Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter.
Special thanks goes to SmutWithPlot, one of the best Malty story writers in this fandom, who has long left the fanfiction writing community and unfortuantely deleted all his stories. Before his departure, he give permission for me to use some of his OC characters, who appear in this chapter.
As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.
When the fugitive princess wakes up, it's to the rocking of her body, and the burning pain is still hot in her chest. She can't see anything from her eyes, and the sounds feel muffled to her, leaving her briefly wondering in panic about the possibility of the rebels actually blinding her. But it's also the way her ears perceive sound, the restricted feeling over her head, or the rope tied around her neck like a noose that made her realize there's some kind of bag covering over her head. She briefly wonders about the reason for the rebels covering her entire face. Was it to stop her from seeing where she's been taken, or to stop others from recognizing her? Probably both.
Knowing there's nothing she can accomplish even if she fights back, she resorts to listening to the sound around her as quietly as possible. The situation she got everyone in is about as bleak as a crisis can be short of having an executioner's ax pressed right on their necks. But for some reason, that Leon Bartfort guy wanted to keep them alive. Probably have something to do with an internal spat, or power struggle with Consevatie The Younger judging from her past experience observing her parents' court. Which means that while they have pretty much lost all their betting chips, there might still be a slim chance for them to survive.
Of course, this situation could very soon change once Consevatie The Younger brings them to whatever dungeon he meant to hold them before he can host his public execution event. Consevatie The Younger might have been an arrogant fool, but there are surely one or two smart people in his faction that realizes why it's a bad idea to hold the Shield Hero, and the first princess of glorious Melromarc hostage with the intent of executing them both in a public display. She's fairly sure that even Cromwell would be sending someone to discreetly 'dispose' them, and secretly dump their body somewhere that they'll no longer be found again.
The muffled sound of metal boots against thick carpet is slowly replaced by the much harder clanking against hard stone. Suggesting their captors have moved through a more public area that's decorated with comfort and prestige in mind, to a more private one that emphasizes more on utility. Likely the dungeon area where they will be kept for now.
"Lord Consevatie? Why are you visiting us? This sordid place isn't someone like you should grace." A gruff voice is trying to make itself sound more gentle, likely to appease to The Younger rich noble boy.
Chapter 102: My Friends, the Fates are Cruel
"Hmph! We have captured some high value traitors and heretics giving us trouble, and I look to deposit them with you fine gentlemen." Consevatie The Younger replies with his usual pompous sneer. "Make sure their stay is comfortable."
"Ah, yes. Of course. I'm sure we'll show these traitorous dogs the full Melromarc hospitality." The prison warden ignores Consevatie's nasal whine, his reply sounds positively gleeful. It's hard to tell if he is as 'patriotic' as he is trying to sell himself to Consevatie, or if he's simply happy to have another set of toys for him and his torturers to break. "But still… Shouldn't you bring heretics straight to the dungeon of the Three Heroes' Church, and not, you know … us here at the castle dungeon?"
"You really shouldn't gossip about things you have no control, or business to know about, warden." Judging from the harsh tone of Consevatie The Younger, the prison warden's previous attempt at bootlicking didn't gather him much, if any favor from him. There's a sound of someone's hand slapping at something soft, likely Consevatie patting the face of the prison warden. "Take it from me. Don't try to find out what's really happening. Just do your job and keep the prisoners I brought in secure, and comfortable. It's better this way for everyone."
"Ah, yes, yes! Of course, my lord." The warden's furious nod can almost be heard from his eager tone. The sound of a wooden door with rusty hinges cracking open follows right after. The brief exchange between Consevatie and the prison warden didn't give Mein much to go on, but she did figure out a couple of things.
First, they obviously weren't brought to the dungeon of the Three Heroes' Church judging by the warden's question. That might be the first bit of good news. As they are less likely to be executed, and then thrown away to feed the bone dogs if most of the Three Heroes' Church members don't know they have been captured. Of course, it also means that they are less likely to be found by anyone who might have tried to rescue them, such as Naofumi's fellow heroes if Raki did manage to reach them. But at least their lives aren't immediately forfeit so long as Consevatie The Younger still want to keep them alive for a public execution later.
Which brings the question of why Consevatie didn't take them to the dungeon of the Three Heroes' Church cathedral. Could the arrogant young lord realize someone more experienced from the main Three Heroes' Church might have Naofumi and herself secretly put to death and thrown away in favor of plausible deniability? Or could there be something else going on?
Mein's musing is cut short when the sound of steps stopped below her. She feels something cold, and very sharp pressing against her wrists, making the captured princess instantly tense up for the fear of someone sliding her wrists and killing her. It's when the blade slides through the tight ropes bonding her arms when she finally realizes how numb her hands feel. The captured princess didn't get to enjoy her brief sense of limited freedom, as her body suddenly feels weightless for a brief moment, before her back hits something very hard. The pain makes her writhe on the ground, while letting out a pained grunt.
"Try to get comfortable in your new accommodation, Slut. You are going to be here a long time. But don't enjoy it too much." The smug laughter of Consevatie begin to trail away in the distance as Mein finally starting to recover from her overwhelming sense of pain enough to strip away the bag covering her head and throws it onto the ground. She looks around the prison room she is in, and sees stone bricks, eroded from time and moisture on all sides except the wooden door she was clearly thrown in. There are straws thrown all over the ground, yet she doubts there's enough to pile into a bundle for her to sleep on instead of the cold floor.
