Quite happy that I was able to finally get this chapter out. Hope you all had a great Chinese New Year !
Now getting back to Naofumi and the crew in this chapter , they are continuing their preparations for the wave but encounter some fun difficulties I set up for them. Fun fact , this whole 'preparation for the wave' arc was originally just one big 20k plus word chapter. But after I realized how stupid that would have been to put you all through a literal 20k chapter , I cut them in two for the sake of length and because I don't want to make the chapters longer than they have to be.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing important feedback and critic !
:)
And also I would like to give a very special thanks to our very own Allen Baster for letting me use a character from their story that I think some of you will recognize.
With that said , let's get this chapter started !
Chapter 16: Day Before Catastrophe
The next two days passed by rather quickly. Mein does not take this as a good thing however.
Because despite the fact they had already found Raphtalia, they had not yet returned to their usual routine of raising their levels and stats for the wave. This was mainly due to Raphtalia . They needed to get her new clothes , a new dagger and heal her sickness that seemed to have gotten worse during her time away from them. And while they were staying at an inn, Raphtalia had a night terror that woke up the entire inn which resulted in them being kicked out and forced to find a new inn during the middle of the night , which left them with little to no sleep and no energy to hunt monsters the following day... so they wasted another day resting.
Mein knew they needed to get back on track, which was why she was bringing it up while they were having their lunch.
" Naofumi we need to get back to raising our levels and stats soon " Mein says bluntly getting everybody's attention " We have already lost a ton of preparation time searching for Raphtalia and now that we have her back , we should focus on getting stronger for the wave again "
Raphtalia looked downcast at that , while it wasn't Mein's intention to make her feel bad...it seems even she realizes how much time they had lost searching for her.
" I-I'm sorry..." Raphtalia apologizes looking down at her food.
" Raphtalia you don't need to apologize... " Naofumi says giving her a look of sympathy.
Mein feels a pang of sympathy hit her heart and she reaches over and gently pats the girl's head " Its alright Raphtalia...I'm actually glad you're back " Mein said genuinely she turned back to Naofumi " But be that as it may , we need to start growing stronger with how the close the wave is by now..."
Mein was the only one in the party to already have reached level 30...but Naofumi and Ake were still stuck in the 20's...while little Raphtalia's level was still only 2...
She would say that they are still massively underprepared and underpowered for the Wave for a Hero's party... they need to get stronger and fast before the wave is on them.
" The wave..." Naofumi says as if remembering a bad memory before it shifts to thoughtfulness " Actually how close is the Wave by now ? "
That is... a really good question.
Mein had genuinely lost track a while ago when they started on their wild goose chase searching for Raphtalia and Keel...but she anticipates that it has to be close by now.
" Not sure honestly...but by my best guess it has to be pretty close by this point " Mein shrugs her shoulders " If we want a more accurate time , we would have to visit the Dragon Hourglass to see how much time we have left..."
" Dragon Hourglass ? " Naofumi voice speaks of confusion " What is that ?"
Mein feels like facepalming...for she forgot to explain the Dragon Hourglass to Naofumi.
" It is an ancient device that is used to tell us and predict when the next wave will be here" Mein explains.
" Oh...well that's convenient "
" Its kept in the cathedral of the Three Heroes Church " Ake adds on as he takes another bite of his food.
Naofumi slumps his head onto the table " Of course it is..."
" Don't fret Naofumi even they can't bar you from checking the Dragon Hourglass..." Mein cheers him up with a smile. She has no doubts that some of them are going to put up a fight but even the fanatics from the Church won't be able to bar him without due cause.
" Well , let's just hope they are as reasonable as Alice was..." Naofumi recalls back to that one priestess that helped them " Getting back to the waves though... how do the Waves actually work ? Like what happens when the Wave starts ? And how do we stop it ?"
Once again Mein felt like facepalming herself , she had completely forgotten to explain how the waves work and how they are supposed to stop it.
" My apologies Naofumi , I completely forgot to explain to you how the waves work " Mein said genuinely.
" Its okay Mein just tell me what you know " Naofumi waves off her apology.
" To start from the beginning , as you have probably already been made aware of by our king , when a wave starts dozens upon hundreds of monsters will spew out of the Wave " Mein speaks with a sense of dread and seriousness in her voice , knowing from the First Wave just how dangerous it can be " From what I have heard , the whole sky turns red and opens up and small monsters will start to pour out of it "
" Okay... and how do you stop the Wave ?" Naofumi asked with a hand to his chin.
" The only way to stop the Wave is to the kill the Boss Monster "
Naofumi's eyebrow raises at that " Boss Monster ?"
" Yes , this monster is much stronger than any other monster that the Wave unleashes , it is easily discernible from the rest with its higher level and being the only one of its kind during the Wave " Mein explains the details of the boss monster , she recalls from the First Wave that the Boss Monster was some kind cerberus type beast " As long as the boss monster is alive , the wave will continue to send smaller monsters "
" Okay ..." Naofumi seemed to take in all the information " Is there anything else I should know ?"
" No , I don't think so ..." Mein sounds unsure for a brief moment , seeming to think on it before coming to a realization " Oh yes , it is also said that when the Wave begins , heroes and their parties are teleported to where the Waves are "
" So we get teleported , huh ?" Naofumi said " Sounds a lot better than having to run all the way out to where the wave is..."
Yes , it certainly is fortunate that is not the case since speed was...not the strength of most of their current party.
Naofumi seemed to think for a moment before speaking again " Okay...we'll start grinding up levels again after we check out that Dragon Hourglass and see how much time we have left "
" Sounds like a plan " Mein smiled , happy that they were finally getting back on track.
