Armory of the Forgotten Hero

by Masked Spider

The legend goes that there are four cardinal heroes. But fact and fable are often twisted in the land of Melromarc, while others are left out completely. One such fact is that there is actually another hero, the Armory hero, who doesn't wield a primary weapon. But the world will soon remember as Darius Saxon is called to remind the people that there aren't four heroes, but five.

29. Side Story: Reflection & Reconstruction

Side Story: Reflection and Reconstruction

Hello all, this little chapter is as much a surprise to you as it is to me. So a quick shout out to Monkeyman9835 for not only suggesting the idea for this chapter but for talking me into writing it. Now onto a little 'day in the life' chapter for everyone!

Melromarc: Local Inn

'I'm the imitator,' thought Itsuki with more than a little frustration as he took a swig of some watered down ale, 'It's not my fault the revolutionaries tore up the country after we left. The people were begging for help and we helped them! What more were we supposed to do when there were other people who needed help too!' "Are you alright Sir Itsuki," Questioned his blue-haired party member, Rojeel, having noticed his foul mood, "you're usually celebrating along with us after completing an act of justice."

"Yes we did," said Itsuki, "I can't say why but for some reason, I keep hearing Rishia's words in my head."

"That girl was hardly in a position to judge you or us on heroics," replied his party member, "she was always running around on the battlefield getting in everyone's way. She's better off being gone if she couldn't realize the honor she had as a party member of the great Bow Hero."

"She ran around on the battlefield because everyone kept yelling different orders at her," said Itsuki, "And when it was time for class upgrades, I told her to pick a class that specialized more in front line combat."

"Advice which she ignored in favor of choosing a class that better specialized in magic," Rojeel said, "as your party it is our duty to guard you and insure you're capable of carrying out your heroic deeds. If she can't see the wisdom in that then what good was she?"

"Apparently good enough that the Queen offered her half of the reward she'd set aside for us," said Itsuki grumpily, "did she not see us fighting off the monsters or assaulting the main boss? Sure we got a little tripped up but all Rishia did was throw a bunch of barrels full of alcohol! And she's got the gall to say some copycat is better than me! But I'll show her, the Queen, everyone who the real hero is next time!"

"I hear Sir Ren received similar treatment," said his party member, "Apparently half of his reward was gifted to the Armory Hero's party member, Figneria I believe, and she accepted it without argument."

"What about Motoyasu?" Questioned Itsuki, "Was his reward given to Naofumi and his party then?"

"Apparently she let him keep the full reward," said his party member, "I heard some of it was subtracted, however, for medical treatment." Itsuki raised an eyebrow at that. What sort of medical treatment cost enough to subtract from a reward?

Melromarc Castle: The Medical Wing

'How is it this keeps happening to me,' thought Motoyasu as he walked somewhat awkwardly out of the royal clinic and down one of the castle's long hallways, 'I got hit in the crotch, again, and by a loli from another world, again!' In fact, due to multiple trips to this particular healer for the same repetitive injury he'd actually been asked to come by once a day for the next two weeks to get a checkup! It wouldn't have been so bad if the healer he was seeing was a beautiful older woman but no, he was being treated by some old guy. It didn't help matters that his own party members, now all wearing slave crests, basically had to tell him to his face these days how little they liked being around him.

Myne was the only one who still spoke to him in an encouraging manner, but she got shocked half the time meaning she wasn't being sincere. 'Damn Darius and Naofumi,' he fumed as he turned a corner, wincing as the newest plate of protective armor he'd acquired bumped against his junk, 'It was all going just fine when the both of you were out of the picture. But now that you're actually considered heroes again everything's gone wrong. The Queen and the people are giving all the credit to you guys for stopping the last wave, the girls in the kingdom don't want anything to do with me and my own party has to consist of slaves just so I can get by! How, how did it all go so wrong so fast?'

In the Grassy Fields near the Castle: At About the Same Time

"Dammit!" Seethed Ren as he cut down another monster, "how did they manage to solo Glass and that scythe guy?! How?!" The Sword Hero had been out venting for a fair amount of time now. He'd been keeping his temper in check the whole boat ride back from Cal Mira and even longer afterwards until he was finally able to send his party away. He'd been using his usual strategy of leveling up alone while his party leveled up in a different area, but even after a few days he still felt angry about what went down at Cal Mira.

