Managed to get this chapter out just before the 2 week limit was up, don't expect this to be a routine thing though. I'm just starting up my semester again so I might be late on updating this story at times, but I will do my best to try and update as frequently as I can. No promises though.
Anyway in this chapter we get a bit of chatting, a bit of murdering and a little bit of something I've been waiting to add to the story for a while now.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing important feedback and critic.
With that said, let's get it started.
Chapter 25: Arcane Bond
Despite the deal with Iris already made, Mein could not immediately retreat because the party was still in full swing and the night was far from over. At least, she got the chance to eat food appropriate to her station, if only for one night since she didn't quite get to enjoy the banquet.
And she did get to listen in on some juicy conversation between the heroes, since they had all sat together at the same round table. The only other party members present were Ake, Raphtalia and that bastard Haven. The rest were seated among themselves at the other tables. She noticed Bakta and Audrey waving their mugs around and singing songs. At least somebody was having a good time.
" So what are you guys plan after this ? " Naofumi asked he took a bite out of his steak.
" Well, I hear there are some bandit groups that need a good kicking " Itsuki said with a smirk.
" Just hunting monsters for me, hear there are some strong ones up north " Ren said with a shrug.
" Same. Gotta raise those levels and all " Motoyasu answered " What about you Naofumi ? What are your plans ? "
" We've been trying to get a magical prosthetic for Raphtalia like Ren suggested, but the search isn't going so good " Naofumi said with a sigh.
" What's the problem ? " Ren asked.
" The problem is that magical prosthetics aren't exactly easy to get in Melromarc " Naofumi explained " And that's only half the problem, they are also expensive as hell, just getting one for Raphtalia would eat through all of our reward money from the wave "
" Well...if you want, I'm sure we can chip in a little of each of our reward money to help " Motoyasu suggested.
Mein briefly considered the idea of borrowing money from the 4 Heroes for Raphtalia's prosthetic. Her mind quickly came to a no, it was already bad enough that she was probably going to owe Iris big for making good on her end of the deal, she'd rather avoid having Naofumi be in debt to the other heroes financially. She just hopes he's smart or kind enough to decline.
" That's kind of you but no...I brought on this myself and I have a feeling you guys are gonna need that money " Naofumi said as he leaned back in his chair. Much to Mein's relief.
" What about the King then ?" Ren suddenly brought up father " If there's anybody in the country who can get you a magical prosthetic than it would be him. He did seem desperate to get back on our good side when he was paying out our reward money for the wave, he might be willing to get Raphtalia a prosthetic to save face "
Mein actually considered the Sword's idea, would father help ? On the one hand, he did seem to want to get back on the good side of the 3 Heroes and helping out the Shield would be a good step in that direction. But knowing father he would probably try to leverage the situation to his advantage and use this to put Naofumi in his back pocket.
Its a bad idea all around, she just hopes Naofumi can see that.
" Maybe...but knowing that guy and his hatred for demi-humans, I wouldn't be surprised if he held this over your head going forward and I'm betting that you do not want to be in debt to the King of all people " Itsuki shot down the idea with the same logic she had used " I wouldn't be surprised if he threatened to take away the prosthetic unless you play ball "
" Great..."Naofumi groaned " So I'm back to the drawing board again..."
Mein gently patted Raphtalia's head , who looked downcast at how dire the situation to get her prosthetic was.
" But what if instead of buying one, you actually make one ? " The Bow suggested out of the blue.
Naofumi and Mein looked at him blankly.
" You do realize that I have no idea how to do that right ? And I doubt there's a convenient recipe lying around for my shield to make one " Naofumi said blankly.
" No, just think about it. Say you get all the materials and stuff you need to make a magical prosthetic, than that's half the work done right ? " Itsuki asked " All you need to do then is just find somebody to make it for you "
Not a bad suggestion honestly...but there is one problem.
" That's still the same problem though, it won't exactly be easy to find somebody who knows how to make magical prosthetics and you can bet that whoever you find is going to charge a hefty price " Ren said somberly.
"Money and resources always seem to be the problem " Naofumi sighed.
" Then why not just start a mutual travelling business to make more money ? "
A voice cut in and to everybody's surprise, it was Elena who despite still looking bored actually spoke up.
" What are you suggesting Elena ? " Motoyasu asked.
" Like you all have plans to journey further into Melromarc after this right ? Well you're all gonna need money, so why not start a travelling business ? " Elena spoke in detail, as she pointed a finger at Naofumi " The Shield Hero is best suited to mass produce consumable products such as potions and the like, so he can be the one going around actually selling the product. You three on the other hand, can go around collecting different materials and ingredients for him to make into potions or sell off. And you can split between the four of you the profits of these sales which should be high "
That...actually sounded like a good plan.
It seems this bastard might actually inherit some of House Amelia's business sense.
The four heroes looked among themselves and they all seem to collectively agree.
" I like it. And it means we won't have to be totally dependent on the King for financial support " Itsuki nodded.
" Agreed. After what he tried to pull at the banquet, I'm not sure if we can trust him anymore " Motoyasu said, as Ren simply nodded.