After they finished their lunch , they headed towards the central cathedral within the capital and by far the most important cathedral in the entire nation : For it is the one that houses the Dragon Hourglass. The ancient device that has lasted throughout the ages and has helped kingdoms predict the waves to come that wreak havoc on the world.
Mein leads the way to the cathedral, she is familiar with the district that the cathedral is in...even if she has her own personal distaste and hatred for the Three Heroes Church..she is at least familiar with where their base of operations is.
She leads them to the front of a gigantic cathedral , it was somehow even more pristine and thoroughly cleaned than the one they went to for Naofumi's second 'trial'. And it was even larger than the previous one they went to. With the steps leading up to the front door not having a speck of dust or rubbish in sight...it would almost seem like every holy man's dream to pray in a beautiful place like this that was on par with the heavens themselves...
But Mein knows from experience that the brighter the lights...the darker the shadows are...
She looks up at the crest of the 3 Heroes hanging up at the top of the church...
And can practically feel her Mark burning under her cloak.
" Mein...Mein !"
The second shout of her name brings her back to reality and she turns to see Naofumi having shaken her shoulder a couple of times.
" Mein...are you okay ? " Naofumi says looking at her with worry , little Raphtalia was giving much of the same look.
" I'm fine Naofumi...let's go..." Mein shrugged him off. More coldly than she would have liked on any other day , but seeing this cathedral put her in a bad mood. She pulls up her hood and veil as they start walking up the steps.
Unfortunately as they start climbing the staircase to the entrance of the cathedral , they are greeted by Church Knights who wear their silver colored armor with golden triangles on their chest plate and armored skirts turn their noses up at them.
" Halt. What business do you have on our holy ground ?" One of the knights ask as he glances over to Raphtalia " And why do you dare bring beasts to taint this holy place ? "
Raphtalia hides behind Naofumi as Ake stepped forward " Sir Ake Rorik of the King's knights , I bring the Shield Hero with me to inspect the Dragon Hourglass and to see how long before the wave is to come..."
The church knights look at each other , seemingly unsure of what to do.
" What seems to be the problem here ? " A young knight with blonde hair walks out of the entrance and towards them. Mein is quick to duck her head as she sees his handsome face come into view.
It was a good thing she had the forethought to cover her face, she didn't want to deal with the awkward situation of having one of her ex-boyfriends recognize her when she's with her new Mark...
" Sir Arc. The Shield Hero here is requesting permission to see the Dragon Hourglass " The Church knight turns to Jaune , with a respectful air between them.I It seems that Jaune still has his goody two shoes aura around him.
" Please invite them in. I'll notify Lord Commander Fordring immediately " Jaune gives his decision rather quickly as he turns to head back inside of the cathedral.
Mein is sure to keep her hands to herself...she doesn't need to be exposed as a heretic in central of the Three Heroes Church. Their group moves past the Church knights and towards the entrance.
They walked through the entrance and entered the grand hall of the cathedral, Mein keeps her head down for the most part but she could tell from the gasps from Naofumi and Raphtalia that the inside of the cathedral was just as extravagant as the exterior made it out to be. The halls had a pristine clean about them and there was a pleasant silence radiating throughout the cathedral.
Mein didn't let that dull her senses though , she needed to stay sharp in this place...
She noticed that several nuns and priests that they passed were casting glances at them , some of them were whispering among themselves , some of them were even giving Naofumi a dirty look particularly at his shield . Mein rolled her eyes at every single one them , pathetic sheep , who need a shepherd to guide them is no better than a circus animal.
Mein keeps her cool as she tries to think happy thoughts...
Like how hard or easy it would be to set this entire cathedral on fire.
" Oh , what a surprise. The Shield Hero himself has to come to grace us with his presence " A priestess with platinum blonde hair , wearing twin spectacles peers at their approach as she walks towards them.
Mein almost wonders how this bitch would react to Devouring Swarm if she summoned it right here and now.
" I'm not here to argue over what my predecessors did , I just came to check the Dragon Hourglass to see how long I had before the wave " Naofumi made his intentions firm and clear. While it was obvious he wasn't trying to pick a fight with the Three Heroes Church , he was also making it clear that he wasn't going to be a punching bag for them either.
And that's why Mein was smirking under her veil.
" And why should we allow you access to the Hourglass , when you disgrace our kind and ground by bringing a beast onto it " The four eyed bitch glances in disdain at Raphtalia who is cowering even more behind Naofumi.
It was clear that this witch wasn't going to let them pass , not without arguing so maybe they should just-
" What is the problem here Sister Amelia ?"
Another voice cuts into what was about to be a full blown argument , as they all turn to the source of the new voice that walks up from behind the four eyed witch. A much older woman dressed in the same white robes as a nun approaches them , she wasn't especially beautiful but she wasn't half bad looking for a middle aged woman. She wore the same pendant of the Three Heroes Church around her neck like the four eyed witch before them...
But what caught Mein's attention was her eyes...they were sharper, hardened...like a soldier that had been to war before.
" Mother Altara the Shield Hero is requesting to see the Dragon Hourglass..." Sister Amelia speaks with a tone of forced respect. It was clear that this Altara was her begrudging superior.
" I see...the Shield Hero..." Altara's eyes seem to sharpen more as she gives a look that was hard to describe towards Naofumi in particular.
" I just came to check the Hourglass and get out...I don't need anything more..." Naofumi reaffirms his intentions once again.
