Danmachi) - 6
Stonehide Lawachurl (Genshin Impact) - 5
3.) Recruit a rebel group
Yes - 8
No - 3
4.) Princess Henrietta's role
Defiant Damsel - 3
A Rebellious Fighter - 1
A Shrewd Tactician - 13
1. 2.) Looks like we'll be getting a Mini Boss fight for this coming final battle at the Northern Territories. And it's going to be the Silverback, basically a pint sized King Kong.
3.) As the result shows, there will be volunteers that will join the two Heroes in this coming siege.
4.) I could only hope I could give this portrayal of Princess Henrietta justice.
1250 Reviews, 1580 Favorites, 1761 Follows
A disgruntled and noticeably sleep deprived Sword Hero (as evidenced by his less than informal clothing and droopy eyes) dropped down from a nearby rooftop to approach the web of chains that he just weaved. It goes without saying that the normally calm and collected Eugeo is a bit cranky at the moment. He and his companions were still recuperating from their past battles along with everything else that happened afterwards.
Not only did they have to discretely meet up with the Toudou's Shadows for some updated information on the North, but they also had to go around ordering large quantities of potions and food rations for the impending battle. This left the Sword Hero's party very little time to get much needed rest as they didn't want to give the remaining revolutionaries the chance to regain ground. Especially after they were successful in keeping them on the back foot, severely weakening their combat forces.
So it should come to no surprise that for the past several hours, Eugeo and his friends were running themselves ragged.
A few hours ago, they were just finally catching up on some much needed hours of unguarded sleep when suddenly...
(*BOOM!*)
a 1.5 magnitude earthquake rocked the Inn that they were staying in for the night, unknowingly caused by one of Motoyasu's stray [Chaos Spears].
"What the-?!" Eugeo yelped from the rude awakening.
Out of reflex, he immediately went for his sword.
'Eugeo, it's the Spear Hero! He's attacking Naofumi in the streets!" Alice notified him in a similar disgruntled tone.
"What?! Whatever for?!" he asked, hearing the panicked voices of the civilians in the streets.
'I don't know – that red-haired witch likely put him up to it… I can sense her and her guards approaching their position as we speak!' Alice informed.
Eugeo groaned at this… of course she would use Motoyasu to keep making things difficult for Naofumi…
He quickly changed (albeit not by much) and went out of his room to find the others. And as he stepped out, the girls and Arthur all came to him. Some of them were still looking tired and groggy.
" " " "Eugeo!/Master!/Father!" " " " they all exclaimed.
"Oh, good, you're all here! Listen, it's Motoyasu – he's the one making this noise. He's attacking Naofumi in the middle of the streets!" he said as another boom came from the outside.
"Eh?!" (Rifana)
"Not him again!" (Arthur)
"What is he thinking?!" (Kirin)
"For crying out loud!" (Anna)
Eugeo and his friends were all understandably disgruntled at being so rudely awakened from their rest and were even more annoyed to hear that the lecherous Spear Hero was behind this commotion.
"I'm going ahead to put a stop to this madness; all of you, gear up quickly and come find me where Naofumi and Motoyasu are!" Eugeo ordered.
"Understood!" They unanimously said and hurried back to their rooms to change and armor up while Eugeo left the inn to find the source of the commotion.
Which was no trouble at all since all he had to do was go in the direction some of the people were running away from.
And when he arrived at the scene, he saw the two Heroes facing each other and the unwelcomely familiar redhead also facing a younger, well-dressed girl with contrasting color.
Still feeling rather annoyed and tired from being woken up like he did, Eugeo immediately changed his sword to the one he had Weapon copied from Anna.
And so, we come back to the present.
"Chain Hook Fang!" He declared as he jumped up and threw the Chain Hook towards the hostile members, chaining them up and restraining them.
"Just what in the world is going on here?!" Eugeo questioned.
"Eugeo!" Naofumi's expression instantly brightened significantly at the arrival of a much-needed ally.
"Sir Sword Hero!" A single knight that had his back to Naofumi also seemed relieved to see another Hero.
"I appreciate your timely intervention Sir Sword Hero," Melty said to the lethargic Eugeo, correctly identifying the blonde as the Sword Hero before adding, "But as much as they deserve it, I would be needing them back down, if you wouldn't mind."
Eugeo felt reluctant to release them at first, seeing as they've caused quite a lot of destruction in this area of the marketplace, but he eventually relented.
Though Eugeo didn't bother to do the act with such gentleness...
(*Thud!*) (*Thud!*) (*Thud!*)
(*Clang!*) (*Clang!*) (*Clang!*)
" " " " " "Ow!" " " " " "
"Kya!"
causing the red head and her cronies to suffer some minor body pains from the short fall. Much to Melty and Naofumi's amusement, though they did well to hide it.
"Now... could someone please explain to me what's going on here?" Eugeo asked again with a half-yawn while pointing at the recently wrecked marketplace.
"Well, to put it in simple terms, my dear sister just caused another mess for me to clean up," Melty answered with a frustrated sigh, implying that this had already happened far too many times.
This piece of information left both Eugeo and Naofumi dumbfounded, though for entirely different reasons. While Naofumi felt betrayed and was on guard, Eugeo was elated and pleasantly surprised. This just might be their chance to do something about Naofumi's tarnished name, as little change as that might be at this point in time.
"What are you doing back here?" Malty asked with a sneering look on her face.
"Why wouldn't I be? This is my home is it not?" Melty casually waved away the red head's question, angering Malty even more, before focusing on more important matters, "I hope you don't think you or the Hero's privilege can cover up this mess. The damage that has been done is plain for everyone to see, Sir Spear Hero!"
Melty then pointed out the destroyed food stalls and damaged public property.
"Look around you. Would you call a man a Hero when he puts other's lives at risk?"
After taking a moment to observe his surroundings, only then did Melty's words began to sink in. Not only did Motoyasu realized the destruction he just caused, but now he's noticing the frightened looks and disapproving stares from the children and common folk. Even his fellow Hero Eugeo wasn't an exception, as the ill-clad Sword Hero also looked at him with disappointed eyes.
Genuinely feeling ashamed for his actions as well as embarrassed for being called out in public, Motoyasu steadily lowered his spear before completely standing down.
