~{Author's Pre-Notes}~
Woooo! I finally finished another chapter of this, and holy shit, it's been a while! That was mainly because I got really into the danmachi fics I was writing (still am) along with either finishing school for the previous year and other things. Not to mention, I actually had trouble writing this chapter because I really didn't know how Link would actually interact with Darkness, but now here we are. Not gonna say too much, but I hope you enjoy the introduction to the final member of our trio of problem ladies!
Answered Comments(Oldest to most recent):
grimmange108: I didn't plan for Link to have any magic because botw Link hasn't shown any besides the abilities he's used from the champions, and even then, they aren't his. I'm currently continuing to keep it this way.
joseskywalker02: I haven't planned for Din, Nayru, or Farore to show up, mainly because I don't really know anything about them besides what they represent. I don't have any current plans on including them, but who knows?
Lix231: Link will probably reveal his past to the others at some point, as these types of things go. And as for the champions, Hylia wouldn't be able to simply send them over due to rules with the gods involving mortals.
FabledLife: Considering this is pretty much chaotic playthrough Link, he definitely wouldn't keep that stoicness when waking up without his memories, and even after gaining them back, I think they'd definitely still be there, especially when going to a whole new world. He can be quite at times though, as he was before the calamity. It's an interesting mix where even Link doesn't really know which one he really is.
Sarcasm Sage 626: Thank you so much for your in-depth analysis of the previous chapter, it brought such a huge smile to my face and I would love to see more of them in the future. Hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!
The silent trip back to Axel was somewhat awkward for Link's party.
For Aqua, it was because she was sulking from being covered in toad slime once again, still eternally devasted by how they were a direct weakness to her current self.
As for the hylian, he reflected on his words to Megumin and realized that maybe he could've been a little nicer about them rather than stating them so coldly. And by how Megumin had her witch hat covering her face as he carried her, he couldn't help but think she was sore about it now.
As for the Arch Wizard mentioned, she only hoped that her witch hat was hiding her red cheeks. Link hadn't been able to carry her on his back since it'd be uncomfortable with his sword being sheathed there, so he had ended up resorting to the fabled princess that some of the girls in her clan had dreamily spoken of. And while Megumin, too, had been curious about how it'd feel...
SHE HADN'T EXPECTED IT TO EVER HAPPEN TO HER!
It wasn't even just the concept of the carry itself! Since she had lost all her strength, she was barely even able to keep her head from craning back like a corpse, so Link had positioned her in a way that she was lying right against his shoulder while making sure to hold her close in an almost cradling manner.
It just felt so intimate!
"Are you alright, Megumin?"
And the worst part was that she knew that he wasn't doing this for any reason besides making sure she was comfortable, because he'd been asking that very same question every ten minutes or so with his hands never straying once from their firm grip.
"Y-Yeah. But, um, did you have to carry me like this?" She asked honestly. Because despite how warm it made her feel, it was also very embarrassing.
"Well... It was either this or carrying you over my shoulder."
"This way is fine." Megumin immediately deadpanned.
She'd rather have this than be carried like a sack of potatoes.
They continued until they made it back to the city, where they drew the eyes of everyone, many in disbelief to see Megumin being carried by Link, who they considered a male elf.
Megumin noticed as some girls swooned.
...
Okay, a lot of girls swooned.
...
Wait, why are the men swooning, too!?
"Should I take you to the baths and leave you with Aqua?" Link asked, either oblivious or completely ignoring the eyes they were receiving.
"Eh? Oh, yes that'll be fine. I should be able to move again by the time we get there." Megumin said, still staring oddly at the number of swooning men they passed.
Link nodded before craning his head back at the still slime-covered Aqua.
"Want to eat after we get the reward?"
Aqua nodded dejectedly, some toad slime dripping off her.
"With wine... right?"
He nodded in return before turning back to Megumin.
"Do you want to join us?"
Megumin tipped her head up, her hat moving back to reveal her widened eyes.
"Can I?"
Another nod. "It's not like we only have to interact when doing quests."
Megumin brightened. "Of course!"
Maybe she could even talk him into joining her daily explosion walks while they eat at the guild!
Or... so she had thought they were gonna eat at the guild...
Megumin's flat gaze from the stump she was seated showed precisely what she felt right now.
"I know you asked if I wanted to eat with you, but..."
The sound of snorting horses and distant chirping filled the area.
"Why are we outside the stables of all places?"
Link paused in the middle of placing a cauldron he had gotten from the stable's owner and turned to her.
"Oh. Um... It seemed like the best place to make it myself?"
Megumin raised an eyebrow.
"You cook?"
He nodded rapidly, and Megumin couldn't help but compare it to an excited puppy.
"Cool. I was just kinda expecting we'd eat at the guild." She shrugged.
She didn't expect Link to suddenly look so sad.
"Oh."
It was such a small sound, but the sheer hurt and disappointment from it had Megumin recoil.
"Would... Would you prefer it?" He asked, face matching his voice.
ARGH! What the hell is that sudden damage to her heart!?
"No, no! This is fine!" Megumin frantically waved her hands while quickly shaking her head. "I-I was just surprised!"
She saw Link literally illuminate with a smile before going back to setting up the cauldron.
Megumin sighed in relief before slumping in her seat.
She hadn't expected that.
Seriously, since when does a guy look that adorable?
Wait.
Ignoring that stirring thought, Megumin turned in Aqua's direction to distract herself with whatever she was doing, only...
"Haha... Sho nice..."
The Arch Priest was sprawled out on a stump of her own, clutching a bottle of wine Link had bought her while she and Megumin had been bathing.
The Arch Wizard stared with a flat look, wondering how the drunk had even gotten into Link's party in the first place with how she was.
Wait, can't she just ask?
"Hey Link?" She called, turning back in his direction. "How'd you and Aqua meet?"
She saw him pause for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing to set up the cauldron.
"We've only met just the other day." He said without looking at her. "She was... sent away from her home like me, so we came here together."
A twinge of guilt hit Megumin's heart as she remembered challenging Link to a battle of magic only to hear that he didn't have any magic and had been kicked from his home because of it. Because even though Megumin had left her own village, that had been by choice.
As for Aqua... while it might be rude, it wasn't hard for Megumin to guess why the blue-nette might've been sent out, and she's only known her for a few hours.
"Um..." She sheepishly looked down with her hands on her lap. "Sorry about... you know, how we met."
Link hummed as he finished setting up the pot.
"It's okay."
He didn't say anything else, maybe because nothing else needed to be told. It did make Megumin feel a little relieved as she watched Link stand up with a satisfied look at his setup. The cauldron stood with the ground slightly dug underneath it, the table Link put beside it was cleaned, and he had a set of utensils on it that he had quickly bought from a random shop.
Guess it was time for the fire. Megumin opened her mouth to offer help in gathering some kindling-
Eh? He just carries sticks and plants in his pouch? Okay then... but he'll still need-
H-Huh? Did he just pull a few logs out of that same pouch? Did she miss something?
What in the-?
!?
What the fuck!?
"Wait wait wait! How are you DOING that!?" Megumin blurted as she shot to her feet, jaw dropping after just watching Link pull out GIANT TOAD parts of all things.
Link paused yet again, staring at Megumin as his gifted infi-pouch opened wide and filleted toad parts plopped onto the table.
"...magic pouch?"
...
"Th-That doesn't explain anything!"
Really? He thought that'd explain enough.
Link held out the pouch in a presenting manner.
"It's a pouch with infinite space."
