Chapter Five: Unexpected Contact
"Whoa." A young excited voice called out.
The disguised Spear Hero smiled in the light of the morning sun as the lingering glow of his portal skill faded away. The group that currently stood on top of a hill overlooking Zeltoble's sprawling capital consisted of Motoyasu, Amber, and two adolescent demihumans.
"Pretty big place, right?" Motoyasu pointed out.
"Eh, I've seen bigger." Keel shrugged, putting her hands in the pockets of her new outfit.
"Really? You've seen bigger towns than this, Keel?" Anya asked her friend, still looking amazed at the view before her.
"Duhhhh. A man- err, I mean, a woman of the sea sees far better things out in the ocean than they ever do on land." Keel grinned beside her.
"Huh? But the boats you and the others use for fishing never go beyond shallow shore waters." Anya looked at her friend dubiously.
Motoyasu hopped off Amber's back, and the girl transformed into her human form as the Spear Hero adjusted his legs' straps.
Motoyasu wasn't dressed in his usual armor. Instead, he was wearing a new set of what looked like knight armor that he'd gotten as a monster drop a while back.
Besides looking like something straight out of the medieval period, it had red accents on the belt, the left shoulder pauldron, under the right armpit, and on the left side of the breastplate. Motoyasu's ponytail was also hidden under his visored helmet, and instead, a red plume of feathers rose from the helmet's top. The visor was raised, showing the Spear Hero's face.
He couldn't remember what monster he'd killed to acquire this. Once again, he had the thought that he needed to take the time to sort through his inventory to find out what other strange items he had managed to pick up during his travels, but regardless, this armor was only the first half of his disguise.
The other part was Motoyasu's weapon of choice. One of the new weapons that he'd gotten from Fitoria's nest. The Piensa Guard Naginata.
It looked brand new. The black-colored blade at the end of the shaft was curved and thicker than a regular spearhead. The entire thing was made from some type of metal that the Spear Hero had as of yet to identify, but it felt comfortable to grip with his gauntleted hands.
It didn't have the best stats even after using the strengthening methods on it. It certainly couldn't hold a candle to the new Spirit Tortoise line of weapons he had unlocked. But it was one of the stronger copied weapon forms he had, and it had the added benefit of being inconspicuous.
His armor already hid his appearance, but the weapon of choice would hopefully help to ensure he wasn't called out as the Spear Hero. He wanted to pass himself off as a traveler from some distant land, much like how L'Arc and Therese had when they first befriended Naofumi and Co. at Cal Mira. Though he had as yet to nail down the details.
Should he call himself Rock while he was here? But a name like that seemed so stupid. I mean seriously, who would call themselves Rock to hide their identity?!
At least he wasn't going as a fake Motoyasu, unlike a certain group of Heroes at Cal Mira. cough cough
"That's only because the sea monsters can be really dangerous if you're not careful! That's what Sadeena-san always taught me!" Keel continued to argue with Anya while Motoyasu pondered on these things.
"Aren't you strong enough to handle a few sea monsters now?" The cat girl countered.
"Obviously, but it's kind of hard to breathe underwater for me so I can't get to them!" Keel pouted.
"If they're too far underwater, then why don't you go out further into the ocean?" Anya asked, looking confused at the dog girl's reasoning.
"Because then they'll rise out of the ocean and feast on your bones for breakfast!... at least, I think that's how Sadeena-san explained it to me." Keel put a finger to her chin, looking confused herself.
…
At Anya's stare turning into a glare, Keel raised her hands in appeasement. "It was at least two years ago when I last asked her about sea monsters! You can't blame me for forgetting a few details!"
"Convenient, especially right now." Anya continued to glare as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Motoyasu still found it weird that the dog tomboy had recently found out that she was a girl. And that weirdness only seemed to be compounded by the fact that Keel was currently wearing a maid's outfit.
No, that wasn't a joke, nor was it Motoyasu's idea of a disguise. Some time ago, Elena acquired a large surplus of used clothing for the townspeople during one of her trips to Melromarc. And for some inexplicable reason, Keel had fallen in love with the French-styled maid outfits and hoarded all of them for herself.
This would normally be pretty inappropriate behavior since the clothing was meant to be for everyone in their village. However, the other former slave demihuman women did not seem to be keen on wearing these maid outfits. Motoyasu had some grim ideas on why that was the case, but he figured that it would be best to just let it slide and permitted Keel to remain oblivious so she could enjoy herself.
In the end, neither Motoyasu nor anyone else could convince Keel to wear something else for their trip. So this was what the Spear Hero had to deal with now.
At least Anya was dressed like a proper adventurer, arrayed in dark robes like what her mentor Mahoya wore. She was even wearing a version of her mentor's witch's hat, easily labeling her as a mage on the spot.
"Well anyway, I just know I'd be strong enough to face them if I could breathe underwater, and that's final!" Keel yelled as she stamped her foot on the ground.
"Sounds like an excuse if you ask me." Anya shrugged nonchalantly, irritating the dog girl further.
As the two growing teenagers continued to bicker, Motoyasu took in the sight of the city again for himself.
Unlike Melromarc and its medieval period style architecture, Zeltoble's buildings looked to be inspired by the Renaissance era of Europe. With a bit of modern flavor mixed in.
The Capital itself was on both sides of a mile-wide river. A long suspension bridge connected the smaller, outlying part of the city with the main part on the other side. Even from this distance, it was easy to see that this place was alive as a center of trade and commerce.
It'd certainly been a long time since Motoyasu had last been here.
To briefly explain, sometime after they'd been summoned, he, Ren, and Itsuki came here on a quick trip to visit a few important weapon shops in the area after copying what they could find in Melromarc's Capital. Back then, the three of them had believed that Zeltoble had the best shops anywhere in the world and they'd not only copied the best weapons they could find but also outfitted their parties with the best gear they could afford before quickly returning to Melromarc.
Thinking back on it, it had bitten into their grinding time and the kingdom's finances a fair bit. Motoyasu had especially come to realize how big of a waste of time it'd been after finding out later on that Melromarc had some great blacksmiths of its own.
Still, he'd acquired some good weapon forms from here that gave him skills such as Chaos Thrust, Lightning Spear, or Meteor Thrust. So he couldn't say that the whole trip had been a complete bust.
If only he hadn't had Bitch in his party back then…
"Hmmm, is everything ok, Blondie?" Amber asked him curiously.
Motoyasu smiled at the redhead. "Yeah. Just reminiscing is all…"
"What was Blondie, um, remen… uh…" Amber looked to be struggling with the word.
