Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter and providing feed backs.
Special thanks to my long time reader/consultant Commissar Gaunt. Who give me a lot of ideas and helped shape Act III of the Three Heroes Church saga.
As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.
For the common people of Melromarc Castle, their lives in the capital haven't been making much sense for the past week and more. Their king, and pope of the Three Heroes' Church were both heavily injured in the Third Wave. Head Confessor Cromwell blamed the Shield Hero... no, Shield Demon for summoning an evil, outer goddess in the Third Wave in an attempt to overthrow their rulers. The kidnapping of their first princess was the result, but thankfully the younger princess was taken into protection by the timely act of the good confessor and the faith militant under his command.
Not something completely unexpected for the people of glorious Melromarc. The Shield Hero is supposed to be an animal loving traitor to humanity, so their church often said. Except then the faith militant, under the supposed order of both Head Confessor Cromwell and Princess Melty started a wild hunt of any Shield Demon sympathizers. The brutality might still be expected by the common people, if not for the fact that multiple prominent noble houses were also accused of being Shield Demon sympathizers and collaborators, resulting in the faith militant and knight templars putting multiple manors in the noble district under siege. All of sudden, time seemed to rewind back over twenty years for the older generation who were still lucky (or unlucky) to remember the cruel occupation of those hated Siltvelt animals. Except this time, it's Melromarc's own countrymen openly spilling each other's blood on the street.
Thankfully, the madness seemed to have been over, or at least greatly reduced with the waking of Pope Balmus. Sieges, and open warfare on the street has stopped. The men-at-arms of the noble families and faith militants went back to actually keeping order on the broken street rather than trying to cut each other's head off. Relief efforts from the church started to help the honest, common folks who were less fortunate and had their livelihood (if not their lives) destroyed in the ensuing chaos and riot after the Third Wave.
Said relief effort usually takes the form of low ranking acolytes handing out alms on the street. Lay sisters and brothers carrying baskets and pitchers of food and water to the people who lost their homes. So when a small group of four lay sisters in their thick robes and headdresses passed through the street, nobody paid them much attention. Of course, if they did pay attention, they would notice something wrong with said low ranking acolytes and probably wanted to stay away from them. One of the shorter lay sisters with dark hair had twitching eyes that constantly glaring daggers at everyone she sees, as if she was about to pull the sword from her waist and start stabbing people. The bow carrying sister on the other hand seems to be completely out of it the whole time, with unfocused eyes and constant low muttering under her breath while her legs move as if walking on clouds. At least the tall, blonde acolyte with a spear on her back seems to be enjoying herself, handing food out to the people with a big wide grin while shaking her behind with every step she takes.
Overall, a nice and normal day for the good, honest common folks of Melromarc Castle. Nothing would go wrong for them after the misfortune of the Third Wave that befall them, and the discord right after.
Interlude 20: Subterfuge of the Three Heroes
The four acolytes turn around a corner away from the busy main street lined up with refugees who lost their homes. The shortest among them with short blue hair lead them through the winding backstreet till they are stopped at a deadend hidden by a dozen piled up wooden barrels and boxes with a rotting smell. Hayate of House Malfoy peeks his head out to scan the area, before pulling right back into their temporary hiding place and looking at his companions. "Take a short break, my lord heroes. We should be safe and secure... for now."
"Oh, good. It's getting so hot in this thing my hair is killing me. I still say we should have gone with my glasses idea." The tall blonde acolyte pulls off the large headdress and grabs at the back of his long hair to wring out the sweat. After a few moments of futility trying to tie it into a ponytail, he puts the headdress back on with a sign. "It's a lot less annoying than getting my hair all tangled up."
"Says the guy who had been swaying his hip all this time and enjoying himself pretending to be a woman." Ren's eye twitches at his slightly older fellow hero. The Sword Hero honestly can't tell what part of Motoyasu annoys him more currently. The fact that he genuinely seemed to be enjoying his crossdressing session, or the fact he had the audacity to openly complain about it afterwards.
"Oh, don't get me wrong - I like pretending I'm a girl just now. Help me understand Aunt Haruka better... I think." Motoyasu's reply only makes Ren's eye twitch even more. He doesn't know if he wants to personally get to know what 'Aunt Haruka' Motoyasu is fondly talking about now, considering how the idiot was acting. The Spear Hero takes the headdress off his hair again and spins it in his free hand. "I wouldn't complain about it if this thing isn't so stuffy. Plus, I don't think Itsuki liked it."