Altara seems to stare at the Shield Hero for another minute or so...before her mouth moved to answer.
" I don't see any issue with that ..." Altara surprises them all with her agreement.
" Mother Altara , you can't be serio-"
The four eyed witch looked like she was about to argue , but a single stern glare from Altara made it clear that there was no room for discussion or argument. It would seem that this Altara did not get the title of 'Mother' for nothing from the way a single glare from her was enough to shut this bitch up.
" As a member of the clergy , it is our duty to accommodate for all the heroes even if some are less...popular than the others " Altara says with coldness in her voice " Perhaps you should revisit and pray to our Chief God for guidance Sister Amelia...I will take care of things here..."
" Yes...ma'am..." Sister Amelia said begrudgingly as she walked off from them. Mein smirked under her veil at seeing the proud bitch run off like a cat who got their tail stomped on.
Altara gaze turned back to them ...and her sight ended up lingering on Raphtalia who was hiding behind Naofumi's leg. An uncomfortable silence washed over them with Altara seemingly staring at Raphtalia and Naofumi before she turned on her heel.
" Come now Shield Hero , we don't have all day... I shall take you to the Hourglass " Altara said as she started leading the way.
The group was surprised for a moment before following after the nun.
Well...it was certainly fortunate that they ran into a somewhat reasonable member of the Three Heroes Church...even if this Mother Altara is a bit odd.
That four eyed witch though...her last name was Amelia...she's likely to be a second or third times removed cousin of her old childhood playmate. So that would mean it would do no harm to the Amelia family if she were to disappear.
Mein shakes off whatever dark thoughts she has for later. She needs to focus now.
Mein's gaze settles on Altara , the nun who seemed to be more agreeable than most...or maybe it was just an act to lead them into a false sense of security before undercutting them later. You could never be sure when dealing with the religious type.
" That girl...she's of the raccoon clan right ? "
" Huh ? "
Their group was caught off guard by the nun's sudden question, when Altara seemed to slightly turn her head to them as they walked.
" The little girl you have with you...she's of the raccoon clan..." Altara said " I saw the ears when she was hiding behind your leg"
" O-Oh uh ...yes that's right..." Naofumi said stuttering a little.
" Where is she from ? " Altara asked suddenly.
Mein's stare at the nun turned to one of suspicion , what is this nun playing at ?
" Why do you ask ?" Ake countered with equal suspicion.
" Because I'm curious why the Shield Hero is travelling around with an young girl no older than maybe 10 or 9 " Altara replied bluntly.
That made both Raphtalia and Naofumi flinch a little , the former clearly being reminded of her lost home...while the latter clearly understood what the nun was implying.
" ...She's from Port Harp " Naofumi said after a minute without giving Mein time to think.
Granted its not like them giving out the name of Raphtalia's hometown is of any particular detriment to them...considering that the trading port has already been destroyed.
The nun seemed to be a little surprised by that " Port Harp huh ..." She turned her head a little to look at the little raccoon before turning back " She's likely to be the child of some of those Q'ten Lou refugees..."
" Q'ten what now ?" Naofumi looked confused at the nun's mention of a long forgotten nation.
" It was an island nation that was destroyed a long time ago...which caused many of its people to be scattered to the four winds across the world " Altara explains in the most neutral tone possible " From what I heard , Port Harp was originally just an insignificant fishing village until an influx of Q'ten Lou refugees landed on its soil and helped develop it into the trading port it is...or was..."
" Is this true Mein ? " Naofumi turned to her for confirmation.
Mein thought about it...and now that she thinks about it , Raphtalia was very likely to be the daughter of some of those refugees. She did remembering from some of uncle Uther's tales about how those refugees and some noble family from the former island nation that helped develop it into the trading port it was...up until the first wave.
" Yes , its true Naofumi " Mein nodded her head " I remember hearing about it from some hearsay "
Altara hummed " Its rather ironic though..."
" How so ? " Naofumi asked.
" Q'ten Lou was destroyed by a previous Shield Hero ...who led the attack and decimated the island "
" ...Oh..." Naofumi said somberly.
None of them spoke after that but it was clear that Naofumi was down in the dumps about hearing about some of his predecessors feats.
Altara lead them through the halls of the cathedral , passing by a couple more priests and nuns along the way who give varying looks of contempt or disgust at the Shield Hero. It took a couple minutes before they finally did arrive at the room that held the Dragon Hourglass.
" Here we are Shield Hero..." Altara announces as they step into the room.
Mein couldn't help but take a second to stare at the Hourglass...it was very ornate and beautiful , if it wasn't larger than Mein's entire body she would have thought it would do for a fine piece as part of a noble's collection.
Naofumi and Mein step towards it as a retractable staircase formed allowing them to get closer. They both climb the staircase and move in closer and Mein can see the wonder in Naofumi's eyes at the sight of the gigantic clock " So this the Dragon Hourglass ..."
" It would seem so Naofumi " Mein saw that her Mark suddenly started glowing through her glove she quickly hid it underneath her cloak , she didn't want to give these sick three heroes fucks any reason to come hunting her down ... lest she be branded a heretic .
The same thing happened to Naofumi's shield the green gem imbued in it started to glow , it shot out a green beam at the hourglass .
35:12:36
Mein suddenly saw numbers appear on her HUD , she wondered if it was her Mark or Naofumi's shield that did that . But either way ,she could see exactly how much time they had left until the wave , it was quite accura-
Mein almost thought her eyes were deceiving her as she finally noticed the amount of time her HUD showed her.
35 hours ?!