" Sounds good to me, but how are we going to get the materials and ingredients to me ? " Naofumi posed the question " We're all going to be on the move, so we can't just meet back at the capital "
" We can just agree to meet at designated cities at certain times through the portal skill " Ren suggested " You guys have it right ? "
" Yup. Though I'm still a few levels behind before I can use it "Itsuki nodded.
" Same " Motoyasu called out.
" Wait...what are you guys talking about ? Portal skill ? " Naofumi asked confused.
" You don't know about the portal skill Naofumi ? "
" No, what is it ?" Naofumi said still confused.
Mein's eyes widen before she immediately felt like facepalming herself.
She knew there was something she was forgetting to tell Naofumi !
The heroes ability to portal around to certain places was a widely known ability, hell it was an ability that Father frequently used to get around Melromarc quickly. And she had completely forgotten about it, damnit !
The princess in disguise took a deep breath, no matter...at least they're learning about it now rather than later.
" The portal skill is basically a fast travel skill, it allows us to portal to any location we've been before, as long as we've set that location as our waypoint " Itsuki explained.
" Whoa, that sounds useful " Naofumi said amazed.
" It is. Though there is a level requirement of 50 before you can even use it " Motoyasu said " You guys got any extra sand ? "
" I got some. Here " Ren took out what looked to be a small bag and handed it to Naofumi, who opened it up to reveal a bunch of sad.
" Uh...what is this ? "
" Its sand from the Dragon Hourglass, it's how you unlock the portal skill " Ren said simply.
Naofumi poured some of the sand into his shield, which glowed a little before his face turned to one of disappointment.
" Yup, a level requirement of 50 " Naofumi said as he put the rest of the sand back into his shield, no doubt for Mein to absorb later " Should still be pretty useful for when we unlock it "
" Alright, so we have a plan, Naofumi will handle selling and distribution, while the rest of us take care of supply of ingredients and product " Itsuki said firmly " We each get a 25% cut of all profits, sound fair ? "
The heroes didn't have any objections, sounded like a fair deal.
" Okay, now let's work out where and when we can meet at certain times " Itsuki said as he pulled out a map from his bow and laid it on the table.
And so the heroes got to work on figuring out their new business...and Mein couldn't help but smile at the sight of the heroes working together.
The party dragged on for a little while longer, mostly because the heroes were busy working out the details of their business plan with a bit of help from Elena.
By the time, they made it back to their carriage and was on their way back to Lute village, Raphtalia had already fallen asleep and was laying her little head down in Mein's lap as Ake drove the carriage.
Mein's eyes focused as she absorbed the Dragon Hourglass sand and in a few seconds she received a notification.
New Skill !
Warp
Teleport to any 3 places you've been before.
(LOCKED: Level Requirement 50)
Mein let out a sigh, they weren't kidding when they said it had a level requirement. Still should be useful for later.
She pushes it out of her mind as she thinks about tonight. She managed to make a deal with Iris and possibly get Raphtalia her prosthetic arm, though she has a feeling that Iris is going to cost her for it. That is no matter though, she's sure she can abate Iris's wants with a few well placed pieces of information. The real prize tonight was the heroes getting together and starting their own business which was an...interesting idea to say the least.
The idea of a travelling business to create a mutual fund for the heroes is actually a good idea , even in the event that Iris manages to get them a prosthetic arm before they can find a buyer or scrounge up the coin themselves, it should prove beneficial to all the heroes.
Mein closed her eyes as she laid her head back against the wall of the wagon, already she can feel the fatigue of the night wearing on her. She's had a long day and night, so she can't wait to throw herself onto a nice soft bed and-
She suddenly felt inexplicably cold.
It was sudden and out of nowhere...as if she felt herself being plucked out of the world itself.
The cold wasn't bone chilling, it wasn't the kind that would have killed you... it was the kind that would have kept you just alive enough to suffer.
She opens her eyes and finds that Raphtalia is no longer laying in her lap and Naofumi wasn't sitting across from her.
Mein felt her heart rate rise and she panicked, noticing a strange eerie blue light coming from the partially opened flap at the back of the wagon.
Without thinking she quickly ran to open the flap all the way-
And suddenly found herself falling into a bottomless blue pit.
Mein couldn't find her voice, she couldn't even scream as she flailed through the air and she kept falling and falling.
Until she felt somebody grab her arm, holding her up and Mein looked up to see the black eyed bastard himself standing there with a disinterested look on his face.
" Outsider..." Mein hissed.
" Nice to see you too Malty..." Outsider said as he pulled up and dropped her onto the stone platform they were standing on.
Mein took a second to catch her breath, before she turned to yell at the dark god before her " What the hell was that ?! You could have killed me !"
Outsider crossed his arms and shrugged " Don't be so dramatic...you're Marked so you can't die in the Void and I would have caught you "
Mein's eyes narrowed at the god before, she couldn't die in the Void ? What did that mean ?
" Putting that aside, sorry for the sudden pull into the Void but I had some things I had to discuss with you, come..." Outsider put his hands behind his back as he walked toward a small table with some food and tea prepared.
Mein glared at him but followed, sitting down on the seat parallel to him, as Outsider took a cup of tea and drank it.
