Rise of the Alternate Shield Hero

by MajorRaphSim

Hello people of the internet! This story is about a American named Maddox Fulbright who is summoned instead of Naofumi, but he has all the knowledge of the world and events from the Anime and LN of our world. I made the story following the same major plot, but changed the details and smaller events. This contains major LN spoilers, so be ready. Anyways, Enjoy!

8. Rabbits and Doc

"So Raphtalia, how far did you exactly go yesterday?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, instead of going to the forest in the northwest, I headed around the side of the capital to see if there were higher level balloons there. Those balloons grew exponentially from the level 2 or 3's out here to around 7-14, growing stronger the farther you went. We could head out that way, but the forest might have higher level monsters too, as well as more of a variety."

I nodded thoughtfully. "All right, let's go to the forest. The more different monsters I kill, the shield gives me more buffs." Raphtalia understood, and we set off towards the forest. I only have ever been on the outskirts of the woods, never far enough in to encounter any monsters. I was going to have to play catch up a bit too, as Raphtalia was about 8 levels ahead of me. Speaking of which, I noticed she was limping a bit, maybe because of her growing pains.

"Hey, you okay? I noticed you're limping a bit."

She straightened herself, and tried to walk normally. "Oh no, I'm fine." She said through semi-gritted teeth, a little out of breath. I could tell she was in pain, but not agonizing or anything like that. I imagine she's having some serious growth going on.

"All right, if you are sure. Just don't put yourself in any danger, all right? If it gets to the point where it gets too hard to dodge or attack, let me know and we can be done for the day."

She nodded. "I understand, Mr. Maddox." I knew she wasn't ever going to tell me that she needed to stop, so I just will have to make sure to do it for her.

Emerging into the forest, it seemed to be filled with thin birch trees with little bits of foliage and short grass. It would be easy to spot an enemy from a mile away, or so I hoped. Thinking back to the anime, Naofumi's forest was more like thick, lush oak tree woods. That minor difference scared me a little, and while it could be possible we were just in a different forest, it was also highly possible that wasn't the case and that these worlds weren't exactly the same.

Anyway, eventually we stumbled across a single usapil, just sitting in a clearing in the forest. I signaled to Raphtalia to hide behind a tree. It seemed to be injured, struggling to move itself across the forest floor, and it was whimpering softly. I nodded to Raphtalia, signaling her to move in.

It was hard to sneak up on it, but the wind was blowing towards us and the short but thick layer of grass on the ground softened our footsteps. We were about a yard or two away when it noticed us. It whimpered louder, and started moving toward us. "Hold, Raphtalia. Don't get any closer."

She nodded, but she seemed confused. "It's injured. Why don't we just take care of it?"

I stayed very still, looking at our surroundings. I noticed nothing out of the ordinary, other than suspicious holes in the ground. I gasped.

"Raphtalia! Get out of here!"

She looked stunned. "H-Huh?"

Just then, a flood of usapils emerged from the holes, all ravenously running straight at us. The one that was injured also got up, perfectly fine, and chased after us as well.

"Raphtalia! Let's move!" I shouted. I grabbed her hand, just long enough to get her running, and we booked it out of the forest. We easily outpaced the usapils somehow, maybe because they have grown used to prey falling directly into their trap and were too lazy to catch up to us. Out of breath, Raphtalia and I hunched over at the edge of the trees.

"L-, *huff*, Let's not, shall we?"

Raphtalia nodded in agreement. Her breathing was ragged gasps of air, and it worried me a bit. I don't know if it had something to do with her growing pains or her sickness leaving an impact on her respiratory system, but I figured I needed to do something. "Let's try something less… active."

Raphtalia looked up at me. "H-Huh?" I beckoned her out to the fields.

"Let's try to find some medicinal herbs. We need money, and these will sell good." She nodded in understanding, and we looked around the fields for a bit.

I went slowly at first, examining every blade of grass or the leaf of a plant, and I started to notice slight differences. After a brief moment of looking, it was obvious which were herbs and which were just weeds or normal patches of grass. What was the hard part was knowing which plants were what, and I had no knowledge on herbs whatsoever.

"Hey Raphtalia, here's what we're going to do. You see this type of grass right here?" She looked closely and nodded. "I want you to pick everything that has a pretty drastic difference than this."

She nodded again, then asked. "This plant here is just normal grass, isn't it?"

My turn to nod now. "Yeah, I have no clue what herbs would be valuable and which are used for what disease, but for now I figured we could gather everything we could and figure it out later. You get me?"

