Sword and Shield
Zeltoble 2
Naofumi was in his happy place. In his Menu, tinkering with his Legendary Shield.
[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]
[Level Link] (Lv: 52): + 26 Defence
[Weapon Familiarity] (17/17): + 34 Defence
[Item Enchantment] Lv 16: + 32 Magic
[Weapon Enchantment] Lv 25: + 50% Damage-Reduction-From-Humanlike
[Status Enchantment] Lv 27: + 81 Poison Damage
[Weapon Tempering] Lv 17: + 17 Defence
[Rarity Power] D: + 20 Defence
[Reinforce Weapon] (15/15): + 15 Defence
[Weapon Proficiency]: 100
Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook
He had finally found the ore that corresponded to the Chimera Viper Shield, which meant that he had been able to make use of Weapon Tempering on it. Moreover, he had applied 2 new Strengthening Methods originating from the Legendary Bow: Item Enchantment and Reinforce Weapon. [Rarity Power], one other Strengthening Method from the Legendary Bow, much like [Level Link] and [Weapon Familiarity], was a method that was purely based on the Weapon Forms inherent traits and he couldn't effect any influence on it. It was what it was.
Reinforce Weapon did basically the same thing as Weapon Tempering, but instead of ores it required infusing a Weapon Form with money, minerals or gems to raise its base Defence. In addition, unlike Weapon Tempering, there was no chance of failure and there was a set amount that a Weapon Form can be Reinforced by. Said set amount differs between Weapon Forms.
Item Enchantment, like the name implied, allowed him to place yet another randomized Enchantment on a Weapon Form by converting items in his Inventory into energy and applying it to a chosen Weapon Form. Unfortunately, this method had a percent chance of failure, and if it failed, the Enchantment Level would fall back to zero.
Naofumi nodded in satisfaction. Working together with Itsuki might have been a bust, but their short confrontation still ended up in a net gain.
"Sadeena-nee-san, how did you find me?"
Naofumi looked up from his Menu. They were back at their room at Lord Ciaran's Mansion, and Sadeena had chosen to go with them as they went back after their well-earned victory over Itsuki and his party at the Western Colosseum.
Raphtalia and Sadeena were quietly conversing in a corner. Raphtalia had been animatedly been telling Sadeena about their adventures so far, until the question had unexpectedly come up.
"I didn't find you, little Raphtalia," Sadeena chuckled. "It was pure happenstance. I was simply watching the match between your friends and the Bow Hero, and I noticed that Shirou over there," she waved errantly towards Shirou, who was studying his grimoire. "Was the same sub-type of demi-human as you, even with his unusual coloration. I had reason to believe that he'd might have information on you, which luckily for us happened to be true."
Naofumi checked the room. He blinked. "Where's Filo?"
"Filo went to play with Princess Melty," Shirou informed him as looked up from his grimoire. "They'd hit it off earlier. It was like they were instant friends."
Naofumi nodded. As Melty was to function as an intermediary between him and the queen, she was currently also staying at Lord Ciaran's home. In the privacy of his own mind, he decided to keep a close eye on Melty and Filo in the future. He had certain assurances that Melty wouldn't try anything, but you never know. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Having finished with his idle curiosities, Naofumi returned his attention to his Menu. He pulled up the final Strengthening Method of the Legendary Bow: Jobs.
Amongst the Strengthening Methods so far, Jobs, alongside Trust, was odd. Instead of strengthening the Legendary Shield or Skills, it instead buffed yourself and your allies. Jobs were 'bought' with monster body parts, and could then be upgraded once per day by infusing more and more materials per upgrade. Each Job increased Stats in related fields, and according to his Menu, came with 'perks' that were unlocked at every ten Levels of a Job. Perks like a new ability or skill.
It was an odd mechanic, but with enough time and invested resources, the bonuses gained from a Job promised to build up to something rather substantial.
As Naofumi had no idea what perks could be gained with a Job, and because the lower Level versions were rather cheap to get, he was not stingy with his purchases. He would just have to upgrade them all and see what he got out of it. As the price for each upgrade rose, he'd probably have to start focusing on the most promising Jobs, but for now, he bought over a hundred Jobs in one go, and then equipped the Jobs to himself and his party members that felt right.
[Status Magic Main Menu]
Naofumi (Age: 20)
Lv: 52
Job: Guardian Lv - 1
[Status Magic Main Menu]
Raphtalia (Age: 10)
Lv: 49
Job: Magic Knight Lv - 1
[Status Magic Main Menu]
Shirou (Age: 12)
Lv: 49
Job: Myrmidon Lv - 1
[Status Magic Main Menu]
Filo: (Age: 1 month)
Lv: 51
Job: Battle Mage Lv - 1
[Status Magic Main Menu]
Elrasla (Age: 72)
Lv: 23
Job: Martial Artist Lv – 1
That done, Naofumi turned his thoughts to other matters. He turned to look outside, and saw that the sun was going down, but that there was still plenty of light out.
"Everyone ready for our daily hunt?" Naofumi said, as he got up from his chair.
"Of course, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia answered affirmative and grabbed her sword. Shirou snapped his grimoire shut and Elrasla started to stretch in the corner of the room.
"Good, then we just need to get Filo…"
"Actually, little Naofumi, there's something I want to discuss before you head out."
Naofumi raised an eyebrow and turned towards Sadeena. He repressed his irritation at the overly familiar manner she addressed him with. He only knew her for a few short hours but he already knew that getting her to stop wasn't going to happen. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"
"It has to do with why I am in Zeltoble in the first place," Sadeena abruptly grew serious. "I came here searching for Raphtalia and the other villagers of our hometown."
"Oh?"
"As you no doubt know, Zeltoble is the centre of commerce in the world," Sadeena began. "That includes both the legal and illegal slave trade."
"What's the difference?" Shirou questioned.
"The legal slave trade is a practice that allows debtors and criminals to work and pay off the debts they owe to others and society in general," Elrasla jumped in to explain. "There are strict rules and practices in place that prevent abuse. The legal slave trade is an institution that benefits society."
"Something tells me the same isn't the case for the illegal slave trade," Naofumi commented drily.
Elrasla's lips curled in distaste. "Then you would be correct, Holy Saint. The illegal slave trade is just a giant organization of scumbags on an international scale that make a living off of kidnapping and trading anyone they can get their hands on. It is considered one of the worst fates one can endure, to end up as a product in the illegal slave trade."
Naofumi had a good idea on which side of the divide the Slave Trader back in Melromarc fell.
"And no one is doing anything about it, because…"
"There is plenty being done to fight the illegal slave trade, it's just not very effective," Elrasla sighed a little. "Too much money changes hands in the illegal slave trade and too many people in positions of power either turn a blind eye or actively encourage it. In other words, the illegal slave trade is simply too entrenched to uproot. People who do have the want and means to oppose the illegal slave trade work mostly to limit it as much as possible."
Seeing Shirou being less than happy at the news, Naofumi nodded at Sadeena to continue. Hopefully, whatever she was going to tell them, it would distract them a little.
"Seeing as most illegally acquired slaves pass through Zeltoble sooner or later, I figured it was my best bet to search for the other villagers here," Sadeena continued.
"Have you had any luck?" Raphtalia asked with unspoken hope.
"A little," Sadeena smiled. "I'm currently harbouring 5 of your little friends here in Zeltoble."
"Thank goodness," Raphtalia breathed out in relief.
"How did you manage that?"
"Let's just say that a certain merchant in the business has a thing for me," Sadeena said nonchalantly. "I've been making money by participating in the Underground Colosseum so that I can buy the villagers, and he has been helping me to track down the other villagers. It's slow going so far, but that is mostly because finding the villagers is proving to be difficult."
