"So, where are we going next?" Raphtalia asked as I led the way down the street. "I'm thinking we'll sell all those balloon parts we collected the other day."

I nodded, then said, "That sounds like a great idea. I think the marketplace is just over here." I unintentionally pointed to a crowd of people all surrounding one stall.

"Over there? What's that stall all about?" Raphtalia asked. We walked up to it, and there was a flamboyant man on what appeared to be some sort of small stage or even just a box.

"Welcome, one and all! I am a man of mystery, one of great power, the one and only psychic, Master Kaedja!"

Now that I'm looking at it, he seemed to be some sort of street magician or something similar. Usually these types of people were frauds, and I was in the mood to burst someone's bubble.

In anime, if the MC stands around for long enough, especially if he doesn't want to get involved, he'll be chosen at 'random.' Now, real life certainly feels that way, at least whenever you don't want to get picked, but in reality it's not. Either way, I'll stick around and see what happens. After all, magic already exists in this world, so what could he really do to make things interesting?

The man gave a small chuckle. "I see we already have some non-believers among the crowd." I was mildly surprised. Of course, that was easy to say and to be true, it's obvious that not everyone is as gullible as others, but it did seem like he knew what I was thinking.

"Mr. Maddox, this man doesn't seem very relevant to us. Maybe we should move on with our errands, we have a lot to do."

Just then I saw the man's mouth twitch. "You sir! The man with the shield! Come be my volunteer!" I sighed, and walked up to him.

"I'm not doing this for free, y'know."

His mouth twitched again. "O-Of course, I'll pay you a minor sum. Now, let my magic, extravagate!"

He held up his hands and a light mist flowed from his wrists. The crowd started oo-ing as the water created rainbows in the air. I sighed again. I wasn't going to call him out now, but that was very easily obtainable by anyone with a hint of water magic in their veins. Even if he couldn't use magic, a small mechanical device could also spray water like that. I didn't know if they were technologically advanced enough for that, but I suppose they could be. The rainbows weren't either of those things, just basic physics at that point.

The man chuckled again. "Now, let's see… How should I amaze the audience today? I know, how about this… Newcomer, I'll read your mind!" I just stood there. "Is this guy for real? Reading someone's mind is easily the most unprovable trick there is. Even he can read minds, I can just lie and say he was wrong."

The man had a conniving smile on his face. In any case, I suppose I should just play along. He started to wave his hand around, and put one to his temple. "Now, I want you to think about the place you were born. Think of fond memories and the place you grew up in. Think of your hometown, and think of the name of it."

I did indeed think about it. However, most of those thoughts were dark and depressing, and I honestly just wanted to leave. He was making me dredge up my past for him to put on this goofy show. Whatever man, just let me be.

"Oh, Oh! I'm sensing something… you grew up in… a very, very advanced society. You hated your childhood, and you always felt out of place. Oh… oh no… I sense deep and dark depression, dangerous thoughts of not wanting to live anymore, and the only thing keeping you going is…" He smirked at me. "That demi-human right there!" He pointed directly at Raphtalia.

I was shocked, but at this point I was good at keeping face. "Go ahead. Tell me more." I said to him, darkly. He flinched. I didn't know how he read minds, assuming with some magic item he has, but he just revealed my backstory to a bunch of random people. I wasn't just gonna let that go.

"E-Eh?! W-Well… I see… I see a deep and, uh, dark… um…" He started to pale.

In case you were wondering, I was thinking of all the hatred and sadness I had revolving around myself and inside of me.

I pictured me smashing him to bits, till he was nothing more than a bloody pulp.

I pictured all the horror movies and dark animes I've seen, and since anime seemed like real life to them, it was hyper realistic. Not to mention the live-action horror movies must be actual nightmare fuel for them.

I pictured one of my more depressed moments, not really the outside, but the hard and cold emotions I felt for the longest time.

I pictured my brother and his life story, passing away not even 12 hours old.

That all eventually turned into pure rage, rage at life and rage at this jackass, who really was just trying to make a living. I did feel bad, but he was asking for it. I walked up to him, real slowly, and put my hand on his shoulder.

I got real close to his face and smiled maniacally. "Boo." I whispered. His face turned white. He stumbled and fell on his ass. I started to walk away.

"Wha… wait!" He scrambled to his feet, grabbed something behind the counter, and bowed as he held it out to me. "Please take this for your troubles! I'm sorry for bothering you sir!" He was holding a small bag of money.

I looked at it for a moment, then snatched it out of his hand. "Thanks." To the crowd, I presented, "The great and wonderful Master Kaedja has done it once again, reading the mind of not just an ordinary citizen, but a dangerous demon who preys on those who cross him. I assure you, I am not human, but a malefic creature that will bring destruction on those who deserve it, a one-winged angel with the longest sword, eventually being able to destroy even galaxies! Mark my words, if you dare cross me or my companion, you'll die a horrific death, nay, you shall be subjected to a time loop where you die over and over again, for all eternity! Sooner or later, I shall either become your saving grace to the world, or the end of it, for I am, the Shield Hero! AHAHAHAHA!"

I've done it now. Kids were crying, women running in fear, men taking up fighting stances. I didn't feel like dealing with the magician's BS, so I decided to present myself as a 'dark hero' type, just wanting to see what would happen.

