Sorry that this chapter came out later than I would have wanted, but I've been pretty busy these past few weeks working on assignments. And the next update will most likely be subjected to this as well , so expect updates to be late.
But getting that out of the way , we are finally seeing the aftermaths of the Wave...and the losses that they have suffered.
And like many of you have been wondering how Raphtalia will react to the loss of her arm.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter !
With that said, let's get it started.
Chapter 19: Broken Toys
Mein let out a breath of relief at the Wave finally being over. She could still feel the adrenaline pumping in her veins and tiredness rising up from her muscles.
But even with all that tiredness, it didn't stop her from scolding Naofumi for his reckless move.
" Naofumi ! " Mein yelled at the Shield Hero , prepared to give him a scolding that would make her mother proud " What were you thinking , attempting such a risky move ?! Even if you have high defense , fire and lightning are still going to hurt like hell !"
Naofumi scratched his head awkwardly at her scolding " I'm really sorry I worried you Mein , but I had to do it to draw the Chimera's attention so Ren could chop the goats head off... " Naofumi's face still looks adorable like a chick Filorial even after he had just fought against a legion of undead and a Chimera on top of it.
" Well ..." Mein lets her cheeks show a bit of color , turning away from him " Promise me , you won't do something so reckless , next time ..."
Naofumi nods his head " Of course Mein ..."
All the heroes , including Mein approach the Chimera's fallen body , Mein's nose scrunched up at the smell of the body beginning to rot. She would be as far away as possible from this rotting corpse ... but unfortunately she needs to absorb a few pieces of the Chimera's head , hopefully it will unlock some new powers for her to use.
Mein kneels down next to goats head , its tongue hanging out of its mouth , Mein scrunches her nose in disgust as she merely plucks some of the fur from the head. Hopefully , it should be enough to unlock something . Quickly storing the fur away , while everybody else is distracted.
Mein reaches out to touch the lions mane , it feels so fluffy like a cat or perhaps like Raphtalia's raccoon ears. While under the impression , she is just stroking the lion's mane , she rips some fur from it and stores it in her hand. She leaves the dragon and viper tail alone , there's no way in hell she can rip the scales from it with her bare hands or without somebody noticing.
" Well... I think that was relatively easy " The Spear Hero comments as he pokes the Chimera with his spear causing it to twitch a bit " Not so tough now are you ? " The Spear Hero says derisively.
" I've fought tougher than this piece of shit " The Bow Hero said in a pissed off tone.
The Sword looks as impassive as ever crossing his arms " That wasn't so tough... the next Wave will be no different "
" Are you guys kidding me !? " Naofumi shouted indignation " A lot of innocent just died because we couldn't close the Wave fast enough ! And...and...a young girl lost her fucking arm..."
The reminder of how badly Raphtalia got hurt served as a firm slap in the face for Mein.
And the other heroes as well who were shocked into silence.
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The Sword shuffled awkwardly as he puts his sword away, looking anywhere but at Naofumi. While the Bow's expression turns to one of seriousness as he realizes the gravity of the situation.
The Spear was the one who broke the silence " Sorry..." He apologizes openly while the other two younger heroes nod their heads respectfully.
At least the heroes had enough decency to know when they were being inappropriate.
" Shield Hero ! " They both heard the sound of somebody call out to them and they both turned to see Ake walking towards them " Good to see you alright"
" Likewise " Naofumi nodded.
Ake's expression shifted to concerned " Please tell me the girl you were yelling about isn't who I think it is..."
Naofumi's expression darkened as he looked to the ground in regret "...Come on...we need to get back to Lute Village...there are probably plenty of wounded and victims that need our help... "
Without even waiting Naofumi already began walking towards the direction of Lute, surprising Mein at his sudden action.
" Naofumi wait !" The Spear called out to Naofumi which caused him to stop and turn " We still need to figure out how to divide the Chimera's heads and-"
"Do rock-paper-scissors if you want to decide who gets which head . I don't care. I'm going to see Raphtalia now, just give me whatever's left over" Naofumi said bluntly before turning to leave much to the surprise of the other Cardinal Heroes.
Mein felt the urge to yell at Naofumi to stop and stay with the other Cardinal Heroes to work out who gets which Chimera Head , which she has no doubts is the Dragon head. And she's willing to bet that if its left up to the other 3 Heroes , Naofumi will end up saddled with the short end of the stick.
But as she looks at his saddened face... she remembers how badly Raphtalia got hurt.
And how it was all their fault.
Hence why she decided to keep quiet as she walked by his side back to Lute.
Naofumi didn't say anything either as he seemed focused on getting back to Lute to find their companion.
Mein grabbed his hand in comfort...or maybe it was for her own as they walked.
Ake had a similar somber look on his face and was just as quiet as the rest of them.
The walk back to Lute couldn't have felt more somber.
The walk back to Lute took less time than expected.
The destruction the Wave left behind was still very apparent. That shouldn't be a surprise and should prepare her for what she sees , but it doesn't.
There were still plenty of dead bodies littering the streets...blood splattered across the walls and houses... dozens of dead and rotten wavespawn that were killed...smoke rising from houses even after the water mages put out the fires...men , women and children grieving and hugging each other for the losses that they had incurred during the battle...or the ones that they had lost.
They may have defeated the Wave...but it left its scars on this place.
As they walked through the half destroyed village, Mein spotted Georg, the man they had fought with during the wave was talking to some of the knights. She was about to shout at him before Ake beat her to the punch.
" Hey Georg ! " Ake called out to him as their group moved his way.
" Ake ! Its good to see you again my boy " Georg said with a sad smile as put a hand on Ake's shoulder.
" Sorry but I've been pretty busy working..." Ake looked somberly at his home " What are our losses ? "
" Bad...let's just leave it at that " Georg said somberly.
