"Why would Lerno Village need so much of this herbicide?" Loretta wondered aloud.

"Hickwaal didn't specify that," replied Aris. "He just said they need an enormous amount of it and fast."

"I think I see why they needed it now," Raphtalia said worriedly. "Come look."

Aris and Loretta leaned out of the front of Filo's wagon.

The path along which they were traveling was covered in snaking green vines that seemed to get thicker the further they moved along.

"Guys, look!" Filo beckoned. "There's a wall up ahead."

Aris narrowed his eyes. "I think I might have an idea as to what happened here. Filo, can you get us there any faster?"

"Full speed ahead, papa!"

Filo broke into a brisk run.

"Oh, we can't thank you enough!" praised an elder - presumably the leader of Lerno Village. "This place was on the brink of falling prey to the vines just like our village!"

"Haven't you tried burning them?" asked Loretta. "They're plants, so surely they would be weak to fire."

"We've tried everything we could think of, including that," replied the elder. "We even tried getting help from some local adventurers, but they haven't come back ever since they set off earlier."

"What exactly happened to your village?" Aris asked.

"It was already overrun by the vines long before you came here," said the elder. "And to add insult to injury, the plants became monstrous fiends and started attacking us!"

A scream echoed in the distance.

"The adventurers went to level up and see if they could clear some of the vines," said the elder, "but as I said, they haven't returned yet. I...I begged them to stay because the village is much too dangerous even for them, but...they didn't listen."

"Papa!" Filo interjected, speaking to Aris. "I can find them for you!"

"You wouldn't mind?"

Filo shook her head. "Not at all! I'll be back in a flash!"

She vaulted over the towering wall surrounding the refugee camp and set off at full speed.

Filo returned before long, setting the wounded adventurers on the ground. "There were plant monsters everywhere," she reported. "And some of them spat this weird purple stuff at me. I don't know what it was, but I had a feeling I shouldn't touch it."

"I'd wager it was some sort of poison," Aris reasoned. "It's a good thing you trusted your instincts. But why would these adventurers leave the safety of this camp despite the extreme danger of facing the plant monsters?"

"They might not have been all that smart," Filo pointed out.

"Well, I wouldn't jump to that conclusion."

Meanwhile, the encamped villagers were murmuring among themselves.

"That Filolial...it's talking?"

"That must be the Heavenly Fowl!"

"Which means the one she's talking to is the Savior!"

The elder approached Aris. "Pardon me, good sir, but you wouldn't happen to be the one who drives the carriage drawn by a certain Heavenly Fowl, would you?"

"I mean...I suppose that's what people call me in this area," said Aris. "Why do you ask?"

"Sir..." The elder looked worried. "...i-if it's not too much trouble...please, heal our sick."

Raphtalia's eyes widened. "There's people who are sick here?"

"Yes," replied the elder. "The plants are parasitic, it seems. Some of them have inhabited the bodies of our people, and caused them to become terribly ill."

Aris rose to his feet. "Show me where they are. I'm going to try to heal them."

The elder took Aris and his friends to a larger tent within the refugee camp. Inside the tent, very many people lay in cots or beds, looking deathly pale. A lot of their veins were bulging beneath their skin, looking like green vines with actual leaves growing out of them.

"Aris, try the herbicide," Loretta suggested. She knelt next to a bedridden victim and lifted their head a little.

Aris gently spoke to the sick person. "Hello," he said. "I...I'm unsure whether or not you can hear me, but I'm going to give you some medicine. If you can, try to make sure it goes down the right path in your throat."

He slowly decanted a bottle of herbicide, trickling some into the sick person's mouth. The patient took some of it down the proverbial hatch. It helped, though only a tiny amount.

"Try pouring the rest of it on the vines growing out of them," Raphtalia offered.

Aris did so. The vines in the patient's veins withered away, restoring her skin to normality as the leaves shriveled up and died with the vines.

Aris's status screen notified him of an unlocked skill: Potion Enhancement.

Using this newly acquired skill, Aris amazed the elders of Lerno Village by healing their sick.

"Now, with that taken care of," he said upon completion, "sir, which way is your village? I have an inkling that the source of these vines is there."

"Actually," Loretta interrupted, "how did all this happen in the first place?"

Aris changed his question. "You know what, I'm curious about that, too."

"Our village was ravaged by a great and terrible famine," replied the elder, "until the Spear Hero came into town."

"The Spear Hero?" Aris had to resist a burning urge to punch something. "What did he do?"

"When he heard what was going on," said the elder, "he traveled to the southwest to search some ruins, and returned with a seed that had been sealed there hundreds of years ago."