Raphtalia looked closely at the regular grass again. "I see. I'll try to find anything that stands out. I feel like I can determine if it is really an herb or not rather than just a strange weed." I kinda got that feeling too, though I was still pretty unsure.

We spent the better portion of the day gathering different plants, hoping we don't run into one that may be poisonous by touch. Thankfully, we didn't. It was close to evening when we stopped, and I met back up with Raphtalia, who was a little ways from me. I had been putting all my herbs into my shield, and it made me wonder how she was carrying them all around.

"How's the haul?" I asked.

Turning towards me, she pointed over a hill. "I've got all my gathered herbs over there. I'm going to collect the rest of this, and then I'll head that way too." I nodded, and traversed up the hill where she hid the medicinal plants.

It took me a moment to find them with the tall grass and all, but eventually I stumbled across it, and I could definitely say it was quite a few. I started examining the herbs, sniffing them to see if I could figure out what it was.

I know I recognized one by sight, and that was your common variety wild onions. Probably not useful for any medicine. Looking closer, or should I say smelling, I recognized Lavender and Garlic as well. I knew Garlic was used in cooking, but it may have some sort of health factor as well.

The Lavender I was excited about. It smelled really strong, and it helped people who liked the smell relax. I felt this would be good for Raphtalia and I's depression and anxiety. I knew I had those issues, but I assumed she had them as well, being a mistreated slave for part of her life.

Raphtalia had walked up to me while I was thinking, holding the roots she was picking earlier. "How are these?" She asked.

Standing up, I was pleasantly surprised to what I saw. "Ginger! That's a great find!"

Raphtalia looking a bit abashed, asked, "What's so great about it?" I cracked my neck. "It's good for nausea and motion sickness. I'd like to save this if possible."

Raphtalia looked at me quizzically. "Why would we need this? Are we going to travel somewhere?"

I shrugged. "I mean, eventually we'll have to. We can't just sit outside the capital for all our life. We'll need to travel in order to level up, make money, and build a reputation. I also want to find an ideal place to settle down after the waves, though I already have a pretty great idea or two for that. For now, I just want to be prepared."

Raphtalia nodded. "But how are we gonna figure out what each of these herbs are?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Honestly, we could find a book somewhere in town that'll tell us. I'd like something really indepth, but finding one that fits our needs might be hard." Raphtalia thought for a moment.

"I think there might be an Apothacary in the capital, but I'm not too sure. We could go check now, if you'd like."

I nodded. "All right, let me gather up all these herbs into my shield." I did so, then we set out for the capital. I kept some herbs on my person though, in case I needed to show the guards evidence I wasn't a terrorist.

Walking up to the gates, the guard from yesterday was not there. Instead it was a tall, buff, intimidating soldier standing almost perfectly still. He watched me from a distance, and as I came closer, his eyes moved with me. I walked past him through the gates, and he made no move to stop me. "Man, what's he all about?" I shuddered a bit and pressed on.

Raphtalia looked back at the guard, staring intently at him. "Hey, Mr. Maddox… Didn't that guard feel a little, I don't know… off to you?"

I cracked my neck. "I mean, sure. He had no reaction as we passed by, just as still as a statue. Kinda freaked me out, not gonna lie."

Raphtalia thought for a moment. "But he seemed really anxious. Like he was frightened by something." I was a bit taken aback.

"Frightened? By what?"

Raphtalia shook her head. "I'm not sure. There must've been something there he was scared of, but I have no clue of what."

I gave a half-laugh. "Man, that guy has nothing to be afraid of. He was massive, anything that is humanoid should be afraid of him."

Raphtalia frowned. "Mr. Maddox, everyone has their fears. I feel we should be more understanding of other people and try to help them, not laugh because of outwards appearances."

Oof. She really got me there. Still, she was right. "Yeah… I'm sorry Raphtalia, what you are saying is completely right. I shouldn't have made fun right there when I did."

Raphtalia nodded. "It's okay, we all make mistakes. I'm just glad you are the type of person to own up to it." I smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you are the type of person to call me out on it. So thanks."

Raphtalia looked a bit surprised, then smiled. "Well, I am your sword, after all. I'm here to bring some balance to our scales. I honestly like calling you out on your mistakes, not because I am here to laugh at them, but because I know you'll take my words to heart and move to improve on them. I like seeing you be the best person you can be, is all." She blushed at the end.

For most people, saying that you enjoy telling people about their mistakes would be something that be considered a mean or a "bad" quality. In this scenario, I took it as a complement, as it proved to me that she really does care, and that means the world to me.