" The raccoon girl , where was she taken ?" Mein said ,sounding very impatient and pissed off.
A somber look crossed Georg's face " She's at the field hospital. The healer's hut was too packed and partially destroyed , so the knights set up a field hospital in the center of the town "
" Got it..." Ake said before walking the other way " You guys go on ahead I need to...go check on someone myself "
Naofumi didn't say anything but nod as they quickly went on their way to find Raphtalia.
It didn't take them too long to locate the field hospital , it was a rather sizeable tent that no doubt accomodated the several wounded or dying victims of the wave.
Mein moved the flap out of the way and took a step inside...to be greeted by the sounds of pained groans and crying.
Lining the walls of the tent were those medical stretchers that were used as makeshift beds, that were occupied by the victims of the wave that were wounded or dying...
She glanced at one man...who had a good portion of his body burnt badly...with the man crying at the pain as the medics fed him another painkiller potion.
There were children there too... some of them had light cuts and bruises...while others had missing arms and legs... the families of the children crying with them over what they had lost.
She didn't bother to count the number of patients...or the amount of medics that were running around the field tent trying to save as many as possible.
" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !"
A shrill scream tore through the groans of the tent... one that reminded the princess of Raphtalia's scream...as Mein turned to see a man only a few years older than her screaming his head off in pain as the medics did their best to try and hold him down to help him.
A woman sat next to him and held his hand. Wife , she presumes.
" Hold him down ! I need to get the wound closed and these burns healed or he's going to die !" The medic screamed as the man convulsed and screamed again.
" It's okay baby ! Its going to be okay !" The wife said in a poor attempt to calm the man.
A lie.
It didn't take a doctor to know that the man was in critical conditions...with numerous cuts and burns across his body...
He was going to die. Mein could already tell a lot of them were.
She could practically smell the scent of death and despair in this place...and she hated it.
It was not an unknown stench if nothing else.
The princess in disguise averted her eyes and tried not to let the crying of the victims get to her...as they moved deeper into the tent.
" Shield Hero over here ! "
A voice called out to them and they saw Tilla calling them over...next to little Raphtalia who was laying down on one of the stretchers.
" Raphtalia !" Naofumi shouted as he quickly ran to her side.
" How is she ? " Mein asked Tilla.
" She will live...I managed to sew the veins and arteries shut and get the wound bandaged " Tilla said " I've also been feeding her some food and water to keep her strength up..." Tilla gestured toward a bowl of warm soup and waterskin on the small table next to her.
" Thank you so much Tilla..." Mein said sincerely.
" No thanks needed...just glad to be able to help but..." Tilla looked sad " We weren't able to recover her arm so..."
She'll be a cripple for life.
Nobody had to say it but they all knew.
" Yes we understand...thank you..." Mein nodded.
Tilla bowed before walking away...understanding that they wish to be among themselves at the moment.
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An uncomfortable silence washed over them as Naofumi reached out to hold her remaining left hand " Raphtalia..."
The girl doesn't respond to his calls of her name...
She simply stares up at the ceiling with unfocused eyes as she doesn't even notice their presence...
Mein knows that gaze all too well.
" Raphtalia..." Naofumi says again.
Raphtalia doesn't quite respond to his calls, but she does shift her head a little to stare at where she used to have an arm, her eyes shift from unfocused to slight recognition as she stares at her bandaged up stump.
" Its really gone...I can't feel it anymore...its really gone..." Raphtalia says as if she wasn't even speaking to them specifically.
" The Wave...it took Mama...Papa...Rifana...Keel...and now its taken my arm..." Raphtalia said as tears started to fall and she started to sob.
" Raphtalia !" Naofumi was quick on the draw to help the sobbing raccoon girl.
" It hurts..." Raphtalia said as she sat up on the stretcher clutching the empty space where her arm used to be " I...can't feel it anymore...but its like its still there ...it hurts so much Master Naofumi !"
Raphtalia's was full on sobbing now , hiccupping from the sheer amount of tears and cries she let out , as Naofumi enveloped her in a hug tears in his own eyes too.
" I'm so sorry Raphtalia !" Naofumi cried out as he hugged her back.
Mein watched the scene unravel before her...yet she can't bring herself to join the hug.
She would almost feel as though she would be intruding on the scene before her...for what can she actually say to little Raphtalia to make her feel better ?
The girl had lost everything. She had lost her parents. She had lost her home. She had lost one of her few remaining friends. And now she had just lost one of her limbs on top of it.
What can she say to Raphtalia...that wouldn't just sound like false words of comfort ?
She knows all too well how hollow those words can sound.
Which is why she finds herself walking away from the two of them " I need to get some air..."
" Mein-" Naofumi noticed this and reached out to her.
" I'm sorry..."Mein mumbled before leaving the tent.
Mein took a deep breath before walking away from the tent, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. Not that getting out of the tent really helped on account of how the knights were still busy cleaning up the remains of the wavespawn...and the dead villagers.
She passes a cart that's loaded up with blanket covered bodies, most likely for transport.
She needs to get away and take her mind off of things.
As if that could be possible after watching Raphtalia lose one of her fucking limbs.
Might as well absorb the pieces of the Chimera while I'm at it...
Mein thought as she moved to hide in between two buildings , one of which is mostly destroyed but provided her with just enough cover to do what she needs to do. She takes out the fur she got from the lion and the goat.
Well ... it was the Boss of the Wave , so it has to unlock something good .
She starts off by first absorbing the fur she ripped from the Chimera Lion's head mane , it was probably the second strongest so it had to do be good . The fur turned to dust and absorbed into her Mark , she received a notification less than a second later .
Lion's Roar
Skill: Unleash a raging lion of fire at your enemies.
An attack skill ? About time I got one of those...
Mein hadn't acquired any straightforward attack skills in a while so this was certainly a welcome change of pace.