Aris's eyes widened. He remembered something like this.

During the excursion to acquire a gemstone for magic thread, the lady from the magic shop had told him and his friends about the seed that had been sealed within the cave.

That utter idiot! he mentally screamed. Motoyasu, what in Hylia's holy name were you thinking!?

"At first," continued the elder, "we had no idea it would come to...this. In fact, we were overjoyed when the plants started proliferating and bearing delicious fruit."

"But...they grew too much and left your village overrun," Loretta finished.

"Indeed," said the elder. "Furthermore, during the famine, we recalled an old legend passed down in this area. It tells of an alchemist who lived long ago, not far from here. He created a powerful seed - called Biositos - and, for some inexplicable reason, sealed it away. I...I believe we were blinded by our hunger and desperation when the Spear Hero brought that very seed to our village."

"So...you knew the Biositos seed was a bad idea?" Aris narrowed his eyes. "Or was it because you had no other choice?"

The elder hung his head in shame.

"Whatever it was," said Aris, "it won't change the fact that your home will be saved one way or another one way or another. I'll make sure of it."

"Y-You will?" The elder's mood shifted drastically. "Oh, thank you ever so much, sir! W-We'll pay you for everything - treating our sick, the monster extermination - all of it!"

"I don't care so much about your money as I do about making sure you all have a proper home to return to," said Aris. He turned to his comrades. "Everyone, board the wagon. We have weeds to pull."

BGM: Showtime! - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Filo and Raphtalia took down a creation of Biositos, leaving an eruption of poison and plant matter in their wake.

Loretta pointed. "Everyone, that tree!"

The tree of which she spoke had a large red flower at the top of its trunk. The large round center of the flower opened, revealing a monstrous eyeball.

"If I know monsters," said Aris, "I would wager that the flower is our target."

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Biositos

Species: Ocular Parasitic Vegetation

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: "Grown from an ancient seed thought long dead, Biositos has overtaken this village. Like a weed in a garden, it suffocates and drives away those different from it and spreads itself wherever it can at all costs. It possesses near-instantaneous regenerative properties, but surely there must be some kind of weakness... "

"Which means if we destroy it, we win," added Raphtalia. "I hope."

"Leave it to me, papa!"

Filo charged Biositos with reckless abandon. She reared her strong Filolial right leg and slammed it into Biositos's eyeball.

More vines shot toward her, forcing her to retreat. The eyeball regenerated in a sickening, squelching burst of white pus.

Loretta sent a barrage of blaster beams at the eyeball. An ear-piercing shriek rocked the party's ears as Biositos regenerated again.

Aris tossed Raphtalia a small bottle of liquid. "Get up close and douse it with this herbicide!" he said to her.

Raphtalia nodded. She jumped onto Filo's back and the two advanced on Biositos together.

Filo leaped through the vines towards the eyeball with the agility of a gazelle and the strength of an elephant, jumping from vine to encroaching vine. Though she appeared to be quite the portly avian, she was extremely nimble.

Raphtalia leaped onto a vine from Filo's back, cutting down a few other vines before jumping back to Filo. "Good one!" the Filolial commended.

Loretta gasped. "Watch out!"

Filo managed to evade Biositos's defenses in time, but Raphtalia was not as fortunate. She found herself ensnared in the vines, her arms tied at her sides. Her sword fell out of her hand and clattered to the ground below.

Quickly noting her compromised position, Raphtalia managed to reach down far enough to hold her skirt in place.

Loretta aimed at the vines holding Raphtalia and fired a few shots, only for the hanging vines to easily move out of harm's way.

"I can't get a clean shot!" Loretta exclaimed. "And my Plasma Whips aren't long enough to reach!"

"Hold on!" Raphtalia yelled back. "Let me try something!"

She managed to shimmy her arm out of the ensnaring vines, producing the bottle of herbicide Aris had given her. Raphtalia tried to pour it on the vines holding her in place. Biositos moved the vines so that Raphtalia now hung upside down, preventing her from freeing herself. Sighing, Raphtalia dumped the herbicide onto one of Biositos's roots, which happened to be right below her.

The roots regenerated faster than the herbicide could destroy them.

"I can't...get loose!" Raphtalia strained.

"Don't move too much!" Aris shouted at her worriedly. "You might fall! Stay there, I'll think of something!"

That was exactly what he did. Aris remembered unlocking a new skill earlier, at the refugee camp. It had been Potion Enhancement. Using that, he had managed to use the herbicide to cure every sick person in the camp.