The captured princess runs forward, almost throwing her face right into metal bars lined up atop of the small window of opening. She squeezes her face into the empty space between the metal bars, and manages to see some torches providing dim light outside in the narrow hall, with other wooden doors lined up against the opposite wall. She knew this place well. Not as well as some of the other rooms that more befit her status as the first princess of glorious Melromarc, but well enough that there's no room for mistakes. She's been tossed into the dungeon of her own castle home. No doubt, Mother would have found some amusement if she ever learnt of Mein's current predicament. As for the captured princess herself… she found less enjoyment in her current situation.
If only the prison warden knew who Consevatie The Younger tossed into the dungeon. Would the man have tried to stop the arrogant son of Lord Grima? From the way he practically kissed Consevatie's boots, Mein doubt it. But surely, he would have objected to the nonsense of throwing a royal princess into the palace dungeon itself?
The princess begins to hear a low, almost inaudible groan coming from the room opposite to her. A great sense of shame overwhelms her. She was thinking how painful being thrown into the cold, hard dungeon floor was, completely ignoring how Naofumi suffered from a savage beating from the Romalian Four Heroes Church's very own blessed battle master. And judging from the man's unbridled fury at the time, he was definitely punching Naofumi with the intention to kill. Mein wasn't a healer, as her mind wasn't pious enough to conjure the Chief God's miracles, and her fire element is notoriously known for its destructive tendency rather than its ability to save life from being snuffed out. And with two locked doors and stone walls standing between her and Naofumi, she couldn't even stay by his side to comfort him. The only thing she can do is uselessly wail at him, like a needy, mewling little kitten. "Master Naofumi, are you alright?!"
A pregnant silence hangs in the dungeon after Mein calls out the Shield Hero. Long enough for her to worry about Naofumi's life. But after what feels like an eternity, he answers. "I will… live. Maybe…"
Mein wasn't sure if the 'maybe' in his reply referred to the fact that Consevatie The Younger still intended to kill them in the end, or if he's genuinely concerned that he might succumb to his injuries. She hopes it's the former and not the lateral. Because if they are imprisoned in the dungeon of the palace, someone might eventually get curious enough to come snooping around. Surely, there are still some servants, or guards loyal to Father, and not to the band of sycophants that has since taken over the nation. And they would be willing to try and rescue them. But judging from the prisoner warden's reaction to Consevatie The Younger… Perhaps her family didn't inspire as much loyalty as she believed, and hoped for.
"I am… sorry, Master Naofumi." The captured princess slowly slid down from the door she pressed her body and face against. Until her knees hit the ground in front of her door. "This is my fault… It's all my fault."
Because who else can she blame, other than herself? Consevatie The Younger? That arrogant fop was an idiot, who simply got lucky with the trap he set. And if it's not him, someone else from the Three Heroes' Church would have done something similar. Probably not as well as dangling Vicar Vittorio like a carrot on a piece of string in front of them, but if she thought the potential reward was enough to help clear her name and earn her prestige over her younger sister, she would have taken the risk… and the bait hook, line, and sinker.
If she truly cared for Naofumi's safety above her own ambition, she would have told him the truth of who she was, and her involvement in the original scheme to frame him as a dangerous rapist. It would have made him hate her, yes. But it would drive him to seek safety, rather than risk his life to come with her back to the capital to seek Vicar Vittorio's help to put the nation back in order. In the end, their capture was entirely the fault of her own making. Not from the Three Heroes' Church, and not Consevatie The Younger. This slave seal that will now forever marred her skin as a scar… it feels almost like a fitting punishment for her actions.
"It doesn't… matter. Better me… than Raki." By contrast, Naofumi's reply sends her further down the pit of shame. Even with him captured by his worst enemy, and beaten to an inch of his life. He still genuinely cared for the well being of others more than himself.
Inside the small cell surrounded by stone bricks, the captured princess loses all sense of time not too long after. She thinks a night might have passed, as her stomach begins to grow painfully empty and growl. A while after, someone passes a small wooden plate with a bowl of foul-smelling gruel and a lump of something that can be charitably called bread. The thing was hard as a rock, and tastes like dirt rolling in her mouth, but Mein forces the content down her throat if only to stave off the hunger pain. She slumps down near the far corner from the door, and drifts off to sleep not long after.
Mein doesn't know how long she had dozed off, but she woke to a cramped neck, numb legs and back full of pain from the prisoner warden's voice. "You are visiting your prisoners this soon, Lord Consevatie?"
"Yes. I need to interrogate these heretics, the Three Heroes' Church business, and to keep our princesses safe, of course." Mein hates herself for scoffing at the unfunny joke told by Consevatie The Younger. Interrogation… right! The self-important fop wouldn't be caught dead near any torturing chamber, the mere sight would surely make his stomach that's been pampered by fine wine and sweet pastries feel queasy. "I would appreciate it if you and your men are stationed outside, my dear Mr. Warden. Certain… sensitive matters are best not to be shared by other pairs of ears. I'm sure you understand."
"Ah. But of course! I understand completely!" The spineless bootlicker is no doubt nodding, and bowing to Consevatie The Younger furiously. The captured princess vows to recount his disgusting behavior to Father and have the incompetent fool removed from his position… if the two of them manage to survive their ordeal. If the Three Heroes' Church is willing to go as far as murdering her to ensure their influence, and control of Melty, Father is surely the next target on the list. "Boys, we are leaving the prisoners to Lord Consevatie and his men. Call us in if you need help constraining the heretics, or prying words from their lips, my lord."
The sound of guards walking away from the door can be heard. Not too long after, more footsteps followed after the sound of the creaking of a rusty hinge, moving towards Mein's cell this time. The loud and heavy clank of metal against stone suggests heavily armored, and likely armed knights accompanied Consevatie The Younger as his escort. Mein can't help but scoff at such an arrangement. It figures that the arrogant, yet cowardly heir to House Consevatie would bring such security detail even when he comes to gloat at a beaten and captured prisoner.