"Dear sister, your fun and games has gone too far," Melty said with a disapproving look on her face.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Malty smirked with a false cluelessness that was so obvious that it wasn't even funny, "I'm simply doing my job as the Hero's aid. That's all."
"Oh, so making him fight in a public place is your idea of aid? I see," Melty snarked back with the same authoritative and deadpanned stance.
This tone of reply seemed to have hit a nerve...
"You dare defy me? Your older sister?"
if that hateful sneer on Malty's face was any indication.
Unfortunately for her, but fortunate for everyone else, someone other than Melty was more than daring enough to go against the red head she devil.
"She has every right to defy you."
A voice, that hasn't been heard for quite a while, rang out through the marketplace. While Melty and the unknowing onlookers felt surprise and wonder, those who were aware were nervous and frightened.
"She's the true heir to the throne, is she not."
Looking at Malty and Motoyasu's expressions, Naofumi couldn't help but chuckle a bit behind his fist, seeing how the two were fluctuating on what they should feel. A twisted combination of annoyance, anger, nervousness and infatuation.
"Now... if you do not wish for me to give you all a severe case of frostbite..."
This threat definitely caused a few to quiver in fear. Especially with the ominous red glow that's now emanating from the legendary blade's normally blue gem.
"STAND... DOWN... NOW."
Driven by both fear and frustration, the infamous Bitch Princess and her entourage finally relented. Myne barely restraining an unlady-like growl while doing so.
Giving the Sword Hero and Spirit a reveling yet thankful bow, Melty then proceeded to apologize to the people who got involved in the squabble.
Upon seeing that there won't be any more senseless violence, both Eugeo and Naofumi deemed it safe enough to lower their respective Legendary Weapons, reverting them back to their default states.
"So that's the famous Melty that Kirin told me about," Eugeo said out loud as he stepped by Naofumi's side.
"You know her?" the Shielder asked cautiously.
"I know of her but never met her; until now, that is."
'Kirin informed us that, because of the red devil's unruly behavior, the Queen renounced her birthright to the throne. Thus, leaving the younger Princess Melty to inherit the position as heiress.'
Eugeo and Alice answered respectively, surprising the Shield Hero and Spirit a bit at that particular piece of information.
"So her behavior was so bad that her own mother had to renounce her. Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."
'I can't imagine a Queendom being ruled by someone like her. The monarchy wouldn't last for even a week!'
Both Naofumi and Mash couldn't help but chuckle at the humor of it. Like father like daughter they suppose, at least, for this morally twisted pair.
"Our Savior of the Heavenly Fowl..."
The four-way conversation between Heroes and Spirits had to be cut short however, as Melty approached them with a determined expression.
"No, the Shield Hero is who you are. I need to speak with you and the Sword Hero urgently."
Both Heroes looked at each other. It goes without saying that one of them was less thrilled to comply. Regardless of the truths his fellow Hero has shared to him, Naofumi still found it hard to see Melty as anything but a relative to the people who tormented him for so long. The mental trauma was just that deep.
Fortunately for everyone here, the ice was suddenly broken by the immediate arrival of the Sword and Shield's respective parties.
"Master Naofumi!"
"What's going on here?!"
Raphtalia and Rino exclaimed respectively as they and Guinevere approached their chosen Hero. With Kirin, Anna and Rifana following suit with Arthur to Eugeo.
"Nothing, just Motoyasu again," Naofumi answered with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Something he greatly shared with Rino, as the buxom bluenette still had a bone to pick with the man. Her fingers twitching fiercely at her desire to give the idiotic Spear Hero a good slap.
But before any further conversation could be made, two childhood friends looked at each other in astonishment, only now managing to recognize one another after not interacting with the other for some time. Moreso for Melty as Kirin was currently sporting some less them formal threads instead of the silky attire that people of their standing normally wore.
"Wait, is that you Lady Kirin?!"
"P-Princess Melty?!"
Without missing a beat, Kirin went on to run over the aforementioned Princess to give her a big hug. Going so far as to lift the twin-tailed bluenette up in the air before spinning her around in happiness, not really caring about social norms despite her higher station. Much to Melty's embarrassment as her mature noble girl act gets shattered.
"Kirin! Please get a hold of yourself! This is far from appropriate!"
"I don't care~!"
This childish yet wholesome display between the two heiresses did great wonders in relinquishing more of Naofumi's lingering doubts. Aiding Mash to convince her Kouhai to give this younger princess a chance.
But just as things were beginning to calm down, Motoyasu just had to go ruin it with his usual brand of buffoonery.
"Oh, Guinevere..." Motoyasu spoke out with genuine (yet cringe worthy) concern as he knelt down on one knee to tenderly hold the little girl's hand, "That is what they call you, isn't that right my dear?"
Not really understanding what the Spear guy's deal is, Guinevere decided to be polite and simply nodded with an affirmed hum.
"Oh you poor thing. I bet Naofumi is working you like some sort of beast of burden!"
"But I like pulling the carriage a lot," Guinevere cheerfully beamed in contrast to the Spear Hero's claim.
"And Naofumi you swine... how could you!" the blonde spearman growled as he stood back up to confront the Shielder, "You're making her pull your wagon like that big fat bird! You'll pay for this!"
While Naofumi and his girls took on their stances (with Rino being much more eager than normal) in case the spear idiot started a fight again...
" "Ohhhh boy / dear..." "
"Noooot good..."
"He shouldn't have said that..."
"Now he's in for it..."
Eugeo, Alice, Kirin, Rifana and Anna (exactly by that order) all winced as they all braced themselves for impact. A few nosey bystanders were left confused on why they reacted in such a way.
"Why did you have to call me fat like that," Guinevere growled in an unlady like manner, just barely managing to restrain herself from kicking him again due to the etiquette lessons that was being ingraved into her by her Mommy Mash.
(*POOF!*)
A poof came right between Motoyasu and Guinevere. Unfortunately for Motoyasu, someone else had decided to step up to defend her honor.
"Spear guy... What did you just say…?" Arthur growled in his full Filolial King form, "Don't you know that it's forbidden to comment about a young lady's weight?"
"Wait, you're the-!" the blonde spearman stuttered as he repeatedly glanced at the two Royal Filolial, "Then that means-!"
The Spear Hero noticed too late that Arthur had one of his feet drawn back to add more power to the blow he was about to deliver.