Naofumi looked to be in much shock as she was " Mein...please tell me I've gone crazy and I'm seeing things..."
Mein shook herself back to calmness as she whispered to him " Naofumi keep calm and don't say a word...we can't slip up in a place like this "
Naofumi's panicked eyes were clear for her to see... as they both glanced back at Altara who was staring at them like a hawk.
Despite the Shield Hero's panicked state , he managed to take a deep breath and keep calm " ...Okay..."
Mein would have given him a kiss on the cheek to calm him down but she doubts that would have helped much in a situation like this.
She had previously thought they still had at least a week to raise their levels and grow stronger...yet it seems that the wave was much closer than she thought it was. Then again it wasn't like she was keeping accurate track of how fast or close the wave was...
" Hey , is that Naofumi ?" A voice coming from behind them , which shook both Mein and Naofumi out of their panicked thoughts for now.
As their party turned to see the Spear Hero , Motoyasu Kitamaru approach them with his party in tow . She can see that the Spear Hero is clad in brand new silver white armor , comprised of full shoulder pads , gauntlets , shin guards and boots . Mein thinks it makes him look like one of those white knight , like in some of those story books and romance novels she used to read.
" Motoyasu ? You here to check the Hourglass for how much time is left before the wave ?" Naofumi stepped down from the Hourglass to approach the Spear Hero.
" Yeah , I came to check out the Hourglass and ..." The Spear Hero looks at Naofumi's armor " Dude , what is up with your armor ?"
Naofumi looks at his own armor " What do you mean ? Is there something wrong with it ? "
" You look like a bandit , no offense " The Spear Hero doesn't seem to mean any ill will about Naofumi's armor .
" None taken "
" But how have you been man ? I haven't seen in you a while , not since that day in the guild " The Spear seems to be trying to make conversation .
" Things have been going as well as they can be , me and my party have been working these past few weeks raising our levels and getting stronger for the wave " Naofumi reiterates their past experiences " Though...I'm a bit worried about our strength right now..."
" What do you mean by that ? " Motoyasu raises an eyebrow at that.
Naofumi glances at Altara who is still standing near by " Never mind that ... have you seen Ren or Itsuki ? I haven't seen them in a while "
" No...but its a good thing I ran in to you when I did " Motoyasu smiled " Itsuki asked for all of us to meet at Daedric's inn tomorrow to discuss things "
" Itsuki ? " Naofumi raised an eyebrow at that.
" Yeah...he was the one who called for the meeting in the first place , though he didn't specify exactly what "
The Bow Hero likely wants to discuss with the other heroes about their strategy for the coming wave.
Naofumi put on a thinking face " Hmmm...he probably wants to discuss about what our strategy is going to be "
" Probably. So you're going to be there ? " Motoyasu asked.
Naofumi put on a weak smile " Definitely. What time will it be ? "
" In the afternoon so don't be late !" Motoyasu clarified.
The two heroes talked for a bit more before parting ways and making sure that they were both settled for the meeting. It was good that they were going to have an actual strategy for the wave...
Now Mein has to deal with the other problem they have going on.
" We are so fucked..." Naofumi said as he grasped the side of his spikey hair in panic. They had taken cover in an out of the way alley so they could discuss their plans and it wasn't looking so good.
" That would be a bit of an understatement Sir Naofumi..." Ake said somberly with his arms crossed.
" Not helping Ake..." Mein gave a glare at the knight for his unhelpful input.
" No he's right..." Naofumi said with a desperate grunt " M-Maybe we can do some last minute grinding around the plains ? We won't be able to hit level 30...but it'll be something at least !"
Mein could tell that the Shield Hero was desperate for any sort of strategy to get them out of this fucked situation...but as she and Ake exchanged looks they both knew how unfruitful Naofumi's plan would actually be.
" ...I'm afraid it won't work Naofumi " Mein said with a sigh " You know for yourself that the monsters around the plains and the capital are too weak to provide any significant gains in exp and we would only end up wasting too much time if we try to travel further away..."
" And even if we did travel that far and hunted throughout the night we would only end up tiring ourselves to the point of exhaustion before the actual wave hits " Ake adds on with his arms crossed.
The Shield Hero let out a grunt of frustration " So we really are fucked...damnit !" Naofumi hit the wall of the alley they were in out of frustration before leaning up against it.
Mein looked at the young man with sympathy and she knew that she had to get the Shield Hero out of his slump , it would do no good for their party if he remained in this somber state.
" The situation is not nearly as hopeless as it may seem Naofumi " Mein spoke up catching the Shield Hero's attention " In fact , both you and Ake have already reached the general level range for soldiers in the wave and I am already level 30 ..." Mein reassured him about their problem with their levels. While she certainly wanted them to be as strong as possible for the wave , you at least needed a level of around 20's to be able to survive the wave.
She would have liked them to get a bit higher but they were all out of time and they would have to make do.
" And don't worry so much about the wave , we won't be fighting alone out there. The other cardinal heroes and the army will be there to help fight off the monsters and the wave boss " Mein explains with a smile.
While she certainly doesn't like the idea of the other heroes picking up their slack during the very first wave , she supposes that they will have other chances to expand on Naofumi's heroic exploits in the future to get public opinion on their side.
Naofumi seemed to have cheered up a little at Mein's explanation " ...Okay so maybe we aren't completely doomed. I guess we'll just have to make do with what we have for now..."
" And I can train you a little bit so that you can use your shield a bit more properly " Ake chipped in which his piece of input..
" Oh yeah...I guess we never bothered to get much professional training with my shield" Naofumi scratched the side of his head awkwardly.