Motoyasu chuckled at how adorable she looked tongue-tied. "I was thinking over old memories. That's what I was trying to say."
"Oh?! Okay- Wait, does that mean Blondie has been here before?!" Amber asked in surprise.
Her comment broke up the argument between the two demihumans nearby before it could devolve into a full-on brawl, and they looked up at Motoyasu with quizzical looks as well.
"Yeah, once. It was just after I was summoned, and before the Wave of Catastrophe hit Lute Village." Motoyasu shrugged nonchalantly.
He could mention how he'd also been here many times thanks to Emerald Online. But he was pretty certain they wouldn't understand the concept of video games. Not to mention, he was pretty certain his game hadn't given this place such a dark aspect.
Either that, or he'd never dug deep enough into the lore of this place to learn just how bad things could get here in his old life.
"Wait, you managed to travel out here and back during that time? How?" Anya suddenly asked.
"He just used his portal skill, duh!" Keel scoffed.
"But the Heroes can't use that skill until they are level 50! How would Sir Motoyasu be level fifty already if he'd just been summoned?" Anya countered in an argumentative tone.
"Back then it was done through a colossal waste of Melromarc's taxpayer money." The Spear Hero visibly cringed. "And that's all I'm going to say on the topic. Now quit arguing you two, or I'm going to send you back."
Keel stuck her tongue out at Motoyasu while flexing her arms. "You can try, but you and I both know that ol' Granny wanted us to come along since we're the village's best and brightest up-and-coming warriors."
"... Somehow." The cat girl added scathingly in a whisper behind Keel.
The dog girl glared back at her friend, but Anya held her hands behind her back and began to whistle to herself innocently. That girl was coming out of her shell more and more lately.
Oh well, it appeared that the two of them were back to arguing with each other again.
If you were curious how Motoyasu got here and back so quickly in the past, it was pretty simple. It involved a carriage and several pairs of rider dragons.
…
Yeah, it'd be best not to mention that part to the others, especially Amber. Filolials were the superior species, after all.
He didn't want the angel girl learning about how his past self relied on dragons of all creatures to get around really quickly.
"Hmmmm, Amber doesn't like what Blondie is thinking about for some reason." Amber glared distrustfully at Motoyasu.
"I'm thinking about nothing whatsoever, I say!" Motoyasu quickly stood up tall and faced the young girl. Though, he pulled his visor down over his face as he did so.
"Hmmmm…" Amber continued staring distrustfully at the Spear Hero, causing the man to sweat.
Yeah, he definitely wasn't going to mention that story to her. Ever.
To try and get his mind off his current predicament, Motoyasu recalled the conversation he had with Granny the day when he first read the letter from the mysterious sender.
She'd given him some tips on what to do in the Arenas. What tournaments to participate in, who to fight against, who to bet on in a match (which was something he was pretty sure he wasn't going to do but she ended up going over it with him anyway), and more.
Instead of thinking about those things, he thought about a different part of their conversation. The reasoning for why Keel and Anya were there with him now.
"I'd recommend bringing Keel and Anya along with you."
"Those two? But wouldn't it be better if you came with me instead?" Motoyasu asked his mentor.
The old lady laughed mirthfully. "Ah, as much as I'd like to join you Spear-dono, I'm afraid I'm not allowed to fight in any of the arenas there anymore! I'm banned from all of them!"
"What?! But why?!" Motoyasu cried.
"I might have gone overboard and 'cleaned house' there one too many times, as you kids would call it in my younger days."
Cleaned house… you know, seeing how well the old hag fought right now, Motoyasu couldn't even imagine how she must have fought in her prime.
Well enough, apparently, if the place still remembered her all these years later.
"Anyway, there's no need for me to bore you with such a story right now. Instead, here are my reasons for why you need to bring those two girls along with you."
Granny's voice lessened as her face turned serious. "First, with the threat to our village, the Hero's party members with the exception of Spear-Dono must remain behind to defend in case of an attack at all times. The stronger the people we have stationed here, the less likely we are to be attacked and to suffer casualties like we did the last time this place had to deal with a slave raid.
"Now, for my second reason, Keel and Anya are amongst those who've made the most progress in their training and in leveling up. But despite what they've gained from sparring against me, Lady Seaetto, and others; they still lack real combat experience against opponents outside of a sparring or monster scenario."
"Experiencing live combat would be like having a break compared to your usual training regiment though..." Motoyasu muttered under his breath.
"Hmmm, did I just hear something? My hearing is not as good as it used to be, you see?" Granny asked with a smug grin.
"It's just the wind. Go on." Motoyasu gestured for her to continue.
"Hmmm, if you say so. Now, where was I… "
Granny went on to list aspects about the two. Like how Anya and Keel were the most motivated and the most diligent in their training thanks to the previous slave raid combined with Itsuki's cursed fiasco. The two already had their class-ups under their belts. That it'd be better to have them face combat while they were still in the middle of their growing phases since demi-humans learned the fastest at that point in their level-up growth.
"And last but not least;" Granny said. "Whoever sent that letter claimed that they were from Lurolona. Anya will help as part of your disguise since she isn't from here, but if our sender was genuine, you'll need someone who'd be able to recognize them.
"Since Raphtalia isn't here, Keel will have to do." Granny finished.
"What if Keel can't recognize them though? What do I do then?" Motoyasu asked.
"Well if she doesn't recognize them, then you can be pretty damn sure that the letter was a trap and you can teleport yourselves out of there before you have to fight your way out." Granny chuckled to herself as she crossed her arms in front of her again.
…
Motoyasu's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I am considering that this is a trap, but do you think I'd really have to fight a whole nation?" He asked.
"I'm a Cardinal Hero, so surely the leaders would at the very least hear what I have to say."
"Can't say for sure. It's been decades since I last visited." Granny shrugged. "Zeltoble is first known as a nation of merchants and trade, and for good reason. But that isn't the only thing that place is known for."
Granny's face turned serious again. "Let me tell you this much: the entire underbelly of that place is rotten to its core.
"On the surface, it'll look splendid and grand, and the people will be nice to you if you pay them well; but Zeltoble is also the place where most slaves are taken to and sold to people around the world.
"There's all sorts of wickedness there besides those abominable auctions. Secret gladiator fights to the death against captured high-powered monsters; slavers, merchants, and officials mingling amongst one another in bars, gambling halls, drug dens, and brothels. Various cults openly preaching their blasphemous ideologies and performing live sacrifices in the name of their heathen gods. Restaurants that serve demi-human or human meat as delicacies. Every vice and depravity that you can physically fathom and beyond can be found in the undercity.