The poor fool never had the chance to finish his sentence as he was once again sent flying sky high! His crotch armor plates not really doing any good in protecting his already abused manly bits.
"I hate you, Spear Guy!"
"Guaaahhh!"
(*THUD!*)
Much to the personal satisfaction of Naofumi and Rino upon seeing the Spear Hero's pain. With Rino feeling even more so, as she hadn't forgiven the spearman for nearly ruining her home and was itching for some payback. Looks like Arthur has beaten her to the punch.
"Sir Motoyasu!" Myne exclaimed in concern as she went over to order her entourage, "Somebody get him to a doctor right away and make it quick!"
As the undesirable group scampered about in retreat with their favored puppet Hero in tow, the two Heroic parties congregated to the reverted male Filolial.
"That will teach him! No one insults my Ginny and gets away with it!" Arthur exclaimed with a prideful huff, looking quite proud of himself for doing the deed.
Unknown to the young avian King however, he had just placed himself in quite the hot seat. While Eugeo and Naofumi's feelings were more on the proud and humorous side of the emotional spectrum, the same could not be said for the girls...
(*Squeal!*)
The two Heroes simultaneously winced as they both received massive migraines from their respective Spirits' squealing over Arthur's protectiveness for Guinevere. Raphtalia and Rifana giggled fiercely as they held hands while Anna, Rino and Kirin sported some joyful yet mischievous grins. All finding the male filolial's actions wonderfully idyllic, but at the same time also very romantic.
Even Melty couldn't suppress her inherent love for Filolials and proceeded to partake with the exuberant gushing. Half because her mind focused on the fact that she now had two talking Filolials to befriend and cuddle, while the other half is the possible romance that seems to be developing between the two.
As for the lady of the hour...
well...
"U-Uhhmm... T-Thank you... Arthur," Guinevere let out an uncontrollable stutter as her whole face now burned a bright red of extreme bashfulness. Fluttering at the thought of her dream boy seemingly claiming her as his future mate.
"O-Oh... Uhh... I... U-Uhm... what I mean to say is…!" Arthur blurted out some major stutters of his own as he just now realized the implications of what he had just said, "You're… welcome…"
' 'What do I do?, What do I do?, What do I do?, WhatdoIdo?!, WHATDOIDO?!' '
As the two Royal Filolials experienced their own mental breakdowns, clueless on what they should do, they were luckily saved by their respective father figures.
"Maybe we should take this somewhere else..."
"Somewhere more private would be preferable..."
Naofumi and Eugeo suggested as they began to usher their combined groups to a more secure location, albeit with restrained chuckles. Knowing that they will have to nudge their adopted kids in the right direction in this infantile romance. Something that their respective Weapon Spirits are more than happy to oblige.
"Uh, kids, would you mind explaining to me what's going on?" asked the Weapon's Shop owner as he looked at the group on the other side of the counter with his chin resting in his hand.
Unsurprisingly, the place that the Sword and Shield Heroes chose to conduct their private meeting ended up being Mr. Erhard's Blacksmith shop. Much to the man's annoyed yet begrudging understanding.
"Pardon us Mr. Erhard," Kirin took it upon herself to answer, albeit awkwardly for using the man's shop as a makeshift conference room, "We couldn't really think of anywhere else where we could discuss potentially sensitive information."
"Oh boy..." The shop owner could only sigh and shrug upon hearing this explanation, correctly guessing it as more political drama nonsense.
"I promise, we'll be conducting some business with you as soon as we're finished with our talks," Eugeo pitched in to placate the disgruntled blacksmith, "We actually found something pretty interesting that I'm sure you'll be excited to study."
This seemed to sate the blacksmith as he replied with a much more cheerful nod before noticing something peculiar about their two resident mounts.
"Also, what in the world is going on with those two?" Erhard asked, only this time, with a little more humor and mischief in his voice.
Having realized that Arthur and Guinevere were standing on opposite ends of his shop. Eyes facing the wall with mirroring tints of red on their cheeks, all the while stealing glimpses at one another before bashfully looking away whenever their gazes aligned.
"Let's just say that they might have made a huge leap in their relationship~... if you know what I mean..." Anna whispered with a teasing grin.
"Ohhhh, I gotcha," Erhard grinning as well.
Having now cleared things up on that front, the two groups soon got down to business.
"We'll get right down to it, who exactly are you anyway?" Questioned Naofumi.
"Please accept my apology," said Melty as she once again adopted a more formal sounding tone, "I am first in line to the Melromarc throne, but I should've told you that sooner. I am the 2nd Princess, Melty Melromarc."
"A Princess?!" Erhard yelped in surprise upon hearing her introduction.
"And you know her how?" Naofumi sternly asking Kirin as they had all seen how familiar she is to the bluenette, "You seem to be quite chummy with her when you first came earlier."
"Oh, about that... I just happened to have had the pleasure of being Princess Melty's Royal playmate. Our moms were also close confidants with each other, both being strong and competent women in every sense of the word, so it was inevitable for us to eventually become friends," Kirin supplied, explaining her relationship with the twin-tailed princess along with their respective mothers'.
"You're really in line for the throne?"
"But how can that be?"
Questioned Guinevere and Arthur with mirroring tilts of their heads in confusion, both mounts now having recovered from their embarrassed stupors. A rare case where a filolial's short term memory helped them in their stump, at least for the time being.
"But I don't understand," noted Raphtalia, "how could you be ahead of your older sister for the throne?"
"As it turns out, that woman has always been less than ideal. Even when she was still a child," Eugeo decided to chime in, having already been informed by Kirin about Melromarc's unorthodox succession line.
"Yeah! No offense to you and your family Melty, but your big sis is, for the lack of a better term, nothing short of despicable. And your dad didn't help matters either!" Kirin all but exclaimed, not really caring to maintain formal decorum due to just how messed up the red headed she devil is.
"None taken," Melty relented as she breathed in deeply before letting out an exasperated sigh, "My sister has always been a problem child due to certain, personality difficulties."
"Not surprising," Naofumi frowned at the mere memory of that pain in the butt princess.
"She must have done something pretty serious," commented Anna as he leaned against the wall while crossing her arms like the Shielder, albeit alluringly, as she did it under her bountiful breast, "What did she do to make the Queen deprive her right as heiress anyway?"
