"Talking"
"Thinking"
[Status Magic or other reference to a system or power]
...
With the stress of his time in this world gone for the moment, he fell unconscious. He was tired from the duel and the relief was simply too much. Knowing he wasn't alone. Resolving to do more than live. In this moment embracing her, he was already achieving happiness.
[First condition for ****** *r*** series has been unlocked]
...
Naofumi felt good. He felt so comfortable that the idea of waking up and having to leave this spot just felt wrong. Even so he stirred.
"Naofumi-sama... Did you sleep well?" She whispered, the same enduring smile still right where it always was.
Naofumi opened his eyes to confirm it was her. He looked at her for what felt like the first time. Was she always this beautiful? He felt himself recalling all his most memorable moments with her. Her bravery, her kindness, her tenderness. He felt like a fool to have never placed his experiences with her side by side to see the truth. That while he thought he was set up to fail, he was actually so damned lucky to have met her, to have known her.
His mind was a bit muddled at first. Soon he was remembering the night prior. He remembered the events in the order they occurred. During this brief reflection he went through a short emotional roller coaster. The destination at the end of that ride? Salvation.
"Thank you... for everything" He had no more tears and he wouldn't want to cry if he could. This moment and many more to come, were happy.
They both looked into one another for some time. It was probably no more than a minute, but it felt quite long to the two of them. Naofumi felt he had to move and went to raise himself up.
"This is..." He'd just realized he'd been sleeping in Raphtalia's lap. The Naofumi of yesterday would of acted on his embarrassment and maybe acted like he didn't even like it. But he did like it and while he'd yet to affirm to her stated goal of seeking happiness, he was on board wholeheartedly. So he'd not act embarrassed, because he liked it. Would he honestly say he's pursuing happiness if he pretended to hate that experience? Absolutely not. He had no time to be embarrassed or act meekly when presented with something he wanted.
He took to his feet and offered his hand to her "Thanks for being my pillow, bet your knees hurt a lot." He said it with that soft voice Raphtalia had come to cherish. Naofumi's way of just addressing it openly like that had Raphtalia blushing heavily. She was not use to a Naofumi that spoke so freely.
She took his hand and was brought upright. "Naofumi-sama..."
"Hmm?" Naofumi tilted his head.
"Nothing." She seemed to want to ask something, but didn't know how she wanted to word it.
Naofumi simply let it go "Let's see about that reward money and then give Erhart his due"
As they made their way toward the throne room, they stopped on the top of a castle wall just past the courtyard they stayed last night. They just took at the view and enjoyed it. They were going to take things slower when they could. They would do whatever fancied them.
"Ah, here Naofumi-sama" Raphtalia took a small package wrapped in napkins. He took it and waited. She took another out and gestured to him.
"Try this. It's not much, just leftovers between bread. Y'know free food and all that."
He opened it up while smirking. It looked good enough that he just took a bite.
Naofumi was in shock.
Raphtalia saw his face, "Is there something wrong with this too?"
"N-no... no. No!" Naofumi denied with a smile so big Raphtalia never dreamt he'd have it.
"Then...?"
"I can taste it!"
Raphtalia was now smiling nearly as wide, "Is that not normal?"
Naofumi half turned to her and grabbed her upper arm, "Ever since they lied about me and set me up I'd been unable to taste a thing..." He turned to her.
Raphtalia had found the first thing they'd do to pursue happiness. "That's great! Let's try and eat a lot of delicious food from now on."
"It's because I shut myself off from everyone and everything. I thought the whole world was rotten, refusing to give honest chances to anything this world had to offer... But because of Raphtalia..."
"Thank you" He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Eh? EH!" Raphtalia was left a confused mess so easily.
Naofumi took note "Ah, sorry. Did you dislike that? Won't happen again."
Raptalia was forced to recover quickly "No! No! Entirely the opposite, but-"
"The opposite! Is she saying-?" Naofumi was more open to what this world had to offer now and that meant picking up on things he was too stubborn to see before.