Speaking of the magician, he was on the ground again, this time passed out cold. Looking over at him, I realized he had a small ring on one finger. I took it off and put it on, and suddenly I could hear the minds of everyone around me. "The shield hero?! I've heard stories about him!" "One winged angel? What does that mean?" "Waahhh, I'm scared…"

I had really caused a lot of chaos, so I decided to make things a little more chaotic. If this worked, then I'd most likely keep this item. I tried to project my thoughts into all of the people around me, just a small laughter in the noise of their brain. Every single person froze, inside and out. They all looked at me with scared eyes.

"Heh."

I walked away, and Raphtalia followed me. Then, two voices appeared over all the other noise in people's brains, saying the exact same thing. "He's… so cool." Looking around, I tried monitoring the crowd, but I saw no one who could possibly be thinking that in the short time that I could.

Raphtalia walked up to me and out of nowhere took my hand and stole the ring. "This is a huge invasion of people's privacy. I'll be taking hold of this for now." She had a very stern look on her face. I knew I shouldn't have done that, but I wanted to have a bit of fun.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

She hmphed. "You shouldn't have done any of that, including stealing the ring to begin with. I'm very disappointed in you, Mr. Maddox."

I hung my head low. "You're right, I'm sorry. Was having a bit of too much fun in the chaos, I did get quite carried away."

She got right in my face, and tried to tower over me. "I know you are sorry, but you just damaged your public image! How are they going to see you now? Some kind of demon, even though you are very much not?" I stood there for a moment, then gave her a light peck on the forehead and skipped away. "M-M-M-M-Mr. Maddox! T-T-This is no joking matter!" She was blushing profusely, and I could tell she was mixed between frustration and embarrassment.

"Whoever said I was joking?" Then I continued to hop away as she lunged to grab me.

"Mr. Maddox! Ugh, I swear you're gonna get in trouble for all the disruption you have caused, in the community and in me!"

I chuckled. "Relax, everything will be fine. I know a couple tricks that'll make me seem feared and respected, but that'll come later. For now, let's just enjoy ourselves and level up. You were the one who said to live for myself, not anyone else, no?" She sighed.

"Mr. Maddox. I at least expect you to be responsible. Even if you are just a teen, to others you are a full-grown adult, so you'll be treated like one. Please, just be smarter in the future. I know that wasn't you back there, but others don't."

I nodded. "All right, I see where you are coming from. I'll try better in the future."

Raphtalia still looked displeased. "If you say so, Mr. Maddox." I continued walking.

"Y'know, really though. Who said I was joking?"

Raphtalia looked confused, then realizing what I was implying, she stuttered, "M-M-M-M-Mr. Maddox?! What do you mean by that?!" I continued walking while trying (and horribly failing) to whistle. Raphtalia looked exasperated. "Mr. Maddox, what am I going to do with you?" She sighed as she put her hand against her head.

I shrugged. "I don't know. You are right though, I really tainted my public image already. Just wanted things to start happening. Plus, what's life without an angry mob on your doorstep?"

Raphtalia sighed again. "If you say so, Mr. Maddox."

We continued walking, and eventually we came upon a series of vendors all buying monster parts. I saw a guy nearby buying balloon parts, so I started walking up to him and I heard a current adventurer selling the parts. The two were currently in a haggling match.

"5 and a half silver!" The adventurer said.

The Shopkeeper laughed. "2 silver!"

The adventurer growled. "4 and a half silver!"

Shopkeeper responded with, "1 silver! Take it or leave it!"

Frustrated, the adventurer scooped up his materials and left angrily. Looking at the shopkeep, his appearance was unpleasant to say the least. He was a skinny old man, tanned right down to the bone, with several missing teeth and a very, very big bald spot that covered almost his entire head. He was dressed in a dirty, ragged tunic with shorts and sandals to match.

I hadn't been noticed by him yet, and he seemed to be picking his nose. I whispered to Raphtalia. "This guy is totally nuts. Let's try to find another buyer." She nodded, but suddenly, the shopkeep dropped his jaw and stared in awe at something in front of him. Following his gaze, it happened to be a rather pretty demi-human adventurer walking down the street with her party. His eyes bulged disgustingly, and he started to lick his lips. The only word that could describe him is 'AWOOGA!' Just then, I had an idea.

"Actually…"

Raphtalia frowned at me. "Mr. Maddox. I know what you just saw and I know what you are thinking. I saw it too, and I was deeply uncomfortable with what happened. Please, don't make me go up there alone."

I nodded. "Alright, but we could get some good cash out of this guy. I won't let you go up there alone, who knows what he might do. However, would you mind toughing it out? I'll stay close by to make sure nothing happens."

Raphtalia looked conflicted. "I… I suppose I can." She started to walk towards the old man with an uncomfortable look on her face.

I grabbed her arm. "Actually, nevermind. We can just find someone else."

Raphtalia stopped and looked back at me. "Mr. Maddox, I can do it. I may not like it, but it's worthwhile if we can make a bigger profit off of it."

I shuffled my feet back and forth. "A-Are you sure? I realize I've been pressuring you a lot lately, and I feel bad about it. I don't want to force you into doing anything you don't want to. That was the whole point of freeing you from slavehood."

