A Nice Princess?
Castle Town: Capital of Melromarc
It seemed like forever ago since Darius had last set eyes on the capital city and, despite a number of not so pleasant experiences, it would've been a welcome sight if he wasn't concerned with other matters. "You sure you don't want to stop and rest for a bit," he asked his dragon mount as they approached.
"Like I said the last five times you asked, I'm good," replied Johann as they dropped in altitude a little. "Thanks to the health potions you had on you and my own dragon heritage, my sore wing is good as new."
"Sorry, I guess I can't help but worry a bit after what we survived," said Darius, "not to mention the fact that we have to fly all the way back here just for some affordable supplies and a special armor treatment."
"Well you remember what thick merc lady said," Johann reminded him, "we need to look convincing and presentable, especially when we finally march up to the castle gates. Besides, her and Rifana still need some rest even with their blight cured." The cardinal hero knew he was right, but he couldn't help but think of the conversation he'd had with Rifana before setting out.
Early Morning: 'Bow Hero' Base Camp in Koteraan
Darius was in the middle of examining the armor he'd been using to impersonate Itsuki, more or less confirming what Figneria had already said. It had become tainted and was starting to degrade because of taking the full brunt of the Leshen's breath. At least that was part of it. The Armory Hero had also been trying to access information about the recently acquired 'Greed' and 'Sloth' series, specifically the drawbacks. But some of the text was covered over by some kind of static, as if it wasn't entirely unlocked. What he had discovered, though, was the reason for the series activation in the first place: an explosion of emotion equal to the destruction of one's heart.
'And it's hard not to feel powerful emotion when one's about to die,' he mused before his thoughts were interrupted by Rifana walking into the tent. "You seem to be doing better," she said with a light smile, "does anything still hurt?"
"According to my Stats, I'm back at a hundred percent," said Darius, "though the apparent penalty for the Sloth series is a short term condition of slow health and mana regeneration, for now anyway. As for the Greed series, no ideas about that yet but it might have something to do with why this armor is decaying alongside being tainted."
"Teacher did say it was strange," commented Rifana as she sat down next to Darius, "tainted armor has the potential to inflict blight upon the wearer, but it doesn't typically cause decay. If we didn't need this armor to keep doing what we're doing I'd just as soon toss it."
"I have considered the irony of having multiple sets of armor but only one green cape," commented Darius, "But I suppose one set of armor and some delayed health and mana regen are a small price to pay for getting you all back here alive."
"At least you're level's high enough now to wield Raisetsu without invoking that level thief ability," said Rifana as she pulled her knees to her chest, "It scared me, seeing you looking like that. Sure you saved our lives, but for a moment I was afraid you might not have been coming back to us."
"You make it sound like you and the others aren't worth dying for," said the Armory Hero as he set his disguise aside.
"I wasn't afraid that you'd die when I saw you like that though," said Rifana as she avoided his gaze, "I was afraid that the wonderful person I've come to know over these last few months was replaced with a monster."
"I'm not that wonderful," said Darius, "If you really think about it, there's probably a reason I got those two specific curse series. I've been greedy in my own way, taking money, weapons, armor and lives without much in the way of remorse. I've also been lazy in my own way, only ever stepping up when it's demanded of me. I've left most of the decision-making up to Naofumi or Figneria when it comes to important stuff, only weighing in if I think I have a half-decent idea. Not to mention I was nothing but a shut in back in my own world, only working when I had too."
"So you're not perfect, big deal," said Rifana as she took his hand in hers, "You still saved my life, my friend's lives, and the lives of many other people. As for remorse, I know you don't enjoy killing like so many of the other people we've had to end, but it's also proof of your willingness to do what you have to if it means helping others. You once told me a quote from one of your 'comic book movies' I think you called them: 'The right thing is sometimes messy.'"
"That wasn't exactly something you were supposed to take to heart though," Darius pointed out.