The sound stops in front of the door to her cell. With a key jammed in the lock and slowly turning, the door opens. In steps a pair of knights, wearing heavy armor that fully obstruct their faces. To Mein's slight surprise, Consevatie The Younger didn't immediately enter after them, or even step in front of the door. Both knights with their weapons still sheathed walked closer to her, and knelt in front of the captured princess. While she is still wondering what's going on, both begin to reach for their helmets.
"You didn't involve us in your latest hairbrained scheme, my princess." The one on the left with a slightly bulkier frame takes off his helmet fully, and carries it underneath his arm. He reveals his bald, broad head with pudgy fat practically dangling down his cheeks.
"We are offended, truly offended." The knight on the right with the lankier build simply flips up his face guard, letting Mein see his pair of Blue Eyes on his thin, gaunt smirking face that's intense enough to practically glow.
"Baldy… Blue Eyes…" The incognito princess can't do anything other than murmuring their names after their reveal. Well, not their real names obviously. But with how long they have acted as her escort, these nicknames are practically their names when only the three of them are concerned.
After her incident with Mein at the end of the Wailing Death plague which nearly resulted in her death, Father decided the dubious 'protection' provided to the royal family by Mother's shadow wasn't good enough. His solution was to personally appoint a pair of knights to act as her personal guards. Not her official sworn shield, who are expected to die before their charge as part of their sworn duties, but functionally just the same.
Both of her Father's appointees come from good stock. Baldwin Winchester was the cousin of Count Valentin Winchester who survived the fire of the Great War fighting alongside the count, while Timothy Haven was a bastard from House Amelia whose martial skill was enough to be officially accepted into their cadet branch. Their loyalties were also reassured by Father either due to the connection of their respective families.
Of course, Father never counted on these two and quickly became thick as a thief with the princess they are supposed to keep safe, and became her own accomplices. Mein fondly remembers back on how often they helped obstruct the shadows' attempt to spy on her, or fed her father false information during one of her many smaller schemes.
Looking back at such nostalgic memories, Mein can't help but wonder if they are now tainted. Was their quick acceptance of servitude towards her less a result of loyalty towards her, and more of the sign of their lack of integrity? Had they both become the creatures of Consevatie The Younger in her absence?
The answer quickly came to the captured princess as Consevatie The Younger strides into her room. Although she did notice something was not right. The usual air of smugness that permeates House Consevatie heir is entirely absent, and his posture was slightly hunched over rather than preening back as he strides forward.
With a quick 'poof', a small dust of smoke surround Consevatie The Younger in a similar effect when Raphtalia switches her bodies. When the dust settled, a young woman with raccoon ears stood where Consevatie The Younger was a moment ago. She pulls a small vial of red liquid and a small metal box out of the traveling cloak she wrapped around herself, offering both to baldy and Blue Eyes. "Work quickly. We don't know how long we have."
"Of course, Yomi." Baldy takes both items from the hand of the raccoon demi-human. She immediately turns on her heels and jogs out of Mein's cell, her dark little ponytail whipping behind her head. Baldy uncocks the vial as Blue Eyes carefully open the cloth covering Mein's upper chest. Both senior knights recoil as they see the shape of the slave seal permanently tattooed on the chest of the captured princess. Baldy reaches out with one arm, propping it behind Mein's back to make her a bit more comfortable. "Nasty scar, this one. The son of Lord Grima will pay for such transgressions."
"Don't worry, Your Highness. We got you now." Blue Eyes takes the metal box from his bald comrade, while baldy holds the vial over to Mein lips. He carefully fed the content down her throat. Blue eye opens the metal box, and scoops the balm inside out with his hand and applies it over Mein's chest. She's still a slave tied to Consevatie The Younger, but at least she's not going to drop over from her injuries, hopefully.
"Thank you. Both of you. For your loyalties." Mein blinks a couple of times, as she shifts slightly over Baldy's arm. "But what of the others? The Shield Hero… and our Gallian protectors?"
The two knights share a look together, as if they didn't expect Mein's reaction. The captured princess looks back to her past, and to her own shame realized her current behavior truly doesn't line up with her previous one. She's very used to simply ignoring her two knight bodyguards, unless she barks orders at them. It's truly a wonder they still put up with her after all this, rather than wagging their tails to Consevatie The Younger, or Cromwell immediately like many no doubt have already done after the fall of her Father.
"Yomi, and Miss Mala have others. You just make sure you are alright." Blue Eyes answers Mein as he pulls her to her feet, with the help from baldy who continue to support her behind her back. The captured princess doesn't know much about the raccoon demi-human. Was she an agent employed directly under the crown, or someone independant who decided to make a gamble by placing their bet on the side of the now diminished royal family? Regardless, she knows who Miss Mala is. After traveling with Naofumi for over a month, the undercover princess is more than able to recognize, and more importantly admit her own vanity. But even she wouldn't forget her personal maid. Someone who has been taking care of her since the death of her nanny, more than her mother ever did.
"Mala is here too?" The freed princess blinks her eyes once again as she leans on the shoulder of Baldy.
"Yeah. Lord Noches figured that you'd appreciate some familiar faces. That's why he sent us to get you out of the dungeon. That, and because we know the castle's layout best." Blue Eyes nod his head, as he gives what he must believe to be a comforting pat on Mein's shoulder. "Don't worry. Lord Noches has sent out more men for your rescue. Some are causing a riot on the street, diverging the attention of the Three Heroes' Church. Others are gathered outside the wall securing our escape route. You'll be safe as soon as we get into one of the castle's escape tunnels."