Ren turns his face towards the hero who is closer to him in age... and works with him better than Motoyasu. Itsuki seemed to have completely retracted his mind into his own head, as low muttering escaped his lips. Ren opens his ear better, and manages to capture the kind of gibberish that's escaping from the Bow Hero's mouth. "Mama, I was wrong. Human transmutation really should have been forbidden..."
"Well, better Itsuki losing his mind than we all lose our heads. You think I liked the idea of pretending to be one of those... What do they call them? Lay sisters?" Ren turns his ire back at Motoyasu to snap at him. To distract himself from the sense of guilt about ignoring Itsuki's plight. "Your idea was we go into the church that's looking for Naofumi to kill him... and now probably trying to kill us all too after what happened in Trumpet. Dressed exactly as ourselves and only adding a pair of glasses over our nose. What kind of disguise is that?"
"Hey. It worked for Clark Kent and Ultraman!" Ren fights back the urge to roll his eyes at Motoyasu's attempt at a comeback. Set aside that he doesn't know who Clark Kent and Ultraman are, it sounds like something cooked up for a comic because nobody thought about it seriously.
"No. We aren't treating our life as a comic story. Only idiots, and bad fanfiction writers bet on their own plan's success on their opponent being stupider than they are. I'd rather go into enemy territory over prepared and find out they are dumber than we expected, than under prepared and get us caught in a trap. You want a repeat of what happened back in Trumpet? I'm not sure Gaelion is even willing to save our ass again, if we get caught for being idiots." Bringing up their harrowing escape on Galeon's back finally shuts Motoyasu up. He turns back to Hayate once again. "Go over your plan one more time with us. Just so we don't forget and make dumb mistakes."
Ren is fairly confident on his own part in rescuing Melty. Same can't be said for his partners. Itsuki, who is clearly losing his mind right now. Or Motoyasu, who didn't seem to have his mind intact, or developed to begin with.
"Right. We'll continue as we are now, giving alms and aid to the poor and refugees as we get closer to the church. The Three Heroes' Church is a huge organization, with countless low level acolytes and associates who nobody can keep fully track of. That'll be how we slip ourselves in. Once we are in though, getting to Princess Melty will be the hard part." The butler in training frowns his head as he moves wooden chips around the ground to approximate the cathedral's layout. "She'll surely be kept in the inner sanctum, where the low level acolyte and associates like the lay sisters are disguised as have no access to. Which means we either have to knock out some higher level associates to change our disguise, or force ourselves in through brute force and stealth. Both ways have risks that'll get us discovered, and stopped before we even get to Princess Melty. They'll surely transform her to somewhere else, if not pushing her out as a hostage to force our surrender."
"So that's where my children come in with their distraction at noon?" Motoyasu's question makes Hayate nod his head.
"Yes. My own associates are trained for stealing, subterfuge and infiltration, not a full-frontal assault against fortified enemies. We can do it if we have to, but we would be pitting our weakness against our enemies' strength. Which is where Lord Spear Hero's flock of monarch filorials come in. They'll cause a riot with their brutal power, and draw everyone's attention to it. the Three Heroes' Church might send someone to try and relocate the princess, in which case it'll be our job to seek them out and follow them directly to our target. If not... we'll just have to use the old fashioned way to search for her: combing the entire ground." Hayate looks up and looks through all three heroes' faces.
Ren gives a quick glimpse to Itsuki, he's definitely not looking back at Hayate. He gives a pick poke to Itsuki's arm, hopefully getting his attention without spooking him. "Itsuki? Maybe you should sit this one out. You aren't feeling well, and we are trying to infiltrate a fanatical cult to rescue hostages."
"No, no. I can do it. I'll just follow you and Motoyasu's lead... mostly you. I'm not sure if following Motoyasu is a good idea." Itsuki shakes his head in an airy way, completely ignoring Motoyasu's sputtering protest. "I can help even if my head isn't completely here. I'm a rear line ranged fighter. I don't have to stop and charge up my attack like you and Motoyasu. I'll give you guys cover fire while we escape with Princess Melty and Mutsu. I got good at shooting people without looking at them after Fort Wolf's Mouth."
"Okay. Just keep your head down to follow me, or Hayate. We'll get Melty and Mutsu out of danger." Ren gives Itsuki a pat on the shoulder. He's grateful that Itsuki is still doing his best to help them despite him clearly suffering from PTSD from the war he's in. The Sword Hero just hoped he didn't make a mistake on bringing his fellow hero to this rescue mission before he had a chance to recover. He turns to their guide in the end. "Lead the way."
