AU NOTES
Thank you every one that is following my work! Late Merry Christmas and happy new year!
I won't promise to post a new chapter for Blood God before the year ends, since I plan on releasing a massive chapter for the I-Island part, and ideas are just sprouting in my head since you all commented so much, giving me quite the boost in serotonin! So Now I am MOTIVATED!
If you can/are willing to help me with my addiction to coffee and MHA!rule34, my ko-fi is /ryujinmaou
Thanks for reading this garbagio, and enjoy!
CHAPTER 21: [Reaching Cal Mira]
Naofumi sighed, trying to ease some soreness away from his shoulders as he guided Firo through the dirt road leading to one of Melromark's port towns. He had left Seatto two days ago and had sent Shadow ahead to report about his arrival to Mirelia. The queen was the one personally overseeing the travel, so that nothing could go wrong; considering that they would have to deal with the other three heroes, Naofumi was just waiting for something to eventually go wrong. He could only hope that it would be something minor, else he might pop a blood vessel or have an aneurism.
Raphtalia was by his side, doing some light maintenance on her sword. The raccoon demi human girl seemed to be on a happy mood, humming some unknown song as she worked a whetstone against the edge of her blade. Firo followed along, chirping happily as her feet powered their wagon at an accelerated pace.
He glanced back, spotting Felicia and Dera to be together for once, the four-headed Orochi paying attention to something that the witch was reading to her. Felicia noticed his gaze and waved back at him, the hero of the shield nodding in acknowledgement and returning his eyes to the road.
The roads were fairly well maintained, the hero having little to complain up to now. Bandits hadn't been a bother to him for a while, but that might have to do with Shadow (Kana) setting up traps in advance or simply "taking care of the problem" before it ever became a problem. Whatever the case may be, it was no skin off his back, so Naofumi never truly questioned her or her methods.
Now that the operator was busy with another assignment, Naofumi sensed that something was following him. It had been doing so for the past hour, the dots on his mini-map slowly circling him and trying to funnel him into a clearing without exit routes.
"Raphtalia…" He mentioned the girl's name, wondering if she had sensed it too. Her ears twitched, the girl turning to face her master. He didn't speak, merely raising his right hand and allowing his pointer finger to rotate before he closed his hand into a fist and then made a swiping motion. The raccoon girl nodded, leaving her spot by his side to enter the wagon and instruct her scaled sister in what to do.
The Orochi hissed once, her four heads nodding before she quickly jumped from the wagon in a surprisingly stealthy manner, her great body never being a hindrance as she slithered with sinuous grace.
Firo noticed the wagon lighten up, turning her head to check if anything had fallen off it, but Naofumi waved her concerns off and told her to focus on the road. Thirty minutes went by quickly, the current section of the road going through a patch of forest. He slowed down his ride as a man appeared on the road carrying a spear and with carrying himself with a confident manner. His clothes looked shabby, and the spear he had wasn't better than what your standard village guard would be granted; spreading out from his back were about another five men, all carrying different weapons: from worn out axes to obviously dull swords and poorly maintained spears.
Naofumi kept his expressions neutral, merely waiting.
"Aye aye boys, look what the good winds have brought to us. A little lost merchant on his way to the capital…" The bandit leader spoke with confidence, his group of dirty bandits laughing at nothing. The leader twirled his weapon with a fancy motion, pointing the metal end towards the hero. "This is an excellent opportunity for us to…" And then he noticed Naofumi's clearly not amused face. He broke into a cold sweat the very moment he noticed the Shielder's eyes narrow at him, the philorial holding the carriage suddenly smacking her beak at him, her tongue running over the length of her beak.
"Master, isn't that the guy that you said you would feed to Firo?" With child-like innocence leading her question, Firo spoke loud enough that the entire group heard her perfectly well, many bandits holding still as they began to properly scan the vehicle. It was improved and looked fairly expensive on its own, and that was without mentioning the myriad of crates and rucksacks that it held; yet, it was still somewhat distinguishable. The entire group broke into a cold sweat.
"H-H-Hey there, S-s-shield Hero-sama!" The bandit leader's voice was now a mere squeak, the man shaking and trembling almost like a broken twig in the wind.
Naofumi took his sweet time descending from his riding seat, his boots hitting the ground like a judge's hammer as he hopped from his seat. His greaves clinked as he took slow and heavy steps towards the bandits, the entire group shaking uncontrollably at his menacing walk towards them. His boots might not have spurs for horse riding, but the clinking of the metal greaves made for an equally impactful image.
The bandit leader had shut his mouth, the fear of saying something that would upset the hero making him rethink all smart and suave answers he tried formulating in his head. He never expected to meet the hero again. What were the chances he would ever meet the hero again!?
Naofumi said nothing as he continued his approach, stopping only when until he was mere inches from the bandit. The two had approximately the same height, with Naofumi being the taller men for three centimeters. He draped one arm over the shoulders of the group's leader, the man almost buckling under the weight as the hero made him turn around and face his accomplices.
"It seems that we find ourselves in a bit of a pickle, gentlemen." Naofumi remarked, some amusement dripping from his voice. "I remember – quite clearly in fact – that something like this has happened in the past. Do you not?" As he spoke, Naofumi dragged the leader with him as he took small steps to the side or did half steps, not sitting still and denying the chance to let the man get used to the heavy weight that was having to be the Shielder's leaning post.
