Right off the bat , I must apologize for the lateness of this chapter. College has been keeping me busy and some other unforeseen circumstances caused this chapter to come out later than I wanted it too.
That and this chapter is a bit longer than the usual kind since I didn't want to break it up into two parts without breaking the pacing so bear with me here.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing important feedback and critic ! As well as providing the descriptive text for Malty's armor in that last scene.
:)
With that said , let's get it started !
Chapter 17: Four Heroes Council
The next morning leading up to the meeting in the afternoon was actually pretty uneventful all things considered. He did some practice with Ake in the morning after breakfast behind the inn after getting permission and then got some lunch before heading off to the meeting.
Naofumi almost finds it oddly nostalgic to be coming back to the same place he was arrested and taken to court like a criminal. Even now as he and his party approached the inn...he couldn't quite shake the odd feeling in his stomach of coming back here.
Maybe next time he should ask if he could pick where they have the meeting.
Stepping inside the inn and heading towards the restaurant , Naofumi sees that there are far fewer patrons in the restaurant area of the inn than the first time they stayed here . But now there aren't so many . Naofumi can recognize quite a few of the people inside the restaurant as members of the other heroes parties.
" Excuse me , Sir Shield Hero ?" A cat demi-human servant came up to them " Your fellow heroes are waiting for you in the private lounge , if you would follow me"
" Alright come on gu-"
" Actually Sir Shield Hero...the Bow Hero actually requested you come alone for the time being" The servant explained which raised an eyebrow from Naofumi " He said that he wishes to discuss strictly among his fellow heroes first "
Naofumi gave a look to the servant and back to his party...
Alone ? What's Itsuki playing at here ?
Naofumi turned to his party " I'm gonna go handle this real quick , you guys just wait in the restaurant for me "
" Of course , Naofumi " Mein nodded while Ake just seem to give his silent agreement .
Following the servant , Naofumi was led to a backroom a little bit further from the restaurant area of the inn , the cat girl opened the door for him . He stepped inside and was amazed at how well furnished the lounge area was , there was a nice couch , some beautiful paintings and even some wine in a cabinet.
Naofumi saw that the others were already seated at a round table at the center of the room .
" About time you showed up " Ren impatiently said.
Naofumi quickly took his seat at the table " Sorry , I lost track of time "
" Whatever , let's just start the meeting already " Ren looked like he just wanted to get this thing over and done with.
" Okay , we'll begin the first ever Four Heroes Council Meeting " Motoyasu stood up from his seat with an excited smile on his face .
Ren raised an eyebrow at Motoyasu " Four Heroes Council ?"
" I had fun coming up with the name " Motoyasu smiled at Ren , before sitting back down " But anyway for the purpose of this meeting , I volunteer to act as moderator to make sure things don't get out of hand , if everyone is okay with that ?"
" I don't see the harm with having Motoyasu act as moderator " Naofumi agreed with Motoyasu .
Itsuki shrugged his shoulders " Me neither "
" Just make sure to do your job " Ren bluntly said .
" Okay then , let's start the meeting " Motoyasu gave a smile " So what do you guys want to talk about first ? Weapons ? Skills ? Stats ?"
" Um ... I have a question " Naofumi raised his hand .
" Yes , Naofumi ? You don't need to raise your hand by the way " Motoyasu pointed out .
Naofumi lowered his hand " Wasn't this supposed to be a strategy meeting for the Wave ? In fact ..." Naofumi realized something very important " Shouldn't our companions be here for this ? They're going to be teleported with us , when the Wave hits and we're going to need all the help we can get to repel the small fry "
" Well , about that ..." Motoyasu scratched his head and turned to the raven head in the room " Itsuki ?"
" We're still going to have that talk about the Wave , but I wanted to have this first part of the meeting be between just us heroes " Itsuki explained , but it just confused Naofumi.
" What do you mean ?" Ren asked.
" I mean we should discuss our knowledge among ourselves privately , away from our party members...and anything else that might be bugging us " Itsuki lets out a sigh at Naofumi's confused expression " What I'm trying to say is after that whole debacle at the trial , I'm not sure who we can trust "
Naofumi couldn't argue with that...while Mein definitely had been an active member of his party. He could not deny that she still seemed to be hiding more than a few secrets from him.
" Are you saying that we shouldn't trust our companions ?" Ren inquired.
" I'm just saying ... we should be wary of those around us . Naofumi told us himself , the king tried to plant a spy in Naofumi's party when he gave him his ' compensation ' " Itsuki emphasized " Who's to say he didn't do the same to our parties ? To keep us in check ? He was the one who arranged for the adventurer's to join our party "
" I mean... the girls all seem trustworthy enough... I can't imagine any of them working as secret agent "Motoyasu said awkwardly.
" Be that as it may , we can't have any of our companions in here with us when we discuss important matters " Itsuki reaffirmed.
" Okay , then ..." Motoyasu tried to dispel some of the awkward tension in the room " How about we all discuss basic knowledge first ? To make sure , we're all on the same page "
" Alright then , I'll start you guys all know about the drop system right ?" Ren decided to be the first one to get the topic moving .
Everybody answered 'yes' or simply nodded .
Itsuki was the second to speak " I'll go next , I'm sure you're all aware of our weapons abilities to craft items correct ? " Itsuki referred to the crafting function of their weapons " If you make the same item a bunch of times ,then it'll eventually learn the recipe and automatically make it "
Motoyasu and Ren simply nodded , but Naofumi had more to say " I've used this a couple times before , its pretty handy if you need something on short notice . Though the one drawback , I see with this system is that the quality of the item will always be normal "
" Yeah , I've noticed this too " Ren backed up Naofumi's statement " I experimented with it a while back , no matter what high level ingredients I put into it , the quality of the item will always come out as normal "
" I see..." Motoyasu put a hand to his chin " That is a bit concerning "
" But I actually found something interesting " Naofumi caught the attention of all the heroes " If you make the item by hand , you can determine its quality and improve it " Naofumi took out several health potions he made and put them on the table " These are some potions I made by myself , the quality is good , not normal "
Ren took one of the potions and surveyed it with his status magic confirming Naofumi's statements " So the items quality only improves if you make it by hand , huh ? Interesting ..." Ren seemed to be in thought , before turning back to Naofumi " I'm impressed you were able to make all of these by yourself "
Naofumi gave a light chuckle " I can't take all the credit , Mein taught me the basics when I was just starting out "
Motoyasu gave Naofumi a sly grin " Got yourself a handy companion there " Motoyasu patted Naofumi on the back " Want to trade party members for a day ?"
Naofumi awkwardly chuckled " No thanks , that might be a problem for Mein ..."
Itsuki faked cleared his throat " If the moderator could get us back on track ..."
" Sorry " Motoyasu gave an apologetic smile " But moving on I'm sure you're all familiar with Weapon Copy by now right ?"
While Ren and Itsuki just nodded , Naofumi's eyebrow raised in confusion.
Weapon copy ? What the heck is that ?
" What's Weapon Copy ?" Naofumi instinctively raised his hand , only to quickly lower it.
All three heroes turned to him , they looked surprised that he didn't know until Itsuki spoke up " Huh ? You don't know what Weapon Copy is Naofumi ?"
" No , what is it ?" Naofumi asked.
" To keep it simple if you pick the same type of weapon as your Legendary Weapon , you can make a copy of it " Motoyasu was the one who answered his question.
" It helped us a bunch when we were starting out , cause we got a bunch of strong weapons for free " Itsuki seemed pretty happy over the function .
" Yeah " Ren smiled for once and nodded his head .