Mein then turned her attention to the second item , she had left to absorb was the goat's fur . Admittedly she doesn't exactly have very high expectations for this , since it was the second weakest head out of the Chimera's four heads . But it did , heal the Chimera which made it harder to fight against so ... what does she have to lose ?
Mein absorbed the fur and in a second , a notification pops into her HUD .
Healing Flame
Skill : Heal fellow allies or yourself , at the cost of SP for every second it is used .
Ineffective against poison or other status effects.
Mein eyes widened at this , she had just acquired a healing type skill . While it is purely a support based skill , she certainly could not deny its value in the battle. If Naofumi ever runs out mana to heal them , she can use this skill to save herself or others in the party . She has most definitely misjudged the use of the goat's head on the Chimera.
Mein lets out a sigh , stepping out from the space between the buildings. Mein looked at the many wounded villagers across the town , some of children placing flowers on a crate praying to the gods . Mein looked at her Marked hand , wondering if she could use that new skill she got to help them out-
No ... that would expose my identity ... and it isn't worth it .
" What the hell are you doing out here ? " Mein turns her head to see the knight approach her.
" I was busy. Where the hell have you been ? " Mein said with an equal amount of disdain.
" I had to go check on some people of mine...its not important , where's Sir Naofumi and Raphtalia ? "Ake asked.
"...The field hospital... "Mein said vaguely.
" Oh right...she lost her arm " Ake said with remembrance and worry in his voice.
" Correct..."
"...Shit...how's...Sir Naofumi and Raphtalia taking it ? "
" How the fuck do you think ? " Mein glared at the knight as she gestured towards the field hospital.
"...Okay I deserve that " Ake admitted " But shouldn't you be there with them ? "
Mein raised an eyebrow at him " In case you haven't noticed knight, I'm not exactly the best at giving comfort..."
" That just sounds like a weak excuse to not try at all..." Ake shot back.
Mein glared at him but said nothing.
" Well, if you're not gonna play comforting saint , the least you can do is help the army and the wounded..."
Mein looked back at the tent before back at Ake
" Fine..."
Not like she has much else better to do.
The next few hours passed by like a blur for Mein...she remembers helping pass out pain killer potions along with cauterizing some wounded villagers injuries... she mostly followed Ake around and helped out where she could.
" Is that the last of them ? " Mein asked.
" That's definitely the last of the critically wounded that we need to worry about " Ake nodded " Though now we shoul-"
" Hey Mein ! Ake ! " A loud callout interrupted their conversation and they both saw the Bow Hero's party walking towards them.
" Sir Itsuki , what are you still doing here ? We thought you and the other heroes had already went back to the capital " Mein said in surprise. That was what they had assumed at least.
" Yeah...well, me and the other guys got thinking and we decided that we should probably help clean up after the Wave " The Bow Hero said with a smile" We wouldn't be heroes of legend if we didn't..." Itsuki explained " Motoyasu and Ren went over to Pickaxe to help out there, I decided to help clear out any remaining monsters over here..."
It appears Mein may have misjudged the heroes...perhaps they are more worthy of being heroes than she thought.
" So how did your extermination of the remaining wavespawn go ? " Ake asked with respect.
" It was actually pretty easy , the army was still there so they helped take out what remained of the monsters the wave left behind " The Bow Hero looks around " How are things here...and where the heck is Naofumi ? "
" Sir Naofumi is...busy tending to some of the more wounded at the moment " Ake stepped up " Please leave him be for now..."
Mein is thankful the knight has enough tact to steer the Bow Hero away from Naofumi right now.
" I understand..." Itsuki nodded in understanding" Anyway I just wanted to ask but have you seen Mald around here ?" The Bow Hero looks around , hoping to spot his heavily armored companion " I can't seem to find him anywhere and his name isn't appearing in the list of my party members or on my HUD "
His name isn't appearing on your HUD ? That's quite strange ...
There are two very real possibilities as to the whereabouts of Mald .
One , he is most likely dead . Mein doesn't need to check the Help to guess that when a party members HP reaches zero , they are automatically removed from the party , as corpses can't be registered as party members.
The second option is that for whatever reason , he voluntarily left the party of his own volition. Mein checked and there indeed , existed the option to leave the party at any possible time , so it wouldn't hard to guess that the other hero companions also possess this option .
The first theory seems much more likely.
" No , I haven't seen him around here , in fact ..." Mein turned to the knight " Ake didn't you go to Pickaxe with Mald to protect the village ? Didn't you two work together or at least see each other ? "
All eyes are on the knight at this moment.
" Well yeah , obviously we came here together " The knight doesn't hold back his sarcastic attitude " I told him and Elena to help fend off the monsters , while Farrie and Welt helped speed up the evacuation but at some point ... we got separated from each other " The knight places a hand to his chin " We only got separated some time before the knights showed up , so I figured he probably went to go help fight the Boss "
" You didn't bother to look for him ? " Armina glared at the knight , clearly dissatisfied with him .
The knight just glared back at her " I didn't think I needed to play babysitter to some dumb noble who thinks wearing a full suit of plate mail makes him a knight of glorious Melromarc "
Armina and the knight glared at each other and looked to about to fight before the Bow intervened.
" Both of you settle down ! " The Bow Hero raised his voice to restrain his party member while Mein did the same , grabbing the the knight's arm and roughly pulled him back " We can't be fighting among ourselves , what we need to do now is to work together to find Mald "
Armina glared at the knight one more time before calming down " But Sir Itsuki if Mald's name isn't appearing on your HUD than that can only mean that he's ..." Armina didn't have to finish her sentence , her theory of what happened to Mald is obvious .
" Maybe ..." The Bow Hero let out a sigh " But as long as we haven't found his body , we can't rule anything out just yet ..."
Mein cast a sympathetic look at the Bow Hero...even if she could care less about Mald.