Before any of the men in the group could protest or say anything, screams came from the surrounding forest, making the group flinch, the leader bandit specially so. The Shield Hero smirked, leaning his head back and making a show of loudly humming, as if trying to cycle through his train of thought. "Yeah, I'm quite sure a situation like this happened."
The leader tried to offer Naofumi a pleasing smile, but his trembling lips and sweat-drenched face did very little to convince Naofumi of anything. "H-h-hey boss-s-s-s-s. We don't really want any trouble, aye?" The group vehemently nodded along their leader, too busy prostrating themselves to notice the witch that exited the wagon.
"That won't do, my fellow gents! You see, I had a schedule to keep up and clients to attend to; matters which require the utmost urgency! And yet, you stop me on the road and take my time, making me late for my work. You know, as the Shield Hero, I have many places to protect and guard, but those places will be left defenseless if I have to stop at the road for every little event that happens." Naofumi kept playing with bandit leader, his group nervously sweating and trying to sit as still as possible, the recess of the screams in the forest doing little to dissuade their worries.
Not long after the noises stopped, some shrubbery began to shake close by, the men trying very hard to not yelp in fear. Some were unsuccessful in this endeavor.
Nonetheless, it was no magical owlbear or another carnivorous creature. It was Raphtalia, dragging about four other men by a rope (tied around all their feet); they were lightly foaming at their mouths, a purple gunk splattered on various parts of their bodies.
"Naofumi-sama, here are the rest." The girl stated, looking no worse for wear than when she had left to pursue the hidden attackers. Archers, or more specifically, rangers. At this point, it mattered very little to him.
The Shielder directed another stare at the bandit leader, the man now barely managing to stand up, the wooden shaft of his spear groaning ominously as it seemed close to breaking under the strain of their combined weights.
"Now, you know me to be a reasonable man! I'm a merchant after all. Dealings are my battlefield, as much as any battlefield is yours. You can buy your lives from me, by the very cheap price of everything you currently own and whatever is in your current hideout." The last sentence was spoken in his normal voice instead of the happy-go-lucky tone he had been using, the switch making the men nod their heads insanely fast. The hero slowly turned his head to look at the men's leader, the shaggy and messy haired man also nodding to him, a few tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Great! Now, please do toss your weapons on a pile and don't fight the girls. I'm recommending it for your own safety, but do feel free to ignore my advice – at your own peril, of course – I'm all up for a few new slaves or some fresh human flesh to feed Firo. She is a hungry girl after all and it takes quite a bit to allow her to have her fill."
Raphtalia watched Naofumi mercilessly racketeer the bandit group, the girl shaking her head and face-palming. "Who are the real villains here?" She rhetorically asked herself. A soft hand soft-patted at her butt, Raphtalia immediately frisking up and jumping away, startled; She turned around in a quick motion, drawing her dagger to attack the possible threat, but finding no one besides Felicia. The witch smiled amusedly at the swordswoman, waving a hand at her as she swayed her way towards Naofumi, her hips swinging almost like those of professional dancers.
"Hello, hello boys. It is best to follow fortress-kun's orders, we wouldn't want you to get any ouchies now, would we?" The witch's melodious voice made all the bandits snap their heads towards her, the woman ignoring their looks in favor of approaching the hero.
Naofumi stopped leaning against the group's leader, the man greatly sighing in relief at having the heavy weight removed from his shoulders. He tried to muster a jealous look to the hero, but he noticed the expression carved on the witch's face as she stared at the hero.
It wasn't simply amorous feelings or some fling passion. No, that look reminded him of one of the stories his own mother used to tell him. It was a cautionary tale for children, something to teach them about the dangers of messing with those who messed with magic – especially witches. Mahoshiva, Destruction Incarnate; Farfnira, the Knowledge Hoarder; The Zauberer family, The Magic Lunatics. He remembered cowering in fear in his bed after a particularly harsh rainy night, just after his mother had read him the – recently printed – book and she showed him a painted picture in the book. The expression of the witch depicted in the book was just like the one this witch was expressing towards the Shield Hero.
Absolute Fascination.
You are a fucking lunatic yourself, Shield Hero, if you are walking around the land with someone like her in your group! The man thought to himself, very glad to be mildly educated, compared to the fools that surrounded him, so easily guided by the promise of easy gold. They could lust after that woman all they wanted, all that bought them was a fast pass to the underworld.
They all obeyed the woman's words, making no effort to fight against the rather strong suggestion of the witch. Their weapons confiscated, the group began to be escorted back to their hideout, a poor underground hall they had dug themselves after they last hideout was stormed by soldiers from the kingdom. There were three last remaining outlookers, but they could never help tide over in case a fight broke out. Not that they could even try, as they were stomped by the women in the Shielder's party.
It was truly impressive the way the raccoon demi-human moved, her sword a flash of steel and force. The philorial turned little girl was a blur of speed and brutality, her dive kick folding the bandit outlooker in half (he would be lucky to escape with just a few broken bones) and the last one simply gave up, slumping on the ground akin to a puppet with its strings cut off. No doubt work of the witch.
They loaded their loot in the wagon of the Shielder, the man overlooking their work like a wind hawk watched for terracotta turtles; not that anyone of the bandits was in the mood to play hooky or rebel, their minds still fresh with the magic display that the kingdom's capital had played about the hero. He showed mercy to no king or even the beautiful first princess, brutally enacting him own form of judgment upon those that wronged him.