"But it's true in a way," said Rifana, "we're trying to reclaim an entire country right now, something you knew is nearly impossible to do without bloodshed. But you stepped up anyway to fight for the people here who couldn't fight for themselves. So even if you're a little greedy sometimes or a little lazy, I'm still happy to follow you into the fray. Not to mention, Johann's a greedy little dragon who loves treasure and I crushed a man's skull under my boot just yesterday, so it's not like we can really get onto you about how to do things. But if possible, could you not use that power too much."
"I'll do the best that I can," said Darius, "so in the meantime, we'd better get as strong as we can, just to make sure."
"Mhmm," replied the weasel girl happily with a smile.
End Flashback
"Yeah I know," sighed the Armory Hero. He really hadn't been a fan of this idea, flying all the way back to Melromarc to get some impurities removed from their armors. But that blasted Leshen had managed to taint some of their best equipment, weapons and armor they were going to need for when they made their move against the noblemen and the ruler. Figneria and Rifana had elected to stay behind and help set up base camp somewhere else while they took a much needed break to insure they were recovered. "Anyway, let's set down here. The city guard's probably on watch for people on flying dragons."
"Gee, I wonder why," said Johann. The two of them snickered at the sarcastic comment before landing in a forested clearing just outside the gates. The guards were quick to shoot the two of them some dirty looks but didn't stop them as they entered the city and headed towards Erhard's shop. Though Darius had another stop to make before they reached there, the Three Heroes Church.
He needed answers as to why one of their followers, assuming he was an actual follower, was in Koteraan in the first place and if he was acting on his own or by the Church's orders. But as he and Johann approached, they found that someone might have already beaten them to it. "Hey Naofumi, Raphtalia!" said the Armory Hero as he waved at his two friends who were exiting the church.
"It's Darius and Johann!" exclaimed Raphtalia as she ran over and hugged the two of them, "It feels like forever since we last saw you, how is everything?"
"Oh ya know, monster fighting and starting a revolution to remove the current revolution from a whole country. Typical monthly stuff," said Darius.
"Did you happen to bring Rifana with you?" asked the raccoon girl.
"Afraid she couldn't make it today," replied Darius, "we had a nasty run-in with an ancient monster, though it looks like you guys have had it rough too." Indeed Raphtalia was sporting some nasty purple marks on her arms that looked like bruises or some kind of infection, as well as some bandages around her head.
"You can thank Ren for that," said Naofumi, "You know that plague in the East? Turns out it was from the rotting corpse of the dragon he'd slain. Blasted thing reanimated when we went to clean it up."
"Told ya he couldn't kill a dragon so easily," remarked Johann.
"And that makes three for three on blunders by the other heroes," said Darius as he shook his head with his arms crossed, "we've been cleaning up Itsuki's mess in the Northern country of Koteraan. To a degree it's not entirely his fault I suppose, given that the revolution he helped turned bad after he left, but it makes me wonder if he really understood the entire situation. As for Ren, definitely disappointing given that I thought he had some actual sense."
"They all still think this is a game," said Naofumi, "none of them considered the consequences of their actions and because of that Raphtalia got hurt."
"I take it that's why you two are here at the church then?" Questioned Darius.
"Yeah," said Naofumi with a hand on his hip, "we needed some holy water for Raphtalia's wounds and-ah crap." Everyone turned their attention to where he was looking and noticed a guard was running towards them.
"Sir Shield Hero!" called the guard between breaths as he hurried towards them.
"Time to run," said Naofumi as he grabbed Raphtalia's hand and took off with Darius and Johann close behind.
"But why do we need to run in the first place?" Questioned Raphtalia as they turned a few corners into the narrow streets.
"What else can we really do?" The Shield Hero asked back as he checked to see that the guard was still after them. Deciding to take a more evasive approach, they began cutting through the street and taking turns down alleyways. There was no direction to their flight. A left turn here, a hard right there, and up and down flights of stairs all in an attempt to shake off the one chasing them. Eventually they lost sight of their pursuer and stopped to rest at a wall by an alley.