Raphtalia held my hand. "It's fine, Mr. Maddox. I appreciate what you've done for me, and I'll always try my best to return that kindness you've given me. I understand you need me for things you can't achieve yourself, and I know I'll need you for the same. I can do this, just let me try."

I nodded uncomfortably, and I couldn't believe I was ever wanting to send Raphtalia up to that slimy old man. She started to ease up to him, holding our bag of monster parts. When the old man noticed her, his face 'AWOOGA'ed again, then his eyes drifted to the opposite corners and he started to drool.

"Uh, Sir?" Raphtalia started. "Would you mind buying these balloon parts from me?" He shook his head like a dog, and put on his 'handsome' face. He was still rather ugly.

"Of course, my dear. Let me see how many you have." Raphtalia dumped out the bag, and the contents spilled out over the makeshift box used for a counter.

The old man's eyes lit up. "Oh, these are perfect! I could give… hm… well, probably about 20 silver for the lot." Raphtalia's face lit up a bit. "However… I may be willing to increase the price more if you come to the back with me." He said seductively while raising his eyebrows. I was about to step in, but I noticed Raphtalia's body language was tense, so I figured she knew what to do.

"Erm, no thanks. I'd rather just take the 20 silver." The old man started to frown.

"Well, I could increase it to let's say… a gold piece?"

Raphtalia broke her poker face. I could tell she wanted to look back at me for guidance, but she seemed to know that would detriment the deal. She'd have to decide on her own, and I have no doubt she would make the correct decision.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I'd like the 20 silver please."

The old man started to growl. "My lady, is it not a good deal? Maybe you need a bit of encouragement?" He quickly grabbed her arm and didn't let go. Quick as a flash, I dashed in and punched him in the face. "ARGH! WHAT THE-?!" He fell to the ground, rubbing his face. "That… didn't hurt at all." Looking up at me, he sneered. "Well, well, well. You must be this dear girl's lover. I'm afraid she was just about to take me to the back and have some fun with me. Sucks to be you, amirite?"

Raphtalia put her hand on my shoulder. "Mr. Maddox! Surely you don't think-"

I shrugged her off. "I know. I've had it with this creep." I sauntered up to him slowly.

His face was still confident. "Hah, you can't intimidate me, boy! I've been through hell and back, no way you can scare an old coot like me!" He laughed vulgarly. I grabbed him by the shirt. His face was still confident. I squinted at him, and looked into his eyes. He did not waver. I threw him to the ground.

Snapping to Raphtalia, I held out my hand. She seemed to understand, and put the ring from before into it. "Now. Interrogation time." I said as I slipped on the ring. "Tell me where your base of operations is."

He laughed very loudly. "You think I'd tell you that? This old stand here is where I spend my days, nothing so grand as a 'base of operations!' HAH!" That's what his mouth said, but his mind said otherwise. "Kek kek kek, this guy. Like I'd tell him where my hideout is! Stupid idiot, he's standing right on top of it!"

`Taking off the ring, I looked under my feet. I was standing on a carpet. The old guy paled. Pulling back the rug, underneath was a trap door.

"Hey, hey, hey! Let's not get hasty! I'll buy the balloon parts! How about 50 silver? No, 60 silver!" He was panicking now. Frowning, I opened the door and attempted to descend the ladder, but the old guy pulled at my arm desperately trying to keep me from going down. "Wait! 70 silver, 80 silver, a gold piece!"

The shield let me move normally when grappled by someone with a certain number of less attack power compared to my defense rating, and this was one of those cases.

"Raphtalia, keep an eye on him. Don't let him run." I said.

She nodded, and I headed down the ladder. It wasn't a far trip. It seemed to be just right under the surface. I emerged into the one room hideout, and there were a couple of noticeable things.

First off, there were two cages with demi-human women in them. Both were wearing lingerie, so at least they weren't naked, but I could tell this old guy was doing some distasteful things, to say at the bare minimum. One of them was unconscious, the other looked at me with some fear, but also a large amount of curiosity. They both seemed to be well fed at least.

I quickly moved over to the cages. "Hey, you guys okay?" The one who was awake slowly nodded. She seemed to be some sort of a goat type demi-human, but in the pretty sense. She had curved ram horns and a small goat tail. She was pretty tanned-skinned as well.

The other demi-human seemed to be a cat type, or perhaps a certain class of dog type. It was kind of hard to tell. I rattled the cage of the one who was asleep, but she didn't stir.

"What happened to her?" I asked the goat type. She coughed, trying to prepare herself to speak.

"The slaver… He…" She didn't finish, but I knew what she was saying.

The cat-dog type hybrid seemed to be breathing, but I didn't know how broken she was, mentally and physically. I broke the lock to the cages, and the goat type crawled out. I pulled the cat-dog hybrid out of the cage, and she started to stir. I held her in my arms, just trying to comfort her when she woke up.

She opened her eyes, and looked up at me. "Don't worry, I'm here to help." I said. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she buried her head into my chest. I noticed that when she awoke she started shivering, despite it not being very cold. I stroked her hair, and the goat type crawled over. She put her hand on the cat-dog type's arm.

"It's okay Lynn. Finally… finally you can be free." The goat type seemed to be an older adult, maybe in her mid-thirties, and some might classify her as the 'MILF' type.