If the enhanced herbicide removed the parasitic vines from the people, he reasoned, then perhaps they'll be able to remove Biositos from this plane of existence.

Aris took out a few small bottles of herbicide, holding them between the fingers of his right hand. He drew the Master Sword, dousing its blade with the plant-destroying fluid.

He charged. Loretta took two bottles and followed behind.

As the vines shot forth to capture him, Aris swung the Master Sword through them. The sacred blade tore into Biositos's vines, eliciting another shriek. The lacerated vines began to wither.

Loretta, meanwhile, used a different route. She took to the overrun rooftops of Lerno Village, leaping toward Biositos from one of the roofs. Her Sheikah-made boots began to glow with blue energy as azure flames burned from the soles, propelling her toward Biositos's eye.

She hurled one of her herbicide bottles at the vine from which Raphtalia hung, freeing her. The other went flying toward Biositos's eye.

Raphtalia, now freed from her botanical bondage, began to plummet to the ground below. Aris noticed.

He pushed off a withering vine with his legs, launching himself toward Raphtalia.

He caught her. He shielded the back of her head with his prosthetic right arm. His arm of flesh wrapped tight around her waist, keeping her close to him.

They landed. They rolled along the ground for a moment as Biositos finally withered away. They quickly stopped moving.

End BGM

Aris had ended up below Raphtalia, still holding her. His entire body hurt - naturally, as he had just thrown himself to the ground. The pain was minimal, however.

Raphtalia pulled back slightly, enough to look into Aris's eyes. Her own eyes were filled with a melting pot of emotions: panic, relief, and awe. Her cheeks were dusted with a hint of scarlet as she noticed the position she was in with Aris.

"Are you alright?" Aris asked her.

"I-I'm okay."

Aris waited for her to stand so he could do the same. Raphtalia, however, seemed to linger for a brief minute. Her head found solace on Aris's chest as her ears twitched. Her tail wagged back and forth.

Loretta cleared her throat.

Aris looked to his right to find his elder twin sister standing over him and Raphtalia. Loretta's hands were on her hips and a wry smirk was on her face. "So, are you lovebirds going to help Filo and me gather up all those seeds Biositos left behind? Or do you want to lay there for a while longer?"

Raphtalia's entire face turned bright red as she shot to her feet. "L-Lovebirds!? L-Loretta, it's not like that!"

Loretta laughed. "I'm joking with you."

Aris stood up and followed the girls to help pick up the seeds. His status display notified him of a new skill.

"Thank you ever so much, Savior!" the village elder praised as Aris, Loretta, Raphtalia, and Filo returned to the refugee camp that night. "Or...I suppose you're the swordsman Shield Hero, correct?"

Aris nodded. "I am. Now, then, my comrades and I disposed of the monster, but we have other business to attend to soon, so I'm afraid we won't be able to clean up the remaining vines."

"Oh, it isn't any trouble for us to do it," said the elder. "We can take care of them soon."

"Good," said Aris. "So, with that taken care of, I'll be turning in early tonight." He yawned.

Aris retreated to Filo's wagon, setting up a small pillow on one of the benches. He pulled his cloak over his body like a blanket, laid his head on the pillow, and drifted into sleep.

Meanwhile, Raphtalia, Loretta, and Filo were having a small bonfire with the villagers to eat supper and celebrate the defeat of Biositos.

"Wait, Miss Loretta," the elder interjected as Loretta was telling her story, "you mean to say your boots can propel you to high speeds in the air?"

"I do indeed!" said Loretta. "Here, I'm going to demonstrate for you."

Loretta clambered onto a nearby rock and practically exploded into the air with a burst of blue flame from her newly christened Jet Boots. She landed atop the wall of the refugee camp before jumping back down, landing with a forward somersault.

"I used them to launch myself at Biositos's eye so I could use the herbicide on it directly, and I managed to free Raphtalia from the vines along the way," she said.

"And I would have gotten hurt from the fall since I was high up," said Raphtalia, "but Aris managed to catch me."

"Oh, he did, yes." Loretta smirked. "And that resulted in the two of you being in a rather...provocative position."

Raphtalia's cheeks burned hotter than the bonfire and redder than the Biositos seeds. "L-Loretta! I told you, i-it's not like that, I swear!"

"Ah, but your blush is betraying that sentiment," Loretta teased.

Raphtalia hid her face, much to Filo's and Loretta's amusement.

Therein lay Raphtalia's personal dilemma, one that had begun afflicting her mind only recently. It was her feelings toward Aris. She wasn't quite sure of what those feelings were, however.