" Maybe...we should head towards Pickaxe and try to find him there ? " Welst suggested.
" Good idea. Let's go " Itsuki said before turning to them " You two coming ? "
" We have to help-"
" Yes of course Sir Itsuki , we will help " Mein shut Ake the hell up before agreeing " I'm sure Ake will be of some use of finding Mald ":
" Thank you..." Itsuki said before walking off with his crew.
Ake cast a glare at Mein while they walked behind the Bow Hero " Why are you making me do this ? "
" Quit being a bitch and just do it..." Mein rolled her eyes at him.
Ake glowered at her the whole way to Pickaxe.
It took them almost an hour to reach Pickaxe on foot, with Welst complaining on the way that they should have taken filorials to reach the village faster.
She couldn't disagree with him. While she wasn't necessarily tired due to her high agility stat, she agreed that it would have been much quicker to take steeds instead. They should put that on their list of things to get after the Wave.
Upon reaching what was left of the main entrance , Mein finds that Pickaxe didn't fare any better against the wave than Lute. Its walls had fallen and several of the buildings had taken critical damage , with some looking on the brink of total collapse...
Add that to the amount of dead bodies that still littered the street or were in the process of being picked up , it was almost indistinguishable from Lute.
The Bow Hero approached the first knight they saw " Excuse me , I'm looking for my party companion. Big guy, handlebar mustache , full on plate mail. Have you seen him by any chance ? "
"No sir Bow Hero we haven't-" The knight seemed to stop to think " Actually...I do recall some of our men carrying a large man matching that description. He stood out because we needed a couple guys to carry him "
Mein could already see the reactions of the Bow's party. Armina and Audrey grimaced. Welst looked to the floor...and the Bow Hero's face turned to one of silent grief as he took a deep breath.
" I see...where are they putting the bodies ? "
" Behind the Church to the west of the village , can't miss it..."
Itsuki thanked the man and went on his way , with the rest of them following behind.
The mood of the Bow's party had dropped substantially. With it spreading to Mein and Ake.
This was not going to be good...
As they approached the church , Mein saw that the symbol for the Church of the Three Heroes displayed at the top of the building was destroyed and taken down. Walking behind the church , Mein sees several bodies being covered up by white sheets to preserve their dignity .
She noticed that one of the blanket covered bodies had a bigger figure than the rest.
She also sees several villagers getting ready to put the bodies in the ground , having dug makeshift graves .
" Hey Armina what are they doing with those big poles over there ? " The Bow Hero gesturing at the giant poles with white cloths tied around the end of them.
" Their digging makeshift graves " Ake somberly answered Itsuki's question " Back during the war , they usually didn't have time to have respectful services for their fallen men , so they usually just dug a bunch of holes and threw them in , marking the grave with a single pole "
" I see..." Itsuki nodded before turning to one of the villagers stationed there " Excuse me , was a large man dressed in a full suit of plate mail among one of the bodies you guys hauled over here ? "
The villager quickly straightened his posture in the face of the one of the heroes of legend " Y-Yes ! I think , we found somebody matching that description "
The atmosphere of the party soured even more...as the villager led them to the larger body that Mein spotted earlier.
The Bow Hero grimaced , kneeling down on one knee next to the body covered by the sheet , pulling the sheet back just enough to see the person face.
And it was more than enough to shock everybody present .
Mein couldn't hold herself back from recoiling at the sight of the body , it was definitely Mald's based on the armor alone... but it his face that really unnerved her . His face was ... disfigured , almost like somebody had carved his face up with a rusty knife , one of his eyes were missing , there were cuts all over his face and ... she thinks his tongue was missing as well. Mein almost gagged at the horrific condition of Mald's body , while she couldn't say she necessarily liked the guy , even he didn't deserve such a horrible death .
The Bow Hero's party didn't seem to be fairing any better than she was .
Armina covered her mouth with her hand , shocked beyond belief at seeing her fellow party member like this . Welst face looked green like he was about to throw up as well from the gruesome sight of Mald's face . Audrey seemed to be the only one who was able to keep it together , but Mein could tell from his body language and expression that he was clearly unnerved and sickened by this just like the rest of them.
The only person who wasn't revolting in disgust or looked shocked was the Bow Hero .
The Bow Hero just stared at his fallen comrade , sympathy in his eyes but no tears.
" Rest in peace , Mald " The young hero reached out a hand to touch Mald's armor but as soon as his finger touched the armor , he recoiled his hand back in pain.
" Ah ! Shit ! " The Bow grasped his hand in pain , cursing under his breath .
" Sir Itsuki , what's wrong ?" Armina was surprised at the Bow Hero's sudden action , looking concerned over the young hero .
" It's nothing , its just ..." The Bow Hero grit his teeth , clenching his fist " When I touched Mald's armor just now , I felt some kind of strong static shock "
" You mean his armor ... carried an electrical charge ?" Welst chimed in.
" Yeah , like when you rub your socks against a carpet and when you touch someone they get an electric shock , only this one was much stronger than small spark " The Bow Hero shaked his hand , clenching his fist " My hand still feels numb "
Mein placed a hand to her chin in thought , looking intently at Mald's armor.
The Bow felt a strong spark of lightning when he touched Mald's armor ... I've heard of this phenomenon happening before , but I can't remember why this happens exactly ?
"At any rate ... let's get going ..." The Bow Hero stood up and walked away from Mald's body , keeping his head down for the most part " We can regroup back at Lute with the others...and get Mald's next of kin informed while we're at it "
Mein tried to seem sympathetic at least " Itsuki , I'm sorry over what happened to Mald-"
Itsuki held up a hand to stop her , raising his head to look Mein in the eyes " Mald's death wasn't anybody's fault ... all we can do is just make sure that his death wasn't in vain and to keep fighting ..."
"That's what I believe in ..." The Bow Hero said before walking away , his party following behind him.