Megumin blinked before marching over with a hand ready to snatch it, only... she reconsidered at the last moment and gently took the pouch offered, holding it in both hands.
Her blank gaze stared into the pitch-black opening inside, the sight almost drawing... her... in...
...
Giving into impulse, the Arch Wizard shoved her face into the pouch, her entire head disappearing inside.
Then she fell like a puppet with cut strings.
Link yelped with widened eyes as he caught Megumin's body, lowering her to the ground with one hand holding her upright while the other quickly pulled the pouch off her head.
Megumin's expression had become akin to a cultist reaching enlightenment, overwhelmed yet awestruck as she stared into the air, breathing hard as if having just run a marathon.
"Th-Th-The abyss! I-It stared back! I-I found it!"
Link blinked at that reaction, then looked at the pouch in his hand.
Was this what she had meant before about staring into an abyss together?
...
Despite what he just saw happen to Megumin, Link slowly put his head into the pouch until it was completely enveloped inside.
Miraculously, he didn't drop like the Arch Wizard had, but he did stiffen.
Then he slowly pulled his head out, revealing a blank gaze.
(Watching him, Hylia wondered what the hell kind of pouch Aqua had given him.)
After getting over their initial shock, Link had gone back to cooking as if nothing had happened, while Megumin just blankly stared in the air from the stump the hylian had gently sat her on. Aqua hadn't stirred from her drunken state, still sleepily sprawled out on the stump next to them.
Link filled the cauldron with buckets of water from a nearby river before lighting up the logs and kindling with flint he had picked up.
That's when he finally started cooking, returning to the old habit as if he were still in Hyrule.
He decided to make a variant of his Creamy Meat Soup using the Giant Toad parts as the main base, adding a few small things he's picked up while outside. He made a broth using some vegetables and some of the toad bones before adding chunks of the evenly sliced toad meat into the cauldron.
During the process, Megumin's nose picked up the scent. Her stunned eyes dilated as they regained their sanity, and she suddenly sat up, heavily sniffing the air like some kind of dog.
She looked just in time to see Link gather some rock salt between his fingers before... fancily spreading it into the pot by having his elbow bent to hold up his hand, letting the salt sprinkle as he raised it up, then opening his fingers to let the remaining chunks fall in.
Weird...
Then she saw him grab a wooden spoon and scoop up a small portion of meat and broth, using his fingers to move some of his brilliant hair behind his ear as he blew on it.
It actually pissed her off how sexy he looked without even trying.
No, seriously, she should be the one with the bewitching womanly charms, god damn it!
*Grrrrrooooooooowl!*
Link halted just as he was going to sample his meal, glancing back at his new companion, whose stomach made a sound he was quite familiar with.
Megumin's face burned as she grabbed her witch hat and pulled it down.
"Stupid stomach! Stupid, nice-smelling soup! Stupid, nice elf!"
As the Arch Wizard whined to herself, Link gave a chuckle of understanding and stood up, gently carrying the spoon over to Megumin. He then crouched to eye level and offered it forward.
Megumin felt Link's presence and looked up, finding him in front of her with the wooden spoon by her face. She glanced at it and immediately became hooked on the smell once again, eyes dilating and mouth watering.
But she realized two things: One, Link was going to feed her, and second, he had just been blowing into the spoon.
And despite how red-faced she became, Megumin let the elf gently move the spoon to her lips, her eyes unmoving from his as she swallowed it, to which she started sparkling.
"Mmmmm!~"
Holy MOLY! That was so good that she swore all her clothes had blasted off for a moment!
Link smiled at her reaction and gently patted her head before standing up and returning to the cauldron.
The action irritated Megumin, who felt she was being treated like a small child. She pouted and glared at Link from afar as he put the finishing touches on their lunch.
The not-elf took a spoon of soup of his own that he blew, then took a sip of.
Megumin watched as his eyes closed and his face scrunched in bliss before performing a chef's kiss that turned into an 'ok' gesture with his fingers.
How weird...
And it only got weirder when Megumin swore she saw the soup start jumping around in Link's cauldron, only to land into a finishing concoction with a poof.
Did she just imagine that?
Finally, Link filled two bowls with his newly created Creamy Toad Soup, smiling happily at the results as he crouched down and handed one to Megumin.
"Careful, it's hot."
Megumin eagerly accepted the bowl, blowing into it as Link turned away to give Aqua her own.
The sleeping goddess conveniently started coming to just as Link approached her, her body twitching as she did so.
"*Snort!* Hah?"
The intoxicated woman groggily opened her eyes, barely able to sit up with her empty bottle of wine rolling off her lap.
Aqua blinked absentmindedly before sniffing at the air, to which a drunk smile took to her swaying face.
"Whacht's that shmell?" She slurred. "It's sho nice..."
Link kneeled beside Aqua with the bowl in hand.
"Here."
The goddess sleepily turned her head at him.
"Link...?" She blinked a few times in quick succession. "Have I eva told ya that yer pwetty?"
The hylian paused, confusion evident in his eyes.
"...No?"
"GOOD!" Aqua suddenly shouted with raised arms, almost knocking the bowl out of his hands. "*Hic!* I'm shapposed to be the pwetty one! Not you! Your'a shapposed to be the plain, boring generwic main character! Everyone is gunna love me! Naht ya!"
Link could only stare and wonder what half of those words even meant.
"Okay, Aqua." He simply responded.
With it clear that the goddess wasn't sober enough to eat her food without risking making a mess, Link started pulling back the bowl.
But Aqua caught another heavenly whiff of the soup as it passed her nose, and as if cleansing her, all the drunkness faded from her eyes as they dilated in desire.
"Gimme!"
Link managed to jump in time to hold up the bowl and stick out his hand as Aqua rushed forward, her face finding itself in the hylian's palm as she comedically stretched her arms in an attempt to reach out.
"Lady Aqua," Link started respectfully but sternly with a frown. "Please stop abruptly snatching things. You could've burned yourself just now. Do it again, and I won't cook for you the next time."
Aqua gasped as she recoiled back, scandalized.
"Y-You can't do that to me! I'm a goddess! You're supposed to be spoiling me rotten and make sure that all my needs are above your own!"
Link merely gave her a flat look.
His expression didn't change as he stared a pouting Aqua down. But thanks to another small gust bringing the heavenly smell over the goddess, her focus once more shot at the bowl in his hand, to which she pursed her lips in frustration.
Finally, she whined.
"Grrrrr! Fine! I won't do it again! Happy!?"
With a nod of acknowledgment, Link slowly lowered the soup to hand to the girl, only to slightly pull back when Aqua moved a little too quickly to grab it. At the very least, the goddess immediately realized what she did wrong and pouted once more, looking nearly to the brink of tears as she patiently held her hands out like a child waiting to be given their toy back.
Feeling satisfied, Link finally lowered the bowl into Aqua's hands, the thick wood composition making it so it wouldn't burn her.
"Be careful, it's-"
He didn't even get to finish, as Aqua had already sat down and shoved two spoonfuls of toad stew into her mouth with a look of bliss.
...to which her eyes bulged, and she released a cry of agony as her mouth opened and spewed steam.
"ACKK! HAWT!"
Link sweatdropped as he watched the girl desperately breathe in and out of her steaming mouth to cool it down.
Hopefully now Aqua fully understands the dangers of soup.
It was somewhat after their meal that Link realized it was reaching late afternoon, so he took a moment to speak with Megumin about their future as a party. It was only a few simple but otherwise essential things that he wanted to check with her.