'They made fools of the three of us, we were nothing but jokes to them,' he thought as he cut through another few monsters, 'what is it Naofumi and Darius are doing to get so strong? Naofumi said hard work and Darius insisted they're not cheating so what is it they're doing differently?!' He cut through the final monster before pausing to take a few deep breaths, his exhaustion finally catching up to him. 'Is it possible, our way of doing things won't cut it anymore,' he wondered as he looked to his sword. 'Well whatever the case, I will become strong. Stronger than either of them! So whatever you two are doing now you'd best enjoy it because I won't fail next time!'

Rifana and Raphtalia's Village: Currently under Construction

The newly acquired land of the Shield and Armory Hero, which once stood as nothing more than ruins, was bustling with activity as both civilians and a number of soldiers hurried from one building to another carrying numerous construction materials back and forth. The most structurally sound buildings were getting attention first while the buildings about to collapse were being cleared to insure they wouldn't become a hazard during the reconstruction process. Those who weren't working in construction were either assisting with the current day's haul of fish or being trained in fighting maneuvers under the watchful eye of Figneria and Rino, who were not going easy either. "You have to put your full weight into the swing!" Yelled Figneria as she corrected one of the villager's sloppy form, "a half-hearted blow will not end a fight against a determined opponent!"

"And remember not to overextend yourselves," said Rino as she paced around the back of the line, "Losing your balance in a fight can get you killed!" A chorus of 'yes mam!' was the response to this as they continued the latest drill. A short distance away from them, the Shield Hero himself was supervising the moving of materials from one of the larger buildings.

"Alright," said Naofumi, "remember to keep the materials separated and anything that can be reused should be set aside! And if you can't find anything to do here go and find someone who needs help." A number of acknowledgements came from in and around the building before the light of teleportation magic drew his attention.

"Okay everyone you know the drill," said the Armory Hero as he and Rifana appeared along with another group of soldiers, "start getting the weapons sorted by type and sent to the store houses. Set the more dangerous ones aside for us to transport to our other location. Now break!" The soldiers responded to the order as they moved off to a few store houses closer to the center of the village, carrying a number of weapons which had been gathered from the vault of the Gold Tyrant.

"About time you got back," said Naofumi, "Rino's about to organize another hunting party so they'll need those weapons. Did you manage to level up any while you were out?"

"We split time between leveling and gathering weapons," replied Darius, "figured we may as well given the hour cool down time of teleporting and the even longer amount of time it's taking to sort through that vault. The guy has enough down there to start an insurrection, which might've been what he was hoping for."

"Wouldn't surprise me given what you've been saying about that particular predecessor," Said Naofumi, "by the way, could you give that crew a hand over there Rifana? They're having trouble moving some of those timbers from that spot and Raphtalia's down at the beach directing the last of the fishing for the day."

"Where'd you send Johann and Filo," asked Rifana with an inquisitive look.

"Filo's pulling around large carts of rubble," said Naofumi as said Filolial came running through the village with a large cart filled with stone. "And Johann's flying trees over from the nearby forest after they're cut down."

"Well good to see they're both pulling their weight," Commented Darius.

"I guess that means I better get back to work too," said Rifana with a sigh as she headed over and started moving some of the heavier building materials with her brute strength. It honestly amazed the Armory Hero how strong she was some days despite having a slender frame.

"She really is something isn't she," Quipped Naofumi as he noted his fellow cardinal hero staring.

"Yeah, sorry I spaced out for a bit," said Darius as he and Naofumi began walking through the village to see where else they could help.

"So is it true then?" Questioned the Shield Hero, more as a way to make conversation than anything. "Are you and her?"

"Yep," replied Darius, feeling there was no point in hiding it, "and Figneria's part of the relationship too. But we've agreed to keep the PDA to a minimum."

"I appreciate it," said Naofumi, "we don't need a bunch of jealous workers watching you guys feeling each other up."

"We aren't doing it for the workers," corrected Darius, getting a confused look from Naofumi. At about the same time, a trio of both the Shield and Armory Hero's party members was on a walk of their own.

"So what do you think of the village so far?" Raphtalia asked Rishia. She'd bumped into the girl who was currently on a break from her studies after finishing up down at the beach.

"Well there are a lot of demands, so there's plenty of work that has to be done," replied Rishia, who now had a silver circlet around her head denoting her status as a princess, "but everyone here is so nice and willing to show their appreciation, so I actually feel motivated to do my best."