"Heh. Thank you Raphtalia. Now, one more thing before we continue on." I took her hand and lead her to one of the back allyways, away from the sight of the main road.

"Wha-? Why are we going here?"

I stood up straight. "Listen up, I want you to hold your arms out perpendiclar to your body, and stay perfectly still. No if's, and's, or but's."

She frowned. "Mr. Maddox. I am a little afraid of what you'll be doing with me. I trust you, but don't be doing anything you might regret." She finished with a edge in her tone. It was nice to see her sharpening her tongue a bit already, even if it was only just with me.

I chuckled. "All right, I won't, just do as I say, please." She nodded, reluctantly, and T-posed for me. I walked around her, examining every inch of her. I noticed that the dress I got her was a little more tight-fitting, so I figured it would be most beneficial to buy her a new one soon. I saw that she wasn't wearing shoes either, and that is something that I was very upset with myself about. "Why didn't I think of shoes earlier?! I can't believe I've been letting her walk around barefoot!" I walked in front of her, and put my ear to her chest.

"M-Mr. Maddox! W-W-What do you think you are doing?" She cried a bit indignantly.

I shushed her. "Breathe in deeply, please."

She understood what I was doing, and took a bit gulp of air. I could hear her lungs struggling to keep up, very raspy and ragged. I moved behind her, and put my ear to her back. "Again, please." She did so again, and I heard the air roughly move into her chest. "Hmm."

Raphtalia turned her head. "I-Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "Not for the time being, no. Does it hurt to breathe, at any point in time?"

She was quiet. After a while, she said "No, not at all, Mr. Maddox." I stood there for a moment, thinking.

"Raphtalia. Are you absolutely sure? I need to know if you are having any health issues in order for me to take care of them. I don't want you to get any worse than you are now."

She was silent. I waited, letting her take her time. "Y-Yes Mr. Maddox. Often times it is… inconviencing to breathe. Maybe not painful most times, but it is a struggle. However, whenever we run I do experience quite a bit of pain."

I tried to not let it get to me. I figured I could've done something about it, but realistically there couldn't be any way for me to immediately cure it. We needed that time to start leveling and prepare for the waves. "Do you have any other symptoms? Like coughing up blood or something similar?"

She slowly nodded. "Yes… occasionally I do cough up a bit of blood. But it is nothing to worry about, I'm sure it will cure itself on its own."

I turned her around and put my hands on her shoulders. A little forcefully, I told her, "Listen. I don't give a shit about what you think and don't think is worth me worrying about. If you are hurt, physically or emotionally, you tell me, understand? I'm not letting you get into critical condition cause you think it's 'nothing for me to worry about'. I will always worry, and that's not something you can change by not telling me these things. In fact, I will worry more if you don't, so you better fess up now to any sins or secrets you have committed to."

Raphtalia looked a little intimidated, but I could tell she wasn't backing down. I think she really took my words to heart, and I hope she knew that I told her this way cause I care. Her gaze hardened. "Mr. Maddox. I promise I am not hiding anything else from you. I merely hid the fact of my condition because I did not want to hold you back on your quest to heroship. I won't do it again, but I must implore you to work towards your main goal, and do not focus on me. It's for your own sake."

I let go of her shoulders and turned to the wall. "Dammit!" I said loudly as I hit the wall. Part of this was my own frustration with her condition, but also because I felt she didn't quite understand. I put my head against the wall. "Raphtalia. There is something I must tell you. I've been telling you this for quite some time now, but I just don't think you understand."

Raphtalia walked up and put her hand on my shoulder. "Mr. Maddox. Though it has been just a few days, I know what you are going to say. Something about me being this important person in your life, and that you would do anything and everything for me." I looked up at the wall, surprised. I should've known by now that she could predict this outcome, but it still startled me a bit.

"Mr. Maddox." She continued. "I know that you care for me deeply, and though I do not know exactly how deep or why you care so much, but I just wanted to let you know that I am not the only thing in this world. There are so, so many other things you should care about as well. I understand if you want to put me as one of the higher things on that list, which I am greatly flattered, but I feel you are blinding yourself to the possibilities of this world you are in. All I am saying is… don't do things just because I am there. Do things because you want to, or because you want to protect this world or something other than just me. Just… Don't let me become the end of you. Whether that is your motivation, will to live, physical death… Live for yourself, not for me or anyone else. Do you understand?"