" Wait a second ! All you have to do ... pick it up ?" Naofumi seemed to be in disbelief over the simplicity of the function .
" Yeah , all you have to do is just pick it up and your weapon will ask you if you want to make a copy of it " Motoyasu continues to explain " Didn't you try any other weapons at a blacksmith shop or something ?"
" Well , I did but ..." Naofumi recalls back to when he first tried to pick up a weapon , only for it to electrocute him " I only tried to get myself a sword than get another shield "
The three looked among themselves , before Motoyasu spoke up " It makes sense in a way. Naofumi already had a shield , so it would logical for him to try to get a weapon , the first thing an adventurer looks for is a sword , not a shield "
Naofumi knows Motoyasu didn't mean any ill-will with that statement , but it still stung a bit.
" With that out of the way , let's talk about other subjects " Ren moved to push the discussion further .
Naofumi half listened as he wondered how Mein was doing .
Mein's POV
Mein let out a sigh , as she felt the slow onset of boredom come on to her . It had only been less than 10 minutes since Naofumi left for his meeting with the other heroes and yet she was already feeling bored.
After Naofumi left , they headed to the restaurant and sat at a table far away from any of the other heroes parties , who were chatting it up among themselves . Mein recognized a few faces from when she was scouting the other heroes the night before the trial , she could see Armina talking up with a happy Bakta and she could spot little Gretel sitting with her own party .
Mein wondered why they were not a part of this strategy meeting ? Were they trying to keep the plans on a need to know basis ? Even still they should be there , so that at least they could have a basic understanding of the plan.
Or could it be that the heroes are more warry than she gave them credit for ? Could that be why they are discussing behind closed doors now ?
" What the hell are you looking so gloomy about ?" The knight in his usual blunt tone interrupted her train of thought.
" I'm simply bored in case you were wondering " Mein doesn't even turn to look at him.
" Well instead of being gloomy as hell , you could try making some friends while you're at it " The knight shrugged his shoulder at her .
Mein turned to him with an eyebrow raised " Friends ?"
" I don't know , like try getting to know the other heroes parties or something . It would do some good to have a few allies in the other heroes parties "
The knight ... actually makes a good point
" Also if you're going to be gloomy , don't do it near me " Ake quickly added.
And there he goes again ...
Mein grunts before getting up from her seat and approaching the Sword Hero's party first , Armina had already went back to her own party for the time being , giving Mein ample chance to talk to the big gentle bear of the Sword's party , Bakta.
" Mister Bakta , it is a pleasure to see you again " Mein greeted him with a smile.
" Mein , its good to see you too " Bakta gave her a big grin , turning to the rest of his party " Everybody this is Mein Sophie , I'm sure you remember she's from the Shield Hero's party "
Mein was quite surprised she didn't have to ask the big man for an introduction , he practically gave it to for that she was quite appreciative.
A girl with long green haired tied up into a ponytail braid , dressed in a tight red sleeveless shirt , accompanied by loose white pants , along with a red loincloth above her exposed stomach. The girl also had what looked to be gauntlets on her hands as weapons . A brawler .
She approached with a smile " Good to meet ya Mein , the name's Farrie "
Mein smiled back at her " Likewise "
" Well , well , I didn't know the Shield Hero had a such a cutie in his party " Another man walked up to her , he had blonde hair and was dressed a plain black shirt and dark green pants , along with a green scarf around his neck . He went up to Mein and took her hand into his " Pleased to meet you , the name's Welt "
Mein felt the urge to pull back her hand when he went to go kiss it but thankfully Farrie jumped in and pulled on his ear.
" Ow ow ow ow ! " Welt cried out in pain.
" Yeah , say hi to our resident womanizer of the party " Farrie pulled Welt back to his seat at their table , while Bakta just chuckled .
Mein turned her gaze to the last man in the party who had yet to introduce himself , but he appeared to have no intention of doing so , since his head seems to be stuck in a grimoire . He had grey hair , but he didn't look all that old , he was dressed much more formally than any of the others in the party , wearing black garbs that are fitting of nobility .
" The guy who's reading over there is Geralt , he's our party's mage " Bakta introduced the man on his behalf .
" Nice to meet you , Mein " Geralt didn't even look up from his book when he greeted her. Rude !
" So Mein , what brings you to us ?" Bakta questioned her motives , but not in a suspicious manner .
" Oh , I just wanted to get to know the other heroes party's a little better " Mein tells half the truth , yes she wants to know about the other heroes party's but for her own benefit.
" Well , come sit with us " Bakta pulled up a chair for her " We don't mind chatting a little "
Mein took the seat that Bakta had offered her , things were going well so far " So tell me , what is it like travelling and fighting with the Sword Hero ?"
The party briefly looked among themselves , before Bakta answered her .
" Well , I gotta say it is quite an honor fighting with the Legendary Sword Hero " Bakta sounded genuine with his answer , no trace of deceit or lies in his voice .
" But when it comes down to fighting its a little ... different " Mein could sense a slight tone of discomfort in Farrie's voice .
"How so ?" Mein pushed forward this line of questioning .
" Well ... we don't usually fight monsters together at least most of the time we don't " Bakta answered her question and it confused Mein .
They don't fight together ? That is quite odd... in fact , didn't they saw the Sword Hero fighting alone in the fields the night before the trial ?
" Yeah , Sir Ren has us level separately . He tells us where we go to level and where to meet later when we're done , he also sometimes tells us to collect valuable materials for his weapon " Welt shrugged his shoulders , taking a drink from his mug .
Farrie grumbled resting her hand in her hand " He basically treats us like we're his personal errand maids and boys "
Mein could see the look for distaste on Farrie's face when she speaks about the Sword Hero , she clearly doesn't seem happy about having to work separately or being used as a personal errand girl for the Sword Hero .
" Come on , Farrie that's a little too harsh don't you think ?" Bakta tries to defend the Sword Hero , but Farrie doesn't look like she's done .
" But it's true Bakta . The only times he ever fights with us is when we go up against a high level monster and even then we're purely there just for support " Farrie seems to be getting angrier by the minute " He treats us like we're lesser than him , not his companions or equals "
" I-I'm sorry ... but I think I should go now " Mein sensed that this was going to devolve into a full on party argument , so she quickly excused herself and made her get away.
Mein decided to go after the Spear Hero's party next , she could use Gretel's naive nature to get whatever info she needed out of her , the young mage certainly loved to talk about the wondrous Spear Hero . Mein is certain the young girl wouldn't mind sharing some stories and info about him , now would she ?
Mein made her way to the Spear Hero's table , her eyes directed solely at the little green witch of the party not caring to notice the other two.
" Hello Gretel !" Once Mein was in front of their table , she greeted the young mage girl first , putting on her best smile for the witch " It's been quite a while since we last saw each other , how have you been ?"
" Oh ! Hello miss Mein , it's good to see you again " Gretel was completely ignorant of her fellow party members giving her looks .
" May I join you ? I would love to speak to you more about the Spear Hero " Mein wore her most innocent smile towards the little witch , she was just about the same height as Raphtalia if not a little bit taller , maybe because of the pointy witch hat .
Gretel smiled back at her " Sure , we would love to-"
" Hold it right there , Gretel " An authoritative voice cuts off Gretel . Mein turns to see , it came from one of the other party members at the table , a blonde girl dressed in a long black dress with dark lace around the torso area . She also had some kind of blackish leather armor over puffy shoulder pads and long black sleeves with white frills that cover her wrist . She had a rapier by her side , indicating that she was a fencer.