Naofumi nodded in understanding. "The Underground Colosseum?"
"Exactly like the name says, an underground colosseum, both in the literal and rules, or lack thereof, sense," Sadeena said. "It's an illegal colosseum, but no one does anything about it because too many people in power either don't care or approve. Anything goes in the Underground Colosseum, so it's a lot more dangerous to participate in there, but the cash prizes are much higher then what can be gained in the legitimate colosseums."
"I see," Naofumi mused. "And what did you want from us?"
"I just want you to keep an eye out for any of the villagers when you go back to Melromarc," Sadeena said seriously. "If you buy them for me, I'll reimburse you the costs later."
"Of course," Naofumi immediately agreed.
Raphtalia opened her mouth, but closed it again with a puzzled look when she realized that Naofumi had agreed on the spot without any further encouragement.
"Oh my," Sadeena smiled. "You truly are kind aren't you, little Naofumi? Why, I'd thought I would have to use my womanly charms to convince you to help."
"Please don't even joke about that," Naofumi looked disgusted. "And they are Raphtalia's childhood friends, aren't they? Before I go back home to my own world I'll ensure that Raphtalia has a place she can go back to. Her friends are a part of that. It's the least I can do for all the she has done for me."
Raphtalia's happy expression shattered. Naofumi-sama…wants to go back home…
In the back of her mind, Raphtalia had been afraid that Naofumi had no desire to remain in this world after what had been done to him. But to hear it confirmed…
Naofumi was her rock. He had saved her from slavery, cured her illness, gave her a purpose in life, comforted her when she was upset and protected her constantly. Without him, she would be lost. Was it any surprise she had fallen so hard for him as she had?
To hear that he wanted to leave…
Behind Naofumi, she saw Shirou grimace. It seems his thoughts aligned with hers on that front. Or he was feeling pity for her. She didn't know what would be worse.
The door to their room slammed open.
"Master!" Filo skipped into the room, Melty hot on her heels. "I'm hungry!"
"Filo," Melty laughed behind her. "You really are bold!"
"But Master's cooking is the best, Mel-chan!" Filo pouted. "You should try some! It's delicious!"
Naofumi saw where this was going, and sighed. "Fine, I'll go make us all a quick snack before we head out on our hunt."
The Shield Hero left the room for the nearby kitchen, leaving Raphtalia with her thoughts. Even as she felt a heavy weight settle in her gut, she reaffirmed her resolve.
Naofumi-sama…
Monohoshi-zao, an old, otherworldly sword of ordinary make but with an extraordinary history. It cut through the fresh night air with a clear sound as its wielder flowed through an imaginary battle, every swing of the blade releasing a clear noise.
There was, however, a note of frustration carried within the noise.
They had returned from their hunt about an hour ago, and as was his routine, Shirou had gone to meditate. He had not been able to clear and focus his mind like usual, however. Instead, he had gone outback into the garden in order to practice his swordsmanship.
Unfortunately, that did not bring him any solace from the doubts plaguing his mind.
Before I go home.
That's what Naofumi had said. That was the Shield Hero's greatest desire and honest whish.
Shirou wasn't quite sure where that left him.
For the first time in his life Shirou had both the means and the opportunity to fulfil his own desire. To be a Hero of Justice. Moreover, he had companions at his side, fighting alongside him. People who he genuinely got along with, who shared his life and who he had come to see as a pseudo family.
Fulfilled. Despite all the hardships and cruelties he had suffered since coming to this world Shirou felt truly fulfilled for the first time in his life.
Would that feeling disappear if Naofumi left? If perhaps Shirou himself parted ways with the others? Would he continue to feel fulfilled even if he continued to fight on his own? Or went back to his own world? The questions haunted him not only because he didn't know the answer, but because he didn't understand why he was asking it.
He wanted to be a Hero of Justice. Someone that could protect others and make them smile in their hour of need. It shouldn't matter if he did that on his own or with others, but it felt like a lead weight had settled in his stomach whenever he thought of not having Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo and Elrasla at his side.
Shirou did not understand, and that frustrated him.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind, boy. Care to share?"
Monohoshi-zao stopped dead in its tracks. Elrasla emerged from the gloom.
"I would like to, but…" Shirou breathed out, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I don't know what is bothering me."
"Ah," Elrasla nodded in understanding. "That's the worst. You can't do anything about it if you don't know what's wrong."
Elrasla stopped in front of him.
"Care for a spar?"
Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Now?"
"Why not?" Elrasla shrugged. "I know you enjoy honing your skills, and having an opponent to focus on instead of just your own imagination might clear your mind."
"…Sure," he agreed and sheathed Monohoshi-zao.
He held out his hand and Projected a shinai, a wooden training sword. The dojo back home had several of them.
Elrasla smiled. "I see you've improved again, huh? That was faster than before."
"It's still a work in progress," Shirou refuted, but shared her smile. "I'm still working on getting all the theory right, but I'm getting there."
"Good," Elrasla raised her fists. "Ready?"
Shirou levelled his shinai at her in answer.
Elrasla grinned and took a ready stance, arms raised.
At an unspoken, signal they moved.
"Ha!" the shinai stabbed forward in a straight, narrow line.
Elrasla slapped it aside with her palm, and stepped into his guard.
Shirou dodged the palm strike, recovered his position, and dodged the follow up attack. He jumped back, but his opponent followed on his heels.
Elrasla's eyes widened as he unexpectedly reversed course and went on the attack.
One, two, three times he struck.
One, two, three times Elrasla slapped the attacks aside like errant flies.
On it went, and all thought left Shirou's mind, lost in the rhythm of the fast paced battle and the constant movement. Dull sounds resounded as the shinai met palm again and again, and the fighters continued their assault on the other.
Eventually, Elrasla got through his guard, and he felt the Life Force enter his body and wreak havoc. The fact that he had felt the Life Force entering his body was lost in the moment.
The battle went on, and even though he was a higher Level and had substantial skills with the blade, Elrasla's mastery of Hengen Musou and her experience in battle carried the day. By the end of the half an hour long battle, Shirou laid on the ground beaten, exhausted and sore.
"How was that, boy?" Elrasla sat down on the ground beside him, breathing hard herself.
"Good. Very good. Thank you," Shirou said and let out a breath through his nose.
"Any time," Elrasla chuckled.
They were silent for a brief moment.
"Tell me, boy. Why do you do what you do?" Elrasla suddenly asked.
"Hmm?" Shirou hummed his nonunderstanding.
"Don't give me that," Elrasla scoffed. "The Holy Saint fights to keep you and your friends save and to one day return to his world. Raphtalia fights because she wants to keep others from ending up like her. Filo fights to support the people who are her family in all but name. I figured all of them out on my own long before they voiced their beliefs and wants, but you? I can't figure out you. So, tell me. Why do you fight?"
"To become a Hero of Justice," Shirou said plainly and matter of fact.
Elrasla sighed heavily. "Lying doesn't suit you, boy."
Shirou's heart grew still and heavy.
"Don't mistake me for a fool," Elrasla looked down at him. "Once one grows truly adept in perceiving Life Force, one can easily perceive another's emotional state. Perceiving when one is telling the truth, consciously or not, becomes child's play at that point."
Shirou remained silent, eyes closed.
"…I'm not going to force you tell me, boy, but I might be able to help you if you talk."
"I promised that I would become a Hero of Justice to someone very dear to me," Shirou uttered the words like they were a prayer, a chant. "I want to become a Hero of Justice. I have to become a Hero of Justice."
"That was closer to the truth, but not the whole truth," Elrasla's words weren't reproachful, nor even impatient. It was just plain curiosity with a hint of concern.