A wave of panic assaults the senses of the incognito princess. The images of Mein's broken neck, or old nan's charred body flashes before her eyes. She pushes herself away from the larger knight and starts shaking them both. "Are you crazy? Tell Mala to get away as far as she can before she's caught with the rest of us! Do you want her to die? I swear I'll personally strangle you both if she gets killed by a rebel!"
Baldy and Blue Eyes shared a bewildered stare with each other once again, and Mein actually felt a bit offended this time. Surely, they knew her enough to know that she cared about her personal maid, who had taken over the role of caretaker after the untimely death of her own nanny? But then again, the princess in disguise looks back at her past behavior. And to her own shame, she once again realized that she really didn't actually do anything to make Mala's life easier. She didn't even spare a thought for her personal maid after she started traveling with the Shield Hero. So perhaps her sudden worry for Mala's safety was genuinely surprising to the knights assigned to her by Father.
"Don't worry about Miss Mala, Your Highness. If we encounter any rebels, she'll be the one they have to worry about." Baldy's answer surprises Mein. She had always assumed that Mala was simply another common maid hired, and then assigned to her. More like Katarina's personal maid Annie than Iris' personal maid Tanya, who act both as her attendant and her bodyguard. It seems like she really didn't know the people around her as much as she thought.
"Well… don't go about sprouting this 'Your Highness' nonsense in front of the Shield Hero. He still thinks I'm some commoner woman from the boonies county." Mein shakes her head as she releases her hands from the knight's collar.
"You got it! We'll go back to being your support, and your distraction." Blue Eyes slaps the top of his helmet in a non standard salutation, while baldy puts his helmet back over his head. The two of them fall a step behind her, as they exit her cell. Across from them, the Shield Hero also walks out of his own prison right behind Lord Noches' agent Yomi. Naofumi, who was previously beaten to a finger's length of his life now adopts a much healthier look color on his skin. Perhaps the raccoon demi-human gives him some good healing potion.
"Mein! You are freed!" Naofumi takes a few quick steps forward, and wraps his arms around Mein. He looks genuinely happy about their rescue as he rambles on. "I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt. I mean… I'd probably be dead, but still… I really owe one for Lord Noches. Someone needs to remind me to thank him once we get out of this!"
Mein's body tenses up when Naofumi suddenly shows affection driven by his fear of loss. She can hear muffled snorting behind her from baldy and Blue Eyes, and resolves to kick them in their shin… when they aren't wearing their armor. She wants this moment to last a little longer, but they have more important things to focus on. "It's alright. We'll… we'll think of some way to repay Lord Noches for this rescue. But let's focus on getting ourselves to safety first, Master Naofumi. We aren't safe yet."
"Right, of course." The Shield Hero's arms reluctantly peels back from the freed princess, leaving one last lingering moment of warmth around her shoulders and neck. Both Sir Oersted and Uranus joined them from further down the dungeon as Mala and another knight with a warhammer on his back accompanied them.
Mala… her personal maid after the untimely death of her own nanny. Some strands of white mixed up in her graying hair atop her exhausted looking face. No doubt, Mein's latest round of tomfoolery has caused her a lot of stress. She was appointed by her Mother unlike baldy and Blue Eyes. At the time, the still young and quite naive princess of Melromarc didn't think anything of it. Surely, it was a sign that both Father and Mother cared about her. But looking back now with a bit more experience, Mein realized that Father had always acted uneasy around Mala. Perhaps there had always been a schism between Father and Mother that the first princess of Melromarc willingly ignored. Especially after the revelation from Uncle Aldrecht that the union between Mother and Father was her father's second marriage.
Regardless of the reason. Mala treated her right, and most certainly did not inherit her own mother's distaste for her. While she would hardly describe Mala as warm and affectionate, her personal maid still attended all of her exuberant needs and wordlessly tolerated all her meddlings.
The third knight flips his face guard up to reveal the face of… the smith demon?!
"You got yourself into one fine mess again, shield boy." The smith demon shakes his head while Yomi takes a burlap bag and throws it on the ground. She runs her way out of the door afterwards. Perhaps she's going to act as their sentry while they have everything sorted out?
"Uncle Elhard? You joined the knights too?" The reply Naofumi got from the Smith Demon was another knock on the top of his head. Under Oersted's shocked gaze, he immediately drops his head down to nurse the spot where smoke rises up. "Ouch."
"I told you not to call me 'uncle', shield boy." The smith demon balls up his fist hard enough to let out a few cracking sounds. He bends down and picks up the burlap bag left behind by Yomi, empties it on the floor revealing four sets of guards uniforms with armor. "Get in them. They'll help blend you four in while we run for the escape tunnel."
"Not even a knight's armor?" Mein bends down and picks up a guardsman's cheap metal cap. It vaguely smells like the sour odor of dried up sweat in her hand. Not that she's unfamiliar with such stench after traveling with the Shield Hero for so long, especially after what happened at the end of the Third Wave. But she'd still hate to be seen dressed as a common guardsman if they encountered resistance along the way.
"It'd look too suspicious if more than half a dozen knights are walking together." The princess frowns at Blue Eyes' explanation, but she knows a sound argument when she hears one. Seeing Naofumi, and their two Gallian escorts already stripping out of their own tattered prison rags and into the guard's uniform, she quickly follows after their examples.
Not too long after the princess changed into her disguise with her companions, Yomi runs back into the dungeon with some spears and shields typically carried by the guards under her arms. Once again, the four of them quickly pick up the weapons to complete their disguise. Uranus looks a bit too old on the side of a guard with his fully grayed out beard, but she has seen veterans around his age that serve more as an experienced trainer to the new recruit. If they have some kind of distraction, they might just be able to blend into the crowd.
As if the gods above decided to give them a sign, a sudden wave of commotion can be heard outside. Shouting, and steps fast approaching their direction. The princess points the spear in her hand, a weapon she's painfully not proficient at towards the door, thinking the rebels have discovered their escape plan. But the sound begins to grow ever distant after a while.
