"Talking"
"Thinking"
[Status Magic or other reference to a system or power]
…
The family and Melty were aware it was a front. They knew Monti well enough to know he'd not simply drop it or leave it up to someone else, but if their words couldn't comfort him, they hadn't much else. They hoped that Fitoria could solve the problem for them. And if she couldn't, they'd need to prepare themselves for that.
.
That night and the following early morning flew by.
Teal took care of Keel during this time, planting a few herbs for dealing with poison as a precaution. The poison was seen as particularly nasty by Naofumi, but Keel was far from weak anymore. She felt mildly sick at most. Naofumi considered how easily Keel withstood such a powerful poison. It made him realize that Keel was now also considered exceptionally talented by any reasonable metric. She had Naofumi's slave and demi-human bonuses from level 1, Filo's class upgrade, had a fair number of levels exchanged for stat growth via the Whip power up method, and was now level 72.
Thinking about it, most of the people they knew were powerhouses now. Even Mia had noteworthy stats at this point, despite her starting stats. Naofumi wished he could have given Eclair a similar treatment. She was superior to Raphtalia in skill and dwarfed everyone he'd met in combat experience, excluding the old lady. If Eclair had Keel's stats right now, he'd have zero worry about leaving the village daily.
'Zero worry' was about as far from Monti as possible. He became so distracted with worry that he failed to eat one of the centipedes after the battle, and Fitoria's flock was quite thorough. Even then, the centipedes were level 1-3, so it wasn't going to be worth much. His best bet was to get a bite of one of Merodach's exceptionally powerful bodies. He tried to think of how to use his [Chain Lightning] or perhaps a derived spell of some sort to turn Merodach's strength into a weakness. The other kids kept Monti as distracted as best they could. Melty seemed more emotionally equipped to handle the task than the rest of the kids.
Monti was not trying to be a stick in the mud. Seeing the effort his siblings and Melty were putting towards distracting him, he'd allow it. He helped the villagers and Melty the rest of the day, making sure to apologize to anyone scared from the earlier issue.
Leon hung out with Imiya most of that time. They both wanted Naofumi to teach them more about making accessories. Naofumi gave them a bit of his time, but was very busy. By this time, Imiya could stand to talk to the kids, Raphtalia, and Keel. She even introduced herself to Melty when she was with the others, but as soon as Melty introduced herself in return, Imiya freaked out and decided to leave. Melty expected a number of people to act scared of her or maybe blame her, but she resolved herself to see them made brave again. She'd like them not to hate her, but their wellbeing was of more concern than their opinions of her.
Leon also hung out with Filo a bit. It was a bit surprising. While they play-fought at times, everyone knew it was more for fun. That said, neither really hung out with the other unless they had to. They were maintaining and expanding the area for their pet valian. The lobster-type monsters were already nearing the size of what would be considered an adult lobster, but only halfway to adulthood by valian standards. Their growth meant that the place on the beach was no longer a viable home for them. They consulted Teal and came up with a solution. They'd make them a proper valian home.
They knew how valian lived in burrowed caves that were at just the right sea level to have saltwater come in and out. The two dug the hole together. As they worked, Filo sang her songs. Leon pretended like it wasn't enjoyable. Teal reminded them to be wary of Dacna, so they made semi-sphere holes throughout the cave. That way, a Dacna could roll in, but could not roll out. It took them most of the rest of the day, as they stayed in their human forms for the most part, not wanting the cave to be too big.
When it was dinnertime, they came in filthy from their excavation. Raphtalia had to help both of them clean up before they could eat. Filo nearly cried.
Raphtalia gave her a spoonful of the stew they'd be having. "You'll be pulling the cart again, starting tomorrow. So you can have as much as you can eat…, but not another bite until you're clean. Keel might eat it all if you are not quick!" She said with faux excitement.
"Wah!?" Filo ran off to the ocean again.
She planned to use her wind magic in the water to clean up super quickly. Leon eyed her, but decided to clean up at the cart instead. Despite Raphtalia's claims, Filo was in a chair waiting on a bowl of stew before Naofumi even poured the first serving.
With the right motivation, Filo was the fastest at everything.
Teal tried hanging out with Keel for a while. Keel was bragging about how strong she was now, but most everyone was more shocked at her clearly now being a girl. Even with the baggy outfit, her curves showed through. It was annoying for Keel, but the aggravation led to her demonstrating her power, which got the conversation back on track.
"So now I can protect everyone." Keel said at some point.
Teal thought about those words. "Monti is worried about what happened and Keel is determined to protect this place… I need to do some things myself."
"Hey… I'll be busy until dinner, don't wait up." Teal suddenly said, leaving.
Keel thought little of it. She waved her off and continued bragging to the kids.
Teal planted more trees to be used as lumber and harvested and reseeded the herbs and other plant materials used in making medicine.
It didn't feel like enough.
