How's it going everybody...wow, its uh...definitely been a while huh ?

Wait a second, I already did all this in my other fic where I went radio silent for over a month with no updates on a story.

Well, just to get this outta the way, I'm really sorry for the extended radio silence and no updates, but life got in the way and things have been pretty hectic for me.

But the good news is that my semester is finally over ! Wohooo !

Now I can finally get to some stories that I have been dying to write for a while and hopefully start updating more frequently.

Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing important feedback and critic.

With that said, let's get it started !

Chapter 41: Tracking Shadows

Mein very loudly grumbled at Ake barely holding back his snickering with a hand over his mouth to hide his contained smirk at her suffering. The only thing stopping her from tossing him out the window was Naofumi and Raphtalia gently holding her hands, either because they realize she's close to strangling him or out of concern for her head injury. Probably both.

" I'm glad my personal suffering is so amusing to you Ake " Mein said.

" S-Sorry...sorry...but can you blame me ? It was a little funny seeing you fall face first into the pavement " Ake said barely holding back his laughter.

They had just arrived in Rabier City and just as Mein was about to get off Jun, her foot got caught on something which resulted in her landing head-first into the stone ground, giving her a killer headache and bruise. Thankfully, Naofumi's quick healing magic allowed it to be gone in seconds, not leaving even a scar. She still felt the phantom pain of it though.

At the present moment, they were sitting in Rabier City's adventurers guild restaurant area. It was common for the Adventurer's Guild to set up in established cities and in some cases notable towns across a country. They ordered some 'light' food and drink to tide them over after the long trip. Well, they obviously ordered extra food for Filo, who said that she was 'absolutely starving' despite only having eaten less than an hour ago. Mein swears that fat bird was going to eat through their savings with how much they spend on food in a single day.

" Ignoring my head injury-" Mein drew a glare at Ake for his continued smirking " I believe it would be prudent for us to locate where the Bow Hero is so we can begin making plans to take down the Hound Lord "

" Agreed. Shouldn't be too hard, even in a city of this size, a Legendary Hero is bound to stand out among the common populace " Alice nodded in agreement.

" Yeah, me and Itsuki look pretty asian compared to everybody else here " Naofumi said as he glanced at some of the people who were casting looks at them occasionally.

Mein's and the others eyebrow raised in confusion " What is an A-sean ?" Mein asked.

" Its like uh...a race of people from a continent ?" Naofumi explained and Mein more or less got the gist of what he was saying. The Shield Hero shook his head though" Nevermind that, let's just ask around and try to find Itsuki. Somebody here has had to have heard something " Naofumi brushed the matter off. Probably for the best, they have more important things to worry about than Naofumi explaining his strange words from his world.

Mein, Alice, Clarissa, and Naofumi all stood up from their little table and got to work asking people around them. Each of them heading to their separate parts of the guild in an attempt to gather information. Alice and Clarissa of course, heading to the guild counter to likely inquire whether they have noted the presence of a Legendary Hero in their city, while Naofumi just started talking to some of the adventurers in the guild. Specifically some of the demi-humans and beastman adventurers.

Mein decided to follow Naofumi's lead, but decided to go for a more...seductive approach.

She glanced around the guild for a few moments, doing some subtle walking around and glancing at people's adventurer tags. The rookies are unlikely to know much or pay attention to the finer details of what goes on in their city, unless they are hearing it as a rumor to gossip about. Hence why Mein was searching for the more experienced adventurers, the ones who tend to keep their eyes and ears open.

Steel...Sapphire...Emerald...Ruby...

Mein stopped as she eyed a pair of adventurer's tags.

Bronze. The fourth highest rank adventurers can receive in the guild, second best thing to a silver.

The princess in disguise freshened herself up before walking over to the table to greet the two adventurers. They were a man and a woman, surprisingly enough the woman was a demi-goat with horns on her head and the man was human. An uncommon combination for certain, since demi-human and human adventurers tended to stay in their respective groups, though mixing wasn't unheard of for certain.

Mein put on her brightest smile as she approached them " Mind if I join you two lovelies for a drink ?"

The woman gave her a sideways look. Suspicious, but not openly hostile yet.

" Depends on if you're buying the next round " The goat lady said.

" Of course, anything for my newest friends " Mein said as she sat down next to the woman, sitting extra close on purpose. She raised her hand to call over a waitress " Another round of ale for the table on me !"

" Comin' up !" The waitress said.