First was establishing the days the Arch Wizard would be meeting up with him and Aqua, which came to simply assuming that they'd meet up at the guild every day unless said otherwise. Second was how they would split any reward money from quests, which, of course, was to always split equally. There was also a list of supplies that Link wanted her to keep on her person at all times, mainly potions and other healing aids she could access at any moment, whether in or out of a battle.
Megumin had paid rapt attention to Link the entire time, somewhat in awe at the experience of a prominent veteran who'd clearly been in the line of battle before. He was a competent person, shown by how he had effortlessly slayed those giant toads, yet he had been a saint to let someone like her be one of the first members of his party. Especially when he could have practically anyone line up on their knees for him.
It... sort of made her feel bad about being a bit of a hindrance...
J-Just a bit! Her explosion magic will be more than enough to convince him to let her stay!
With the sun starting to go down, Megumin promised to get the inventory Link wanted her to and keep it on her, before then taking her leave. As for Aqua, despite eating Link's food like it was heaven, she was suddenly hit again by her initial drunkenness, so she decided to sleep off in the stables.
And Link? He decided to go back to the guild and plan for the future.
He asked Luna for a pencil and paper before sitting alone at one of the tables and started writing. He was thankfully left in peace within the nearly empty building, with those inside noticing the look of concentration on the hylian's face and leaving him to himself.
A frown made its way to Link as he noted things down. Megumin was clearly unfit and, more concerningly, malnourished. Obviously, this must've been caused by her lack of funds for food and the absence of exercise, which she probably didn't believe she needed with her being a magic user. He'd have to devise an exercise plan to get her into shape. Not necessarily anything crazy like he does, but enough for her to move better in a pinch. Oh, and now that he's thinking about it, he should also tell her to keep a dagger on her at all times, Aqua, too.
Speaking of Aqua, he should probably get her to join Megumin in whatever plan he comes up with, especially since he doubts she's ever exercised a day in her godly life.
Wait, would Aqua's body even change at all? Or is her current form like some sort of unchangeable interpretation of her 'godly perfection,' like how her stats are already maxed out? Is that why she's not concerned with drinking too much wine, because she won't get alcohol poisoning?
As Link tapped the pencil against his head in contemplation, he suddenly picked up on the sound of clanking armor heading towards him. Whoever it was clearly wasn't trying to sneak up on him anyway, so he glanced back to see who was approaching.
His expression blanched.
He saw a tall woman, one taller than him, which... isn't saying much, considering how it felt like everyone was taller than him, Zelda included. Only Mipha had been slightly shorter than him, but she had still been growing...
Curse his short height.
But moving on, the woman was still clearly young and evidently pretty, with blue eyes practically the same color as his own and even with her own set of blonde hair, although hers was brighter and done in a ponytail that went past her shoulders. Her clothes were clearly some sort of knight's attire, consisting of a yellow and black sleeveless dress with silver trimmings but mixed with armor such as shoulder pads and a cuirass with a red bow. But what brought about Link's reaction wasn't anything about the woman's physical appearance; rather, it was the posture and aura engrossed in her very being.
That air of pride and nobility was something he'd recognize anywhere.
This woman is a noble, and that had Link immediately on edge. From his regained memories, he knows he's never really liked nobles or most royalty because of their pompous attitudes and how they treated those they viewed beneath them. Hell, he even remembered finding Zelda a hassle for a while because of how hard she had made his job of watching her. The only royalty Link ever remembered liking from the start had been Mipha and King Dorephan, who had only ever been welcoming.
Oh, and Sidon, too, but who wouldn't like Sidon?
And no, not King Rhoam. Sorry, but Link isn't simply ignoring how he had treated Zelda and her passions before the calamity.
But more to the point, Link wasn't sure what to expect from this person. He wasn't a chosen hero or princess's guard anymore, so he didn't have much protection that had kept nobles from harassing him before.
He braced himself with a neutral expression as the woman stopped before him, a dignified gleam in her eyes.
"I happened to see your recruitment poster."
Link blinked in surprise.
That hadn't been what he was expecting. A noble as an adventurer? Was this a common thing? Or was he actually mistaken about her?
"Are you still recruiting party members?" The woman followed up, her voice serious and mature.
He hesitantly nodded, which brought a smile of relief from the young woman.
"Thank goodness. I have anxiously awaited the arrival of someone such as yourself."
Link raised an eyebrow at that. One like himself? Does she mean a Sword Master? Or did she go to him with the impression that he's an elf?
He found himself suddenly recalling some of Aqua's words.
'Like I said, the offspring of male elves usually become strong, ending up with high magic power and higher mana pools.'
'I think you can figure out what some people are willing to do to get their hands on one.'
A knot twisted in Link's stomach. He hadn't even thought about how the nobles of this world would react to him, someone akin to an exotic animal because of his elf-like appearance.
Was that why this noble was here? To find a way to bind him to her?
He didn't glare, but the cold and composed look perfected during his knight days was maintained.
"What I ask what you mean by that, exactly?"
"My name is Darkness!" The young woman squeaked, seemingly ignoring Link's question entirely. Her breathing turned somewhat rapid, only for her to close her eyes and clear her throat, regaining her composure but with... a blush? "My calling is that of a crusader."
Link frowned in confusion as he watched her flushed cheeks and breathing pace. This didn't feel like a noble trying to 'get' him; this felt more like...
Actually, why did this remind him of the time he had found that woman holding a shrine ball but had really been into guardians? The one who had named the ball Roscoe?
"P-Please let... Please let me..."
This girl, Darkness, was even starting to breathe just as hard as the other had been.
"-j-j-join your PARTY!"
By the end of her words, the crusader had a full blush on her cheeks with a quivering smile and hopeful eyes, her hands clenched together as she anxiously waited in place.
"You... what?"
Link's face showed all it needed to about how confused he felt. He didn't know how, but the dignified nobility he had felt from this seemingly older girl was completely gone. He didn't think that was even possible for royalty.
"Would you please let me join your p-p-party?" Darkness asked once more, this time with a hand to her chest.
"Um-"
The hylian didn't even get to speak, for the bright blonde practically shoved herself into his personal space. Her hands grabbed hold of his wrist on the table as she breathed hard, her unblinking eyes unmoving from his.
"Th-That slimy lady earlier was your companion, right!?"
"...you mean Aqua?" Link tried nudging her hands off but found them firmly taking hold.
"So she was! What in the world did that to her!?" Darkness asked excitedly.
...why is she breathing even harder!?
A discomfort started growing as Link as he tried to figure out what was going on. He attempted to scoot back to make space between them, but the young woman's iron-clad grip held him in place.
"A Giant Toad swallowed her and-"
"What!?" Darkness gasped, eyes dilating as her grip grew even tighter, making Link's hand twitch, for it was starting to ache.
"Lady Dar-"
"I-It's worse than I imagined! No, wait-!" Darkness leaned even closer, excitement all over her face.
"Please let go-"
"A-As a knight, I cannot overlook such horrors befalling a girl of such a tender age!"
Between her hard breathing, scary expression, and the tight grip on his arm, Link was starting to reach the end of his patience.
The woman panted. "P-Please let me-!"
Link felt a crack in his arm, and that was enough.
One moment, Darkness was standing in front of the fabled male elf; the next thing she knew, she was being flipped into the air.
"GWAH!?"
The crusader was slammed on her back from an overhead throw, bouncing off the ground before rolling to her side, twitching.
The waitresses and guild staff concerningly watching the exchange hissed with winces.
"H-He threw her with no hesitation." Luna paled.