"Yes, Sir Darius and Naofumi both believe in a hospitable environment for their parties," added Figneria, "I've no doubt that's their eventual goal for this village as well, even if it is going to double as a war camp. It's one of the reasons I was able to convince your parents to let me bring you here."

"Well I also know you're happier when you're close to Sir Darius," said Rishia, "so it works out for everyone."

"Not quite everyone," said Figneria as she noted Raphtalia had suddenly started pouting at the mention of her and Darius's relationship, "what seems to be the matter lady Raphtalia?"

"Oh, you don't have to call me that," she said as she was snapped out of her thoughts, "Just Raphtalia is fine. And I guess, I don't know, I feel like I'm a little behind."

"In regards to what?" Asked Figneria, genuinely curious what could be on her mind with so much already going on?

"It's just," Raphtalia sighed as she decided it was best to simply come out and say it, "I'm a little jealous of Rifana, and you as well. Rifana actually confessed her love for Darius and he answered her back saying he loved her too. I'm not as surprised that you managed to tell him you loved him, being a seasoned warrior and all, but Rifana and I were both nervous about it for a long time and now she-."

"I haven't told him," said Figneria, catching the raccoon girl off-guard, "I have shown with my actions that he has my heart, but I haven't said the words."

"But you and him have, um, well," Raphtalia and Rishia both started blushing at the topic which was being brought up, "gotten intimate too."

"On more than one occasion," said Figneria with a small smile, "but each time was for a different reason and I couldn't bring myself to say the words. I'm more grateful to Rifana than she will ever know for allowing me to share in her happiness, but it is not a simple thing for one to confess their true feelings. In this regard you have actually surpassed me."

"I have?" Questioned Raphtalia with a confused tilt of her head, wondering what she could've done better than the warrior maiden she was talking too.

"We heard from Filo about your loving embrace with the Shield Hero," said Rishia, "and Rifana told us that you didn't say the words but you did beg him to stay here."

"Yes, I did," said Raphtalia with a sad smile at the one of her more treasured memories. She'd been so close to saying it that day, then Filo and Melty and the others had to interrupt. "But now that we're busy rebuilding the village and training people to fish and fight and collect weapons there's hardly been a quiet moment."

"A quiet moment is as much something you make the time for as find the time for," said Figneria, "as I once explained to Darius and Rifana, none of us know what tomorrow will bring. Now optimistically none of us will die, but there's still the chance of us being separated, injured, forced apart or, the powers forbid, another woman moves in on the one you love."

"What!" exclaimed Raphtalia, "I don't want that! I mean I want Master Naofumi to be happy but I'd also like to be the one who's making him happy. I know it's selfish but I want to be with him."

"Then find ways to get him alone," said Figneria, "start inviting him to a private dinner or lunch every now and then, or go to him when he seems more stressed than usual. And don't think you have to wait for the atmosphere to become romantic before you start confessing your feelings, or you might be waiting for a long time. Rifana confessed her love to Darius on the hill top overlooking the village while he was in the midst of explaining its benefits. She hadn't planned at all on telling him then, but her pent up feelings led her to create the moment both of them will remember for the rest of their lives."

"I, think I understand," said Raphtalia, "I guess after being with him long enough I just came to accept that he would notice on his own time. But you're right, I've already told him that I want him to stay, now I have to find a way to tell him how I feel about him." Both girls nodded encouragingly as they continued their walk through the village while, at the same time, a similar conversation was taking place between the two heroes.

"You and Rifana, and occasionally Figneria, don't do a lot of PDA for Raphtalia's sake," said Naofumi with a note of skepticism in his voice.

"That's right," affirmed Darius, "Rifana doesn't like seeing her friend unhappy and she knows reminding her that she's got a boyfriend now will make her just the slightest bit depressed."

"But she's got little reason to be unhappy," said Naofumi, "I agreed to keep fighting for this world and she agreed to keep being my sword. We're both prepared to face whatever comes together."

"Together yes," said Darius before making air quotes, "but not 'together' in quite the way she wants to be. Honestly it's getting painful to watch you two dance around the issue."

"Well she hasn't flat out said that she likes me in that way," Naofumi pointed out.