The cat-dog hybrid seemed to be young, but not like a child. I'd say she was probably 14 or 15, but even then she was very, very small. Her crying eased, but she still didn't let go.

"All right, I've got some work to do. I'd rather both of you stay here, just until I can get you some clothes. I've got to look around the room, but can you tell me anything about what's going down here?"

The girl named Lynn just shook her head, and I understood why she didn't want to speak. The goat type was silent too, but I figured I could find out by looking around the room.

I tried to stand up, but Lynn kept holding onto me. "Hey, I've got to get up. Is it possible for you to stand?"

Reluctantly letting go, she nodded. I stood up, and then she quickly latched onto my hand. I didn't mind, though I hope she wasn't getting too attached. I didn't want this adventure to turn into a harem, and Naofumi's adventure was close enough. Having twice as many girls in my party as him may be an issue, especially if I only had eyes for Raphtalia.

Anyway, I surveyed the room again, and I noticed two sets of crates in both corners of the room, one group being labeled 'balloon parts' and the other set being labeled 'To be sold.'

There was also a strange, shoddy wood machine against one of the walls. The wood looked old and rotting, and it looked like it would collapse at any moment. The top of the machine had a funnel, then there was a tube at the bottom dropping into a basket. There was a crank too, which I assumed was how the machine got its energy source.

I walked over to the crates of balloon parts, and grabbed a few out of one. Walking back over to the machine with Lynn in tow, I put the balloon parts in the top and turned the crank. Something made of the balloon parts dropped into the basket, and Lynn quickly let go to go run over to hide behind the goat-type.

I pulled the basket out from under the machine, and I realized how shitty this whole situation was. Reluctant to touch the object, I grabbed it with two fingers and held it up. "Oh my fucking god…" Suffice to say, it was a condom.

I ran over to the crates labeled 'To be sold' and pulled off one of the lids. Inside was just a mass of condoms, not packaged in any way, just thrown in the box and stuffed to the brim.

"Oh hell no. This can't be real." I thought to myself. There were stacks and stacks of these boxes too, each being a pretty massive crate. I was feeling dizzy. "What the fuck…" I said under my breath.

I shook my head, and I walked back over to the demi-humans, trying to erase the image burned into my mind. "I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have to go through this. I know your name is Lynn, right?" I asked the cat-dog hybrid. She nodded, still silent. Turning to the goat-type, I asked, "May I know your name?"

She seemed to be in a better mental condition than Lynn, which made me think that either she was tough as nails or hasn't been a slave for that long. "Yes, my name is Eldener. May I ask yours?"

I shrugged. "My name is Maddox. You'll probably know my title better; I'm the Shield Hero." Eldener didn't look too surprised, but Lynn silently gasped.

"Interesting." Eldener muttered.

"Alright, I'm going upstairs real quick. I'll be back, just wait a moment and I'll see if I can get you guys some clothes. After that, I'll see if I can get the slave seal off of you."

Eldener shook her head. "We don't have slave seals, actually. The slaver never put them on us."

I was a bit shocked. "Really? Any idea why not?"

Eldener shrugged. "I have no idea."

I thought for a bit. "Anyway, I'll be back. I have an idea as well, one that will hopefully benefit you greatly."

Lynn looked at me with scared eyes, then quickly ran back over and latched onto my arm. "H-Hey! Stay here for a bit, I promise I'll be back. Please, just stay strong for a bit longer and I'll see what I can do."

She hugged tighter for a moment, then slowly let go. Nodding at Eldener, I ascended up the ladder. I was greeted by Raphtalia holding the old dude by the back of his collar, and himself trying to break free and run. I again realized that Raphtalia was full-grown while she towered over the short old man.

She noticed me and asked, "What's the report, Mr. Maddox?" I sighed. "Hold on a sec, and you can see for yourself." She frowned, and she focused her attention back onto the old man, who just wrenched pretty hard trying to break free.

"Let me go, you demi-human fiend! I can't believe you were ever a woman who was worth my attention!"

Raphtalia sighed. "He's been like this for a while now. It's a bit disheartening, to be honest."

I felt bad. I shouldn't have left her here with this old coot, and it's my fault she's being called these awful things.

Noticing the look on my face, her gaze hardened. "Mr. Maddox, I can tell what you are thinking, even without the ring, and it's not your fault. Speaking of which, may I please have it back?"

I could tell she really didn't want me having free access to it, for whatever reason. It is a major invasion of privacy, only used in certain circumstances, so I understand. I pulled the ring out of my pocket and gave it to her. She slipped it back into her own pocket.

"Hold on, I'll be right back. I have a bit of a gambit to pull off." Raphtalia nodded, a bit curious, and left me to do my task.

Searching around for a bit, I noticed the party of adventurers the old dude was looking at before, especially the women. From a distance, they seemed good natured, but I can never be sure. In any case, I needed someone with some info and a set of hands.

Walking up to them, there were two guys and two girls, an even party. One girl was dressed in wizard garbs, and the other had a bow. One of the guys had a greatsword and heavy armor, and another with nothing but a shield.