"In regards to slaves, unlike Melromarc or Siltvelt, there are no rules for who can or can't be enslaved. Had a friend of mine travel to Zeltoble once with her orca husband, bless his soul. Some idiots thought they could sell him to one of the kitchens, only for her to beat the crap out of them, almost killing one of them in the process and-
"Well, let's just say that no one is safe if you get the wrong kind of attention while you're there."
Granny's face turned serious. "So please, be on your guard while you're in the city, Spear-Dono. You might be a Cardinal Hero, but that place attracts even people who'd like to know if a Hero of Legend could be enslaved or not. With or without the use of a slave crest.
"And they'd have the power and influence to make sure it was covered up if you were to accidentally die while there."
…
Motoyasu shuddered, but Granny's serious look was quickly replaced with a grin. "But eh, I've been training you for a while, so you should be able to handle a fight or two on your own!"
"Why the doom and gloom then!?" Motoyasu yelled at her.
"Gotta say something to scare the kids straight and make sure they don't do anything rash." Granny grinned. "And remember: If your identity does get exposed, then do not mention that I trained you no matter what."
"Why?" Motoyasu narrowed his eyes.
Granny's grin grew. "Depending on who learns that information, it could make your time in the arenas easier… or a lot, lot harder, if some folks there are still alive and cursing my name."
…
"... Okay, seriously, what the hell did you do in Zeltoble?!" Motoyasu cried out.
Granny's ominous laugh as she walked away didn't make him feel any better.
Motoyasu sighed, hiding the shudder that involuntarily went through his body.
Yep, he'd managed to get his thoughts off of whatever they'd been on before. What had he been thinking about again?
Anyway, Granny was spot on about the place looking great from a distance.
However, he had a good hint of what Zeltoble itself was like while traveling with Amber these past few days. Spotting small mountain villages with mostly ruined houses thanks to the Waves. Acres upon acres of farmland torn apart by monsters. The survivors walking the streets were starved and destitute.
One such village had been in the middle of being raided by slavers. Motoyasu and Amber had spotted it at the edge of the mountains due to the smoke clouds rising into the sky. The 'slavers' had been killing the men and capturing the women and children.
Motoyasu tried to parley for peace, wanting to avoid a fight. But after seeing one of the slavers fulfill his more dark desires by beginning to eat the arm of a man he'd gutted with his sword…
…
Let's just say that this 'particular' group of cannibalistic slavers never made it back to Zeltoble's Capital. The Spear Hero had taken some time to bring the few dozen survivors of the raid back to Lurolona, a task which took over half a day to accomplish due to the skill's cooldown timer as well as the limit of people he could bring along at a time.
Motoyasu couldn't afford being sidetracked like that, but seeing the survivors suffering… reminded him a lot of Leruno, and what his actions had caused to the residents there. In his own words after seeing the looks of despair and anguish on the people's faces:
"Never again."
And that was the end of that.
Still, this was only a small taste of what this place had to offer to those walking into the beast's den unawares. It was frankly a miracle that Motoyasu had managed to wander through this place once before without being attacked.
Amber had stopped looking at the Spear Hero at this point. Working to try and separate Keel and Anya, who were nearly at blows as their argument began to reach its climax.
"I bet you don't even know what a sea monster looks like." Anya rolled her eyes.
"I do too! My dad brought all sorts of monster souvenirs back with him after his long fishing trips!" Keel's tail bristled behind her.
"Monster souvenirs? So you're saying you've never even seen a live sea monster then." Anya smirked victoriously.
"I… Well…" Keel struggled to find something to say. Rage clearly palpable on her face. However, Motoyasu finally chose to intervene at that moment.
"Alright, you two, drop it. We need to get a move on. We have a lot of things to do and not much time to do them." Motoyasu adjusted the straps on his left arm again to make sure that the armor was on tight. "Just remember-"
"We're not supposed to reveal that we're residents of Lurolona," Anya said, mimicking Motoyasu's voice.
"And?" Motoyasu pressed on.
"We're not supposed to call you by name or mention that you're the Spear Hero, Bubba Spear." Keel mimicked Motoyasu's voice as well.
"... Right." Motoyasu patted the two on the shoulders. "But above all else, don't get separated from me out in public. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because I wasn't around. That includes you too, Amber."
"Kayyyy~!" The teenage girl grinned happily. She was giggling in delight while twirling around in her dress.
Ah, so sweet! Just like his angel Filo-Chan, I say-
Ahem, it was just what Motoyasu needed to smile right now.
"You STILL haven't told us 'what' to call you though, Bubba Spear!" Keel pouted.
"Probably because he still hasn't thought of a name for himself." Anya giggled.
The two kids laughed as if their previous argument had never happened, and Motoyasu was beginning to question Granny's reasons for bringing these two along again as the group walked down the hill and onto the road that led to Zeltoble's Capital.
…
Oh, right, there had been one more reason the old hag used to convince the Spear Hero to bring the two growing teenagers along in the end.
"Because if you don't, I'll beat you within an inch of your life, then I'll force you to heal yourself so I can beat you within an inch of your life again to properly express my dissatisfaction!"
Yeah, long story short, Granny was always right when it came to her reasoning.
Always.
Honestly… it wasn't as bad as Motoyasu had been expecting.
After crossing the long bridge into the city proper, he actually found it bustling with morning activity.
People of all types were coming to and from work. Merchants had their stalls set up in the streets and were pawning all sorts of wares from weapons and armor to monster materials and ores and food and so much more to passersby.
A carriage moved down the middle of the street. Containing a group of nobles chattering amongst themselves about one thing or another.
"Ooh! Anya, look at this!" Keel ran up to a stall that had a large harpoon resting in a case.
"Whoaaaa!" Anya's eyes sparkled at not just the weapon, but its size.
"Great eyes, you two!" The merchant spoke up. "You're looking at nothing other than the Legendary Lightning Harpoon used by Nadia in last year's Finals!"
That's what Motoyasu heard, at least. For the two girls though: "Eh, do you understand what that guy just said?" Keel asked Anya.
"No? Not really." Anya looked confused as well.
"Ah, my apologies!" The merchant switched from Zeltoble to Melromarcian on the spot. "I did not realize-"
"No, thank you, not interested." Motoyasu grabbed the two girls by the shoulders and began pushing them along again. For him, the only thing he noticed was the accent of the man changing when he changed what language he was speaking.
"Awwwww." The two's ears fell to their heads.