Hayate leads the three of them out of their hiding place, as they make their way towards the Cathedral of Three Heroes' Church at a pace that's speedy, but not urgent enough to cause attention or suspicion onto them. Giving the remainder of food and water from their basket to the poor on their way.
The grand structure of the church still looks pristine despite the damaged street, and the buildings on the side. Ren supposed he shouldn't expect the head quarter of the aggressor to be in the same sorry state as their victims. Although it does look out of place in a city that looks like it went through a recent riot. Hayate holds his disguised head high, as he leads them up the staircase with a stride the exude purpose. Despite dressing as one of the 'lay sisters' like the rest of them, Ren doubts anybody would question their presence when they see Hayate leading the four of them.
As they approach the gate, Hayate walks towards one of the two templars standing guard. To Ren's surprise, he actually strikes a conversation with them rather than trying to avoid them. "Three dots on true faith, Brother Cullen. How is your day?"
The templar in question has short, copper hair. And a face Ren supposed most females would find handsome, with high cheekbones, a face that looks like Greek sculptures and a strong chin. Cullen casts his eyes over to the disguised butler, confusion clear in his eyes. "I'm sorry. Do I know you, Sister...?"
"I doubt you would personally know a lowly lay sister like me, Brother Cullen. But Sister Hayley, at your service." Hayate bows his head to the templar. He is speaking with a fake voice that sounds perfectly feminine rather than those obviously high pitched, fake female voices Ren hears from a male amateur actor, or some internet personality does. He wonders if that's the training he went through to be an infiltrator, or some ability linked to his raccoon heritage. Possibly both. "Please excuse my impudence, but the infirm and the lost need more help than what we can give right now. Especially the children among them."
"Ah, I see..." The templar bends his head down, looking genuinely sad, possibly even ashamed. This reaction once again, reminded Ren that he isn't in a game, or some badly written novel where the bad guys are just a group of nameless, faceless lump of hive-minded biomass who only know how to do evil things evilly. Even among the Three Heroes' Church, there appears to be members who care about the well being of their countrymen. "I shall inform Brother Captain Geoff the need to release more medicine for alms. The food... after Cromwell thoroughly burnt our bridge with House Amelia, I'm not sure what we can do."
"Captain Geoff? Not Lord Commander Fordring? Or Head Confessor Cromwell?" Hayate flinches back and freezes for a brief moment. Ren wonders if the butler infiltrator is truly surprised by Cullen's answer, or if he's that good an actor.
"Cromwell no longer commands us in His Eminence's stead. Not after how much he thoroughly botched everything and caused the riot after he got back." Cullen's face scrunches up, as if he wants to spit in the confessor's face as soon as he hears his name. "He still manages some of the everyday operations. But he is now under the supervision of the Knight Templars. As Lord Commander Fordring, he left two nights ago with His Eminence on their mission to find, and recover the Shield Hero. Brother Captain Geoff now commands those of us who stay behind to keep the order in the capital."
So now Ren has a name that probably fits the image of a mustache twirling bad guy who was behind things like getting Lord Balgruuf deposed, or ordering the attempted kidnapping of Motoyasu's companions. He wonders if he'll have a chance to take a swing at the bastard. Probably not, but a man can dream. Although the last part of Cullen's answer is obviously the more relevant information. The Pope had gone out to search for Naofumi? That means they need to go search for him too, preferably right after they rescue Melty and Mutsu. They can't let the Three Heroes' Church catch, or kill Naofumi.
"Thank you for your time, Brother Cullen. We shall return to our duties." Hayate gives Cullen another bow of courtesy before leading them through the big door into the cathedral. Ren wanted to ask Hayate what was that conversation about, why did their 'guide' risked jeopardizing discovering to strike up a conversation with someone they are hiding their identities from. But he decided this isn't the place for a heated argument, as it'll cause more undue attention on them than Hayate's stunt. He convinces himself that the trained infiltrator knows what he was doing. He probably saw a target his group have good information on, and decided he could wring something out without giving themselves away. It certainly worked out in the end.
Unlike the few times Ren came to the grand hall of the Cathedral from before, it is now filled with people. Not only those who wear the robes, or armor of their faith with the triangle symbols either. People from all walks of life are making prayers on the marble tiles. From those wearing tunics and overalls with faded color who pray by their lonesome, to those in silk attended by a group of servants. All of them are trying to find something to believe at a difficult time when they fall into hardship.