I was silent for a long, long time. Deep down, I knew what she was saying was right. I love Raphtalia with all my heart, but I shouldn't let that idolization be the only thing that drives our relationship or adventure. I knew I needed to find meaning in more things than just her, but I was too afraid in my world that if I let go, I'd never see her. Now that I am in her world, I was having trouble breaking that feeling. I took a deep breath and turned back to Raphtalia with a smile on my face.

"Raphtalia… Thank you. I understand what you are trying to say, and deep down I've always known what you told me is true. You gave me a little push in the right direction, so thanks for that. I'll try to focus on myself a little bit more."

Raphtalia nodded, and she seemed to see that slight change in me. "Well, I'm glad I could be of servi- *cough* *COUGH*" Just then, she doubled over with a fit of heavy coughing, almost falling over.

"Raphtalia!" I lunged over before she could fall and held her in my arms.

"Mr- *COUGH* Mr. Ma- *COUGH* I'm… I'm fine. Don't worry- *cough* about me too much…"

Her coughing seemed to abate a bit, and I decided it was time to take action. "Can you walk?"

She shakily got to her feet, and seemed to be able to balance herself accordingly. "Y-Yes Mr. Maddox. I told you, I'm fine." I frowned heavily at her, staring into her eyes. "Mr. Maddox? I'm fine, really." She asked.

I pulled out the map and gave it a quick glance. I took Raphtalia by the hand and dragged her down the street. "Mr. Maddox! Wh-Where are we going?"

I kept pulling her along. "Hospital." I replied with one word. She pulled back on my arm and stopped me from dragging her.

"Mr. Maddox. I told you, I'm fi- *COUGH*" She hacked up a clot of blood, and spat it onto the ground. Breathing heavily, she tried to continue. "I-I'm… fine…"

I looked deep into her eyes. "Either you walk with me to the hospital, or I put the slave seal command on and I force you. Your choice."

She looked a bit taken aback, but she finally gave in. "All right, Mr. Maddox. Maybe… Maybe I am due for a checkup." I turned back around and led her to the hospital. I moved quickly, but not fast enough to cause any more heavy breathing for Raphtalia.

The "hospital" I've been referring to was actually a subsection of the church. I was definitely not wanting to go there at the moment, but I needed to get Raphtalia some medication, as well as register with the dragon hourglass.

I walked into the church with Raphtalia in tow with her still coughing. The church was massive, as it should be, and there were rows of benches all facing towards the dragon hourglass in the very back.

In the presence of the hourglass, an icon appeared in the corner of my vision, signaling the next wave. Behind the hourglass there were 3 stained glass windows, each of them with a picture of an elegant weapon; a sword, bow, and spear. There seemed to be a fourth as well, but that one was covered up by a massive drape.

"Hey! Any doctors in here?" I yelled.

Just then, a man dressed in priest uniforms walked from the doors on one side of the room, and a woman in sister garnets followed behind. They seemed to have been arguing about something. Regaining his composure as he entered the room, the priest chuckled.

"Oh! We seem to have company!" I dragged Raphtalia over to him.

"Hey, we're in major need of a doctor. Can you help us out?"

The priest chuckled again. "Ohoho! Yes, of course! I'll lead you right to him. Sister, we'll take about that matter another time."

The woman looked really pissed off, and she glared at me as she started to walk away. The priest noticed the interaction between us.

"Oh my, do not fret about her, she is in a rather grumpy mood today. Here, I'll take you to the doctor's quarters."

I followed him through the church halls, and I could tell he was deliberately taking it slow. Raphtalia hadn't stopped coughing since we arrived, and I would bet money he already knows that I'm the shield hero. He's trying to make Raphtalia suffer, and I wasn't gonna allow that.

"Hey, can't you see she's in critical condition? Can we move any faster?" I asked with an edge in my tone.

The priest chuckled. "Oh, we'll be fine. I'm sure your little friend is well enough so that we could take our time a bit. After all, sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses."

That lit a fire in my blood. She was almost doubling over in agony and this bastard says that she's well enough to take our time? I was about to beat this asshole's face into the ground.

Raphtalia noticed me getting upset, and through her coughing fit, she shook her head. She tried to whisper, "It's not… *COUGH* worth it… *COUGH* Mr. Maddox. I'll… *COUGH* *COUGH* I'll hold on."

I calmed down a bit. This was Raphtalia's way of saying that getting angry is a bad idea at this moment, and I agree. We need him more than he needs us, and he could easily just have told us that we're not welcome. I know he isn't genuine, but hopefully this doctor is.

The priest slowly led us through the halls, and we came to a side room. There was no labeling on the door, nothing indicating anything special about this room. "Ah, here we are. The doctor should be inside." He nodded to us, smiling, and walked away.