Teal could make a plant do just about anything if she took enough time making it. She needed to think of new ways to help the village and her family. She lacked power when compared to her siblings without prep time and the types of plants she could make were only a single step above basic. The problem was that Teal was exceedingly intelligent, but lacked creativity.
"If I can't think of anything, then maybe someone else has ideas I can use." Teal thought.
Teal had a bit of an ego when it came to her cleverness, but she needed results. She'd ask anyone with any level of talent for their input. Her family, of course. The only other person in the village she could ask right now was Melty…, but-
Melty talked (or more accurately "nagged") Naofumi's ear off with suggestions and advice for nearly the entire time after the fight to before they left. He tried throwing the kids at Melty to defend himself. Figuratively and in one case, literally… She dodged. It didn't work. The kids were considerate enough and situationally aware enough to not distract Melty from her important tasks. The closest thing to peace he had was when he cooked food that night and the following morning. As serious as Melty tried to be, she wouldn't speak while Naofumi's delicious food still dwelled on her plate.
Melty felt bad about getting a room to herself in the village while most still slept in the shell of Naofumi's would-be home. Eclair and Melty's shadow were quite firm on this, though. They'd place Melty's safety as the highest priority. Such measures were the bare minimum reason Melty was even allowed to come here to begin with.
Eventually, it came to a head the following morning when Melty became too frustrated with Naofumi avoiding the conversations that she blew a fuse.
"Listen to me! We need to at least outline where the updated roads will be!" Melty yelled.
"I know where one of the new roads is going…" Naofumi defended.
"One!? Just one!?" She lost it.
Before she could do much else, the kids grabbed her softly to calm her down.
"Don't you think this is more than enough?" Raphtalia asked Naofumi, speaking of something unknown to Melty.
"Fine, fine." Naofumi went up to Melty and took a knee.
"Well!?" Melty was still mad.
"Look. I've spoken with the stonemasons and they've been planning the new roads. That's their area of expertise. I know about one road because it'll be the road that'll have the houses for those pregnant women. It lets them access the town with the least amount of vertical travel, I specifically requested it. The roads will dictate where the new houses will be built." Naofumi told her with a smirk.
"Then why not tell me!? Do you like seeing me worry!?" Melty yelled.
"Honestly? Yes." Naofumi said in a softer tone.
Melty immediately lost her steam. "What!?"
"Yeah. Your worrying is honestly therapeutic. It's a constant reminder that someone who really cares will be in charge while we're gone. I already knew you would, but it's nice receiving your very constant reminders." Naofumi told her.
Melty was now flustered. Red in the face, teary-eyed and embarrassed. "You need to stop playing with me."
"But you're such a good sport about it." Naofumi taunted.
Melty just huffed.
Naofumi went to explain. "Look. I expect a lot of butting heads. I expect a lot of bullshi-"
"Language." Raphtalia corrected his cursing to children... again.
"...A lot of difficulty. If you can't handle me, you can't handle the job." Naofumi told her.
Melty paused. She thought for a moment. "Fine." She eventually replied in a pouting tone.
"I appreciate you being so understanding. You'll need that a lot." Raphtalia added, wanting to complement her.
Melty huffed again. "When compared to Naofumi's rudeness, managing the village in your absence will be easy." That was about as rude as Melty could manage to be.
Naofumi and Raphtalia shared a short laugh at Melty's declaration. They were very lucky to have her there.
They gathered up their things and all went to the cart. Keel, Melty, Ake, and Eclair went to see them off. Some of the other villagers came too, like Imiya.
"Like I said, it's not necessary. I can replace the same saved destination each time. So, we can return every day and still make progress in our travels." Naofumi told them in annoyance.
"That may be true, but Naofumi is the type of person to not come back just to get a little more travel time." Keel said aloud.
"That's true." Raphtalia agreed.
"Oi! Don't dissect my character in front of me like that." Naofumi told them.
"Guess that means you want us to talk about you behind your back?" Melty asked with a smug tone.
"...I'll let her have that one." Naofumi didn't take the bait further.
He motioned for the family to get on the cart. Monti helped place the harness on Filo and they gave one final wave.
[Portal Shield]!
And in a flash of light they were gone.
"How often do you think they'll return?" Ake asked.
"I'm guessing every three days or so." Keel answered.
"I find it more likely that they'll return every single day, with new excuses for why. Naofumi trusts us, but… Maybe if Monti stayed sometimes, Naofumi would manage a single absent night." Melty gave her opinion.
They nodded along and spoke a bit to each other. Imiya did her best to speak to the other children, but Keel was now too old looking and Melty was the princess.
"I agree. They will likely return tonight, never ceasing their worries. So let's get to work. If we can do enough without them, maybe we'll alleviate their minds of enough worry to allow them a peaceful rest on the roadside instead." Eclair was the one to end the socializing.
With that, everyone got to work. They wanted these houses built. Once everyone had their own roof, Naofumi's house could be finished and they'd have relief waiting for them at home instead of stress.
