This is a Full Metal Alchemist and Rising of the Shield Hero Fanfiction only.
I woke up the next day, Raphtalia somehow moved me to the bed and now she is sleeping while holding me, how in the world did something like this happen? I mean, she is a little girl, how in the world did she manage to pick up a grown man, carry him to the bed across the room, and all without waking me up?
I guess the only thing that I need is for Erhard to come in the room and make a comment that I will hear from now on. After a few minutes of waiting, I only heard that her armor was ready, to wake up because breakfast was getting cold. Since when Erhard scream like she is my mother? Well, I guess I really shouldn't be ungrateful.
I touched Raphtalia to wake her up, she smiled for a second and asked me if I how I slept? Honestly, I never expect this sort of question for her? I, of course, told her that the only problem I had was that I was worried that I might make her feel uncomfortable and that her armor was ready.
She immediately jumped out of bed, ran down the corridor to where I guess she expected to find her armor, I got out of bed, straightened my clothes and put on the rest of my armor. I walked down the stairs as calmly as possible and that is when I saw something that will cause me nightmares, Erhard wearing an apron holding a pitcher of juice and pointing to what seems to be a table with some eggs and bacon on three plates, he even made toast.
I guess he woke up extra early to make all this food, Erhard looked at me, and I could not help but do something I know I should do, "Erhard, thank you for letting us stay over last night, sorry for the inconvenience, and that food looks delicious, please sit down and eat with Raphtalia, I will take care of the clean the pots and pans while you eat, it is the very least I could do."
He looked at me smiling as he sat down and told me to sit on the chair right next to Raphtalia, "Oh, you don't need to do that, I already took care of it. How in the world could you sleep through all the noise I made last night is something I will never figure out, I did help Raphtalia carry you over to the bed when she asked me."
"She was very worried that you would hurt yourself sleeping on the floor like that, I tried to tell her that would not happen, you pretty much told me you slept on the ground in a mine, I would not think that you are so delicate that sleeping on the floor would hurt you, but she wouldn't let up about it."
Raphtalia was ignoring us through the entire conversation, she was simply concentrated on eating her breakfast. Eggs from a monster, bread made from grains, and juice made from what seems to be oranges, and the bacon came from another monster, all in all, Raphtalia enjoyed it quite a bit, the only question is why doesn't it have any flavor for me?
I ate at that restaurant and always ordered the cheapest menu item back in Lute, but I always figured the lack of flavor was because I was eating the cheapest priced food they prepared, but eating what Erhard prepared, this stuff doesn't taste like anything. I have eaten tofu that has more flavor than this.
"Thank you again for everything Erhard. I once the next wave is over I might need to speak with you about upgrading my own armor. So it would really help me if at some point you write to me a list of materials it would help you make me my next armor set."
He laughed and looked at Raphtalia, "Well that would only matter if you are considering the cost of the set if you have enough I could easily fit you for a plate armor set." That wouldn't help at all, sure it would be sturdy but in using my alchemy I need flexibility more than that, the shield pretty much has increased my defenses.
"I wouldn't pick a plate mail armor set, many people don't realize this but to be able to be effective in combat mobility is a major factor, the speed that I can move and react effects on what I can do with my alchemy. I would say something like a sturdier gambison armor, but even I know wool and other fabrics can be hard to get."
He looked at me and for some reason, I felt like he was measuring me with his eyes. "I think I have an idea, it would be a custom order set, which of course means that it will cost you about four gold pieces. With the way you have been selling medicines and tonics around, I think you can afford it."
Four gold pieces are not something to sneeze at, "I could go for a lower price say half, if you and Raphtalia were to bring me the hide of at least a dozen beasts that come to mind. Porcupine, Wolf, Boar, Bear, and Deer, cleanly cut hides, and other parts separated. I would also not be against a few pounds of magic ore and iron."
Lucky the beast were actually near and around the village of Lute, thanks to our work in the area, I have everything but the deer hides. I guess I just need to find myself some bucks. "I think I got everything but one of the beasts you mentioned, I guess that is where we are headed next Raphtalia, we are going on a deer hunt."
As we left the building I got the feeling that Erhard was giving me some work so that he could start making my custom order without me even noticing as a surprise. The minute we reached the roads I began to use my abilities to locate the much-needed deer. The animals of this place sort of look the same and some even have similar names.