" So new friends, mind telling me your names ?" Mein inquired, trying to get a bead on these two.

"...Zahra" The goat woman introduced herself " Over there is Kash "

" Cute name " Mein flirted.

" I try..." Kash chuckled as the waitress returned with their ales and they each took a swig of their drinks. Kash narrowed his eyes at her " So do you want to tell us what the companion of the Shield Hero is doing talking to us or should we just guess ?" The bronze ranked adventurer said.

" So you noticed my dear Shield Hero, very good perceptive skills " Mein fake complimented.

" You know, girlie I'm not a fan of the runaround and I take it you're not either " Zahra said bluntly " How about you skip the charming rogue act and you just tell us what you want "

Gladly.

" If you must know, I'm in the market for information and you two look like the kind of people who keep their eyes and ears open for tidbits of information " Mein said. " The fact that you easily picked out the Shield Hero proves that, so why not the Bow Hero if he came here recently ?"

Then again, picking out Naofumi isn't especially difficult with how much he stands out with his Shield and facial features. But still...

" Maybe..." Zahra shrugged.

" We're looking for the Bow Hero, recently arrived in the city...heard anything ?" Mein asked.

" Maybe...or maybe not..." Kash said as he held out his hand " I think maybe a little of coin will jog my memory "

Mein resisted the urge to slap him in the face with the bag coins out of sheer irony, but calmly held back as she handed him a small pouch of silvers.

" Talk "

" Haven't heard anything about a Bow Hero, he either never checked in here at the guild or is purposefully keeping himself hidden for whatever reason " Kash explained.

" Trust me red, if a Legendary Hero showed his face in this city, everybody and their damn pets will know about it. I take it, it won't be long before news of your Shield Boy's arrival spreads " Zahra added.

Maybe we should have considered a more subtle approach.

" Thank you for your time, my fellow adventurers...enjoy your drinks " Mein said as she downed her ale and left.

She obviously didn't trust Zahra and Kash as far as she could throw them, they seemed like the kind of people who meddled in the back alleys and dark corners of the world. Employing less than reputable and honorable means to get what they want.

People like her oddly enough. But that is exactly why she couldn't trust them.

I need to confirm it.

Mein talked to a few more people, from the waitresses on break outside to the outcast rogues of the guild who were sitting alone at the dark corners of the guild. The princess in disguise utilizing varying tactics to get what she wanted, such as playing the gossiping adventurer and caring friend to get the information she wanted.

But the answers they gave was the same as Zahra and Kash. The Bow Hero was nowhere to be seen.

This is just ridiculous ! It cannot be this hard to find a Legendary Hero !

Mein carried this frustration all the way back to their table, where some of the others had similarly frustrated expressions.

" I take it you all didn't have much success either in locating the Bow Hero ?" Mein said as she sat down.

" Nothing. The guild here hasn't reported hearing or seeing the Bow Hero at any of their establishments in the city " Alice shook her head.

" Same on my end. Nobody has seen anything " Mein added.

" That goes triple for me, even the demi-humans and beastfolk I talked to didn't have anything to say " Naofumi commented.

" Which is really...weird to say the least " Ake said " Unless the Bow Hero never came to this city to begin with, somebody had to have seen him at some point or the other "

That is true. Naofumi stands out like a dragon in a market, how can the Bow stay so hidden ?

" Could it be possible that the Bow Hero is purposefully concealing his presence in the city ? " Alice suggested.

" Why would Itsuki do that ? What would be the point of it ?" Naofumi asked with confusion on his face.

" Maybe he's trying to keep a low profile, to avoid giving the bandits a heads-up that he's onto them " Mein shrugged.

That we may have just destroyed by asking around for him in this very guild. Oh well...

" Even discounting the potential of the Bow Hero disguising himself, Slayer is travelling with him and he's practically a walking magnet for stares " Nina commented " The Bow Hero must be hiding himself and his party well "

" We need to figure how we're going to locate the Bow Hero and Slayer " Clarissa said calmly " Rabier City is big and vast. It would be difficult to track where they are precisely, especially if the Bow Hero is attempting to keep a low profile "

Still its likely somebody has heard something.

" The local church here in Rabier City may have some information " Alice suggested " But...its a little late and they are probably closed by now. We'll go tomorrow morning and see if anybody knows anything "

Not a bad plan. Although...

Mein had her own ideas for how to find the Bow Hero and Slayer, her mind thinking about what connections she had here. And then a certain name came to mind, followed by a face.