As they walk through the crowd, Hayate continues to do what he did at the entrance. Making small conversations with members of the church on the way. Nothing as extensive as the short, but informative conversation he had with the templar at the door. Usually a greeting with someone Ren has no idea how or who he got the name from, or asking for the wellness of someone he never heard of. Likely gestures that make their group look like they actually belong to the Three Heroes' Church rather than four low level acolytes who simply keep their head down all the time that might attract attention of the more observant. It's clear as an infiltrator, Hayate came prepared before leading them on this undercover mission to rescue the princess.
The young raccoon boy leads them through the crowd of people. Both those who belong to the cult, and the people who simply adopt their worship. They go through the archway that's closed to the public. This isn't the first time Ren went through, of course. As the Dragon Hourglass is actually located behind one of the side passages through this corridor. Supposedly, the Cathedral was constructed to minimize sabotage attempts at the relic that was left behind by the gods for the mortals to unlock the potential of their souls and to warn them of otherworldly danger like the Wave of Catastrophe.
Once again, Hayate leads them at the front. His paces are even, but purposeful and confident so no one would question if they might not belong to the place they are currently intruding under a disguise. They quickly breeze past the corridor which would have led to the small garden that houses Dragon's Hourglass so Ren is quickly and completely lost in the maze-like corridors. The Sword Hero has no choice other than placing his faith in their unexpected helper from another country that supposedly competed against the one he was summoned to. At least he knows that Hayate wouldn't intentionally lead them into a trap... if his goal truly was to help Naofumi.
Thankfully, the raccoon boy proves to be truthful when they emerge through the utilitarian corridors into a clearing. Pleasant looking bushes and flowers are arranged in a graceful manner around the area among the neatly trimmed patches of grass. Some tables and chairs are set with fresh food on them surround a marble fountain, on top of the walkway paved with neatly arranged pebbles. The place appears to be a courtyard for the members of the cult to relax and revitalize themselves with a quick meal. Despite the delicate and pleasant decor, it looks surprisingly mundane, and not in the stereotypical cliche way one might imagine the interior of an evil cult full of sharp spikes and grimdark colors. Once again, it reminds Ren that they aren't dealing with one-dimensional fictional characters in a badly written novel, but real people who live and work for a faith they believe in.
They pick some food and sit down on one of the benches, eating in silence. Ren lost the sense of time, so he hopes it's close to noon or else they might come off as suspicious if they continue to linger in what's essentially the workers' relaxation area doing nothing. Thankfully, a resounding crack of boom suddenly goes off from the other side of the city. Motoyasu actually chokes on a piece of bread he is chewing, while Hayate lets out a convincing shriek before he dives under the table. Pandemonium breaks all around them, as low ranked acolytes like the identity they disguised as begin to panic and run around like headless chicken, while those in armor start to barking out alarm and command to try find what's going on, and to maintain order.
A short while later, a young man around Motoyasu's age wearing light armor consists of a metal cap and a chest guard runs into the courtyard. His eyes and mouth both opened wide, clearly not yet recovered from the shock of the attack they are suddenly under. "It's the rebels! The rebels are back and causing another riot by the merchant district!"
"Calm yourself, guard! Are you sure it's the rebels, and not looters or bandits looking to run an easy raid?" A much older guy, possibly in his fifties with thick, gray hair and beard stands up from his seat and asks. "Attacking the merchants doesn't sound like something Lord Noches would do."
"I... I don't know, sir! The attackers are screaming similar phrases and slogans used by the rebels, and they are strong! The city guards are being completely overrun! They are making their way towards the cathedral as we speak!" The young guard's answer brings a new wave of panic as the acolytes nervously look around them. Some duck under benches like Hayate or run into the bushes. No doubt trying to hide from this group of mysterious attackers.
"Very well. You take the acolyte to seek shelter in the inner sanctum. Everyone else, follow me!" The old templar knight pulls his sword out as he begins to rally the trained fighters around them. Ren doesn't know if this old knight is the same Captain Geofff the templar at the gate were speaking of. But he thanks the old knight under his breath regardless, since this provided them with a cover and excuse to get into the inner sanctum Melty is no doubt located.
They are swept up by the current of bodies the acolytes formed as they are led back into a different corridor on the opposite side. It was slightly wider than the one they came from, which roughly allowed five adults to walk side by side. They walk through a big metal gate that would look like a door to a boss fight in a video game, as they are ushered into what Ren assumes to be the inner sanctum. Ren feels Hayate pulling his sleeve, and he pulls at Motoyasu and Itsuki in term as they break away from the group into a side corridor. If anyone noticed their erratic behavior, they didn't make a comment on it probably on account of the imminent danger the 'rebels' composed of Motoyasu's children posed. Once again, Hayate seems to be moving with purpose, but in a much more brisk pace than before that would have alerted anyone they pass through from before.