Mein did neglect to ever teach Naofumi any sort of proper defense techniques , then again she never practiced with a shield much so she doubts she would be able to give much in the way of helpful teaching or lessons.
" Okay so we'll have Ake try to teach whatever techniques he can and do our best to help defend during the wave " Naofumi says with finality. Not a proper plan but its better than nothing she supposes.
Ake shrugged his shoulders " Its better than having no plan...though we still have one other problem Sir Naofumi " Ake glances over at Raphtalia who was staring absentmindedly at the street " We need to discuss what to do with Raphtalia ..."
Mein narrowed her eyes at the little girl...she was definitely not ready by any means to fight beside them during the wave. She was still low level, she hadn't reached any sort of growth boost and she lacked any sort of actual combat experience to help her survive during the wave, that encounter with that damn black dog not really counting since Mein would attest that more to a sudden rush of adrenaline and berserk reaction rather than actual combat experience and ability.
Raphtalia would only be a tasty snack for any wavespawn they encounter...its simply too dangerous to bring her with them.
" We can't bring her with us Naofumi ..." Mein whispered to the Shield Hero " She's too low level and she lacks any sort of combat experience ...it would be too dangerous to bring her with us "
Mein tone is firm and it is clear that she's willing to fight for her stance.
Thankfully Naofumi doesn't seem to be in the arguing mood as he nods his head " I get what you're saying Mein...but its not like there's anywhere else we can take her to hide out in the wave ..."
That's...a really good point.
" How about we leave her with Uncle Erhard for the wave and just come back for her later ? "Ake suggests much to her relief " He has room in his shop for a kid and I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking care of Raphtalia for a little while as long as we pay him..."
Mein was for once happy of the knight's connection with Erhard , being able to know him so well.
" That's an excellent idea Ake , we can have Erhard take care of little Raphtalia during the wave while we fight " Mein says.
Naofumi nods after a moment " ...Okay that sounds like a good idea...I don't want to lose anot-"
Naofumi catches himself before he finished that sentence but Mein understood his intentions.
He didn't want to lose Raphtalia like he did with Keel.
Mein grasped his hand in comfort...
Though it was more for herself than she would have liked to admit.
It didn't take them very long to make their way to Erhard's shop , the princess in disguise had grown used to making the trip by now.
For one of the few times since she had become companions with the knight , Mein was glad that he had the foresight to suggest leaving Raphtalia with Erhard. She would be more little more than a tasty snack for any wavespawn they come across and would only slow them down.
A ten year old child who still had trouble killing balloons on her own , Mein can't fathom her going up against the small fry of the Wave which is usually undead skeletons and golems . Plus what could she do with a basic dagger ? Her height was a big issue if she were to go up against any monsters from the wave and she still lacks proper combat experience...
The girl still hasn't even taken her first kill ...
Mein could still vaguely remember the first time she had ever killed another living thing that bled , if she recalls correctly it was a rabbit . On the outside it was so cute and adorable ... up until the damn thing tried to take a bite out of her . Had the guard not been there to hold it down , as she shot a fire spell at the rabbit .
It was hard to tell whether that memory could be considered ... happy or not .
Mein shrugged it off as they enter Erhard's shop . Erhard appeared to be in the middle of manually sharpening a sword when they entered , putting the sword away , he leaned in on the counter and greeted them " Good to see you again , Shield Boy and kid "
Mein silently grumbles as she knows the 'kid' was directed at her.
Erhard's eyes narrow at the little raccoon who is walking by Naofumi's side " So I see you finally found the little girl huh ? But wait , what happened to her friend ? "
Both Raphtalia and Naofumi flinch at that , while the look on Ake and Mein's faces darken a little. Erhard seemed to immediately take notice of the somber attitude that washed over the shop.
" Was it something I said ? " Erhard asked confused.
Ake took a step forward to explain the situation to Erhard and Mein stared expectedly at what he was going to say.
" We lost Keel..."
Apparently he wasn't going to say much but it seemed to be enough for Erhard to understand in full.
" Shit... how did it ...nevermind I don't want to reopen the wound " Erhard said tactfully as he gave a look of sympathy at Naofumi " Sorry Naofumi... the kid deserved better than that..."
" ...Yeah...he did ..." Naofumi nodded sadly as he walked up to the counter with Raphtalia.
" So I take it you didn't come all the way here for a social call ? " Erhard said.
" No...actually we wanted to ask you , if you could take care of Raphtalia for a little while " Naofumi finally said.
" Huh ?" Raphtalia meekly said surprised at this .
Naofumi not seeing Raphtalia's expression continued " You see , we haven't quite managed to get Raphtalia's level up ... and she's still not combat ready to deal with the wave ... let alone survive it "
Erhard eyes Raphtalia for a brief moment with a critical eye " You got a point Shield Boy , her small stature is going to be a big issue if she goes up against any of the monsters from the wave " Erhard shrugs his shoulder " That and she's still a little sickly so ..."
As if emphasizing Naofumi's point, Raphtalia ended up coughing which showed that she was still more than a little sick.
" So do you think you could take care of her ?" Ake stepped up to the counter " Its only for a day and we'll provide you with her medicine and pay you for your trouble , uncle "
Erhard raised a hand " Its fine I don't need money , consider this a favor to a loyal customer and friend " Erhard smiles at both Naofumi and the knight " I have a spare room upstairs , she can stay in for the time being "
Naofumi smiles at Erhard " Thanks Erhard , really appreciate it "
" N-No ... please ..."
Everyone turned to Raphtalia who sounded like she was on the verge of collapse .