"You nearly ki-kissed me on the lips! You have to be careful! What if you accidentally got me pregnant!" She seemed genuinely concerned.
Naofumi spit a little food out of his mouth as he had the first real laugh since he'd been brought to this world. He had laughed maliciously before, but a wholesome laugh seemed like a foreign concept just moments ago
He tried to quiet his laughter "Raphtalia. hehe, That's not how any of that works!"
Raphtalia reeled at this revelation, "Then... How does one get pregnant?"
Naofumi said he'd not shy away from things, but... "Oh no, I'm not giving you 'The Talk'... Gotta find a woman willing to give it to you..." Naofumi realized he had not even traded with a female merchant. understandable, given the false charges.
"What's 'The Talk' and why does a women have to give it to me?" Raphtalia was equal parts curious for an answer and mad that Naofumi was still trying to control his laughter.
...
-Melromarc Embassy in Faubrey-
...
The Queen of Melromarc was speaking with an assistant about what meetings she had planned and whom to move up in priority.
"Siltvelt has to take priority, of course. Lord Werner is beyond impatient and soon-"
There was a slight breeze from the window.
"... Report."
A masked women leaned just within sight outside the window.
"The shield hero has purchased a slave within an hour after the trial."
The queen smiled, "That is good... He recovered quickly, too quickly"
It wasn't a question, but her shadow answered, "I watched him as ordered. He visited the slave trader Beloukas the day before the trial after finding no help at the guild."
"So we've framed him, denied him allies and even the guild failed him... We must keep such information from reaching Siltvelt... So tell me, do you think his slave will be of much help? Were they reliable looking? Of good level at least."
"... The shield hero bought only one slave. A starving, sick, mentally ill, level 1, ten year old demi-human girl. If anything it seemed a major hindrance. I'm sorry."
"So they must have stolen his funds and that's all he could afford? No." The queen was thinking.
"My queen?"
"You say he bought her the same day, went straight to the trader?"
"Yes" The shadow said promptly
"Then he had to of kept his coin somehow... Then why such a low quality slave? What did Beloukas say when you spoke to him?"
"He said that he told the shield hero of her many flaws and tried to offer him a higher quality slave, but the shield hero insisted on getting her."
"This could work out better for us then"
"... I'm afraid I do not follow"
"Likely the shield heroes reason was simply empathy. As you've reported, this slave is the lowest of the low. Even after what my family did to him, he put himself at risk saving someone only an hour after that farce. If that's the kind of man we're dealing with... We may be able to come to terms with him and put this whole thing behind us."
"..."
"Return and keep me informed."
"At once my queen."
...
-Melromarc Throne Room-
...
Naofumi entered the throne room, Raphtalia right behind him. They didn't like this, but needed the coin. The other three cardinal heroes were already in attendance, in fact it looked like everyone was waiting on him. The king looked at Naofumi in annoyance, but Naofumi never even looked in his direction. What drove the king to further frustration was the look of Naofumi. He'd been made a fool of the previous night, made to lose a duel that he rightly won. But he wore a faint smile and he acts like there was no animosity at all.
"Now that all of you are in attendance, I'll follow through on my promise to you. You shall receive rewards for repelling the wave. Sir Motoyasu showed great strength by finishing the mighty boss of the wave. For this feat, I award you 4000 silver."
And as if Raphtalia never put him in his place, nor the other heroes told him he lost to a heavily disadvantaged Naofumi, Motoyasu struck a confident stance with a matching smug smile.
"To Sir Ren and Sir Itsuki I award you each 3800 silver, for your part in felling the wave boss."
They both seemed annoyed that Motoyasu was played up more and they received less money, but was still quite happy about the large sum.
"And to the shield hero whom didn't even join the battle of the wave boss... To keep to the obligations I made, will be given the minimum 500 Silver".