I think even some of the monsters have names I oddly recognize, Raphtalia is often very talkative with questions about my past or my family, but for some odd reason, she hasn't said a thing since we left the capital. Call me nuts, but somehow I think Raphtalia is still upset about that kiss I got from Myne.
Deer, they call these monsters deer? These things look more like a battering ram with legs, I am not kidding, the thing had four horns and more jagged points than a brier bush. I could not use flame alchemy directly since what we need the hides to be in good condition, that is when it hit me.
Uncle Ed used to say that if I could not burn something, I could use the force of the explosion to do the damage for me. So instead of causing the bucks to blow into pieces, I used flame alchemy to cause explosions around my targets and that causes them to be so spooked that they actually ran into each other, with so many points on their four hours, they ended up killing each other.
The best thing is since these deer seem to travel in herds, I got a dozen of them rather quickly. Well in truth I only used flame alchemy three or four times tops, most of them died from the harm they did on others of their herd due to the panic from the explosions.
Raphtalia was still quite as we butchered the remains, "Raphtalia are you this angry with me? Look, are we going to have a problem? We need to be able to work together to defeat the waves, you do know that right?"
She stopped sorting and cleaning the pieces I already butchered and looked at me, "I am not angry Master Mustang, or at least I am not angry with you, it just that I been feeling rather odd since I saw that woman kiss you like that. I feel embarrassed every time I remember it, and angry with her for stealing something so precious."
"I am glad you are not angry with me, you do know you are the only person I have to count on, don't you?" Well she sure changes emotions rather quickly, one minute she is brooding, the next she is angry and now see her face is bright red. I can understand the nature of things, changed them to meet my needs, even met Truth more than most prophets, but women, I don't think I will ever truly understand.
I kept feeding the pieces of the deer bodies that could not be used to my shield. Need to continue to make the shield stronger, can't do something as foolish as to really only on my alchemy, I know full well the mistake of not having a back-up plan.
"I am done master, do you need help carrying all this? I know you are strong, but they're a lot of horns and pelts that we need to carry." I am not about to let a little girl carry that much, I instead pointed my hand at the piles where Raphtalia sorted all the things we cut from the deer bodies.
In an instant, the piles disappeared and I saw they were in my inventory, so I don't have to physically touch them to place them inside my inventory at all, and I can do it from a few feet away, that is convenient. I had the hides, the horns, and the few steaks we managed to prepare.
We would deliver the hide and horns, but I planned to use the steaks to make deer jerky as a battle emergency rations. Like I said, always have a back-up plan.
The deer shield had some pretty interesting abilities, improved sense of smell, improved movement, and an increase in defense and offense, granted more defense than offense, but the main ability is the ability to detect enemy attacks and since I fed so much to the shield, I mastered it, not bad for a couple of hours work.
We began to walk towards the capital and for some strange reason Raphtalia was laughing and sounded a lot happier for some reason, guess she finally got over her rage of seeing Myne kiss me, well considering what I saw in my memories last night, well let's just say she would really be furious if she saw what Mire and the previous shield hero used to do.
I try to resist but even as I thought that, it really does feel like these are my memories. I also know why the King hates my guts so much, I am not going to reveal the fact that I know since only a fool would leave himself so open, especially before such an enemy.
As we returned to my friend's shop I began to lay down every piece on some rather large tables. That is when Erhard came towards us. He looked surprised by all the materials we got, fro different animals and everything ready to use and probably shocked that we got this much, this quickly.
"Hope you don't mind I used some of the parts that were simply too damaged, all these parts are as far as I know ready for use." He began to go through each pile and began to nod his head, he even picked up a few pieces of hiding and smelled them.
"Yes, this does smell rather fresh, didn't think you both could get all this in only a day. If you are alive and still around Roy, I would spend some time learning to be a tanner, if you can gather what I need in a day, you clearly have a future in it."
I walked over to the counter and placed my money on the counter, equivalent exchange, if he treats me fairly it is only appropriate I do the same. "Four pieces, don't think I will be able to wear it before the end of the next wave, but at least I have something to look forward to. I could also open my own apothecary at Lute, trust me, Erhard, I have spent a few hours thinking about what I will do in the future."
He took the four gold pieces and he gave me two pieces back. "Two is more than enough, glad that you understand how busy I am. Don't worry Roy, you will have this new armor by the time you come back from fighting the wave, just make sure you come back, hate to make this new set of armor and learn that you will not be here to put it on."