It was because of that, the genuine concern being shown to him, that the answer slipped from him in a moment of weakness. After all…
"It's…because I want to make up for my sins, and be happy," for a brief moment, Shirou sounded like the child he actually was and not the young adult he appeared to be.
…He would only show weakness if it could help another.
It clicked into place in Elrasla's mind.
"Tell me everything."
"…Okay."
Shirou was bent over a worktable in Hickwaal's room. Out of sight, in the shadow of his own hunched body, his hands were moving slowly as he tinkered with something.
"I'm done," he said, straightening up and wiping the sweat from his brow. The tools he held were put aside.
Hickwaal, sat beside him, looked up from his own work. "Let me see."
Shirou held out the object. Hickwaal took it and turned it over in his hands, inspecting it. Shirou sat in silence, waiting with baited breath for the verdict.
It came a moment later.
"Not bad, not bad at all. For a beginner, you've got good hands, boy," Hickwaal eventually said, as he held up what Shirou had made.
It was necklace. It had a straightforward golden chain with a simple, but beautifully cut emerald as its central piece.
"You aren't quite finished yet, though," Hickwaal said, and handed the accessory back.
"Yes, I still need to imbue it with magic," Shirou acknowledged, accepting the unfinished accessory and taking a deep breath.
"Remember, don't fight the jewel's inherent nature. Just imbue the magic as we've been practicing and let the Enchantment take shape," Hickwaal lectured. "You aren't yet skilled enough with imbuing magic to modify the Enchantments you can apply. That will come with time and practice."
"I know," Shirou acknowledged, nodding. He took a deep breath as he held the accessory in his palm. With a thought, his Magic Circuits spun up.
Magical energy flooded into the accessory, the emerald lighting up with a bright shine as Shirou concentrated on imbuing the jewel with magic. Using the jewel's own nature, an Enchantment slowly but surely started to take form. Sweat started to collect on Shirou's brow as he continued to concentrate. He lost track of time as he focused on making his magical energy an inherent part of the jewel, inscribing it permanently on said jewel.
After a long moment, the process was finished and the glow faded away.
"Good job, boy," Hickwaal nodded at him, pleased. Even with just a cursory look, the experienced craftsman could instantly tell that the imbuing process had been a success.
Shirou smiled back. Then he held the finished accessory up to his eyes and blinked.
Emerald Necklace – Enchantment: Magic Up (medium) [Blessing: low → medium]
"What the..?" Shirou muttered to himself.
"Hmm, what is it?" Hickwaal looked at the accessory and blinked as well.
There was a moment of silence.
"A…blessing?" Hickwaal repeated, perplexed. "And a medium level Enchantment. Receiving a result like that when you're just a beginner shouldn't be possible…"
"You have never seen anything like this before?" Shirou asked.
"No," Hickwaal shook his head. "I have never heard of a 'Blessing' being attached to an Enchantment. I have got no idea what it means."
That could mean only one thing. They were going to have to experiment with this.
The accessories glinted on the table where they were sprawled, their shine not hiding the mystery they carried.
Emerald Necklace – Enchantment: Magic Up (medium) [Blessing: low → medium]
Jade Ring – Enchantment: Health Regeneration (medium) [Blessing: low → medium]
Ruby Hairpin – Enchantment: Speed Up (low) / Fire Magic Up (low) [Blessing: nihil → low]
It was nearing the end of the day, and the party, including Sadeena, found themselves back at their room in Lord Ciaran's mansion. Only Melty and her soldiers weren't present, having sequestered themselves in their own rooms.
Naofumi looked over the accessories Shirou had made over the course of the day, appraising them like the businessman he was.
"And?" the Shield Hero eventually asked, directing a raised eyebrow at Shirou. "Did you figure out what this means?"
"It's fairly straight forward," Shirou shrugged. "These Blessings attached to the Enchantments are probably an ability born from my Divinity. Remember what Fitoria said? She said that the changed Class-Up process we underwent was because of her Blessing. The fact that we both have a Divinity Stat and that the name is the same, it's probably fundamentally the same ability, just applied in a different manner…"
"An ability to do what, exactly?" Elrasla asked. "To raise the quality of things?"
"Maybe?" Shirou said unsurely. "Because of the added Blessing, the power of the Enchantments was raised at least."
"Have you tried applying it to anything else?"
"Uh, no."
"Then let's try."
A self-made Healing Potion manifested from the Legendary Shield. Shirou took it as it was thrust into his hand by Naofumi.
Healing Potion (Quality: high)
Somewhat caught off guard, it took a moment for Shirou to switch gears. He took a deep breath and concentrated, his Magic Circuits spinning up once more. He fed his magical energy into the Healing Potion in the same manner he did when Reinforcing an object and etched the magical energy inside of it like he did when imbuing.
Having finished, Shirou opened his eyes and appraised the Healing Potion.
Healing Potion (Quality: maximum) [Blessing: high → maximum]
"It worked…" the human turned demi-human breathed.
"Perfect," everyone started as Naofumi clapped his hands. The Shield Hero was grinning. "Shirou, I'll have you Bless all of the potions I make from now on. Hell, we could simply buy stock potions from some shop, Bless them and resell them at an increased price. I am certain we can sell 'blessed' items at premium price…"
Naofumi rubbed his hands in anticipation.
"Right," Shirou coughed, even as all the others gave the Shield Hero dry looks. "These accessories are sure to fetch a nice price as well. I'll leave the selling of them to you, Naofumi."
"Hmm, we aren't using them?" Raphtalia asked, surprised.
"No, these accessories were just practice runs, and weren't made for ourselves in mind," Shirou denied. "I'd like to sell these and use the money we get from them to buy better materials. With that I should be able to make accessories better suited for us."
"Huh, we can't keep the shiny things?" Filo complained from the side.
"No," Shirou smiled at the human form Filolial Queen. "But in return you'll get something even more shiny, made just for you."
"Ooh!" Filo made a delighted sound. "That sounds great. Thanks Onii-chan!"
Filo leaned into his touch as Shirou patted her head.
"We'd better make those transactions quickly, then," Raphtalia added. "The next Wave in Melromarc will happen in little more than a week."
"That's true. We'll head into the city and sell these accessories first thing tomorrow," Naofumi snapped out of his happy daydream about ever greater cutthroat profit making. "Once we have done that, we could also use the opportunity to buy equipment for the next Wave. It's about time."
There were several noises of agreement around the room.
There was knock at the door.
"Come in!" Naofumi called after a quick look around at everybody.
"Excuse me," a maid stepped into the room and bowed respectfully. "I have a message addressed to the Shield Hero."
Naofumi raised his brow, but nodded. The maid straightened up and revealed a length of parchment she had been holding in the arm folded behind her back.
"Have a nice evening," the maid said, having done her duty, and left.
The parchment unfolded with a rustling noise, and Naofumi scanned the document.
After a moment, he scowled.
"What's wrong, Naofumi-sama?"
"It's a message from the Slave Trader," Naofumi muttered as he continued reading.
"From back in Melromarc?" Shirou said in equal parts surprise and distaste.
"Yes."
"Whatever could he want from us?" Raphtalia wondered.
"Nothing much, apparently," Naofumi said as he finished reading the message. "He just suggested to give his uncle here in Zeltoble a visit. Said that I might find his 'services' useful…"
"Let me guess. Another slaver?" Shirou asked, though it was more a statement of fact.
"He didn't say it outright, just implied it, but yeah," Naofumi said, folded up the parchment and let the Legendary Shield absorb it. No reason to let something like that just lie around. "I see no reason why we should take him up on that suggestion, though."
"I do."