"There will be two topics for tonight princess..." Outsider held up two fingers " One is about your dear friend Iris and the second is about something else entirely..."
Iris ? He knows about Iris ?
Of course he knows, he's the fucking Outsider.
" Lady Iris Lana Amelia, hailed as the Genius of the Golden Coast and Head of House Amelia...whose parents were brutally murdered in the night by a serial killer with a grudge against your mother as we both know princess..." Outsider said as he recanted the story.
Mein glared at him " Get to your point..."
" My point my dear princess is ...didn't you notice anything strange during your little meeting with Iris ? " Outsider posed the question.
Strange ? Besides the fact that Iris clearly can't keep her lapdogs in line and I needed to kick their asses to make my point.
" What do you mean by that ? "
" Come on Malty, I think you are smarter than that " Outsider rolled his black eyes at her " Try to think. Why on earth would Iris Amelia go through the trouble of throwing a fake party in honor of the heroes just to meet with you ? Why not simply meet you in the forest near Lute village than this whole smoke and mirrors act ? "
The more Outsider talked, the more Mein thought about it.
He brings up a good point, why did Iris do that ?
Like Outsider said, Iris could have easily arranged for Dida to meet her in Lute village to set up a meeting just outside of the village. Why go through the through the trouble of setting up a fake party just to meet her ?
Mein thought about everything that has transpired and what she had noticed during her little visit to Amelia manor.
The extra security...the presence of other Cardinal Heroes...the tenseness in Iris and the fear in her eyes when I kicked Dida's ass.
" Iris...was scared of me..." Mein said slowly " Its the only thing that makes sense..."
" Is it really that surprising though ? I'm sure she was downright terrified of pissing you off, how could she not ? When you take after so much of the man who killed her parents ? " Outsider said as he leaned in " If you weren't the princess, then maybe dear Iris would prefer your head on a pike, maybe mine too..."
Mein wasn't listening as she was busy thinking about what she had just discovered. She knew that ever since Iris's parents died, the two had a disingenuous relationship to say the least. But to find out that Iris was scared of her personally...
Mein wasn't sure how to feel about that.
" You said you had a second reason for bringing me here ? " Mein changed the subject.
" Yes, well you see I wanted to give you a gift " Outsider explained.
" A gift ? "
" Yes, one of my other agents requested it, but I felt it kinda unfair that he got it early even though I had him work for it " Outsider said as he stood up " So I decided to unlock it early for the others, but had them work for it in different ways..."
" What do you mean work for it ? "
" I mean, like this " Outsider snapped his fingers-
And in the next instant the whole world transformed around them and Mein almost jumped back in shock as Outsider manipulated the void to his liking.
They were now both standing on what appeared to be standing in some kind of alleyway, but Mein could tell that she was still in the Void based on the simple fact that the cold was still there.
" What the- Where the hell are we ? " Mein asked " Is this castletown ? "
" Maybe. Maybe not. Does it matter ? " Outsider shrugged " Nonetheless, this is your challenge. Your objective is to make it to the north gate and avoid being spotted by some of the 'dummies' that I posted around. They aren't real so don't freak out"
" Dummies ? What do you mean-"
" Also you don't have your gear. Good luck "
With those last words, Outsider disappeared and left Mein in that alley alone.
" Black eyed bastard..." Mein cursed him as she saw that she indeed didn't have her sword or gear. The only thing she had on her was her armor, cloak and veil.
Seeing as she didn't have much choice in this, she figured she might as well go along.
This gift better be worth it.
Mein thought as she heard footsteps coming down from the street, she quickly leaned up against the alleyway wall right by the edge and activated Dark Vision to see a dummy guard of some kind dressed in...an actual dress ?
It appeared to be a woman walking down the street and toward her, she was carrying a shortsword and for some reason, Mein couldn't see her face.
Alright, just one. I can kill her and take her stuff.
Mein whistled to attract the dummy and she heard the dummy come closer to investigate.
She took a deep breath as the dummy got just close enough for her.
The second he got close, she quickly grabbed the guard by the collar and pulled her into the alleyway, covering her mouth so that she couldn't scream.
Put your hand on the top of the head, grab their chin and-
CRACK !
Mein heard the familiar crack noise signalling that she had successfully snapped her target's neck...
But what she hadn't prepared for was the fact that she recognized this 'guard'.
Iris ?!
Mein was so shocked that she dropped the dead body to the ground and dissipated into nothing , why the hell was Iris one of the dummies ?!
Then again, Outsider did say that none of the guards were real...so maybe this was just some weird way to screw with her.
No matter, it wasn't like she particularly cared for her biggest rival to the Throne.
Yes, this didn't bother her at all.
She quickly grabbed her short sword and dagger, happy to have some proper weapons.
Mein thought about her plan to make it to the north gate without being spotted, first things first, she needed to get to the high ground and figure out where she was and plan out her route to get there.
The princess turned adventurer made quick work, scaling the building with Blink and getting on top-
What she hadn't been expecting was Outsider putting actual guards on the rooftops too ! Thankfully there was only one and they were facing away from her, but even with his back turned to her she could recognize his hair from anywhere.