…
The Parade, one day later
…
A piece of Merodach was traveling with Kalbur and Mald to somewhere new. After losing the fight against Fitoria, he was glad he didn't bring Mald and Kalbur with him. He'd be upset to lose useful pieces on the board now, especially as things were. Kalbur didn't seem grateful. He was quite upset by the whole turn of events and let it show. He'd not say anything to Merodach for fear of being killed, but he was fuming.
"I don't get it, did you want to die back there?" Mald eventually asked sarcastically.
"Don't be silly. I just wanted the shield hero and his demi-human slave to bite it. If I was also there, with these new levels and this." Kalbur said, lifting a wooden box (about a 1' wide and tall, but 7' long) he was carrying a bit higher. "I could have killed them both before the creature appeared."
Mald thought for a moment. "If you did, you'd be dead too. Wouldn't you prefer revenge and living?" Mald thought aloud.
"Tsk." Kalbur clicked his tongue, sighed, and stopped talking.
Kalbur was blinded by his emotions. He was the smartest among the Three Heroes Church upper staff, yet he seemed very eager to make a blunder. He had retrieved all the Three Heroes Church resources that were left in dead drop locations by shadows, including what he carried in the box. He also made contact with the remnants of the Three Heroes Church. They weren't there to see Kalbur's cowardice. From their point of view, Kalbur was the only choice to succeed Balmus. With such recognition, this new found power, and Merodach at his side… He had gotten ahead of himself. He could see that now.
"You're right. Next time, we'll be more tactful." Kalbur eventually said.
"Heh, next time? Technically, you've done your one task in guiding us to the boss' target. You can leave, right?" Mald mentioned.
The three shared a look. Kalbur and Mald weren't sure if Merodach's promise was an empty one.
"That is true. You may leave." Merodach granted.
"...I'd rather stay. At least until the shield hero is felled." Kalbur offered.
"What!? You were given your ticket out of this and you're staying?" Mald was surprised.
"Why wouldn't anyone with ambition stay? With Master Merodach, I continue to gain levels… and if he ever decides to destroy this world, it'd be best to stay his ally." Kalbur answered.
"Destroy the world?" Mald whispered, frightened.
"Of course. I am a wave boss, after all. Not that I have any reason or desire to do so. After all, this is Kalbur's home. If you're dedicating yourself to me of your own free will, then I'll not harm your world." Merodach said with a false sincerity.
"I appreciate it." Kalbur replied with the same false sincerity.
Mald kept looking at the pair. Clearly, there was heavy subtext to this exchange that he was painfully unaware of. However it happened, Kalbur got Merodach to agree to not attack the world itself.
After that exchange, Merodach got back to figuring out how to get out of this mess.
He talked trash to Fitoria with such confidence, but he was regretting his loose mouth already. In just one day, Fitoria had located and killed three of his bodies. This was in addition to what she was doing with the other heroes. Her flock seemed to be everywhere and the moment they caught sight of him, Fitoria was soon to arrive. Only one other piece of himself was strong enough to make a wave and the second he tried it, he died by her claws.
He'd been dying more than usual and it was taxing his soul. He had no choice. He'd have to gather his strength under the radar. From what he could tell, none of his bodies in cities were killed. He used that to determine that Fitoria avoided such places, or maybe her flock did. His best bet was to stay in and near towns as much as he could, or else Fitoria was actually going to snuff him out like she said she would.
He'd act as a low level adventurer out of as many towns as he could, while his best body went for Zeltoble. He'd be able to fight in the colosseum there without taking a step out of the city. It would be the best place to gather strength with Fitoria prowling.
He was desperate to get Monti, but also couldn't get too full of himself.
"My next chance might be my last. I can't know what level she is or how strong she really is. I'll have to aim for level 300… No, 200 while also avoiding her. The best way to deal with her is to not even fight her. I'll find a way to snatch that wave boss and leave through a world fracture… I can finally see it. I can see an opportunity to be free of those bastards." Merodach thought.
He continued to travel the roads, covering himself to hide.
"Just be patient. You've waited for hundreds of years. Another few months is fine." He assured himself.
…
Back with Naofumi and the others
…
Naofumi and the others teleported to the saved point made at the sight of the battle with the Three Heroes Church. It was conveniently within sight of the border leaving Melromarc, but that wasn't the only thing in sight. They could clearly see the damage done in the battle. Scars on the road and fields, burned fields, makeshift tents set up still housing some captured soldiers that fought on the other side. Seeing the sight made them all appreciate how big of a headache even the best case scenario had been for the queen.
They approached the gates, but were surprised to see the guards already having the gate open and moving out of his way.
"I really could get used to this." Naofumi allowed himself to think.
Maybe being recognized at this point was a good thing?