"Eh?" a noise of surprise escaped Naofumi, and turned to look at the one why had spoken: Sadeena.
"Whatever for?" Elrasla asked directly.
"Oh my, don't get the wrong idea," Sadeena waved her hand and smiled. "It's just a hunch of mine, just say it if I'm wrong, but something tells me that these slavers you are talking about don't work on the legal side of things, right?"
"From what I saw back in Melromarc, no, they do not," Naofumi answered, but still looked perplexed.
Shirou's eyes widened. "I get it. If they work in the illegal slave trade, or have connections there, they might be able to help us find more of Raphtalia's hometown villagers!"
"Exactly!" Sadeena clapped her hands at his quick understanding as Raphtalia's eyes widened.
"I see, that does make sense," Naofumi rubbed his chin. "Then we can go visit the Slave Trader's relative tomorrow when we visit the city. The letter had a description how to get to him and his place of 'work'. We'll pay a visit the first thing tomorrow."
With that decision made, everyone slowly but surely turned in for the night.
"This the place?"
"According to the Slave Trader's letter, yeah."
"Well, no use just standing here. Let's go."
At Shirou's prompting, the party entered the dingy pub in some back alley in Zeltoble. It was located in the shadow of the Southern Colosseum, and many people were milling about just outside the back alley.
Their group got quite a few stares as they entered the pub. They were an eclectic bunch, after all, and decidedly out of place. Thankfully, after Naofumi had a word with the bartender and showed the man the Slave Trader's letter, they were taken to a backdoor that came upon to a flight of stairs that led further downward. They shared a look, silently agreeing to watch each other's back, and went down below.
The walk down the stairs took a long while, a solid five minutes, and by the time they'd reached the bottom, it had become clear all of them that they were right underneath the Colosseum now. The room they were in was massive, the walls, floor and ceiling all being made out of large stone blocks, and the dark interior was lit by flickering torches hung on the walls.
It gave off the vibe of a torture chamber, and in that torture chamber waited for them…
"Welcome! Welcome! I'm glad you took me up on my offer! Yes sir!"
"What the hell are you doing here!" Naofumi exclaimed.
The Slave Trader himself. The man twirled his moustache and grinned.
"It's good to see you again. Yes sir!" the Slave Trader clapped his hands and approached, a bounce to his step. "To answer your question, I am visiting my family. My family is mostly based out of Zeltoble, you see, and I make it a point to visit at least once a year. And when I heard that you, sir, were also in the city, I could not restrain the urge to invite my favourite costumer! Yes sir!"
Naofumi shivered. Why was this guy so peculiar? And more importantly, why did the Slave Trader like him so much! It was off-putting!
The Slave Trader's grin widened. "Why are you here, sir? Business, or pleasure?"
"Business," Naofumi said tersely.
"I figured as much. Yes sir!" the man's eyed roved over the Shield Hero's companions, and they could see a glint appear in his eyes. "Ohohh! You, sir, have collected excellent companions, I see. Are you perhaps here to sell? The two raccoon demi-humans you have raised are far more appealing than the ordinary sort. They are beautiful, capable and not to mention rare! They will fetch a handsome price! Yes sir! The Sakamata by your side is especially gorgeous and clearly well taken care of, and the Filolial Queen is one of a kind and stunning! You truly have an eye for quality, my good Hero! Yes sir!"
All of them except two glared at the Slave Trader. Sadeena did not seem perturbed, keeping her easy going smile on her face. And Elrasla? She looked away and pouted at the fact that she was left out of mention.
"We could make a fortune with products of this quality. Yes sir! What say you?"
"Piss off!" Naofumi spat.
The Slave Trader shivered. "Such harsh words, spoken with such authority! You truly are master slave driver! Even without their Slave Crests, your slaves still listen to your every word! People of your skill and talent only come around once a generation! How can I not get excited whenever you are around! Yes sir!"
Shirou felt his gut churn at the man's mannerisms and words, a feeling that doubled as another man stepped out from the gloom of the room.
"Ah, nephew! So, this is the famous Shield Hero you have taken a liking to! I can certainly see why. Yes sir!"
The Slave Trader's double stepped into view besides his 'nephew'. Except for the design of his glasses and the coattails on his coat, the man looked exactly the same as his nephew. Shirou could only stare in horror and morbid fascination.
"Ah, uncle! He has a certain air to him, doesn't he? Yes sir!"
"That he does. That he does! Yes sir!"
"Master," Filo tugged at Naofumi's sleeve. "Is something wrong with Filo's eyes? The strange man just doubled!"
"I was just wondering the same myself," Naofumi muttered back.
"Oh god," Raphtalia shuddered. "They're multiplying!"
"Oh my!" Sadeena added unnecessarily, while Elrasla just looked on with a puzzled look.
"Should we cull their numbers?" Shirou unexpectedly offered a little too eagerly, his sword sliding an inch out of its sheath.
"Tempting, but probably not the best idea."
Disappointed, Shirou sheathed his sword again.
"Ah, shameless intimidation right before negotiations!" the Zeltoble Slave Merchant shivered. "I see all over again why you like him so much, dear nephew! Yes sir!"
"Right, right! Dear uncle! Yes sir!"
Naofumi pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting a headache he was sure wasn't going to go away any time soon. "Can we just get to the point of why we came?"
"Of course! Yes sir!" the Zeltoble Slave Trader laughed. "Follow me!"
They followed after the two slave traders further down the massive room. Shirou studied the room again as they did. Large cages lined the walls, their iron bars trapping at least several dozen individuals. Unlike Melromarc, however, it wasn't just demi-humans. There were at least as many humans in the mix. All of them were trapped, all of them looked downtrodden, all of them needed help. Help that he could not provide at this point in time.
The basic situation hadn't changed. They had made a lot of money in recent weeks, yes, and accumulated a lot of recources, but the fast majority of it all would spent on being the equipment and supplies to meet the next Wave. To put it bluntly, they simply didn't have the means neccesary to help these people. In effect, he would be prioritizing his party members and the people who will be caught up in the next Wave over the people here being traded like pieces of meat.
Unbidden, words Kiritsugu had once spoken to him long ago echoed in his mind.
Saving one person, means not being able to save another.
The thought was sickening, acknowledging it as true even more so. Instead of lashing out at the unfairness of it all Shirou swallowed down his impotent anger, hardened it, and etched it upon his heart, using it to further harden his resolve.
One day, he'd set these people free, and – he glared at the slave traders backs – he'd make them pay.
"Come in! Come in! Yes sir!" the Zeltoble Slave Merchant ushered them into a rather out of place quaint little office in the back. The slave merchants sat down on one side of a large, well-appointed mahogany desk, while the Shield Hero's party sat down on the other side. "Now, how might we be of service?" the Zeltoble Slave Trader leaned forward with a disturbing smile and a glint in his eyes.
"I'll get right to the point," Naofumi crossed his arms, and got down to the negotiations…
Shirou stepped out of the office, took a deep breath and exhaled explosively. The negotiations were taking longer than expected, and to be honest, Shirou had trouble stomaching the presence of the disgusting slavers for any length of time. That's why he had asked if he could step out for a moment. It was not like he had anything to add to the conversation, and the others had no problem with it, so here he was.
Not like it was much better out here. Wherever he looked, he saw suffering he could do nothing about. That familiar ball of loathing, both for himself and the slavers, flared up in his stomach and his eyes hardened.
Even if he couldn't do anything about the situation right now, he could perhaps make some pre-emptive preparations instead…
"First, let's take a look around," he muttered to himself, and started off. With the knowledge of the lay of the land, so to speak, any future actions might be easier.