Now that was a bit of a male elf that was expected, yet ironically, it seemed entirely out of character for Link.
She felt so conflicted.
As for the hero, he stood over Darkness with a frown, rubbing his throbbing wrist. He hadn't wanted to throw her, but she had clearly not been listening. He's usually never physical when someone annoys or disturbs him; just look at all his moments with Revali, but it's different when it feels like someone is going to end up breaking your arm.
Ah, but isn't she a royal? Or at least, he had thought she was...
Oh, Hylia, this might be a problem.
"Y-You threw her?"
At the timid voice, Link turned his head and found the short-haired blonde waitress who had helped with his skill points yesterday staring in a mixture of shock and horror.
He just tilted his head in confusion.
"Yes?"
The woman blinked at his innocent tone, sputtering.
"B-But... she's a woman!"
...
Link's gaze went from Darkness's trembling form to the waitress again.
"...yes?" He repeated, still not really understanding.
This wasn't anything new to him. He's had to fight women plenty of times before. There was the training or spars with Mipha, Urbosa, Impa, and other Sheikahs, and then there were the occasional female assassins from the Yiga or other groups he wouldn't hesitate to take down. Why should he worry about gender when someone is hurting or going to hurt him?
But his response left the waitress floored, leaving her opening and closing her mouth, speechless. Even the other waitresses in the room didn't seem to know how to process his words.
"Heh heh... Hah~"
Link's attention returned to Darkness as he heard giddy giggles and harsh breathing from her shivering body.
He hadn't thrown her too hard, had he?
He went on one knee by Darkness's head, going to speak out in concern, only for her ragged voice to make him pause.
"...fect."
He leaned his ear down. "Hm?"
Darkness abruptly raised her head, both eyes and mouth open in pure joy with...
Are those hearts in her eyes!?
"P-Perfect! You really are the one!"
Say what now?
She pushed herself up to her hands and knees as Link stood and backed up in bewilderment. Next to him, even the waitress had frozen with a blank expression.
"A-A perfect male elf! The cruelest in character and willing to commit such savage acts without hesitation! I can't pass this up!"
She crawled over and grabbed Link by the hem of his shirt, bringing a shiver down his spine.
"Please! You MUST let me join your party!"
Link didn't get this at all. Honestly, this was both disturbing and even a little scary for him. His mind was in scrambles as he tried to comprehend all of this. He had thought this crazy woman was a noble, but no noble would act as she was. Then there's the fact that she wants to join his party because she thinks he's an elf, despite knowing how a typical male elf would usually treat someone. And she only seemed to be even more sure to join him once he had thrown her to the ground; why!?
It was almost as if she was-
...
Oh dear Hylia.
Finally connecting the dots, Link's face erupted in red as he stared down at the crusader in complete bafflement. Her rapid breathing, her deep blush, her loving yet lustful eyes...
"A-Are you aroused right now?"
Everything seemed to freeze, including Darkness. There was a shock in her eyes as she stared at him, starting to open her mouth yet struggling to get any words out.
"Wh-What?" She only ended up uttering.
"Are you..." Link cringed as he tried to figure out the phrase some of the knights had used when describing this, wondering if it'd explain better. "Are you actually... turned on by this?"
"I-I, well..." Darkness lost a lot of her steam, not having expected the complete bluntness. She let go of Link's shirt and sat in a seiza, fiddling with her fingers while looking down with a nervous smile. She didn't say anything, unexpectedly feeling embarrassed in a way she didn't expect from being suddenly put on the spot in this manner.
An awkward silence occurred between her and Link, one stretching to the rest of the guild, until the hylian hesitantly spoke up.
"Um, forgive me if I'm misunderstanding, but do you... like it... when people hurt you... physically?"
"I-I, er..." Darkness shifted in discomfort. "A-Also... v-v-verbally?"
Another moment of silence, with Link looking like he was trying to solve a complex shrine puzzle in front of him despite how awkward it felt. His face scrunched up as he attempted to get a read on the girl.
"But... why?"
It boggled his perspective. How could someone actually like being hurt that way? He knew that those like Darruk and Urbosa always enjoyed a good battle. But wanting to get hurt? That didn't make sense at all!
Darkness's hands embarrassingly rubbed together on her lap. "I-It's more about the h-humiliation and... m-moral... d-degradation...? It just... u-um, I don't..."
By now, she was blushing harder than ever, with her entire head tomato-red and her smile turning into a trembling line of shame.
This wasn't how this was supposed to go. She's never actually had to explain her interests to anyone before. Everyone who's ever discovered them had simply run away or refused to party with her. No one had ever bothered to actually try to understand. What was she even supposed to say right now!? Especially when every one of the guild staff was listening in!?
Darkness refused to look up as embarrassed tears started swelling in the corners of her eyes, her blue orbs becoming swirls of panic as she felt so many eyes on her. She was feeling humiliated, but not in the way she liked. This was making her feel self-conscious beyond measure, and it was leaving her absolutely mortified.
It all inevitably ended up being too much for her.
"E-EXCUSE ME!"
Covering her face, the crusader abruptly stood up and ran out of the guild, comedic tears leaking out as she moaned and busted out the doors.
Link stared as she disappeared, completely dumbfounded.
He turned to the similarly stunned waitress, who looked rather dead inside, and shrugged his hands.
The next day, Link was up before the sun was, still trying to figure out whatever in Hylia yesterday was.
He evidently decided to give up trying to understand enjoying pain and humiliation sexually, as it felt both awkward to think of and would be a waste of his day. Instead, he used the darker morning hours to try and recall his previous exercise routine from when he had been a knight, choosing to have a long morning run.
Despite having most of his key memories back, there were still many things Link didn't remember, much to his sorrow. It felt like he knew Zelda, but not everything he should, and the same was true for every other important person he remembered. The shrine of resurrection had been a last resort for Hyrule but had been anything but perfect, hence losing his memories in the first place.
The hylian used the run to try and jog his memories, no pun intended, and hopefully remember any small things he might not have recalled before.
He felt... complicated, to say the least, like he was someone who had gained another person's memories, almost like he was an imposter.
Is he really the same Link as before the calamity? He doubted it, for he remembered that even after Zelda had broken him out of his shell, he had still been more serious around her than when he had been after... waking up.
As in, he would've never considered riding a Lynel like a horse before the calamity.
...
Okay, there were a lot of things he probably would have never done before the calamity.
But at the very least, what he felt didn't change, especially his fondness for Zelda.
That warmth he feels whenever thinking of the princess was something you couldn't fabricate from previous feelings or memories; they were their own thing. He missed his princess, and he missed all of his friends, he missed his little sister... he missed so much.
Link got so absorbed in his melancholy remembrance that he didn't realize it had turned noon until he had finished running around the entire circumference of Axel. Megumin and even Aqua were most likely up and waiting for him at the guild by now.
So the chosen hero took a quick rinse in the large river that went through the city before quickly making his way to meet up with his new companions, wondering if he should tell them about the crusader, Darkness.
Entering the guild, Link heard a surge of noise from a small upstairs area with a wooden railing. Looking up, he saw the familiar blue hair of Aqua as the goddess held up two blue foldable fans and balanced a cup on her head. She moved gracefully as her fans spurred water upward like a fountain, filling the perfectly balanced cup of water until a beautiful pink rose sprouted and bloomed, sending petals scattering about.
"Tada!" She finished with a beaming smile.
"WHOOOOOOAAAA!"