All of them were demi-humans, the girls both being cat-type, the bow girl being black cat and the wizard being tabby or the sort, the guy with the greatsword was a wolf type with gray hair and two sharp fangs. The other guy seemed to be an ox type, with curving horns and massive body structure. Aside from two jutting teeth from his lower jaw, he seemed more human than animal, like most demi-humans, but it felt strange seeing an ox-type look almost human with all the media I've seen in my world.

Anyway, I walked up to them and I asked, "Hey, uh, you guys got a second?"

The girls looked curious, the wolf-type looked a bit suspicious, and the ox-type's face lit up with joy. "Wait… are you…?!" I realized that the ox-type already knew who I was, which wasn't a major issue, but could still be considered a curse rather than a blessing in most scenarios.

"Yeah? What's up, stranger?" The wolf-type asked.

The ox-type slapped the wolf-type gently on the shoulder. "Dude, it's him!"

The wizard girl looked confused. "Him? Who is him?"

The ox-type's jaw dropped. "Him! You don't know?!" The ox-type looked like he was about to pass out.

"Uh, may I interject here? I'll let my, er, admirer, tell you later, but I got a little matter on my hands that needs some resolving. I just arrived here, so I was hoping you guys would have some connections to help me out."

The bow girl cocked her head to the side. "Sure, what is it?"

The wolf-type still seemed suspicious. "Hold up, before we agree with anything, tell us what you need and why you chose us in particular."

I shrugged. "To be honest? I picked at random. I was walking down the street earlier and saw you guys, so I'd figure I'd stick with someone I saw before rather than a complete stranger."

The wolf-type was still suspicious, and rightfully so. I continued, "I've got a crook on my hands, one that's done some heinous deeds, and I needed to see if I could find someone with a connection to authority that doesn't discriminate against demi-humans. Also two pairs of clothes, one a teens small and another an adult large, both female." All of them looked dumbfounded at my last statement. "Look, it's hard to explain. Come with me and I'll show you."

The wolf-type looked down at me condescendingly. "I'll pass. This seems like trouble."

The ox-type looked like he was about to strangle the wolf-type and cry at the same time. "Kaeya! We can't just refuse! He's the shield hero!"

The girls and the wolf-type looked dumbfounded, once again. Regaining his composure, the wolf-type went back to looking down at me, not in a harsh way, but a lot more shakily this time.

"O-Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?"

The bow girl narrowed her eyes at the wolf-type, who I should start calling Kaeya. "Kaeya, you know how Red is, no way would he get this wrong." She turned to me. "We'll help. Lead the way." I nodded, then quickly walked away with their party in tow.

The guy's stall was still occupied by Raphtalia and the old man, who was currently slumbering away. "Raphtalia, what did you do to him?" I asked as I walked up.

"Nothing, he just decided to stop struggling and went to sleep."

I narrowed my eyes at the old man. He was most likely faking, waiting for an opportunity to get away.

"Who are these people, Mr. Maddox?" Raphtalia asked me.

"These are some adventurers who are willing to help. Guys, this is Raphtalia, my companion."

The ox-type, who I will now refer to as Red, looked ecstatic. He ran up and quickly shook Raphtalia's free hand. "Oh my gosh, it is a pleasure! You're so lucky to be traveling around with the shield hero! It's so nice to meet you!" Raphtalia blushed a little, embarrassed, then turned back to me as Red shook her hand excitedly. I sighed.

"Alright, here's the bastard. Got any rope?" Red pulled a long coil out of his bag and passed it over to me.

"Anyway, what did this guy do anyway?" He asked.

I tied the old coot up, and he really didn't stir. I was a bit suspicious. "Raphtalia, did you happen to knock him out?"

Raphtalia hid her hands behind her back. "I-I would never! Or maybe not 'never' per se…"

I sighed again. "Nah, I understand. I'm not having his shit either." I started to climb down the ladder. "Coming?"

Red was jumping for joy, and he quickly tried to fit down the ladder. "Oof, it's a bit of a tight squeeze!" Tight squeeze was right, and even from below I could tell his broad shoulders weren't going to let him fit down the narrow ladder.

I heard from Kaeya, "Red, you very well know you can't fit down there! Let me down and I'll sort this out."

Red sighed. "Yeah, I know, I know…" He climbed up and Kaeya climbed down, as well as the bow girl.

"Lisse," She called as she descended the ladder, "Go find some clothes for whoever needs them. Just get a variety of outfits, we can return the ones we don't need later." The wizard girl nodded and ran off.

I emerged first into the dank room, and Lynn quickly ran over and hugged me. The others emerged from the ladder as well. Lynn saw them, then quickly unlatched and ran over to Eldener.

"What the hell is this place?" Kaeya asked. "And who are these people?"

Lynn flinched, and Eldener glared at Kaeya, looking suspicious with a bit of hostility.

"These guys were raped by that old man upstairs. He was using them for some 'experiments,' which were really an excuse to defile them."

The bow girl looked horrified, and Kaeya looked pissed. "Tch. Imma beat that old man's ass."

The bow girl seemed to be in shock. "What sort of… experiments?"

I looked over to the stacks of boxes. "Take a look."