All in all, I guess we were lucky to just be robbed blind. The bandit leader mused, arms busy carrying one of the crates filled with foodstuff from their underground hideout.
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"Naofumi-sama, are you sure you don't want to report them to the authorities? If they are active bandits in the area, there surely would be a bounty placed on their heads." Raphtalia asked, somewhat pitying the men.
Naofumi scoffed, sorting out the loot of the crates. "Sure, we could do that." He said, inspecting the contents of a bottle. "Or, we could take care of our problems as they come. Besides, we got ourselves some extra coin with their stuff, not that bad, all things considered." Naofumi danced around the issue, Raphtalia narrowing her eyes at her master.
Felicia expelled a thin cloud of smoke from her lips, patting the seat by her side. "Come on Raph-chan, let fortress-kun be." The witch said, pointing her smoke pipe at the other girl.
Raphtalia wanted to push the issue further, but seeing Naofumi turn his focus back on the road the girl pouted to herself, crossing her arms and huffing out a sigh. "I know Naofumi-sama isn't some foolish good-doer that doesn't really know reality, but do we really have to act like this?"
The hero heard the girl's complaints, but he chuckled instead of becoming embarrassed.
"What? You want to become a good example for the children?" He asked amusedly, his tone jovial.
The girl released an "eep!" and flinched in place, her reaction making Naofumi smirk. Felicia also assumed a smug expression, the two silently poking fun at the raccoon demi for her surprisingly childish (pure) desire.
"Raphtalia, the female knight in shining armor. How does that sound?" The hero teased, Firo repeating his phrase and beginning to hum a made-up tune. The Shielder turned back to his wagon and began searching the various hidden compartments, finally finding the item he was looking for: his handmade guitar. Raphtalia's eyes budged out, the girl almost lunging to stop her master from playing the instrument, yet she stopped midair; no, she was being held midair due to the sinuous, scaled tail of Dera, the Orochi's four heads flicking their tongues as if to tease Raphtalia too.
Felicia shook her head but made no efforts to help the raccoon demi, the girl glancing at her with a betrayed, teary-eyed look.
Naofumi began to test the strings of his guitar, tightening the cords as best as his limited musical knowledge could help. After testing out the cords a few times to make sure the sound wasn't warped, Naofumi began try and play out a tune he remembered from Japan.
The first few attempts were failed, but it got the girls' attention, his focus in trying to play out the correct notes capturing their attention like nothing before. Eventually he began to get the hang of things and manage to string a few moments of the music properly in his mind.
It was a fast-paced song that needed a few other instruments to be truly complete, but with just a guitar and playing it as badly as he had been doing, it brought a sense of relief to Naofumi's mind like nothing before. It was the sort of song that could bring life to weary travelers of harsh and sandy biomes, the sort of thing that would put pep in your step and set your heart to flutter together with the rhythm of the song.
The travel to the port town would take a bit longer, but together with his party and this song, it was like time flew by.
[XXX]
[XXX]
Harbor Town of Melromark, Marlindas. 13:23 P.M
Local Pub: Drunken Philorial.
Naofumi and party had reached the port town and were received by Shadow, the rogue/assassin appearing atop the wagon like a mirage. She opted to direct him to this pub on the docks, Firo staying outside (much to her displeasure) to guard the ride (much to her pleasure) while the group entered, ready to receive the news that Shadow was bringing them.
"Master, this lowly one has brought food." His robed girl placed a platter with an abundant assortment of greasy foods and drinks to the table, placing it right in the middle to allow everyone to reach for a bite. "The news this one brings are…as expected from the three heroes, problematic."
Barely had Shadow said anything, Naofumi grabbed the mug of honey mead that had been brought to him and he chugged half the damn thing in a small beat. Felicia wolf-whistled at him, seeing the man unfazed by the drink; it wasn't the strongest beverage, but very little people could do that sort of thing and remain completely sober.
Naofumi sighed in frustration, wiping some leftover liquid on his mouth and setting his mug on the table, the various patrons inside the pub lightly nodding at him. "Go on, let's hear what those three did now." The Shield Hero's tone was less annoyed and more like a father disappointed at the misdeeds of his rebellious children, but Raphtalia wasn't going to be the one to point that out.
Shadow nodded, pulling out a scroll from under her robes. "According to the information shared by Queen Mirelia with us, the three heroes tried to anticipate their travel without our presence, trying every method they could to get the ship to depart before we could arrive. It goes without saying that the queen gave orders so that our travel be secured, so we need not worry about that, or travel fees." His operator finished her report and stored the scroll away somewhere, leaning her head towards him.
He read the cue and raised a hand to pat her covered head, a slight tug on his lips signaling his approval of her.
"Well, I guess we can finish our meal and then get the wagon checked in somewhere safe. Wouldn't want my stuff to be apprehended a second time after all." Some sarcasm slipped into his voice, but the girls knew it was not directed at them. The hero quickly fixed a meal for Firo and wrapped it in cloth, aware that the philorial would cry him a river if she smelled food on him and if he had nothing for her. Sometimes I wonder who truly is the master here, he mused, digging into some greasy pasta.
The girls wasted no time either and after a short while the group was already on their way to the port.