The seated crowd of adventures before the goddess all cheered with applause, Link joining in with politely clapping hands. He's seen plenty of performances in Hyrule while serving royalty, and Aqua's would have undoubtedly brought about several faces of awe.
Zelda would've loved to try and pick apart how her trick worked...
"Thank you! Thank you!" Aqua bowed her head while somehow still balancing the cup, something Link somehow found even more impressive, before turning and catching sight of him.
"Oh! Look, Link! What do you think of my newly acquired skill? Isn't it befitting of a water goddess like myself?"
Link gave her a suspecting look.
"You spent more skill points on party skills?"
Aqua squeaked.
"N-No! This is one of the ones I already had before you told me not to!"
The honey-blonde stared at her in silence, raising an eyebrow.
"Really!" Aqua insisted.
Choosing to believe her, Link nodded.
"Oi, Aqua! Give us an encore!" One of the burly men seated said, bringing joined cheers from the rest.
"Ah, of course!" Aqua turned back to them with a smile before continuing to perform.
Seeing that she'd be busy for the moment, Link looked around for their other party member, finding her seated at another table on the ground floor while eating a simple meal of meat and veggies, to which he walked over to her.
Megumin chewed her food without much enthusiasm, her eyes missing some of their spark as all her meal did was make her crave more of that soup Link had made her yesterday. While reminiscing on that homely yet rich taste, she saw the Sword Master approaching, instantly making her perk up her head at him with brightened eyes.
"Mm! Morni-ACK!" Forgetting that she had been chewing food, Megumin inhaled her carrots and started choking, eyes bulging as she started coughing hard.
Seeing this, Link quickly ran over and roughly patted her back to help her free her clogged airway.
Not a good start to the morning.
It only got a little worse when Link hit her a little too hard, successfully getting the carrot out, but also causing Megumin to splat facefirst into her plate.
Link cringed.
"Sorry..."
Unmoving from her plate, the Arch Wizard weakly raised her right hand into a shaky thumbs up.
All was good.
"I'll get you another meal." The hylian said, turning to call a waitress over.
But a small hand grabbed his wrist, making him pause and turn back.
Megumin looked up from her food, face holding chunks of mashed potatoes and sauce, as her single uncovered red eye sparkled in intense interest.
"Can you cook again?
Blinking in surprise, Link's expression softened with a small smile.
"May at dinner," He answered, pulling out a handkerchief and proceeding to clean the young girl's face, bringing a blush from the magic user. Link continued to wipe all the residue from her, this scene seeming faintly... familiar...
'Link! You don't have to!'
Hyrule's best fighter ignored his princess's pleas as he continued to wipe her cheeks away of cake and fruity residue, deadpanning all the while.
'Oh come on, I'm not some wild animal, Link!' Zelda refuted, backing up on the grass field the two were resting in.
Still deadpanning, Link slowly turned to the all-but-demolished fruitcake on the stone next to them, looking as if it had been mauled by a Lynel, before turning back to her.
Indignantly blushing, Zelda turned her head away.
'I-It's not my fault you made it too good! You've practically ruined all other fruitcakes for me!" She huffed in embarrassment.
The achievement brought a proud and teasing smile to Link's face, to which he scooted closer and brought his handkerchief to Zelda's face once again.
'Wha-!? Link! I can do it myself! Link? Link-!?"
"Link?"
The young man blinked several times and breathed, realizing he had stopped doing so for a moment. He brought his attention back to the young girl before him, who was looking at him strangely.
"Sorry... Got lost in thought," was all he said before continuing to clean Megumin's face.
The younger girl seemed to sense there was something more to it but didn't say anything as her face was finished being wiped off.
"There." Link smiled, patting her head, which made her eye twitch.
But before she could say anything, the familiar sound of rattling armor made him tense.
He didn't turn around this time, hoping that maybe Darkness would be too embarrassed to approach him again, but those hopes were dashed when he heard those heavy steps come close.
"I've been looking for you."
Megumin curiously looked at the new arrival while Link held back a sigh of defeat, keeping his expression neutral as he turned around to address the crusader.
Surprisingly, she didn't show signs that she had run off crying the previous day. Rather, the regal aura around her was back as she kindly smiled at him like they were old friends. Link briefly noticed two other teenage girls seeming to be watching from afar, one with fair skin and the other tan, but he didn't think much of them considering how much he's been stared at already.
"I'm sorry for..." Darkness's bravado showed a hint of weakness through the pink in her cheeks as she sat across Link. "...leaving so suddenly yesterday. Shall we continue from our previous conversation, then?"
Link tilted his head.
"You mean about why you get sexually aroused by pain?"
"NOT THAT!"
He and Megumin jumped as Darkness's palms slammed the table.
The crusader's face burned in crimson once again, not comfortable at all about having to actually explain herself for why she was the way she was. It's like answering a question about your identity and having a crisis because of it!
As for Link, he stared blankly at the large cracks now on the table, suddenly remembering the times Darruk had done similar things to the castle's furniture at times.
That's... promising...?
Next to him, Megumin blinked, registering what Link just said about the new girl.
"Wait, she gets what-!?"
"I-!" Darkness cut off Megumin's confusion loudly. "-was talking about letting me join your p-p-party!" She urged, leaning across the table to face him with a bashful yet unflinching gaze.
Link frowned. With how excited the woman had been, believing he was a male elf, it wasn't hard to see what she was looking for...
"My apologies, but I don't believe it would be suited for you."
"WHAT!? Why!?" Darkness abruptly cried out in despair, the table groaning under her, and that was when the two watching women approached.
"Darkness! You can't be that pushy with him!"
Link looked at the one who spoke.
She was a teenage girl with purple eyes, short silver hair with a blended violet tint, and a small scar on her right cheek. She had a somewhat revealing outfit that was actually common for the rogue-ish classes he'd seen in Axel so far, consisting of a light blue scarf, a short elbow-length green cape, a bikini-like grey top, a pair of black elbow gloves with brown gloves on top, short blue jean shorts, white knee-high socks, brown boots, and a sheath with a dagger attached to her leg.
The girl seemed embarrassed for her friend before turning to him, to which she froze, her cheeks lightly pinkening as she stared at him with something akin to sparkling awe.
A giddy smile took to her face as she waved.
"Oh! H-Hi! I'm Chris! I'm a big fan!"
Link did a double-take.
He has a fan? But he's only been in the town for like a day?
"What she means is-" Chris's companion cut in. "She admires how different you are from the standard male elves, treating everyone with basic decently."
Turning to the other girl, Link found himself freezing at the sight of two beautiful blue eyes. For a moment, he thought he was staring at Hylia again, only to blink and realize this was someone completely different. Like Chris, she also appeared to be a slim, tomboyish girl, but unlike her friend, she had the pointy ears of an elf and darker skin, which seemed to be tanned rather than the natural skin color of a dark elf.
Her clothes expressed a youthful and adventurous air for the girl: a violet-cropped tank top, an open dark blue sleeveless vest, a red bandana tied around her neck, bandages wrapped around her wrists, white shorts going just below her knees, leather bandit sandals, and a red cloth tied around her hips as a belt with a curved sheathed scimitar attached to it.
The girl's golden blonde hair was uniquely styled into a tall bun curing on her head, with her bangs somehow styled into simple lightning bolts. Her brilliant blue eyes glimmered as she smiled at Link, hand on her hip as the other gave him a wave.
"As for me, I'm Tetra! I'm a thief class with Chris. Nice to meet ya!"
"Hello." Link greeted back neutrally, curious as to why these girls approached him. "Did you come to join our party too?"