The butler trained in infiltration begins to methodically open doors through each room they are in. Knocking out the few passer-by they encounter on the way, or occupants of the room before they have a chance to raise any alarm. Most of them seemed to be ostensibly decorated studies, often adorned with silk, silver and gold with rich looking wooden furniture, and well decorated marble furnishing. But nothing behind them was of any interest till Hayate dashed through the fifth door. After knocking out three old guys with beards in white robes, he kicks down a second door into an inner room that Ren almost expected to house Princess Melty.
What they found instead was the king lying on top of a bed. There's a strong smell of bitterness and with a hint of strangely sweet scent mixed in from the incense they are burning in the room. The king's face is sunken and pale, almost as ashen as his gray beard.
Hayate dashes forward, and grabs a vial off the counter besides the incense burner. He pops the wooden stopper and takes a smell before putting the stopper back in with a frown. "Night's bloom. They are used for anesthetics in small doses, but a potent poison when overdosed."
"You think the church is trying to poison the king?" Ren's eyes immediately snap to Hayate's face.
"I'm not sure. I'm not an expert on alchemy to give a credible guess. But even if they aren't, it's most likely used to keep the king in a comatose state. Night's bloom essence shouldn't be used more than a badly wounded patient who needs to have their bones set right before a potent healing magic is cast on them to make sure the spell would heal them properly." Despite Hayate's unsure words, Ren feels like he should listen to the trainee butler's assessment. Hayate is at least much more qualified than the three of them regarding anything about their world. The raccoon boy takes three long strides to return to their side, and hand the vial to Ren. "Keep it safe, Lord Sword Hero. The evidence might be handy for later."
Ren wordlessly slips the vial into his inventory space. While he is about to follow Hayate out of the room, he notices one of them is lagging behind looking at the still form of the king. Surprisingly, it's not Itsuki. "What are you waiting for, Motoyasu? Speed is our lifeline here!"
"Shouldn't we take the king with us if we are busting out Melty? I mean... What'll they do to him if they are already poisoning him? And how will Melty feel about us leaving her father?" Ren pauses a second to ponder over Motoyasu's argument. He has to admit, the Spear Hero actually has a point this time, much smarter than the usual drivel coming out of his mouth. Sadly, the answer to that question is also swift and not for a good reason.
"We'll attract too much attention if we try to carry him out. And who knows if he has some condition we aren't equipped to deal with because we aren't healers. We have to focus on saving Melty and your child first." That argument seemed to have convinced Motoyasu, as he catches up to Ren after a brief pause and they run out of the healing chamber.
Two more empty rooms structured exactly like the one they discovered the comatosed king later, they turn a corner into a different corridor. When Hayate kicked down the door and tried to dash in, a strong gust of wind immediately assaulted all four of them as something dark and heavy swung down at the butler's head. Hayate rolls out of the way, while Motoyasu leaps forward and brings his spear up, blocking the strike. "Stop! Mutsu, it's me!"
"Father?" The young man who looks about the same age as Motoyasu leans his body back a little. His posture is still tense, but no longer immediately hostile and ready to continue his swing. Just like them, he is wearing a set of white robes with a triangle in front of his chest. But obviously without the extra padding to make his chest look more pronounced and feminine... also without the headdress the female church members wear.
"Yes, it's me!" Motoyasu takes one hand off his spear when he was sure that he wouldn't be further attacked by his child, and rips off his headdress. "My hair is probably a mess. But you can recognize me, right?"
"Yes. But why are you here, Father? With... Sword Hero and Bow Hero?" Mutsu's eyes slowly turn to scan over Ren and Itsuki before returning to Motoyasu once again. "Why are all of you dressed like lay sisters?"
"We are here to rescue you, and Melty-chan! The church had been doing bad things. Both of you are in danger! Let's get the slave seal off you first!" Motoyasu pulls the vial of holy water he got from Iris and turns his spear into a brush, then minimizing it to make it fit his hand. He is ready to pop open the stopper and free Mutsu when his hand is grabbed by his filorial son next.
"We can talk about it after we see the princess. It appears like the church hasn't been honest with us..." The muttering under Mutsu's breath makes Ren raise his eyebrows. It seems like this rescue mission is going to get a little bit more complicated.