The king waited a moment to hear or see the hero complain as he would no doubt do. Ready to dismiss it the moment it appeared. Something was wrong however. Naofumi didn't voice complaint at all. It was enough to pay Erhart for his life saving armor. That was good enough from Naofumi's perspective. After all, he planned to use his medicine crafting bonuses to sell high quality goods shortly.
The king in his pettiness stepped further, "However... To offset the price of freeing his slave, he shall receive no funds at this time".
"King..." Naofumi began, the king ready to deny him, "The eraser used to free Raphtalia was to appeal to Motoyasu's desires, no? It was by his request that it was removed. So why are you charging me for a service you provided him?"
The king had to admit that this shield hero was good at framing things to appeal to his side. If he did not keep him down, he'd be a problem in his mind.
"Don't make excuses, it was service to that girl. She was a member of your party at the time. It's only right."
"Is actually."
"Come again?"
"She is a member of my party. As in she still is."
That even after that farce he'd still have her completely on his side frustrated the king.
"Also even if you were to charge me for a service forced upon us by Motoyasu and yourself... Eraser costs about 20 silver, no? So, why charge me 25 times the amount?"
The king was being argued from multiple fronts at once. The hero was dismantling his arguments easily. Something struck him though.
"And how would you know of such things? Eraser is rarely used. Slave seals can be overwritten with other slave ink. So it's use is limited and therefore it's demand. It's not easy to make and has few customers."
Naofumi smirked "If you speak to my business partner Beloukas, you'd know better. I purchased eraser from him the same time I bought Raphtalia. 20 Silver was his price".
"You expect me to believe you've bought eraser prior? Yet you slave was still sealed? What nonsense."
Surprisingly it was Ren that spoke up, "Regardless, I'm against the idea of withholding at least the bare minimum from him. He is a cardinal hero. He beat Motoyasu in last nights duel. Is he not an asset to your country?"
"He's right", Itsuki chimed in. "I hate the idea of slavery, but legally Naofumi's argument last night had merit. You stole something he paid for legally, now you're charging him for it? ... Freeing her had some merit, charging him for it has none at all".
That both heroes would side with Naofumi was a surprise the both the king and Naofumi. The king admitted error to himself for overstepping it.
"If both of you feel so strongly about it then we will make an exception. Do be thankful Shield hero."
The advisor walked forward and handed each of the heroes their awarded coin. While Naofumi was the last to receive his coin, he was the first to leave.
"Wait Naofumi! We're still not done." Motoyasu called.
Raphtalia turned to him and gave a look that shut him down entirely. Naofumi never stopped moving and so, was unaware of this small exchange.
Ren and Itsuki parted after Naofumi, leaving a very conflicted and upset Motoyasu.
"... I just don't get why she stays by his side. Even if he's abused her into saying those farfetched lies, she should see that she'd need only ask for help in the presence of the other heroes or the king and she'd be saved... How deep does he have his claws in her..."
...
-Just outside the Melromarc castle-
...
"Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia wanted to tackle this problem immediately
"What is it?"
"There's somewhere I want to go before Erhart's shop..." She did her best to gauge him.
"Hmm? where's that? I'd like to pay the man by day's end."
"I want to go to ... Beloukas'."
"!" Naofumi was shocked. Someplace like that was the last place he'd imagine she'd want to be now. She just got her freedom and all.
"Why would you want to go to a place like that!?"
"So I can receive a new slave crest, of course." She could assume his reaction.
"N-no. Raphtalia why!?" Naofumi was floored
"Just like your shield, my crest was helpful. I receive 15% more total stats upon leveling as a slave. Such an advantage can not be ignored." She knew she had to appeal to him logically.
Naofumi understood her motive. In a way, he agreed... but he didn't want to own her again.
"I don't want that ugly thing as an added contest to our rela-partnership. It'll be like this thing that'll always be there and-"
"Naofumi-sama I want this because I trust you. I had the slave crest before and you were everything I needed. I know you wouldn't abuse it."