Mein immediately noticed that this woman was too neatly dressed to be just some adventurer father had picked out , the dress she wore told Mein as much there was also an air of elegance around her and the rapier is too fine to come from just a random blacksmith shop .
A noble. Mein deduced easily . Perhaps a mid-class noble , but a noble no less .
The blonde girl stood up from her seat and stared Mein down with a suspicious look in her eye " What business do you have with us ?"
Oh , nothing much just obtaining some dirt on the Spear Hero from your more naive party members .
Mein's smile didn't falter " I'm afraid we haven't even been properly introduced , my name is Mein Sophie companion of the Shield Hero " Mein gave a half hearted bow to the girl " And who might you be ?"
The blonde crossed her arms " Elena Haven "
Haven ? Isn't that the name of the bastard branch of House Amelia ?
Elena didn't stop staring at with suspicion in her eye " You still haven't answered my question..."
" I was just looking to get to know the other heroes parties a little better " Mein tells the absolute truth , but doesn't speak about her true intentions " Since we're all going to be working together during the waves , we should all get to know each other a bit better "
" Listen we don't want to- " Elena suspicion didn't waver at Mein and she looked about to say something when another party member that Mein didn't care to notice , got up and placed a hand on Elena's shoulder .
Mein's eyes widened at the face of the party member.
Donning a tight black sleeveless and collarless crop-top with pink fabric tied around her back , which made her look quite fashionable . She also wore a long purple loincloth that acted as a skirt, but the left and right portions were cut out. The loincloth was held up by a pink ribbon tied to her right side , accompanied by long black footless stockings with grey laces around the entire sock , as well as a pair of black flip flops with grey straps. She wore light leather armor most likely made of some kind of monster over her clothing.
There was only one other person that Mein knew that could make such simplistic clothes look good : Lesty.
Mein found herself smiling on the inside...it was always good to see an old friend.
Lesty was an old childhood friend , they had both attended the same school in their younger years and really hit it off from there . She can still remember the day Lesty 'accidentally' casted a wind spell at their instructor and Mein payed the other kids to keep quiet about it. They were a real match made in heaven.
Or hell depending on who you ask .
" Elena , I think you're being far too suspicious of the Shield Hero's companions " Lesty talked the blonde down with a disarming smile " We're all on the same side here , there's no reason to fight among ourselves when we are supposed to be united against the waves "
Well ... Lesty isn't wrong .
Lesty turned to Mein with a smile " I believe your name is Mein Sophie ?" Lesty held out her hand , pretending that this the first they have met " Lesty Armsworth , pleased to meet you "
Mein shaked Lesty hand with a smile " It is a pleasure to meet you too "
" Perhaps I should go now I'm afraid I may have overstepped my boundaries " Mein resists the urge to grin smugly.
Now that she knows Lesty is in the Spear's party she has an ally that can feed her information , she just needs to wait for the right moment to speak to her.
Elena gave her one last look as Mein walked away.
Now ... all that remains is the Bow Hero's party.
Mein confidently strolled up to the Bow Hero's party , wasting no time going straight for Armina who she is already acquainted with. A shared acquaintance was always the best way to get introduced.
Stepping in front of their table , Mein gives a sweet smile to the blonde warrior " Armina , it is good to see you again "
" Mein ! " The warrior noticed standing up from her seat to greet the princess in disguise " It's good to see you too "
Before Mein could follow up , another member of the Bow Hero's stood up from his seat and towered over her , he was a very large , burly and tall man , with a mustache . He was dressed in full plate mail making him look like a knight.
" Armina , who's this ?" The mustache man stared Mein down , but she didn't falter even for a second in her act .
Mein turned to the mustache man with a smile " Mein Sophie , companion of the Shield Hero pleased to meet you "
Mein held out her hand to the mustache man , but he just grunted and crossed his arms rudely at her " The name's Mald , that's all you need to know "
Mein narrowed her eyes at him , did he have to be so rude while introducing himself ? This was worse than that bastard Haven.
" What business do you have with us ?" Mald asks the same question that Haven did just moments ago .
" Oh , I simply wanted to get acquainted with the other heroes parties " Mein gives an innocent smile to the whole party " We're all going to be working together during the wave even if we are in different parties , I believe we should still get to know each other "
Mald opened his mouth to speak , but Armina beat him to punch " Sure , we don't mind getting to know each other a little "
Mein smiles genuinely , this was almost too easy ...
Armina placed a hand Mald's armored shoulder " I'm guessing you've already met our walking suit of armor , Mald " Armina chuckled a little " He's in Sir Itsuki's own words our party's 'tank' or the person who's person whose supposed to protect us "
Mald huffed at Armina " I take my role in the party very seriously , Armina "
Armina had a teasing look in her eye " Oh , you mean that time you freaked out when that spider jumped at you in the cave and you tripped and hit your head ?"
Mein couldn't hold back the small giggle she got from that , shame she wasn't actually there to see it , that would have been hilarious .
Mald only grumbled choosing to just stay silent , much to Mein's pleasure .
Armina then turned to the other members seated at the table , pointing to a dark robed young man with dark pink hair " The guy in the robes over there is our mage , Welst , he's studied at the prestigious magic academy in Faubley , so he's a force to be reckoned with "
The magic academy of Faubley , huh ?
Only noble children can attend a prestigious academy like that , Mein once in the past wanted to attend the academy only for mother to reject it entirely . Mostly due to her not wanting Mein's skills to grow stronger . Mein has even heard mother plans to send her little brat of a sister to the academy when she is older .
It was totally unfair !
Mein pushed down the anger she felt towards mother down enough to listen to Armina as she pointed to another member seated at the table . It was another man who had a large breastplate for armor , he was much older than Welst , perhaps in his 30's by Mein's guess .
" That's Audrey , he's the axeman of our party " Armina pointed to the large axe leaned against the chair to his side .
" I see ..." Mein thought about all the info she has just been given . She had to hand it to Bow Hero , he had a good balance to his party . Armina was a spearwoman , Mald was a swordsman , Audrey was an axeman and Welst was a mage . Not a half bad turnout if she does say so .
Mein then moved to the next part of her information gathering tactic " Well , then now that I know all your names perhaps while we wait , we could chat and I could buy you all a round of -"
" Mein , what the hell are you doing ?" A rude and blunt voice came from behind , which made it extremely hard to keep up her smile .
Turning around to see the damn knight walking towards them , Mein felt it very hard at that moment not to yell or shoo him away . No matter how tempting it would be .
" Are you done yet ?" The knight stood in front of her and stared her down.
" Mein, who's this ?" Armina looked at the knight curiously.
A thorn in my side . A person I hate with my entire being. A general nuisance.
Just a few names , Mein wishes she could respond with .
" This is Ake Rorik , he's a knight from the Order of the Sword in Melromarc that joined our party a little while ago" Mein purposefully left out the detail , that the knight was their party's compensation for the unjust trial Naofumi got .
" So you're a knight , huh ?" Mald walked up and towered over the knight , but Ake stood his ground not afraid at all .
" That's what Mein said ..." The knight nodded at Mald's question .
" Hmph ! Well be sure to remember your place , knight ..." Mald looked down on the knight , like he was just a cockroach underneath his feet .
Mein saw the knight clench his fist , getting up in Mald's face " What the hell is that supposed to mean ?"
Mald smugly grinned at the knight " You and your master are going to be useless in the wave , don't get in our way if you know what's good for you ..."
Mein was surprised when Ake... for once chuckled , but it was the kind of chuckle that scared you.
Ake looked up at Mald with a dark smile on his face " A noble , huh ?"