Crap, it was almost like seeing a Filolial's wings fall in disappointment! However, these two were far from being as perfect as Filolials. Motoyasu didn't even feel a bit bad about his actions as he kept pushing them along. "We still got to find an inn, you two. Then we got to register for the Colosseum and find the Gladiator's Bar and all that."
"Yeah." "We know." The two rolled their eyes simultaneously.
It was probably a weird sight, seeing a knight figure pushing a mage and a maid along down the street. Though Amber's angelic form was definitely the strangest sight for people not used to seeing someone like her.
"Is she a Shuzaku?"
"Aren't their wings supposed to be all red though?"
"She looks really pretty. I wish my hair was like hers."
"I like her smile. She's going to be a catch for any man that proposes to her, unlike me."
As they walked past a party of adventurers made up of women, Motoyasu inwardly chuckled to himself. It seemed that even if Amber did stick out a little, she was getting some good attention instead of bad attention! And whatever good attention the Filolial race could get, the sooner it'd be before the world discovered the greatness of angel girls, and-
"Don't say that! In fact, you look like someone who'd be perfect for Amber's Big Brother!"
Motoyasu stopped in his tracks.
His head pivoted around, only for his eyes to widen under his helmet as he spotted Amber talking to the last adventurer who'd spoken. A girl with black hair and green eyes that could be described as beautiful even with her bulky armor, shield, and greatsword hiding most of her body.
"E-Excuse me?" The woman asked in surprise.
Amber's eyes were sparkling with stars. "Yes, Amber can already tell! Shy Lady fits all the criteria Amber is searching for her Big Brother! There's no way Amber can deny an opportunity like this!"
The angel girl got on one knee in a disturbingly perfect impression of Motoyasu's usual antics, holding out a hand to the surprised paladin. "Please, Shy Lady, marry Big Brother and make him the happiest guy in the entire- ack!" Amber's words were suddenly cut off by Motoyasu unceremoniously grabbing her under her arms from behind and carrying her away like a cat.
"Sorry about my little sis ladies! Amber can be a little rambunctious when I'm not watching her! Later!" Motoyasu then disappeared, leaving only a trail of smoke rising off the pavement behind him.
"Ack! Bubba S- uh, I mean- oh I'll think of something later; wait for us!" Keel screeched as she ran after the disguised Spear Hero, with Anya following right behind her.
…
The paladin and her party were left in the middle of the street. Confused by their chance encounter with what they'd later discover to be the Spear Hero of Legend and his Filolial Queen.
…
…
Sometime later, Motoyasu finally stopped. Allowing Keel and Anya to catch up to him as he set Amber back on the ground again. "Amber, what the hell was that?!" Motoyasu loudly asked.
"Huh? Amber was just playing matchmaker for Blondie." The girl explained in confusion. "Shy Lady back there looked like the perfect person for Amber's Big Brother!"
…
Motoyasu almost wanted to facepalm.
He had to remember, Filolials were the perfect race. It was an honor that Amber had taken to calling him Big Brother instead of Blondie as part of his disguise.
"Don't just walk up to strangers and ask them to marry me!" Motoyasu said.
"But Blondie is the only hero without a mate? That's bad, isn't it?" Amber asked confusedly.
…
…
Motoyasu was left gobsmacked at what Amber had pointed out to him. Or maybe it'd been the way she phrased it?
"Oi! What happened to us not being separated here?!" Keel asked angrily as she and Anya finally caught up, dragging Motoyasu back to the present. Both demi girls were breathing heavily after racing to catch up.
"Apparently, Big Brother didn't like the woman Amber chose to be his mate." The angel girl shrugged.
"That wasn't the only reason why!" Motoyasu quickly yelled in an attempt to explain himself.
"Hmmm. Maybe having a girlfriend would help Bubba to smile a bit more sincerely." Keel pointed out.
"And smile a little less creepily at Filolials too." Anya snickered to herself.
Motoyasu glared at them, only making the teenage girls stick their tongues out at him. Unable to make a rebuttal, he eventually rolled his eyes and the group continued on.
Most of the morning ended up being spent wandering the streets. Trying and failing to find an inn to base themselves at for the day as most of them were full.
Motoyasu mainly searched around the area of the Colosseum, a building which towered high in the sky and which had a tournament going on right now. He remembered Emerald Online having quite a few inns around the open-air Roman-style arena, but he had no luck finding one with available rooms.
Motoyasu had to pull Keel and Anya away from several different stalls during that time… and interrupted Amber proposing to other women on his behalf three separate times.
He could admit that maybe 'Shy Lady', as Amber had dubbed her, could have been somebody he'd ask out on a date in his old world. But the next two were middle-aged noblewomen who were already married.
And the less said about the old lady she proposed to after them, the better.
"What do you mean Old Lady wasn't Big Brother's type?" Amber pouted beside him. "Doesn't Big Brother spend a lot of time with Old Granny back home?"
"Not willingly," Motoyasu answered through gritted teeth in his best attempt at an even tone.
"Eh? Maybe Big Brother should try to avoid interacting with Old Granny then." Amber suggested. Why would Blondie spend so much time with somebody if he didn't want to?
"Heh, as if Granny would ever allow Bubba to slack off." Keel grinned.
"Right, she'd sooner croak then- wait, seriously, Bubba?! That's what you want to call me?!" Motoyasu asked the dog girl.
"I mean, you still haven't given any suggestions." Keel grinned victoriously as she puffed her chest out with pride.
"Actually, I kind of like that name." Anya smiled happily. "Keep leading the way, Bubba!"
…
Motoyasu just sighed and lowered his visor again. If only to hide his shame under his helmet.
He'd have to work even harder to help Amber understand human courtship standards better… and see if he could come up with a better disguise name for himself while he was at it.
Rock was starting to sound more tempting by the minute.
…
…
The sun was now high in the afternoon sky.
They still had yet to find an inn with even one room available.
It didn't help that the further they got from the Colosseum, the more Motoyasu had to rely on signs to identify inns from the other buildings. A lot of places did have signs in multiple languages for their shops, but not all of them. He might have learned how to read Melromarcian texts, but it appeared that Zeltoble had a lot of different languages used here.
Made sense, considering its heavily commercialized nature.
Motoyasu's legs were getting tired of wandering around by this point, and he was forced to lift his visor to wipe off the heavy beads of sweat from his head. Having all that hair of his trapped under that helmet didn't help matters either.
"Bubba, I'm hungry!" Anya complained loudly.
"Me too! Let's just eat somewhere already!" Keel complained as well.