" Raphtalia ? Is something wrong ?" Naofumi knelled down , making eye contact with Raphtalia .
" NO ! Please don't leave me alone ! Please ..." Raphtalia suddenly grabbed onto Naofumi's leg and she didn't seem like she was going to let go .
" Raphtalia ... you can't come with us , its too dangerous for you " Naofumi gently touched Raphtalia's head , trying to put the fact that she will literally die if she comes with them , as delicately as possible .
Raphtalia just shakes her head at that " I don't care ! I want to fight ! Mother ... and Father ... Keel... Rifana , all of them are gone ! I don't want to be alone again , Master Naofumi ! Please don't leave me alone ..." Raphtalia started to shed some tears and Mein could tell that she meant every word.
" Tough choice Shield Boy , so what its going to be ?" Erhard looked at Raphtalia who still crying into his leg .
Naofumi looked conflicted for the longest time , as if he was unsure over what was truly the right choice to make in this scenario . Mein can't blame him , for having some internal conflict over the decision of whether to bring or not to bring Raphtalia . On one hand , there is a very high probability she'll die if she comes with them , but on the other ... there is a high chance that she'll have an irreversible mental collapse from being left alone , even if it just for a day or two.
Naofumi closes his eyes and sigh , before knelling down and patting the raccoon's head " Well if it has to be like that then ... I guess you can come along "
" Thank you , Master Naofumi " Raphtalia instantly jumped and hugged Naofumi by the waist , to which he gently patted her head.
" If she's coming with you , you better take damn good care of her , ya hear ?" Erhard crosses his arms , neutral to Naofumi's decision.
" Don't worry , I will " Naofumi turned to Mein and Ake " We all will ..."
Both Mein and Ake nodded , both promising to protect little Raphtalia during the wave.
" Well...if we can't leave Raphtalia to Erhard than we better get to training " Ake said firmly.
" Wait what , now ? " Naofumi said surprised.
" Yes now...your form could use a bit of work Sir Naofumi " Ake turned to the blacksmith " Hey uncle , do you mind if we use the back of the shop for training ? "
Erhard shrugs " Sure , I still got some training dummies set up . Follow me "
The blacksmith led them to the back of his shop , where Mein could see that he had quite a few training dummies set up. Mostly just sacks that were set up as people and were stuck to the ground , but it was better than nothing she supposes.
" Come on Sir Naofumi , you'll be sparring with me " Ake said firmly. Almost like a drill instructor at the knight's order.
Naofumi nodded getting into position as the rest of them stood off to the side.
" Perhaps I could help as well ?" Mein spoke up.
Ake eyed Mein critically " You ever trained with a shield before ?"
" Well uh ... no , but-"
" Than it isn't even worth considering " Ake brutally rejects Mein , turning back to Naofumi " In the Order , we knights are trained to fight using both swords and shields , while it is a little bit different since you can't use a weapon the concept is still the same "
" Well okay then " Naofumi changes his shield to the Light Metal Shield for its high defense stat as he mentally prepares for what's to come .
The two stood opposed to each other , while their audience watched from the shade.
" Okay first you need to fix your stance " Ake pointed towards Naofumi's legs " You need to bend your knees a bit so that you have a lower center of gravity , so that when an attacker comes at you'll be able to withstand the force of the attack "
Naofumi bends his knees a bit as Ake instructs , as he pulls out his sword " Good . Now lets put it to the test shall we ?"
Ake charged at the Shield Hero and struck Naofumi's shield multiple times , but Naofumi was able to block all of the attacks.
" Okay...not too shabby on your blocking ability, but in a real fight you're gonna need to do little more than just stand there and take hits " Ake offers his insightful advice " So you're gonna need to learn how to parry "
" Parry ? You mean deflect attacks ? " Naofumi said sounding a bit interested.
" Yes , if you bash away an enemy's attack at the right time you would perform a parry " Ake explains in detail " And the best part is you would be able to stun your opponent and cause some pain , since a countermove like parry uses your DEF "
" Is that so..." Naofumi looks a bit more intrigued at that idea.
" Alright I'm gonna attack you again , try to parry one of my strikes " Ake warns as they get back into position.
Naofumi nodded...before Ake charged at him again and rigorously started striking against Naofumi as if the Shield Hero were a training dummy. Though it was clear that the knight was going easy on the Shield Hero with how sloppy some of his forms and strikes were while she hates to admit it ,the knight was definitely no ametuer when it came to swordplay.
This continued for about another minute or so...before the knight raised his sword in an overarching swing- and Naofumi took this as his chance to bash away Ake's hand.
Which unfortunately sent Ake's sword flying out of his hand and into the dirt just a few feet away from where they were standing. Making Raphtalia jump in surprise.
" Hey ! Watch where you parry ! " Erhard called out from their side , but he did pick the sword out from the ground and threw it back to Ake.
" Sorry !" Naofumi apologized as he turned back to Ake " So...did I do it ? "
" Yeah...you did it right... if you time your parry correctly you can also disarm your opponents " Ake shook his hand in pain " Damn my hands a bit numb..."
Ake took a few minutes to get the feeling in his hand back again before he got back into position.
" Alright Shield Hero...let's put what you learned to the test shall we ?"
" Okay hang on- WHOA !"
This time Ake didn't even wait for Naofumi to get back into position but started slashing at his shield repeatedly , Naofumi barely having enough time to block the attacks as he changed to his Light Metal Shield.
" Your opponents aren't going to wait for you to be ready , so get ready !" Ake shouted as he started sparring against Naofumi once again.