Shirou looked around, inspecting the cages and seeing how sturdy they were. He mentally noted how wide the exit was and how fast people could be evacuated. He looked at how the slaves were secured and their condition, and came to the startling conclusion that the slaves in this room weren't in all that bad of a condition.
The reason why this was became clear a moment later, when he spotted a door in the corner leading to another chamber.
To his surprise, that door was unlocked, and he stepped through.
Shirou looked around. His stomach dropped.
As one would expect there were even more slaves being kept here. Only they were far worse off than the slaves in the other room. It became clear that the slaves in the other room were the prime products, meant to entice, while the slaves held in this chamber were the dregs, the very bottom of the barrel that no one wanted to buy.
Grimacing at the looks he was getting, Shirou started to look around. Focus. Focus. Losing it now will not help them. Just look...around…and…
Cough…Cough…
Hidden in an alcove in the back of the room, there was another cage, with but a single occupant: a small, white haired little demi-human girl, wrapped up in bandages and laying on a bed of straw, breathing hoarsely.
Without even thinking about, Shirou's body moved.
Atla was in pain.
That in and of itself wasn't odd. She was always in pain. The hereditary disease she was born with ensured that. Said disease attacked her entire body. Her lungs, her muscles, her stomach, nose and throat, to the point that her entire body was covered in black, burn-like marks. Even her eyes weren't spared, as she had been born blind because of her affliction.
Even curled up underneath her blanket and covered from head to toe in bandages, she shivered from the cold. Her cat-like ears twitched and her tail curled in on itself.
It was because of her that she and her brother, Fohl, were here in the first place. Here in the capital city of Zeltoble, in a dingy cage underneath the ground, kept as slaves.
It hadn't always been like this. They had grown up with affluent, loving parents, in a house with live-in servants. Even if she'd never been capable of walking or seeing in the conventional sense, growing up she had never wanted for anything, surrounded with all the care and love she could want.
But then her mother had died. She'd had the same disease as Atla. Not as severe as Atla, meaning that she could walk on her own power, but it had killed her all the same. Her father had died in a war not long after. It was after that the nightmare began.
The medicine needed to treat her affliction and keep her alive was expensive. Her parents had been wealthy, but like everything, that wealth had its limits. In only two years, her parent's wealth had ran dry in order to supply her medicine.
Her brother had taken over her care. He'd let the family servants go, sold everything and anything he could get his hands on, even their childhood home, in order to buy her medicine. But it was only delaying the inevitable. After all other options had been exhausted, her brother had made a sacrifice she had never wanted to make for her sake.
He'd sold himself into slavery.
Even now, Fohl was twelve years old and Atla ten. There was no way they could make the money on their own in any other way. But by selling himself into slavery and competing in the Colosseum, her brother could make the money needed to buy her medicine. The horrible ultimatum had been either to sell away his own freedom or let his sister die.
Her brother hadn't even hesitated. Even now, at this very moment, he was fighting in the Colosseum for her sake. She truly hated herself.
Someone approached and she turned to 'look'. Atla couldn't see with her eyes, but she could see and feel the auras of the world and people around her. She had been born with the ability, and her brother had called it a gift, a God-given replacement for the eyes she had never gotten the chance to use.
Atla usually agreed, but her ability was, more often the not, a double-edged sword.
Besides the being able to see auras, said auras laid bare said person's emotions and intrinsic nature. Atla could read that like an open book, but what she saw sometimes was less than pleasant. The aura of the slave trader, for one, was revolting to look at.
But this time…
The person that approached exuded a dual feeling. There was self-loathing…but it was barely even perceivable. The person exuded a constant aura of warmth and care, to such an extent that it left her momentarily breathless. It was as if he wanted everyone around him to be happy.
"Who are you?" she croaked.
"Just a plain sinner," Shirou answered, and Atla cocked her head in puzzlement.
Shirou placed his hand on the lock of the cage and pushed his magical energy inside of it, more than the plain old lock could take. It broke, having been Reinforced past its limit. The cell door swung open with a creaking noise.
He thanked his lucky stars that the security down here was apparently non-existent.
Atla waited curiously, but otherwise didn't react. This person didn't exude even an ounce of hostile intent, just warmth tinged with anger that wasn't directed at her, but at himself.
Shirou sat down beside Atla, and was silent for a moment. Then, after a long moment, he spoke.
"I want to help you."
"I can tell," Atla smiled. "But you can't, can you?"
"No," there was sad tint to his voice that made Atla want to comfort him.
"It's alright," she coughed. "I can sense that you are strong, yet kind, and you exude a warmth tinged with sadness. If you could help me, you would, and that's all anyone can really ask for."
"It's not," Shirou denied. He didn't even comment on her ability to read his aura. It was immaterial to the situation. "If I were just more capable, if I had more resources…"
Atla managed to giggle a little. "Man with the kind voice, may I ask your name?"
"Shirou," he answered. "And your name?"
"Atla," she returned the gesture. "Can we talk a little, Shirou? It's been so long since I've really talked to anyone but my brother…"
"Of course," Shirou immediately agreed. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Nothing in particular," Atla smiled. "I just want to ramble a little. Will you listen?"
Shirou immediately agreed again, and Atla started talking. Like she'd said, she talked about nothing and everything: her likes, her dislikes, her life as a slave, her life before being a slave, her family, her brother. She just let it all out in a constant stream.
"Now tell me about you," Atla prompted him after finishing.
"There's not much to tell," Shirou deflected.
"Liar," Atla called him out without hesitation, smiling.
Shirou smiled back. "…Maybe I do have a bit of a story to tell, but it is not important. I need to leave soon, but before that…" he reached into his bag, and retrieved one off Naofumi's handmade Healing Potions. Atla felt a sudden warm light fall on her.
Healing Potion (Quality: maximum) [Blessing: high → maximum]
Having blessed the Healing Potion, Shirou offered it to Atla. "Here, drink. I know it isn't much…"
"It's more than enough," Atla reiterated and tilted her head forward to drink.
Gulp.
Atla immediately started to feel better. There was no way a basic Healing Potion, no matter its quality, could truly cure her, but it could heal some of the damage caused by the disease and dull the constant pain she was under.
In that regard, the blessed Healing Potion was the best medicine she had ever had. All of a sudden, she felt much lighter, and the pain seemed farther away.
So distracted she was, Atla didn't even notice that Shirou had undone the bandages wound around her left hand and fingers. She only came back to her senses when she felt Shirou slide something around her ring finger.
Jade Ring – Enchantment: Health Regeneration (medium) [Blessing: low → medium]
"What's this?" Atla asked in wonder. The pain seemed like a bad memory now. She was certain it was only a temporary reprieve, but she could not remember the last time the pain hadn't been a constant companion. For now, that pain had been replaced with a warmth that she hadn't felt in years.
"Just a gift, inadequate as it is," Shirou said as he rewound her bandages again, hiding the Jade Ring underneath them. "Don't let anyone see you have this, or they might take it."
Atla nodded, cradling her hand with the ring like the precious gift that it was.
Shirou patted Atla's head. "I'm sorry. This is all that I can do."
"You are too hard on yourself," Atla rebuked. "Even taking the time to talk to and comfort someone like me is a much more precious gift that I could have asked for."
"I think I am not the only one being too hard on himself here," Shirou caught the meaning behind her words instantly.
Atla looked away, mildly embarrassed. She started when Shirou patted her head between her round, cat-like ears again.
"I'll be back one day. I'll set this right," he promised.
For some reason, Atla found herself wholeheartedly believing him. There was no reason for it, no real justification for the sudden believe in him, but if she had to give a reason if asked…she couldn't imagine a person as kind as Shirou not holding to his word. Once given, Shirou would never go back on his word, even if it killed him. That's what her instincts told her.