Raphtalia's coughing had eased quite a bit as we walked, and though she was still seemingly in pain, she looked well enough to hold some basic conversation at the minimum. I quickly opened the door, and my eyes were greeted by a number of beds with chairs beside each one. I was not expecting to see the thief from before lying unconscious in one bed, with his dickhead friend sitting in a chair next to it.

His friend looked over at me as I entered the room, and realization dawned upon his face. "Y-Y-Y-Y-You!" He stuttered.

I sighed. "Yeah, it's me. How's it hanging?"

The guy seemed confused at how despondent I sounded. Maybe he thought I was hunting down for some more violence, but that's obviously not the case. I don't like causing others harm, but when it comes to protecting Raphtalia, I'm gonna cross that line. I decided to ignore him for the time being.

"Hey, *cough* uh… Mr. Maddox? I'm feeling kind of… light-headed." Raphalia murmered. She fell against my arm a bit, trying to regain her balance. I walked her over to one of the beds and laid her down. I put my hand to her forehead, and it did indeed feel warm.

"Hang on, Raphtalia. I'll try my best to make you comfortable." She nodded, a bit delirious, and started to doze off. Looking around the room, it seemed a mix between a hospital and chemestry lab, both different from my world's with different technology to match. The doctor didn't appear to be here at the moment, but I noticed a desk in the back of the room with neatly stacked papers on it.

Exploring the cabnets of the chemestry area, I found a clean cup and I proceeded to fill it up with some water from the sink. How they had running water like this but not any plastic still astounded me. I found a washrag as well, and I wet that with cold water. (again, how?)

Walking back over to the bedside, I put the washrag on Raphtalia's head and put the cup of water next to her. "Need any water?" I asked. She nodded her head, and I put the cup at her lips for her to drink. The dude from before had been watching me the entire time, not so much in fear anymore, just curiosity.

"So wait," He started. "You didn't come here to finish me off?" I looked over my shoulder.

"What gave you that idea?" I asked.

He didn't seem to have an answer. "W-Well… I don't know… but…" I raised an eyebrow. He continued."I-I wanted to apologize. I'm not a thief, I only hang around this guy here cause I've known him since my childhood. I know what he does is wrong, but I've never tried to stop him. I'm sorry for making it go that far, and I can you see you care very deeply for your friend, and I hope you get a little better of luck in the future."

He walked over to me and handed me 50 silver. "We were in the wrong. By no means you should have given this to us." I looked at him suspiciously, but I think he was being honorable. I took the silver, and placed it into my shield.

"Thanks. I just hope this makes your friend reconsider his life choices."

The dude nodded. "I'll try to talk some sense into him. Thank you for understanding." He went back over to his friend and sat down with his back to me. I didn't say anything else, nor did he, and so I considered this matter settled.

I sat back for a while, monitoring Raphtalia. I held her hand as she slept, and I just wished there to be anything else I could do for her other than wait. After a while, a man in a white coat quickly brushed through the door.

"I'm sorry, do I have a patient in here?" He surveyed the room, and though I felt it was obvious, I waved my hand. "Oh no, I am so sorry, under no means did I mean to make you wait this long."

He seemed to be an averagely built early-to-middle aged man, with a short scruff for a beard, glasses, and honestly quite a nice hairstyle. He gave off very lax vibes, like he was a doctor, but he seemed to be the type to try to build a relationship beyond just a one-time patient. He reminded me of Dr. Maruki from Persona 5, in looks and the feel he gave.

"It's fine Doc, I understand you're busy. I don't think she's in critical condition, but she's definitely seen better days."

He quickly walked over and took a look at Raphtalia. "Well, you did a great job managing while I was away." He commented. "Water and the rag were probably the best choices until I got back."

Raphtalia started to stir while the doctor looked over her. "H-Huh? What's going on…? Where am I?"

I brushed the hair out of Raphtalia's face. "At the hospital, remember? We're here to make you feel better."

She nodded, and turned her head to look at the doctor. "Are… you the doctor?" She asked.

The doctor nodded. "Indeed I am. I'm looking to get you all fixed up, alright?" Raphtalia nodded again, and drifted off sleep again. The doctor examined her for a moment, then turned to the lab and pulled out a box. Opening the box, he grabbed a stethoscope and a couple of sticks that resembled Q-tips.

"Okay, I'm gonna do a few tests, but before I do that, do you happen to know of any symptoms she's been having?" I thought for a moment.