They went to go through the gate, but saw a shadow holding a letter out at the center. Filo came to a stop and Raphtalia reached her hand out for the letter. The shadow seemed hesitant to hand the letter to Raphtalia, but an annoyed look from Naofumi convinced them otherwise. Raphtalia took the letter and inspected it.
"This seems to be from the queen." Raphtalia commented, passing the letter to Naofumi to open.
"Eh? What could she say in a letter that she couldn't say in person?" Naofumi asked rhetorically.
He broke the wax seal and read the letter, the shadow waiting patiently for him to finish it.
"Hmm, mostly just her warning us again about Siltvelt. Like we didn't get enough of that with Walter on Cal Mira. Hmm. Some guy named Werner seems to be someone the queen recommends we try to meet with. Says that she won't vouch for him, but that he seemed the most decent out of those in Siltvelt's leadership she has dealt with in recent years." Naofumi told them, still eyeing the letter.
The shadow bowed slightly, then moved out of the way of the cart. "Good luck to you, Lord Iwatani." They offered.
Naofumi would study the letter more as they went. They didn't wait to continue onward. They had taken their first steps out of Melromarc into the wider world. Just past the border walls weren't anything too different, but Naofumi was sure that the rest of the world was going to have a lot more to show them as they traveled.
…
Melromarc Castle
…
Mirellia sat at a table full of paperwork in a noticeable amount of stress. She was worried. Worried that either Naofumi would be tempted to leave their lands for good, or worse, that something might happen to a member of his family in Siltvelt, causing the curse series to show itself again.
She'd heavily considered being more manipulative with not just Naofumi, but all 4 of the heroes. However, the existence of the curse series gave her pause. She'd heard of Naofumi's suffering, as well as his own interpretation of being summoned. To be kidnapped, stolen from his family, made a slave. It wasn't a perspective she would have considered, but she couldn't say it was untrue.
They summoned the heroes. That was already wrong of them. To go further with deceit, it risked the curse series awakening in any of the four. Only Ren had shown no signs of the curse awakening so far.
And while she had learned this lesson, the other nations of the world had yet to. She could only do so much for them now that they were all beyond her borders. She had and would continue to send information around the world as she found it relevant to do so.
The door opened and a tray of light food and warm drinks were sat on the table. It was the former king Aultcray, tending to his wife as best as he was still allowed.
"Naofumi survived my foolishness. Siltvelt will not claim him." He offered some words of assurance alongside a cup of tea.
"You hated him from the outset and made it quite clear. Siltvelt will be more honeyed in its approach. Some of it will even be genuine. That and some of his children could be mistaken for demi-humans. They might find it far more welcoming than we have had much of a chance to be. I'm forced to hope Naofumi faces trouble, elsewise…" The queen spoke, taking the cup.
"I don't think he'll stay gone. He may come to dislike Melromarc all the more if things go too well for him, but you said yourself that he won't abandon Lurolona village." Aultcray recalled.
"True… I worry all the same. I've thread the needle as the situation has demanded it these past few months. It was nearly impossible, I have to worry." The queen trembled at the thought.
"Naofumi isn't the one to worry about. Those new lords… I've barely seen them. Are you not worried about their performance?" Aultcray changed the subject while holding her shoulders still.
Mirellia smiled "Not in the slightest. Young Mia and Miss Godiva have the attitudes necessary, and while Sir Fitts is a bit straightforward, that shadow that clings to him is no stranger to the games we need to play. Mia has become less submissive with her accelerated aging and is no less brilliant. She seems to be a bit too trusting, given the type of people she seems to have already gathered, but she has additional shadows to ensure nothing goes wrong. Godiva is straightforward, but very strong. Directing her and expecting success will come easily. Lastly, Lord Blackcrown is his father's son. Stubborn to his word and quick to give it. He'll be a strong pillar to build ourselves up by… even if he has some unsavory issues himself. I expect success from the lot of them." The queen answered.
Getting her to speak of success and certainty eased her mind. Aultcray didn't question her judgment, but the topic change improved her mood as he planned. She finally gave her drink a sip and calmed down.
"A strong back to straighten the western front out, a dutiful son to keep Briarhaven at the ready, a brilliant mind to conduct actually useful research in Evergreen, Eadwig is turning the economy around in Opaltown before I even recalled my rumors, Naofumi will not stop until our worst province is our greatest, and then Sir Fitts, Aldreick, as well as Einclad's daughter and Osmond's son in the coming years. Even with Aldreick not being on speaking terms with me, things look…like they're getting better." The queen allowed a moment of reprieve.
She looked out the window a moment before asking, "When do you plan to apologize to him?"
"...When he can stand to look at me, I suppose." Aultcray answered.
"So, no time soon?" She replied.
"If you want me to push the issue…" Aultcray went to offer.
"No, it's fine. Oh. I did have one bit of good news confirming my suspicions." The queen just remembered.
"Oh?" The former king bid her to continue.