" Excuse me ?"
" You're a noble correct ? I'm guessing that you're either 2nd or 3rd in line to inherit , you wouldn't be here otherwise " Ake's comment made Mald flinch , almost confirming his words " What's wrong ? Mommy and Daddy didn't want a pig headed dumbass like you ruining their good name , so you came here to try and feel like a bit like a man by throwing your weight around ? "
Mald growled and grabbed Ake by his collar " How dare you ! Why I ought to - "
Mein tensed as the situation slowly started to get out of hand , the others parties were looking at them now and things were starting to look like they were about to get ugly .
Mein held her Marked hand behind her back as her HUD appraised Mald :
Mald , Level : 34
Mald had the level advantage over Ake , but that might not mean much if this did turn into a full on fight . Mald certainly had a defense and strength advantage , given his large size and heavy plate mail armor . But Ake had speed and magic on his side , it wouldn't be hard for Ake to maneuver around Mald and take him out . That was one of the major disadvantages that came with wearing heavy armor , it makes it difficult to move quickly if you need to.
And Mein had to give credit where credit was due , Ake proved himself a skilled swordsman in their time together , even though he wasn't as good as she was ... she had to begrudgingly admit that he was better than most privates she encountered .
Armina quickly stepped in , getting in between both Ake and Mald pushing them away from each other " Okay , that's enough ! Break it up you two ! "
But Mald didn't look like he wanted to stop , in fact he looked close to strangling Ake a feeling she is quite familiar with . Mald pointed a finger to his own chest " Do you know who I am !?"
" A pompous ass who thinks he's more important than he really is ?" Ake snorted at Mald's anger , not concerned at all over the potential of this turning into a bar fight.
Mald fished something around his neck , it looked like a gold pendant , but Mein could see there was some kind of crest engraved in it .
" My name is Mald Stewart Armure ! Armure ! Vassal of House De Gallia ! Remember that name ! " Mald shoved the pendant straight in front of Ake's face.
And for the first time , since Mein had ever met Ake , he did something she has never seen him do before.
He froze.
His face was twisted in shock and he looked as if he had seen a ghost.
" What , finally learned your place , you lowly - HEY ! " Mald was about to smugly insult Ake , when the knight grabbed the pendant out of Mald's hand , inspecting closely .
Ake turned to Mald , still holding his family pendant " This is your family's crest right ? Your full real name is Mald Stewart Armure , correct ? "
" Yeah , what the hell is it to you ?" Mald looked angered at the fact , that Ake had just taken his family crest .
Ake didn't answer right away , instead just staring at the crest for a good few seconds before turning back to Mald
" I knew there was a reason I didn't like you "
Ake threw the pendant back in the face of Mald , who recoiled at the sudden object thrown at his face .
Mald's eyes flashed in anger , reaching for his large sword " WHY YOU LITTLE -"
Ake reached for his sword as thunder crackled at his fingertips " I'm going to enjoy this ..."
" EVERYBODY STOP ! "
A loud voice cut through the tense air before Ake and Mald could clash blades , a loud voice stopped them just in the nick of time . Everybody in the room turned to a servant cat demi-human , it was the same one that escorted Naofumi away earlier .
The cat cleared her throat " The heroes request all of your presence in the private lounge room , immediately "
Mald turned his angered gaze to Ake " This isn't over "
" I couldn't agree more ..." Ake edged his away from his sword , as the tension slowly died down .
All of the other parties slowly started funneling out of the room and heading towards the private lounge , but the Shield Hero's party purposefully lagged around , waiting till everybody else left .
" Stay close to me Raphtalia " Mein warned as the girl stood close to her.
" O-Okay..."
The trio followed after the the other heroes parties. While they walked Mein leaned in on the knight whispering " Hey , what the hell was that back there ?" Mein referred to the near blood brawl between him and Mald .
"...Piss off " Ake said as he walked ahead.
Mein glared at the knight's head.
That son of a bitch !
Mein hopes to the Chief God above that Ake will not escalate this situation any worse than it already is...
While that asshole Mald may only be from House Armure...it would not be wise to pick a fight with the child of the vassal of the princely House of De Gallia. The House with one of the most prestige and support among the nobility as House Melromarc.
Mein pushed these thoughts aside as they entered the private lounge room , Mein can see that some of the members of the other parties stand behind their summoned heroes . Mein sees that the heroes are seated at a round table , not as extravagant as she would have liked but it was suitable .
Mein can see Mald glaring at Ake , crossing his arms and clearly not happy to be in the same room as him .
" Now that we're all here , let's discuss our plan for the Wave " The Bow Hero took out what looked to be a map and laid it on the table for all to see . Mein leaned in and saw that it was a map of the surrounding area" I took the liberty of getting a map of the country , ever since this meeting was scheduled "
" Good job Itsuki , with this we should be able to plan out our attack " Naofumi praised the Bow Hero who accepted it with a smile .
" Getting back to the meeting, the issue at the moment is that we don't know exactly where we're going to be teleported " The Sword Hero places a hand to his chin in thought " Without knowing the spot , we're going to have a serious issue with planning out our attack "
The Sword raises a valid concern , without even knowing where the battlefield will take place this might put them at a disadvantage since they would be scrambling around trying to figure out where to even go or what to do with themselves .
Perhaps ... instead of coming up with a single plan , they come up with multiple to combat any threats or situations they are certain to come up against during the Wave.
" Heroes , if I may ..." Mein spoke up and all eyes in the room , including the heroes turned to her " Maybe instead of coming with a single sole plan , we instead invent multiple plans to combat threats we are certain to go up against during the wave "
All the heroes look among themselves for a brief moment , before the Sword Hero spoke up crossing his arms and staring her down " What do you mean by that ?"
" Like for instance , we know there will be dozens of monsters and other small fry that will appear during the wave , perhaps it would be best to come up with a plan on how to deal with all of them while the heroes take care of the Boss monster " Mein gives a valid and good example .
" That's ... actually a really good idea " Naofumi supported her "We don't know exactly what we're even going up against , so we should be prepared "
All the other heroes nod in agreement after a moment of silence .
" I suppose your companion is correct " The Sword Hero gives his nod of acceptance .
" Now that we're in agreement , let's move on " The Bow Hero decides to keep the meeting moving
" I think our first priority should be searching and killing the Boss Monster " The Sword Hero speaks his opinion on the matter " As long as its alive the Wave won't stop coming so I propose that while our parties holds off the Wave's small fry , we find and kill the Boss "
The Sword Hero isn't wrong in his statement , it was because the Boss of the first wave was alive for so long that so many lives were lost in the battle , because the military couldn't mobilize quickly enough to kill it. She can still remember reading the battle report , the number of casualties they had received during the first wave... all the lives that were lost and villages that were destroyed .
In fact ... now that Mein thinks about it more , that's the one thing they haven't brought up yet .
" Excuse me , Sir Heroes ..." Mein speaks up once more , getting everyone's attention again " My apologies for interrupting but I feel as though I should inform you that we have yet to discuss what to do in the case of the protection of villages that are caught in the Wave "
Mein takes it upon herself to address the issue , she seriously doubts these heroes are aware of the fact that it is not uncommon for villages and even cities to to be caught in the middle of the Wave . This has lead to several cities to be heavily damaged and entire villages to be wiped off the map .
" She's right ..." A sole voice agrees with her and to her surprise it is the knight that support her statement " It's all too common for some villages to be caught too close to the Wave and there's no way in hell they can defend successfully against the monsters that the Wave spews out , even the small fry are a major threat to them "
Mein thinks back to the two villages they had visited in this past month . The village of Lute and Pickaxe would be no match against the monsters of the wave , with the villages weak defenses which would only serve as a minor nuisance than anything to the demons and with the monsters typically having a higher level than the common villager ... they would be doomed .