"No, but her actions, mannerisms, the way she responds to you and how her mood shifts when you're around should be more than enough evidence," said Darius, "Just about everyone else in our parties, save for Filo, can tell she's got quite the thing for you."

"Are you sure you're not just misinterpreting her actions?" Asked Naofumi with his usual skepticism. Fortunately for them both, Johann just happened to be walking by on a little break of his own.

"Okay, don't believe me then watch this," said Darius as he called out to his party member, "Hey Johann! Is it possible that Raphtalia likes Naofumi?!"

"What are you kidding me?" Johann called back, "she's been digging on him for ages now! Even if I couldn't occasionally smell her getting riled up watching him it's still obvious because she's always looking at him, never says anything bad about him and gets worried sick if he takes so much as a scratch. Come to think of it, why haven't you gone and mated with her already Shield Guy she clearly wants to ride you until-!"

"Okay, yes, that's good enough right there," said Darius, hoping no one else had heard the dragon boy's increasingly loud voice. "I think you got the point across now head on to whatever it was you were doing."

"I was about to get food," said Johann as he started walking off, "so you guys had best hurry up and start cooking soon."

"Jeez I wonder about him some days," Said Darius, "but I hope you see what I'm getting at now. It's not exactly a secret that she's got at least a few feelings for you."

"Alright, say it's as deep as all that," said Naofumi, "say she actually has time to spare from her mission making this world one where people don't suffer like she, Rifana and her friends did. What exactly should I do about it?"

"How should I-, wait a second," Darius replied as a sudden thought occurred to him, "why not try testing it out yourself."

"Testing it out?" Naofumi repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's think about this for a moment," said Darius with a finger raised up, "What's one thing a girl would let you do if she likes you that she wouldn't let anyone else do?"

"Let you in her room?" Guessed Naofumi, "Though we've spent plenty of time in the same room already."

"I'm talking about physical contact here," clarified the Armory Hero, "specifically a certain point of physical contact."

"What point of contact would that be?" Asked a slightly uneasy Shield Hero.

"Why her fine ass of course," answered Darius as he made the shape of said body part in the air with his hands.

"You want me to grope her!" exclaimed Naofumi with an understandable amount of shock and irritation.

"Just hear me out for a moment," said the cardinal hero, urging his friend not to raise his voice, "we're under the very likely assumption, *cough* fact *cough*, that she likes you. Ergo, should you lay a hand on her shapely behind you should receive a wagging raccoon tail in return."

"Or, she instantly loses a large amount of respect for me because I'd be disrespecting her by groping her without permission," countered Naofumi, "In which case, I'd probably get slapped."

"Well it'd be your fault if you didn't ask first in that scenario," Darius countered back, "Tell you what, let's make a bet out of it. If she does become offended by you rubbing her raccoon rump, I'll take the beating for you because it was my idea in the first place and I'll do whatever chores you need done in your new house for a whole day. But, if I'm right and she doesn't want to put a beat down on you for touching her tanuki tushie then you give me and my party the rest of the evening off after I make one last delivery to the underwater temple. Oh, and it can't be a simple brush of the hand or a light tap that you can play off as an accident, it has be full on grab ass for more than five seconds."

"First off, stop it with the ass rubbing puns. And second, how are you gonna keep me from weaseling out of this little bet?" Questioned Naofumi, "I could just go off somewhere for a bit and come back later telling you she whacked me."

"Because as luck would have it, your special girl is right over there," Darius pointed out as Raphtalia came walking around the corner with Rishia and Figneria. "So no time to think just get on out there!" Before Naofumi could protest further, a portal opened behind him as a staff jutted out and sent him stumbling forward, right into said raccoon girl's path.

"Oh, Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia with a hint of surprise, "is everything alright?"

"Well," said Naofumi as he rubbed his head and shot an irritated glance at Darius who simply mouthed 'get the booty' while squeezing his hand in the air. "I probably just got talked into doing something severely stupid. But, it's also pretty safe to say that I'll win this one so, sorry in advance." He then proceeded to move to the side while reaching out and gripping Raphtalia's fine firm rear.

To say the demi-human girl was caught off-guard was an understatement as she didn't seem to comprehend what was happening first. Once it registered, however, she turned several shades of red as she began trembling in what might've been panic. "M-Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia, "Are y-you really touching me t-there? In front of everyone?"