" You think of something Mein ?" Naofumi asked, noticing the look in her eye.

Mein pondered whether or not she should tell them. She could just quietly sneak out later tonight with no trouble.

" I may or may not know some people who might be able to help tell us where the Bow Hero is " Mein said vaguely " I can go meet them tonight after dinner "

" And who is this mysterious person ?"

" She's in the...dubious side of business " Mein tried to explain.

" Is she a criminal by any chance ?" Naofumi added on with a look, Mein had become familiar with.

"...Technically no ? " Mein wasn't lying for sure. " She's an information broker of sorts on the side, so she should be able to tell us where the Bow Hero is "

" Okay Mein, I gotta ask now how the hell do you have so many underground connections ? Are you like an ex-assassin or thief ?" Naofumi said in exasperation.

Mein couldn't help but giggle " Not quite. I don't give up the goods for free Naofumi..." She gently tapped his nose playfully, making him move his head back in surprise and blush a little.

" If you two are done eye-fucking each other, can we get back to business ?" Clarissa cut in, looking annoyed and ready to hurl at their flirting.

" R-Right sorry...anyway, you can meet this contact of yours tonight ?"

" Definitely. I have to go alone though, I doubt they would appreciate me bringing armed acquaintances to their place of business " Mein partly lied. She mainly just wanted to go alone to get a feel for this city once again and she couldn't do that with the rest of the group following her.

" Are you sure, you're okay with going alone ? Some of us could come with and shadow you if you need backup " Naofumi suggested.

The princess in disguise found his concern sweet, but she had to decline " Its alright Naofumi, I doubt there's anything particularly dangerous on the streets that I can't take on. Remember to tuck Raphtalia into bed tonight " Mein said with a warm smile as she patted the girl's head.

" This is my element after all..."

Mein had always enjoyed the nightlife back in Castletown, she had quite frequently headed out for nights on the town, sometimes just to get away from her family, other times because she felt like soaking in the nightlife. There was always something interesting happening at night, when all the cretins, urchins and scumbags come out to play. It was almost as if the city had changed when night had fallen. There were no shortages of fun to be had at night as well.

Starting bar fights, bribing guards, gathering information, playing cards and then having to escape in the nick of time when they try to double-cross...good times.

The first princess happily leapt from rooftop to rooftop, deciding to go for the high ground approach rather than walk the streets. Something about being high above made her feel good. Invigorated her body and made her feel powerful. As she continued to make her way through the city, using her Blink power to easily clear long jumps and distances she wasn't certain she could clear. The ability to transverse across space made running across the rooftops a much more enjoyable experience, even if she still didn't like the origin of where she got her powers.

Being here in Rabier City, honestly brought back that feeling a lot, even if she was out on the town for business only. There was still the chance she could have some pleasure along the way. Rabier City was pretty lively, the night was still young so there were still plenty of people out on the main streets, Mein catching a glimpse at the occasional guard patrols. Despite the reputation of its Lord, Rabier City seemed pretty happy all things considered.

But Mein knew that cities like this always had a darker side to them. The ones most never see or just flat out ignore. The forgotten dark parts of every city that prefers to be forgotten by the light. Mein knew every one of them.

Even though it had been years since Mein had last been in Rabier City, the place hasn't changed much and she could still remember exactly where to go to reach her destination. Within a few minutes of transversing the rooftops, Mein reached her destination.

There's an old saying among the nobility: Every successful city needs a brothel.

And that sentiment sure as hell never changed as Mein took in the sight of the red lantern district of Rabier City. The local prostitutes already out in full force on the streets, dressed in skimpy clothing that showed off their 'assets' that made even Mein glance respectfully at some of them. Many of them already catching the interest of several customers who are looking to get their kicks.

But she's not here for that. She wants their Madame.

She keeps on the move for a bit more until she finds the exact brothel she's looking for. Some of its working girls at the entrance ensnaring passersby with their honeyed words and flirty looks. Mein used Far Vision to get a better look and notices some hired grunts at the entrance, probably meant to protect the prostitutes. She caught sight of some patrons of the brothel walking inside, but submitting to a pat down of weapons before being allowed to enter.

The princess turned heretic briefly wonders whether she should sneak inside the brothel, and risk potentially being caught and causing a scene. Or just going for the direct approach and entering directly.