Jaune. Her second love. Her second real relationship. Outsider had the fucking gall to put someone that she loved face in here.
Mein grit her teeth as she felt anger grow inside her, she sneaked up behind the fake Jaune and slit his throat from behind, covering his mouth to keep him from screaming. She let him drop to the floor and watched his body dissipate into nothing.
Mein gripped the shortsword in her hand in anger, Outsider was going to answer for this.
Focus, she had to get to the north gate and then she can yell at a dark god.
She could see the north gate in the distance, she could probably make it in less than 5 if she can but she needs to avoid detection. She can in the distance that there were even more guards set up on some of the rooftops, though she couldn't quite make out all their faces since they some wore masks. But they hadn't noticed her and seemed more interested in just keeping an eye on the rooftops than the streets.
Mein ultimately decided that the streets would be safer, since there aren't exactly a lot of places to hide on a rooftop.
She jumped a few guardless rooftops to get a bit closer to the north gate before preparing to drop down into the alley, but stopped just short of seeing two noble ladies walk into it.
Katarina and Bertia.
The two didn't look at all like the Katarina and Bertia she knows, in fact they just looked like hollowed out versions of the people she knows. It was a disgrace.
Mein dropped down onto Katarina, using her body to break her fall and slitting her throat by pressing the blade up against it until blood came out. She quickly used the confusion to stab Bertia in the throat with her knife.
Mein panted as their bodies dissipated into nothing, but she did notice that Katarina had been carrying a two handed crossbow which she took since she had the feeling that she would need it later.
As she slowly made it closer and closer to the north gate, she stopped and took cover behind some crates as she saw the north gate guarded by two men.
Father...and Keith.
Why oh why did it have to be Keith ?
She shook her head and reminded herself that it wasn't him, that it wasn't the same man that had stole her heart and broke it into tiny pieces.
Mein needed a bird's eyes view to initiate her plan of how to get around these two fakes, she scaled a nearby building that overlooked the north gate and snuck up on the dummy posted there.
This time it was Lesty.
Black eyed bastard, dark eyed motherfucker, how dare he put these people in here !
Mein cursed the Outsider repeatedly in her head as she grabbed the fake Lesty from behind and snapped her neck like she did with Dida.
CRACK !
She watched Lesty's body fade into nothing...as she felt colder than ever.
She gave herself a little slap to remind herself not to get caught up in emotions. Not here. Not now.
Once on top, she took a deep breath as she drew her dagger and hurled it as far away from fake Keith with as much strength as she could muster. The object landing a little aways from fake Keith and caused him to investigate the sudden falling dagger.
Mein didn't waste this opportunity blinking down to street level and charging the two lone guardsman donning faces of those she once loved.
She shot her father clean through the head with the crossbow she had looted, causing him to fall to the ground like he was a ragdoll.
Throwing the crossbow away, she blinked directly in front of fake Keith before he had the time to react- and stabbed him right through the heart.
Mein's blade hand tensed as she felt the blade pierce his heart and she stared into his eyes.
There was sadness in his eyes, as if he was asking her how she could do this.
He's not real. He's not real. He's not real. He's not real.
Mein repeated in her head like a mantra as she withdrew the blade and watched fake Keith's body dissipate into nothing.
She looked at the blade in her hand...before throwing it away in disgust, running through the north gate to finish this fucking challenge.
" That took you longer than it should have "
A soft voice called out to her as Outsider appeared next to her, holding a stopwatch of some kind.
Mein didn't particularly care about her fucking time, since she was more pissed about what she just had to go through because of this black eyed bastard.
" You black eyed bastard, what the hell is wrong with you ?!"
" Kind of a broad question, but I'll bite. What are you talking about ? "
" Why the hell did you make some of the dummies look like people I knew !? I had to kill them ! I-"
" I didn't tell you or force you to kill them did I ? " Outsider shot her down and that gave her pause.
She didn't have to kill them did she ? She could have just sneaked around them, but she chose to kill them because it was easier. And the fact that she did so without hesitation...unnerved her in a weird way.
What the fuck did she just do ? How could she do what she just did ?
Holy shit.
" Well with that moment of introspection out of the way, you completed the challenge...so here is your gift " Outsider snapped his fingers.
In that instant she received a notification.
New Skill Unlocked !
Arcane Bond
Share some of your powers with your allies.
Maximum of 2 bonds.
Mein's eyes widened at this... she could share her powers with others ? This would be insanely useful, but it said that it could only be shared with two people at a time ? How did that-
" Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time, have a goodnight Malty " Outsider said as her whole world went dark.
Mein felt herself being pulled back into her world...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
" MEIN !"
With a gasp and the sound of somebody calling her name, she wakes up to see Naofumi standing in front of her with his hands on her shoulder.
She needed a second to take in her surroundings, seeing that she was still sitting in the carriage but it had come to a stop. Raphtalia and Ake were in the back too, the former looking at her with worried eyes.
" Mein are you okay ? " Naofumi asked concerned.
" Y-Yes I'm...fine, what happened ?" Mein said as she grasped the side of her head.