"So, what do you think they want with ya this time?" Questioned Darius as he peeked around the wall.
"Heck if I know," replied Naofumi as he turned to Raphtalia, "Are you okay?"
"I'm alright, just a little winded," said Raphtalia between breaths. Apparently the sickness she'd caught from the zombie dragon was worse than originally thought.
"Any reason we can't just knock 'em out and be done with it?" Questioned Johann.
"He's probably not the only one looking for us," said the Shield Hero as an idea occurred to him. "We should split up, he's after me and maybe Darius so he won't be able to catch all of us."
"Are you sure?" Questioned Raphtalia with a hint of concern in her voice.
"You go find Filo and we can meet back at the carriage in a bit," said Naofumi.
"Johann, go with her," ordered Darius. Their two companions didn't look happy about the arrangement but didn't argue either as the two cardinal heroes ran from their hiding spot, yelling to attract the guard's attention. It seemed to work as the single pursuer ran after the two of them down the many streets and alleys of the town once again. Finally, after several minutes of running the two heroes stopped in the middle of a more open area of the market place to catch their breath.
"You think we lost 'em this go round?" Questioned Naofumi.
"It looks that way for the moment," said Darius between breaths, "but we should probably keep moving. With our luck there's no telling when the next-."
"NAOFUMI!" yelled an infuriatingly familiar voice as the two of them jumped out of the way in time to avoid Motoyasu's spear, which cracked the ground where they'd just been hardly a moment ago.
"Are you crazy, attacking us in the middle of a crowded street," said Naofumi.
"Shut your mouth!" yelled Motoyasu as he swung at the Shield Hero, who narrowly ducked the attack. "And free that slave girl with you now!" He moved in for another strike but was stopped as Darius caught the blow with a replica of his spear while Naofumi switched to his viper shield.
"We've had this discussion already, Raphtalia is with him-." Darius started to say before he was interrupted by the Spear Hero.
"Not her, the other one," said Motoyasu as he broke the weapon lock, "I saw a blond girl with wings accompanying Naofumi, so don't try lying to me."
"You mean Filo," said the confused Shield Hero as he glanced at Darius. The Armory Hero could only shrug.
"Filo, so that's her name," said the Spear Hero as he pointed an accusing finger at the other cardinal hero, "how could you enslave such a perfect girl like her? To think there's actually a girl like Freion from hell world here!" He became a little giddy with his next statement. "Truth is I've got sort of a thing for angels."
"I don't care, Motoyasu, I just don't care," said Naofumi with a sigh. Darius simply shook his head as he rested his spear on his shoulder.
"My heart's been on fire ever since I laid eyes on her," continued the Spear Hero as he loudly proclaimed his next line for all to hear, "I love fantasy worlds and that beautiful blond-haired angel!"
"That blond angel is barely a month old, fast growth notwithstanding," the Armory Hero pointed out, "so in a way you kinda just admitted your fetish is a bit on the pedo-side."
"Oh like yours is any better," Motoyasu shot back with an annoyed tone.
"I prefer fox girls with some actual developed assets if you must know," replied Darius, "But that's a conversation I'd rather be having somewhere besides a crowded public street."
"This whole mess is ridiculous, let's just go," said Naofumi as he turned to leave before he noticed some movement beneath the Spear Hero's belt, "And you might wanna get that looked at."
"That's the other reason I'm here actually," growled Motoyasu as he leveled his spear, "I intend to send both you and that fat bird to the underworld! Airstrike Javelin!" The Shield Hero quickly deflected the attack with his viper shield, but the projectile still destroyed a nearby stall. "Chaos spear!"
'Dumb ass,' thought Darius as he dissolved his spear. "Phalanx Wall!" Several shields raised around them to stop the deflected or missed shots of the Spear Hero's attack while the Armory Hero summoned the best shield he'd acquired recently to protect himself.