"Yeah and I know it's stupid so-WHOA!" The Shield Hero didn't quite get the chance to finish his sentence as Raphtalia suddenly grabbed him by his collar and yanked him around until he hit the wall of a nearby building. 'Well crap I guess it's time to go get my ass whooped,' thought the Armory Hero in resignation as he stepped forward. But as he did, he noticed something odd.

Raphtalia was still trembling as she held Naofumi against the wall and she was definitely still blushing, but she wasn't beating the ever living out of him. "I…I have a….question for you….M-Master Naofumi," she said, "Would you….l-like to…have lunch with me….t-tomorrow?"

"Uh," Apparently Raphtalia's brain wasn't the only one short-circuting as Naofumi was struggling to comprehend what she just said. Was she asking him out? What was going on? "Yeah, s-sure," he finally said, "why not, sounds great."

"YOU WILL!" Raphtalia exclaimed before recomposing herself and finally letting Naofumi go, "I mean, thank you for setting some time aside for me. I'd best be going, but I'll see you at the house." The raccoon girl then hurried away, still blushing feverishly but still looking happy despite it.

"What on earth just happened here?" Questioned Figneria as Rishia tilted her head in absolute confusion.

"What just happened is you, Rifana and Johann now have the rest of the evening off," said Darius as he walked up to the two girls, "and Naofumi owes me one."

"It was still a dick move Darius!" Said the Shield Hero as he finally regained his composure.

"But a bet is a bet isn't it," replied the Armory Hero, "and you're welcome by the way." Naofumi simply grumbled out a response about how he'd get him back for it before walking off.

"Well that was quite something," said Figneria, "It's very rare to see Sir Shield Hero flustered like that."

"The guy needs some help being happy is all," said Darius, "anyway, I told him I'd do one more delivery of weapons to the water temple before taking the rest of the evening off. So let's grab a bite first before I head out."

Water Temple: Dragon's Hourglass Chamber

"It is a lot better in here now that we can actually see," said Rifana as her and Darius teleported into the chamber. One of the first new features they'd added were some luminescent bio-plants that glowed in the dark, bathing the chamber in an ambient blue light. It still made reading a bit difficult, but it was enough for finding their way around the other hallways to store the weapons they had.

"You know you didn't have to come along," said Darius as he summoned a pile of swords on a newly erected weapon's rack, "I got the three of you the rest of the evening off so you could relax a little."

"And while I appreciate it, I'm not gonna let you just sit around in an underwater chamber bored out of your mind for a half hour," said Rifana as she set down a couple of large crates filled with daggers and armor. "Not to mention, it only takes a third of the time to sort stuff out when I'm helping you, so it's hardly a big deal."

"Fair enough I guess," admitted Darius as he conjured some halberds which he leaned against a depression in the wall. In truth, the loads all varied in size and the amount of time it took to sort through them. This one was looking to be one of the easier ones to organize as it only had about three different types of weapons to separate and store. In fact, now that they had something of an established system going with sorting and storage it only took them about twenty minutes to get the latest load squared away.

"Ah, finally a moment to relax a bit," said Rifana as she collapsed down on one of the sleeping mats they'd set up during their second visit to the temple. They were supposed to be for emergencies when it became necessary to hide out in the temple, but Darius didn't have the heart to remind his partner of this fact. Especially not when she looked so cute stretched out on the mat as she let out a small yawn.

"It has been a busy few days," admitted Darius as he kneeled down and began massaging the weasel girl's tense shoulder, "We're rebuilding a village, restarting its economy and basically preparing for war all at the same time. Even with help from the Queen and all our other friends it's a pretty big task."

"Which reminds me," said Rifana, "It's my turn to sleep in the bed with you tonight, and keep going that feels good."

"You're a lot more tense than you should be right now," noted Darius as he moved to her other shoulder, "is something on your mind?"

"I guess it's just, I'm worried that I might not be a good enough teacher," admitted Rifana, "Raphtalia's just more patient than I am and some of the people I'm teaching, I'm not even sure they've sailed in the ocean befor-KYAA!" The Armory Hero moved his hand away from Rifana's neck, wondering what the sudden reaction had been about. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Sorry," said Darius, "guess I hit something of a sensitive spot there-."

"I know that," said Rifana, "I mean why are you stopping? I was enjoying the massage."

"Oh," said Darius as he resumed rubbing her shoulders, "I thought I hit a pressure point or something."