" You zoned out and you weren't responding to anything we were saying and I'm pretty sure you were muttering some gibberish I couldn't understand " Naofumi glanced at Mein's mark that was glowing red " What happened ? Was it another...visit ? "
Mein took a look at her hand, before she felt the onset of fatigue coming on.
" Tomorrow morning Naofumi, I'm too tired to explain it now... "Mein said as she got out of the carriage to see that they had arrived back at Ake's manor.
She literally just had to kill fake constructs of those she once cared for and loved, she does not have the emotional or mental energy to do any explaining.
Needless to say, she threw herself onto the bed and passed out after getting changed.
Mein looked back at Lute village that stood a few hundred meters away, at the moment their team was sitting near the edge of the treeline. Raphtalia sitting on a nearby log with Ake. For privacy reasons, they obviously couldn't talk about this at the manor since they would have a hard time avoiding Carlyle and none of the rooms were suited to have private discussions about the fact that Mein was a heretic.
" So what happened last night Mein ?" Naofumi asked as soon as they were in the clear.
Aside from making backroom deals with Iris Amelia and getting visited by a literal dark god and being made to kill constructs of people I once cared for deeply ?
Mein held back from sarcastically saying, as she got brought back to her point " Last night I got visit from my dark eyed friend "
" The Outsider ? " Ake commented.
" Who else ? " Mein said sarcastically as she brought up the selection for her new power " He gave me a new power...something called Arcane Bond and if I'm reading this description correctly, then it allows me to share some of my powers with others "
Naofumi's eyes widen at this, as did Ake's. Raphtalia for her part just looked confused at what the grownups were talking about.
" Share your powers ? Does that mean...you can like give people some of your skills ? "
" That's what it says..." Mein nods " Though there appears to be a limit on how many people I can share it with and the number of powers I can give them "
" How many ? " Ake asked.
" Two people max. And it says here that I can only give them two powers each, be them passive or active skills " Mein read the description of the skill " And it also says that I can't change it after I select them "
" So...you want to use this Arcane Bond to share some of your powers ? " Naofumi clarified.
" Its too damn useful not to that. It would give us a major edge on some of our enemies " Mein couldn't deny that having a few other people who could use Blink would be insanely useful " And it could be a great help for Raphtalia, since she still doesn't know much magic so giving her some of my powers would give her a good edge...although..."
Mein's eyes narrow at the Shield Hero.
" There's something I want to try first Naofumi, hang on " Mein said as she took a deep breath and pointed her hand at Naofumi " Arcane Bond " Mein whispered the words of power.
Her Mark glowed red and reddish smoke starting to come out of it...as some kind of arcane void came out of her Mark and drifted to Naofumi...
Right before it vanished completely and a notification appeared in her vision.
Target unsuited for Arcane Bond
Reason: Cardinal Hero
" What happened Mein ? " Naofumi asked.
The princess in disguise let out a sigh " Says here you are unsuited for the Arcane Bond because you're a Cardinal Hero "
" Should have seen that one coming " Naofumi shrugged " Since I can't have it, maybe you should give it to Ake or Raphtalia ? "
" Are you sure that's wise though ? " Ake cut in, making them turn to him " Don't get me wrong, I can definitely see the benefits in sharing some of Mein's powers with us, but if we ever get caught and its discovered that you're a heretic...you know what happens then right ? "
Mein eyes narrowed as she knew what Ake was talking about. She had heard all the horror stories about what the Hero Churches of the world did to heretics or anybody caught worshipping or associating with the Outsider. Torture, dissection and study, execution.
Its a good reminder to all those who are daring enough to associate and worship the Outsider...or are forced into having a connection to him about the consequences of getting caught. Hence why she heard that most cultists kill themselves rather than submit to getting captured and most likely tortured for information on their activities.
And it stands as a morbid reminder of what is going to happen to HER if she gets caught.
If she is ever caught and exposed as being one of the Agents of the Outsider...than that's it then. Her life would be over and her right to live would be forfeit. She would be instantly stripped of her royal title and imprisoned on the grounds of being a heretic. The most she can expect is that she receives a simple burning at the stake for being a witch and that is IF the Three heroes Church is feeling merciful. And even if she isn't caught and somehow manages to escape than she would have to live like a fugitive to the end of her days, being hunted down and pursued.
All the more reason for her to ensure that she never leaves any witnesses or gets spotted with her powers.
But putting her own predicament in that event for a moment, that's not even to say what would happen to Ake, Raphtalia and Naofumi.
If it ever gets exposed that Naofumi was knowingly harboring a heretic than his already meager credibility and respect in the Kingdom will go down the drain. He will most likely have his hero title revoked and be imprisoned for safe keeping and to use as a bargaining tool against Siltvelt. And that's not even thinking about what will happen to Ake and Raphtalia.
They would most likely get the 'standard' heretic treatment, imprisonment and torture, maybe execution if they're lucky.
Now that she thinks about, she's been putting all of them at risk just by being in their party.
And now here she was about to put them at even more risk.
" Ake has a point Naofumi, if it ever gets discovered that I'm a heretic..." Mein doesn't finish but she's sure Naofumi understands her meaning " At least if I don't share my powers, than that won't put Raphtalia at risk..."