"Well, her lungs are what's been worrying me. I've listened to them before, and they seem to be at their limit. She says she's coughed up blood before too, I've seen it myself. As you can see now, she also has a fever, and she's complained of body aches as well, though I don't know if that's related."

The doctor nodded. "I see. Well, I'm going to take a listen at her heart and lungs, then I'll see if I can get a sample of her mucus to take to the back and look at."

I nodded. "Sounds good Doc."

He pulled the covers off of Raphtalia, and he noticed the tattoo on her chest. "I'm sorry sir, but is she a slave?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes, she is, though I don't believe in the mistreatment of slaves. I've been taking good care of her, and she matters more to me than the entire multiverse combined."

The doctor looked into my eyes from beyond his glasses. "Okay. I'll trust you on this."

He turned back to Raphtalia, and started listening to her chest. He listened long and hard, the first spot seemed normal enough based on his facial expression, but then once he moved to her lungs his brow started to furrow. He took the swabs and gently opened Raphtalia's mouth and swabbed the back of her throat. Standing up, he said, "Give me just a moment."

Walking to the back once again, he pulled a small rack of glass disks off one of the shelves and stuck the end of the swab underneath it. He fiddled with the disks a bit, and I realized this was that this was this world's magnifying glass tool used to examine cells and bacteria. The name of the machine always eludes me.

I sat quietly, and Raphtalia started to stir again. "Mr. Maddox? Is everything okay?"

I nodded and smiled. "Hey, no problems so far. I'm sure everything will be fine."

The doctor nodded his head in the back. "Hmm… Yes, there shouldn't be anything life-pressing. However…" He pulled a medicine vial from one of the racks, and walked back over. Pouring a bit of the vial into Raphtalia's water cup, he placed the brew against her lips. Raphtalia drank it, and her faced scrunched up a bit afterwards. "She seems to have a case of Bronchitis. Pretty severe too, this could've really only happened if she was left with it for quite some time. I assume you bought her only recently, good sir?"

I nodded. "A few days ago, yeah."

The doctor looked at me approvingly. "Good thing you did. Another week of this and she may have been deemed death fodder by the slavers."

Somehow I felt a wave of relief and stress at the exact same time. "Well, it's curable, right?" I asked.

Doc nodded. "Most diseases are, including this one. I just gave her some medicine that should help with recovery. Though it may seem bad now, she seemed to be already on the road to being healed. Have you given her medicine or anything of the sort?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all. I am curious though, how would healing magic apply to something like this?"

The doctor got a bit of a sour look on his face. "Wouldn't fare at all, I presume. Healing magic is very good for cuts, scrapes, gauges, broken bones, and similar maladies. However, it cannot do anything refering to disease and infection. To be honest, I look down on healing magic. We have too many 'doctors' who use the magic as a crutch and don't have a clue how to use real equipment and heal internal injuries."

I listened closely. "Sounds like you are a lot more specialized."

He chuckled a bit. "Well, I thank you for the praise, but really I'm just helping out the world in the way I can. I wasn't born a fighter, but a healer is more my style. I'm just glad I can help out with those who really need it." He finished.

"That seems like a noble cause." I replied simply.

He gave me a curious look. "What about you? What's your life story?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Well, I only arrived here a few days ago. I come from a pretty far off area that was pretty technologically advanced. I've only ever known a cushioned life of safety and luxury, and when I was given an opportunity to leave that life and start anew, I took it."

Doc still looked curious, as if that didn't really seem to answer his question. "Hmm, I see. Were you unhappy with your 'cushioned' life?"

I shrugged. "I wasn't unhappy, per se, but I definitely wasn't happy either. I felt like there was no purpose or meaning to my life, and instead of deciding to get out there and do something with it, I stayed at home by myself, trying to distract myself from my problems. I was given a push quite recently, and that small push made me want to start to put effort into my appearance and mental state." I let out a small laugh. "What's funny is that the only thing that kept me going wasn't even a thing I could ever achieve or accomplish. At least, that's the way I thought for most of my life, until I was given a billion to one chance, and I'm so grateful I took it." I brushed my hand through Raphtalia's hair again, and held her hand while she slept.

The Doc seemed thoughtful. "Well, I'm grateful you have found the thing you have been searching for. If you don't mind me asking, would it happen to be this young lady right here?"

I blushed a bit, unexpecting his intuition to be right on the money. "Yeah. Yeah, she is." Tears started to well up in my eyes, and I bent over and put my head to Raphtalia's chest. I started to quietly sob, just tears of absolute relief that she was here with me. "T-Thank you. Whatever god is out there, thank you for bringing us together. I can't imagine a world without her. Thank you…"

Doc watched as I cried like a baby. He didn't say anything, but his presence alone made me feel a bit better. Raphtalia had started to stir during my session, and she asked sleepily, "Mr. Maddox? Why are you crying?"