There wasn't much in terms of scenery for Naofumi, considering he was used to much grander sights, but the girls appreciated their little sight-seeing trip. Raphtalia especially enjoyed the commotion and hustle-bustle of the port town, the place reminding her of Seatto; Firo almost barged into a few fish vending stands in her gluttony, but Naofumi managed to steer her away from trouble. Shadow did her usual thing and vanished from sight, no doubt scouting the place out to make her own map of the town later (he hoped that she wasn't nicking stuff from other people); Felicia seemed more interested in reading one of her grimoires and smoking mint-leaf.
Naofumi checked his wagon in one of the major warehouses. A few clueless employees tried to push some bullshit contract on him about security and storage fees, but once they got a look at the hero's shield things changed. Not that Naofumi couldn't understand their intent (or somewhat sympathize with them, coming from slave–… *ahem* corporate Japan), but he wasn't going to say no to the very competitive rental price of zero coins for storing his wagon somewhere safe. He was going to pay some coin when he came back, he wasn't that much of a prick to abuse his recently gained authority, and besides, it wouldn't do for him to be throwing around his weight for such petty things.
The walk to the designated check-in area for Cal Mira's ship was fine, if slightly bothersome due to Firo's constant pestering for food from the food stalls nearby. Dera remained quiet, merely slithering behind the group; not because she was a quiet good Orochi, but because she had eaten (read swallowed whole) four entire dread-wolves on their way to the port town.
The Shielder's party finally reached the major docking ship area, and finally Naofumi could call the sight a fantasy thing.
The area held a myriad of boats and ships, ranging from smaller fishing house-boats that seemed to accommodate small crews of at most seven men, to 50-meters in length caravels that were close to what he remembered from his History books. Everything seemed to be built mostly of wood, nothing ever approaching the metal monstrosities that the JSDF had or even the amazing Iowa-class battleships showcased by the US during one of his school trips, but this had a charm of its own.
The ship that seemed to be his ride for Cal Mira was one of the grander ships around here. 65-meters in length, the three sails had emblazed the royal crest of Melromark in their cloth, the vessel being manned by no less than 35 sailors; the superiors, i.e the captain and his commodores, were waiting for Naofumi and his group while the other sailors did their work. The seamen, contrary to their superiors, were dressed in light clothing, their exposed bodies strongly tanned and muscular.
The Shield Hero and his party approached the captain, a bearded elder dressed in a navy-blue decorated uniform. The men behind him saluted Naofumi, their sailor uniforms not being filled up by their figures, but the hero shelved the details aside and preferred to focus on other matters.
The captain took off his hat and brought it to his chest, a worried expression painting his figure and already making Naofumi's anger begin to slowly simmer.
"Lord Shield! We are honored to be in your presence! My name is Captain Bardimar Sihalas, the captain of the Frigid Queen!" The elder pointed towards the boat. Naofumi wondered why the vessel had been named as such, but he opted to focus his gaze back on the captain. The elder noticed that the Shielder didn't seem in the mood to chit-chat, so he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves.
"I'm very sorry to inform you this, but the quarters that had been prepared for you and your party have already been occupied by sir Spear, Sir Sword and Sir Bow and their respective parties. Even the captain's quarters have been commandeered by the three heroes, and with the various adventurers also requesting for our work, we have been absolutely full. Since the heroes arrived too early, they ended up throwing our schedule into a bit of disarray and you hadn't arrived yet sir! However, worry not sir! This Sihalas shall immediately clear a room for you!" The elder captain spoke with vigor that Naofumi wasn't expecting from the elderly. The captain's level was also quite high, the old man sporting a high Lv. 86 in Naofumi's appraising eyes.
The hero sighed somewhat frustrated, yet also in relief that the problem was very much minor. He glanced at the girls with a silent question, the group shrugging their shoulders at him. He nodded back at them and turned his attention back to the captain, seeing the man already ordering a few sailors to action.
"Wait, sir captain." He called respectfully. The elder gent had done nothing to upset the hero besides being too energetic for such an old man, so the hero was ready to answer back in kind such attitude. "We don't mind a common, shared room."
The captain nodded, left hand resting on the handle of his saber. It seemed to be more of a tic than a true signal for hostility, so Naofumi wrote it off in favor of trying to dissuade the man from throwing anyone off from their room. He wasn't going to be a petty bitch just because Ren, Itsuki and Motoyasu felt like they were entitled to everything in the world; Naofumi knew better.
"Yes, sir! We shall immediately prepare a room that you can share with your Hero friends!" The captain spoke happily, sure that his call would please the shielder.
Naofumi smiled bitterly, not willing to spoil the captain's happy mood, but also not content at being called those three's friend! The hero managed to contain the spark of cursed smog that threatened to spill from his nostrils, offering the ship's captain smile that had too much teeth to be healthy.
"Not with them! A common, shared room is fine! Even a bunker room is okay, there is no need to accommodate for us. I'll pay for the lodging if need be." He managed to sound semi-polite, the captain of the Frigid Queen noticing that Naofumi was quenching some harsh words. The elder nodded, one of his subordinates leaning closer and whispering a few details over the man's ear.
The captain's expression soured after hearing the whispers, but he managed to put on a polite smile. "Certainly, sir! I apologize for the inconvenience! Please, do go aboard."
Naofumi nodded, making his way inside the vessel and being guided by one of the many sailors around.
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Naofumi and his party reached the room they would share, the group silently following one of the sailors that guided them here. After the man presented their room, one of the last ones near the starboard side of the ship, the group was left to their own musings. The Shielder wanted to get introductions going quickly to avoid any misunderstandings with their roommates, thus he quickly knocked on the wooden door of the temporary habitation.