She stiffly walked over and pulled off a lid. She seemed close to puking, and quickly closed the lid. She had opened a different box than I did, and even I didn't have that bad of a reaction. "Kaeya… Oh mighty shield hero…"

I raised an eyebrow, and both me and Kaeya walked over to the box the bow girl had opened. Oh my lord, just as I thought that this couldn't get any worse. Inside were condoms, sure, but let's just say… These were not for selling.

"Fucking piece of shit!" Kaeya roared and quickly ascended the ladder. I sprinted after him.

"Hey, whatever your name is, keep these two company! I've got to stop your friend from doing anything rash!"

The bow girl nodded, and called to me as I moved up the ladder, "My name is Amanda, by the way!"

I scrambled up the ladder, and the first thing I saw was Raphtalia's sword at Kaeya's neck as he tried to pick up the old dude.

"Don't do anything you might regret." Raphtalia warned.

Kaeya turned to her and snarled, "This isn't about you! Let me beat his ass into a pulp!" I walked up and held out my hands.

"Listen! Y'all are fighting like monsters! Raphtalia, put your sword down, and Kaeya, cool your jets! We can get authority on this matter to get it resolved, by no means will we execute or torture him ourselves!"

Raphtalia eased her sword, but Kaeya still didn't back down altogether. "Even if we get him convicted, I want him to suffer just as they did! I'm not letting anyone mistreat my kind!" I don't know why he was so vehemently feeling on this matter, but I decided not to ask at this time.

"Kaeya, I don't know what beef you have with him, or if it's something else, but right now, violence will make us look like the bad guys. Imagine if a guard that hated demi-humans were to show up right now, having an old man tied up and unconscious is bad enough. What if he's covered in wounds when we turn him in? If you really want revenge, guarantee he'll be executed!" Kaeya still looked pissed.

Red interjected, "Kaeya, it's not worth it. I know you are upset, but relax this one time. Please?"

Kaeya gritted his teeth, then threw the old man to the ground. "Whatever, fine! See, I did what you asked! Now fuck off!" He fixed his greatsword, which had become skewed on his back in the commotion, and sauntered away angrily. Red took a step towards him, but quickly gave up.

"I am so sorry, Lord Shield Hero. He should have more respect and try to think before he acts." He put his hands together in front of his face, as if praying to me.

"Uh, it's no big deal, really. I feel the same way he does sometimes. I've just learned to work with the emotions instead of letting myself be engulfed in them."

Red's eyes lit up. "Woah! What a quote!" He took out a small journal from the side pocket of his bag and started writing in it. Yeah, this guy was a shield hero fanatic.

I cleared my throat, a bit embarrassed. "Ahem. Er, anyway, I think once he cools off a bit he'll be back. Assuming he's a decent person, which I'd like to think he is. He seems very… protective… of demi-humans."

Red looked away. "I'm sorry, Lord Shield Hero, but I don't think it's my place to say in this situation." He looked really disappointed, as if he had failed me in some way.

"I understand completely. If you don't feel comfortable sharing, Kaeya will have to get it out eventually. That's just how it works." I patted his back. "I'm glad you're sticking up for your friend, protecting his personal life like that. I wouldn't want Raphtalia to tell random strangers my own, so that's commendable."

Red looked back to me, and he smiled. "You are a gracious one, Lord Shield Hero."

I shrugged. "Not really. I think it's part of being a decent human being."

Red nodded, then stared off into the distance.

"Mr. Maddox." Raphtalia came up to me, smiling, though I knew behind that smile there was a lot of frustration. She grabbed my shoulder and gripped it a tad tightly. "You understand I still have no clue what is going on, correct? Would you mind giving me some insight, Lord Shield Hero?"

My mouth quirked. "Yeahhhh, let me start from the top." I explained to her what I had learned, why I went to find the other party, and what I know about them. I left out the bit about Lynn, who for some reason was very clingy to me, and just told her about Eldener. I didn't want Raphtalia to get the wrong idea. Raphtalia looked very thoughtful throughout my explanation, and not even batting an eye when I explained what the old man was making underneath us.

"I see." She muttered, nodding her head. To me, she then asked, "Now, I just have one question. What is a condom?"

I froze. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…" My eyes glazed over, and my body and mouth wouldn't move.

"Mr. Maddox? Are you alright?"

I stood up straight, and walked over, very rigidly, to the box that the old man was using as a countertop. I sat on it, and assumed a pose with a somber look on my face. This pose is most identifiable in the statue 'The Thinker,' which I certainly was doing right now. I stayed completely silent, hoping Raphtalia would eventually drop it.

"Mr. Maddox? Are you sure you are okay?" I didn't move an inch. Just then, the tabby cat-type demihuman came running up. I'm pretty sure her name is Lisse, and she was holding two bags.

"Ah! You're back!" Perfect excuse to drop the subject.

She slowed down as she reached us, and she seemed pretty out of breath. "O-Of course, Lord Shield Hero. I wouldn't dare defy someone as powerful and gracious as yourself."

Honestly, I was kind of tired of getting this special treatment. I understood why, but still, I hated being known as my title and not the content of my character.

"Yeah… anyway, let's get down in the basement. Red, do you mind watching the old man?"

Red's eyes had glazed over after the previous interaction, but now he snapped back to reality. "Ah, oh, sure." I nodded, then led the way down the ladder. Raphtalia followed suit, then Lisse as well.