Mein thinks about it for a moment before climbing down from the building and down into the alley, pulling her hood and cloth up to protect her identity. She stashed her sword and other weapons away in her Mark to avoid getting disarmed before approaching the brothel entrance. A direct approach is better, she's not looking for a fight anyway, just a little chat with the Madame of this fine establishment.

She just hopes the Madame hasn't forgotten about her or Thomas.

Mein approaches one of the prostitutes at the entrance, a ginger haired girl around her age and dressed in skimpy clothing that made her look like she was freezing out here. Mein was about to do her a favor.

" How much for you and me to get a room for the night ?" Mein asked in a flat tone, cannot believing she was actually doing this.

" 40 silvers baby..." The ginger said seductively, her tone and expression showing that she's used to this.

" Expensive...you better be worth the money " Mein said as she forked over the silvers.

" Come with me sweetie..." The ginger pulled her over to the entrance where they were greeted by the guards.

" Got another catch Cora ? Good work...sorry lady but you gotta be searched before you can enter. No weapons in the brothel " The guard said.

" Well, I wouldn't want to cause a scene..." Mein smirked under her mask, as she held up her arms to allow them to search her. She was impressed by how thorough they quickly patted her down to check for weapons.

" Clean. Head on inside " The guard gave the go-ahead and Mein was allowed into the brothel.

Upon first entering, Mein's senses were immediately assaulted by a swath strong smells, and noises. Mein could see dozens of patrons running around, sitting, smoking and drinking with the hostesses of this brothel in the common room, as Cora led her down a hallway to their room, along the way Mein couldn't help but glance into some of the rooms. Patrons tied up in unusual positions, hostesses punishing patrons and such...

It gave her some good ideas for what to do with Naofumi when the time came, but that's a thought for another time. Mein refocused as Cora led them to their room.

" You know sweetie, you really don't need to wear a mask in here. Our lips are sealed and everything done here is strictly anonymous " Cora put a finger to her lips in a vow of silence that Mein did not believe in the slightest.

" Better safe than sorry, you know..." Mein replied, her voice levelled as she worked up a plan to get to the Madame.

Mein held a hand behind her back, covered by her cloak as she accessed her inventory and subtly took out a knife that she held in her hand as a plan formulated in her head.

" Come in dear and let me show the pleasures of the world..." Cora said seductively as she led Malty into a room. The room itself was actually pretty nice, with the bed looking relatively clean, but Mein can only wonder how clean it actually was with this being a brothel. She hopes they at least change the sheets out every once in a while.

Wait, why am I even thinking about this ?

" Now how do you want to do this ? If you prefer to be on top, I don't mind if-"

Mein didn't give her a chance to say anymore as she clamped a hand over her mouth and pushed her up against the wall, holding the blade up to her throat, making her squeal in fright under Mein's glove. Cora's eyes were wide with fear and her body was visibly shaking as Mein leaned in to look deep into her eyes. No doubt Cora thinks this is some kind of murder rape, which wasn't totally uncommon among prostitutes.

" Calm down, I'm not going to kill you..." Mein said but that didn't ease Cora in the slightest " Take me to your Madame. I'm an...old client of her other business "

Cora didn't speak or even nod, her eyes still fearful of Mein.

" I'm going to remove my hand now and you're going to take me to her, make a scream or try to run, and I end your life in a second. Got it ? " Mein said.

Cora nodded in fear.

" Good girl " Mein said as she removed her hand and fortunately Cora didn't scream.

" Let's go, try to act natural " Mein warned as she wrapped an arm around Cora who whimpered in fear.

Mein briefly felt a tinge of guilt but pushed it down as Cora led her through the brothel and to the office of her Madame. The two of them keeping their heads down as they passed by other patrons, prostitutes and even guards. Cora looking like on the edge of screaming for help, was only held back by the fact that Mein had the foresight to keep a blade pressed against her.

The two of them stepped into the office of the Madame, with the lady Mein had been looking for all night

" I thought I said I did not want to be disturbed-"

" Surely you can make time for an old client, can't you ?" Mein interrupted as she shut the door behind them.

Madame Sylvia looked shocked " Cora, who the hell is this ?"

" I'm sorry ma'am, she made me take her here..." Cora whimpered.

Sylvia was immediately put on guard " Let her go..."

" Calm yourself, I didn't hurt her, just wanted a chat " Mein said as she pushed Cora out of her hands and into the arms of Sylvia, who held the girl with the pose of a protective mother hawk.

" And why the hell should I do anything for you ?"

" Because my master once did a favor for you a long time ago..." Mein said as she pulled down her hood and cloth.