I just shook my head, still pressed against her chest, and tried to cry as quietly as I could. Raphtalia put her hand on my head and embraced me, running her hands through my hair, just like I did to her moments ago. "It's okay. Everything will be all right." She murmured to me. I nodded, and I lifted my head up with a smile on my face.

"Thank you Raphtalia. I don't know what I'd do without you." She smiled. "It is no issue at all, Mr. Maddox. I'm glad I can be here for you when you need me. I am your sword…" She paused.

"And I your shield." I finished. She giggled at that, and I smiled.

Doc had watched closely this entire time. "I'm sorry to have to inturrupt, but are you feeling any better, my lady?"

Raphtalia nodded. "Much better. Thank you for your help."

Doc nodded. "It's my pleasure. Now, would you all mind if I took a basic checkup of you both? I want to make sure everything is in order."

I shrugged. "Fine by me. Raphtalia, you good with that?"

She nodded. "Of course."

Doc nodded again, then took a clipboard from beside the bed. "Alright, I'll start with you sir, then I'll get around to the lady here." I walked to a part of the room with a different kind of bed on it, one used for checkups. Raphtalia sat up and started to watch us intently. "Now, let's get started." The doctor said.

I underwent a series of basic checkups and different procedures, but he did something different from my normal experiences. He took the length and circumference of my arms and legs, as well as measuring the width of my shoulders. He wrote these numbers down on the clipboard from earlier, and he had a peculiar look on his face.

"Hmm. Interesting." He muttered. After all of this, he took a large, framed glass sheet and put it in front my my face. "Don't be alarmed, just scanning your brain." I took this in stride and sat very still. "Oho? Very interesting indeed."

Putting the sheet of glass down, he looked down at his clipboard. "How old did you say you were, sir?" I thought this was a bit of a strange question, as my age shouldn't matter all too much in this context.

"I'm about seventeen Doc."

He looked at me strangely. "Hmm. Well, you seem to have the body and mind of a early twenty year old man, if that makes any sense at all."

I stopped. "Uh… What?"

He took the sheet off the clipboard and stowed it away into a folder, in which he put on his desk. "Yep. I don't believe you are lying to me, but there is no possible way you could be a seventeen year old with your current body. I could've chalked your physical appearance up to genetics, but your brain scan seems to show much more development than it should for someone your age. Would you happen to have any demi-human blood in you?"

I shook my head. "No way. There isn't a single demi-human from where I come from." He got that curious look again.

"Now you've really got me curious. Where DO you come from?"

I held up my arm, brandishing the shield. "In case it wasn't clear, I'm the shield hero. Entirely different world partner. Nice to meet you."

Doc's jaw dropped a bit. "Well… I… Uh…" He stuttered. I was worried something like this was to happen. He was 100% related to the church, no doubt about it. Whether he believed the same as them was to be determined.

He looked shell-shocked for a bit, but then he started to laugh. "Hahaha!" I was on edge now, and a quick look to Raphtalia let her know what I was thinking. "Oh, I apologize. I don't have any bias against the shield hero, negative or positive. I do reside in the church to house my operations, and I admit they pressure me to persecute the shield hero as they do. I honestly was going to be passive-aggressive and turn you away if you came seeking aid, but I suppose my desire to help people got the best of me. No hard feelings, I hope."

I relaxed a bit. "Alright then. No hard feelings. Can we move on to Raphtalia's check-up?"

He chuckled a bit more and nodded his head. "I would be happy to." We both moved back over to Raphtalia, and she had a serious look on her face when looking at the doctor. I could tell she didn't fully trust him anymore, and neither did I to be honest. We'll just have to see.

Doc attached another sheet of paper to the clipboard. "Okay, I'll have you remain laying down. I don't want you getting out of bed until that medicine fully kicks in."

Raphtalia slowly nodded. "Okay." She said carefully.

Raphtalia pulled the covers off of her and fully laid down on the bed. Doc checked her heart and lungs again, nodding approvingly. He did the same routine to her as he did to me, measuring her arms, legs, shoulders, but this time he checked her breasts as well.

It was just now hitting me that she was already all grown up, at least in body. Her clothes were really tight at this point, and it was about time she got some shoes. I promised myself that I'd take her back to the clothing store later.