The group received a positive response to enter the room, Naofumi entering it respectfully while muttering an "excuse me" to whoever was inside.
"Can we help you, sonny boy?" A male voice replied, Naofumi taking a second to take in the sudden nickname he had been awarded. The hero dead panned, Raphtalia behind him blinking while double-taking.
The man that had said that smiled at the group, waving at them in a good manner. He couldn't have been older than Naofumi himself, sported red hair and was dressed in an outfit that was focused on mobility, only adding a few leather parts as protection, the most protective piece of his ensemble being the metal pauldron that only protected his right shoulder, the left one remaining exposed and showing off a tattoo in a curious circular pattern – it reminded the Shield Hero of a sickle – the man's face was that of a pretty boy, the fact that someone so young looking was calling Naofumi sonny boy making the hero cringe a bit. You acting up mature or something there, pal?
"You need something there?" The man asked once more, Naofumi being shaken off his stupor.
"Yeah, I was wondering if you had any problems with sharing the room? The ship seems to be short of boarding, and we really need to get going." The Shielder replied. Now that he noticed too, there was another person with this…eccentric man. She had blue-ish hair and a soft looking face. She waved at him too, offering a soft smile at him.
The man approached them with easy steps, leaning on the left part of the door frame while allowing the group entry. "Sure! I always say, the more the merrier! Come in already!" The friendly attitude was appreciated by the Shielder's group, the party slowly making their way inside the habitation. It would be a bit cramped, but if they slept on rotations then they could make do. "I was feeling a bit lonely anyways! Let's get along while we travel, sonny boy!"
Naofumi sat on the bunk bed available, narrowing his eyes a bit at the man. He noticed a leather harness hanging on the man's hip, the equipment holding a fancy looking sickle. The craftsmanship of the weapon was quite impressive, Naofumi's experience with metalworking and jewelry-crafting giving him quite the sense for these things.
His closed expression brought a curious one to the other male in the room. "Anything room, sonny boy?"
Naofumi exhaled a troubled sigh. "You aren't exactly that much older than me, are you?" He answered back, the girls setting in the room.
The man seemed taken aback, taking a thinking man's stance and murmuring to himself for a while. He might have gone long on talking had he not been called by his female companion.
"L'arc, stop bothering our roommates and give them some space." The woman called him out, the man turning his attention to her, approaching the woman and squatting down, whining as he crossed his arms childishly.
"Do you really think so? I am merely being friendly, right?" The red-haired man complained, turning to Naofumi and trying to pull out the puppy-eyes, as if asking the black-haired hero for backup to his argument.
Naofumi raised a brow at the man, eyes staring harshly at the now named L'arc. The hero's silent statement made L'arc crumble on the spot, complaining like a child whose lollipop was taken away. The hero sighed and turned his attention elsewhere, noticing that Raphtalia and Firo were staring confused at the lady. "What's wrong?" He questioned, noticing that Felicia was already by side on the bed.
"Well…don't take this the wrong way, please, miss…" Raphtalia spoke out. "Are you from a far-away country? I cannot understand you." The girl stated, Naofumi looking at Felicia silently as if asking for confirmation. The witch nodded, already looking rather sleepy.
The other woman looked confused for moment before she began casting a spell, Naofumi paying attention to the casting and noticing that now that she was using magic words, he could not understand her at all, whereas he could understand everything that people in Melromark spoke (the casting was a bit hard in his earlier days, but now he could also understand things just fine) and he even seemed to get accents well enough.
After the spell was finished, the woman spoke out.
"Can you understand me right now?" As the words left her mouth and Rapthalia and Firo recognized them, the girls got excited. The group began to talk, introducing themselves fully among each other.
The woman introduced herself as Therese, Naofumi's party also introducing themselves and getting into small talk to pass the time while they traveled together. Naofumi had yet to introduce himself, now the duo looking at him and waiting for him to do his own part. The hero sighed and spoke out.
"I'm Naofumi. Iwatani Naofumi." His introduction was short and to the point; he mused the idea to give a pseudonym or something else, but without a previous set up with his party, it would be awkward to try to implement this. Shadow also got scotch-free from the introduction by pretending to be asleep already on the corner of the room, the hero promising a bit of a revenge on the girl.
L'arc and Therese looked at him almost like he had spewed the strangest statement ever, staring at him for a few moments before L'arc burst out laughing and Therese giggled to herself, the duo finding quite some amusement at the hero. Naofumi narrowed his eyes at them, but he remained calm, stealthily moving his basic shield on his left arm to his back, his cape hiding the holy weapon.
"Come on, sonny boy, that's the name of that Shield Demon guy! He is a no good criminal scum, hurting people for his own pleasure." L'arc stated, managing to control his laughter and focusing on Naofumi. He wiped a tear out of the corner of his right eye, pointing at Naofumi. "While you don't really look like the goodie-two-shoes sort of type, your aura certainly isn't bad.
The Shielder's left hand grasped at Felicia's hand, pacifying the witch from doing anything harsh, considering he could feel her mana begin to shift into a magical formula. He might be a support and healing magic focused hero, but due to his own cursed power, Naofumi could perceive and recognize dark-type and cursed mana; he didn't really wish to travel in a boat cut up by the witch's magic scythe.