Sylvia's eyes go through shock, surprise and dumbfoundedness all in the span of a few seconds.

The Madame quickly reaffirmed herself as she turned to the terrified girl " Cora, leave this room quietly, don't run to the guards or say anything. I'll handle this myself "

" But ma'am-"

" Its fine, my dear. I can handle her...we'll talk later, I promise "

Cora didn't look happy about it, but she quietly but she did practically shove Mein's coin that she had previously given to her for a sexual experience, back to her.

" Keep your damn money " Cora spit at her with a glare.

" Gladly..." Mein said simply as the girl left the room.

" Good evening Madame Sylvia...remember me ?"

" How could I ever forget the day the Shadow Demon himself came to me for information...its been awhile Princess, you look good " Sylvia said professionally, but her posture betrayed her fear of Mein.

" Thanks, its good to be back in the city after so long " Mein replied.

" So I take it you aren't here on holiday, are you ?"

" No...I'm looking for information. You still have your girls keep their eyes and ears out for anything of notice that happens in the city right ? "

"...Maybe " Sylvia said vaguely.

" I'm looking for the Bow Hero, I hear he may have entered the city recently "Mein answered.

" Information on a Hero huh ? That isn't easy to come by...or cheap either " Sylvia said vaguely, but Mein knew what she meant.

" How much ?" Mein asked.

" Considering you just threatened one of my girl's...a hundred silvers "

Mein internally groaned and resisted the urge to stab Sylvia now. It appears Sylvia cares more about her girls than she remembered.

" Fine " Mein said as she handed off a 100 silvers to Sylvia.

" One of my girl's only caught sight what she thought was a glimpse of a kid with a strange Bow on his back wandering the city at night, thought he looked suspicious so she followed him." Sylvia explained " He's at the Dancing Dragon. East Side of the city "

" Thank you Sylvia..." Mein said as she opened up the window that led her down to street level.

" You know, you CAN just walk out the front door you know ? You don't need to go through the trouble of climbing out the window like he did " Sylvia said, looking at her as if she was mad.

Mein just smirked at her " Where is the fun in that ?"

Before jumping out and disappearing into the night, happy with a job well done.

By the time, Mein got back to the inn, it was already pretty late and everybody had settled in for the night. The inn they had chosen to stay in, lovingly called the 'Sleeping Giant' was a mid-sized inn, about two storeys tall made out of clean and pristine looking mix of stone and wood, giving it a homely aesthetic. It wasn't especially extravagant by any means, but the food was delicious, the furniture was in good condition, the beds soft and there were no shortage of other patrons at the inn.

It goes to show that even though House Rabier had suffered a great loss during the war after losing most of its members, the current Lord Rabier was competent at governing his city to the point it prospers, nevermind his harsh stance on demi-humans.

Mein let out a light yawn, as much as she enjoyed the nightlife, even she needed her beauty sleep and she could not wait to just lie back down on her bed to relax.

As she opens the door to her room, she was just about ready to jump in and-

" You sure kept me waiting"

Mein's instincts instantly flare up at the sudden gruff, unfamiliar voice that seemed to come from the shadowy corner of the room and Mein instantly pulls out her knife for close quarters fighting as the figure charged at her. They clearly meant to try to slam her into the wall and pin her- sadly she's much faster than this pathetic dog.

Mein sidesteps the charge and slams a hard knee straight into their gut knocking the wind out of them. Holding her attacker by the arm before slamming their face straight into the wooden wall causing some hard vibrations. She hoped nobody heard that.

Mein held the attacker in a submission hold as she delivered a few extra hard knee hits to their chest, before pushing the attacker to the ground and held them there as she started punching them. Repeatedly.

" G-Goddamnit, you bitch ! Its me !" The attacker called out and Mein briefly halted her attack to see who it was before immediately considering resuming her attack.

" Dida...didn't I tell Iris to send Lyle instead of your dumbass ?" Mein said coldly as she stood up.

" My Lady Iris doesn't answer to you ! Lyle is busy and I don't see why her precious bitchiness can't talk to-"

Mein cut him off with a kick to the gut, making him gasp in pain.

" Agh ! Fuck, you bitch ! Why did you do that ?!" Dida shouted in whisper tone.

" Didn't I tell you and Iris that I would feed you your teeth if you ever spoke to me like that again ?" Mein looked down on Dida, who glared up at her " Perhaps you should ask Iris for etiquette lessons, even my mercy has its limits..."