"After we find an inn, you two. If it's this hard to find one during the day, imagine how much harder it'll be when night comes and-" Motoyasu began to respond for what felt like the millionth time.
Grrrrrrrr…
"..."
"..."
"..."
The group all looked at one another, and then down at the Spear Hero's stomach.
Motoyasu put his gauntleted hands over the front of his helmet.
"Big Brother, maybe if we eat somewhere, we could ask and find out if there are any places in the area that we could stay at," Amber suggested.
"Yeah, I like Big Sis's idea!" Keel said excitedly at the prospect of having a meal in one of the city's fancy restaurants.
"It would be the sensible thing to do. It could also give us a chance to think over our backstories again." Anya thought out loud to herself. "We're passing ourselves off as adventurers who've never been here… but Keel and I will have to admit that we're from Melromarc, unlike you."
"Why?" Motoyasu asked her.
"Because me and Keel only know how to speak Melromarc's language." Anya's ears fell on her head worriedly. "It might have helped if we both knew some of the languages from Siltvelt as well but…"
…
Keel, who'd looked confused, suddenly reeled from surprise. "Eh!? Is that why I haven't been able to understand most of what everyone is saying?!"
"... yes, Keel. Believe it or not, most people don't speak one language." Anya deadpanned to her friend.
"Huh, who would have thought." Keel began to grin out of embarrassment.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
The three paused, only to look back at Amber, who was looking at her stomach.
"Hmmmm, Amber is pretty hungry too." The girl said.
…
Well, that settled that. "Alright, let's see if we can find a place that serves good food." Motoyasu gave in.
"Yaaaayyyy!~" The group cheered, drawing confused stares from the crowds around them.
Motoyasu realized they could use the break anyway. He'd wanted an inn room so he'd be able to portal to and from Lurolona in private. But he might need to rethink that bit, amongst other things he realized he hadn't put much thought into before.
But first, food. Fortunately, thanks to his last trip here, he knew a good place where they could eat… where the people spoke Melromarcian.
At least, he thought they did. Bitch and the others seemed to understand the waiters, at least…
Gods, why had he forgotten such a simple detail?! Stupid weapon auto-translation function!
After five more minutes of pushing past crowds of people, Motoyasu and his group approached a large building. Keel read the sign at the front and looked confused. "Hickwaal's Goods and Wares? Why are we going here for food?"
"Because believe it or not, there's a very nice restaurant inside," Motoyasu responded with a grin. "They served really good food here last time I visited."
"... huh, why would a shop have a restaurant in it?" Keel asked, looking confused.
Anya answered before Motoyasu could. "Probably so they can attract more customers."
"Yep. Certainly kept me around after I copied a bunch of weapons from this place." Motoyasu smiled happily.
"... you came here, and stole a bunch of weapons?" Anya asked.
"... no." Motoyasu looked confused.
"Did you pay for the ones you copied?" The catgirl pressed.
"..."
"Isn't that basically stealing then?" Anya asked when Motoyasu didn't respond.
"... urgh…"
Anya began to pout up at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her tail wagged behind her in a displeased manner.
"I-It's not like I took anything I didn't buy from here." Motoyasu's eyes darted away.
Hell, hadn't he won Bitch her sword from an auction that was held nearby?! He'd dropped 2500 gold coins on the blasted thing!
If anything, he'd done Melromarc a service by copying all those different weapons instead of purchasing them outright after doing that!
…
…
…
On second thought, it'd probably be better not to mention that, to anybody. Especially the Queen.
If Mirellia found out he'd been the one responsible for wasting that much money on Bitch's sword… Mirellia would be using more than just portraits of the Spear Hero for target practice.
The group entered the double large doors of the shop. Their eyes immediately being assaulted by the display of goods before them.
For Motoyasu, he was used to this, thanks to the supermarkets of his world.
For the two teens and Amber, however, they were surprised at the aisles and aisles of various goods before them.
There was everything from soaps and perfumes to pots and quills and ink pots organized in neat rows on pristine shelves. There were also aisles containing various foodstuffs, some that were canned, others that were packaged, and a few that were somehow being refrigerated. One section of the store looked to be entirely dedicated to clothes for men and women.
There was even a section dedicated to kid's toys in one corner. To top it off, employees in pristine uniforms moved between these aisles, cleaning the shelves and assisting customers with finding whatever they needed.
This place was like a supermarket. Now that he wasn't blinded by idiocy and simping, Motoyasu couldn't help but wonder if this whole setup was because of the influence of some past Hero.
Probably so, since from down here, he could spot the snacks and candies adorning the front of the aisles on the second floor of the shop that was dedicated to weapons and armor. The first floor was more of the home goods section of the store while the second floor was dedicated to the adventurers.
He knew how good some of those snacks were too, since he ended up buying a few while copying weapons the last time he was here. He wondered if he still had any of those stored in his weapon as well.
"And there's a restaurant somewhere here too?" Keel spoke, still sounding shocked.
"Mmhmm. That'll be to our left." Motoyasu turned his head.
There was a section of the shop isolated from the rest, where the aisles of goods stopped and became replaced with tables and waiters and waitresses. The transition was also similar to the supermarkets of his old world.
It looked like this was one of those places where one sat and ordered instead of going up to a counter and waiting for their food. There were some gladiators there, as well as some housewives, a couple of merchants, and a young noble couple who looked to be on a date.
"Can we buy some stuff after we eat Bubba?!" Anya asked loudly.
"Please! Pretty please!" Keel pleaded. She was drooling while looking at some of the different foods on display. But she was also staring intently at some of the toys in the back of the store. There were balls of all sorts of colors that'd be great for dodgeball back home!
"Oh! Amber would like to try out some of the dresses there!" Amber's face sparkled as she spotted some of the fancy dresses a customer was buying for herself.
Motoyasu opened his mouth to speak but found himself remembering the last time he came into this store.
"Sir Spear Hero, can I buy this dress? It offers better defensive stats than what I'm currently wearing."
"Sure thing Lesty! Just add it to my bill!"
"I'm hungry Sir Motoyasu. Can I get something for the road before we go?"
"Of course Elena! Get whatever you want!"
"Moto, buy this accessory for me."
"Oh, Malty, does it do anything special?"
"No, but it's expensive, meaning it's perfect for a princess like me."
"Indeed it is!"
Motoyasu almost felt like vomiting. He'd simped hard for the others back then, hadn't he? He could have recalled more of what happened back then, but even this little bit made him feel sick to his stomach. How could his past self have had so little regard for the value of money?