Doc also started feeling some of her pressure points, but soon after he started he began to feel Raphtalia's muscles. "You said she was complaining of body aches, yes?" He asked.

Raphtalia nodded, and I said. "Yes, that's right." He scribbled something on his pad.

"I can see that you are a demi-human. Based upon the taughtness of your muscles you seem to have been going through a lot of bodily growth. Is that correct?"

Raphtalia nodded, and I stayed silent. I knew where he was going with this. "So may I ask, how old are you, my lady?"

I was still silent, and Raphtalia didn't seem to know how to respond. She looked at me for confirmation. "Go ahead." I told her.

She straightened herself up on the bed and tried to look as mature as possible. "I'm am ten years old, doctor."

He nodded again, and scribbled some more notes on the clipboard. "I see." Turning to me, he asked. "You do know the moral complications you are provided with, yes? How if the public would find out, you would be outcast from every society? Using a ten year old demi-human slave to fight for you in dangerous battles against monsters? You understand how morally wrong it is?"

I looked at him, trying to be a little intimidating. "Yes, I am aware. However, I fully believe that she is capable of fighting to protect herself, and her undying loyalty to those she trusts and this world never falters. She is a prime canidate for fighting the waves of destruction, and I believe she herself will become a hero. Heroism does not care about age or race, nor does it ever waver in the face of adversity. She is someone I look up to, and I aspire to be."

Raphtalia looked astounded by my words, and the doctor continued to nod. "I see. In that case, I'll keep quiet. You better show me how much she's grown someday, and though I don't doubt your aspirations for her, a lot of those qualities need to be grown into. I'm not fully sure if those have matured quite yet, but I know the seeds are there." He looked into my eyes. "Do you know her, from your world? Did you have some sort of knowledge in your world that made you think of her the way you do?"

I nodded wholeheartedly. "I did. I know she is destined for great things. Greater things than I could've ever have achieved in my world. I know for a fact that she is strong, capable, compassionate, trustworthy, loyal, sweet, and unfaltering in love and duty. That's why I care for her the way I do. I know her without even having met her."

The Doc continued to steadily look into my eyes, as if trying to read my thoughts through those lenses of his. He sighed. "Well, I suppose I'll trust you then. Anyway, let's wrap things up."

He took the same vial from before and placed it in my hand. "I want you to give her a drop of this with clean water every 3 days for 3 weeks. It'll cure the bronchitis as well as reinforce her lungs, but I highly suggest staying away from heavy smoke and gas of any sort. On top of that, she is most likely always going to have some pretty bad seasonal allergies, though it shouldn't cause sickness in a way that prevents her from going about everyday life."

Looking at his clipboard and our checkups, he nodded to himself again. "You understand that this wasn't free, right? I recieve some funding from the church, but all the extra stuff I've got to make myself."

I nodded in agreement and rolled my shoulder. "I understand. How much would it be?" He thought for a moment, glancing at the sheets of papers and back at me.

"Call it at 55 silver. 45 for the medicine, 10 for the checkup." I thought this was a reasonable price, so I got the silver and gave it to him.

"Thanks Doc. I appreciate it."

He shrugged. "It's no issue. I'm just doing my job. I'm glad I could be of assistance." I shook his hand, and I started to walk out the door.

"Wait, actually, there is something I wanted to ask you."

Looking back, I said, "Alright, shoot."

He straightened his lab coat, and he seemed to be preparing himself. Then, with stars in his eyes, he rushed up to me an asked, "Will you come back so I can give you a full-body examination?" I leaned back a bit, as he was rather close to my face, and before I could say anything, he started to pace furtively back and forth.

"I know it's common for demi-humans to age based upon their level, but from what you told me and I've seen, you should've been just past the point where demi-humans were to stop aging. Not to mention having zero demi-human blood in you, so it's even stranger for a human to have grown like you have. Not to mention those strange motions you do sometimes, I can hear the pop whenever you crack your neck! So please, let me do some tests and gain some research from you!"

I really didn't want to be a test subject, nor did I have time, but he did just help us out, plus he seemed like a good guy. I wanted to figure out why or how I aged as I did, so I responded, a bit unsurely, "S-Sure? Why not?"

Doc coughed, and put his serious face back on. "A-Alright then. Come back any time." "Such a dramatic change in composure." I thought to myself, a bit critically, then I nodded my hand and led the way out the door. Raphtalia stopped to bow to him on the way out.

"Thank you. I really appreciate the help you gave us. We'll be back to do some of these 'tests' that are involving Mr. Maddox." Doc nodded, and we left.