Dida looked furious, as if he was about to charge right at her in an attempt to recover his lost dignity, after losing a second time to her.

To her surprise and mild disappointment, he merely grunted and stood up, wiping the blood off his cheek " You hit hard..." Dida complained.

" Well, I was trying to kill you " Mein said sarcastically " I have neither the time or patience to deal with you, so cough up whatever message Iris told you to send me "

" No, you hold up your end of the bargain first " Dida said firmly and Mein knew he wouldn't budge.

Mein rolled her eyes at him " Fine. Not long after the 2nd Wave, the Vulture himself sent a group of bandits after the Shield Hero in an attempt to reclaim his lost slave "

" The brother of Lord Consevatie himself ? But that's..."

" Yeah, I know very shocking. Tell it to your precious Lady..." Mein didn't have time to get into a discussion with him " Cough up whatever progress Iris has made on acquiring a prosthetic for Raphtalia "

" My Lady is still working on it, but she's hoping to get in contact with a specialized crafter in the arts " Dida explained.

" The heroes have already orchestrated a plan to get Raphtalia a prosthetic, tell your Lady to use that to her advantage. They are currently running a business in an effort to acquire funds to buy the materials and build a magical prosthetic from scratch. Iris can connect the heroes to these materials and craftsman through the Haven in the Spear Hero's party " Mein explained.

Mein absolutely cannot have any of this trace back to her, well that...and she doesn't want Iris getting the full credit for helping the heroes.

" I'll relay the message Princess..." Dida said as he walked over to the window and got ready to leave " Just so we're clear, when we meet again, I'm going to-"

" Bye bye !" Mein said hurriedly as she pushed Dida out the window without remorse. He should survive that...probably.

Mein felt incredibly better as she went to sleep that night.

Naofumi's POV

If there was one thing Naofumi had come to love about Mein, it was how well-connected she was. Naofumi himself only ever had a small group of friends back in middle school, an even tinier group of acquaintances back when he was in high school. He kinda envied Mein and Ake for how they always seemed to know a guy that could help them, even if those sources weren't always...reputable.

Well, as long as she isn't hurting anyone, who is he to judge ?

At the moment, they were walking down the street to head to an inn that Mein's source says Itsuki was staying at called the Dancing Dragon.

" So...are you ever going to tell me how your contact knows where Itsuki has been staying ?" Naofumi asked as they walked.

" I'd tell you but the story is quite boring to be honest. I just had a friendly chat and paid them for some information is all " Mein shrugged.

" When you say 'boring', I get mildly concerned about what your definition of boring is " Naofumi joked and that made Mein chuckle a little.

As they walked, Naofumi couldn't help but notice Alice had gotten a little more tense as they approached the Dancing Dragon. She walked straighter, her shoulders showed tenseness in them, it almost reminded him of all the times he went to go see his supervisor hoping not to get lectured or scolded too badly. Though he guesses its different for Alice in this instance.

" Nervous about seeing Slayer again Alice ?" Naofumi commented.

" A little. Its been a long time since we've worked together and all " Alice admitted some of her trepidations.

" We'll be fine. I'm sure Slayer will still be able to work well with us and Slayer was never one to turn down extra help from people " Nina encouraged, putting a hand on Alice's shoulder.

" It'll be good to work with Slayer again though..." Rufus added.

" Yeah, I guess it will be..." Alice smiled.

" To be honest, I think we should be more concerned how he's going to feel working with the Shield Hero and the raccoon girl " Clarissa said, glancing at him and Raphtalia.

" Do you think he will object to us working together ?" Naofumi questioned.

" Eh, Slayer may not like either of you, but he's professional enough to get the job done as long as neither of you do something stupid that jeopardizes the mission, he'll likely steer clear of you for the most part " Rufus replied.

Well, that's comforting.

Within the next few minutes of walking with Mein leading the way, Naofumi could see an inn coming into view with a sign out front with the wooden symbol of a dragon spitting fire. With the words, 'Dancing Dragon' below it, his studies must finally be paying off.

Entering the inn, Alice talks to the innkeeper for a brief moment before turning to them " The innkeeper said he didn't see the Bow Hero, but he did mention that a group of adventurers recently booked a few rooms for a few nights "

The Shield Hero gave a look towards Mein, who still looked confident in her sources.

Naofumi took a deep breath, as did Alice.

Okay, moment of truth.