It would take maybe a day for any reinforcements from the capital to reach any far away villages , and even the few villages that are close to the castle , would take at least a couple of hours for any sizable army to arrive and assist in the defense . She even remembers hearing from some of the guards that by the time help did arrive the entire village was destroyed by then .
" I agree with Mein's statement " The Bow Hero tosses his support to her " Based on the few villages I've visited so far ... they don't have a chance in hell of surviving " The Bow's thought seem to align with Mein's " The army doesn't get teleported like we do along with our parties , so it could be quite some time before any help would arrive "
" By then , the villages would be destroyed and everybody would be dead ... " The somber and worried tone of Spear Hero does not go unnoticed .
Naofumi seemed to give his silent agreement to Mein , turning to a thinking Sword Hero " We should come up with some sort of plan on how to protect the villages while also searching and killing the boss as fast as possible "
The Sword Hero let out a disgruntled sigh " What do you guys propose ? I got nothing here ..."
A silence befell the room as all the heroes seem to be in deep thought over how to proceed . Mein wonders if she should come up with a strategy and silently sneak it to Naofumi , having him come up with a strategy might improve his standing among the heroes . After some thought , she decides against it deciding to the let heroes come up with their ideas first and observe .
" Guys , I think I have an idea " The Bow Hero enthusiastically raised his head at the sudden idea , getting his fellow heroes attention " Here my proposition , we choose one hero to help with the protection of any nearby villages , while the other 3 go look for the boss "
" That's not going to be enough people " The Sword Hero narrows his eyes at the Bow " Even if we delegate one of us to help protect villages , none of us have enough people in our parties to help any nearby villages that are caught in the wave "
There is validity in the Sword Hero's words , they would need more than a few high level adventurer's to help any nearby villages . Mein looks to the other heroes parties and does a head count of each of them , including her own :
The Sword Hero has four .
The Bow Hero has four as well .
The Spear has only three .
And the Shield Hero has 3 people , but one of them is incapable of fighting at the moment , so she doesn't count .
They definitely don't have enough people for this ...
" Which is what I was about to get to Ren ..." The Bow Hero smiles at the Sword , before explaining " I also propose that we each contribute a few party members to help the selected hero's party in protecting the villages , that way we can get around the issue of manpower "
" That's a pretty good idea ! " The Spear Hero smiles and nods his head in approval .
" It seems like a pretty reasonable and sound to me " Naofumi jumps into the conversation and agrees to the Bow Hero's plan .
" But who's going to be the Hero that defends those villages ?" The Sword Hero addresses the massive elephant in the room .
At that moment all the heroes looked among themselves , the Bow , Spear and Sword in particular didn't look too content with the idea of playing defender for the villages . Not that she could blame them , as that would mean giving up the glory of killing the Boss Monster .
But Naofumi ... being the goddamn softy that he is ... that look on his face , Mein can already tell where this is going .
" How about I do it ?" Naofumi volunteers for the role as the hero to protect the villages like she expected him too . Naofumi scratches his head as everybody turns to him " I mean ... it makes sense , doesn't it ? Shield , defense , it kinda goes hand in hand together "
The Three Heroes exchange glances with each other before nodding in agreement .
" Well , if Naofumi is volunteering for the role then ..." The Bow Hero nods in agreement.
" I guess it does make an awful lot of sense " The Spear Hero seems to accept the logic of the situation .
" Naofumi is the most qualified to take this role with the rest of us mostly serving as DPS rather than tanks , we would have a hard switching roles all of a sudden " The Sword also seems to agree , but spouts the same nonsense that Naofumi sometimes does .
" Then it's agreed then , I'll be the one to defend " Naofumi said with a smile.
Mein doesn't know how but Naofumi sounded rather... heroic at that moment , like a true hero of legend .
" Alright then , then this matter has been settled " The Sword Hero finalizes the decision " Now , let's talk about how many party members we each can contribute to Naofumi "
" Well ... I only have three , so I think I can only contribute one " The Spear looked discontent over the idea of handing his party members " Sorry Naofumi "
Naofumi waved it off " Its fine ..."
" I think me and Ren can contribute at least two , since we have more than Motoyasu " Itsuki turns to the Sword Hero , who nods his head in agreement .
" I'm fine with this ..." The Sword Hero turns to his party that is standing behind him " Welt , Farrie , you're both up . You guys go with Naofumi to defend the villages "
Mein notices the disgruntled face of Farrie , clearly not happy with being ordered around by the Sword Hero .
" Uh well ... okay then " The Spear Hero awkwardly turns to his party next " Do any of you girls think you can join ? I would feel bad if I ordered you guys too ..." Mein can tell that comment was directed at the Sword Hero .
Based on the faces of each of the girls none of them looked too keen on volunteering , even Lesty didn't look so happy about the idea .
But eventually Haven stepped forward , placing a hand to her heart " I would be honored to fight alongside the Shield Hero " Mein can tell by the way Haven talked , that was just a formality than genuine intentions .
" Alright then ! " The Spear Hero seems to be completely unaware of his party members discontent " Itsuki you're up "
The Bow Hero turns to his party " Any volunteers ?"
Unlike the Spear Hero's party , Armina readily stepped forward " I don't mind fighting alongside the Shield Hero "
The Bow Hero smiled at her " Okay , now we just need one more "
A whole minute passed and nobody else stepped forward .
" Really ? Nobody ?" The Bow Hero somehow looked disappointed in his own party " Well , then I'm just going to have to start calling names "
" Sir Itsuki , if I may ?" The knight surprisingly stepped forward , before the Bow Hero could make his decision " This may be my own personal opinion , but I believe Mald would be best suited to aid in the defense of the helpless villages and innocents . Due to his armor giving him a high defense , he would be an excellent addition "
Mein raises an eyebrow at the knight just a few minutes ago , Ake looked ready to kill him and now he's purposefully suggesting him ? Why ?
Mein looks to the face of Mald and sees that he is angered beyond belief .
Oh ... so that's why .
" That's a really great idea " The Bow Hero's eyes seem to light up at the knight's suggestion , before he turned to Mald " Don't you think so Mald ? There is no greater honor than protecting and rescuing innocent people "
Mald seemed to force a smile for the enthusiastic Bow Hero " Y-Yes , S-Sir Itsuki , I wholeheartedly agree with knight Ake "
Mein sees Ake smile evilly , which made reminded Mein of herself in a weird sort of way .
The meeting continued for a little while longer , to discuss more strategies and tactics and everything .
Soon the meeting was over and Naofumi's party promptly left the inn .
" So Naofumi where are we off to now ?" Mein asked.
" No there's something I want to try out first " Naofumi said as he lead the way " I just hope Erhard won't mind..."
Naofumi's POV
" Shield Boy ! Good to see you again " Erhard greeted them as they entered " Back for some more equipment ? "
" Not quite Erhard..." Naofumi said as he went over to some of the shields in the store and picked up a black rectangular shield.
Erhard raised an eyebrow at Naofumi's actions " Um ... what are you doing ?"
" Uh ... I'm honestly not too sure myself " Naofumi scratched his head , wondering if there was something wrong with weapon copy .
The other's said that all I had to do was just pick it up to copy it but ... I'm not receiving any kind of notifications .
" Uncle Erhard , what shield is this ?" Ake crossed his arms , turning his head to Erhard .