"I hear them say something about a fire. That must be Jung's team! They were tasked to torch the castle's weapon and ammunition storage to create a distraction for us." Yomi takes a few steps and presses her ear against the wooden door. With a second puff of smoke, she changes form into that of an unremarkable looking guardsman. She waves her hands, beckoning everyone to follow her. "Come on! This is our chance to escape!"
It seems like the one who heard her prayer wasn't any god of their pantheon, but Lord Noches. And he has clearly spared no resources or man power to ensure the continued survival of the Shield Hero… and presumably herself. Considering he appointed people she knows well to come to their rescue.
Mein's musing is cut short by her dutiful knight bodyguards, as baldy pushes her forward with the rest of their ground. She gets the sense that the bald knight would have bodily picked her up, if it doesn't look too out of place for a knight to carry a lowly guardsman. She falls into line with the rest of her little group, as they exit the dungeon together.
It doesn't take them too long to start running into people. Thankfully, far enough from the entrance of the dungeon where nobody saw them leaving, and would have risked hard to answer questions. The hallway is currently in total chaos. Servants and maids running in every direction like their heads had been cut off. Knights, and guards carrying buckets filled with water as they run towards the direction. Some knights stop long enough to bark orders at the servants in an attempt to have them do something more productive, to little effect.
"Halt! Where are all of you going?" One of the older looking knights, not the one who Mein met back in the listening room, holds his hands up as he screams at them.
"We are to inform Lord Consevatie what's happening!" Blue Eyes answered without missing a single beat. It takes Mein a painfully slow few seconds to realize he's referring to Lord Grima Consevatie, the cultural minister rather than his son Consevatie The Younger. "He's the one in charge right now. He needs to know the heretics have set our weapon and ammunition reserve on fire!"
"Very well, go! But come back as soon as you inform him. We need every available man to save whatever's left." The older knight waves their group away as he rejoins the group running towards the torched up stockpile.
Of course, Mein's little group has no intention to go meet Consevatie the senior, no matter where the wormy minister currently is. With Mala leading them, they quickly run their way through the most obscure route towards the secret entrance to the escape tunnel that would lead to their salvation: an exit outside the wall of the capital hidden on a small hill. But just as they are about to reach their destination, a group made of a dozen guards and a dozen knights wearing tabard decorated with red triangle steps out of the corner. The guards kneel on the ground, as they release the trigger of their multi-shot crossbows. But the threat presented by their dangerous weapons is still nothing compared to the bows wielding knight templars behind them.
Each one of the knights released about two dozens of arrows from their bows thanks to their bow weapon art [Random Arrows], easily three to four times of their common guardsman counterpart. For a brief moment, the entire hall wall seems to be covered by a dark cloud of killing shoots. Leaving Mein's group without any room to dodge them.
"[Barrier]!" Naofumi and Uranus both raise their hands forward, constructing a golden wall of light for their protection. For a moment, it looks like their defense would hold as it blocks out of the bolts fired from the Three Heroes' Church guardsman. But then, it begins to crack, and finally shatters under the assault of the knight templar's bow weapon art. And half of the arrows continue to fly towards their group unimpeded.
Mala charges forward from the bulk of their group. She stomps on the ground before Mein had a chance to scream in terror for her possible demise. A shockwave, thick as a tide washes forward, knocking all the arrows away and continues its trajectory towards the Three Heroes' Church fighters. It hits them with the force of a tsunami, sending up a wall of thick dust clouds among the pained screams of its victims.
A balled up fist, large as the head of smith demon's wall hammer attached to a tree trunk like arm, cuts through the smoke and sails towards Mala's head. Her body shifts to the side at the last moment, almost like the choreographed dance she practiced and rehearsed with her assailant for countless hours to perfection. The fingers on Mala's hands crooked over, forming into a pair of claws as she pushed them forward, clearly trying to dig into the chest of her attacker. But her hands were pushed back with a loud 'clunk', making the elder maid release a vaguely surprised 'hmph' as she peddled back to avoid another swing from a second arm.
"Mala the 'Strongest Tiger'. You think this is going to be like our last tussle from The Great War?" The ground shakes, as Roger of Ajax's sneering face pushes through the cloud of dust. He pulls both of his fists back closer to his chest, into a half guard, half aggressive stance. "You got weaker from playing the maid to your little precious king, and I only got stronger."
"You certainly got fatter, War Dog. And somebody bought you better armor." Mala's head slightly cocks to the side. She completely ignored Mein who was staring at her with a shocked expression. If what Roger of Ajax implied wasn't him running his mouth… then Mein truly had never known who her personal maid was. "But you are still a barking pup."
The blessed battle master of the Three Heroes' Church barrels forward like an alerted gutter beak, Mala also surges forward to meet him, likely knowing how much damage the barely leashed monster can cause to the rest of the group. Meanwhile, the shrill laughter of Consevatie The Younger cuts through the sound of their battle. "HA! Did you idiots think you can escape from me with a little planned distraction and rescue?"
The dust Mala kicked up a short moment ago began to fall. Revealing the guards and templars of the Three Heroes' Church lying around the now completely destroyed hallway. Amongst them stand Consevatie The Younger, with Sister Amelia clinging to the side of his arm. "I know that Trash's little cocksucker Noches isn't caught, and he'd be jumping to your rescue. I didn't even need that smug little shit Leon Bartfort to tell me this escape tunnel will be your destination, so I decided to lay a little trap of my own. And you losers fall right into it!"
"You talk too much, rich boy." Smith Demon charges forward with a scoff, swinging his warhammer at the head of Consevatie The Younger. The heir of House Consevatie brandishes his expansive magical ax, and promptly chops the head of Smith Demon's steel warhammer off.