"During the wave, an adventurer swept my feet to force me to avoid an attack. It seemed to be a girl with dark hair, carrying a glaive. She wore a mask, but I now know that she apparently is a new gladiator that came out of nowhere in Zeltoble and is doing very well in the arena…" The queen slowed as she spoke.
"Langiva's daughter!?" Aultcray sounded relieved.
"Almost for a certainty. She even has lightning affinity." The queen added.
"If it is her, then will you…?" Aultcray's happiness soured in conflict.
"I will let her live free. I can't justify giving her the position her father held with him dying a traitor…" The queen responded.
"I guess that's all you can give her…" Aultcray accepted it, and he decided to be happy with the news.
The two turned to the subject of older days. When Aultcray's friends weren't dead traitors. It was a bittersweet feeling, but they chose to focus on the sweet right now.
…
Naofumi and co over the next few days
…
Over the next four days, Naofumi had Filo lead them to several smaller towns headed in the direction of Siltvelt. Despite Naofumi warning otherwise, he had them return home each night and showed some concern for Melty.
As they entered a town, a few people recognized Filo as 'the heavenly fowl', proving the rumors traveled over the border. In the towns that recognized his alias, only one also heard the queen's announcements.
"That means you're the shield hero!?" One man exclaimed.
They prepared to leave, but the oddest thing happened. Nothing. Nothing happened. There were now enough positive rumors to balance out the negative ones. Naofumi was a controversial public figure, but not all bad. If they were neutral to him here, then the closer they traveled to Siltvelt, the better it would become.
"If you are the shield hero, I'd want your medicine… Do you have proof?"
Naofumi reached for some papers. "I have some documents, You can-"
"Those can be forged. I heard the shield lord could eat rucolu fruit whole. A friend on Cal Mira said they saw the feat." A deer demi-human piped up.
Naofumi noticed the demi-human wasn't treated differently by his human peers. That was a nice change of pace. As to what he claimed-
"Is it really so odd that it spread? I mean, I like them. So if you have one, I'll eat it." Naofumi responded.
The same demi-human ran off and came back with a rucolu fruit. Naofumi took it without hesitation and ate it. A few gasps escaped the forming crowd.
"There. Now-" Naofumi couldn't finish his statement.
Now believing his medicine to be the real deal, the lines of customers formed. There was a stronger desire to buy from them. Naofumi considered that maybe there was something else going on in or around the town that made the need for the medicine greater, but he heard no rumors that day that suggested such. It really seemed to be that the rucolu fruit was seen as a stronger form of identifying him and that drove sales.
"Guess I'll be eating more of those fruits from time to time now." Naofumi thought.
As they wrapped up their sales and loaded the cart back up, Naofumi noticed that they had more hands than they needed. Seeing as not everyone was needed all of the time, Naofumi thought it best for Raphtalia, Teal, Monti, and Leon to take turns staying in the village for the day.
When the idea was first explained, Filo wasn't happy.
"Monti can't spend more time with Mel-chan than Filo!" Filo argued.
"It's only because you have to pull the cart. What if we promise to ride Leon over any big mountains instead? Then you will have more time with Melty." Raphtalia suggested.
"Leon isn't replacing Filo! Hmmmm." Filo was struggling between her options.
"Uh, fine. Leon can flap over the hills." Filo surrendered.
"You mean soar over the peaks of this world?" Leon corrected in a bombastic manner.
"Leon's mouth flaps too." Filo replied in a deadpan voice.
Leon made a face and the others laughed lightly. And so it was decided. They'd take turns staying in the village.
…
Leon's day
…
Leon stayed the first day. The first thing he did when he was sent back was to check on the valian. He completely ignored possibly helping Melty and the others and rushed straight to the tunnel he and Filo dug out.
"If they left or got eaten, Filo will blame me… oh." Leon thought aloud before finding something.
It was a Dacna. It was in one of the holes they dug to stop them. Specifically, one of the holes Filo dug. Leon quickly killed it with magic, then picked the dacna up and sat it back down in one of the holes he dug. He then broke it open for the valian to eat.
"This way, I get the credit… We couldn't physically harm dacna's outer shell before Cal Mira and now I can crack them open with my bare hands. We seem so strong now…, but father's bad luck always seems to escalate just as fast as we do…" Leon's immature scheming changed to more thoughtful worrying.
As he exited the cave, he caught sight of a ship docking. Only one ship docked here currently. The one Cal Mira fisherman that agreed to make food deliveries and helped in boat construction to pay Naofumi back. Leon went to offer to help unload, but the fisherman seemed to already have a helper this time.
"You again?" Eclair greeted the former bandit, Zeke.
"Yell at me when I'm done. I gotta unload the cargo to pay for my passage." Zeke said, disinterested.
"Quit Yapp'n and get a stack'n." The fisherman barked.
Eclair was hoping to not deal with the man, but now she had to do so without Naofumi around.
"Tsk, afterwards you can leave. Naofumi isn't here." Eclair told Zeke.