He didn't know how to argue with her on this. He already was getting strong hints that she had feelings for him and the shifting dynamic had him feeling a certain way himself, but doing this could change it back. He didn't want it back to how it was. He wanted to explore everything this current context meant to the both of them.
"Fine, but I'm getting the lowest settings possible and please don't act like you're my slave... I don't want that at all." Naofumi was now mercilessly employing that soft voice she prefers to get her into agreeing.
"Of course, though you've been more than my master long before last night."
"Does she think this is subtle?"
...
-Beloukas' Slave Store-
...
As the slave crest began manifesting once again, Raphtalia endured with little effort. She seemed content at this.
"This is quite something. So loyal, she willingly receives a new crest? Her level and combat prowess... Not to mention her looks..."
Naofumi felt happy to hear such praises for Raphtalia, but-
"I see you are indeed a fine customer. Why not sell her to me? Even if she's not a virgin, I'd easily pay 20 gold."
Naofumi spoke without thinking, "What are you accusing me of!? She is a virgin!"
The slavers eyes gleamed "Really!? 30 gold, no, 35 gold coins!"
Naofumi was astounded by the amount offered.
"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia gave him a death stare on par with the one she gave Motoyasu earlier.
"I-I wasn't considering it seriously, it's just a hell of a lot more than the 40 silver I bought you for."
Beloukas smirked, "Indeed. You seem to have a knack for raising slaves... Would you be interested in purchasing another one while you're already here?"
"No. While our party is only at two for the moment, we already have a potential third we'll be raising."
"Raising? Would it be a monster then?"
"Hmm? Yeah. Not sure what it'll be yet, but it should be useful."
Beloukas' eyes shined brightly, "If you're willing to gamble on raising monsters~."
He motioned to a crate of large eggs. Naofumi did seem interested.
"So you sell monster eggs too?"
"Monster domestication is actually the face of my business. This is my leading seller. The monster egg lottery. In these crates I have all sorts of eggs, from the common filolial to a flying dragon that would be worth 20 gold on it's own!"
Naofumi took a thoughtful pose, "and how much is it per egg?"
Raphtalia wasn't liking this, "Naofumi-sama we already have one egg to deal with." Her pleading went unheard.
"Just 100 silver, quite the deal!"
"No. if you're not lying... the odds must be quite low. To make a profit, you must gain on average. I assume it's a 1% chance or so of a flying dragon?"
"I see you understand, but it's not just filolials and flying dragons, I have more than 20 monster eggs in the lottery."
"And I imagine their rates are also all lower based on value... damn gacha game."
"What?" For the briefest moment Beloukas was confused
"In the world I come from, these statistical chances for more value to drive up base price were referred to as 'Gacha' games. I was never into them myself, but... tell me what's a filolial. You said it's common. I assume it's the most likely result from your lottery."
"Still lacking such basic information. Filolials are the large birds you've no doubt seen in this very town."
"Ah, those. Yes they are common, but why? What is their use?"
"They are used as a better alternative to horses. They not only travel faster, but they actually like pulling foreign weight, so domestication is very low effort."
"If that's a case... I'll get one."
"Naofumi-sama our funds are limited" Raphtalia protested in vain.
"I know, but think of it. If the result is anything good, we can raise it. Then either keep it if it works out or sell it back to Beloukas. Your own price nearly increase 100 fold."
"I-I understand" Raphtalia conceded out loud, but held reservations.
"Plus if we get the most common result, a filolial, We'll use it to travel around to places they don't know my face. Selling my medicine would be far easier."
"I agree a filolial would help tremendously. I just fear an aggressive species might simply fight the chimera."
"That was true..." Naofumi though about this legitimate concern.
"Chimera? Chimera! My dear customer! what exactly have you stumbled upon?"
Naofumi gave Raphtalia a look. She let it slip. She lowered her ears in response. He couldn't stay mad at that look.
"We have a potentially dangerous egg, but it might also be very useful. And no I don't want to sell it at this time."