"Then I'll wait for that day," Atla smiled. "Don't take too long, okay?"
"I won't."
With that, the predestined meeting came to an end.
A bell jangled merrily and Erhard looked up from behind the counter with a bored expression. A blink later and the look changed to one of astonishment.
"Shield Boy? How the hell are you back here? Weren't you going to go to Zeltoble?"
"Long time no see, Old Man," Naofumi greeted him and stepped inside. Behind him, Shirou, Filo and Raphtalia emerged, followed by two new faces for Erhard: Elrasla and Sadeena.
But the new faces took a momentary backseat. Erhard had done a double take at Shirou, who looked markedly different with his bone white hair, white furred tail and deep red eyes.
"Don't ask," Naofumi said, deadpan. "It's kind of hard to explain."
"...Fine, I won't even bother," Erhard rubbed the back of his head, turning towards Elrasla and Sadeena. "New friends of yours?" He asked with a raised brow.
Naofumi grunted in acknowledgement. "Yep. Elrasla, Sadeena, this is the Old Man I told you about. Old Man, these are our newest party members, Elrasla and Sadeena," The Shield Hero did the introductions rapid fire.
"You could at least use my name when introducing me," Erhard shook his head.
"Sure, you just stop referring to me as Shield Boy and we'll talk," Naofumi rejoindered immediately.
Erhard snorted. "Yeah, like that we'll ever happen," he said, then turned towards Elrasla and Sadeena. "Anyway, friends of Shield Boy are friends of mine. The name's Erhard. Nice to meet you."
"How polite," Elrasla cackled. "I like him already!"
"Oh my! What a gentleman!" Sadeena added uselessly.
Erhard raised an eyebrow at Naofumi.
"Yeah, they are an odd bunch," the Shield Hero admitted.
"Like you're one to talk," Erhard deadpanned. "Anyway, how the hell are you all the way back here? Did you change your mind on going to Zeltoble?"
"Of course not. We returned just this morning," Naofumi denied. The ability to teleport that he had gained in Zeltoble was a nifty thing. Luckily, the Legendary Shield already had a few locations stored where he could teleport to. Said locations were the places he had been the most often since arriving in this world, and Castle Town in Melromarc fell under that classification.
"I'm not even going to comment on how impossible that is. I'm just going to assume it's more Hero bullshit and leave it at that," Erhard sighed and allowed his eyes to wander over the group. He let out an impressed whistle.
Physically, Shirou was the only one who had changed markedly, while Raphtalia and Filo had changed little. Their equipment, however…
Filo's equipment had changed the least. She still wore her Transforming Clothes, but the plain Steel Claws she had been equipped with were now replaced with Black Stone Claws. It might not look like much, but it improved Filo's already formidable attack power by an order of magnitude.
Shirou and Raphtalia both still wore their Leather Armor, but they had swapped out their old Mithril supplementary armor with the Amythest version, an armor variant that was several times stronger and lighter than even Mithril. The Amythest Vambraces, Amythest Hip Guards and Amythest Greaves looked basically the same as the Mithril version, only with a faint, dark purple tint.
Both of them now also sported identical Magic Amythest Longswords, basically one of the best short range weapons one could buy on the open market. There were of course better weapons, but those could not really be mass produced, and one needed more than just an excess of disposable wealth in order to get your hands on them.
Shirou, in comparison to his companions, had a few extra pieces of equipment. There was a plain and excessively long blade sheathed beside the Magic Amythest Longswords.
But beside that, there was a new bow slung over his shoulder. Bows weren't his specialty, but Erhard's experienced eye immediately identified it as an Elite Power Bow, an exquisite piece that was every bit as expensive as an Magic Amythest Longsword.
A Magical Quiver hung from Shirou's back, the dull glow to its lining separating it from the Mundane variant. He wondered what kind of Enchantments it could impart. It was filled to the brim with Amythest Arrows.
Moreover, twelve daggers were attached to Shirou's waist, held in place by a specialized belt. Erhard recognized them as Dirks, specialized throwing knives favoured by assassins for their dark profile, high attack power and ease of use.
"I never took you for the throwing dagger sort," Erhard commented with some surprise.
"Throwing daggers aren't really my weapon of choice, but I realized that these knives made a perfect combination with a one of the techniques I learned, so I insisted on buying them," Shirou said. "I had to modify the technique a little, but it makes for a deadly combination."
"I'll say," Raphtalia nodded in agreement.
"That last fight barely lasted a second!" Filo enthused.
"Yeah, after your blew those monster's heads off," Shirou sweatdropped.
"Hmm!" Filo hummed and nodded in agreement. "It was really easy after you got them to stop moving, Onii-chan!"
Erhard smiled at the byplay. "Anyway, let's get down to business. What brings you to my establishment on this fine day?"
"What else?" Naofumi's Legendary Shield's central jewel flashed and several knapsacks filled with material both mundane and exotic were deposited on the counter. "To upgrade my armor again."
"I had figured as much," Erhard inspected all the knapsacks. He nodded, followed with a shake of his head. "That's everything I need. Man, you lot must have been making a killing to afford all this stuff."
"It's been a profitable few weeks," Naofumi admitted with a certain degree of satisfaction.
Erhard chuckled. "Just leave your armor here and I'll have it finished in two days. You will really like what I am going to do with it, I promise," he boasted and gave a thumbs up.
"Are you finally going to get rid of the bandit aesthetic?" Naofumi asked sarcastically.
"Now why would I do that, Shield Boy?" Erhard played along, placing his hand over his heart theatrically. "It fits you so well!"
"You don't say," Naofumi muttered, then made a show of looking around the shop. "Now that I am here, might you have any new shields in stock?"
Erhard's brow twitched and his smile grew strained. "Shield Boy, don't you dare…"
"What? It's not like I am going to steal them," Naofumi said innocently.
"That copying of yours is basically the same thing and you know it!" Erhard pointed accusingly at the Shield Hero.
Sadeena and Elrasla laughed, underscored by Shirou's chuckles and Raphtalia and Filo's giggles.
Raphtalia was sat in the courtyard of Lord Ciaran's mansion, her nose buried in the intermediate Grimoire she had been studying for the last week. She was making steady progress, but not as fast as she would have liked. At the rate she was going, she wouldn't have it finished before the next Wave.
Two days. Two days before the next Wave in Melromarc. It was constantly in the back of her mind. It wasn't like the last Wave where they were surprised by it. They had been preparing for this battle for more than a month, all their actions of that time focused on the goal of meeting this Wave. She could only hope that their preparations so far would be sufficient.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind, little Raphtalia."
"Sadeena Onee-Chan," Raphtalia greeted and scooted aside to make room on the bench, closing her grimoire. "How are the others?"
"Really happy," the aquatic demi-human smiled and answered, sitting down beside Raphtalia. "Those slave traders work fast. They managed to find a couple of our friends in record time. If nothing else, they are efficient at what they do."
"I'm glad, but I can't say that I'm happy that they are good at their trade," Raphtalia sighed, even as she smiled at the good news. "I want to go see everyone before the next Wave."
"Naturally," Sadeena nodded her head, having expected that. "We'll go see them before we head out to fight. That's a time honoured tradition, after all."
"Thanks again for helping us face the Wave, Sadeena Onee-Chan."
"Oh my, little Raphtalia, do you really think I would let you face something like that without me if I could help it?" Sadeena giggled at the absurdity of that statement. "Despite some initial reservations, little Naofumi and the others have proven to be a dependable and trustworthy lot, and I am more than certain that they would protect you just fine, but I'd still rather be there myself anyway. More for my own nerves, if nothing else."
"Yeah…" Raphtalia seemed a little put-off.