He never slowed as he unloaded another crate. "He's the lord here. He'll show up eventually."
Leon sat nearby, watching the exchange. He had never met Zeke himself.
"Then after you are done, I'll test you. If you lose, you'll not waste Naofumi's time." Eclair prompted.
Eclair had a low opinion of bandits. He'd need to prove to her that he was worth the headache.
"A show of performance? Something we can agree on." The man accepted.
Leon left soon after. He wasn't interested in physical fights without magic. He heard later that day that Eclair beat him, but the stat difference was pretty great and he wasn't unskilled. Eclair ultimately allowed him to remain for Naofumi to judge later that night, when he returned.
Leon took some time out of his free day to play with Imiya. She had been speaking to him more and more. She even spoke to him when he was in his full dragon form. She was losing a lot of her fear.
As much as he'd have liked playing the whole time, he wanted to be useful too. He ended up flying around the village, then leaving further, widening his sweep every time, hoping to sense some rare minerals to mine up. Then he and Imiya could have more materials to practice accessory making on.
Naofumi and the others returned that night to see Zeke there, expectantly.
"What do you want?" Naofumi sounded annoyed.
"You know what. I want to do work in exchange for some power. I'm sure a hero like you has all kinds of ways to get stronger that I could use." Zeke answered, not dissuaded by the mood Naofumi gave off.
"You think you can do a better job than Eclair?" Naofumi baited.
"In a straight fight? Nah. She placed me on my ass earlier…, but in stopping thieves and slavers from sneaking in? Yeah." Zeke was honest, if only because Filo would call him out for lying.
Naofumi studied the man before turning to Melty. "How long will it take for them to build that wall we discussed?"
Melty jumped a bit and answered. "I'm still getting the presentation ready. I assume 2 months at the longest."
Naofumi turned back to Zeke. "What level are you?"
"75." Zeke answered proudly.
Zeke suddenly received a party invite from Naofumi, which he accepted. He then received another notice.
"Just accept it before I change my mind." Naofumi rushed him.
He accepted it. Zeke was then greeted by losing 20 levels and being kicked from the party.
"What!?" Zeke was furious.
"The only way I can boost you further is with growth based advantages. You exchanged 20 levels worth of EXP for better stat growth. When you reach that level again, you'll be stronger." Naofumi explained while not making eye contact.
Zeke was not as thrilled as he had hoped. "Oh… Shit. I was hoping for something a little more-"
"You're hired until the walls are complete. You'll get the same base pay as any other guard and I'll lower your level one more time by however much you want when the wall is done. Then you leave. Those are the terms."
"Damn… I'm feeling forced to buy something right now…" Zeke felt like he was back in the Opaltown markets.
Leon's opinion of his father's merchant ways only grew higher. The matter was settled with a few threats if he tried anything. Naofumi thought the deal was solid. Zeke couldn't exactly get that deal anywhere else. It wasn't like the other heroes were offering the whip method.
Naofumi immediately thought of something. "I can charge people to use the whip method on them… Most people won't want it, but… If I tell those in Siltvelt that I'll offer them a blessing of the shield hero that makes them stronger…" Naofumi schemed.
"Whatever it is you are thinking, no." Raphtalia told him.
"Ahh." Naofumi was found out.
…
Teal's day
…
Teal got the next day off. Melty was now aware that she'd have someone to help her each day. This meant Teal couldn't avoid helping Melty at first, but she slipped away as early as she could to search out Keel. She eventually found Keel training on a beach with some younger kids.
"You have to punch so hard, you can't help but swing. Hiya!" Keel instructed while demonstrating a punch.
Her form was actually rather good. Turned to one side, taking a full step into the attack, turning her torso, and squaring her shoulders. She clearly gained more from her time with Godiva than injuries. Keel caught sight of Teal and waved her over.
"Teal is super strong. Teal, show these guys a strong punch!" Keel cheered.
Teal wasn't one to be physically active, but if Keel was asking…
[Autumn Blow]!
Teal grew her arm and shattered a nearby boulder. A series of gasps and cheers from the kids were heard. Keel looked happy, but a slight disappointment was there as well.
"Why didn't you use the life force stuff the old lady was teaching us? She said you had more than anyone else." Keel asked.
"Oh… Well, it's still hard to do. I just figured a giant fist would be good enough." Teal gave a weak answer.
"Nah, 'good enough' sucks. Bubba shield wouldn't accept that answer and neither should you." Keel said, trying to give off some enthusiasm.
"Bubba shield?" Teal perked up in amusement.
"Yeah, I called your dad that, and he hated it. So, of course, I kept calling him that." Keel said with a wide grin.
"Hmm. Drop 'shield', it'd tick him off more." Teal suggested with a snicker.
They shared a laugh and eventually Teal joined them. It wasn't until she was sparring with Keel that she realized she wasn't being as optimal as she could be. Not only was she shirking her [Hengen Muso] training and practical combat training, but something struck her while they fought.