"Fine, fine. If it does prove to much though, please bring it here!"
"Fine. One egg then."
"Of course. I'll throw in an extra incubator for your other egg. I want to see the results."
Naofumi spent 120 silver in all. He placed his stored egg within the incubator. Of course Raphtalia opted to carry the lottery egg instead of the chimera egg.
...
-Erhart's Shop-
...
As they opened the door Erhart went from worry to relief, then from relief to annoyance.
"The hell kid! You need to let me know you survived sooner!"
Naofumi just realized that Erhart was left in the dark about his and Raphtalia's fate. He had caused him to fear the worst.
"Sorry. We had to attend the castle celebration in order to receive a reward."
He then placed the 221 sliver he owed Erhart on the counter, giving Raphtalia a small smirk.
"Kid... You seem different and those eggs. What happened in the last two days?"
"well..."
Naofumi told Erhart what happened. The wave, the knights, the chimera egg, the duel, all of it. He knew he could trust Erhart to not abuse that information.
"Well damn and here I thought that the wave was the biggest problem you'd face. You're having a rough time kid."
"Well it's over and done with, it's fine."
Erhart couldn't help but have his spirits lifted by that. Naofumi still had sour moments, but he really was trying to focus on the good. Raphtalia and Erhart both exchanged approving looks.
"So what's next kid?"
"I have a lot of hustling I got to do in town first, then we'll be heading back to Lute village. I need to find a good buyer for my medicine."
"So you wont be back for a while?"
"I'll try not to be a stranger, but it's ill advised to stay in this town. Who knows what they'll try and pull."
Erhart wasn't showing it, but he was kinda resenting the royalty right now. Being in the capital, he had great business, but the politics were about to overshadow the advantages. He may have to consider moving his shop to another city in a few years.
After that, they had a more lighthearted conversation. Naofumi brought up the fact that Erhart's armor saved his life at one point and Erhart wore a big grin the rest of the day. At one point Naofumi looked to see how long until the next wave... "45 days!?" Soon after, Naofumi left for the other shops.
...
-The Apothecary's Shop-
...
Naofumi tried to argue his case the moment he entered the man's shop, "Hello. I know you're probably not happy to see me, but I think we both can make a lot of coin."
To his surprise the shop keeper was all smiles since the moment he walked in.
"Ah, shield hero. I'm glad you've returned here." He began searching behind his counter for something.
"That's quite curious. You've done your best to run me off before now. What changed?"
The man placed a book on his counter before he spoke "I had a relative living in Lute Village at the time of the wave. They considered you the sole reason they survived. Here."
He handed a book over to Naofumi. Naofumi examined it. He still couldn't read this language, but the layout and contents seemed similar to the last book he bought.
"Is this...?"
"Yep a book of intermediate medicine and it's corresponding herbs. My relative said your potions handed out to the injured were of high quality. After a few questions I was able to confirm that they were indeed still made with a beginner recipe. You have skill to make a beginner recipe work just as well as an intermediate one. I'm interested in seeing how powerful an intermediate medicine made by you will become."
Naofumi did his best to hide a smile. He wanted to be happy, but that had to come after business.
"I hope that means we can do business now."
"Indeed. I do apologies for that. I didn't want rumors to spread, it may of hurt business. With the waves going on, I've never made so much coin before. I didn't want it to end..."
He looked over at Raphtalia while talking and seemed to be lost a moment.
"This young lady? is she?"
"Yeah, thanks to your supplies, she's grown into quite the warrior. I don't know how I'd be alive today without her."
The man seemed quite content, "Y'know I became an apothecary to help people like you miss... But I nearly turned you away because I feared I'd miss out on some easy coin. It appears I've become a bit jaded over the years."
Naofumi had already forgiven the guy the day Raphtalia's cough stopped, "Don't beat yourself up too much. You were the one that suggested I buy your extra tools. That's now saved more lives than just hers."
"All the same, I feel some shame. If there's anything else I can do for you, please just ask."