Raphtalia also plastically smiled, the curl of her lips not reaching her eyes. Shadow (Kana) also reined in her killing intent at the very last second, clenching her teeth so as to avoid swearing out. Firo immediately frowned, not used – or seemingly willing – to hide her displeasure at having her master's name sullied. Dera flickered her four tongues out, her reptilian eyes blinking a few times to wonder if what she had heard was true.
"Is that so?" Naofumi asked, wishing to avoid tension – and having bodies to clean up – while he leaned on the support wood pillar of his bunkbed.
Therese and L'arc seemed to not have noticed the group's mood, were it due to their proficiency in hiding their expressions or maybe it was the duo's own lack of full awareness he didn't know. Whatever the case may be, the woman took to explain in her words their opinion about the so called shield hero.
"We are with the adventurer's guild and come in contact with all sorts of people. To thrive and succeed in our line of work, we have to have a really good eye to spot out trouble; I'm sorry if L'arc's laughing offended you – he is rude like that –" at Theresa's words the man complained, only to be shushed by a hand wave from her. "–but we just can feel any maliciousness coming from you. Although, you could use a bit of grooming and some new armor, you look like a bandit." Theresa joked on the last bit, her last phrase delivered with a smile and an honest attitude that Naofumi couldn't really stay mad at.
He certainly wasn't one to enjoy the slander and bad rumors, but at the end of the day he didn't really care that much for it; to add to that it hadn't been that long since Mirelia had cleaned up his name and rumors were still bound to linger about his "bad deeds" as well as his most recent acts against Bitch and Trash. Naofumi wasn't expecting the rumors to die down so soon, if they ever did so, so he wouldn't hold grudges against these two. Besides, while he wasn't going around burning villages and (openly) robbing people of their possessions, he was no saint either.
Being a hero might be a title that ties those three idiots to some pre-set actions, but for me that shit is a mere job title. An obligation trust on my back that I need to carry out. The winner is the one that manages to survive until the end.
L'arc finished the talk by pointing at Naofumi once more.
"You aren't some bad guy, sonny boy. You just need to shave and wear something a bit more stylish, just like me!"
Naofumi's expression softened up, the hero offering the duo a small smile. "Sure, sure. Don't try to suck up to me, I ain't a bank or anything like that. You can call me… –" Naofumi's relaxed expression made the girls relax too, the hero remembering a few things that the girls had called him, mostly the girls.
Naofumi-sama…
Fortress-kun~…
Master…
"…–Ryujin."
L'arc awed at the words, extending a hand to Naofumi and waiting for the hero to clasp it, the red-haired man enthusiastically making noise inside the cabin. Theresa shook her head at the foolish display of her partner, but she smiled along with him and was clearly accepting of Naofumi and his new name.
"Well then, it is a pleasure to meet you, Ryujin boy!"
Naofumi put a bit more strength in his handshake than necessary.
[XXX]
[XXX]
Travelling by ship wasn't a bad experience. Raphtalia was a bit sea-sick during the first day, but she had gotten much better than her first time inside a wagon. It would take three days for the ship to arrive at the archipelago of Cal Mira, the Shield Hero and his group finding their own little ways to spend time while waited to reach their destination.
A few monsters had attacked the Frigid Queen, but her crew showed why they were quite high leveled and called Melrmark's best navy ship as well as sporting one of Mirelia's titles on their vessel. The Shield Hero wasn't expecting some Pirates of the Caribbean stuff to happen, but it was an interesting insight to see the sailors fight against the sea monsters.
Cannons could both shoot solid projectiles – much like the memories of old sailing movies Naofumi had – or they could also be charged with magic stones or mana to attack monsters well before they could reach the ship and damage it or even board the vessel. There were a few monsters, such as Gillmen (fish people) and Attack Sharks that managed to board the ship, but they were quickly dealt with by the waiting crew.
The naval fighters were quite adept at their job, their fighting centered around teamwork. Weapons varied from cutlass swords to harpoons and axes. There were a few mages on board too, but priority was able-bodied men that worked tirelessly around the ship.
Raphtalia might have faced some nausea, but she was always around to watch the combat bits that sprinkled some action in their travel time; she even borrowed the cutlass and swung the weapon around a bit, getting a slight feel for the naval combat. Shadow managed to stay most of the time out of sight, always being the one to be ready for any situation.
Felicia seemed content with sleeping most of her time, the few times when she wasn't on bed being during meals or the rotating sleep schedule. Firo also seemed rather content with swimming around in her bird form close to the ship, gobbling up anything dumb enough to get close to her; she would bring him some fish monsters and ask for tasty food, so one of Naofumi's time slots was filled by that. Dera had surprisingly taken the crow's nest for herself, and seemed to be content with napping about; she would jump in the water once in a while to hunt, and much like Firo, was quite proficient with it.
He borrowed the ship's kitchen and did a few dishes for his girls, but once he noticed that some crew members began to stalk him while waiting for him to cook up some meals (and get some scraps while they were at it), he began to quicken up his work to avoid being stuck in kitchen duty. He was not their personal cook, dammit!
The other people in the ship seemed to prefer to remain in their cabins, the heroes and their parties especially did so, Naofumi only bumping with Ren once (the teen looking like he would puke his guts out) during their stay.