Mein could tell that Ake was taking the kid gloves off and was starting to fight seriously...which meant that Naofumi was doing worse than before.
" Bad parry ! Your opponents are going to be quicker than me !"
Ake yelled out as Naofumi mistimed a parry and almost got slashed as a result.
" Don't just stand there and take attacks ! You need to keep moving in battle , never stop moving until the threat is over ! " Ake shouts instructions to Naofumi , as he continues to battle with him .
Naofumi switches to his Animal Needle Shield and tries to bash it into Ake , who sidesteps the attack and trips Naofumi with a quick sweep to the legs .
" You fall you die "
Ake said as he raised his sword and hit Naofumi's shield . Naofumi kicked Ake in the leg which did zero damage , but it give him enough time to get up.
Ake struck his sword into Naofumi's shield again , but this time Naofumi was ready . Just as he swung his sword into the Animal Needle Shield , Naofumi changed it to the Two Headed Black Dog Shield and activated its skill .
" Dog Bite ! " Naofumi shouted as the dogs eyes glowed red and extended from the shield , biting down on Ake's arm .
Ake struggles to get back but after some struggle , he managed to jump back and massage his arm. Thankfully there is no blood of any sorts.
" Hey you okay ?" Naofumi sounded concerned.
" Yeah ... I'm fine . I think we should take a break for now " Ake rubbed his arm , gritting his teeth.
" Not bad for a new shielder !" Erhard complimented from the sidelines.
" What was that skill , you just used at the end there ?" Mein walked up to Naofumi , looking at the dog shield still equipped on his arm.
" Its the skill , I got from absorbing the black dog from the mine " Naofumi explains running his hand over the dogs fur " Its give me the skill : Dog Bite , it makes the dog on the shield come alive and bite at people , though I can only use at close range so its more of a counterattack than anything "
" Do you actually need to be attacked first to activate the skill ?" Ake sheathed his sword walking up to the pair .
" Well ... no , technically I can activate the skill whenever I want , but since I need to up close to use , its still a counterattack " Naofumi explained.
" What if you used it as a direct attack ?" Mein mused in a thinking moment .
Naofumi was confused at Mein's idea " Direct attack ? How ? "
" Like say an enemy is coming at you , instead of trying to block the attack and activating the skill , how about sidestepping and then activating Dog Bite ? " Mein referred to what Ake did during their little session " It will give you a chance to follow up with another shield move , like Shield Prison for instance , instead of giving the target the opportunity to jump back "
" Yeah...that's actually a good idea Mein " Naofumi said with a smile.
" Well let's try it out than shall we ?" Ake said as he took out his sword and the two began sparring once again.
Which left Mein with Raphtalia and Erhard on the sidelines. With the little girl watching the two men duel with intense concentration so that just left Mein and the blacksmith.
" Shield Boy really has grown a lot in such a short time , hasn't he ? " Erhard suddenly spoke up catching Mein's attention.
Mein watched the young man from another world , he certainly has grown from the short time he has been on Medea soil.
" Yes...I suppose he has " Mein nodded with her arms crossed.
" You know its always freaky for us blacksmiths , seeing those youngster adventurers grow into veterans...its both amazing and scary sometimes " Erhard shrugged with a smile " But maybe its a good thing...they grow up from the bright eyed kids who left their parents house to become adventurers..."
Mein said nothing as she watched Ake and Naofumi.
" What about you kid ? Got any family ? "
Mein froze at that , before she answered " ...No. I don't have any immediate family "
Not anymore.
" Alright...sensitive subject for you..." Erhard commented " So do you think you're ready for the wave ? "
No.
That was Mein's honest thoughts but she didn't want to seem weak in front of Erhard.
" Prepared enough " Mein said looking away.
Erhard went silent and Mein thought he had finally shut up.
Right before he gave her a firm slap on her lower back which surprised her. A little bit lower and he would have hit her ass. Mein turned to give a glare at the blacksmith who gave a toothy smile in response.
" Hang in there kid , with any luck you guys will be alright " Erhard said with a chuckle.
Mein grumbled...but could not deny that she hoped so too.
Aultcray's POV
In his many years of being a military commander and Seven Star Hero , Aultcray could attest to the fact that planning and strategy was in fact half the battle in winning a full on war against an enemy.
Hence why he was now in the meeting room with Biscas , Loknar and his knight captains and commanders to discuss their plans for the wave.
" I want archers and mages on the walls of the capital providing covering fire while our platoons move in and cut the wavespawn down before they can reach the gate and walls " Aultcray pointed at the perimeter around the capital on the map.
This map of the surrounding area of the capital wasn't like the usual you would find at any adventurers guild , it was incredibly detailed and showed more than any common map you could get.
" And what of the nearby villages Aultcray ? We cannot just leave them to burn " Biscas pointed out , eyeing several of the nearby villages that stood near the capital.
" Excellent point..." Aultcray put a hand to his chin as he turned to his old friend " Loknar can you handle the defense of the capital ? "
" Have led entire battalions against the Siltvelt dogs, I think I can handle a few mindless beasts " Loknar said with a smirk.
" Alright then , me and Biscas will lead the platoons to defend the nearby villages " Aultcray announced much to the surprise of his captains.
" My liege , please reconsider your safety is the utmost priority " One of his captains spoke up.
" I am more than capable of defending myself and I am not gonna stand idly by as wavespawn cut down the innocent and butcher my people " Aultcray said with finality " You all have your assignments , get your men prepared for battle !"
His voice left no room for discussion as his commanders and knight captains filtered out of the room leaving only himself , Biscas and Loknar.