"Darius," signaled Naofumi as he deflected another attack from Motoyasu. The cardinal hero nodded as they both moved to the side to avoid the next charge. Moving in sync, Darius knocked away the spear and kicked Motoyasu in the back of the leg while Naofumi hit him in his right side, causing the Spear Hero to fall to his knees. They both punched him in the face to finish up the combo, knocking him over.
"Not bad," said the Shield Hero as they both retreated back to defensive stances.
"Told ya learning some Captain America moves would help," said Darius, "that was Cap and Bucky versus Iron Man right there." Of course such a simple tactic wouldn't be enough to keep Motoyasu down for long, unfortunately, as he quickly got back up to his feet. But as he was preparing another attack, the guard who'd been chasing them earlier suddenly stepped into the middle of the fight with his arms held up defensively.
"Please wait Sir Spear Hero!" pleaded the guard, who Darius noted wasn't much more than a brown-haired kid. "This is a public area. If you must solve your differences, please do so where there are fewer people, this isn't the place to start a duel."
"But it can be with my say so," cooed a smug female voice. Darius and Naofumi both felt their revulsion immediately rise as Myne stepped onto the street with a small troop of guards. It also didn't escape Darius's notice that the same douche captain from the last wave was also there. "Form a circle, there shall be no escaping." The soldiers did as ordered, drawing their weapons as they surrounded the three cardinal heroes. Malty then held up a scroll with a royal decree written on it.
"To all present, I declare this to be an official duel between both the Spear and Shield Heroes," said Myne, "This authority comes from the crown which has granted me the power to do so."
"Hmph," grunted Darius as he conjured a chain with a spiked end from the ground. It whipped out at high speed, impaling the decree on the end before reeling back in and dropping it in his hand. "You know I'm starting to get tired of being overlooked, and of royal decrees, so don't think I'm just gonna stand back and watch this time around." He emphasized his point by dropping the scroll to the ground and stepping on it.
"Very well then," said the princess through gritted teeth before raising her hand, "soldiers-."
"Put your weapons down!" ordered an unfamiliar voice. Darius turned to see a short girl about Filo and Johann's height walking towards them escorted by her own troop of guards. She had long blue hair done up in two pig tails and wore a white and blue long-sleeved dress that spoke of nobility. Given the way the rest of the guards sheathed their weapons and dropped to a kneeling position, it must've been very high nobility. "I forbid the heroes to fight amongst themselves like this."
"Hey this wasn't our idea," said the Armory Hero as he returned his weapons to the inventory and held up his hands innocently.
"A better question is, what's this all about Melty," questioned Naofumi.
"You know her?" Questioned Darius. This hadn't been included in their latest update.
"Why have you returned?" Seethed Myne with a mixture of surprise, anger and possibly worry.
"Okay why do you know her too?" Questioned the Armory Hero as his confusion only grew. But it was all answered as the girl named Melty stepped forward and addressed the red-headed princess.
"It's been far too long my dear sister," said Melty. This was apparently something that even Naofumi hadn't been aware of as a look of astonishment crossed both his and Darius's faces. "And don't think that you or the privilege of the hero can cover up a mess like this when it's in plain view of everyone. And Spear Hero, look around you. Can you really consider someone who puts the lives of the innocent in danger a hero?"
Motoyasu attempted to argue his case, but once he actually took a look around at the busted walls, broken windows and trashed stalls, he lowered his spear in shame. "And my dear sister, it's time you put a stop to these foolish games of yours."
"I haven't the slightest inkling what you're talking about," replied Malty, unsurprisingly feigning ignorance, "I am simply fulfilling my duty as an aide to the legendary hero."
"And allowing a destructive duel is your idea of aid," Melty pointed out, not at all buying her older sister's innocent act.