"I told you earlier that this feels good," said Rifana as she laid her head down on her arms, "Come to think of it. Since we've got more than thirty minutes to wait for your teleport to recharge, would you care to give a girl a full body massage?"

"I suppose I could if you think it'll help," said Darius, "but you should know I've never tried applying one before."

"And I've never taught anyone to fish until recently," said Rifana, "maybe we'll both surprise ourselves."

"Here goes nothing then I guess," said Darius as he cracked his fingers before getting back to work on his partner's tense muscles. Whether or not he was doing an actually good massage was up for debate, but the longer he worked at it the more sensitive spots he discovered. And the more Rifana's clearly pleased moaning filled the chamber before the weasel girl finally decided she'd had enough. Waiting that is.

"Oh screw it, come here!" Exclaimed Rifana as she yanked her boyfriend down to the ground with her. It would be a little more than thirty minutes before the two of them returned to the village. The good news at least, was that Rifana wasn't as worried about tomorrow's task.

New Residence of the Armory Hero's Party

While the rebuilding and organization of the entire village would indeed take a lot of time, there had also been substantial progress made in certain areas from the center outward. One of these was housing for both heroes and their party members. In Naofumi's case it was more or less expected that as the newly elected lord, or Count depending on who you asked, he would need a proper residence to help run the affairs of the village. In Darius's case, he'd tried turning it down saying that the party would be fine camping in their own tent or a wagon until a suitable number of houses had been built to accommodate everyone. 'Tried' being the key word as Melty, a number of the new village residents and even the Queen herself had insisted it was part of the reward she'd granted them.

Which is how he wound up with a four bedroom house that included a main room which doubled as both living space and a kitchen with the cooking section on one side and a fire place on the other. Each party member had their own room which left one guest room for when Figneria stayed over. Being an envoy and the watcher of the newly crowned Princess Rishia meant she spent a lot of time going back and forth from the village to the royal castle in Melromarc and, when necessary, all the way back to Koteraan via teleport on some days. Tonight, though, was one of the night's she'd be sleeping over as she opened the door and walked in to find said hero and his party members all absorbed in their own tasks.

Darius was currently on the couch browsing through his menu, checking to see if there was anything he could enhance or get repaired while Rifana was busy tying and untying a fishing line in preparation for teaching. Johann, was stuffing his face with some extra food he managed to make off with from the village's recently rebuilt dining hall. "I see even now the demands of the world seem to be keeping you all occupied," noted Figneria as she took a seat on one of the chairs in the living area.

"Not me," said Johann between bites, "I've always got time to chow down on something else!"

"I suppose flying timber back and forth does build up an appetite," said Rifana as she put her newly tied line down for a moment, "so how are your responsibilities going?"

"I've already got the training routine set up for tomorrow," said Figneria, "but I'll have a little extra time in the morning as the group I'm training will be heading out on a hunting expedition."

"Makes me glad I got you off a little early this evening," said Darius as he closed his menu, "hope you're enjoying the time to yourself while it lasts because Naofumi's probably gonna hit us with an extra load tomorrow to get back at me."

"I still don't get what his deal is," said Johann as he finished consuming his meal, "from what you guys told me Raphtalia practically confessed when she was begging him to stay here, so he should be grateful you're helping out."

"Well I did kind of embarrass him to do it though" replied the Armory Hero as he leaned back on the couch, "So the gears are probably grinding in his head as we speak."

"But shouldn't he be doing that stuff to Raphtalia anyway," said Johann, "I mean you three get up to plenty of stuff like that whenever you get the chance."

"I'm not sure I'd say 'whenever'," Rifana chimed in, "we do have some restraint."

"You and Darius came back late and he had a, what did Naofumi call it, a hicky on his neck," said Johann as he pointed to the still fresh mark.

"I mean yeah we did do it in the temple and, wait a minute you're not old enough to be discussing this with us!" Exclaimed Rifana.

"I know mating when I see it," said Johann as he hopped up and headed for his room, "anyway, it's getting late and I need to turn in. So wake me up when you need some heavy lifting done."

"I'll wake you up when I need the fire relit, how about that," quipped Darius.

"Yeah yeah I can do both," said Johann as he went to his room and closed the door. If his hunch was right, Johann would be asleep in less than a minute.