Emerging from the ladder, Lynn, Eldener, and Amanda were sitting and conversing in the corner of the room. Noticing me, Lynn started to get up, but after Raphtalia emerged from the ladder, she froze. Lisse appeared soon after, but Lynn took no notice of her. Slowly getting up, Lynn walked over to me. She looked up at me, then at Raphtalia.

"Mr. Maddox?" Raphtalia asked. "Who is this girl? I thought you said there was only one slave down here."

I shrugged. "I must've fumbled my words earlier. Yeah, this is Lynn." Lynn was still looking up at Raphtalia. Without asking, she took Raphtalia's hand and started examining it.

"Um, hello, Lynn. My name is Raphtalia."

Lynn took no notice, once again, and kept looking at Raphtalia's hand. She turned it over a bit, bending her fingers, unclasping and remaking a fist. Then, she breathed a sigh, but it seemed a bit… off? Though, I think that may have been the first time I've heard her make a noise. Walking over to me, she leaned against me, eyes closed.

Raphtalia looked at me curiously, and I merely shrugged. I had no idea what to think of Lynn; all I know is that she has some sort of attachment to me, maybe due to being the shield hero. I also wondered why she seemed comfortable around Raphtalia, despite being afraid or uneasy around everyone else.

Lisse set the bags on the ground and opened them. "Here they are. I hope they suffice."

I cleared my throat. "Alright, this is where I head out. I should check up on Red and the old bastard upstairs."

Eldener nodded, and Lynn finally detached from me, though regretfully I presume. Starting to climb up the ladder, I looked at Raphtalia. "You wanna come up, or do you want to stay here?"

Raphtalia looked like she was conflicted. "Well, Mr. Maddox… I think I'll come with you." She seemed a bit disheartened by it. I thought for a moment.

"Hmm. Actually, maybe you'd better stay here with the other girls. It'd be nice to communicate with someone other than me."

Raphtalia looked a bit relieved. "Oh, ah, thank you, Mr. Maddox. I'll be up there shortly."

Nodding, I ascended the ladder. "I'm sure she wanted to stay and help out with the slaves. After being liberated so recently herself, she'd probably want to help out as many as she can. That's one of the many things I like about her."

Up top, the old man had woken up. Currently he was wriggling around with a bit of rope in his mouth. "MMMPPPHHH" He tried to scream.

Red was sitting down beside him, watching disappointedly. He sighed. "Man, he really doesn't quit, does he?"

I walked over to the old man and I poked him with my foot. He screamed further. "Yeah, it seems so."

With a loud snapping noise, the rope used to bind his mouth frayed apart. Apparently he had been chewing through the rope this entire time. "UNHAND ME YOU PIECES OF SHITS! I SHOULD TURN ALL OF YOU INTO SLAVES AND BEAT YOU INTO SUBMISSION!" His screaming attracted attention from several bystanders, and they all looked at him like he was crazy. Which he was, to be fair.

I squatted down in front of his face. "Hey, you got some nerve to be talking like that in your position. You know what happens to people who sexually assault women in this country, right?"

His face paled. "W-W-Well, they'll never listen to you cause they are demi-humans! They are lower than scum, and only exist to give pleasure and entertainment to Melromarcians!"

Damn, this guy was twisted. I pulled out that object that I got from the basket earlier. I shoved it in his mouth. "Put a sock in it, old man." His face turned bright red, and I could hear him grinding his teeth through the condom. He couldn't rip it though; apparently his quality of work was too good for his own sake.

Just about then, Amanda emerged from the trapdoor, followed by Eldener, then Lisse. After a brief moment, so did Raphtalia, followed by Lynn. Raphtalia tried to help Lynn out of the trapdoor, but when the sun hit her face she quickly shrunk back.

"Lynn? Are you okay?"

Lynn was looking down the trapdoor ladder in order to shield her eyes, and she took no notice of Raphtalia's question. I walked over to her. "Lynn? You doing alright?"

My shadow helped shield her eyes, and she looked back up to me. Slowly, she started to climb up the ladder, but not responding to my question. Lynn quickly ducked under the cloth eaves of the old man's stand, but looked a bit longingly at the sunlit sidewalk. Raphtalia looked at me, and I shrugged. Again, I didn't know what to think.

Eldener looked almost directly into the sun. "My, My! It's so bright out here! Just thinking about the outside gives me shivers!" Eldener was wearing some… interesting clothing. It was a dress, but it revealed most of her shoulders, part of her back, and a bit of cleavage as well. Seemed more revealing than a rape-ee victim would ever feel comfortable with, but she seemed to take it in stride. "I may be thinking about this wrong, but… is she… into it?"

Even now she was blushing as she looked up into the sun, as if she liked the revealing light that scorched her eyeballs. Now that I was thinking about it… she always gave off that 'Ara Ara' vibe. Not going to lie, she seemed horny as fuck.

Lynn, on the other hand, was wearing a long sleeve cloth tunic and pants, meant for women of course, however she was by no means revealing anything. She seemed uncomfortable though, as she kept picking at her shirt sleeves and pants, like they were too tight or something. I think the clothes were actually a tad big for her, but she acted like they gripped her like a bodysuit.