Mein continued to stare at Mald's body , she still can't shake the feeling that there is something ... off about his death. She doesn't know what it is , but she has a feeling in her gut , that there's more to his death than what meets the eye .
Ake turned to see Mein not moving from her spot " You coming ?"
" You go on ahead , I think I'll join you all back at Lute in a minute " Mein came up with a decent enough excuse.
Thankfully Ake didn't press and simply walked away with the Bow Hero's party.
Mein watched their backs disappear around the corner , before turning back to Mald's body . She carefully approached ,thank the heavens, that his body hadn't started to rot yet , otherwise this would be even more difficult than it has to be . She needs to take a closer look at his body , while she by no means is a doctor , she isn't a fool when dealing with injuries like cuts or stab wounds.
And she's even better with magic.
Pulling the sheet back all the way , revealing Mald's once shiny suit of plate mail , now looked worn out and busted up . Mein scrunches her nose in disgust at the sight of Mald's disfigured and grotesque face , it was certainly unnerving to say the least . Shaking it off , Mein inspects his armor first there are several cuts and deep gashes along the chest plate , but what caught her eye was the curves that the cuts and gashes were made . Looking back on it , all of the undead swordsman she faced back during the Wave all used curved swords , but based on the cuts on his armor ... they didn't seem to add up .
She then inspected his forearms , the few parts of his body , that wasn't covered in armor . Like his face , they were several rather large cuts and slashes near his elbow and forearm , meaning it would have been very difficult for him to swing a sword properly , especially a greatsword like the one he used . Mein then turned to his legs , which were another part of his body that wasn't covered in armor . Like his unprotected arms , there were several cuts here and there , but what drew her attention was the large sword like cut in his knee .
There's no way in hell an undead's sword could have made a wound like that ...
She was right , there really was something suspicious about Mald's death ... something very suspicious .
Mein turned back to his chest plate , she flicked her finger on it but couldn't feel any magic energy running through it , indicating that it wasn't enchanted . Reaching out to touch the armor , Mein immediately pulled her finger back when she felt a strong spark of lightning shock , why did she think that was a good idea ?
But it was quite odd that Mald's armor had a spark of lightning on it ... she probes her brain for some kind of answer .
Lightning and metal . Lightning and metal . Lightning and metal ...
Lightning magic !
Mein eyes widened in realization as she finally remembered where this phenomenon comes from. She remembers learning in her childhood , that when lightning magic strikes metal ... or someone wearing heavy armor , the armor itself will carry some spark of the lightning that hit it . This can be avoided of course , by enchanting the armor to resist lightning , but Mald's armor most definitely did not have that enchantment .
So Mald was hit by lightning magic some time during the Wave , but that didn't make sense ... none of the monsters they encountered used or employed any sort of magic abilities . Yes , there are indeed some monsters that are able to cast magic , like Griffin Kings or Dragon Emperor's , but those are reserved strictly for higher level of monsters.
So that certainly begs the question , where did the lightning come from ?
Mein racks her brain for an answer , until she remembers a very important fact about their party .
Ake had affinities for lightning and wind .
And he was at odds for whatever reason with Mald .
In fact , he was the one who suggested they split up in the first place ...
But could he really have killed him ? Well , its not entirely impossible , Ake had certain advantages over Mald .
Ones that he could exploit and use against Mald .
But at the end of the day this is all just speculation , she has no hard proof that Ake did it , unless ...
Mein walked over to one of the knight's stationed near the church , to guard the casualties bodies and to help the villagers . She put on her sweetest smile for the knight " Excuse me kind sir , but may I please borrow your sword for a brief moment ?" Mein purposefully got up in his personal space , using her ... assets to her advantage .
The knight blushed as red as a tomato , clearly taken off guard by the pretty adventurer " U-U-Um ... why would you need to b-borrow my sword , miss ?"
" I just need to run an experiment real quick , I promise I'll return it to you as fast as I can " Mein twinkled her eyes at him , putting on her most innocent face at him " Please ...?"
The knight awkwardly scratched the side of his head , despite the fact that he was wearing a helmet , before handing her his sword " Sure j-just uh ... please return it as soon as you can "
" Of course , kind sir " Mein smiled at him , before walking off . She looked at the sword in her hand with a smug look on her face , it is close to the same type of make that Ake used so if her guess is right then ...
Mein quickly went back to Mald's body , taking the sword she borrowed and holding up against the large sword wound on Mald's leg . She pushed the blade against the wound , holding it in the way you should slash and as expected ... the sword fit the wound perfectly . Mein smiled as she repeated the experiment against with the several large cuts on Mald's armor .
Mein wiped the blood off the blade , smiling deviously.
Mein quickly went to return the blade to the knight she borrowed it from , albeit with a bit more cheeriness than she probably should have considering the town she was standing in was still partially destroyed and several homes were in ruins . But she could not help herself .
She had finally obtained some legitimate blackmail info on the knight all she needs to do now , is just go tell Naofumi about her findings and he can piece together the rest of the mystery , he was smart and on par with her in terms of intelligence , so it wouldn't be too hard for him to figure it out .
She covered her face with her veil because if anybody actually saw her face , they would think she is crazy for smiling during a time of crisis.
Got you now , you son of a bitch.
The walk back to Lute was shorter and much more enjoyable than she would have thought , or maybe it just felt that way because she felt in such a good mood even though there were still dozens of dead monsters littering the grass and path back to the village.
Though she couldn't help herself as she entered the half destroyed village to find her Shield Hero.
She spotted the green cloaked Shield Hero chatting it up with the Bow Hero in front of the field hospital .And the man of the hour , Ake Rorik , who was leaned up against a wall with his arms crossed , completely unaware that his whole world was about to come crashing down around him.
She practically had to hold in a giggle and a smirk from coming to her lips, lest Naofumi thinks she's gone insane.