It was probably because of his time playing Emerald Online. He'd been so used to farming thousands of gold coins a session that he never gave a thought to how little others could make. He never had to deal with price changes on goods or barter either with the merchant NPCs of Emerald Online.
The game had a good combat system. But when it came to its game economy, it was rather… lackluster. But if it'd had even that, he might have not messed up at Lute with the ridiculous tax, and...
"Eh, Bubba, you doing alright?" Keel asked, noticing the look on his face. Amber and Anya both stopped pleading as well to look at the Spear Hero worriedly.
The blonde man shook his head. "I'll be alright, let's hold off on shopping for today and get lunch like we planned."
"Awwww, but we've never seen a place like this before Bubba." Keel's tail fell against the ground.
"Are you sure Big Brother?" Amber asked curiously. He didn't know if it was in regards to the shopping, or about how he was doing.
"Yeah. Melty entrusted me with some funds from the town in case we have an opportunity to free some child slaves or Lurolona kids while we're here. Would it be better to spend the money meant to save others frivolously on clothing or junk instead?" Motoyasu asked.
He felt very hypocritical saying that because of how his past self had acted. But he said it regardless.
…
The other three girls didn't say anything else for a while after that. Instead walking towards the restaurant, with Motoyasu following as they chose a table and sat down.
He helped Amber to order when the waiter walked up since she couldn't read Melromarcian yet. But otherwise, they remained silent while they waited.
…
…
"Bubba…" Anya eventually spoke. "I'm sorry."
Motoyasu looked at her in surprise. "Eh? What are you apologizing for?"
"I… well, when I saw everything you could get here, I… forgot that we'd have to be spending our money to get what we wanted," Anya admitted.
"Yeah, I've never seen a place like this in my life," Keel admitted with a sigh. "I kind of lost track for a moment seeing all the toys the kids at home could play with."
"Hmmm, Amber wanted to try on some of the dresses here so she could see if Big Brother liked any of them or not." Amber tilted her head. "If Big Brother didn't want to buy them though, Amber is positive that her Big Brother could make them on his own."
Motoyasu chuckled. "Maybe. I don't know if I'm 'that' good, but I'm pretty good."
Amber giggled, and Motoyasu smiled a little. "Hey, how about this. Whatever you win in the arena, you can spend however you like. Just donate at least a tenth of it to the town fund so we have a chance to free more people here."
"Okay!" "Got it!" "Sure!"
His words seemed to improve the mood of the table tenfold, and Motoyasu sighed in relief. He didn't want to be his old simping self, but he did want to make sure his friends would be happy.
Even if they annoyed him from time to time.
...
A few minutes later, their food finally arrived. Keel had ordered a steak for herself. Anya had fried fish with a side of what looked like Caesar salad. Amber had a bunch of cheap and filling rice and egg-based dishes to plow through. And Moto had a large bowl of creamy mushroom soup.
"Mmmm, so yummy!" Keel grinned in delight as she tore into her steak.
"Hmph, I'm only eating veggies since Auntie Mahoya says they're good for me." The cat girl pouted as she poked the leafy greens of her bowl with a fork.
Motoyasu immediately began to dig in. He had to restrain himself from doing his customary Japanese "itadakimasu", since that would have looked extremely unusual to the other patrons eating there.
"Eh, Big Brother, we aren't going to give thanks?" Amber asked curiously.
"Sorry, but that's something we'll have to refrain from doing while we're here. It would draw unnecessary attention." Motoyasu explained to her.
The girl looked disappointed. Motoyasu had, admittedly, been doing a good job of helping her learn various human customs. And the custom of giving thanks before eating had sounded really good to her.
Fortunately, her disappointment didn't last long as, within two bites, she was drowned in the flavors of what she'd ordered.
As time went on, they lost themselves in the meal. "Mmmm." Anya smiled happily in delight as she ate with perfect manners.
"Om! NOM! CRUNCH!" And Keel… threw what little table manners she had aside as she ate like a dog.
"Slow down, you're going to-" Motoyasu began to caution.
"MPH! MMMM!" Keel began beating a fist against her chest.
Other patrons in the restaurant looked at the maid-dressed girl in confusion.
Motoyasu slightly lowered the vizor of his helmet again. But it was a good time.
…
Not a lot of conversation happened after that. Keel slowed down in her eating somewhat after being given the Heimlich maneuver by the Spear Hero. It actually felt somewhat peaceful.
Motoyasu felt himself relax a bit too. This had been a good place for him to eat. The food was great. The waitresses were nice. He even contemplated visiting the weapons display area on the second floor as well to see if there was anything new for him to… copy. But otherwise, he hadn't seen anyone or anything bad in the city thus far.
Maybe this was a sign that he was going to have some smooth sailing here, and…
…
As if he had to jinx it with his thoughts, Motoyasu noticed a pair of armored figures sitting at a table next to the doors to the main shop.
He wouldn't have thought much about it if not for another set of armored figures sitting at a table next to the other exit that led out to the street.
The patrons all promptly stood up, their meals left on the tables as they left the restaurant wing of the massive store. The waiters and waitresses moved to the kitchen, where the doors closed firmly behind them.
Motoyasu and his group were the only ones left sitting there now.
"Why, hello there!"
A little man entered the restaurant. He was flanked by two other men who were armed and wearing the same kind of armor as the first four men standing guard at the exits.
The stranger that arrived with this escort was short, extremely so. He looked about as tall as the Slave Trader Beloukas. He spoke with an accent that Motoyasu hardly recognized, and wore a rich red hat on his head. Motoyasu identified him as a high-ranking merchant on the spot.
"Did you enjoy your meal, good sir and ladies?" The man asked in a kind voice. For some reason, his accent sounded different than when he'd first spoken.
"Yes, it was very… pleasant," Motoyasu replied unsurely. Part of him wanted to move his visor down, but the other part of him thought that it would look suspicious.
"I see! I'm glad to hear that!" The man spoke with delight.
Again, it sounded like his accent had changed. Even the armored escorts were looking at the guy in confusion.
"And what about the rest of you?" The short man in the red hat asked, again, with his voice sounding different to Motoyasu.
"... what?" Keel asked.
"Ah, my apologies." The merchant coughed into his arm, it sounded like his accent had just changed again! What the hell was going on!? "Did you also enjoy your meal?"
"Oh, um, yeah," Keel muttered.
"It was really good." Anya also looked equally perturbed.
"I'm sorry, but is there something you need from us?" Motoyasu finally asked. He had his skills list pulled up on his HUD by then, and his hand was twitching slightly, ready to grab the naginata resting on his lap under the table at a moment's notice.