"I'm glad he's learning to put himself to bed these days," said Rifana as she also stood up, "anyway, I need to get a little bit of reading in about the fish prices before the morning, so I'll be turning in too." She leaned down and quickly pecked Darius on the lips before heading to her room, "See you in bed, my hero."

"I'll be along soon enough, don't worry," Darius called back as she closed the door behind her.

"It really is nice to see you two like this," said Figneria as she sat down on the couch next to Darius, "but you know, Rifana isn't the only one who needs attention."

"What did you have in mind?" Asked the Armory Hero. Figneria's response was to lay herself across the couch with her back facing up.

"I happened to overhear something about a full body massage," said Figneria, "and being an envoy, trainer and guard is a stressful occupation some days."

"We do owe you one for helping train the village guards," said Darius as he placed his hands on her back, "so why don't we call this a reward." As he did with Rifana, he began with her back and proceeded to massage much of her surprisingly tense muscles. "I guess this is also as good a time as any to ask. Rifana's told me all of her reasons for loving me, but what is it you see in me?"

"That's a bit of a complicated questi-AH!" Figneria gasped out as the cardinal hero had somehow found one of her sensitive spots. "I guess it all started when you…I mean…when." She was finding it surprisingly difficult to speak in a coherent sentence as Darius kept finding just the right spot, on accident, to massage and elicit another gasp from the mercenary woman. It became so difficult questioning her that Darius finally stopped the massage altogether. "Why are you stopping?"

"It's just gonna be impossible to have a conversation while you're, enjoying this," surmised the Armory Hero, "maybe we should do questions first and then get back to the massage."

"But I'll tense back up by then," Figneria actually whined, "you wouldn't leave a woman disappointed like that would you?"

"Will you tell me everything if I do give you the full treatment?" Darius countered.

"Only so long as you keep up the quality of the massage," said Figneria as she laid back down on the couch, "Now please, resume." The cardinal hero complied as he felt a sense of déjà vu when comparing Rifana and Figneria's reactions. While Rifana had shown some restraint, the presence of no one but them in the temple meant she was free to make all the noise she wanted. But in Figneria's case, she was attempting not to wake up Johann or disturb Rifana and, if Darius wasn't mistaken, it's possible she was a little embarrassed that she couldn't keep herself under control.

Eventually, though, her muscles relaxed and she laid her head on the couch as her breathing became much more peaceful. When she didn't make any other noise for a solid minute, Darius finally stopped his massage and noted that despite all of the apparent stimulation, she'd somehow fallen asleep! "Good talk I guess," said the Armory Hero as he decided to simply pull a blanket over her and kissed the top of her head, "we can pick up the conversation in the morning. You clearly need the rest right now."

Village Bathhouse: A Short Time Later

"I guess we're all stressed lately," Darius mused aloud as he sat back in the wooden bath and stared at the ceiling. He'd originally planned to get a bath with his party earlier, but had been drawn away to have a quick discussion with the old magic shop lady about having a few more crystal balls delivered. It wound up lasting several minutes and by that time, Johann had already come running out with Rifana not far behind. So now here he was in the mostly deserted bathhouse making sure he at least smelled decent for his demi-human girlfriend and her sensitive nose, not that she actually cared if he smelled a little bad but it was the principle of the thing. A good relationship required at least some effort from all individuals involved.

The sound of someone else entering the bath caused Darius's eyes to open as none other than Figneria pulled herself into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I thought you'd fallen asleep," said the mildly surprised Armory Hero.

"To my embarrassment I did indeed doze off," said Figneria with a small smile and, an actual blush, "It's rare that I feel that relaxed even at the best of times. But I seem to recall promising to tell you what it is I like about you. And I decided I needed a bath."

"Fair enough," said Darius as he held up his right arm so that his band was in full view, "So what is it you see in me? Pretty much everything special about me got clamped on my wrist when I got dropped into this world."

"You never seem to think very highly of yourself," noted Figneria, "humility is a good quality but I would've thought by now you'd have at least a few things about yourself you take pride in."

"You probably wouldn't say that if you met me before I got these bands," said Darius, "I was a shut in back where I come from. I worked and studied when I had too and then spent all of my free time reading comics, manga, playing games and generally trying to escape reality. I didn't get out much unless I needed too and it's possible that even if there were no drones watching us in my world that's still what I'd be doing. In comparison to someone like you I'm actually quite a boring person."