"And you would defy your own older sister," said Myne darkly.
"If it comes to it, I will let mother know what you've been doing," replied Melty with narrowed eyes. This seemed to quiet the redheaded princess as she ground her teeth in frustration. Melty then proceeded to apologize to the gathered crowd, bowing politely and offering to pay for damages. Naofumi also took this moment to switch back to his grimoire shield as the fight seemed to be over, though Darius was keeping an eye on Malty. At least he was until they heard the sound of Raphtalia, Filo and Johann rushing towards them.
"Is everything alright Master Naofumi," questioned Rapthalia as she looked around at the damage.
"It's just Motoyasu being an idiot again," replied the Shield Hero dismissively.
"Turns out he's a lolicon, who knew," added Darius. The Spear Hero, however, ignored all of this as he kneeled in front of Filo and took her hand.
"Filo is your name, isn't it?" Questioned Motoyasu. The bird girl nodded to say he was correct. "You poor thing, I've no doubt Naofumi has been using you like a beast of burden."
"But I really enjoy pulling the carriage, it's fun," said Filo happily with a smile on her face.
"I should've known," said Motoyasu as he pointed his spear at Naofumi, "you really are swine. To make a young girl like this pull your carriage just like that fat bird."
"You may wanna cool it on insulting that bird in front of her," said Darius as he pointed at Filo who had an annoyed look on her face.
"Why did you have to call me fat again?" Questioned Filo, "You said the same thing about me last time."
"What, when did I ever call you fat?" Questioned the Spear Hero. He got his answer when Filo went up in a puff of smoke, revealing her large Filolial form. But even with a bird face, it was obvious she wasn't happy.
"I really hate you spear guy," said the bird girl in a threatening tone.
"You mean you're also that fat bi-OOOOOOOH." His sentence was halted when Filo nailed him right between the legs. As before, the kick was so powerful it sent the unfortunate hero flying through the air. This time, he landed on a stall roof.
"Sir Motoyasu!" exclaimed Malty as she was about to run to his aid, until she noticed a boy with dragon wings standing in front of her, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "Wait, if that girl is the fat bird then you're-?" Johann answered her question by shifting into his dragon form, complete with an extra toothy grin. "Oh no, not aga-AAAAAAAAAAAH!" And as before, the princess was sent flying by Johann's tail right onto the same stall.
"Best get a doctor," said Melty as she signaled one of the guards.
"And the mounts win again!" cheered Filo as she shifted back to her child form so that Naofumi could pat her on the head.
"I guess we actually can agree on one thing," said Johann as he shifted back into his kid form, "None of us like spear guy."
"But even so you shouldn't just go around knocking people into the air," said Raphtalia.
"What, Motoyasu and that princess always put us through the ringer," said Naofumi, "I'm actually quite proud of these two."
"Well you both should still probably do something about those satisfied smirks on your faces," the raccoon girl pointed out.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Darius, "I'm just in a good mood at the moment."
"Then might I have a moment of your time," said Melty, "Savior of the Heavenly Fowl, and the Merciful Dragon Knight. Though I suppose it's more correct to say the Shield and Armory Heroes."
"Whichever works for you I guess, what's the issue?" Questioned the Armory Hero.
"I need to speak with both of you urgently," explained Melty, "Is there somewhere more private we could talk?"
Erhard's Shop
"So what's the story this time?" asked the weapon's shop owner as he looked at the group on the other side of the counter with his chin resting in his hand.
"We're trying to sort that out if you just give us a moment," replied Naofumi.
"Just sayin', I'd like to know the reason if I'm gonna have you all crowding my shop," said Erhard.
"Please forgive us," said Raphtalia, "we couldn't think of anywhere closer than here." The shop owner simply shrugged upon hearing this explanation.
"Well getting right down to it, who exactly are you?" Questioned Naofumi.