Mein walked up to Naofumi's side , as he turned to greet her " Oh hey Mein , you're back "
" Yes , I am " Mein spoke with more cheeriness in her voice than she should have , not that Naofumi seem to notice.
" I was just talking with Itsuki about the defense and the recovery...it was pretty nice of you guys to stick around " Naofumi complimented.
Itsuki waved him off " Don't mention it " The Bow looked at the carriages filled with knights and relief supplies for the village. " Well more knights from the capital have just arrived , so I think our work is finally done here "
Oh , it is quite done.
" Naofumi ..." Mein leaned in to whisper to him , bringing him closer " I have to tell you something important , I -"
" Hey ! Naofumi ! " A loud voice cuts her off , just as she was about to spill the beans about Ake . They all turn to see the Spear and Sword Hero walking over to both of them , seemingly having no scratch on them.
" Motoyasu , Ren ! " Naofumi waved over to his fellow heroes " So how did it go at Pickaxe ?"
" Me and my party stayed behind to help with the wounded and survivors , while Ren went out with his party to hunt the remaining monsters of the Wave " The Spear looked quite happy with the outcome of their victory over the Wave " Thanks to my healing magic , I was able to help a lot of people "
Mein raises an eyebrow at this , the Spear Hero has an affinity to healing much like Naofumi does , interesting ...
" Oh ! And we got some news , apparently the king wants to reward us by throwing us a banquet tomorrow evening " The Spear Hero informed.
However at that knowledge, Naofumi looked downcast.
The Spear Hero looked confused at Naofumi's response " Is everything , okay Naofumi ?"
Naofumi lets out a sigh " It's nothing , its just ... " Naofumi looks at the field hospital where several villagers are groaning loudly and crying can be heard " I can't believe the king wants to throw a banquet after all this happened ... and Raphtalia lost her arm too...it just feels so wrong to have a party so soon after all this..."
The Spear looks surprised at first but then guilty , realizing the implications of it all.
" Yeah...I get ya man..." Motoyasu said sympathetically " Hey...where is this Raphtalia anyway ? "
" She's still in the field hospital recovering , why ? " Naofumi asked.
The Spear Hero turned to his two cardinal heroes " What do you guys say to some cheering up a little girl ? "
" I'm down for that " The Bow Hero said with a smile.
" I suppose if we have too..." The Sword said with a sigh , though it was obvious that he wasn't being coaxed into it.
" The rest of you should stay out here, we don't want to overwhelm the girl " Motoyasu advised.
" Understood " Haven nodded.
" We'll wait for you at the entrance Sir Itsuki " Armina said before walking away, while the other heroes parties made arrangements for where to meet.
The 4 Heroes led the way as Mein and Ake followed them inside the field hospital...
Things had somewhat quieted down...if you could ignore the pained groans and sobbing of mothers and fathers and wives and husbands...
Mein glances over to where the man she had first seen who had been both burned and cut...he was now covered with a blanket to preserve his dignity with his wife sobbing over his chest
Of course...he didn't make it. I was a fool to believe otherwise.
Mein followed the gaze of the Cardinal Heroes...they all had looks of sympathy or sadness for the people they saw...even the ever cool headed Sword Hero looked down at being surrounded by so much death and despair.
They eventually stopped when they reached where Raphtalia was...though at least now she was sitting up on the stretcher with her looking downcast.
" Master Naofumi ? " The little girl did at least seem to reattain enough recognition to notice the Shield Hero.
" Hey Raphtalia...I brought the other heroes who want to cheer you up " Naofumi said in a sad attempt at sounding upbeat.
Raphtalia looked up at the 3 Heroes hesitantly, though she did seem to relax a little as Motoyasu knelled down.
" Hiya Raphtalia...I'm the Spear Hero , Motoyasu...these are my friends Ren and Itsuki ... we came here to visit you " The Spear Hero talks slowly and calmly, though Mein would almost mistake it for the Spear talking to Raphtalia as if she were mentally blemished.
" V-Visit...me ? "
" Yeah... we wanted to make sure that you were alright..." Motoyasu said with a smile " Where are your parents ? Do they live in the village or-"
Raphtalia flinched at that reminder and Motoyasu wondered if he had made a mistake.
" Raphtalia's parents were killed back in the First Wave...we picked her up a while back and she's been with us ever since " Ake explained.
" Is that right ? " Itsuki eyed the girl curiously " I didn't even notice her back during the meeting..."
" And you guys thought it was a good idea to bring a literal kid to a world ending catastrophe ? " Ren chimed with serious tone.
" We didn't exactly have a lot of other people we could just leave her with , without causing her already existing night terrors to worsen " Mein shot back " Though...in hindsight , we really should have..."
" Still you-" Itsuki continued.
" Its not...Big Sister Mein or Master Naofumi's fault...I didn't want to be left alone " Raphtalia muttered out in defense of them.
The 3 Heroes looked among themselves. Whatever they were thinking...they all decided to keep it to themselves for the sake of Raphtalia.
For now at least.
" Well...you're a very brave girl for fighting in the Wave Raphtalia..." Motoyasu complimented " Can I...take a look at your wound ? "
Naofumi raised an eyebrow as did Mein , what was the Spear playing at here ?
" O-Okay..." Raphtalia nodded as she showed him her where she used to have an arm.
The Spear Hero was very careful and meticulous... as he observed the bandaged stump.
" Clean cut right above the elbow...damn... Does it still hurt ? " Motoyasu asked with a sigh.
" A little..."
" Well, that will go away soon... you're being very brave Raphtalia, I'm sure Naofumi's proud of you am I right ? " Motoyasu turned to the Shield with a smile.
" Of course ! You did well Raphtalia..." Naofumi said with a pat of her head.
Raphtalia seemed to cheer up a little at that as Motoyasu inspected the stump.