Sadeena softly wacked her on the back of the head. "Stop that," she chided. "You know I didn't mean it like that. You have grown more than capable too, little Raphtalia. I have perfect confidence that you will be able to fend for yourself just as fine as the others."
"I know, it's just that I feel like I haven't progressed as much," Raphtalia fretted.
"You are talking nonsense, little Raphtalia," Sadeena tittered and ruffled Raphtalia's hair. "You have made tons of progress."
"You're just saying that," Raphtalia blushed, embarrassed.
Sadeena raised an eyebrow. "Really? Shall we go quickly over all that you have learned so far?" she started ticking things off on her fingers. "First, there's the swordsmanship you have learned from little Shirou. You've also begun to perceive Life Force from what you have told me. And you are the most adapt of everyone here when it comes to magic…except for me, of course, but I don't really count. That's not even mentioning your rate of growth Level and Stat wise. Honestly, little Raphtalia, it's hard to believe how much you have improved in so little time."
"Sadeena Onee-Chan," Raphtalia whined at, in her mind, overblown praise, even as she smiled.
"Hehe, I've got you!"
"You got me!"
Both demi-humans started at the happy shouts. They looked up seeing Filo and Melty playing a game of tag on the expansive lawn. They ran around happily, their dresses fluttering in the wind as they made merry without a care in the world.
"You should be more like little Filo and not worry so much, little Raphtalia," Sadeena giggled.
"That is easy for you to say," Raphtalia pouted. "Filo has it easy. She learns magic instinctively as she Levels Up, and, according to Elrasla, monsters like Filo also have an innate understanding of Life Force. Filo might have to learn to wield it effectively, but she could use it right off the bat. I know I'm not supposed to think it unfair, but still…"
Sadeena giggled again. "You sound just like mother when your father picked up a skill without even trying on the first attempt. Of course, they were a team much like your party…"
Static.
With a faint, otherworldly sound, Naofumi suddenly appeared in the centre of the courtyard, Portal Shield equipped.
"Ah, Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia greeted and got up. "How was everything in Melromarc?"
"Oh my! Is that your new armor? It suits you, little Naofumi!" Sadeena looked him up and down and gave a teasing wink.
"Everything went smoothly. The Old Man was already waiting for me when I arrived," Naofumi flatly ignored Sadeena's shameless prodding and brushed his hand over the armor's chest plate.
Much to Naofumi's visible annoyance, the armor still retained basically the same appearance with a few addons here or there. The only striking thing that had visibly changed was the color of the chest plate and other components that were made out of metal. Said parts were now made out of magic silver and amethyst, giving them a silvery color with a faint purple highlight to it.
Raphtalia appraised it.
Barbarian Armor + 2: Base Defence: 135 / Attack endurance (high) / Fire resistance (strong) / Lightning resistance (strong) / Shadow resistance (strong) / Shock resistance (medium) / Air Wake (strong) / HP restore (medium) / SP recovery (small) / Magic up (medium) / Magic Defence processing / automatic recovery function.
Sadeena whistled in an inappropriate fashion. "That some armor you got there, Little Naofumi. This must have cost you a fortune…"
"It did," Naofumi somehow managed to grin and grimace at the same time. "With this, the vast majority of our funds have been wiped out again..."
"Ah, Master!" Filo noticed him and came running over, Melty hot on her heels.
"Shield Hero, good day," Melty greeted and nodded at him, slipping back into her royal demeanour. "Did everything go well?"
"Yes, probably because I was in Melromarc for only a short while," Naofumi responded. "There's no way the trash king could have done anything on such short notice."
Melty's cheek twitched, her smile growing strained. "While I will acknowledge that you have good reason to disparage my father, I would still appreciate it if you would not refer to him like that."
Naofumi seem to mull it over for a short while. "Nah," he eventually said. "Referring to him like trash is much simpler and to the point. His actual name is too long and bothersome to remember."
"You…" Melty's smile dropped and she glowered at him.
Naofumi grinned back nastily.
"Ugh, master. Stop teasing Mel-Chan!" Filo pouted and pointed at him.
"Fine, I'll drop it," Naofumi sighed. "Ruin my fun, why don't you," he muttered underneath his breath.
"Ah, I see that Naofumi is back. Good timing."
Shirou came walking up, holding several items in his hands.
Naofumi raised an eyebrow. Those were…
"Shiny things!" Filo enthused. Indeed, Shirou was holding several accessories.
"I just finished them. I hoop everyone will like them," Shirou said.
"Which one's for me, Onii-chan?" Filo looked up at him with wide, soulful eyes.
"This one," Shirou bent down and attached a wing-shaped hairpin encrusted with a deep blue jewels to her hair. He had chosen it specifically so that it would stay attached to her when she transformed into her Filolial Queen form.
Sky Diamond Hairpin - Enchantment: Wind Magic Up (medium) / Agility Up (medium) [Blessing: low → medium]
Filo reached up and touched it, smiling brilliantly. "I love it, Onii-Chan!" she exclaimed, then jumped to give him an enthusiastic hug around the chest.
"Whoa!" Shirou almost dropped the other accessories as he hugged her back. He laughed and petted her hair. "Thanks for the kind words, Filo."
"There's no doubt that you've got Filo's seal of improvement," Naofumi commented with definitive amusement. He looked almost fatherly as he watched them embrace.
After a moment, he set Filo back down who immediately turned to Melty in order to preen about her gift.
Shirou turned towards Raphtalia. "This one I made for you, Raphtalia," he said, and slipped a bangle with a pure white jewel around the wrist of her left hand.
Sun Stone Bangle - Enchantment: Light Magic Up (high) [Blessing: medium → high]
"Thank you, Shirou," Raphtalia ran her hand over the bangle after she'd appraised it. Not only did it look beautiful, its usefulness could not be understated.
"No problem," Shirou responded before turning towards Naofumi, holding up an accessory.
Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "A band?" he said, more like a statement then anything else, accepting the gift and appraising it.
Amethyst Bicep Band – Enchantment: Defence Up (medium) / HP Up (low) / Agility Up (low) [Blessing: low → medium / nihil → low]
Naofumi gave a whistle, a sense of appreciation welling up. This was quality stuff!
"Ah, yeah. That one was a bit of an experiment that came out far better that it had any right to…"
"It's very good, Shirou. Thank you," Naofumi said, slipping the band over his wrist and securing it to the bicep of his right arm.
"And what do you have for this fine old lady? If I like it, I might give you a gift in return…" Elrasla leaned towards him and winked suggestively.
Shirou shuddered, refusing to respond to Elrasla's joke. "This," he said, and deposited a necklace in Elrasla's waiting hand. It's bright red jewel gleamed and flickered like fire.
Power Stone Necklace – Enchantment: Attack Up (medium) / Defence Up (medium) [Blessing: low → medium]
"It's lovely," Elrasla sighed in a manner a woman of her age shouldn't be able to as she slipped the golden chain of the necklace around her neck.
Sadeena pouted like a child. "Ah, Elrasla stole the joke I had wanted to make! What should I do now to amuse myself?" she complained.
"Accept the gift and just imagine if things had gone your way," Shirou responded drily and gave her an anklet with a bright blue, white streaked jewel.
Lightning Aquamarine Anklet – Enchantment: Lightning Magic Up (medium) / Water Magic Up (medium) [Blessing: low → medium]
Sadeena turned the anklet over in her hands. "Very nice, little Shirou. You clearly have good hands. I wonder what else those hands of yours are good for?"
Shirou groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, not quite being able to suppress a blush. Sadeena giggled at his reaction and fastened the anklet to her left ankle.