"Hmm. That makes me wonder…" I decided to investigate, and it may seem inappropriate for the time being, but I needed to know so I could accommodate her. I beckoned Raphtalia closer to me. "Hey, would you mind doing something for me?" I whispered, making sure my back was turned to Lynn.

"Sure, what is it?" Raphtalia asked.

"I know this may sound crazy, but would you mind sneaking up on Lynn, then clapping right next to her ear? Make sure she doesn't see you when you do."

Raphtalia frowned. "Mr. Maddox, don't you think scaring her may seem a bit… insensitive?" Looking back at Lynn, she was trying her best to peek her head out from under the make-shift stand, but always shying back from it.

"If I'm right, it might not scare her at all." Raphtalia was curious now, so she did what I asked.

Keeping an eye on Lynn, she moved behind her. I don't think she saw Raphtalia. Suddenly, Raphtalia clapped right beside Lynn's ear. She did not react. Confused, Raphtalia did it again, louder this time. Lynn did not respond. Looking at me, Raphtalia seemed perplexed. I motioned for Raphtalia to make Lynn notice her presence.

Tapping her shoulder, Lynn jumped, then spun around to face Raphtalia. "Oh, I'm sorry for startling you Lynn, but I was just curious… are your clothes fitting correctly? I noticed you were messing with your sleeves and pants quite a bit."

Raphtalia seemed to have noticed that too, and she took my hint and was now distracting Lynn, while also gathering information. That's some pretty nice teamwork. Lynn was silent, as always, and she rolled her shoulders. This time she seemed to take notice of Raphtalia, but she still didn't answer her. Now it was my turn.

"Lynn!" I called out. The rest of the group noticed me, puzzled, but I ignored them. Lynn didn't respond. "LYNN!" I called out again, and she still didn't respond.

"Lord Shield Hero, what's the matter? Why are you calling Lynn's name?" Amanda asked.

It looks like one part of my theory was confirmed. Time for the second.

Walking quickly over to Lynn, I grabbed her hand, a bit roughly, and just held it. Lynn freaked out, writhing and tensing in order to break free, but it didn't seem like it would be too hard to do so. In fact, I had loosened my grip so much that even a baby could break free. It was as if she was unable to let go. I quickly took my hand back, and I turned her to face me.

"Lynn. I am deeply sorry I just did that. I needed to test something, just to get to know you better, and I think I can help you be a bit better understood in the future. I apologize if that was uncomfortable, can you please forgive me?"

She had mostly recovered, and slowly nodded in acceptance. Gently, she held up my hand and folded it into a fist, similar to what she did with Raphtalia. I gratefully nodded back. Looking back at the crew, they all had a mixture of confusion and a little bit of irritability or frustration.

"Mr. Maddox!" Raphtalia reprimanded. "I don't know what you just did, but I could tell it distressed Lynn! I'm grateful you apologized, but it's much too soon to be playing pranks like that."

Amanda nodded in agreement, Lisse still looked confused, but Red seemed understanding. "That wasn't a prank, was it, Lord Shield Hero?" He asked curiously. I shook my head.

"It wasn't. I'm sure you are aware of me calling Lynn's name, and how she showed no response?" They all nodded, but only Red seemed to know where I was going with this.

"She's deaf, isn't she?" Red asked sadly. Lynn had gone back to hiding under the eaves of the stand, unaware of the conversation happening. I nodded.

"Yeah. She appears to be."

The group looked shocked. Lisse was especially surprised. "Oh… oh wow. That's… so sad."

Turning to the stand, I ripped a large chunk of its cloth off of the back. I folded it a bit, then I set it upon Lynn's head, in the shape of a hood. I was careful not to touch her skin as I did so, but she didn't seem as bothered by the hood as she did with the rest of her clothes.

She watched me carefully as I fixated the hood upon her head, and she finally walked out into the sun. The entire group looked at her sadly, and I felt the mood was too somber.

Lynn looked up at me, seemingly at the verge of crying herself, despite not having any clue that she was the source of the sadness. However, even if everyone else was sad, I gave her a big grin.

"Nothing to worry about. They're just all being a bit of a crybaby at the moment." All of them looked astounded at me.

"Mr, Maddox!" Raphtalia exclaimed.

Amanda looked a little angry. "Crybaby? Wouldn't anyone be saddened by her position?" Lisse nodded, but Red looked confused. In fact, he seemed to understand everything I do and say is for some sort of reason, which is more often true than not.

"Saddened? Why should we be sad? Lynn may be deaf, but that shouldn't change the way we think about her. Sure, we will have to accommodate for special needs and the sort, but that doesn't mean she isn't a unique and important individual, and she has her own personality that we should cherish and grow. We shouldn't be sad because she can't hear, we should be happy that she's here with us in the first place."

I smiled at Lynn. She was looking up at me with wide eyes, and she was smiling back. The first time I've seen that too. The rest of the gang took this in stride, and all started to whoop and cheer for Lynn. Sure it may have been a bit extravagant, but it was important to let her know she was among friends, in a way that you didn't need sound for. She looked really happy.

Honestly, so was I. It was nice to have some honorable people to talk to about these sorts of celebrations. They understood, and that's what makes me happy. I just hope they would keep being understanding, because there was a bit more to it than just being deaf, and though it's not too problematic, that's more of a worry than not being able to hear.