" It's the Shadowsteel Shield , its part of the meteoric prototypes so you won't see them around too much " Erhard answers Ake .
Do I need to ... believe in it or something ? The others had faith that this system existed , so maybe I need to have faith in it too .
Naofumi focused on the shield in his hands , believing the words of the three heroes and believing in the weapon copy system . Then almost instantly , a notice appeared before him .
Weapon Copy Unlocked !
Naofumi eyes widened at this
It's real ! The others were telling the truth , I can copy other weapons .
Naofumi then received another notification on his HUD .
Would you like to copy Shadowsteel Shield ?
Naofumi smiled at this " Yes , please "
Copied Shadowsteel Shield
A new menu opened up under his skill tree , it was listed as 'Copied Shields ' it displayed a list of all the Shield's he had copied . Naofumi could see the stats and skill for the Shadowsteel Shield were impressive , but he needed a higher level to use it .
" Uh , what did you just do ?" Erhard scratches his bald head with a single finger , clearly confused over what was happening .
Naofumi turned to Erhard and his party with a smile " I copied the shield "
" I'm sorry you did what ?" Erhard raised a skeptical eyebrow at Naofumi .
" Hang on , let me do it again " Naofumi put the shadowsteel shield back and picked up another shield , that looked like a buckler . He copied it and turned his small shield to the Buckler Shield .
" It works ! Weapon Copy really works ! " Naofumi was excited at this , he can copy as many strong shields as he needs with this .
" What the !- It works my ass ! You keep that up and you're gonna drive me out of business ! " Erhard looked pissed off at the fact , that Naofumi had quite literally stolen his shield without even taking it.
" You copied the whole shield ? That's incredible Naofumi ! " Mein praised Naofumi , completely ignoring the distraught blacksmith .
" That's amazing Master Naofumi ! " Raphtalia joined in , she was amazed that the Shield Hero could do such a thing .
Erhard didn't look to share the same sentiment " That is not amazing ! Its forgery or theft ! Or ... whatever ! " Erhard turned to Ake , who was watching the whole scene with an emotionless and blank face " Ake , tell me that this isn't legal ! "
Ake was silent for a moment before walking up to Erhard and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Ake gave an apologetic look to Erhard " Please forgive us in advance , uncle Erhard "
" Wait ... what ?"
While Erhard was busy talking with Ake , Naofumi went and copied another shield , Erhard turned a second too late as Naofumi continued to copy more shields .
Erhard was alarmed at this , unsure of what to do " No wait ! That's ones expensive !" Erhard yelled as Naofumi copied another shield .
" Naofumi try copying this one " Mein took one of the shields and gave it to Naofumi .
" Oh dear god , no ! That one is really rare ! "
" Master Naofumi , try this one out ! " Raphtalia carried another shield over to Naofumi .
" Sweet mother of gods , no ! " Erhard looked close to pulling his own hair out , if he still had any .
Erhard was unable to stop the quick moving Mein and Raphtalia , as Naofumi continued to copy practically every shield on display in the shop .
" Raaargggh ! Fine ! Just do whatever you want ! " Erhard submitted to defeat and surrendered to his fate .
Less than 5 minutes later , Naofumi had copied every single shield he could get his hands on in the store . Checking the list of copied shields, there were quite a few shields with good skills that caught his eye , but there were many that required a higher level for him to use them .
Erhard rested his head on his hand tapping his finger against the counter , his eyes seem to be in acceptance of what has happened " You happy now ...?"
Naofumi felt really bad over copying all the shields it kinda really felt like he was stealing them , even though he didn't actually take the shields , Naofumi still felt like he was hurting Erhard's business by doing this.
" Sorry about this , I promise I'll pay you back for all the shields I copied " Naofumi bowed apologetically to Erhard , paying him back for all the shields he pretty much stole seemed like the least he could do .
" Yeah , yeah ..." Erhard waved his hand , before smiling at them " Now go kick some ass in the Wave and make sure the king pays you handsomely , so you can pay me back , alright ?"
" I promised you didn't I ?" Naofumi smiled back at Erhard , Naofumi wasn't the type to go back on his promises and he wasn't going to start now .
Naofumi's party made a move for the entrance , but before they could leave however they were stopped by Erhard .
" Hold up a second ! " Erhard called out to them , just as they were about to leave the shop .
" Yeah , Erhard ? What is it ?" Naofumi was hoping that Erhard wasn't planning on making him pay for all the shields he copied right now .
" Just wait there for a second ..." Erhard quickly went into the backroom , Naofumi could hear the sound of him tossing things around in search of some kind of specific item .
Erhard emerged from the backroom , carrying what looks to be a rectangular shield that was similar in size to Shadowsteel Shield , but what made it interesting were the gigantic spikes on its front that looked like it could stab a whole through a person .
" Copy it " Erhard handed the spiky shield to a confused Naofumi .
" Wait , but ..."
" Just hurry up and copy the damn thing , I really need to close up shop " Erhard crosses his arms , sounding both impatient and tired .
Sensing that there was no point in arguing , Naofumi quickly copied the shield , like always he received a notification regarding the shield .
Iron Spiked Shield
Exclusive Skill : Spike Bash
Exclusive Effect : Spikes
Passive Effect : 10+ Attack
Naofumi eyes widened at this shield , its defensive stats were good and on par with the light metal shield , albeit a bit lower than it , but its attack stat is what drew him . It gave a 10+ ATK to his stat, that was much higher than any animal or bee needle shield gave him .
This shield would finally allow him to attack !
Finally a real increase to my attack power ! Now all I need to do is just master the shield and it'll give me a 10 + permanent stat boost .
Naofumi looked up to Erhard , who was smiling at him " Thank you Erhard "
" Don't mention it , now get out here and go kick some serious ass " Erhard seemed proud with his work and at Naofumi.
Mein's POV
The day of the Wave has finally come.
Mein can't help but feel a sense of anxiety in her stomach even though her level is sufficient on top of being one of the Marked ... she still didn't feel at ease . Was it because she was fighting not just for herself but for the entire country , that she is destined to rule ? Is it because that if she fails , the whole world will burn along with her ? Whatever the reason she cannot let herself get distracted at a time like this , pushing the feeling of anxiety down she takes a deep breath and steadies herself .
Their party is currently stationed just outside the adventurer's guild , Mein sees that there are several adventurer's of all kinds waiting outside , getting ready for the Wave , just like they are. Prepared to fight to the death.
Mein turns her head to look at Naofumi . She had only met him a month ago and yet she feels as though , he has already changed so much in such a short span of time . He no longer has that 'fish out of water ' look in his eyes when he looks around , but instead a look of determination in his eyes , ones of a true hero.
When Mein first met him , she honestly thought that he was just a naive and optimistic young man , that would be easy to control , but that was not the case however .
Naofumi is a true hero , one of the four that is going to save the world from the Waves of Catastrophe .
Mein looks up to the right corner of her HUD , she sees the Wave clock counting down , there is only an hour left before the Wave comes . Seeing this , Mein quickly makes her move to go see Erhard to finally find out what he wants to talk to her about .
" Naofumi , I need to go see Erhard for a quick moment " Mein turns to Naofumi , who was deep in thought when she spoke .
" What ? But the Waves are almost here " Naofumi looked both confused and alarmed at Mein needing to go .