This caught everyone's attention as they too were curious on how the 1st princess lost her right to the throne. Even the normally airheaded and innocent mounts, Arthur and Guinevere, were aware enough to know the seriousness of such a repudiation.
"It's actually a bit disturbing since I've literally lost count, just know that Naofumi isn't the first poor soul that was ruined by the older Princess. As for the straw that broke the camel's back, well..." Kirin hesitated with her answer at this point as she knew that Malty's greatest sin was something personal for Queen Mirellia and Princess Melty. She wasn't even sure if her fellow heiress was fully informed about it, so Kirin decided to be vague, "Let's just say there are some things, that are better left unsaid."
Taken aback by Kirin's ominous words, everyone felt chills crawl down their respective spines at the unspeakable heinous crime. So much so that Melty looked at her childhood friend with even more surprise and curiosity. Assuming correctly that Kirin is aware of a dark secret that her own mother and Queen had hidden from her and the rest of the Queendom.
'That tension... was concerning.'
'Indeed.'
Alice and Mash commented with their partners.
Fortunately for Kirin, Melty and the rest of the room's occupants were tactful enough to understand that it's a subject that's better left untouched.
"So, did you already know Master Naofumi is the Shield Hero then?" asked Rino with a slightly irritated tone as she set the conversation back on track.
"I'm not lying, I really had no idea that Sir Naofumi is the Shield Hero," replied Melty, "But then, this might be a perfect opportunity."
"Opportunity?"
"Opportunity for what, if I may ask?"
Guinevere and Arthur asked on where Melty was going with this.
"This could be our chance to mend bridges between you and my fa-"
"Not a chance!"
Melty was rudely cut off as Naofumi all but rejected her proposal.
"I can tolerate a lot of things little princess," Naofumi said as he tried his best to keep himself from lashing out, "I've had a lot of time to simmer down from my angry phase... and being surrounded by people I know I can trust with my life has done wonders with my temperament. But if your request has anything to do with making nice with that poor excuse of a King you call father, then you can just forget it."
"But the two of you need to reconcile," pleaded Melty, losing much of her composure at the Shield Hero's blatant refusal.
'I'm sorry Princess Melty, but Naofumi has every right to be upset with the King,' Alice mediated between the two sides, startling the princess greatly upon hearing the fabled Sword Spirit's voice once again in awe, 'Time and time again, your sister, and in extension, your father, has done nothing but try to impede and ruin Naofumi.'
"So as much as we'd like everyone to try to get along, unless your father himself sincerely tries to make amends with Naofumi, nothing would truly change," Eugeo said as he concluded Alice's statement.
"I... I see..." Melty sombered upon hearing about her father's actions, "I'll see what I can do about that."
"Good luck. Even if you're next in line to the throne, you're still just the heiress. And with that sister of yours having a good number of the castle guards wrapped around her finger, you simply lack the authority to undo the damages your father has done," Naofumi replied sarcastically with a hint of sympathy for the younger Princess' plight.
Before anything more could be said, the door to the shop suddenly opened with one of the guards peering inside.
"Princess Melty, his Royal Majesty calls. Please come with us."
Bristling at the fruitlessness of her endeavor to foster peace, Melty ultimately relented.
"Very well, I'll go."
"Give it a shot if you really want to, but I wouldn't get my hopes up," said Naofumi with a sympathetic expression.
Melty didn't look happy with the conclusion of their meeting, but eventually nodded in understanding.
"I'll be taking my leave then," she said before turning to the two Filolials and then to Kirin with a forlorn expression, "I'm afraid I have to leave now Guinevere, I hope we get to play again some other time. Sir Arthur, we never got the chance to be properly acquainted, so here's anticipating we do so the next time we cross paths. And Kirin, here's hoping our next reunion would be a more pleasant one."
After exchanging their sad farewells with heavy hearts, the group soon watched the young princess leave the shop, plunging the occupants in an awkward silence.
"Well... that just happened," Anna broke that silence with her blunt yet alluringly forward nature, "Putting all of that political drama aside, what should we be doing for today Master? We have a lot of stuff to cover before we have to hurry back up north," as she pretty much reminded everyone that they have some important and unfinished business to attend to.
"R-Right!" Eugeo agreed in earnest as he grasped Naofumi's shoulder.
'Alice?'
'There or no spies in the immediate vicinity, at least for now.'
'If I'm going to venture a guess, we surprisingly have Motoyasu to thank for that, Kouhai. Due to all the commotion that Lancer caused back at the marketplace, there are now far too many eyes for the Church to safely dispatch any of their Shadows.'
'How ironic. I guess that's one silver lining that we could thank that idiot for under all the trouble he caused us this morning.'
Eugeo and Alice conversed with Mash and Naofumi (exactly by that order) before returning to normal conversation.
"Do you remember why I traveled to the Northern Territories in the first place?"
"It's to check on Itsuki's so-called Hero work- wait. Oh, don't tell me..!"
The two outlanders could only groan in both anger and frustration as they once again have a Hero-induced crisis on their hands.
"So... what did he do?"
In order to answer the Shielder's question, Eugeo and his party proceeded to provide a summarized retelling of what they have been up to ever since they parted ways. And needless to say, Naofumi and his girls were far from pleased. Even the normally calm and collected Mash was left incredibly livid by what the Hero of the Bow has done to the Northern Territories.
"Wow... I knew since day 1 that you Heroes are just as humanely flawed as us normal people, but dang, that Bow brat really made a complete mess of things," Mr. Erhard winced upon taking in the amount of damage the Bow Hero Itsuki has unknowingly inflicted.
"I can safely assume that we've done a decent good job in severely weakening the revolutionary's forces. So, we plan to make one final assault in taking down the False King and hopefully set the Northern Territories back on track with a better regime," Eugeo said as he concluded his party's combined explanations before gazing imploringly at his fellow Hero, "I know you already have enough on your plate. Much of it is no thanks to King Aultcray and the Three Heroes Church, but I would like to ask for your help in this coming conflict."
A small silence ensued between the two as Naofumi leered at his most favored colleague and friend before finally sighing with an exasperated smile.
"Eh, what the heck, I was planning to expand my merchant business to new lands anyways, so I might as well make the most of it," Naofumi replied while giving each of his companions a small smile, "Count us in."