Naofumi and his group entered the restaurant that was crowded at this time of day. There were dozens of patrons and guests trying to get some food, which made it extra difficult to pick out Itsuki and his team. Naofumi for his part tried looking over the tables one by one to try and pick out Itsuki...but even after looking over the tables twice in a row, he was still unable to pick out the Bow Hero among them.

Goddamnit, what is this find Waldo, isekai edition ?

" Naofumi, look over there !" Mein spoke up and pointed at a table in the corner of the restaurant where a group of armed people were sitting. And upon paying closer attention at them, Naofumi could see a figure that had his hood pulled up.

Only it didn't look the least bit like Itsuki at all. Not the last time Naofumi saw him.

The figure had a red cloak on, donning a leather chest piece and several metal pieces on his shoulders and thighs making him look more akin to that of a frontline fighter than an archer.

The most interesting part of it all ? The figure had a sword on his side, standing ready.

What the hell ? I thought we couldn't wield anything besides our Legendary Weapons.

" I think I see Slayer over there too " Nina added, gesturing to the man in metal,

It made Naofumi realize that it wasn't just Itsuki that went through an outfit change. His whole party were donning equipment and wielding weapons that were the opposite of what they had been using the last time Naofumi saw them. Armina had a Bow and dressed like an archer, Welst was dressed like a fighter with an axe, and Audrey was dressed in the robes of a monk with a quarterstaff.

Slayer looked...different in terms of armor, with a change in helmet and proper platemail that looked pretty clean.

Naofumi definitely had to give Itsuki points for the extra mile he was going to disguise himself, or maybe he should give that to his party instead.

" Looks like we finally found our boy, let's go talk to them " Mein said in a low tone.

" Agreed " Naofumi nodded " Hey Itsuki over here !" Naofumi shouted without thinking as they approached Itsuki's table.

All of a sudden, the constant speaking and chatter among the restaurant went quiet as hell, as all eyes turn to him and Naofumi heard the sounds of some of his party members face-palming.

And Naofumi realized...he had fucked up.

Oh shit.

" Hey, isn't that the Shield Hero ? "

" Isn't the name of the Bow Hero, Itsuki ?"

" Yeah ! I think that's him over there ! "

" He looks more like a fighter than a bowman "

" Maybe he isn't trying to be noticed ?"

More and more, the patrons of the tavern started chattering among themselves and Naofumi felt a swell of embarrassment at how he practically just ruined Itsuki's cover in less than 2 seconds.

Itsuki for his part...went incredibly still as they approached the table and Naofumi couldn't tell if he was shocked or silently furious.

" Maaaybe, we should come back another ti-" Naofumi tried to turn tail but Ake and Rufus were quick to grab his arms.

" No, its too late. You screwed this up, you handle it " Ake said coldly, as he and the Warrior dragged Naofumi to Itsuki's table.

Whose party members were looking at him with a mixture of annoyance, anger and surprise at his stupidity.

" Hi Itsuki... good to see yo-" Naofumi was cut off when Itsuki grabbed him by the collar and started dragging him out of the restaurant.

" We're leaving. Now " Itsuki said curtly to his party as he dragged Naofumi, the whispers and talk among the restaurant goers in full force now as they were being looked at.

Naofumi suddenly felt very small and like a child about to be scolded for doing something insanely stupid.

The Shield Hero, his party and the Bow Hero's party walked into the streets, where Itsuki found a nice quiet alley to shove the Shield Hero into the nearby wall.

" Naofumi..." Itsuki began, his voice quiet and cold, as he glared at the Shield Hero like never before " What the fuck are you doing in Rabier City, screwing up my cover ? "

" I-I'm so sorry about that Itsuki ! I was actually looking for you and that just slipped out and-" Naofumi tried to explain but just ended up looking like an idiot.

" Mein, can you please explain this to me in place of Naofumi ? " Itsuki politely turned to Mein, when Naofumi couldn't answer properly.

Mein for her part, still looked disappointed in Naofumi but still explained " Our group heard that you were hunting the Hound Lord and Naofumi wanted to help "

" Help, huh ? " Itsuki glared at Naofumi " That's going to be kinda hard since you just blew my cover, that I was trying really hard to maintain by the way to avoid giving the bandits a heads-up that I'm on their trail "

Naofumi felt very guilty over it, he can't even say it was an accident, he really was being an idiot there.

Itsuki took a deep breath, as if trying to contain his anger " But since you're already here and subtlety just got thrown out the window...we're gonna need all the help we can get "

Naofumi let out a breath, that was probably the best he was going to get after his fuckup just then.