Was it deep, close kinship - did she care for Aris as a friend closer to her heart than any other? Perhaps.

Was it a sort of familial bond, as though she had known Aris from birth - did she care for Aris the way Loretta did? She doubted it, but it wasn't impossible.

But...maybe it's more than that, Raphtalia thought as she ate and eventually prepared for bed. When I think about him, I feel so warm inside. When I'm with him, I feel at home, I feel safe, and I feel like nothing bad can happen...at least, nothing bad enough that we can't overcome it. But, then again...I feel a little nervous, too. I get butterflies in my stomach when he looks at me, and...I don't know why, but...I love that feeling. Maybe I...I really do...n-no, I can't. I shouldn't be feeling things like this. I mean, his sister is traveling with us, and she might not approve of me being...intimate with Aris.

Raphtalia tossed and turned that night, unable to find her way into slumber.

"Aris?"

The Hylian in question looked over his shoulder. Raphtalia was approaching him from the wagon, her figure backlit by the picturesque sunrise.

To Aris, she looked positively radiant.

Aris pushed aside that thought. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?" Raphtalia looked over Aris's shoulder. "Is that one of the Biositos seeds?"

"It is," replied Aris. He covered the seed with some dirt. "Watch."

He stood back. Raphtalia looked a little apprehensive.

The ground glowed with Soul Energy as the sun rose higher. The seeds began to germinate almost immediately, sprouting from the loamy soil. The sprouts grew taller, developing broad leaves and red, bulbous fruits that appeared deliciously ripe and juicy.

Aris picked one. He opened his mouth and chomped into it. "Mm!" he smiled contently, chewing the bite of fruit and swallowing it. "Doubtlessly the best fruit I've ever tasted."

Loretta approached, having woken up earlier. "How did you do that?"

"After we defeated Biositos," said Aris, "I unlocked a Plant Modifier skill. I used it on the seeds I planted earlier to prevent them from mutating into another Biositos monster while also increasing their growth rate and productivity in terms of fruit-bearing. I did that on all the seeds last night, just before I went to bed."

"So, are we keeping them?" asked Loretta.

Aris shook his head. "We're going to give them to the villagers. A famine is what caused all this trouble, so it would be utterly senseless if we discovered a bountiful food source only to keep it for ourselves."

"Thank you again, sir!" the elder cheered joyously. "You not only freed our village from the peril of that monster, but now you have given us the most wonderful gift we could ask for!"

"Think nothing of it," Aris told him. "I wouldn't be a true hero if I didn't make sure to attend to the root of your problems - that being the famine. As such, the Biositos seeds are yours for the taking."

"O-Oh, but we can't just take these seeds from you," said the elder. "You have done so much for us! Surely it would be only fair if we gave you something in return! So, rather than merely taking the seeds...we can buy them from you!"

Aris was intrigued. He certainly did need any money he could obtain.

He agreed to sell the seeds to the villagers, who, in return, paid him handsomely.

Though the villagers purchased most of the seeds, Aris was still left with multiple boxes of them, alongside several baskets of fruit. The fruit would likely rot before he and his party could do anything with them.

Unless... Aris thought.

Hickwaal lowered his lens and the Biositos seed Aris had shown him. "This is a very impressive seed, my friend," he said. "I'll be more than happy to buy as much as you are willing to part with. The fruits, too."

"We have a deal, then?" asked Aris.

Hickwaal nodded. "I must say, your showing of the best of your products truly exemplifies the knowledge of a merchant. Not to mention, your ruggedness and survival skills speak to your expertise when it comes to traveling. You really do have the makings of someone who could succeed in the world of economics."

"Speaking of traveling," said Aris, "is there anything else we might be able to do? Our schedule is open for the next few days."

"There is something," replied Hickwaal. "Vanora Village has requested some goods - specifically a local inn there. It isn't far from where we are, so you should be able to deliver the supplies quite easily. Furthermore, Vanora is renowned for its historic hot springs. You might be able to relax awhile there. So, would you be willing to do this little job?"

Aris nodded. "Consider it done."

Aris and his party arrived in Vanora Village late in the afternoon.

"Thank you so much for bringing the supplies," a maid said to Aris as she unloaded a box of items. "We've been waiting for these for a while now."

"I'm glad to help," said Aris. "Do you need assistance unloading the boxes?"

"My coworkers and I can take care of it," replied the maid. "In the meantime, feel free to relax in the hot springs. They're not far from here."

"Oh, Raphtalia! I didn't know you were here."