" " "Yeah!" " "
" " " "All right!" " " "
Both parties cheered at the now confirmed collaboration between their respective Heroes.
"Thanks for having my back."
"For you, always."
Eugeo and Naofumi shook hands with mirroring grins as a way to seal the deal. Afterwards, the two parties began exchanging information on where they'll be doing their rendezvous once they parted ways later. Since Eugeo's Teleport skill refused to include Naofumi and his party due to the repelling nature of their Legendary Weapons, the Shielder's group would have to travel there by carriage.
Behind all of this chatter, Erhard couldn't help but smile silently in background. Glad as well as relieved to see a genuine camaraderie between the Sword and Shield Heroes. Which is a sharp contrast to the troublesome Spear and Bow Heroes.
"As for the second order of business. Mr. Erhard, what do you think about this weapon that we found during one of our adventures?" Eugeo asked as he materialized the retractable knife out of his inventory.
He put the weapon on the counter, then pressed the button on the weapon to make the blade extend and retract.
"No way! Is that a Hidden Blade?!" Naofumi blurted out in shock upon recognizing the design of the blade in question.
"You know about it, Sir Naofumi?" Anna asked in turn, surprised that the Shielder of all people would be knowledgeable about this never-before-seen weapon.
"Well, yes and no," Naofumi answered while leaning forward on Erhard's countertop to get a closer look without touching it – so that his Shield wouldn't zap him for holding a weapon type.
"It's actually a fictional weapon that I once saw in passing back in my home world. It was portrayed as the ultimate Assassin's weapon because of its covert and quick-draw nature."
"I guess it's not so fictional now. I can definitely see its potential in that particular field," Erhard commented as he analyzed the thing with his Appraisal Skill.
"Actually, the hidden blade from the fiction of my world isn't just the retractable blade alone – the blade is supposed to be a part of a gauntlet, and the blade is supposed to go on the underside of your arm so that it's concealed, and the blade extends and retracts at the flick of your wrist at will – at least, that's what I remember about that weapon…" Naofumi informed about the experimental weapon as much as he could remember.
"Fascinating… Hold on a moment…" Eugeo said after he listened intently on Naofumi's explanation. He also materialized from his inventory a leather arm bracer that he no longer used, picked up the blade from the counter again and put the blade on the underside of his left wrist on top of the arm bracer, trying to stick to the details Naofumi elaborated.
"Like this?" Eugeo said as he used his right hand to keep the blade on his left arm bracer, extending and retracting the blade a few times to demonstrate.
"Yeah, just like that; it'd be perfect if there is a way to use the blade without using your other hand though…" Naofumi nodded.
The others all looked on, fascinated by the concept of the curious weapon Naofumi and Eugeo explained and demonstrated.
"So then, what do you think Mr. Erhard? I was able to tell that the blade itself is still incomplete since the Legendary Sword couldn't Weapon Copy it. Do you think you could finish what the bandits' started? And make the blade a part of the arm bracer to start with?" Eugeo asked hopefully.
"If you do, and you are successful in making it function as this 'hidden blade' Sir Naofumi elaborated on, I'm sure my mother, and in extension, the Queen, would most likely offer an exclusive contract with you in providing them for their Shadows," Kirin chimed in, knowing that her mother would definitely do it.
"Sure, I'll give it a shot," Erhard answered with an excited grin, ready to accept the challenge, "Give me a week tops. I just might be able to get this little trinket working with a few modifications of my own to go with it."
"Sounds great! Thanks, Mr. Erhard!" (Kirin)
"You have our gratitude." (Eugeo)
With the new weapon business out of the way, now came their armors. While Raphtalia and Rino (hers being the brand new one that Naofumi promised her, consisting of a black undershirt, black shorts, a white and blue tunic which is worn over them with white gloves, steel gauntlets, boots and chest plate) along with Rifana and Anna (miniscule as they may be) got their respective armor upgrades today, Eugeo and Kirin along with Naofumi were the opposite. Subsequently removing some of their armors so that they could commission them as custom orders.
"Huh, some Made-to-Order stuff huh. It would push our Hidden Blade project for another week or so, but I should be able to upgrade all three of your armors by the time the next Wave hits. But even if I throw in some freebie materials, it's still going to cost all of you about this much," Erhard said as he gave the rough estimate of their joint armor upgrade cost.
"The expense shouldn't be a problem," Eugeo replied when he briefly checked his current money count.
"Same here," Naofumi added when he did the same.
Just as the two Heroic parties were finishing up with their respective purchases, they all heard a knock on the door and in came a familiar face.
"I apologize for the intrusion Sirs," the gutsy knight from before walked in, accompanied by a few of his colleagues and some women in witch's robes.
"Huh, it's you again," Naofumi commented upon recognizing the young man before giving him a grateful smile, "I have to admit, what you did back there with Motoyasu was very brave. You have guts, I'll give you that."
"Y-You honor me with your kind words Sir Shield Hero," the knight from before bowed at the complement.
"So what do you need?" Naofumi asked as he stood by his fellow Hero's side, "Now that we're aware that you aren't on the King or the Church's payroll, I'm actually more willing to listen."
"W-Well... the thing is," stuttered the knight sheepishly before he and the rest bowed suddenly, "we'd be honored if you let us accompany you Sir Shield and Sword Hero. Please, during the Waves!"
Eugeo and Naofumi both wondered if they had heard them right as the unofficial spokesperson continued.
"We were deeply touched by your courage and selflessness when the two of you fought at the last Wave. Not only were you able to drive away the monsters from the Wave itself, but you also prevented those corrupted knights from burning Lute Village to the ground. So, we've all decided to ask you both if we could fight side by side with you the next time we see you here at the capital."
"That was the reason you chased Naofumi all over the place," Eugeo commented with a small chuckle.
" " " " "Yes!" " " " "
"Moreover," chimed in one of the mages, a purple-haired youth wearing a sorcerer's hat, "we all hail from the village of Lute. Back then, the two of you saved our families from a tragic end. So that's why, we want to help in any way we can."
"We want to repay you for saving our fellow villagers."
Rifana, Raphtalia and Filo were clearly happy to hear this, while Rino, Anna, and Kirin nodded in appreciation.
After hearing their piece, the two Heroes pondered...