" Who are these new guys ?" Itsuki then turned his attention to Alice and her party.

" Bow Hero, my name is Alice and this is my team of adventurers. Nina, Clarissa and Rufus " Alice introduced herself and her team with a short bow " We accompanied the Shield Hero to aid both him and you in defeating the Hound Lord "

" Well, its nice to meet you Alice. Glad to have you on board " Itsuki shook her hand with a professional air around him.

" Wow, we're working with two heroes now. What a life..." Rufus whispered excitedly.

" Quiet, we're trying to be professional here " Nina whispered back, but not so much in a scolding tone this time.

Naofumi then turned his attention towards Slayer who had been eerily quiet the whole conversation, not saying so much as a word to anybody. Slayer had never struck him as someone who was the talkative type, but he seemed like the kind of person who at least spoke up when there were important matters. Him not saying anything in letting Naofumi and his team join their hunt could be a sign of him showing respect to Itsuki as team leader...

" Hey Slayer...its been a while..." Alice turned to Slayer and offered a polite greeting.

Or he was more focused on something else altogether.

Naofumi observed Slayer's reaction to this, which was kinda difficult since his helmet was still on so Naofumi couldn't read his facial expression. But his body language told a bit of a different story.

Slayer's body went stiff, either out of shock or surprise at the sudden appearance of his former teammates. His helmet shifted off to the side, refusing to meet the gaze of his former teammates.

" Slayer ?" Nina spoke up.

But the armored man still remained silent, either not wanting to talk or not knowing what to say.

As if refusing to acknowledge that they were there to begin with. Titan Storm looking hurt at this action, even if it was just silent body language.

It was difficult to discern which with his helmet masking his emotions.

Alice looked hurt, before turning her gaze as well off to the side. Rufus looked confused. Nina was concerned. And Clarissa looked

Naofumi felt the need to step in to dispel some of the awkwardness that had been created. Fake coughing a bit to get everyone's attention " Well...putting that aside for now, what's the current plan right ?" Naofumi asked. He quite frankly didn't know the first thing about bandit hunting, so he figured it would be best to leave it to Itsuki, Slayer and Titan Storm.

" Well, I was planning on going to go talk to Lord Rabier, the ruling noble of this county to get some information and hopefully his support for taking out the Hound Lord " Itsuki explained " Wanna come with ?"

So this chapter was definitely a bit of a rough one for me, since I was actually kinda struggling figuring out how to handle Itsuki's appearance in this arc. Since I was actually going through a few different versions for how he and Naofumi were going to meet up, but settled on the current version of them meeting in Rabier City.

On top of that, I was unsure of what I wanted to do with Titan Storm and Slayer's reunion, but after some talking with Qin, I think I'm happy with the current plan for him and Alice's crew for this arc.

Also I hope you all enjoyed the part where Naofumi pretty much screwed up Itsuki's cover, by spouting his name like an idiot. That was my favorite part for me.

XD

Now let's answer some guest reviews shall we ?

To Bruhmomentos:

Yeah, sorry that I end up ranting a lot in my author's notes, but I just can't help it. Bad habit of mine, I suppose that I'm trying to break recently.

Glad you like my inclusion of Familiar Zero characters, one of them shall be playing a much larger role in some coming arc.

To Caspian123:

Impossible ? No. Insanely difficult, hell to the yes.

Green Arrow and Hawkeye do show that it is possible to be a hero even with no 'powers' per say, but they had literal years to train their marksmanship to a near inhuman level, either from birth or as grown adults, while Itsuki is still just a teenager whose barely had any real training aside from being physically fit.

The only way I could have seen Itsuki passing UA's bias as hell entrance exam is if he was allowed to pack guns and explosive. And there was no way in hell Itsuki was getting access to firearms and explosives...legally speaking.

Lady Nagant really was the more logical choice here, I was actually originally considering that Itsuki just hired a bunch of instructors to teach him martial arts and firearms and stuff. But then I realized that would be a bit too unrealistic since Itsuki still doesn't know the workings of the underground and how to get the job done.

Hence why Lady Nagant was chosen as his teacher/mentor. Her cynicism was necessary to teach and harden Itsuki for the work he does.

Next chapter the whole cast will be meeting Idol Rabier, tune in next time to see how that goes.

With all that being said, thank you all for reading and I will see you all in the next one.

Angel Out.