" Hey, don't talk like that " Naofumi chided " That isn't going to happen "
" We must consider the possibility. The Three Heroes Church doesn't take too kindly to heretics " Mein said with her arms crossed " And they are going to be even more merciless towards demi-human heretics..."
Ake stepped up " I don't mind getting some of those black magic powers, always wanted to try some of those "
" Ake's fine with it, the real problem is Raphtalia " Mein said " We can't give her my powers since that would put her at risk and-"
" Then maybe we should ask her instead of pretending she isn't here ? " Ake suggested with an eye roll.
She looked to Raphtalia who had been attentively listening to everything they had been saying and looked like she wanted to say something.
Mein gave him a look but understood his point, as she knelled down in front of Raphtalia.
" Raphtalia dear...do you understand what we're talking about ? " Mein asked softly.
" You...want to share your powers with me...but you're afraid of what's going to happen if you're ever caught ? " Raphtalia asks and Mein nods.
" Yes, Raphtalia...my powers they...they give me strength and allow me to do things everyone else cannot " Mein said simply " But if I'm ever caught by somebody and it ever gets exposed that I'm a heretic and they figure out that I shared my powers with you..."
Mein didn't finish her sentence but it seems that Raphtalia understood.
" I...still want it big sister..." Raphtalia said " I want to help more..."
" Raphtalia, this isn't a game and these powers are not toys to play with, if the Three Heroes Church finds out that you're a heretic..." Mein struggled to speak " You better hope that they don't take you in alive, you understand Raphtalia ? "
" I-I do...and I still want it " Raphtalia said with both fear and determination in her eyes " I don't want to be helpless burden that everyone has to take care of anymore..."
That look in Raphtalia's eyes...she remembers them from so long ago.
She reminds Mein of herself.
And if she knew herself, she also knew that she would never take no for an answer.
Mein lets out a sigh as she stands up " There's just no arguing with you is there ? "
Raphtalia shook her head a little as Mein ran her hand through her hair.
" Very well...but if we're going to do this then we're going to have to lay down some ground rules " Mein said firmly " First off, no using powers unless we're in a fight with a monster and you have to use it. Secondly, no using powers in front of other people. And finally you absolutely cannot tell anyone about it outside of our party...understand ? "
Raphtalia nodded furiously.
" Alright...let's do this " Mein said as she pointed her hand at both Raphtalia and Ake " Arcane Bond "
Like before her Mark glowed red and reddish smoke starting to come out of it...as the arcane void came out of her Mark and drifted to Ake and Raphtalia. The latter looking at the smoke with childlike curiosity, before it drifted to their left hands and the two jumping a little at the sudden surprise at how their left hands were now glowing.
" Goddamn...it feels like its burning...inside of me..." Ake said.
" It feels...cold but also burning...big sister..." Raphtalia muttered.
Mein helped Raphtalia sit back down on the log as a notification came to her screen.
Arcane Bond Successful
Ake Rorik : (Two available power slots)
Raphtalia : ( Two available power slots)
" Alright, looks like the Arcane Bond took " Mein said to Naofumi " Now we just need to decide which powers will be the most useful "
" You said you can't change them after you pick, so you better make them count " Naofumi commented.
Mein didn't argue with that, they could only have two powers so she had to be careful with what powers she chose for them. She certainly wasn't short on options, with these past few weeks of her unlocking all different kinds of passive and active powers...the real question was deciding which two would suit not just Ake, but Raphtalia best.
She also needs to take into account Raphtalia's growth boost later so that's another thing to think about.
Blink sounds like a no brainer. The ability to teleport around would be extremely useful to help make Raphtalia's speed better and make up for Ake's lack of agility due to his plate armor.
" How about Blink for both of you ? " Mein suggested " Its extremely versatile and can help you get out of tricky situations if you get into a bad spot "
" Sounds good. I always wanted to experience the joys of teleportation " Ake said with a small smirk.
" O-okay ! " Raphtalia agreed.
" That just leaves one other power slot...any requests in particular ? " Mein asked " Maybe something passive ? "
" Take your pick. Just make sure its useful for us " Ake shrugged.
Mein looked over her skill tree and looked for anything that could be considered useful for them both.
Agility for Raphtalia maybe ? The extra speed could help her stay out of trouble and Vitality for Ake would help him survive longer in battles since he isn't pure defense like Naofumi.
Mein thought it over and it made the most sense to her.
" Does Agility sound good to you Raphtalia ? " Mein asked the girl " It'll make you run faster and jump higher "
Raphtalia actually looked excited at that and nodded furiously.
" And for Ake...how about Vitality ? It will give a bonus to your HP " Mein suggested.
"I'll take it " Ake shrugged.
" You sure you shouldn't give Raphtalia Vitality, too Mein ? " Naofumi commented.
" With how low her level, defense and overall HP are, I doubt Vitality would make much of a difference. Where instead of being instantly killed in one hit, she would then just get fatally wounded in one or two hits at most " Mein defended.
" Oh...okay "
" Agility is a much more practical option for Raphtalia, since its better for her to avoid attacks than try to withstand them " Mein said simply as she pulled up her menu.
Mein selected the powers and at that moment, both Ake and Raphtalia's left hands glowed and smoke flowed from Mein's mark to them.