'What do you think Mash-senpai?' (Naofumi)
'Well, I'm not sensing any deception from their words. And if you take a look at their Alignments, all of them are Lawfully Balanced. So, I believe we could put our trust in them.' (Mash)
Unbeknownst to the Shield Hero pair, Eugeo and Alice were also in the same wavelength...
'How about it, Alice?' (Eugeo)
'No issues on my end. Although we might need to ask them to look for more recruits for you and Naofumi to split with.' (Alice)
'Agreed. And I know just the place where we can get some volunteers.' (Eugeo)
So when the two outlanders glanced at each other for their opinions, it didn't take much to come up with a final decision.
"If you're really sincere about it, then we have a couple of errands for you to complete for us before the Wave starts."
This caused the knight's party to feel nervous, dreading what kind of test the two Heroes will bestow upon them to prove their worthiness.
"First is this," Naofumi went first as he materialized a small box out of his inventory and displayed its contents, "This box contains some of my earlier attempts at Accessory and Gem Crafting. While the enchantments are classified on the low-tier side, I can guarantee their effectiveness. They should sell for a good price, ranging from 80 to 150 silver pieces each. You can either sell all of them to any interested buyer you could find or buy some for yourself and equip them for the Wave."
The leading knight eagerly stepped forward to receive the parcel.
"We won't let you down Sir Shield Hero."
Upon securing the box with one of his companions, the knight and his group quickly turned to Eugeo to hear what his errand will be.
"The only other errand would be to look for more volunteers. We're going to need all the help we can get if we want to keep up with the Waves. My recommendation would be for Adventurers who hail from Lerno Village since they're kind of in the same boat as you."
"Oh..? Ohhhhh..! Understood Sir Sword Hero!"
The locals of Lute Village bowed their heads once more, promising to reunite with them upon completing their tasks in time for the Wave before leaving.
Now left to themselves once again, Eugeo ended up being the one to pop the question regarding everyone's current Level progression.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask, isn't it just about time for your party to receive their Class Upgrades?"
"Yeah actually. We noticed a few days ago that Raphtalia, Rino and Guinevere have all reached Level 40."
This caused Mr. Erhard to perk up and stumble out of sheer surprise.
"Huh! You guys are ready for Class Upgrades already?"
Looking at the astonished blacksmith and realizing the abnormality of a Hero's constitution, Eugeo simply summarized their situation as unique.
"It's because they are partied with us Heroes. These Legendary Weapons have a passive (10) Exp Boost that extends to everyone who is partied or allied with us in battle. That is why everyone here has been Leveling up so quickly."
The two Heroes then materialized their respective [Stacia Windows] and switched on the display option for everyone to see them.
Eugeo Zuberg - Level 68
Kirin Toudou - Level 57
Arthur - Level 40 *
Anna Fidi - Level 40 *
Rifana - Level 40 *
"You're already in the upper 60s!?" Naofumi couldn't help but blurt out in surprise before looking at his fellow Hero in question on how he did it.
"Yeah," Eugeo scratched his head in mild embarrassment on this late discovery, "It took me a while to notice it, but we actually receive a 20% Exp Last Attack bonus if we deal the finishing blow on a rare monster. And since I've unknowingly been doing that for every rare monster we ever fought, it added up."
"Well, that sucks. Since I'm the Shield Hero, I focus more on keeping my party members alive than dealing damage of my own. So, I don't get as many chances in dishing out the final blow when compared to the others," Naofumi grumbled at the unlucky circumstance.
"Don't worry daddy, I'll make sure to make more chances for you to make the last attack!" (Guinevere)
"Me too, Master Naofumi!" (Raphtalia)
"And I as well Master Naofumi!" (Rino)
"T-T-Thanks..." Naofumi stuttered in mild embarrassment, much to everyone else's amusement.
Naofumi Iwatani - Level 48
Raphtalia - Level 40 *
Rino Izayoi - Level 40 *
Guinevere- Level 40 *
"Damn, that's so convenient," the kind blacksmith commented with a tiny tinge of envy but was quickly stomped down. After all, he had already left his youthful Adventurer days behind, "Normally, only those recognized by the court have the option. But since you two are Heroes, you shouldn't have any problems in being exempted from the usual protocols."
"The only problem is... well, I'm sure you've already noticed, I'm not exactly welcome in the Three Heroes Church."
"Yeah, that could be a problem."
Naofumi and Eugeo could only sigh as they knew getting anything done involving the Church will undoubtedly be unpleasant.
"Well then, how about we all go together," Anna suggested while sheathing her signature weapons back to her holsters, "Rifana, Arthur and I, are also eligible for Class Upgrades. Even though we're Demi-Humans and they hate us for it, they're still honor bound by law to aid us. We're members of a Hero's party after all."
"I suppose there's no harm in trying," Naofumi finally relented.
Though by the looks on Naofumi and Eugeo's faces, as well as the emotions that they were sensing from their respective Spirit partners, they already doubted that things would work out as planned.
After all, they rarely do.
After bidding their farewells to the kind blacksmith, the two parties began their trek toward the Three Heroes Church. And upon remembering that Kirin has already received her a Class Upgrades weeks prior, everyone wondered what Class she chose to take.
"I chose the Swashbuckler Class," Kirin answered to the curious question
"Wait, really?" Anna raised an eyebrow upon hearing her answer, "Because I was so sure that you would've chosen the Samurai Class, considering your Sword Style and Clan heritage."
"Yeah, it's true that Samurai is the widely chosen Class that my family takes whenever given the chance to Class Up. But I want to be more than just the Toudou Heiress, and a part me was practically screaming that the Swashbuckler Class is the way to go for me. It just felt... right, for some strange reason."
"Well, there's nothing we or anyone else can do about it. It's Kirin's choice and we must respect her for that," Eugeo concluded as he gave the swordswoman a proud nod, causing the girl in question to blush ever so slightly.
"In my case, I already have a Class in mind. After all, my weapons of choice are very unique, so that leaves me with very few options to choose from," Anna commented about herself.
"I wish I could say the same," Rifana lamented as she herself couldn't make up her mind, "As for me, I have no idea what Class I should choose."
"What about you Raphtalia, what kind of Upgrade were you thinking about?" Naofumi asked.