Mutsu guides them through the door behind him, where princess Melty is groggily sitting up from a long couch. A thick book with hardcover in her hand, flipped halfway through. She rubs at her eyes and speaks in a voice that sounds only half awake. "Oh, Mutsu? Sorry, I fell asleep reading through the words of our lord. Is it time for my lesson yet?"
Besides the princess stands a female knight, who is watching them like a hawk and giving them the stink eyes. The same one he recalls was with Melty while she was following around Motoyasu. Her fingers visibly tightened around the hilt of her sword. She's clearly much more suspicious towards them than the young princess. Probably because she's completely lucid and sees their unfit getup.
"Master Spear Hero, Sword Hero and Bow Hero are here to see you, Your Highness." Mutsu stands to the side. His straight back against the wall, hand still on the hilt of his sword but pointing its tip down at the ground.
"OH! The true heroes are here! And you are wearing the color of the true faith too!" The petite princess jumps onto her feet. She looks surprisingly giddy, despite her addled state. "Are you here to keep me safe from the Shield Demon?"
What?
"Huh... Melty meant Naofumi right? There's not some other Shield Demon I'm not aware of?"
"Get Mutsu's slave seal off, I'll take over here." Ren fights the urge to slap his face as Motoyasu turns his head to look at them. So he shoves his taller fellow hero aside to look directly into the princess' eyes. "What did the church tell you, Princess Melty?"
Melty actually takes a step back, trips and falls on the couch. He probably shouldn't have come at her as strong and intimidating as he did. But they are surely running out of time. The female knight steps forward, and pushes Ren back. "Back off from my princess before I make you, Hero. If that's who you really are."
"N-no! Don't be rough, Sir Palmer." Melty's voice stutters a little at the start. But she calls the female knight back. "Co- Confessor Cromwell told me that there was a demon masquerading as the Shield Hero this whole time. He puts big sister Malty under a spell, and one of his subordinates summoned an outer goddess to invade us near the end of Third Wave. She almost killed Father, and the Shield Demon kidnapped big sister Malty and went on the run. They are keeping me safe from him and his lackeys."
For a brief moment, Ren is completely at a loss for what to say. The absolute lie this Confessor Cromwell managed to sell to Melty is honestly impressive. Although it's probably not that hard when she likely isn't hearing news from anyone else. He's starting to understand what Motoyasu meant, when the idiot said he wanted to kill the old fart to death. "It's a lie, Princess Melty. That goddess had nothing to do with Naofumi. She stole his shield. From what we heard, it's the church who attacked Naofumi and your sister, forcing them to flee. They killed two of their companions and enslaved Raphtalia and Firo against their will."
"What? That can't be right! Uncle Balmus would have told me if Confessor Cromwell was lying to me! Uncle Balmus was one of my father's best friends. He bathed me after I was born!" Melty's distorted face turned down, her eyes losing focus at the possibility of betrayal from someone she clearly trusted. "He would have told me something before he went. But all he said was he's going to bring back my big sister..."
"Why did you let these hooligans in, you stupid animal?" Palmer glares at Mutsu as she pushes everyone back. "Go away! All of you are causing Her Highness distress. You heroes are no longer welcome in her presence..."
"Stop being an idiot and just come with us!" With everything going on, Ren can't help but finally lose his patience with Palmer's refusal to listen to reason. "You want your precious princess to be used as a hostage, or bargaining chip for these church fucks?!"
"So she can be used as your hostage? I think not!" That was apparently the wrong thing to say. As Palmer ends up roughly shoveling him to the ground. But the knight didn't notice a small, dark shadow slipping by underneath her arms till it was too late. Hayate slides across the room and leaps up besides Melty. With one swift chop on her neck, he drops her on the ground.
"You dare!? ANIMAL!" Palmer lets out a furious roar as she pulls her weapon out of the sheath and swings it at Hayate. Ren immediately jumps back on his feet, changes his weapon from a standard cross sword carried by those cultists into the giant sword he copied from that Julius guy, and holds it in front of Palmer to block her attack. Rather than clashing her sword against his, she simply rams into his body with her shoulder. The sudden change in weight brought out by his massively buffed up body, combined with his hasty attempt to block a swing meant for Hayate meant Ren was already losing the center of his gravity, and he was immediately knocked onto the ground like a pile of badly stacked boxes.