Chri's shy smile lit up to something more akin to excitement.
"I'd-!"
"Sorry!" Tetra cut in, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulder with an apologetic smile. "We've got our own thing going on."
That seemed to cue Chris on something, for her eyes shifted in realization before showing evident disappointment yet understanding.
"Yeah, sorry..."
Tetra sympathetically patted her on the back before addressing Link again.
"I'm friends with Chris, and Chris here is something of a friend to Darkness, so we're just here to help her find a nice party to settle with, get me?"
Link nodded in understanding.
"So, how about it? Could you consider letting this lost soul find a place with your new group?" Tetra asked, beaming at Link while patting Darkness's shoulder.
Link turned back to the crusader, who anxiously waited in place while rubbing her legs together with a shy smile.
While Darkness seemed as nice (and strong judging by the cracks on the table) as someone could be, it still greatly bothered Link how... 'excited' she was at the prospect of pain and humiliation, especially when she expected it to be by him personally.
Link didn't have any personal sexual experience with a woman, as having been trained as a knight and pulling the Master Sword at a young age had set his path and forced him to focus on it. However, despite that, living with many of the rugged knights of the kingdom has granted him plentiful information in those regards, as drunken nights with drunken knights boasting their sexual desires and escapades have given him a large picture as to what sex was and the tastes people could have. He's listened to the knights share their appeals and desires, along with any discovered desires they've found from any woman they've successfully managed to bed.
Not once did Link hear anything about what he essentially viewed as desired abuse. But those talks had made him much more aware of Zelda... although it actually wasn't hard for someone as disciplined as himself to ignore those thoughts or keep them from coming up in the first place.
...
Okay, he might've let a few thoughts slip here and there.
...
Look, he's had to guard the princess while she sat in a white gown in a pool of water, alright!? Could anyone blame him for slipping up a few times!?
Wait, where was he going with this?
"Why can't she join us? You were looking for advanced classes anyways." Megumin finally spoke up beside him, food forgotten.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Link turned to her.
"The issue is she wants to join under the assumption I'd satisfy her sexual desires by abusing her."
"I did hear that right before!" Megumin blurted out.
"Y-You don't have to say it out loud, you know!? You shouldn't expose a woman's darkest secrets like that!" Darkness shouted, scandalized.
Chris raised an eyebrow.
"That was meant to be a secret?"
Darkness groaned and slammed her head on the table.
Which... promptly collapsed under the impact.
The guild was silent as the group stared at the broken wood and scattered remains of Megumin's previous meal.
"Um... You'll have to pay for that." One of the guild staff piped up.
Darkness covered her red face with her hands, shamefully nodding.
"Ahaha... what a quirky one." Tetra awkwardly chuckled while Chris turned away in embarrassment for her friend.
"Ara? What happened?" It was at this moment that Aqua appeared, having finished her performance and finding the gathered group quickly. She raised an eyebrow as she looked from Link and Megumin to the three new girls. "Who are they? Wait, they aren't more harpys, are they!?"
"I still don't know what those are." Link deadpanned.
"Emergency quest! Emergency quest!
Link abruptly shot up to his feet, his expression shifting into a calm, neutral stare as his posture turned into that of the focused warrior he'd always been.
"All adventurers, please gather at the front gate at once! I repeat: all adventurers, please gather at the front gate at once!"
He was already out and running the first time Luna spoke, heading towards where he knew the main gate was.
"Eh? Hey, Link! Wait for us!" Aqua called as she ran after him, Megumin and even Darkness joining afterward.
That left Tetra and Chris as every other adventurer rushed to get a move on.
The former turned to the latter with a smile.
"So? What'd you think?"
Chris sighed in delight, staring longingly at the exit.
"He looked even more gallant in person... After watching all his adventurers, I can't believe he ended up here of all places."
Tetra chuckled.
"You can thank your senpai for that."
Link stood in front of Axel's gates, Master Sword in hand, as he scanned the fields for any immediate threats as everyone else started showing up behind him.
He saw a large green patch of... something heading towards the town. Was it like a wave of moblins? No, the orbs seemed too small and too many to be those tall monsters, not to mention that they were moving at a relatively fast pace. Something like a swarm of keeses instead? If that's the case, he'll have to be patient and let them come to him since he doesn't have any of his bows-
"Oi! Point-ears. This is your first time, ain't it?"
Link's calculating thoughts stopped as he turned to his right, finding the ruffian that had lent him money standing beside him with a grin.
"First time?" He repeated as a question, wanting him to elaborate.
"Yeah! You know? For the cabbage harvest!"
The sound of a record scratch rang through the blonde's head, bewilderment breaking through his hardened face.
"Come again?"
"Link! You forgot to bring baskets for the cabbages!" Aqua called, arriving with several large straw baskets, Megumin and Darkness in tow.
"Cabbages?" Realizing he heard that right, Link blinked several times. "The threat is cabbages?"
"Oh right, you don't know." Aqua cheerfully put down her stacked baskets beside them, to which she closed her eyes and faced Link in a wise voice. "In this world, cabbages fly."
Yup, that made perfect sense.
(No it didn't.)
Link stared incredulously at the goddess; she had to be messing with him.
He was quickly proven incorrect as Aqua continued, explaining that as cabbages reach their optimal flavor, they don't let themselves be eaten. Instead, they rampage through cities and grasslands, crossing through continents until they quietly pass away in a desolate wasteland...
"So we'll grant them salvation! We'll catch as many as possible and make them into delicious meals so they won't pass alone; for their sakes and for ours!" Aqua finished with hands up and a bright glow behind her.
"...so I can eat them?"
"What's that lackluster reaction to my benevolent preaching!?"
Link ignored Aqua as he turned back to the open land, eyesdilating very intensely as he stared afar at the accumulation of green orbs getting closer. Sure enough, he could make out flying heads of cabbages with black eyes heading toward them at the speed of cannonballs.
This world is incredible.
"Everyone! The annual cabbage harvesting season has arrived!" Luna happily called through a makeshift paper megaphone. "This year's cabbages are of fine quality and will go for 10,000 eris per head as long as they're not too damaged!"
Oh this is getting better and better.
Link remembered how he and Aqua got 125,000 eris total after the Giant Toad quest, and splitting it gave them each 75,000...
And just killing eight of these cabbages would get him more than that much?
Hyrule ain't raise no fool!
"Link! This is a perfect opportunity. See my ability as a crusader with your own-! Eh? Link!?"
Darkness had been speaking when Link's eyes flashed before he abruptly blazed forward with Swift, dashing toward the army of monsters and bringing many shocked cries at the dust he blew behind him.
"Oi, pointy ears! Don't get ahead of the pack like that!" The ruffian called despite his grin of mirth.
"C'mon, everyone! Don't let him get all the loot!"
""IT'S HARVEST TIME!""
*Cabbage! Cabbage! Cabbage!* The oncoming cabbage swarm flew downward at a low altitude, the first wave heading right for the lone hylian ahead of the group.
Link grinned as he brandished the Master Sword to his side, waiting until the first few cabbages attempted to collide with him head-on.
But at the last second, Link dodged, and the word slowed.
He flipped to the side to avoid the first few cabbages, moving in slow motion as did the rest of the world, but the moment his feet touched the ground, he blurred forward, swinging his sword again and again as he slashed through one cabbage after another.
And with one finishing slash through four cabbages, time returned once more, with perfect halves of the monsters falling to the ground with Link between all of them.
Gods, he loved his Flurry Rush.