"I'm fine with whatever you decide, I suppose," Raphtalia answered, revealing that she is in the same boat as her best friend.
"While I appreciate your trust in me Raphtalia, that kind of thinking won't cut it in the long run. You'll have to decide your future path on your own," Naofumi replied with a level of conviction in his voice that caught Raphtalia by surprise, "After all, once the Waves are over, I'll be going back to my home. Unlike Eugeo and the other Heroes, I was alive and well when I was taken from my world and got summoned into this one. You need to pick something that will help you survive on your own once I'm gone."
"Huh?" Naofumi's words left Raphtalia speechless. While she understood the logic of what sets her Master Naofumi apart from the other Heroes and what it implicates, she still couldn't bring herself to accept it.
And unfortunately for the young Demi-Raccoon, everyone else who could've given any words of comfort or advice were either too distracted by their own conversations or too busy keeping Guinevere and Arthur from overdoing it with the street vendors. Thereby forcing Raphtalia to put this inevitable issue aside to fester, not knowing whether or not she's going to have the courage to bring it about again.
It didn't take long for the two Heroic parties to arrive at the Three Heroes Church where the Dragon Hourglass is being kept. But as they'd already expected, things didn't work out as smoothly as they've hoped.
" "15 gold pieces?!" "
"Yes sirs, a class upgrade will cost 15 gold pieces per person."
"That's way too much!" Raphtalia cried out.
"Now that's just a load of bull!" Anna (now back in her partial disguise to keep the Church from recognizing her) angrily exclaimed at the three too smug nuns that were guarding the Dragon Hourglass, "I was told that Master Eugeo and the other Heroes didn't have to pay a thing for their first Class Upgrades!"
"As rude as Anna puts it, she's telling the truth. Why are asking us for fees now?" Eugeo asked with a well concealed angry tone.
"That was then, and this is now. The Church has been going through some hard times due to the upheavals caused by the Waves, thus increasing the need for higher donations," the leading nun with glasses said in a matter-of-fact tone, not even trying to hide the smirk that formed on her lips. Having presumed that the Shield Hero will be unable to afford the fee, while at the same time, limiting the number of Class Upgrades the misguided Sword Hero could give to those monstrosities he calls party members.
But much to the nuns' surprise and dismay...
"Ok fine. Raphtalia you go ahead, we'll upgrade you first. Guinevere, I'm sorry, but you'll have to be a little more patient. You'll get your turn the next time we come back to this town."
"Awww..." Guinevere moaned a bit for the delay of her upgrade thingy, but didn't raise too much of a fuss. Having learned from her mommy about the virtue of patience and understanding.
"We're going to have to work harder to make up for our expenses, but I should be able to afford all three of you to getting your Class Upgrades today."
by the time the nuns realized their folly, it was already too late.
"15 gold pieces right?"
"45 gold pieces for three Class Upgrades right?"
Both Heroes said with a surprising hint of amused sarcasm in their voice, leaving the nuns dazed by the quick presentation of the required money. They clearly weren't expecting this kind of outcome.
However, as if their opinions regarding the King and the Church couldn't get any lower, they were stood corrected by the arrival of another nun. One who was carrying a royal decree scroll in her hands.
"Our apologies, we have made a mistake. I'm sorry but we are forbidden from providing Upgrades to the Shield Hero's team, or any hideous Demi-Humans for that matter. It's a direct order from his majesty."
Looking around, Naofumi and Eugeo were quick to notice the many disgusted looks that were aimed at them from the onlooking nuns that littered the building. Upset for being cheated on once again by the King and the Church due to their unwarranted prejudice, Naofumi angrily swiped back his money with Eugeo quickly following suit.
Unfortunately for these hardcore cultists, a certain caring lover and an overly supportive senpai refused to take this insult to injury lying down.
"How much lower will that idiot King sink?!"
"Considering the many injustices he and this Church has committed already, I'm not even sure anymore."
If the nuns were stunned by Alice, then they were left downright petrified by Mash when she finally allowed her voice to be publicly heard for the very first time. Inciting a wave of fear and anxiety throughout the chamber as they now had the horrible confirmation that the Shield Hero has now made greater strides in catching up with the Sword Hero when compared to the Bow and Spear. After all, none of their spies within the Bow and Spear parties had reported any indications of a Spirit Awakening. Even after performing what could easily be seen as Heroic deeds under their name.
'How?! How could this be?!' we're the collective thoughts of every nun who were in hearing range.
"My fellow spirit Alice here had already informed me about the many atrocities the King and this sect has committed against my Kouhai. And what has been done just now is proof that none of you has any plans of stopping. Beware... your final judgment will come, but not by my hands nor my Kouhai's, but by your own. You have been warned."
After speaking her piece, thereby causing much distress amongst the nuns, the green light originating from Naofumi's Shield died back down to its dormant state. Alice followed suit soon after, but not before parting some few choice words that she wished to convey to what she sees as this world's equivalent to the Administrator.
"No sin goes unpunished. One always reaps what they sow. You can run from it all you want, maybe even for hundreds of years, but divine judgment... will always be inevitable."
With those final foreboding words, the two Heroic parties left the confines of the Dragon Hourglass' chambers, leaving the remaining occupants with their thoughts.
Needless to say, instead of feeling any sort of satisfaction for successfully preventing the monstrosities from growing any stronger, the nuns were now left frantic and anxious. All of them now fearing what kind of divine punishment awaits them in the future.
"I know that I shouldn't, but that was actually pretty satisfying." (Anna)
"That's a relief, because I feel the same way." (Naofumi)
"Master Naofumi!? You shouldn't say things like that!" (Raphtalia)
"The same goes for you too Big Sis Anna!" (Rifana)
"Now, now, calm down you two." (Eugeo)
"No need to shout." (Kirin)
"Yeah, not like they don't have a very good reason to feel that way or anything." (Rino)
Arthur and Guinevere were the only ones who didn't say anything, the two mounts being more distracted by the smell of food coming from the nearby vendors.
Contrary to what anyone would believe, despite not getting what they came for, the two parties weren't as upset as they had expected. It's a setback to their power progression for sure, and it's not like they weren't angry for by cheated on, but it was an issue that they could still endure for a little while longer.