"Well I wanted to sell medicine. I've got a large stock I can sell right now. I kinda need the money."
"Can I see one?" The man curiosity raised.
"Sure" Naofumi spawned a medicine from his [Inventory].
As he took the medicine he seemed surprised "Where did that medicine come from?"
Naofumi realized he'd showed the man one of his secrets without thinking. Maybe he was letting his guard down around the man now?
"Nothing major. I have a magical storage of sorts, thanks to my shield. I have nearly 200 of these medicines. All of the same quality as that one."
The man examined the potion heavily. He took several minutes doing so and Naofumi was beginning to think he was putting on an act for some reason.
"It really is a beginner recipe... and yet, it is on the level of a low to mid intermediate potion... Oh."
The man seemed to realize just how much time he was wasting. He quickly recomposed himself.
"Oh, yes. I'd be more than happy to buy your potions shield hero. Let's talk."
As the two of them hashed business. The man offered a more than fair sum per potion. While he claimed it was because he'd be able to sell them quickly, Raphtalia liked to think he was just being generous. The man bought 75 potions from Naofumi, claiming he couldn't afford to purchase more right now. Naofumi for his part was fine. At 3 silver a piece, he went from 267 silver to 492 silver.
As they went to leave, the man piped up again.
"One last thing. You should visit the magic shop two streets north of here. That mean hag wanted to talk to you."
...
-The Magic Shop-
...
Naofumi and Raphtalia entered the magic shop the apothecary mentioned. They found themselves eyeing the shelves with much curiosity. Naofumi hadn't been able to learn any magic as of yet. It must mean level ups can't help. It was a skill like any other and must be actively learned and taught. He'd wanted to come to this shop earlier, but circumstances kept that from happening.
As they continued to explore the shop, Naofumi's mind was wondering all over the place. He had far more Magic stat than attack stat. If he could learn some offensive magic, then he wouldn't have to saddle Raphtalia with all the work. He also saw several items that caught his eye. This shop also had some potions, but housed other things as well. Cauldrons, odd stones, at least 100 books, and half as many scrolls.
"What kinda shields would they give?"
"Welcome curious customers, what is it you are looking for?" The voice came from a nice old lady in a stereotypical witch outfit.
Raphtalia decided to take the lead, "Yes, we were told you'd want to speak with Naofumi-sama?"
The kindly women warmed even further. "Naofumi-sama you say? So then you must be the shield hero."
Naofumi stepped forward, "Yes, hello. The apothecary two streets south of here told me you would like to speak to me. Truth is, I'd been needing to come here anyways."
"Ah, the old fool actually followed through on his promise for once? I guess with enough years even he can grow up a bit."
"Um, yeah..." Naofumi felt both warmth and venom from this lady.
She motioned them both over to her as she set something up, "Come, come. Place your hands here"
After that, Naofumi found out about affinity and that his was restorative and protection magic. He wasn't thrilled by the idea, but thought that healing magic plus his potions only furthered his capabilities, should the need ever arrive. Protection magic seemed to include all forms of buffs. This gave Naofumi a lot of ideas.
Raphtalia had shadow and light affinity, which the magic shop owner said was common for raccoon demi-humans. She also said that Raphtalia's magic affinity was very strong. The witch also said that while light and shadow magic have their own spells, but having both allowed for illusionary magic.
"With three types of magic available to her and strong affinity... perhaps having Raphtalia focus more on magic or at least incorporate it more would make better use of her strengths."
"With that said, here." She presented him with several books.
Naofumi was getting tired of the constant reminder that he couldn't read...yet. He needed to stay positive. He promised Raphtalia to seek happiness, so he can't dwell in such minor issues.
"Books, eh? Well I'll take all the help I can get."
"Yes. These should have all the spells you two can learn of the novice level. I know learning from a grimoire is harder, but I haven't any crystal balls to offer."
"Crystal balls? What about them? What's the difference between spells learned from one than the other?"