All in all, the time spend during the travel wasn't wasted, as Naofumi took notes about the work ethic of the navy crew and studied a bit. Playing with his guitar happened mostly at night and in the crow's nest, where he would not disturb anyone or get caught playing (or trying his best to make coherent sounds). He also got quite a few new shields, the sea monsters making for quite nice arrangement of new forms of the holy weapon.
That was what had Naofumi now staring at the far away sight of the main parts of the archipelago. His HUD showed the mini-map he was given from Mirelia, but the hero's focus was on the new shield he had strapped to his arm.
[Cannon Shield]
+ 100 to Magic Attack; + 150 to Defense; + 75 to Endurance
- Skills: [Charged Shot] [Quick Reload] [Shelling Barrage]
- Bonus Skills: [Improved Aiming (small)] [Cannoneer's Luck(small)] [Selective Ammunition(0/2 slots)]
Outside of his cursed fire and a few small options, Naofumi's means of attack were quite limited. He had worked around the issue, developing a fighting style that worked for his abysmal lack of attacking power by being the best support he could, utilizing all the tools and skills he could.
This had been mostly a whim. He had approached the captain on the second day of travel and asked if he could have one of the cannons, even a broken one would do. Captain Bardimar graciously took the shielder to ship's storage, showing the hero a few of the cannons that required repair and wouldn't be missed if Naofumi really had need of them; the sailor probably had guessed that the hero was looking for ways to alleviate his boredom, considering it would be hard for anyone to lug around the heavy iron weapon, especially a broken-down one.
Imagine the elder's surprise when Naofumi casually lifted the heavy load and placed it against the gem of his shield, the weapon being sucked magnificently by the shield and turning into a new shield. It had a modern design to it, as opposed to the old looking cannons. It was a rather big shield, the design of it remembering Naofumi more of a tank turret than a ship cannon, but he wasn't complaining. It had a dull, grey luster to it, the plating that covered the sides allowed the barrel to nestle right in the middle of it, the thing possessing even rifling.
Naofumi's greed almost broke through the surface of the shielder's composed behavior, the sight of his shining eyes scanning all the other weapons and items in the storage room almost scaring Captain Bardimar, so intense was the lust for new shields.
Naofumi also took Theresa's advice to mind. He could do these days without the [Barbarian Lord Armor + 2 (blessed)], and well…new armors would come in the future, so he might as well change his look. He had grown somewhat attached to the armor, but it wasn't like it was going to be destroyed or left behind. He wasn't going to shave, but a new outlook that wasn't the [Berserker's Armor] or the [Stealth Suit] would do him well.
He offered to pay the captain to take a look at his wardrobe, sure that the elder would have quite the abundance in clothes (as all nobles tend to do) that he wouldn't use and didn't fit on him anymore, but the elder refused the coins and merely lead the shielder to another storage zone of the ship, this one dedicated to treasures (such as silk and other fabrics). It seemed that it was serving as the captain's quarters, since the other idiots had taken that.
That, though, led to Naofumi and his current fit. He left the heavy and reinforced armor back on his cabin, opting for something more comfy and appropriate for sailing. Instead of the heavy boots plated with greaves, he was now wearing ankle-length black leather boots, akin to the captain's – it was sturdy footwear that wasn't too stuffy; the Shielder opted for white pants that weren't too heavy, maintaining his belt but easing up on the pouches and bags, only sporting one hip leather bag to carry a few first aid items. He also sported a inner white shirt that was covered by a navy blue coat that was currently open, showing the broad chest that Naofumi acquired. The clothes came with a navy blue beret, but the shielder preferred to let his wild mane of untamed hair lose.
[Buccaneer's Garbs]
+ 55 to Agility; +35 to Luck
+ [Water-damage Resistance (Small)]
+ [Intimidation (Small)]
+ [Rogue's Charisma (Medium)]
There were a couple of leather harnesses that one could attach to increase the defensive power, but for now Naofumi was quite content with this. He changed his shield back to the common one, opting to let it hang from his waist; he was waiting for the ship to finally reach the port, where work was already waiting for him. He and the girls were accumulating some experience points due to Raphtalia, Firo and Dera, but they would begin the serious hunt after they reached the island. The EXP boost effect seemed to be truly a thing, considering that the monsters they had defeated were quite mediocre, yet they allowed the group to already net a few levels up.
…
…
…
"You guys are seriously pathetic…" Naofumi spoke in a disappointed tone, shaking his head at the least heroic sight imaginable.
The ship had arrived at the port and everyone was called to disembark. It was quite quick, adventurers not willing to waste time that they could be using to grind experience; Naofumi would also have preferred to do the same, yet he had to stay with the hero group as they would receive some important knowledge from a representative from the island.
The hero had Shadow go ahead and get information, unsure if he should fully trust whatever could come from the mouth of someone that was trusted by Mirelia. He would err on the side of caution and trust distrusting.
After most adventurers had already left the vessel, it was only then that the offensive heroes left their cabins, and boy did they look bad. Their parties looked fairly well, no one looking like they would drop out, but the heroes themselves were quite green in their face. Naofumi himself was fine, never being one to get car/sea sick.
Motoyasu leaned hard on his spear, his harem unsure if they should approach and offer some help and risk having the blonde's stomach contents dirty them.
Itsuki and Ren were supporting each other, both seemingly on the verge of vomiting.
"Why the hell are you fine, Naofumi?" The Spear Hero managed to ask, groaning and dry heaving, unable to notice the shielder's different attire. The Shielder shrugged his shoulders, uncaring to give a proper response.