Raphtalia lowered herself slightly, further concealing her nudity beneath the steaming water of the hot spring.

Loretta, who was wearing something akin to a mix between a bikini and a sports bra, waded into the water, sitting about five feet from Raphtalia.

"I thought you had to go into hot springs naked," Raphtalia mentioned.

Loretta shrugged. "I feel uncomfortable being in the nude while outdoors. I'm surprised you aren't, though." She sat down approximately five feet away from where Raphtalia was sitting. Loretta leaned back, putting her hands on the back of her head as she sighed contently. "Ahhh, this is something I could get used to."

"There really is nothing like a relaxing bath after a hard day's work," Raphtalia agreed. "And just look at that view."

Loretta looked over her shoulder, gazing at the sprawling landscape ahead. "Yeah, it's quite pretty."

The girls sat in silence for a few minutes, relaxing in the soothing heat of the spring.

"Loretta," said Raphtalia, "has...has Aris come up here yet? I have a feeling he'd like this hot spring."

"Well," replied Loretta, "I told him I was going to relax here for a while, and he decided to stay in the town until both you and I return. He said something about 'respecting a lady's privacy'." She chuckled. "He always was a chivalrous one." She suddenly eyed Raphtalia teasingly. "Why, did you want to bathe with him? Perhaps...alone?"

Raphtalia's face burned scarlet. This had nothing to do with the heat of the water.

"There it is again, that blush," said Loretta. "Surely you feel something for Aris."

"I-I don't, I swear!" Raphtalia said bashfully. "W-We're friends...nothing more."

"You needn't lie to me," said Loretta. "I saw the way you were looking at him after he broke your fall when you fell from Biositos's vines."

"Th-That...That was...!" Raphtalia stuttered. She was at a loss for words.

Loretta stayed quiet, waiting for her to finish.

Raphtalia took a deep breath. She exhaled. "Alright...I...I like him. I think. Well, I...I wouldn't really know...I've never really been in love with anyone."

"Really?" Loretta's curiosity was piqued. "Hmmm...tell me, what do you feel when you're around him? And try to be as detailed as you can."

"Alright..." Raphtalia took another deep breath. "I...When I'm with him, especially when we're alone...I...I have this strange fluttering in my heart...and, well, in my stomach, too. It's like I'm a jar of butterflies, and all of them are trying to escape by flying headfirst into the walls of the jar. But...it's a good feeling."

"Keep going," Loretta prompted.

"I...I feel safe when he's with me," said Raphtalia. "Like nothing bad could happen without us being able to overcome it. A-And...his eyes...I could stare into them for hours..."

"By Farore, I believe I have a diagnosis!" Loretta exclaimed. "Raphtalia, you're...sick. Lovesick."

"I-I really am in love with him?"

"If what you said is true, then yes," affirmed Loretta.

"Y-You're taking this really well," Raphtalia pointed out.

"Of course I am," said Loretta. "What gives you the idea that I wouldn't be?"

"Honestly..." Raphtalia hesitated. "I...I thought you wouldn't want your brother to be in another relationship. Especially not after what happened with him and that Malty girl."

"That was Malty, not you," said Loretta. "You're everything Malty isn't...and that's a good thing. Besides, I may be protective of my brother, but I don't want to dictate every minute detail of his personal life. And even if I was more...controlling...I would still approve. Of you, I mean."

"Y-You would?"

Loretta nodded, a smile on her face. "I would. Raphtalia...you're practically perfect for Aris. Like you were fated to meet him from the moment you were born. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's luck, but that really doesn't matter. Raphtalia, I...I don't just approve of you wanting to court my brother. I want you to court my brother." Loretta laughed quietly. "After all, his love life has always been a lonely one. I don't recall him ever having a significant other. You would be his first. And...to me, that would just make it all the more special."

"H-He'd be my first, too," said Raphtalia. "But...it feels...I feel selfish about...wanting that. A-Aris has done so much for me - he freed me from slavery, cured my sickness, taught me how to fight...all that and more. So...I feel like me asking to be his girlfriend would be too greedy of me."

"If I know my brother," said Loretta, "he wouldn't see it that way, regardless of whether or not he feels the same way towards you. And if he doesn't, I know he would still want to be around you, even if only platonically. So...just tell him how you feel, as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. Even if it's only to get the proverbial weight off your chest."

"I-I will," Raphtalia affirmed. "When the time is right...I'll tell Aris that I love him."

Raphtalia's heart was racing. The beating of her heart was not out of anxiety - it was out of excitement. Aris, she thought, I'll tell you soon.