He didn't like the feeling he was getting. What the hell was going on here?
"Hmmm… interesting." The merchant hummed to himself, before looking at Amber. "And you, Miss, have you understood every language I've spoken since walking in here too?" He asked.
…
…
Motoyasu's blood chilled.
"Not… all of them. The first one was something Amber was unfamiliar with." The girl admitted. "And the language you used before that didn't sound familiar either."
"I wouldn't be surprised. Both are used by a group of nations far to the east. Beyond even the former land of the Spirit Tortoise." The merchant's smile didn't quite reach his ears, as he faced the mysterious knight before him again.
"I do have one question unrelated to your meal if you wouldn't mind answering it for me."
His face turned serious. "Is your Filolial friend here acquainted with "The Nocturnal Doctor", by any chance?"
…
…
Motoyasu was beyond confused, but he selected Portal Spear on his skills list. He was ready to flee at a moment's notice.
"Nocturnal… who?" He shifted his head to the side. His weapon began to glow as he unconsciously prepared his portal skill to get them out of there.
"The Nocturnal Doctor." The merchant chuckled. "He also had a Filolial like your friend here. Had a knack for accessories too. I taught him myself.
"Are you or your friends acquainted with him, by any chance?"
Filolial- wait, he knew that Amber was a Filolial?!
"How do you know that Amber is a Filolial and not a Shuzaku?" Motoyasu countered.
"Hmmm?" The man tilted his head as he put a hand to his chin in thought. "I'd say it's because she reminds me of the Nocturnal Doctor's Filolial. Now, what was her name again… … …
"Ah, I believe he and his companion named her Filo!"
…
…
…
…
...
…
…
…
Strangely, Motoyasu wasn't sure what to think. All this time, he thought the atmosphere had been tightening in anticipation of a battle.
Yet now, just hearing the name of his angel coming off this man's lips with such delight, he felt like a fight was the last thing that was going to happen now, I say.
"Bubba has that weird look on his face again." Keel stared in confusion at the dopey-looking Spear Hero.
Anya sighed to herself. She'd been getting herself ready to pounce on these men in case a fight did start. But she didn't like her odds with the way Motoyasu was acting now.
"Hmmm…" A pondering look settled on the merchant's face again. His bodyguards didn't so much as twitch. After putting a hand to his chin and thinking for a moment, he pulled up a chair and sat down. "Perhaps I should be saying Shield Hero instead of Nocturnal Doctor. I guess he'd be more commonly known by that title, after all."
Motoyasu twitched in surprise as he came out of his Filo-induced reverie. Curses, how could he strike at his one true weakness so swiftly, I say!?
Before he could deny it, Keel's face brightened. "Oh, Bubba Shield?! We know him!
"Strange though, I didn't know he went by such a name in the past."
"Me either." Anya looked confused as well. "That's cool to know."
…
Motoyasu nearly facepalmed. Well, so much for their cover. It was clear this man knew who they were, somehow. Now it looked like he was either going to have to portal out of there, silence this man and his bodyguards before they could inform anybody of who he was, or listen to what he had to say.
Three seemed like the easiest option to go forward. And somebody who spoke so excitedly about his angel couldn't possibly be evil. So he went along with that.
"Yes, we know Naofumi." Motoyasu said.
At the confirmation, the merchant's face brightened with delight. "Excellent! I was wondering if the Hero's Village managed to receive my courier or not!"
…
"You… you were the one that-" Motoyasu started to say in shock.
"Me? No. I didn't write the message. I did agree to pass it along, however. I was paid quite a few gold coins to do it too.
"Truthfully, I was hoping that I would get a chance to catch up with my former apprentice here. Though, I don't believe you are him." Hickwaal eyed up the disguised Spear Hero with a studious eye.
…
Glancing at the entrances to the shop again, he saw that the bodyguards the man had brought with him weren't boxing his group in. Rather, their presence was keeping others from entering this part of his shop. How could this man possibly have this much sway here…
"I'm going to assume you're another one of the Cardinal Heroes then, hmmm?" Hickwaal asked. "After all, it's hard enough to understand five different languages. It's even harder to sound fluent when you speak them."
Before Motoyasu could ask, the merchant chuckled. "I learned a thing or two when talking to the Shield Hero. I've changed which language I'm using six times over the course of our conversation." As if to point it out, his accent changed before he spoke that sentence.
…
Was that why it sounded like his accent kept on changing to Motoyasu earlier?
"Before we go any further, I'd at least like to know which of the Holy Heroes our nation is being graced by in disguise…"
"... I'd rather not say." Motoyasu changed his weapon under the table to a weapon form the size of a toothpick, before hiding it under the gauntlet of his right hand.
"That's good to hear." The merchant's face turned serious. "You understand the seriousness of what you're here to do then."
"To help a former resident of Lurolona free some slaves?" Motoyasu answered.
"Yes, though that is only the tip of the metaphorical iceberg…"
One of the bodyguards near the restaurant entrance grunted. The merchant looked to him and then nodded his head as he directed one of the bodyguards at the shop entrance towards a wall. "I believe it'd be best for us to continue this chat somewhere else."
"Um, we were going to see about finding ourselves an inn-" Motoyasu began to say.
"Not very likely, especially right now." The man laughed as he stood up. "The slave market is experiencing such an economic bubble that almost every inn in the city is full of slavers trying to grab a piece of the pie."
"... how?" Motoyasu asked, sounding shocked.
"Hmmm? With all four Heroes establishing their own nation together, did you really think the value of people claiming to be from Lurolona would stop rising after you got here?"
"At the time that letter was sent, Lurolona slaves were already worth a hundred times more than the average slave. Now, that number is approaching two or even three thousand times more in some cases. And it isn't looking to be dropping anytime soon."
…
…
Motoyasu's face blanched.
He knew that Beloukas was giving them a discounted price on child slaves since their nation bought them in bulk from the man. So for the sake of making his estimate on the figure easier for Motoyasu to comprehend, he'd put the initial value of these child slaves, since no adults had been spared in the initial slave raid of Lurolona, at around fifty silvers, half a gold coin. The typical cost for a somewhat healthy child slave.
At the time the letter was sent, those kids were thought to be worth around fifty gold coins. Now, their value was being estimated between one thousand to one thousand five hundred gold coins!
It was then that Motoyasu finally realized the weight of the task they were undertaking at that moment. And it was clear that going through with this was going to earn the Heroes many enemies in the long run.