" Damn...that kinda feels good " Ake said as his hand glowed. Raphtalia for her part was just looking at her hand in amazement.
Mein received a notification soon after selection.
Ake Rorik : Blink, Vitality.
Raphtalia : Blink, Agility.
" Its done " Mein said with a sigh " Welcome to the heretic life "
" Huh, so I'm a heretic now...that's nice " Ake said nonchalantly. Mein had to give him props for being so calm about everything. His expression then turned to one of confusion " So uh...how the hell do I use this damn thing ? "
Raphtalia also looked similarly confused. Mein could certainly understand why they would both have trouble figuring out how to use Blink in particular, since she did in fact have some difficulty figuring out how to use it when she first got it.
" Well first of all, you need to focus on where you want to Blink " Mein instructs as she holds Ake's hand up " Focus on the destination with your eyes until you see some kind of squashed red sphere "
" What ? " Ake asked in confusion.
" Just do it " Mein said with an eyeroll.
Ake grunted but did as she instructed, pointing his hand at a nearby tree for a trial run.
" Okay...I see the red sphere thing " Ake said slowly " Do I just focus in on it ? "
" Yeah, but you really wanna prepare yourself because the first blink is always-"
Ake's entire body faded into ash and in the next instant appeared by the tree he had been pointing at.
" Holy shit...oh fuck..." Ake cursed as he leaned up against the tree.
" Ake, you alright ? " Naofumi went over to help him stand.
" Yeah just...wasn't expecting that to feel so strange " Ake said as he walked back to them.
" That's what I was trying to warn you about " Mein said in exasperation before turning to the little raccoon who seemed to be following her instructions from earlier " Now Raphtalia I want you to take things slow for now and just aim for that tree over there, okay ? "
" Okay !" Raphtalia left hand glowed and reddish smoke came from it.
Her little body faded into ash just like Ake's did and appeared close to the tree she had pointed at...only when Raphtalia appeared again she straight up fell flat on her face into the dirt.
" Raphtalia !" Mein quickly went over to help the little girl up.
" Ow...my stomach hur-Urgk !" Raphtalia threw up a little as Mein helped her up.
Ugh...gross.
Mein thought in disgust as she helped wipe away some of the vomit from Raphtalia's lips with a handkerchief given to her by Carlyle a while back.
" Are you okay Raphtalia ? " Naofumi asked.
" Just...my stomach feels a bit funny..." Raphtalia replied.
" Here drink this " Mein instructed as she passed a waterskin to the girl and helped her drink it " I definitely felt similar the first time I blinked. Don't worry, you'll get used to it quickly " Mein reassured her.
" It was weirdly kind of a rush...and I felt-"
Mein cut Ake off " A wind that didn't exist in the world right ? Yeah, felt the same thing "
" We should practice a bit more to get used to these blinks " Ake said with crossed arms.
And so Raphtalia and Ake got to work on practicing their new powers, Ake with Blink and Raphtalia doing some short burst of running to get used to the feeling of avoiding falling flat on her face while running with her newfound speed.
" Do you think this was the right decision Naofumi ? " Mein asked the Shield Hero.
" I honestly don't know...but it was a decision that Raphtalia made for herself so that's gotta count for something right ? " Naofumi said neutrally.
Mein didn't say anything but continued to watch the scene from a distance, simply thinking about her experiences from last night and Outsider's little challenge to her.
Despite being well aware that the constructs she killed weren't real...it still unnerved her how easy it was and how there was no hesitation with doing it.
What kind of person can do that ? What kind of monster do you have to be to kill those you once cared for ?
Questions and no answers, Mein thought about the most prevalent question on her mind:
She wonders what kind of person that makes her ?
Itsuki's POV
Due to the fact that his quirk was pretty weak, Itsuki was forced to focus on other aspects of his life so that he wasn't totally hopeless. He made it a point to routinely exercise to keep himself in good physical condition and took up some basic martial art classes in Judo, Krav Maga, Taekwondo and Russian Sambo. He had focused down in Krav Maga in general because of its brutal counterattacks and real life fight situations.
He even took up a class in parkour to teach him to navigate his environment quicker and fluidly. His quirk may suck but that didn't mean he couldn't give anybody who tried to pick on him a good black eye for their trouble.
He also took to learning how to use various firearms, he had taken basic and advanced classes in handling pistols. And he'd gotten a basic understanding of how to use shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles and the like.
He didn't neglect the intellect side of things of course. He had been reading books on foreign languages like French, Spanish and Mandarin. His parents being founders and CEO's in one of the biggest hero gadget companies in the world were more than glad to support his endeavors under the guise of him supposedly wanting to follow the family business.
That may have been partly true- but Itsuki had other uses for the skills he had acquired. Both physical and intellectual.
That is why he was currently seated in the adventurers guild with his party, attempting to learn the language of this world. He had been learning since day 5 they had touched down in this new world and he could already tell he was making progress in learning this strange new language. Information and understanding your enemy was half the battle and usually determined if you would win the other half.