"I should just alter myself to use my life force better… Wait! Seriously! Why haven't I tried that?" Teal thought to herself.
From there, Teal slowly adjusted every little thing about herself while fighting Keel. If she optimized, she'd still be weaker than Monti at full strength, but she'd give Filo and Leon a good run for their money. Thinking about it, she also realized that she was still as unfamiliar with magic as Keel was. They could train that together as well. As long as Teal kept everything to training, Keel wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Her days in Lurolona would be quite fruitful, speaking of-
Teal had finished the plants as well, mimicking the plants that Naofumi gave Lerno, as well as the netting roots and the swirling fruit from before, which she named 'swirlers'.
"...Why'd I inherit dad's naming abilities?" Teal lamented.
…
Filo's day
…
Filo got to have a day as the family hit some heavily mountainous areas. Filo was happy to play with Melty, but told Leon 'only fly them over the tall rocks'. Filo stayed that day, along with the cart. Leon said he could carry it, but a death glare from Filo told Leon that moving the cart was her holy ground and sinners would be cut down.
With that made clear, Filo spent most of the day hanging onto Melty. However, she was showing more maturity than before. While she wanted to be near Melty and talk to her, she knew that Melty was busy doing important things and didn't want to take all of her time. Melty was the crowned princess, after all. This would always be the case.
Melty had to meet with some workers at one point and Filo knew she'd be bored. She decided to check on the valian during that meeting. When she managed to get in the cave, she was disappointed to find a dead dacna in a hole Leon dug and not her. The valian were eating it happily.
"Filo will just move it to one of Filo's and…, but it's dead… which means Leon killed it… Which means he moved it to steal credit first. There's no way Filo would lose. Leon cheated." Filo thought.
Filo was making wild accusations… that she was completely right about. Filo and Leon truly thought alike sometimes. She accused him because she'd do the same. Not that she'd admit that.
Filo also spotted and ate a lot of the fruit Teal put in the gardens. By midday Filo was feeling kind of bored and actually felt kind of bad about that. Her family went out of their way to give her a day and she's wasting it. She could hang out with Melty a bit more after the meeting, but without Melty being free to play or her siblings being there with her, she was unsatisfied.
"Is this a good time?" Fitoria called to Filo through her tuft of hair.
"Oh, heya. Nah, Filo is free." Filo was happy with Fitoria keeping her company.
"Are you not with Naofumi?" Fitoria asked.
"No. I get to play with Melty today." Filo said positively.
"Where is Naofumi?" Fitoria changed her question.
"Riding Leon over some hills." Filo answered.
Fitoria wanted to make a comment insulting Leon, but knew Filo would not stand for it. She wanted to be Filo's friend, but Filo wasn't going to budge on her stances involving her brothers. Which meant that for the first time in centuries, Fitoria had to conduct herself in a way that left a positive impact. She had given up on people as a whole and it led to her coming across in a dismissive manner.
"...How nice of him to give you a day off." Fitoria forced herself to say.
Filo jerked up at that. "You don't have to pretend." Filo told her.
"But I don't want you to be mad at me." Fitoria told Filo.
"You don't have to like Monti or Leon. Just don't hurt them." Filo answered.
"I won't… and I don't hate Monti." Fitoria replied.
"Yeah. Leon can be lame." Filo chirped
"Heh… Truthfully though, he's far from the worst dragon I've dealt with. He at least seems to be useful to his father." Fitoria found a way to say something nice in a way that wasn't a lie.
"Hmm. Hey. If you don't hate Monti, then…?" Filo probed.
"...He offered to let me kill him to save Naofumi. Came at me with killing intent when he thought I seriously harmed you, and wants nothing to do with those of the wave, even when the impossible happens again and another intelligent wave boss appears. I was upset that he would have hurt you… and that he was making light of the waves with his actions. However, his character is very similar to Naofumi's… I am sorry." Fitoria finally said.
"Filo isn't the one that Fitoria needs to say that to." Filo responded immediately
"You are right. I'll apologize to Monti if we cross paths again…, but not the lizard. No way the lizard." Fitoria answered.
"Kay." Filo chirped happily.
"..." They stayed quiet for a moment.
"You wanna come play with Filo?" Filo suggested.
"Yes. I've killed that lowly bug 7 times today. Hopefully, he can hide what remains of himself well enough from my flock so they don't alert me again today. For all his talk, I'm growing tired of killing him." Fitoria answered.
Fitoria came soon after. The two played the rest of the day, much to each other's delight. They even stole Melty for a few hours. Overall, Filo thought Fitoria saved her off day.
…
Monti's day
…
The fourth day was Monti's turn to stay in the village. He didn't see this as a time to play or enjoy himself. As soon as Naofumi recalled Teal and himself, he went straight to Melty. He walked right in the door and gave a slight wave.
"Hey. Do you need any help here?"