When he was certain they were finally alone ,Loknar spoke up " And what of the Heroes ? Should they not be here to discuss and strategize with us as well ? "
" Loknar raises a good point Aultcray , it would be prudent to involve the Heroes in our plans for the wave " Biscas commented.
" Perhaps..." He knew that they were both right ...but Aultcray had his own plans " But I'm afraid I must object "
Both Biscas and Loknar looked at each other before back to him.
"May I ask why ?" Loknar raised an eyebrow.
" Because I want to see how the Cardinal Heroes react...and how quickly they can take out the wave boss "
Biscas immediately caught on " You want to test them "
" I prefer the term evaluate them , but yes... I want to test their mettle " Aultcray explained.
And I want to see how strong that damn Shield has gotten.
" Order your men to guide the heroes towards the wave boss , but do not engage...let the heroes handle the wave boss while the rest of us defend the nearby villages and innocent "Aultcray said as he thought further on his plans " But have a squad of elite knights ready to step in if the heroes look as though they are in trouble...it would do our nation no good if we lose all of the Cardinal Heroes on just the second wave "
" A wise plan Aultcray..." Biscas said with a smile.
" Very well... I kinda wanna see how strong our heroes have gotten " Loknar nodded.
" Have faith old friend...they'll be fine..." Biscas encouraged with a pat on the shoulder.
Aultcray smiled as he thought about the coming battle.
Alright heroes...let's see how strong you really are.
Mein's POV
Naofumi and Ake's training session went well into the evening , with both of them feeling sore and tired from the workout. They parted ways with Erhard and ended getting a room and some dinner at a nearby inn.
Mein looked up at her clock and saw that it was already midnight , she knows she should go to sleep...but she wanted to take this opportunity to look over her current equipment.
She unsheathes her sword and she can see the reflection of her eyes in its shiny steel...
Mein lets out a sigh as she looks at her Marked hand.
Its really been that long huh ?
Never in a million years did Mein ever would have thought that SHE of all people would have end up being a heretic of some dark god...and in the party of Melromarc's infamous Shield Hero.
It appears that life still has ways of screwing her over.
Mein decided to put it to rest and get some sleep , taking off her cloak , putting her sword and weapons away , and taking off her bel-
The princess stops as she hears something clatters to the ground and turns to see a single folded piece of paper.
What the hell ? Was that attached to my belt ?
Mein thought as she unfolded the paper and began to read off its contents:
' Kid , if you've found this message than you can probably tell who it is from just the nickname , I address you by . But listen to me very carefully before the wave hits come visit my shop , come alone and don't bring Shield Boy with you . This is important . Trust me . '
-E
Mein felt a pang of shock and her eyes widen at the little message sent to her by the blacksmith , she suspects he must have slipped her the note when he slapped her on the back earlier !
He wants to speak with her ? Alone ? Without Naofumi ?
What could this blacksmith be playing at ? Could it be that he has discovered her true identity as the princess of Melromarc ? That does seem logical ,after all he continuously says that he recognizes her from somewhere but can't seem to put his finger on it . What if he's finally figured it out ?
Does he plan to try and blackmail her ? If he does plan to do that , then that would just be plain stupid for him as a businessman . If he gets her kicked out as a Naofumi's party member than his life as a businessman is practically over in Melromarc , as she would do everything in her power to make sure that not another customer ever sets foot in his establishment ever again .
Mein grits her teeth all questions and no answers , she will have to figure it all out when she pays the blacksmith a visit before the wave .
Chief God help her ... or perhaps the blacksmith .
Goddamn you all have no idea how much I enjoy teasing you all in this chapter with all the stuff happening. And the intense fight that's going to go down during the wave itself which I think some of you will not be expecting to happen.
:P
Hope you all enjoyed Altara's debut in my story ! I definitely didn't plan to add her to my story initially when I started writing this , but I saw potential and Allen was kind enough to let me borrow her character and add her to the story . I hope you all like my plans for her in the future since I do have some very fun ideas for Altara.
:)
Now let's get to some reviews shall we ?
To Matt Rogan :
Yeah...despite this story being more character driven than Qin's story , there's definitely a lot of darkness to throw around.
And I really wanted to show that even Mein isn't that much of a stone cold bitch that she doesn't feel anything upon seeing dead and torn apart children.
I think Raphtalia was already scarred for life by this point , Keel's death just added to that mountain of trauma.
To reality deviant :
I have no idea who that is but thanks for reading !
:P
To OechsnerC :
Yeah I've experienced that before where I didn't even realize a story I was following updated. Happens to the best of us.
XD
To xavex:
True. Keel didn't really have much in the way of an actual plan after running away from Naofumi and the others . So it should come as no surprise that something like this happened.
To Allyexis :
Thanks ! I really find them adorable too and I always wanted to them to have a very good relationship in this fic and I promise that it will get better later.
:P
To Guest :
Yeah ...I definitely get ya there how in a mature story where nobody dies or pretty much gets resurrected and there's basically no real risk since you know the cast is going to win anyway. And like you described the opposite is definitely true there , where its hard to get attached to anyone if the characters are dying off left and right.
Like I said before I am an old time fan of Danganronpa and take inspiration in how it kills off its character , in which you have a cast characters you care about ...who are in a situation where literally anyone can die.
I do agree that there should be a balance...and I'm not gonna BS anyone by saying that I'm not totally playing favorites with who lives and who dies.
But I do hope that you all can enjoy my story even with the threat of death of its characters present.
With that said , I'll see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.