Mein didn't have time to come up with a convincing enough lie , instead she just took Naofumi's hand into her own and looked into his eyes " I know , but I just need to see him really quick and I promise I'll be right back "
Naofumi blushed a bit , looking away " Just ... hurry back , please "
Mein smiled at Naofumi , before quickly running off in the direction of Erhard's shop . Thanks to her inhumanely high agility , she was able to move extremely fast through the streets of Castletown , though it was also thanks to the streets being mostly empty , since a lot of people were hiding in their homes or underground safe havens just before the Wave is predicted to hit. So it took her no time at all to reach Erhard's shop.
Mein quickly stepped into the shop to see Erhard polishing one of the shields Naofumi copied last night .
" I was wondering when you were going show up ..." Erhard turned to her with a smile as she entered closing the door behind her , as Erhard put the shield away.
" So ... what was it you wished to talk to me about ?" Mein carefully approached him , suspicious of what he might do .
He called her to his shop so that they could talk alone , but why ? Did he discover her true identity ? That wouldn't be much of a surprise considering how resourceful he is, so it is entirely possible that he's planning to blackmail her for money , that would be the most logical conclusion after all he is still a businessman first and foremost.
Well , that might be a little harsh to call him that . Beloukas is a businessman first and foremost . But Erhard ... he's much kinder , he seems to be the type of man who would lend a helping hand to those in need . Maybe even providing his services for free if possible.
So maybe he didn't call her here to blackmail her ... maybe .
" Ease up kid , I didn't tell you to come to my shop alone to do something weird to you " Erhard seemed to be able to sense Mein's tense nature as she walked around the shop .
" Well , you can't blame me for being a little suspicious " Mein holds back the urge to roll her eyes , having a private meeting with somebody you barely know , doesn't exactly breath trust.
Erhard chuckled scratching his bald head " I guess , I can't fault you there kid "
" Slipping that note onto my belt was pretty clever " Mein complimented a simple trick , but cunning and clever all the same .
" Thanks kid , even I got a few tricks up my sleeve " Erhard gave a big grin to her , which made her a little uneasy .
Mein looked up to the clock indicating she only had a short time , before she was teleported to wherever the Wave as . So she pressed the issue " Erhard , I don't mean to sound rude , but can we cut to the point of you calling me here , already ? The wave has almost arrived and I need to get back to Naofumi "
" Right , right , sorry " Erhard went into the backroom and came back carrying a large chest .
Mein eyed the big chest the blacksmith carried , she suspects it holds weapons and armor , but why did Erhard bring it out ? Could it be that there is something else inside the chest ? Unlikely , but that still doesn't answer the question for why he would bring it out .
" I called you here ..." Erhard opened up the chest and pulled out several items , placing them on the counter " To give you these ..."
Mein eyes the several items placed on the counter .
Something more fitting to a lady trying to attract suitor in hunting trips, than an adventurer who constantly brush against death. That's the first impression Mein has for the silver two piece on the counter . The glitter under the sun from the luxury material, or the intricate golden trim on them offer no practical benefit for the wearer's protection, unless they try to bedazzle their opponent. And the exposure near the stomach can be a fatal flaw in the design. Real adventurers, or soldiers know a slash or stab to the abdomen isn't an instant deathblow like one receive on the upper chest, but they can be just as deadly.
The princess in disguise gives a side way glimpse towards the bold smith. She wonders if this is some kind of cruel joke played at her expense by a lecherous old man. For the armor seems better designed to show off the curves of female anatomy, than to protect them.
But then again, she was taught better than to judge a book by its cover. Either because it's appearance is too humble or over embellished.
She walks wordlessly in front of the stand and start to trace her finger along the intricate golden carving, feeling the telltale sign of magic flow hidden underneath like a lay-line. Her eyebrow rises up, as she flicks her finger on the shiny metal surface. Her appendage instantly bounces off the surface, as she temporarily loses all sense near her fingertip.
Definitely much harder than silver, despite the texture and coloration. Mithril, in that case. A top tier material for crafting light weapons and armor, and a top contender for pure metal magical enchantment when combined with the gold decorative trim. They'll always have inferior enchantment affinity than gemstones, but doesn't attract nearly as much from an enemy's attention and have the enchantment broken than having decorative gem imbued into an armor piece.
Whoever created this piece of absolute artwork is not only a master smith, but an enchanter as well .
Mein then turns her attention to the second item on the counter , a sword , just by the scabbard alone , she can already tell it is a major upgrade to her current sword . Taking it out and running her hand across the blade , she can feel the magic flowing through it , indicating that it is also enchanted as well .
" The set of armor is called Silver Huntress , it gives you a good boost to your agility and some much needed defense , as well as some resistance to fire magic " Erhard gestures towards the two piece armor on the counter " The blade is also enchanted to give the user an extra boost to their Attack rating "
Mein places the sword back on the counter and stares at the blacksmith " Why are showing me all of these ?"
Erhard chuckled at her , crossing his arms " Didn't I already tell you , kid ? I'm giving them to you ..."
Mein finds it incredibly hard to believe that he would just 'give' it to her , the armor alone would cost a couple hundred silvers and the sword too is obviously expensive as well so ... why ?
" Well , not exactly giving them to you , but more like loaning them to you for the Wave " Erhard gestures to the many other armor and weapons " You can take whatever armor and weapons you need and pay me back after the Wave is over "
Mein gets even more confused at this blacksmith. What is he playing at by loaning these weapons to her ? Is he hoping to gain some kind of favor from her or Naofumi ?
She wasn't sure and Erhard wasn't giving anything away.
" How do you know , I'm not just going to run off with everything and leave you high and dry ?" Mein questions Erhard , even he should be able to realize how bad of an idea this is.
" Well ... " Erhard places a hand to his chin , thinking thought for a moment , before turning back to her " Call it a gut instinct "
What ?
That is seriously what he is going on ? An instinct ? Mein doesn't know whether to be shocked by this , snort or just be plain confused .
" And what exactly is your basis for your 'gut instinct ' ?" Mein tries to sound as neutral as possible , without sounding rude .
" Because ... you rescued the Shield Boy back at that trial " Mein raises her head in surprise , when Erhard refers back to that day " I mean you didn't have to save him ... in fact it probably would have been a lot easier for you to just let him fry but you didn't , you helped him when nobody else did , when nobody else had his back ... you did "
" Believe it or not , whatever your reasons may be , you did something good that day kid , hell ... maybe even heroic "
Mein turns her gaze to the armor on the counter , picking up the sword and seeing her reflection in the blade .
Heroic , huh ?
Mein looks up at the blacksmith and smiles genuinely at him " Thank you ..."
Erhard grins back at her and mildly chuckles " Now that's the face , I wanted to see ..."
Maybe its not so bad , putting faith in people ... even if they are just commoners , they are still the people I am destined to rule one day .
Erhard turned his gaze back at the armor and sword " So do you like the armor and sword ?"
" Well , the sword is great but the armor is where my concerns start " Mein points to spot where her stomach if she wore the armor , completely exposed to attack " Even if the set is enchanted and it provides a good boost to my defense , it still leaves plenty of my important areas open to attack , such as my heart , abdomen and shoulders "
Even if stats are much more important than look , getting hit by an attack at the abdomen would still hurt like hell when it hits .
" Hmmmm ... alright , I hear you kid " Erhard nods his head in understanding , before walking to the backroom once more " Hang on , I think I have just the thing for you "
Erhard came back , carrying what looked to black chainmail , that seems to the size appropriate for a female . It reminds Mein of the chainmail her mother would wear underneath her armor , back when she went to war with Father by her side . Of course , the war was long over by the time Mein was born , her mother's armor is still on display in the royal vault of the castle .
Erhard places the chainmail on the counter and Mein runs her hand over it , but detects no magic flowing through it . Though even without it being enchanted , Mein can tell that it seems to be on par with Naofumi's chainmail.