They didn't have to wait for too long, as a few carriages were coming towards them. Out of one came a man dressed in a tuxedo-look-alike, looking every bit the part of a butler/secret service guy. He bowed at the waist once he was close enough to the four heroes, his manners well groomed.
"Welcome, esteemed heroes, to the Cal Mira Archipelago. I am responsible for overseeing this territory for Her Majesty the Queen, and this humble servant's name is Habemberg." The overseer greeted them, his polite speech and manners tugging at the heart strings of the parties present. "Should any of you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me. I took the liberty to prepare the transport for our esteemed heroes, however…"
The three offensive heroes were seasick and would most likely puke their guts out should they enter another ride for now.
Firo looked at the carriages close by and hmph'ed , looking back at Naofumi as if he could make their ride appear here with one magic word. He ignored her pointed look, the philorial pouting.
Habemberg looked at Naofumi, eyes asking for a suggestion or some auxiliary action. Naofumi sighed, raising finger and spinning it around while he glanced at some buildings far inland. The overseer nodded with a grateful attitude, clapping his hands to gather the groups' attention.
"If I could suggest, how about we do a little tour to help the heroes acclimate with solid land? Travelling by ship does tend to affect one's balance sense, so getting used to land under your feet first would be the best. Cal Mira does have fabulous attractions that will sooth the heroes and their parties after a hard day's worth of fighting." The man spun his words quite beautifully, taking the weak groans of Itsuki, Ren and Motoyasu as confirmation towards his suggestion.
Naofumi rolled his eyes and sighed, noticing that Felicia had managed to fall asleep while leaning on Raphtalia, the raccoon girl effortlessly taking the witch's weight. He motioned with his head and his group followed suit behind Habemberg.
"Naofumi-sama, you look amazing on those. Your image is dashing!" Raphtalia complimented, only now having the time to properly check her master out.
Naofumi took the compliment and responded with a head nod. First it was that bandit look, now I look like some pirate raider…Raphtalia, please don't tell me you have a bad-boy look preference… Naofumi mused in his mind, looking back and noticing the girl now carrying the witch on her back with ease. At least I won't have to worry about anyone messing with her.
[XXX]
[XXX]
Naofumi and his party entered their given room, the place quite spacious and comfortable. It could be compared to a 5-star hotel room on some tropical paradise back on Earth. Yet, even with all this comfort, Naofumi tiredly dragged himself to the closest love seat and let his body fall hard on it. The girls let him have his space, as the day had been a struggle to get through thanks to the three heroes and their health issue.
No meaningful progress was made, all that the group ended up doing was going around the touristic points of the main island, exploring the place like they had plenty of time to goof off and play about. Relaxation and unwinding was important for sure, but those three took their time and grated Naofumi's patience.
Be it accusing him of cheating and having a word-translation shield (because they hadn't bothered to pick up a book and learn jack shit); or demanding he teach them the magic spell he learned on one of the magic epithet stones they visited; It was quite lucky that the butler noticed the ever shortening temper of the Shield Hero and suggested that they study on the regulations for the hunting grounds in the islands, else Naofumi was quite sure that he would be spitting out some cursed fire at people.
Annoyances aside, Naofumi was thinking about how to quickly close the gap between his and his parties' levels and the other heroes and their groups. While the Shielder was sure that his group was superior in tactics and experience, the stats numbers weren't exactly in their favor; they had gotten a huge boost in their class-up, but even then it was necessary to grind levels to match up.
That got Naofumi thinking back on the strengthening methods of the three and why they weren't showing up to him. Was it truly exclusive to each hero? Or was there some condition that one needed to achieve to unlock those powers? Even the drops method, the simplest and most common feature among the trio was not available to Naofumi, so the Shielder couldn't help but be puzzled.
Was it his heart that was lacking?
He stared at the common shield, more specifically at the green gem of the shield. It was a legendary weapon that was his to command; many Shield Heroes had probably been in his shoes and all of them had most likely failed, if Fitoria's words were correct. Naofumi wondered why this weapon had selected him to be its wielder. He was merely a mediocre person back on Earth, living an easy life finishing his economy course while riding the easy waves of life due to his parents' support.
Heck, he had been considered a failure by them not long ago, until he helped bring his younger brother back from his rebel/punk phase caused by the stress of over studying. His parents' didn't expect much from Naofumi, and honestly neither did he himself. He would have finished university and probably would be some corporate slave while his younger brother would be the star of the Iwatani family; and at that time, Naofumi was quite content with that.
His economy studies did light a competitive fire in him, an eagerness to be the best in his area, but he would be fine with a mediocre life. Was he suited to be a hero?
Fuck no. You chose the wrong guy, Shield. Naofumi mused, shedding his blue coat off and placing it over the arm rest of his loveseat. He placed one hand atop the weapon, lightly stroking the cool surface of the legendary metal. However, we are stuck together. I can't really trust those guys, but you bailed me out of quite a few troublesome spots, so I'll trust in you.
BZTT…
BZTT…
BZTT…
+ [Weapon Copying ability acquired!]
+ [Rarity System implemented!]
+ [Weapon Mastery System updated!]
+ [Inventory system updated!]
+ [The Spirit of the Shield grants its blessing upon Iwatani Naofumi. Control over the Dragon's Earth Vein is now at 13%]
[XXX]
To be Continued.