"I do apologize," said Melty as she adopted a more formal sounding tone, "I should have mentioned this sooner, but I am Melty Melromarc, first in line to the throne and the second princess, Princess Melty Melromarc."
"You guys brought the princess here!" exclaimed Erhard.
"Are you really in line for the throne," questioned Filo with a confused tilt of her head.
"But you also said second princess," noted Raphtalia, "so how can you be first in line for the throne?"
"My sister's, personality issues, have made her a problem child and so the lineage was passed to me," replied Melty.
"Surprising no one at this point," commented Darius as he leaned against the wall.
"So did you already know I was the Shield Hero then," asked Naofumi with a slightly irritated tone.
"You have to believe me, I honestly had no idea who you were when you picked me up," replied Melty, "But this does present a good opportunity, we could-." She was cut off as Naofumi shifted his position rather noisily.
"You can just forget it whatever it is," said the Shield Hero, "The fact of the matter is I can't trust a single word from you, so we're outta here."
"But you need to listen to this," pleaded Melty, losing much of her composure at Naofumi's refusal.
"I don't have to listen to a damn thing from any of you filthy royals," The Shield Hero shot back as he leaned back against the wall.
"Close your ears then," said Darius as he stood up straighter, "because I do feel like listening."
"You can't be serious," groaned Naofumi, "she's just looking to use us for her own gain, or worse, frame me and by extension you for another crime we didn't commit."
"I would never do such a thing!" exclaimed Melty, "whether father wants to admit it or not we need the both of you! I could even get your name cleared if you'll just let me Sir Shield H-."
"Problem is you're 'next' in line for the throne and not currently on the throne," Naofumi pointed out, "which means even if you're telling the truth, you still can't override the king."
"But if you give me a chance I'm sure I can convince father-," Melty started to say before the door to the shop opened to admit one of her guards.
"Princess Melty," said the guard, "I've received word that his royal majesty is calling for you. It'd be best if we didn't keep him waiting."
"Give it a shot if you want," said Naofumi, "But I'm not expecting that guy to change his mind, so run along now." Melty didn't look happy with this turn of events, but eventually nodded in understanding.
"Very well then, I'll take my leave," she said before turning to Filo, "I'm afraid I have to go now, so take care." The bird girl wanted to follow after but was stopped by a quick 'don't' from the Shield Hero. The poor Filolial was forced to look on sadly as her new friend left the shop. Naofumi was about to dismiss it and open his menu to check something before he felt Johann punch him in the gut.
"Ow, what was that for?" He asked as he felt the point of impact.
"For being a jerk," said Johann, "and the boss wasn't about to do it, so someone had to. If anyone's gonna make Filo cry it's gonna be me."
"What in the world kind of things are you teaching him Darius?" Questioned the Shield Hero with a confused look at his comrade.
"To not be a pain for no good reason," he replied, "And I think you're still underestimating the value of having one of the royals on our side."
"We've got no reason to believe she's on our side," said Naofumi.
"But she doesn't give off the same vibe as that redheaded floozy," said Johann, "she actually seemed nice."
"Can I at least play with her the next time we see her," pleaded Filo as she tugged on Naofumi's cape.
"I'm afraid it'd be better if you didn't see her anymore," replied Naofumi as he patted her head before turning to enter the changing room. Like Darius, his armor had been damaged fighting a powerful monster: the reanimated corpse of the dragon Ren had killed.
"But why, tell me why, please master," begged Filo as she kept tugging on his cape. But the Shield Hero wouldn't answer, prompting her to run out the door in tears.
"What is it with the Japanese and not saying a damn word about an important subject," commented Darius.
"This is about Melty being the daughter of the king, isn't it Naofumi," said Raphtalia. He didn't answer but his gritting teeth and tightened grip on the curtain were all any of them needed to tell that she'd hit the nail on the head. Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened back up to admit Filo.
"Uh master, it seems you have some visitors," she said as the guard from before walked in, accompanied by a few others as well as some women in witch's robes.