" Now hurry up and go get changed , you got a Wave to fight "
Mein adjusts the armor on herself and secures the sword to her hip , storing away her leather armor and iron sword into her Inventory . She looks into the mirror to see how she looks in the ivory armor .
Not too bad ... very nice , thank you Erhard .
She smiles at her reflection wearing the black chainmail underneath the breastplate , the red gem imbued in it shines bright . She adjusts the gauntlets on her arms to make them feel a bit more comfortable on the rest of her forearm , which is covered by the chainmail . She takes a few steps in her ivory boots , making sure they feel right , adjusting the shin guard so that it isn't loose . She refits the metal thigh pad on her right side , glad that she at least has some protection for her legs , as the rest of her upper thighs are exposed .
She also ditched the commoner skirt that she has been wearing since that day she joined Naofumi's party in place for a much more suitable skirt for her new armor . A much more longer skirt , that had black and purple mixed together , that was much better in her opinion . Though she wondered why the hell Erhard had this in his changing room ?
Mein looks to her gloved hand where the Mark was hidden . Removing the glove , she stares at the Mark intently as if it is trying to whisper secrets to her .
Scoffing at the Mark , she throws her old leather gloves away in place of brand new black gloves that Erhard was kind enough to provide . She keeps the purple cloak and black veil though , as basic as they are , they are simply too nice to throw away .
Taking one last look in the mirror , she takes a deep breath before exiting the changing room .
Erhard is waiting outside with a proud smile on his face " Hmph . Not too bad , kid ..."
" I think it looks quite nice on me as well ..." Mein smiles back at the blacksmith , before turning to leave the shop .
" Hey , make sure you come back safe you hear ! " Erhard called out to her from behind the counter " And make sure to pay me back will ya , kid ?"
Mein only nods , before heading to the exit . But before she can leave however...she stops and thinks to herself .
Erhard is giving me some damn good equipment and weapons ... I could just have Naofumi pay him back later but ... there's no guarantee we are coming back.
Mein sighs before turning and walking back to the counter , much to the surprise of Erhard .
" Erhard , how much does the sword and armor cost ?" Mein asks Erhard , just wanting to get this over with .
Erhard waves her off though " Kid , you can just pay me back ,after-"
Mein cuts him off looking at the clock , she only has a few minutes left at this point " Just tell me how much it costs , I'm running out of time "
Erhard stares at her for a second , before sighing " Well , even if I gave you a discount on the chainmail , its still going to be around 525 silvers , but already told you -"
Before Erhard could reject her once more , Mein quickly fished 6 gold coins out of her pouch and placed them on the counter , much to the surprise of Erhard .
" Keep the change "
That was all Mein said , before she booked it out of the store running as fast as she could back to Naofumi . As she ran , she noticed that she was running much faster , than she did before she got the armor . The armor must have really gave her a serious boost to her agility and the best part was , it was light as a feather , it must have been enchanted with the Air Walk feature .
Smiling confidently Mein proceeded to run all the way back to Naofumi , without even breaking a sweat . After less than 3 minutes , Mein saw the adventurer's guild slowly come into view and Naofumi and the rest of the party , still waiting patiently where she left them .
Mein ran all the way to Naofumi , but stopped in front of him , much to his surprise .
" Mein ! You're back and ... what are you wearing ? " Naofumi looks both relieved and surprised to see her again , he eyes the new armor she is wearing .
" Where did you get the fancy armor ?" The knight stares at her with a critical eye.
" I don't have time to explain everything , I'll tell you all about it later " Mein sees that they have less than 5 minutes until the Wave .
" Um ... okay " Naofumi seems to accept her proposal , seeing that arguing is going to get them nowhere " Lets go over the plan , one more time "
" After we get teleported we link up with Ren , Motoyasu and Itsuki's party , we make the trade off and then we head off and protect any nearby villages that we can " Naofumi recited the plan to all of them , though Mein guesses that he must have done this a few times , before she came back .
Everybody nods their heads, ready for the fight to come.
Naofumi then turns to Raphtalia , who seems to be a little too eager " Raphtalia if you don't want to stay with Erhard and want to fight then ... I can't stop you , but remember to stay close to me and stay away from danger , okay ?"
Raphtalia nods her head furiously , with a determined look in her eyes .
" Alright , everybody ... let's do our best out there ! " Naofumi changed to the Iron Spiked Shield , for its excellent balance of weight , defense and attack .
Mein pulled her hood over her head and pulled her veil up to cover her face . As soon as she does covers her face however , a bright light surrounds and blinds them.
When Mein opened her eyes once more , she sees that she is no longer standing near the adventurer's guild in the capital , but in the middle of a forest of some kind .
Mein looks to the sky that has turned blood red , as if the End has come .
The Wave of Catastrophe is here.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter , I know I certainly did.
:P
And Malty finally got her canon armor with the minor addition of some black chainmail that closely resembles the one that I assume Queenie wore in canon. This is something I've really wanted Malty to get for a while now and I'm happy that she finally has it.
Next chapter is going to be the wave...let's hope they can handle it without any casualties shall we ?
But for now , please enjoy this omake with a very special crossover from our very own Ambition Malty !
Omake : Who Wore It Best ?
Ambition Malty : Hey you bitch ! You stole my look !
Marked Malty : Your look ?! Bitch this is our canon look ! I just made it more practical and threw on a cloak...and I still look better than you !
Ambition Malty : Says the ruffian who dabbles in black magic !
Marked Malty : Says the bitch who lost her good looks before the first wave !
Ambition Malty : WHY YOU-!
While the two red princess yelled at each other , the two Naofumi's stood off to the side watching them argue it out.
Ambition Naofumi : Why is this even happening ?
Marked Naofumi : Because the author can't resist a crossover between two stories.
Ambition Malty : I pull off the whole assassin look better than you do !
Marked Malty : Well at least I ACTUALLY HAVE the skills of one ! You on the other hand are a bumbling moron who think she's hard !
Angel : She actually does have a point , which is ironic considering both me and Qin got the complete opposite of what we originally envisioned for the two of you.
Both Malty's : WHAT !?
Angel: Yeah ,all cards on the table here. I originally planned for my Malty to be a lot more like Ambition's where she's a better person from the start and not a total bitch. While Qin originally planned to have a version of Malty that's more like the one I have currently.
Angel : So to bottomline it for you both , I wanted a somewhat good hearted but pragmatic Malty...but instead got a stone-cold murderous bitch who doesn't mind killing people and getting her hands dirty. While Qin wanted a pragmatic and selfish Malty...but ended up with a bumbling moron who's good at politics and think she's cold hearted. God the irony of me meeting Qin now dawns on me.
Both Naofumi's : Wait who the heck are you-
Angel : Gotta go see ya !
The mysterious Angel suddenly disappears into thin air.
Marked Malty: Putting what that idiot said aside , I still pull off the assassin look better than you do , you third rate wannabe politician !
Ambition Malty : How dare you ! At least my Naofumi didn't figure me out for part of the plot to frame him !
Marked Malty: WHY YOU-! BRING IT ON BITCH !
The two Malty's start hitting and punching each other, with their prospective Shield Hero's standing off the side watching the scenario in front of them.
Ambition Naofumi : Shouldn't we try to stop them ?
Marked Naofumi : Are you crazy ? We'd kill ourselves , good luck though if you want to try !
Marked Naofumi patted Ambition Naofumi on the back with an awkward smile as the two princesses kept fighting each other.
It was clear that the person Malty couldn't stand the most would probably be herself.