Figneria sighed at that as she pressed herself a little closer to him, grabbing his chin to make sure she had his attention. "You think me being a skilled mercenary makes me that much more interesting than you?"

"I mean doesn't it?" Questioned Darius, not sure where she was going with this.

"I've told you a bit about my life, how I grew up learning to fight on the battlefield and continued doing so as a mercenary," said Figneria, "but if you take all of that away, all of my skills and status as a warrior you'll find a woman who until recently had trouble even conversing with other people."

"But you didn't seem to have trouble while you were training me and Rifana," noted Darius.

"That's because I'd learned how to teach people," said Figneria, "but I had to spend two years learning how to interact with those who aren't fighters or commanders or war-like in anyway. You see after so many years fighting the thrill from the battlefield was beginning to fade for me. So I decided a change was in order and took up my position at Reichnott's mansion. It was there I learned how little I knew about living a quiet life and that fighting wasn't the only way to survive. I discovered that despite my years of training there was so much outside of it I didn't know. So you see I myself am a rather dull person once you remove me from the battlefield."

"I guess I can understand the reasoning behind that," admitted Darius.

"And even if it wasn't your choice to receive this power," said Figneria as she touched the band on his wrist, "it was still you who nurtured it, refined it and improved upon it, building it up to what it is now. Your hard work is what's allowed you to become such a powerful hero and I believe that speaks more about you than you realize. You see I've witnessed others climb up the ranks trying to fight against oppression, only to become the very thing they sought to end. It's become my belief that the real measure of a person is revealed when you hand them power. And while you've made mistakes your intentions with your power have always been clear. You use it to help people."

"So, uh, when did you start liking me as more than just a student?" Darius decided to ask.

"Ever since our lesson in Koteraan, no, maybe even before that," said Figneria, "being a part of your group and watching you and Rifana grow closer made me realize what I'd really been looking for when I set out from Reichnott's mansion. I enjoyed seeing you both happy, and I wanted to reward you for not only helping me free Koteraan but also for saving my life against the Leshen. You helped me realize my true calling in this world, that I could use my skills to save others and make a positive difference beyond simple survival. I love you Darius Saxon because of all the people I've fought beside, you are the one who makes me feel most like I belong right where I am."

She ended this sentence with a passionate kiss, which Darius quickly returned as he ran his hands over her curvaceous body. It wouldn't be until almost an hour later that they ventured back to their private residence. Rifana had dozed off by this point as Figneria went on to the guest room after giving her lover one more good night kiss. Darius was careful not to wake his sleeping companion as he crawled into the bed next to her. Though it turned out to be in vain.

"So did you enjoy your bath," whispered Rifana, almost making the Armory Hero jump.

"I did," said Darius, "sorry I didn't make it in earlier with you."

"You don't have to apologize," said Rifana as she snuggled up against him, "I did have quite the time with you in the temple beforehand. And while it's still a little weird, I can tell Figneria is even happier now."

"She officially told me she loved me," confirmed Darius as he lightly stroked the weasel girl's cheek, "are you sure you're still okay with things being like this?"

"The three of us all shared an intimate moment," said Rifana as she lightly gripped her boyfriend's hand, "and I have her to thank for pushing us to give things a try in the first place. True, things between us would probably have ended up like they are now in time anyway, but I still believe she deserves some happiness in exchange for making us as happy as we are now."

"And it's that kind of understanding nature which makes me realize how much I don't deserve either of you," said Darius. "I mean any guy would be beyond lucky to win the heart of either one of you, and yet you both settled for me."

"We didn't settle for anything," said Rifana somewhat sternly as she took his face in her hands, "You've fought and risked your life for the both of us and proven your feelings for us a hundred times over. We're happy to both be in a relationship with you because power or no power you are still our hero. And we'll love you always." Darius couldn't help but smile at her heartfelt words as the two shared a good night kiss of their own before drifting off to sleep in each other's arms.

The atmosphere around the three of them was even more cheerful the next day as they went about their work. Though the one thing that did sour it was Johann blurting out this simple comment at breakfast in the town hall: "Nice going on making booby assassin lady your second mate!" He received three bumps on his head afterwards.

And that about wraps up our little side story, so I hope you all enjoyed this unexpected surprise as part of the new year! And as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. What comes next time, even I'm not sure.