As we walked away Raphtalia was still in a bad mood. "Master Mustang, do you know much about demihumans?" Well, thanks to all these memories, I think I know a fairly good amount about demihumans, I remember a few species that were shall we say memorable, but most were decent folk or at least the ones I met.
"Anything specific I should know about Raphtalia?" She said in a really low tone if I knew about the effects that gaining levels had on them. Well, there is no actual mystery about it, gaining levels were pretty much growth, in their case literally. A demihuman child would develop rather quickly into an adult if that demihuman gained experience enough to gain levels quickly.
Should that demihuman reach about level forty, well that demihuman could be considered an adult, just like a kid, wanting to grow up as quickly as possible without realizing how much they would once miss their childhood. Why is Raphtalia asking me this, blushing and acting all shy for?
I don't know why you would ask me this Raphtalia, come on, we got to gather some herbs and other plants. I am trying to improve on my basic medicine if I can make that more effective we might be able to prevent some deaths in the coming wave, and why are you looking at me like that? She clearly was upset about something.
As we kept killing beast and monsters I begin to wonder how in the world did a spirit from my world come to end up being a princess in the world I got summoned, this all seems to strange for it to be mere coincidence. I guess that is one mystery that followed me from my life as a state alchemist, I always wondered why Lust always was there with me in a cold drafty library.
From what my father and uncle Ed used to tell me Lust was once the embodiment of sin, the sin of lust. Ed told me how she used her otherworldly beauty and sex appeal to make any man fall for her, she would tie them around her little finger, and quite often she was the cause of that ended their lives.
Father also told me he was the one to finally end her threat to our nation, how he burned her so many times that she finally could not regenerate anymore and died. After all that, she apparently became a spirit and for some odd reason always spent time with me.
I still wonder why did Lust spend so much time with me, she was never outright flirtatious, she was always nice, encouraging and there to make me feel better even during my worst failures, now kisses me. Why would someone love so much the child of the man who killed her? I will never be able to figure out what goes on in a woman's mind will I?
I kept killing animals with my alchemy but for some strange reason, the flames I manipulated became hotter as I gained more experience, my alchemy shield seems to be growing stronger the more levels I gain.
I am still trying to figure out why is Raphtalia so upset, and why it is making me think about it so much? I guess because I care about her, but I hope this doesn't end up distracting us and keeping us from being ready for the coming wave. Times stops for no one and we really have to be ready, or else we will not be able to stop the wave and people will die.
We pretty much now live as a permanent resident of Lute, and sure as hell I didn't expect them to give me a discount on an absolute treasure of a home, welcome me back with open arms, and hearing people scream in sheer joy that the hero of Lute had returned. I paid a grand total of ten copper, I am not kidding, I paid pretty much what a meal costs for a house.
Three bedrooms, one bathroom, well as much at it can be called a bathroom I guess I need to introduce the village to the idea of indoor plumbing at some point, a study and I kid you not a lab for me to make medicines in, I got a fully equipped equivalent laboratory.
I walked into the home to find the village elder waiting for me in our new living room, he even had tea for us. "Elder I don't want to seem ungrateful but could you explain somethings for me? This is not exactly what I expected when I came back from going to the capital to sell medicines."
He said he would be happy to answer any questions that I might have if only to make me feel less stressed. How did he know I was stressed? Never mind, I guess I should really ask him my questions since he is willing to answer them. "First thing why are kids and little children calling me the Hero of Lute? I have done nothing heroic at all."
"Second why sell me this mansion of a house for the price of a cheap lunch set? I was expecting something along the lines of being told to leave with a mob holding pitchforks and torches." He simply took a sip of his teacup and looked at me with this confused look on his face.
"Sir Mustang, I don't think you remember, but Lute was in financial ruin due to the only mine we had been infested by monsters, a mine you cleared out at great risk to yourself and your companion. That has allowed Lute to rebuild and prepare for the coming wave, children are no longer having to go to bed hungry, the added preparations have made families feel safe."
He looked at Raphtalia and smiled as she began to nod her head. "You being here has allowed this poor village to grow into a thriving town. We have very few people without being able to earn a living, the mine is safer than ever, and having you live here has caused the number of dangerous beast and monsters to diminish so we are actually able to live in peace thanks to you living here."
"So you see Sir Mustang, it was no mistake by those children, and there was a reason for us selling you this home, for you see even if nobody is willing to recognize you as a hero, you are and always shall be one to us. We would like that one day you can consider Lute your home."