"That was the last piece…"
"Wait, Onii-chan," Filo cocked her head to the side as she realized something. "Didn't you make anything for yourself?"
Shirou blinked. "No, I did. It's right here. Ah. Right. It's under my shirt," he realized and pulled on the golden chain fastened around his neck, pulling out the accessory from beneath his clothing.
Energy Stone Pendant – Enchantment: Attack Up (medium) / Light Magic Up (low) [Blessing: low → medium / nihil → low]
Naofumi looked at every accessory that Shirou had made and nodded in satisfaction. "This is quality stuff, Shirou," he reiterated. "You clearly have a knack for this. People would be willing to buy top dollar for pieces like this."
"Of course the first thing you think about is money," Raphtalia sighed, rolling her eyes in exasperated amusement.
"Thanks for the compliment," Shirou said, then blinked. "Okay, now what? Have we done everything that we needed to do before the next Wave?"
"No," Melty cut in, shaking her head. "There's one last thing that needs to be done."
"Ah, that's right," Naofumi realized a second later. "The queen wanted to have a discussion…"
With a tap from Melty's hand, the crystal ball came alight. The queen's face came into focus in a swirl of colors.
"Shield Hero," Mirellia greeted. "Has everything been well?"
"As well as can be," Naofumi responded neutrally. "We have more or less finished what we came to do here in Zeltoble."
"Ah, yes. That's related to why I wanted to have this discussion with you," Mirellia started off, inclining her head at him.
They were sequestered into a room buried deep in Lord Ciaran's mansion. The Shield Hero's party plus Melty were seated at a round table, the soldiers that had accompanied her standing at attention behind the crown princess of Melromarc.
"Am I to believe from your words that you have finished preparing for the next Wave due in Melromarc in two days?" the queen questioned.
"More or less," Naofumi repeated. "The only thing remaining is to do a final check up of our supplies, to ensure we'll have everything we need for the battle."
"Final preparations, then?"
"Exactly."
"That's good to hear," Mirellia smiled. "It's reassuring to hear that you are as meticulous as you are, Shield Hero."
"Thanks," Naofumi grunted, not seeming overly enthused at the queen's praise.
Mirellia wasn't insulted. She'd already gotten a good feel of Naofumi's character. He did not have anything against her personally, but didn't trust her either. So, he was taking everything she said with a grain of salt. Given the circumstances, she couldn't blame him for his suspicion.
Like anything else, trust would have to be built with time.
"What's your plan of action regarding the coming Wave, Shield Hero?" Mirellia switched mental tracks, getting to the root of why she had requested this meeting. It was only natural that she'd want to know how her land was going to defended from otherworldly invaders, after all.
"Basically the same as the last Wave," was the answer. "I'll leave taking down the Boss Monster to the other Heroes and their parties. We will take charge of the evacuation of any nearby civilian. If the Wave were to take place where there are no civilians, we will aid the other Heroes in taking down the Boss Monster."
"And what if the other Heroes prove incapable of taking down the Boss Monster?"
The unexpected question made everyone pause.
Mirellia held her folding fan in front of her mouth. "I have been informed by my Shadows that, in their summation, that you and yours are more skilled and powerful than the other Heroes and their parties. Considering that a Wave can only be brought to an end by defeating the Boss Monster, what will you do if the other Heroes fail in stopping it?"
"The queen has a point," Shirou spoke up. "From what I have seen from other Heroes so far, they are not as strong as us. The longer a Wave continues , the more damage it causes and the greater the potential loss of life. If nothing else, even if the other Heroes succeed in killing the Boss Monster, our direct aid in defeating it will at least ensure that the Wave ends as quickly as possible."
"There is no good answer I'm afraid," Elrasla chipped in, frowning. "Even if we were to work together with the other Heroes, some of us will have to take care of the evacuation. We can't bring our full forces to bear until the civilians have been evacuated. Well, unless we have more soldiers on hand to handle that part…"
"Something tells me that will be unlikely," Naofumi sighed. "One of the abilities unique to a Hero is called Battle Formations. It allows for none party members to be transported alongside Heroes to the site of the Wave. That's how we will be bringing along the soldiers the queen has provided."
Said soldiers stood up straighter as they were mentioned.
"But for some reason, the other Heroes did not make use of that ability in the last Wave. Chances are they won't be using it now, either."
"Why wouldn't they make us of it?" Sadeena questioned, looking perplexed.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but…" Naofumi sighed. "I think that they simply are not aware of that ability."
There was a brief silence as everyone mulled that over.
"The information about Battle Formations is listed in our Menus," Naofumi added on. "Unlike me, however, the other Heroes had foreknowledge about this world from the games they played before being summoned. I think they simply assumed that they already knew everything that there was to know and neglected to check their Menus."
"You almost make it sound like…" Raphtalia hesitantly mused.
"That they are treating this world like a game," Naofumi finished the thought. "That's exactly the impression I have gotten from our previous encounters with the other Heroes and what the queen has told us about what kind of problems they have caused back in Melromarc. It would explain the mistakes they have made so far if they were working off game logic."
"Of all the stupid…" Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose, grimacing like he was having a migraine.
Naofumi could sympathize. As gung-ho as Shirou was about being a Hero of Justice and saving people, to hear that someone labelled a hero would treat life and death battles where the lives of innocent people hung in the balance like a mere game must be aggravating in the extreme.
"I see," Mirellia said, hiding her own grimace behind her fan. "I will endeavour to have a few of my operatives inform the other Heroes of their ability to bring along additional soldiers. However, considering the short notice and the Shadows of the Church of the Three Heroes, who'll undoubtedly be running interference, I doubt that they will get the information to them in time."
"…There's nothing for it, then," Shirou let out an explosive breath. "We'll just have to stick to the plan and hope for the best. As soon as we have finished evacuating the non-combatants, we'll go aid the other Heroes. And if it either takes too long to evacuate the people and the Wave doesn't stop… In that case we will have to improvise."
The group mulled over all that they had discussed so far, before nodding at each other.
Mirellia inclined her head. "That's all that I had wanted to discuss…"
"Wait, queen. Before cutting the connection, there's a question that I want to ask you. I'd asked the second princess before, but she didn't have an answer for me," Naofumi quickly cut in.
Melty's brow twitched at being referred to as the 'second princess', but she kept her silence.
"Oh," Mirellia blinked. "If it's within my capability to provide an answer, I'll answer any question that you have, Shield Hero."
"To be blunt, I want an explanation," Naofumi's voice brokered no argument. "Why did the king have it out for me the second I arrived in this world?"
"Didn't that happen because of…" Raphtalia broke in hesitantly.
"No, even before that Bitch opened her mouth the king's treatment of me was already…lacking," at the very last second, Naofumi chose a more a polite term than what he had wanted to say.
There was a moment of silence, before the queen sighed deeply and closed her folding fan with a loud snap.
"I guess you do have the right to know why you are in the situation that you are," Mirellia admitted, but didn't look enthused about it. "If it weren't for my husband's past and the actions that stem from it, you would not have been persecuted as you have been. Very well, I will tell you."
The queen took a deep breath.
"It started when my husband, the king, was young and his family was murdered, and ended with the death of his sister and the actions he took resulting from that…"
The queen told the tale, and a sordid tale it was.
Hey, guys. Sorry it took so long again to get the next chapter out, but like I said, I had to focus on getting my diploma. Good news, I've finally finished my schooling and gotten that important piece of paper (much more hassle that it needed to be imo, but at least it's finished)! More good news, my place of work has offered me another contract after my current one ends, so I'll have security concerning work and income for the coming years.
In other words, I've had a very good few weeks.
Anyway, with this, I should be able to devote more time to writing and get chapters out on a semi regular basis. No promises, though!