"HAH! You think this cheap toy mallet is any match for my- BARF!" While the Consevatie fop is busy gloating, the smith demon continues his original swing, and slams the shaft of his broken warhammer right into the side of his unprotected face. Much like the Sword Hero previously, Consevatie The Younger is now learning a first hand lesson on why a warrior shouldn't forgo the protection of their helmet to look good. The sound of his jaw breaking was music to Mein's ears as he was slapped sprawling on the ground by the smith demon.
"My lord!" Sister Amelia throws herself on top of Consevatie The Younger with an ear piercing screech. She turns her ceremonial spear across, blocking another strike of the smith demon aimed at Consevatie. "What are you useless idiots standing around for! GET UP! Kill them! Kill all the heretics!"
While the motionless guards all seemed to be down for good, the templars quickly got back up to their feet. They discard their bows, and pull the sword from their side as they charge Mein's group. Baldy, Blue Eyes, Yomi and even Oersted step forward, trying to fight them back.
While the fight rages on in front of them, Mein hears fast heavy steps approaching from behind. She turns around, and sees knights and guards of the castle finally catching up to them. Someone clearly realized something was wrong. Either the warden of the dungeon returned to find an empty prison, or someone else had informed Lord Grima Consevatie of the riot currently happening inside the castle. But they are now sandwiched between the treacherous Three Heroes' Church, and those who rebelled against her family with no route to escape.
"YES! Kill these fuckers! Make them pay for hurting me!" The voice of Consevatie The Younger rings from the side where the escape tunnel lies. Their salvation was once again so close, yet so far.
"[FORCE]!" Naofumi and Uranus push forward with their hands together once again, sending out a concussive blast of the chief god's miracle. It slammed the traitors back the direction they came running from, Mein promptly set them on fire with the strongest wave of magic she could muster. But they are still trapped, unable to find a way to escape from their pursuers and would be executioners.
"Yomi! Hit it!" Mala ducks under an overhead swing and leaps back. The raccoon demi-human quickly disengages from her opponents, and hits a brick on the wall with the hilt of her short sword. And the ground underneath Mein gives way, making her freely fall into the abyss once again.
Omake: Conflict of the Bow Hero
Itsuki looks down from the protective stone wall in front of him. He feels the skin on top of his head crawl, and then slowly go numb. Heads, countless heads filled the ground below, in front of Fort Wolf's Mouth. Animal-like heads, on top of armored bodies instead of something more human looking. But that's still a lot of humans- well, sentients below him.
He briefly tries to remember what had happened since the phone call he shared with Ren, in which he sent out a reluctant Gaelion to pick Ren, Motoyasu, and all of the people tagging along them to Whiterun County. Because it turns out the city was a trap, stopping Ren and Motoyasu from simply teleporting their ways out of danger. He should be with his fellow heroes, presumably somewhere in Stormwind, discussing their next big plan to try and help Naofumi… and everyone else who got taken by the Three Heroes' Church. But instead, he's here at the northern border of Melromarc helping the lords who presumably haven't betrayed them, repelling an invasion from Siltvelt.
"So, the Three Heroes' Church has betrayed all of us." Lord Graithos' glare is intense enough to melt through armor, and right now his ire is set on the temporary commander of the Three Heroes' Church inquisitors. The younger man with dirty blonde hair in his mid, possibly late twenties clearly didn't have the actual authority, or the experience to deal with the kind of fury, as he practically shrinks under Graithos' scrutiny.
"I assure you I have no idea what's going on in the south, Lord Graithos. My mentor told me to lead my group north to help Overseer Campbell, and to gain some experience under him. And I know my mentor Lord Duncan." The Younger man takes a few deep breaths, trying to steel his nerve. He doesn't look very successful, judging from his nervous smile. "Even if the main branch of our faith has gone crazy, he would not be part of it. Lord Duncan would surely be doing whatever he can to stop-"
"SILENCE! You sniveling little worm! You think I don't know how churches work? I'm a damn Romalian! My countrymen built the foundation of organized worship that these later posers copied and followed!" The large man in black armor hammers his fist on the table, silencing the squirming young inquisitor.
"Stop bullying Inquisitor Alistair, Lord Graithos. If you have all this excessive energy, I suggest you take your own retinue with you south, and find out first hand what has happened, rather than making decisions based on hearsay." Lady Mordred didn't hit the table with her hand, or even raise her voice. But her voice still carries the conviction, and expectation of being followed. And it seems to work, as Lord Graithos backs down with a few annoyed grunt, more like an annoyed pussycat than the roaring lion he was a moment ago.
"House Arc is the noble family with closest blood relation to the royal family of the now dead Albion royal house. Lady Mordred's station is way above Count Graithos, even if she's only third in line." Lesty helpfully supplied the information as she whispers to Itsuki's ears. "It's not good for you or your fellow heroes, Lord Itsuki. She clearly doesn't support your case."
"Do you think we were lying about what the Three Heroes' Church has done to Naofumi's group, or some of Motoyasu's friends?" Itsuki feels like he didn't keep as much of his incredulousness he is currently feeling from bleeding into his voice. He wasn't exactly in the habit of keeping his true feeling hidden after his summon, and subsequently receiving his hero title after all.
"I'm keeping an open mind for now, Lord Bow Hero, and I don't believe any of you is flat out lying. But I believe there is more to the story with the Three Heroes' Church." Mordred sits straighter in her chair as she turns around to look at Itsuki with a solemn expression. "From what you described, it sounds like both times the Three Heroes' Church had exercised restraint when trying to detain Lord Shield Hero for questioning his connection with an outer god worshiping heretic, or possible treason of Lord Spear Hero's companions. The aggressor was your fellow hero in both cases."