As Motoyasu continued to sit in stunned shock, Anya pulled on his arm, grabbing his attention. The girl looked more relaxed than she had earlier when she'd been preparing herself mentally for a fight. "Bubba, I get the feeling that this guy isn't a bad person."
"Yeah, I'm not getting any bad vibes from him either." Keel shrugged. "Certainly not like what I got from those slavers that tried to steal us back then."
Motoyasu had to take a few seconds to collect himself before he could respond. "I don't know yet…"
"I'll say, your caution is warranted." The merchant spoke again, this time in Melromarcian so the others could understand. "Lying and blackmailing is a common practice out here. Assassination too.
"However, I'm indebted to the Shield Hero for saving me from the latter. It's why I make sure to keep a squad of bodyguards on hand wherever I go now, just in case."
The merchant looked to the section of wall one of his bodyguards had walked towards.
It seemed inconspicuous at first. But then the armored man pressed a hand into the cobblestone brick, and the wall got pushed aside, revealing a set of stairs leading underground.
"Can you at least tell us who you are?" Motoyasu asked if only to attempt to grasp a foothold on just how deep the situation was.
"Hmmm… well, if it'll allow me to know who you are in return." The merchant bowed. "The name's Hickwaal. Proud owner of this fine establishment, and current guildmaster of the Merchant's Guild in Zeltoble, though I won't be for much longer with how things are going. Still, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
…
Ah, so that's why no one was here to bother them. Owner's privilege, what a nice thing.
Motoyasu stood up slowly, still keeping his weapon out of sight. "Kitamura Motoyasu," He said simply. "The Spear Hero."
"Sir Motoyasu then. The man who saved a city in the Spirit Tortoise's path on his own." Hickwaal's smile only grew, as if he was relieved. "Yes, I think you'll do just fine here."
He gestured to the stairway leading underground, and Motoyasu looked to the others.
However, instead of uncertainty, all of them had picked up their leftovers and looked eager to follow this man.
Seeing them trusting Hickwaal, Motoyasu finally decided to relax his caution, if only a little. Maybe it was bad to trust the intuition of his friends here, but not even Amber was suspicious of the man.
Maybe her cowlick rhythmically swaying back and forth had something to do with that. Fitoria must have been observing them this whole time.
Indeed, Filolials could never be wrong, I say!
"Bubba's making that weird face again," Anya commented.
"Shut up!" Motoyasu lowered his vizor again and began to pout.
The group followed Hickwaal underground. And the man's bodyguards closed the hidden passage behind them.
Author's Notes:
Not too much to say here. Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you all again in two weeks.
Hero Clips!
Reprisal of the 2500 Gold Coin Bit
"Your Majesty,"
"What is it, my dear Shadow?"
Mirellia stood at a window of her castle, observing her husband down below.
He was going on one of his walks in the courtyard. He still used a cane to assist himself, but he was moving on his own.
As she observed, he lifted his other hand up, chanting out a spell for wind magic. It was slow going, and he stuttered more than a few times, but a gust of wind came out from his hand, bringing a pleased smile to the man's face.
Mirellia's mood improved almost a hundredfold witnessing it. Truly, nothing could ruin this day for her, seeing the strides Aultcray was making in returning to his old self, and-
"Your Majesty?"
Oh, right, Shadow was still there. "I'm sorry, please repeat that." Mirellia focused on the dark cloaked figure again.
"I daresay, we've received fresh reports on your daughter and the weapon she purchased from some of our operatives in Zeltoble." Shadow spoke again.
Mirellia almost groaned. Of course, if there was anything that could ruin her day, it'd be news of that black sheep. "And what do the reports say?" Mirellia asked, already rubbing her forehead to alleviate the oncoming headache she knew she was going to get.
"It turns out that the former princess isn't the one responsible for spending 2500 gold coins from the kingdom's treasury on a sword that was only worth five gold coins."
…
…
…
"Excuse me?" Mirellia asked, looking surprised.
Shadow nodded. "Indeed, surprised as I was, it turns out the former princess isn't the one responsible for that."
…
…
Strange, Mirellia expected she'd have a headache right about now. But upon hearing that it was possible that 2500 gold coins hadn't been spent from her kingdom's treasury in such a colossal waste of money, she started to feel even better than before. And…
"Wait, you said she wasn't responsible… does that mean the sword was still bought for 2500 gold coins?" Mirellia asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid so, My Lady." Shadow bowed her head in apology again.
"... … …" Mirellia put her head in her hands. There was that all too familiar headache now. She could already feel her anger rising. "And who, praytell, is the one responsible for the purchase then?"
"I daresay, are you sure you want to know, Your Grace?" Shadow asked, the visible lower half of her face looking nervous.
"Yes." Mirellia finally looked up, glaring at her subordinate.
...
Shadow swallowed a gulp. Her cloak suddenly felt too hot all of a sudden. She already had a feeling what was going to happen next, but…
"The person responsible for the purchase is the Spear Hero." She admitted.
The Queen's reaction to the news was swift, but not unexpected.
"MORE! FIND ME MORE PORTRAITS OF THAT BLONDE BASTARD!"
Yep, this was an all too familiar scene for Shadow.
The raging Queen stood in her throne room. Fire magic swirled around her in waves as Mirellia's maids ran in and out of the room, carrying finely drawn pictures of the Spear Hero to set up on stands for her usual 'target practice'.
It was unknown if these had been drawn on the spot, or if they'd been prepared in advance for something or other. A few did look more crude than others, but that didn't seem to faze her Majesty in the slightest.
"Think the tune from before could work here?" One of the maids asked her colleague.
"No, bastard doesn't really have the same ring to it as bitch." The other girl sighed.
"-decipher the laws of nature, and turn my targets to ash! Leave nothing to remain!-"
The girls dashed out of Mirellia's line of fire. They felt bad for what the Spear Hero was going to go through when Mirellia got her hands on him.
"I daresay, does this mean that the former omake of Bitch gloating about buying her blade is being retconned?" Shadow pondered to herself.
Not exactly retconned, since Bitch is a well-known habitual liar.
"... fair enough." Shadow shrugged at the narrator's words.
"DRIFA INFERNO!"
Yeesh, she burned twenty portraits at the same time there. Mirellia had grown a lot stronger since the last time she vented out her frustration like this. Clearly, the tune the maids sung before wouldn't be appropriate now for more than one reason.
And like that, the maids were back to finding more drawings of Motoyasu Kitamura for Her Majesty to vent her wrath out on.
It was going to be a cold day in hell when Motoyasu returned from Zeltoble to report to Mirellia.
Till Next Time
Allen