Both Eugeo and Naofumi had the boost of their [Companion Series] working in full blast very early on in their journeys. So, each of their party members were, if estimations are correct, around 3 times more powerful than the average Level 40.
And to top it all off, Alice has once again poked another hole in the Church's already fragile belief system. The reveal of Mash's awakening also didn't help matters, as this was another undeniable proof that Naofumi had already surpassed Motoyasu and Itsuki by leaps and bounds.
But this also came with its own set of problems, as it remains to be seen:
'What we did back there was completely unplanned. A spur of the moment in every sense of the word!' Alice frustratingly admitted amidst the conversations of the two parties, 'I wasn't able to think things through like I did back at the Party Duel. So now, I have no way of knowing how the Church is going to retaliate!'
'There, there Alice,' Eugeo patted the Legendary Sword, attempting to comfort the spirit within, 'None of us here blames you for it.'
'Yeah, I was actually this close at marching over to that Trash King so I could give him a piece of my mind when you two beat me to the punch. You two saved me from doing something foolish,' Naofumi added, with a little fib at the end.
'Besides, based on my own experience with overzealous cults, I don't think we have to worry about an immediate retaliation when we're this close to the next Wave,' Mash mediated with her own advice before adding, 'Doing anything now would be far too detrimental since they still need us to fight. So, we can at least expect another short period of peace before they try to tear us apart again.'
Fortunately, these words of wisdom was enough to calm everyone down. So they could at least focus on the current problem before they have to worry about anymore Church drama.
"By the way, we actually have something you guys might be interested in," Naofumi decided to bring up, "It's something that I purchased from the Slave Merchant a couple of hours ago."
Now they'd arrived at the safe vicinity of his carriage, Naofumi felt it safe enough to materialize his purchases from his [Item Storage] .
"Wow, what are those things?" Guinevere questioned in awe as she and Arthur looked at it very closely, pretty much acting as the spokesperson for everyone's curiosities.
"These are called Wyvern Talons, and they're actually for you Ginny," Naofumi answered with a proud look on his face, "Since we couldn't get you your Class upgrades yet, then these are the next best thing in boosting your attack power."
"Really?! Alright!" Guinevere fist pumped while leaping into the air in excitement, promptly poofing to her full Filolial form so that she could try her new armaments on.
As everyone watched Naofumi strap the talons onto Guinevere's feet, Arthur couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy.
"Father! Where's my personal weapon?! Didn't you promise to make me one after you made Aunties' swords!" A rare display of a childish pout forming on Arthur's lips as he looked at his father grumpily.
"Yes, I did, and I'm really sorry Arthur!" Eugeo apologized remorsefully upon realizing just how much he has delayed his promise to his child figure, "We just had so much to do with so little time that forging your personal weapon was pushed on the backseat."
Fortunately for the troubled Sword Hero, Naofumi just happened to have purchased two sets of the Wyvern Talons and was more than willing to share. Resulting into two very happy Filolials who are now adjusting to the subtle change in their balance due to their new footwear.
"Luckily for you, I purchased two of those things. I was planning to use the 2nd pair as backups, but I wouldn't mind letting Arthur have them," Naofumi fibbed after casually resolving the Filolial King's issues. Much to Mash's annoyance as her Kouhai still has trouble being honest with himself.
"Thanks a lot for this. Now we don't have to go back to that awful place again," Eugeo replied with a relieved sigh. While he was aware that Slave trading is a legal practice in this world, he still finds it very detestable, "I'll make sure to do some upgrading on both of their talons once I find the right material for them. Free of charge of course."
"Looking forward to it!"
"Now, if you'll excuse us, I will need to teleport over there and get some sleep and get ready while you travel to the Northern Territories. We were already tired from lack of sleep because of the preparation to strike over there, so we were sleeping in a nearby inn – but thanks to the ruckus Motoyasu caused, we were all woken up in the middle of our sleep. That's why we were able to come to your aid so quickly," Eugeo explained, suppressing a yawn.
"I see… then go on ahead to the Northern Territories and get some rest. We'll travel there as soon as possible and meet you up there," Naofumi said.
The two Heroes then shook hands with matching friendly smiles, something their respective companions also shared as they bid each other farewell. With Eugeo's party teleporting back to his most northward save point while Naofumi's party will have to travel the old fashion way.
Their separation wouldn't be long however, as they have another Hero's mess that needs cleaning up.
If they only knew...
just how desperate the False King has become.
PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE BELOW:
I apologize to those who were expecting Eugeo to give Motoyasu one heck of a scolding for what he did with the BioPlant. But Eugeo is sensible enough to know that now is not the best time.
Even though Eugeo's social skills aren't that good, he has improved substantially enough to know that Motoyasu isn't in any condition to listen. With him being too emotionally high on his self-righteousness and constantly surrounded by so many negative influences (Malty and her corrupted knights), Motoyasu would be too stubborn and close-minded to acknowledge his colossal mistake.
Motoyasu WILL get the massive scolding and slap fest that he deserves, but just not today.
NEW POLLS:
1.) I'm kind of second guessing myself if the next chapter should solely be dedicated on the buildup for the battle or just provide a good summarization of the prep work then go straight for the fighting already.
So, ask you all my dear readers, which would you prefer:
- Ch 33 will be a reconnaissance and preparation chapter with Ch 34 being all fight, fight and fight
- 30% of Ch 33 will be a summary of Eugeo's preparations for the siege with the remaining 70% as the overall fights and conflicts.
2.) As some of you already know, especially the horny portion of our readers, Anna will be getting her long awaited night with Eugeo once the dust settles in the Northern Territories.
But I suddenly thought if I should include it as the conclusion after all the fighting or I should seperate it and make a short Aftermath chapter before they return to Castle town to prepare for the Waves.
- Include Lovemaking after all the fighting is over
- Write a short Aftermath chapter and add the Lovemaking there
3.) I'm currently making the framework of what will become the boss fight against the Souleater. And since we have two very capable Heroes instead of just one, I'm wondering if I should make a dual boss battle or a supercharged boss battle.
- There are two Souleaters that the Heroes will have to fight at the same time
- The Souleater will be supercharged in order to compensate for the much more capable Heroes
- A combination of the two
As always, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I'm open for compatible suggestions and any advice that you readers could give. As for those nasty Reviewers who loves to Insult us authors, please just leave us alone.