Melty looked up from a desk in relief. "It's finally your turn? Great!" Melty seemed relieved.
And why wouldn't she? She knew what kind of person Monti was and knew she'd have found no greater help than him. He'd not sneak away or goof off like the others. While it was good for her mental health to take breaks, getting ahead on her work was more so.
"I have a load of tasks I need done, follow me." Melty commanded.
Monti nodded along and followed with a smile.
Melty looked at that smile.
"It's fake… he's worried about that monster." Melty could tell.
She'd build a rapport with Monti as she got tasks done and prod him to check up on him.
The day was very productive. Melty had Monti to back her up and the villagers had a liking for him that curbed the nervousness that some had when dealing with Melty as a member of royalty. At one point, Monti had his tail wrapped around Melty's waist and moved her around as needed, bringing her to people she was speaking to and raising her up to speak to groups. Keel would describe it as Monti waving Melty around like a baton.
Melty was smart, but lacked confidence. Monti also lacked confidence as well, but it was easier knowing the other was there to help. Melty even had the foresight to force Monti to take the lead on a few of the smaller things. She didn't need or want Monti to be her worker, she wanted him to help her in a leadership capacity.
They reorganized the carpenters and stonemasons with the updated layout of the village, including a market district, road plans, three residential areas, fishing and farming areas, scheduling the boat construction, and a plan to place a stone wall around the town quite far away to account for future growth. Melty had been planning everything with only slight help from Naofumi. She was just waiting for Monti to be here to help her present everything. They seemed to take her words more seriously with Monti around. Their day flew by faster than they realized and they'd gotten a lot done.
Melty's shadow appeared before Melty as they were returning.
"Pardon me, Princess. I have a letter for you." The shadow handed her a sizable letter.
"Bad news?" Monti asked.
Melty bore a big smile. "No such thing. If mother sent a letter, then it might contain news, good or bad. This is a letter from my father." Melty answered while opening the letter quickly.
Monti could hear the happiness in her voice. Monti had come to hate the man for what he had put his parents through, but seeing Melty acting very much like a child and daughter over the letter reinforced all the more that sparing Aultcray was the right call to make. She read the letter slowly while she and Monti had lunch. Monti never attempted to steal a glance at its contents.
"So… what do we do now?" Monti eventually asked.
"Hmm…" Melty considered.
With Melty's preparation and Monti's help, she was finally ahead of the problem. It'd be the perfect time to act like the kids they are.
"I can't leave Monti idle to worry, though…" Melty considered the options.
"Oh! I have a request!" Melty spouted suddenly.
"Sure, whatever you want." Monti offered.
"Let me ride you! I want to fly as high and fast as I can!" Melty said with all of her childish charm.
Monti was already going to agree to just about anything, but she asked for the same thing his mother once asked, with nearly the identical look on her face.
"Maybe that isn't the best of actions." Melty's shadow appeared to warn.
Monti quickly turned into his monster form and grabbed Melty with his tail. Melty couldn't stifle a laugh as the 2 shot into the sky, the worried shadow waving her arms helplessly in protest.
Monti and Melty spent a lot of time in the sky. Looking down on the village and discussing things about what they could do to help. Looking down on his home, tracing where walls and roads would go, pointing out where certain buildings would be placed, focused on just this small place and nothing else. Monti felt his worry leave him.
"I'm not a hero. I can't protect the whole world, and maybe it was foolish to think I could. I'm just a kid. I don't know enough or am strong enough. Here though? This small place? I can definitely protect this." Monti thought about how satisfying these days helping Melty were going to be. He couldn't help but smile, genuinely this time.
.
[Author's Notes]
Again, long wait. Sorry. I have been working different jobs and trying to find my balance again. Struggling with money more than normal. I don't normally ask this, but I have a (it's "/Javetts" on patr-eon a link will be on the AO3 version of the story) and would appreciate anything you felt like giving. I'm being forced to move, but next month might be a return to something resembling stability if I can make it. Which would hopefully mean faster uploading like I used to. So the storm that has been my life for the last year might be clearing up.
This chapter sets up how Naofumi and the family intend to move forward while also making their way towards Siltvelt. I plan to do a bit of skipping if that is okay with everyone else. Next chapter will touch on Mia, Godiva, Liviccic, Fitts, and Chloe. Showing them in their own lands, doing what they can. Unknowingly having only a small amount of time before the world faces a threat on all fronts. Possibly ending with their arrival at Siltvelt.
Lastly, I feel I have to address Allen Blaster quitting/going on hiatus from his fanfics "Diligence of the Shield Hero" and "Shield Kid's Bizarre Adventure!". I'd just like to say that he had helped me several times to stay true to certain characters and shape certain story beats. It was Allen that led me to having Glass surrender in the Cal Mira wave and all that will spawn from that. I believe that the story is better for me having discussed things with Allen. I wish him the best, and hope he returns to finish the massive fic he has started. Thank you, Allen.