"Oi, what was that!?" To the adventurers, they had seen the apparent male elf running head-first into the swarm before suddenly dodging, only for a series of blurry afterimages of the man to appear as he sliced through groups of cabbage, leaving them all in perfectly cut halves on the ground.
The rest started splitting into smaller groups in panic, which Link chased down in giddy glee.
"Whoaaaaa! Look at him go!" A warrior pointed in awe as the singular man of his race started rapidly slashing through more cabbages.
"He really is amazing!"
Link slashed through another bunch.
"Yeah!"
Another two packs were sliced.
"Ah, wait a minute..."
Three consecutive slashes got seven more.
"Isn't he just-?"
Another batch of 50,000 eris worth was claimed.
"H-Hey! Wait wait wait! Leave some for us!"
Suddenly, a massive sense of urgency took over the adventurers of Axel as they started rushing around in panic to find cabbages for themselves. They scampered through the fields with weapons as they sought to grab or shoot down as many of these monsters as they could, as despite there being so many of them, they had a feeling they'd be practically getting robbed if they didn't take this seriously.
"Outstanding." Darkness stared in awe at Link's swordsmanship as each cabbage he cut through fell in perfect halves, leaving a trail of them behind. Not to mention, there was a crazed grin on the elf's face as he cut through everything, sending shivers down her spine, this time, the kind she actually likes.
"I-I have to prove my worth!" She gasped, taking out her sword and rushing into the fray with a war cry.
Link had just cut through another four cabbages when he caught sight of Darkness running towards another group and, being curious, he halted his genocide to watch her swordplay.
It was-
...
Dear gods.
What is THAT?
Link stared in absolute horror as Darkness's sword missed swing after swing, at most creating powerful gusts of air that sent the cabbage monsters flying about. Being a swordsman at heart, the pathetic sight left Link a little dead inside.
Is this how Zelda felt seeing him eat Darruk's rock roasts sometimes? Or how Paya felt when she first saw him arrive in Kakariko village riding a bear in only his underwear?
...
Good times.
But not even those memories nor that funny little rhyme just now was enough to calm Link down. Calling Darkness's ability swordplay was absolute blasphemy. It was so bad that it just couldn't be natural because there was no way someone was that horrid with a sword. He almost wanted to go over and beat swordplay into the girl himself.
Then again... that's probably exactly what she wanted.
Ew.
At some point, Darkness missed another dozen roaming cabbages before catching sight of Link staring at her like she had just killed a puppy. She froze in place, watching as his disturbed expression shifted into one someone would have when telling someone that their pet had died.
So sympathetic, so pitying.
The exact opposite of the kind of looks she wanted to receive.
Cheeks turning red, she turned her head away.
"A-At least say something instead of just staring!"
The young man just shrugged in a 'what am I even supposed to say?' gesture.
They were both suddenly interrupted by the sounds of meaty thwacks and several cries of pain. Turning their heads, they saw several adventurers getting slammed by cabbages and sent sprawling to the ground, some even getting knocked unconscious by the impacts.
Link frowned, about to move in to help, only for Darkness to rush first.
"I'll save you!"
He watched as the crusader threw her sword away and moved between some collapsed adventurers and a concentrated group of cabbages flying toward them.
"Uwa!"
"Hah!"
"Mmm~!"
At first, she shielded her head with her arms as cabbage after cabbage slammed into her body, the blows occasionally taking off pieces of her armor, but then Darkness simply opened her arms with a look of pure bliss that the others somehow took as pain.
"How could I ever abandon those who have fallen!?" She cried out.
Link to say... was disturbed.
His stare became completely blank, his entire body black and white as he stared at the sexual arousal evident on the crusader's face. He didn't understand this at all, so much so that it scared him a little. For a noble(?) lady to purposely stand there and take hit after hit and still be completely fine-
Wait a minute.
Link squinted his eyes as he watched Darkness get absolutely pummeled by cabbages but didn't seem to be getting overwhelmed or injured in any way. By the sound of each impact, each flying cabbage almost seemed like one of Urbosa's kicks, especially with how people were getting knocked out by them. So for Darkness to be taking so many of these hits without any evident damage, especially in only her skintight underclothing with her armor having been knocked off...
That's actually pretty impressive. You'd hardly ever find that type of physical defense in Hyrule. Even Daruk couldn't just take hits with a grin on his face.
Wait, shouldn't he be helping her out right now?
But, well... if she's enjoying this, then he shouldn't interrupt... right? Is that how this works?
"Oh, blackness shrouded in light..."
Link blinked as he turned his head back to the main entrance of Axel, where he saw Megumin's manic glee despite the distance. The blue crystal of her staff gathered mana while a fiery-red magic circle formed underneath her, also bringing another whirlpool of wind and mana circling above the gathered cabbages where Darkness... stood...
!?
Jumping in realization, Link activated Swift and blazed toward the crusader currently in ecstasy, slashing through a few intercepting cabbages along the way.
"Frenzied blaze clad in night..."
He made it to Darkness in no time, getting in front of her as he swung his blade.
"Sacred Sword!"
Using his new skill, he blew away the rushing wave of green monsters, creating a brief period without them.
"Eh!?" Arms still open, Darkness looked utterly heartbroken by the action. "Why did you-?"
Link didn't even give her a chance to speak as he grabbed her, threw her over his left shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and proceeded to run as fast as he could back to Axel's main gate, all in less than a few seconds.
"In the name of crimson demons..."
"Wah!? Y-You brute! So you've finally revealed your true colors, snatching me up so boldly while everyone is watching!?"
The girl's cheeks flushed with a happy squeal as she felt Link's firm grip around her waist, her unarmored breasts bouncing up and down due to his fast pace.
"D-Don't think I'll succumb so easily! No matter what you do to me, I'll never waver! No matter what devious ways you ravish me or how many times you use my body as you please, you'll never have my heart-!"
"Lady Darkness, please!" Link interrupted, keeping forward with both cheeks and ears red, "I'm trying to save you!"
"Eh?" The knight paused, blinking in confusion.
"Let the collapse of thine origins manifest..."
At this point, Darkness noticed the darkened atmosphere and turned her head to find Megumin's accumulating mana intensely concentrated over where she had just been.
"Wait..." Her eyes widened. "W-Wait!"
Realizing what she was going to miss, she started struggling like her life depended on it.
"L-Let me go!"
"Summon before me the root of thy power..."
Link kept a tight grip on Darkness as he cut a path through more cabbages, not looking back or answering the girl.
"Let me go! Let me go! You brute! You monster! You despicable man! How dare you!"
This time, funny enough, Darkness fully meant her words and the genuine emotion behind them as Link carried her away from the blast radius, away from what would be a highlight of her life!
"Hidden within the lands of kingdom demise!"
"Don't do this to me! When I wanted you to be cruel, I didn't mean in this way! Don't deny me this! PLEASE!"
"EXPLOOOOOOOOSION!"
"NOOOOOOOO!" Darkness reached a hand outward in tears, like watching a dear friend left behind to their death.
Her screams were cut off as a giant explosion flared, light blinding the area as collective screams of fright were smothered by the loud roar of destruction itself.
Link finally looked back at the giant pillar of fire erupting into the sky, watching as all those flying balls of money turned to a crisp as they disappeared behind the rampaging flames.
As a scavaging man who learned to never waste anything, the sight crushed his soul.
All that money...
Gone, reduced to atoms.
By the time he made it back to Axel's entrance, he and Darkness were teary for different reasons.
Link's mood significantly improved when he and his party ate dinner at the guild.