" And hey , we even brought you some gifts..." Itsuki stepped up as he held out a ring with an emerald imbued in it " This is a nice little trinket I bought to boost my defense but...I think you'll find it more useful "
Mein held her Marked hand behind her back as her HUD activated and appraised the item.
Emerald Ring
Quality: Good
Defense Up ( Medium )
Not a half bad gift if she does say so...
" C-Can I ? " Raphtalia looked at Naofumi for approval.
" Yes , its alright Raphtalia" Naofumi nodded.
The Bow Hero took Raphtalia's left hand and put the ring on.
" You're a very brave girl to be out here Raphtalia..." The Bow Hero sounded damn near heroic saying that.
" T-Thank you..."
The Bow Hero then turned to the Sword " Not going to give any words of wisdom or comfort here Ren ? "
" Um..." The Sword shuffled awkwardly as he stepped towards the raccoon...before awkwardly head patting her " You did good...? " Raphtalia head nocked up in genuine confusion and surprise.
Mein would have chuckled at the Sword's awkward attempt at comfort if she knew how inappropriate that would be here.
" You really suck at comforting people, don't you Ren ? " Itsuki smugly mocked.
" Shut up, I never took a class on how to comfort people alright..." Ren withdrew his hand and crossed his arms.
Despite the Sword's sad attempt at trying to be comforting, he did seem to alleviate the mood a little.
" Okay...I think that's all I need to see " Motoyasu said as he finished his inspection.
" What were you doing anyway ? " Ren finally asked.
The Spear opened his mouth to speak only to close it and glance at Raphtalia...
" Let's talk outside, not here..." Motoyasu gestured. Mein could clearly tell his intentions.
Whatever the Spear wanted to talk about , he didn't want to do it in front of Raphtalia.
Naofumi nodded " We'll be back soon Raphtalia , just try to get some rest..."
" Okay...thank you Sir Motoyasu , Ren and Itsuki..." Raphtalia said respectfully.
Their little group exited the field hospital , with the Spear Hero having a somber look on his face.
" Motoyasu , what do you want to talk about ? " Naofumi asked.
" Well...two things actually... first off I got a good look at Raphtalia's wound...it was below her elbow..." Motoyasu explained.
"...And ? " Naofumi urged to continue.
" That means you can't get her a prosthetic... "Motoyasu finally got it out.
" Oh...oh...I hadn't even thought about that..." Naofumi admitted " But... if we can't even get a prosthetic then..."
" Unless robotic prosthetics have been invented in this world then..." Motoyasu didn't need to explain more after that.
What the hell is robatics ?
A somber tone overcame the group...until the silence was broken.
" What about a magical prosthetic ? " Ren suddenly spoke up.
All eyes turned to the Sword in an instant.
" I mean...if we were living in a regular medieval setting than yeah that might seem a bit improbable...but magic exists in this world, so it would stand to reason that magical items like prosthetics would exist..."
The Sword was actually correct , Mein had heard of magical prosthetics but hadn't researched much into it.
" He speaks the truth Sir Naofumi " Ake chimed in " Prosthetics that are magical in nature do exist...but they are pretty expensive and not easy to get since most people can only afford regular prosthetics "
" Well...at least now we have a new goal to set after this...get Raphtalia a magical prosthetic " Naofumi bowed his head to his fellow cardinals " Thanks a bunch for your help guys..."
" Don't thank us yet...we still have another surprise for ya..." The Spear Hero takes out something large from his Spear , it glowed for a couple seconds before Mein realized it was the Dragons Head of the Chimera !
" Here's your share of the Chimera...you have no idea how hard it was getting Ren to agree to it " Itsuki said with a laugh.
" The Dragons Head !? But I thought you guys had absorbed it ? " Naofumi sounded surprised at this. Clearly both he and Mein were expecting the heroes to just take the good heads and leave maybe the Viper's tail for him.
" Well...we did some talking and decided it was partly because you distracted the Chimera...and got hit by its attack you deserved this one " Motoyasu admitted " Plus we would feel like dicks if we just took it without your input "
Mein couldn't help but feel appreciative of the heroes now...they may not look like much , but they truly possess the traits of heroes.
At least they are decent enough people if nothing else. If they are willing to give up the Dragon's Head that no doubt has the best unlock.
" Guys...I don't want to-"
" Just shut up and take the damn head before I start arguing again " Ren interrupted rudely.
" Right, got it !" Naofumi quickly shut up and just took the head" Thanks for this guys..."
" Don't mention it ..." Motoyasu said with a smile.
" Well ... we're going to head back to the capital , we'll see you at the banquet if you decide to come " The Sword Hero said to Naofumi , before turning and leaving.
" Give Raphtalia my good wishes..." The Spear said before following suit , only seconds after the Sword Hero left .
The Bow Hero walked away , giving a simple nod to Naofumi.
" So...Mein...what do you say we absorb this while no one's looking ? " Naofumi suggested.
" You read my mind..."
It didn't take long for the two of them to find a nice and isolated space between the buildings that wasn't too far from the field hospital... and got to absorbing.
Mein unlocked quite a few skills , some that raised her resistance to lightning , while others gave a boost to her defense.
But two stood out among the rest.
Thorns
Skill : Shoot shadowy dart-like projectiles at your enemies.
...
Thunder Arc
Skill : Unleash a slash of pure lightning at enemies.
Can only be used in conjunction with swords.
Two more attack skills under my belt...nice.
Though this Thunder Arc says I can only use it with a sword...strange...
By that point, both her and Naofumi had already finished absorbing the entire Head , as they both stepped out of the space between the buildings before walking back to Ake.
" You two unlock anything good ? " Ake asked absentmindedly.
" A few attack skills and passives...useful skills for later..." Mein answered curtly " How about you Naofumi ? "
Naofumi let out a sigh " It says that I need a higher level to use the Chimera Dragon Shield..."