Motoyasu is still using his spear as a brush to clean off Mutsu's slave seal, so all he can do is yelp in surprise. Itsuki on the other hand releases an arrow, which trails right past Palmer as she taunts him. "You missed Bow He-"
The entire body of the arrogant female knight violently seizes up as the energy arrow released by Itsuki embeds itself into the wall where Palmer casts her own shadow. One of Itsuki's bow weapon arts, no doubt. Hayate jumps, and flips onto the female knight's shoulders, his legs tightly wrapped around her neck. Palmer, with most of her body paralyzed couldn't even react to Hayate choking her with his limbs, other than her eyes slowly losing focus and rolling into her skull. The raccoon boy flips off her still frozen body, and she drops onto the ground like a sack of potatoes a few seconds later when the energy arrow on the wall fizzled out.
"Why did you do that, Hayate? That's not very nice to Melty... or Sir Palmer. I thought we were rescuing her, not kidnapping her." Motoyasu protests when he finally manages to get the entire seal out of Mutsu's chest.
"Hayate did the right thing. Melty was going into shock and wasn't listening to us, and her bodyguard was trying to evict us. We only have this one shot to free her, so Hayate did what had to be done. Also, nice shot, Itsuki." Ren waves Motoyasu away while giving Itsuki a thumbs up. He grabs Melty's body and slings her over his shoulder while waving his sword, trying to activate his [Portal Sword] ability. But just as he suspected, a few sparks flew out of the sapphire on his sword but no column of light materializing around them. The same magic defense that stopped them from porting out of Trumpet must have come on in the capital when Motoyasu's children started their riot. "Figures... plan B it is. Lead us, Hayate."
The raccoon boy didn't speak and wasted more time. He flies out of the room just as Motoyasu jumps a few steps over to throw Palmer over his own shoulder. They run out of the room after Hayate, going around the labyrinth of the corridors like rats through a maze. Not too long after, they begin to hear the sound of shouting and steps getting closer to them. Clearly someone had discovered all the dropped bodies left behind in their wake.
Fighters in armor soon start to swarm in towards them. First, at the edge of their view at the end of the different corridors, and then rapidly closing in on them. With both his and Motoyasu hands figuratively full of their passengers, it falls on Itsuki to defend them. Their archer friends release a volley of arrows at their pursuers, pinning them into place with his bow weapon art paralyzing people by their shadows. Their pursuers seemed to wise up after a while, using corners and fixtures in the hall to hide their shadows from Itsuki's ability. But they are still forced to slow down, due to the corridors not having enough space to maneuver around or hide.
"Hold on, heroes. We are almost free..." Hayate speaks some words of encouragement as they round another corner of what felt like endless halls. At the end of the tunnel, light comes from the sun rather than dimly lit lanterns. But two dozen armored men stand between them, and freedom. It seems like their opponents were smarter than they gave credit for. The church fighters cut them off, probably knowing their destination was making their way outside.
For a brief moment, Ren considered putting Melty on the ground and hit the blockade with his strongest sword art. But it might end up bringing down the corridor on top of them. There are strong weapon arts that have a thin, razer-like target area. But the ones he currently has access to tend to disperse the effect of the damage over a large area. While Ren is still indecisive, he hears Hayate call out to him. "Boost me, heroes!"
The raccoon butler runs directly ahead, then kicks against the wall to flip back at them while curling himself into a ball midair. Almost instinctively, Ren swings the flat side of his blade forward like a fan. Motoyasu seems to do the same thing as he swings his spear like a bat the best he could using one hand. Hayate's feet touch their respective weapons, as he is launched forward like a rocket and spins around at last second to stick the flat of his foot forward rather than his face. With a loud boom, the butler Kamen Rider kicked his way through the blockade like a bowling ball knocking down all the pins. Itsuki releases another volley of arrows at the downed templars, paralyzing them on the ground before they have a chance to get back up. The Bow Hero wasn't kidding when he said that he got good at blind firing after the war he fought near the border.
It took them three more heartbeats as they ran through the now cleared exit, and found themselves on top of a balcony that looks at least five floors up above the ground level. Mutsu instantly transforms into his bird form ripping through his white church robe, but there is a reign and seat already on his back. Likely from his original form changing magical cloth Motoyasu made. He turns towards Motoyasu. "Get on, Father!"
"NO! Everyone else gets on Mutsu. I have my chain hook spear!" Surprisingly, Motoyasu actually acted maturely this time as his spear transforms into a form that has a hook at the end. Ren immediately flings Itsuki onto the back of Mutsu and then jumps on the bird's back himself with Hayate. He grabs Mutsu's reign which wasn't a moment too soon as he feels the sudden bump underneath him. And then, he sees himself airborne on the big bird with Motoyasu jumping off the balcony behind them and firing his chained hook into the distance.