Itsuki wants to rebuke Mordred's declaration, but he realizes he doesn't have any concrete evidence to voice his objection, because he witnessed neither events. And from the way it was described… Yes, unfortunately both Naofumi and Motoyasu do both sound like aggressors. Even if he's pretty sure they wouldn't intentionally harm someone without being forced to.
"What about the Three Heroes' Church enslaving Motoyasu's companion in that case? Surely they aren't supposed to do that?" The Bow Hero gives up trying to convince the lady of House Arc on the Three Heroes' Church trying to prosecute his fellow heroes, and tries for a different approach. Surely, taking away basic human… erm, sentient rights was an unspeakable crime?
"The Three Heroes' Church was perfectly in the right for doing so. With Lord Spear Hero indisposed by the outer goddess, they are the best candidate to ensure the safety of the heir to the throne. And it sounds like this Mutsu character volunteered to go with Princess Melty, rather than staying with Lord Spear Hero." Mordred simply shakes her head and brushes Itsuki's accusation away. She casually reveals another fact of the Three Heroes' Church as if to present a sense of normalcy for Mutsu's situation, but only chilling Itsuki's bones. "It is the policy of the Three Heroes' Church to keep anyone not of human origin in bondage as a precaution. Even the innumerous adopted sons of Pope Balmus are all under the effect of slave seals. Mutsu was a companion of the heroes, but this station doesn't mean he can be exempted from following the rule of the Three Heroes' Church."
"We are talking in circles, Mordy. Why don't we send some runners we can trust, and see what news they bring back in?" Lancelotte leans in closer to her sister, clearly trying to help mediate the problem.
"Yes, that's probably for the best…" A soldier runs into the command tent. His appearance looks rather haggard, like he's been running or riding nonstop.
"Fort Wolf's Mouth is under siege from Siltvelt forces!" The guards screamed out with hoarse voices, he didn't even bother to address the gathered nobles, as should be part of the etiquette. "Prince Kael'thas joined his personal retinue with the raider force gathered by Warchief Grom Hellscream, and they put Fort Wolf's Mouth under siege, trying to break through to 'rescue' the Shield Hero!"
"What?"
Itsuki rubs the side of his cheek, feeling a sense of phantom pain from how he was punched very hard the last time he arrived in Stormwind for his little rebellion to overthrow the small kingdom's rulers and completely destabilize the nation. He honestly wasn't very eager to revisit the annexed kingdom he had personally wronged, but he wished the reason for his absence wasn't because a war was about to break out.
"This is bad… under normal circumstances, such an act of aggression would have provoked an all out war." Lesty is rambling on and on besides him without any of her usual grace. The noble lady is clearly distressed from what she's witnessing. "If it's Warchief Hellscream, I can see him do it just for a good fight. But for Prince Kael'thas to act this way… it must mean the other nations have already decided to condemn us, and a crusade would be under way shortly."
"Is there some way for us to stop it?" Itsuki still doesn't grasp all the political intrigues despite Lesty… and Mald's best effort to console him. But from the word alone, he knows the situation is bad. A crusade on top of the Wave of Catastrophe is probably bad for everyone.
"Maybe if the Three Heroes' Church is stopped shortly… and the queen is willing to give all of your heroes to the other nations… and plus a hefty reparation to the other nations that would empty the treasury…"
"COME AND FACE ME, BEAST OF SILVERPASS! WHERE'S YOUR FEROCIOUSNESS WHEN YOU BIT TALOS STORMCLOAK TO DEATH BACK IN THE GREAT WAR?!" Lesty's ramble is interrupted by the loud roar of someone below. Itsuki looks down, and sees a literal upright gorilla the size of a small wall with white face paint screaming atop of his lung. "HAVE YOU TURNED SHRUNKEN NECK TURTLE IN YOUR OLD AGE? COME ON! IF YOU THINK YOU ARE TOO OLD, THEN COME OUT AND FACE SOMEONE AS OLD AND DECRYPTED AS YOU ONE LAST TIME BEFORE YOUR DEATH!"
"Escharum, the 'Laughing Gorilla'. Such a charming personality." The cold, yet amused voice makes Itsuki look up at the man wearing a large military overcoat. His straight dark hair flowing down both his back, and the left side of his face. Officially, Commander Fredrich Wilhuff Nietzsche is the second in command of General Diaz Gazelle Anderson. But from the few days Itsuki has arrived in Fort Wolf's Mouth, he seems to be the one who is running the gate's defense while Iris' grandFather mostly busies himself training the troops. "So the rumor of Prince Kael'thas snatched him away after his disgrace from The Great War was true."
Itsuki doesn't know what will overtake him. Perhaps it's Naofumi's words to him, that being a hero is about saving lives rather than killing people who they think are villains. He leans half of his body over the protection of the fort's wall as he screams down below. "Prince Kael'thas, are you there? Come out, I only wanted to talk!"
Mald and Lesty quickly pull him back, clearly afraid some marksman of the Siltvelt army would take the opportunity to assassinate him. There's a bit of a commotion below, as the gathered beastman begin to shift around till a clear path is split between two formations. The phoenix prince, who Itsuki had only seen passing a few times slowly and gracefully walks out of the gathered Siltvelt army and stands in front of everyone. "I am here, Lord Bow Hero. What is it you wish to talk about?"
"Do you only want to save Naofumi? Or do you want to use it as an excuse to start a war?" Itsuki feels his fingers twitch as Mald holds up a shield protectively over him. It would have been so easy to fire his strongest single targeting bow weapon art at the phoenix prince now that he has left the protection of his army. He would have done it, before the mess he caused Lute with Faubley's Inquisitor Emon. But he now knows he wouldn't solve any problems even if he successfully kills Prince Kael'thas, only making things worse. "Call your army back, the three of us are doing our best to help him already. And starting a war will only make things worse for everyone!"