Sure, he had promised Megumin another bowl of soup earlier, but both had agreed to try the meals involving the high-quality cabbage that's been gathered up, especially when it would be a basis for the following meal Link makes using the cabbages he's stored.
To think that a simple meal of stir-fried cabbage could taste so delicious! No wonder the guild bought them for so much money! He didn't come to this world to fight cabbage, but it was an immensely worthwhile experience!
"I'd expect no less from a crusader!" Aqua praised from his left, pointing forward with her fork. "It's no surprise those cabbages had a tough time breaching your iron-clad defenses."
"Hnnnn..."
Rather than any words of thanks, Link heard the groaning whine coming from his right, making him pause his chewing. Turning his gaze, he saw Darkness refusing to look at him, cheeks red and puffed up in a pout with angrily teary eyes.
"How dare you play with a maiden's heart..." She grumbled.
Link sweatdropped. He didn't think she'd be this sulky for saving her; had she really been that confident in taking a giant explosion right in its center?
"Oi! I'm praising you here!" Aqua snapped, seeing as she hadn't been responded to, yet the crusader just continued to pout.
"Hey, is Darkness gonna join our party then?" Meguimin asked from the opposite side of the table.
That finally had the female tank gasp in realization.
"Th-That's right!" She abruptly stood up and faced Link, putting a hand over her chest with a big smile. "Even though I had been... denied in demonstrating my full capabilities as a crusader, you should still have seen enough of my abilities to make an accurate judgment on accepting me!"
Link stared at Darkness with an analytical gaze, thinking back on what he'd seen from her so far.
He frowned.
"There's still an issue we have to discuss."
"Wh-What?"
The smile fell from the taller woman and turned into shock, as if she had simply expected him to immediately let her join.
"From what I've seen from your fighting ability on the field, you have the inability to strike your targets." Link stated bluntly.
That immediately brought an embarrassed blush on the woman's cheeks.
"I-I'm the proudest of my defense! I'm a wall that will stand tall and always defend those behind me!"
"We're not talking about your defense, we're talking about your accuracy." Link forcefully steered back to the issue, stern gaze unmoving from Darkness. "In all my time as a swordsman, I've never seen someone so naturally deficient at using a sword. Have you never practiced with a blade before?"
Darkness shamefully turned away.
"I... I know the basics, and can at least use a sword in either hand, but..."
She played with her fingers self-consciously.
"I... am clumsy..."
Link raised an eyebrow. That's how she's explaining it?
"It was difficult for me to say, but while I have confidence in my strength and stamina, n-none of my attacks ever hit my mark."
"Shouldn't there be skills that help with that?" Aqua asked curiously.
Darkness didn't respond, merely getting redder.
"Can we see your adventurer card?" Megumin requested with an outstretched hand.
Still not looking at them, Darkness reached into her pocket and pulled it out, handing it to the Arch Wizard, who examined it with her other two companions.
Link's face blanched, Megumin nodded understandingly, and Aqua merely tilted her head in curiosity.
When Darkness had said she was confident in her strength and stamina, she had meant it. The two categories were the highest of her stats by overwhelming margins. Hell, her strength in itself was twice as high as his.
But then shock turned to complete disbelief when the hylian saw her other stats. The issue wasn't her average intelligence and luck, nor was it her low magic power from being a physical fighter...
The problem was that her dexterity was practically at rock bottom.
From what Link remembered from Luna's explanation, part of the dexterity stat involves influencing a person's accuracy in their attacks, so for it to be this low...
No wonder this woman can't hit anything!
Not to mention, every skill she obtained had to do with either defense or increasing some kind of resistance, and she hardly had any skill points left to gain more.
He'd ask why she had done this to herself, yet... he knew why.
But that didn't mean he wasn't baffled by it all! Is she that obsessed with becoming some kind of training dummy to thrash on!?
"A-As you can see-!" Darkness abruptly spoke, gaining their attention as she turned back to them with a facade of proud bravery. "I'm best fit as a shield in the front lines! I could've even taken that explosion and been fine! I'd be a perfect addition to your group!"
"You..." Link didn't even know what to think with what he'd discovered. Did his group really need someone who could take anything yet not hit a single thing?
"Welcome aboard!" Megumin suddenly said, giving a thumbs up.
"Really!?" The now overjoyed woman stammered.
Link turned to the Arch Wizard in disbelief, wondering why she had accepted someone limiting themselves by being too specialized.
But then he realized who Megumin was.
He facepalmed with a groan. Of course she'd personally relate with Darkness so much that she'd readily accept her in their group. In her eyes, the crusader must be like a fellow sister in arms.
"She's still a crusader, of course we should have her!" Aqua joined in. "We'll have four advanced classes then! It's too good to pass up!"
Link rubbed his temples in frustration but didn't immediately deny accepting Darkness. Sure, the only real issue with her abilities was actually one of the biggest problems a person could have, but...
Maybe he could salvage this.
"I'm teaching you."
"Huh?" Darkness and the other two girls turned to Link.
"If you're joining us, then we have to fix your weakness as soon as possible." Link said sternly, showing complete seriousness. "So I'll teach you how to use a sword."
Hopefully, with enough practice, they'd mitigate that weakness of hers. It was the only thing holding back the crusader from being an absolute menace on his field. And even if training her doesn't actually increase her dexterity, they could still at least develop some kind of fighting style or technique for her so that she wasn't completely redundant in hand-to-hand combat.
Darkness blinked in surprise, but then her face flushed as stars twinkled in her eyes.
"Y-Yes! Please! Be as rough as you want with me! Throw me, kick me, don't hesitate to use me in any way-!"
"I will do no such thing!" Link cut her off. Despite his expression unchanging, he couldn't hide the red in his ears.
"What!? Why not!?"
What followed was an argument where Link insisted he wasn't simply a 'male elf' that put down others, while Darkness seemed to just question him or be utterly convinced that he was hiding some savage side deep down inside him. Aqua didn't help, for she kept trying to confirm that the hylian definitely had a brutish (more like psychopathic...) side to him, and as for Megumin, she just kept staring at Link's ears with twinkling eyes, finding it absolutely precious how red they were on such a 'cool' person.
"...is he really gonna be okay?"
Seated at another table across the room, Chris and Tetra stared at the new party from afar as they ate their stir-fried cabbage, the latter looking highly concerned while the former looked scandalized at such a question.
"What do you mean!? Of course, he will! Link is the hero! No matter what the demon king throws at him, he'll pull through, just like he always does!" Chris stated passionately.
Tetra slowly turned her head and gave her friend a flat look.
"I was talking more about his own party..."
Chris faltered.
"I-I mean..."
She hesitantly glanced back at the chosen hero, finding him looking full of dread as Darkness held both of his hands across the table with heart eyes while Megumin struggled to pry them off, all while Aqua had somehow gotten her hands on another bottle of wine and was drunkenly leaning against Link with drool falling on him.
Chris turned around but avoided looking at her friend.
"They'll... probably be helpful? J-Just give it a chance!"
Tetra rubbed her temples with a groan.
Why did she have a feeling that fighting the calamity would have nothing on what's coming for Link going forward?
~{Author's Post-Notes}~
And that's a wrap! Honestly, with how much time I put into this chapter, I actually really enjoyed reading it all myself in one sitting. I think it came out rather alright. I even laughed at some moments even though I wrote this thing, so that gives me high hopes that you all enjoyed it, too.
Don't hesitate to comment on what you think! Any feedback is good feedback! Until next time!