" Don't worry Naofumi you'll get there..." Mein said encouragingly though she didn't get a response.
She turned to the Shield Hero , who seems to be conflicted about something. Standing side by side , she places a hand on his shoulder , speaking to him with her most soothing voice " Naofumi ? Are ... you okay ?" .
Naofumi doesn't turn to look at her , instead he looks around the village as the knights cart off bodies " I'm fine Mein , I'm just ... kinda pissed off that the king for wanting to throw a banquet so soon , after all this happened " Naofumi points to the lot of destroyed homes and buildings " Dozens of people were hurt Mein , some were even ... killed and most of their homes were destroyed ..."
" I don't know , it just seems ... wrong to have a party after all this " Naofumi looked both sad and downcast , even though they had won the Wave .
Mein could understand Naofumi's ill feelings for her father and the whole idea of a banquet in general. But she still needed to find a way to convince him to go to the banquet one way or another. When she eventually weds him , he's going to have to get used to banquets , whether he likes them or not . Who knows , maybe it could be one of the few things her father and Naofumi could agree on , they both hated parties and fancy banquets.
" And worse of all...Raphtalia got badly hurt...because of me..."
That sobering reminder brought Mein back to reality...as she remembered what had happened to Raphtalia.
Mein thought hard for a moment for what to say " We all share the blame. We should have pushed harder to leave Raphtalia with Erhard..."
Ake crossed his arms and looked to the ground but seemed to agree.
Naofumi still looked downcast at that...as Mein struggled to think of what to say.
" I-I-It isn't your fault...its mine..."
A weak and meek voice broke through the silence...as they all turned to see Raphtalia come out of the field hospital with one arm.
Though from the looks of it she had trouble walking straight with the loss of her arm, which no doubt is the cause of her imbalance.
" Raphtalia ! You should be in bed ! What are you doing ?" Naofumi immediately fussed and went over to the little raccoon to make sure that she didn't collapse and eat the dirt.
" I...I got scared so I came out and..." Raphtalia looks down at the floor " I'm sorry..."
" You don't need to apologize Raphtalia , we shouldn't have left you..." Ake reassures.
" B-But it isn't your fault ! I w-wanted to fight and-"
" That's no excuse ! We should have known better !" Naofumi interrupted " You're still just a kid Raphtalia...you don't always know what's best for you..."
" And it isn't your fault either " Mein spoke up as she approached the girl " We should have protected you better and I don't want to hear another word of you saying otherwise..."
Raphtalia looked like she wanted to argue but didn't say anything.
" Come here Raphtalia..." Mein said as she pulled the little girl into a hug.
" It still hurts..." Raphtalia whimpered as tears threatened to spill.
"I know it does...but I know that it hurts before it gets better " Mein comforted
A lie. A poor one . But its the best she can think of.
Mein pulls away and pushes some strands of hair away to clean Raphtalia up.
" And I promise that we will get you a magical prosthetic when all this is over..." Naofumi promised " I swear as the Shield Hero "
" Thank you...Master Naofumi..." Raphtalia nodded in appreciation.
Mein couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as she saw her Naofumi acting like a true hero.
" So are we going ? " The knight asked.
" Well ... I guess we should go , or else the king might use my absence from the banquet as an excuse to throw out my reward for the Wave "
Mein can only awkwardly chuckle , subconsciously knowing that her father would probably do exactly that .
Mein casts a glance at the knight , who was still leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
She supposes she can't wait until after the banquet to expose the knight as a murderer .
Now she must get ready to go home.
And we have reached the end of the chapter. I hope that I have managed to reach your expectations in regards to Raphtalia's reaction to the fact that she now has to live with one less limb. While Raphtalia may still be a child...I think even she is smart enough to realize that her life will never be the same again and she will have to face a whole new slew of challenges going forward.
Its not going to be a pleasant experience going forward- for Raphtalia and the rest of the crew.
But I'm not a sadist and I did give a bit hope of Raphtalia getting prosthetic , which you guessed it will be one of the goals for Naofumi and the crew after the banquet.
And getting into one of the main things about this chapter- Mald's death.
Yeah, I don't expect anybody in the reviews to be weeping...but what you all should really be thinking about is why Ake had offed Mald in the first place.
I will leave it at that for now.
Now please enjoy this omake , giving a big round of goodbye to our very own Mald !
Omake : Goodbye Mald
Mald : Son of a bitch ! I died in the first wave ! WHY ?!
Malty : I don't get why you're complaining , you would have died eventually anyway. Its not like the author had any complex plans for you or your character honestly.
Mald : I would have liked to die a bit later in the story at least ! So why the hell am I getting killed off now !?
Angel : Okay in all honesty... I'm mostly killing you off because I can't consistently get your dialogue right.
Mald : WHAT ?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME AUTHOR ?!
Angel : Hey , its hard to capture smug pretentious asshole constantly for me and I already have another character coming in that's basically an even more insufferable version of you. And I didn't have any plans for you since you're a glorified henchmen at best , a slightly tougher named mob at worst for the cast to fight later. So I decided to just kill you off here to set up for Ake's character arc.
Mald : OH COME ON !
Angel pats Mald on the back.
Angel : Sorry man...hate to do this to you but you gotta go.
Several of the other characters stood by the sides suddenly as a door label 'EXIT' stood in front of Mald.
Malty : See you around Mald ! I would have ended up killing you myself honestly !
Itsuki : I didn't even really like you that much, but it was moderately nice knowing you.
Naofumi : What the hell is even happening ?
Angel : We're saying goodbye to Mald folks ! Let's give him a round of applause.
Everyone : GOODBYE MALD !
Mald let out a sigh as he walked through the exit.
Mald : Well...it was bound to happen anyway. See you around author.
He will not be a missed character... but he will be known as the character who set up Ake's character arc.