They leap their way through the city, seeing the smoke in the distance caused by Motoyasu's children rising in the distance while Hayate directing Mutsu's jump towards a direction in the slum area. Motoyasu closely followed behind them using his spear serving as a hook shot. As soon as Mutsu's clawed feet touch the first building of the slum, it instantly shatters underneath, sending all of them into a sudden drop that makes everyone tangled into a single pile. Among the coughing and muttering, Ren hears Motoyasu's voice above them. "Oh, gosh! Are you guys okay?"
"Get down *cough* here, Master *cough* Spear Hero. This actually works *cough* fi-fine!" Hayate speaks between a fit of cough caused both by their crash landing, and all the dust they kicked up. "We'll be harder to track down if we run at ground level."
"Got it!" Motoyasu hops down from the edge of the roof, thankfully not landing right on top of them and making a bigger mess. They immediately run out onto the street as soon as they untangle themselves, as once again they are lost like rats in a maze among the winding alleyways of the dust-filled slum.
Not too long after, Hayate skids to a stop as four figures dressed in tattered robes come out of a half collapsed shack and make some hand gestures. With four pops close enough to sound like one, they strip off their robes and reveal... the exact copies of the three of them, and a Melty look alike. The one that looks exactly like Ren opens his mouth, the imposter sounds exactly like himself too. "We'll take your places and draw away the pursuers, lord heroes. Hide with the princess till it's safe, and sneak out of the castle wall to rendezvous with your rides."
"Wait, there's only four of you. What about Mutsu, and Palmer?" Motoyasu slaps the shaft of his spear against the still form of the female knight he is currently carrying.
The imposter Motoyasu steps forward and liberates Sir Palmer off the real one's shoulder. "I'll take her for now, Master Spear Hero. As for your child... I'm afraid he'll have to come with us, and fight his way out of the castle like we do to make it look convincing. My lord didn't take any chances in aiding you, but there's still only four of us who are illusion experts at his disposal."
"NO! I'm not giving my boy up again!" Motoyasu throws his hand up in protest, but Mutsu simply rests a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Father. I survived the church, I'll survive my escape. Have faith in me, I'll see you after this is done." With a few gentle but encouraging pats, Mutsu moves forward with Hayate to join the group of imposters. Imposter Melty goes limp, as Ren's own pretender carries 'her' onto his shoulder and they disappear off the corner of the alleyway.
"Get this damn thing on. You don't want to waste the chance everyone made for us." Ren quickly picks up one of the empty dirty cloaks off the street and hands it to Motoyasu. Itsuki takes the real Melty off his shoulder, so he has a chance to slip his disguise on. They would find a place to hide till sundown, and either find a weakness to slip out of the wall, or possibly port their way straight out of the city if they lower the barrier beforehand and make their way back to Stormwind.
Despite knowing its importance, Ren can't help but take the vial Hayate took from the cathedral. He'll need an expert alchemist to analyze it and explain what exact substance is inside... and what effect it would cause on its user. Then... perhaps they'll have proof of the church's crime and start swinging the opinion of important people to their side. This could be the silver bullet to give them the legitimacy to fight back against the Three Heroes' Church... and thinking back on Rishia's elder brother, Ren already has a possible candidate on who might help them achieve it.
End Note:
So, just like Naofumi, the three weapon heroes also have their crossdressing challenge for the modern anime male characters for this chapter.
Both the idea of Trash being intentionally put in the coma, and Melty rather than Malty being manipulated by 3HC and brainwashed into their fanatic supporter are ideas proposed by Commisar Gaunt. Although obviously I didn't go full in with them since most of the story is still told from Malty's perspective. Aside from Alenko's authorial mandate of Malty being the an one-dimensional villain with no character development, and Melty is basically there to fill a 'good princess' quota, the good commisar's suggestion makes a lot of sense. At least for a semi-sensible world I'm trying to portray. With how young Melty is, she simply lacks the life experience to make wise decisions no matter how naturally smart she is. Actually, a smart character without proper wisdom is even eaiser at making bad decisions... Anakin Skywalker, and the Corpse Pretender of Mankind, anyone?
So yeah, this interlude kind of jumped over both ideas Commisar Gaunt suggested rather than giving them the proper due. But it's kind of what it is with this story told mostly from Malty's perspective.