"Sorry. I forgot you are not of this world. There is no difference in what was learned, but how it's learned. You will need to learn how to use your mana and learn the words for each spell, many other factors as well. This is how you learn from a grimoire"
"I've been no stranger to doing things the hard way lately... But learning to read before even beginning to learn 'novice' magic... And I'm almost level 30, meaning novice level spells might not even be that useful... No, that's just an excuse. My buffs and healing will remain useful. Raphtalia's utility has value even if her sword is more effective. I just need to buckle down and work harder."
"Learning from a crystal ball is as easy as touching it. Several spells are stored inside and you may learn one of them. The ease at learning the spell is great and all, but learning it the right way will result in those spells being stronger and being more mana efficient."
"So there's a quick way, but the results are poorer? Fair enough."
"All the same it would of helped you gain a grasp on magic. I really wish I still had one to give you."
"Let me guess? The waves? Honestly everyone seems sold out of everything."
"Yes and no. The castle requested 8 crystal balls for the heroes... I assume you did not receive your two?"
Naofumi sighed. He didn't want to be frustrated, but come on. "Of course not. I had to demand my minimum reward from the king, even though only Raphtalia and I helped the village... That man..."
The lady's strong smile was now set to a somber one. "I know this nation has not been kind to you, but there are many who see your merits and many more who will see them with time."
Raphtalia did her best to restore the mood, "Sorry about that. Naofumi-sama can be rude sometimes, but please ignore it."
"Hey." Naofumi wasn't taking crap, not even from Raphtalia.
"Hehe, I understand. Please let me know if you need anything else."
"Hey." Now they were talking around him.
Both the witch and Raphtalia seemed to be doing it on purpose.
Naofumi let it slide, "I was actually hoping to buy other things as well. We are leaving the capital soon and are planning to return only days before the wave. I need any kinds of useful materials I can get for my shield... and I'd like a cauldron as well."
"A cauldron? For someone making potions that sounds about right... I don't think I have much you'd gain from..."
She went through a few shelves and draws. She came back with an Odd bone a chalk white crystal and a cauldron.
"Sorry. Not a lot of useful things for your shield. I mostly deal in books and scrolls."
Naofumi's smile was back, "You've done plenty, Thank you."
"To actually feel grateful... I'm on my way already."
Naofumi did his best at haggling, but this old women was a surprisingly hard opponent for him. Not that he minded much, he already received many gifts from her.
He then quickly fed everything, other than the books, to his shield.
.
[Cauldron Shield]
+1 mag, +1 def, +2 mdef
[Ability: Brew] Increase the quantity of soups and stews made by 15%
.
[Cast Iron Shield]
+1 def, + 3 mdef
.
[Iron Shield]
+2 def
[Ability: Metalworking] Creating something from or including metal is slightly better in quality.
.
[Magic Crystal Shield]
+3 mag, +1 mdef
.
[Bone Shield]
+1 def, + 3 shadow resistance
.
Naofumi's smile became less forced. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like unlocking and mastering new shields. He totally didn't care that the stupid [Cauldron Shield] gave cooking bonuses instead of potion bonuses. Totally.
"If you ever need anything hero, don't hesitate to ask. I'm getting up there in years, but that just means I'm more experienced" She said jokingly... he hoped.
Naofumi in his infinite potential for malice briefly considered calling her out on her offer and leaving it to her to give Raphtalia 'The Talk', while he escaped for however long it took to finish...
"Naofumi you're thinking something rude aren't you? Stop making that face."
He couldn't tell how much of it was Raphtalia's insight on him and how much was his inability to hide it well.
"Alright, alright. We need to get going. I think I might have something I'll need help with next time we meet, until then" He waved her off as he left. Raphtalia apologized again for his rudeness before hurrying to rejoin him.
...
-Castle City Streets-
...
Naofumi had resupplied everything he needed. After his last stop, he turned and asked Raphtalia, "So do you want to stay in an inn tonight?"