"You again," said Naofumi, "What in the he-UFF." He was silenced by a quick jab to the ribs from Darius.
"I think you've said plenty for the moment," commented the Armory Hero before turning to address the guard. "Sorry about running off earlier, what do ya need?"
"Well the thing is," said the guard sheepishly before he and the rest bowed suddenly, "we'd be honored if you let us accompany you during the next wave!" Darius and Naofumi both wondered if they'd heard right as he continued. "The courage and selflessness you showed in the last wave inspired all of us, so we'd like to fight alongside you all."
"That was the reason you chased us all over the place," commented the Shield Hero.
"We all decided together it was what we wanted to do," said a familiar voice as Rino stepped out from behind the rest of them. She was now sporting her own armor over her recently acquired red outfit, as well as what appeared to be a monk's staff.
"Hey Rino, you're here too," said a surprised Johann. The raven-haired girl smiled happily at the little dragon boy as she nodded her head.
"This is great and all, but why do you want to fight with us," questioned Naofumi, "you can fight in the waves without being with us."
"Well you see most of us hail from Lute village," said one of the mages, a purple-haired youth wearing a sorcerer's hat, "It was thanks to you that all of our families and friends survived the last wave."
"And of course I owe Darius here for freeing me," added Rino. "We all want to repay you by helping in any way we can." Raphtalia and Filo were clearly happy to hear this, while Darius and Johann nodded in appreciation. As for Naofumi, he thought about the matter for a moment before pulling out a necklace with a yellow stone and holding it up.
"If you're really sincere about it, buy this little item for a hundred and fifty silver pieces," he said. This brought a bit of a frown to his party's faces while a look of panic crossed the guard's face. "What's the matter, if you want my trust then all you need to do is buy this little trinket right now." The group of guards and adventurers began discussing the matter among themselves. One thing which was clear, though, even putting together all they had wouldn't be enough to buy the accessory.
"We won't be able to buy it right now," said the lead guard once their discussion came to an end, "But we might be able to arrange it given a little time." Darius simply sighed at the scene. 'This is so close to a good cop bad cop routine it's not even funny,' he thought.
"I might have a job that'll pay that amount," said the Armory Hero, a little hesitantly.
"Really, thank you," said the group, clearly eager to show that they could help, "We're more than ready, so whatever you need-."
"Don't thank me yet," said Darius, "The job is up north in the kingdom of Koteraan. I'm currently in the process of overthrowing the corrupt rulers and I could use some extra hands."
"You're what?!" exclaimed Rino, voicing the thought on everyone's mind.
"Itsuki left the place a mess," said Darius, "we're close to forcing the current regime to surrender but there's still a bit to do. You don't have to be directly involved in the fighting if you don't want too, but any help is appreciated. That being said, I won't force any of you to come along." Rino's group went into a huddle again as they discussed this newest possibility, especially the pros and cons.
'And he says I'm the mean one,' thought Naofumi as the group ceased their huddle. "We'll do it," said Rino, "Just tell us what you need." Darius smiled slightly in response to this before conjuring a small coin pouch and tossing it to them.
"That'll get you through the border guard," said Darius, "Meet me and Johann there as soon as you can and bring plenty of supplies, we've got some mansions and a castle to siege."
The final interlude before the fall of Koteraan is done, and now our hero has reinforcements! Hello everyone, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and apologies if it seems a little out of place, but it felt like a good time to introduce Melty and who doesn't love seeing Motoyasu flying through the air. Though this chapter was also affected by a bit of news I have for everyone. I'm still planning on writing the story so no need to panic, but life is changing for me once again and my schedule is gonna be all over the place for the next few days, meaning the next couple of chapters have a high potential of coming out late. I had to put in a little extra work just to get this chapter out at the usual time. But enough bad news, just worry about the usual and leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the party meets a new friend and storms the main stronghold of the current ruling body.