" The adventurers went into the cave and killed all the goblins..." Itsuki read the words that Welst had written down on a piece of paper " They saved the imprisoned maidens and saved the day "
" Excellent. That was perfect Sir Itsuki " Welst complimented.
" Thank you Welst " Itsuki nodded " And for the last time, just call me Itsuki. That Sir shit is kinda annoying "
" Sorry..." Welst apologized.
" At this rate, you might be able to start learning magic " Armina commented.
That was also on his list of priorities of things to learn. He had gotten his affinities assessed and checked, apparently had affinities for Thunder and Water.
He already had a plethora of ideas for how he could use that against his enemies.
" Yes, but learning magic takes time and that's not counting for the fact that learning magical text will probably take longer " Welst pointed out " We'd be much better off getting a crystal ball for Si- Itsuki "
" Crystal ball ? " Itsuki asked.
" A ball of magic that contains a magic spell within, breaking these will grant instant access to the spell, but you only learn how to cast the spell, you don't know how to make the spell stronger or gain an understanding of the magic itself " Welst said.
Well, if it is the fastest way...
" If it means I can use my thunder affinity to charge my smartphone than I'll take a crystal ball " Itsuki said with a shrug.
" Smor-fone ? " Armina butchered the word as his party members all looked confused.
" Its this device from my world, we use it for a wide array of different functions like long range communication, information sharing, etc" Itsuki explained as he took out his phone and showed it to his companions. It had died weeks ago so it was essentially worthless to him until he figured out a way to charge it.
" Chief God above...a device from the heroes home world " Welst observed the device with fascination in his eyes.
He had to admit that he did find their reactions particularly amusing.
" Yeah, don't get too excited, the thing ran out of power so its useless until I can figure out how to charge it " Itsuki explained.
" It doesn't have any power ? " Welst observed the phone " Maybe I can charge it with my mana "
" You can do that ? "
" Yes, just let me try to..." Welst held the phone with his left hand...and in the next instant he suddenly dropped the phone onto the table and almost fell back. Thankfully Itsuki was quick to the draw and kept him from falling onto the floor.
" Welst, you okay ?" Itsuki quickly asked as he helped steady the man.
" Yeah just...wasn't expecting your device to take that much mana to charge " Welst said as he coughed a little.
" Here have some water" Armina handed some over to him.
" Thanks..."
Itsuki picked up his phone and turned it on, and to his relief he could see it turn on.
" Well, at least we know it works " Itsuki said " We'll put learning magic on the list of things to do before the next wave "
" Agreed but putting that aside Itsuki for a moment , we need to talk about recruiting someone to replace Mald, chief god rest his soul " Armina said respectfully " Our party composition is unbalanced with just the 4 of us "
" Good point..." Itsuki agreed. Truth be told, he was considering recruiting a few more adventurers into their group.
Maybe add an extra spellcaster and frontline fighter.
At that moment, he saw a familiar man dressed in cheap leather armor under several metal plates, his face covering his face.
" And I think I may have just the man in mind to replace him " Itsuki said as he got up and approached Beast Slayer.
The man seemed laser focused on the quest board, searching for his next quest, he moved almost like a machine...
Itsuki could respect that.
" Excuse me ? You're Beast Slayer right ? " Itsuki got his attention. The older man turning his head slightly to indicate that he noticed his presence.
" That's what they call me..."
" I hear you're not a big fan of demi-human bandits and well..." Itsuki slyly approached the subject " How do you feel about getting some help taking down the Hound Lord ?"
"...I'm listening "
Itsuki smirked " I knew you would...come and join us for lunch so we can talk it over "
He had a good feeling that discount Goblin Slayer was going to be a good addition to their party.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I gotta say the first draft was actually a lot more boring, since in the original Outsider just handed the Arcane Bond power to Mein after saying some cryptic BS.
I gotta credit the idea of Outsider's whole 'stealth challenge' to Qin who pointed out in the first draft that it felt way too easy for Outsider to just hand the Arcane Bond power over to Mein, so he recommended a stealth obstacle course where Mein was forced to sneak around. The idea of making some of the dummies people Mein originally cared about was also his idea.
Ake and Raphtalia getting powers from Mein has been an idea I've been dying to get to for a while now and I am happy that it is finally here. So now Raphtalia might actually have a shot of being helpful in some of the upcoming chapters and arcs.
And I managed to squeeze in a nice scene at the end with Itsuki to set up for an upcoming arc.
Now let's answer some reviews shall we ?
To reality deviant:
I'm glad you're enjoying my very different take on Malty than in Qin's story. While I may take a lot of inspiration from him, I do have my own creative objectives and views when it comes to characters like Malty.
In regards to your question about what kind of kid Malty was...while I can't say anything for spoiler reasons, I'll let this chapter where Malty literally killed dummies of her friends and family speak for itself and let you wonder what could have possibly happen to screw up Malty this much as an adult.
To dragoon109:
Yeah, with kids from the street...you gotta set the standard for what they can and can't do.
To Guest:
While I get what you're saying, I think Raphtalia already knows full well what she did wrong with how badly Mein scolded her afterward. It would have a step in the wrong direction to rub salt and twist the wound a bit more when Raphtalia is already full aware of how she put others at risk.
Alright with all that settled, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.