Raphtalia was happy he was asking for her input. Saying he'd not treat her as a slave and actually following through on it were not the same. She considered the question. It'd mean using some of their funds, but they said they'd treat themselves...
"We're heading to Lute village, right? Are we just resupplying there?"
"No. I wanted to take some time to learn to read. I have this other medicine book. I should be able to pick it up easier since I know a lot about the subject now. So I was thinking we could stay in Lute Village, help them recover and sell medicine when able, then in the evenings I can learn to read."
"If that's the case, lets just head there." She said without letting her intentions be known.
"Oh? And why's that?"
"The sooner we can get there, the sooner we can help... plus they might let us use a room for free for all we've done."
"Ah. I see I've rubbed off on you. That's fine then." He went to leave toward the gate, but then Raphtalia grabbed his arm and took the lead.
"Of course Naofumi-sama. I wouldn't be who I am without you... and to continue that good influence, I think I'll be joining you in your studies. I'm only 10 years old, but I can read and write a little bit."
Naofumi let her drag him through the gate, trying to ignore the '10 years old' comment.
...
Lute Village
...
Naofumi and Raphtalia made it there in two days instead of three, like last time. In that time Naofumi had mastered both [Cauldron Shield] and [Chimera Meat Shield]. Raphtalia had taught Naofumi the basic alphabet and sentence structure in those two nights, but Naofumi was having a hard time understanding how letters formed words. It was totally different from Japanese and was a pretty foreign concept to him, but Raphtalia was patient with him.
As they entered the village they were greeted warmly. It was different than either were use to being treated, but they were expecting this. Someone went and fetched the lord who promptly greeted them on his arrival.
"Ah Shield hero! And his companion. What can we do for you?" He asked with some enthusiasm.
"I've brought more medicine and I've also come to help in other ways. I'll be staying in the village for a few days... if that's okay?"
"Oh, of course! We always have room for you. Please, don't feel like you are unwanted here."
Those words were the right ones for Naofumi to hear. He let his guard down, if but a little.
"We can of course use medicine. We have still quite few who are dealing with nasty wounds. Though..."
Naofumi could already guess, "If it's about price, we can work out a deal. We need a room to stay in. We will need supplies when ours run out. We might need help here or there. I can't afford to throw away this medicine... But I also wont let someone suffer because of it. Worse comes to worst, We can deal in I.O.U.s."
The lord was looked at Naofumi for a moment. "Thank you. We'll help in whatever way we can to repay you."
For the rest of the day, Naofumi assisted the villagers. He gave medicine to the worse of them and made sure to give them the potions himself. He and Raphtalia also did what they could in helping clear the village. Sifting through half destroyed houses, determining if they were worth repairing or needed to be demolished. There was also Bee and Locust bodies still being found. When Naofumi heard about this he asked about the zombies, as he saw not a single one. The villagers said they don't know what happened either, but the morning following the wave they were all gone without a trace...
Naofumi was in his free room at the inn thinking about this when-
"Uh Naofumi-sama... The egg. It's shacking."
Naofumi shot up from the bed and ran to the table. Raphtalia had already marked the incubators after Naofumi tried to pull a switcheroo on her. This one was the potential problem child. The egg began to crack and gave way for the creature within...
It was cute.
It appeared as a large kitten, eyes still closed. It's hair was a burnt golden color. However, it had more abnormal features. Namely, it's disproportionately large scorpion tail and underdeveloped bat-like wings, both colored a dull purple. Crying for it's parent.
One [Inspect] later confirmed it.
[Race: Interdimensional Manticore]
.
[Author's Notes]
I've been using "..." by itself on a line to signal a change in scene, but I feel that actually just saying when and where the new seen is and maybe a brief description might help the reader more.
Please tell me which part(s) you felt were too slow in pace, trying to improve.
Yup. Manticore. My favorite type of chimera. It's name will be rather lame. Par for the course for Naofumi.
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