"It's been almost two weeks now since the Third Wave, and our rightful king has been a wanted man since its conclusion. Have any of you heroes had any success in clearing his name?" The phoenix prince tilts his head sideways, clearly knowing he is asking a rhetorical question, to which Itsuki has no satisfying answer to give back. "I thought so. I'm sorry, Lord Bow Hero. But this nation, and its people clearly decided the time for diplomacy is over. And now the only way to save our king is through blood. While you, and you fellow heroes have carried yourself befitting your station, and respected our king, I'm afraid you could only be my enemy if you do not step aside and aid the nation that continues to prosecute my king."
The way Prince Kael'thas' words reflect their own arrogant words to the Melromarc King on the first day of their summoning stung. But he still makes one last effort to try and avoid an all out war from breaking out. "If you attack, you will start a war. Countless innocent people will die because of your actions. Do you think Naofumi will appreciate it, even if you save him this way?"
To Prince Kael'thas credit, he actually seems to flinch at Itsuki's words. Clearly knowing the truth Itsuki spoke and feels conflicted about going against Naofumi's will. "My king may order my execution once he is safe. For now, his life is the most important thing in the world. Escharum, break their wall down stone by stone, fight to the last man if we have to."
"Gladly, my prince!" The old looking gorilla gives a toothy smile to the retreating form of Prince Kael'thas. He once again screams out his lung at the fortification in front of him. "BANISHED! CHARGE!"
The tens of thousands of Siltvelt warriors all roar as one, as they begin to run at the wall like a dark tide of rolling heads and bodies. Itsuki takes a step back, but Commander Nietzsche doesn't look fazed, or impressed at the Siltvelt warriors. "So the beasts come. Let them break their bodies against my wall. I'm not worried. But this doesn't feel like the usual strategy of the 'Young Phoenix'. It is surely a division for something else he's planning."
"I believe he's trying to pressure the main fort with the backbone of his and Chieftain Hellscream's force, while breaking down smaller, elite teams to try and infiltrate the border through the many smaller trails dotted across Griffon's Spine." Not far behind them, Lancelotte is looming over a map spread over a table as she studies the layout of the land around the mountain range they are trying to defend. "Commander Nietzsche, Fort Wolf's Mouth is strong. You only need a force one tenth of the attacker's size to lock it down tight. I volunteer to have each of us take our own forces, and station ourselves across Griffon's Spine to stop Kael'thas' infiltration attempt."
"My thought exactly, Lady Arc." A cold smirk appears on Fredrick's face. He turns around to look at Itsuki. "In the meantime… I would appreciate it if Lord Bow Hero can help us bolster our defenses. The more beast he kills, the less my men will have to worry about."
"O-of course…" Itsuki nods his head as he looks down at the ground below the fort. Countless men are breaking their bodies against the defenders of Fort Wolf's Mouth, as the Melromarc forces throw down everything they got from arrows, bolts, wooden logs, boulders to boiling water at the attacking force.
"You don't have to feel bad about killing these animals, Master Itsuki." Mald whispers into his ears. "You are only putting down rapid animals after all, no different from the monsters from a wave of catastrophe."
"Mald, shut up and fuck off." The thuggish knight quickly scampers away as Itsuki instructs him. The Bow Hero closes his eyes… and starts to blind fire his bow weapon art below. He doesn't even need his own quirk to hit anything this time. He's taking lives away perfectly, by randomly pointing his bow and arrows at the direction the Siltvelt army is coming from.
You do not become a hero because you want to, but because you need to. On the day when you must protect someone, you will become a hero.
Justice isn't about passing judgment, it's about protecting people.
Itsuki Kawasumi does not feel like a hero at all.
End Note:
So... anyone remembered that Lord Notches was organizing a resistance against the hostile take over of the Three Heroes Church? Yep, Lord Notches comes to Naofumi's rescue again.
For anyone who was around long enough to have read the stories by SmutWithPlot, yes. Baldy, Blue Eye(s) and Mala are all his original characters who he give my permission to use for my own story. Although in this case, they were more of recreation by me than more authentic version of his original characters... since he deleted his stories already for me to go back and check.
Baldy, and Blue Eyes' real names and backstories in this chapter are all created by me, although I did ran them with SmutWithPlot before his departure and got his offical okays. He actually had his own idea of what their names would have been, but sadly I can't go back to check our PMs either since he disabled all his PM.
:(
On the other hand 'Fredrich Wilhuff Nietzsche' was the SI character given to me by a fanfiction writer from Chinese webnovel community, whose pen name roughly translate into 'Millenium Empire Navy Colonel' who used to write for Gundam fandom, back when I was still active on the Chinese webnovel sight QiDian (starting point) literature. He was the one fanfiction writer I truly admired back in the day, so I decided to give him a cameo for this RotSH story even though he originally give his SI character for me to write a Gundam story.
On Itsuki's omake... I originally wanted to show his side of the conversation during the Interlude where Ren and Motoyasu were ambushed by the Three Heroes Church. But I was still not recovered from being sick at the time... and I kind of missed the time of window to show his side when the story moves further and further away. So this idea has been sitting around the back burner. Till I decided to show what Prince Kael'thus is doing now he most definitely knows that his rightful king is prosecuted by Melromarc... again.
So I gets to show Itsuki's scene with a flash back, show what the Siltvelt army that's been mentioned all this time has been doing... and do a bit of call back to Itsuki's crossover event with Naofumi to show his character growth. I get to kill three arrows with one bird in this one.
:)