Before we start, just wanna point something out as to why this chapter took so long. Cause I didn't really plan this one out. The last two chapters were good in my opinion because they were planned out, but this chapter I think is pretty terrible because I didn't plan it properly, laying some groundwork. Had to make a lot of changes. I'm very sorry it took so long. My mind hasn't been in the right place during these months and with my focus put on enrolling in college, it's been a mess. I can't make good promises, but I will try to make more chapters and improve upon them. Also, thank you for your comments. Now, let's begin.
Faubrey, Morning…
Being the leading nation in terms of technology and society, the nation of Faubrey is something the rest of the world knows not to trifle with. Especially with its new technology that was the dawn of a new age in warfare, the musket.
But we are not here for a history lesson, for our sights are on one person.
She was sitting on an elegant chair, sipping on her cup of tea with grace while looking at a portrait of herself, her husband, and two daughters.
Her attire was an intricately-decorated royal gown. She was beautiful, her skin fair and her eyes and hair were both purple as the latter part was tied in a bob with collarbone-length bangs. And on top of her head was a crown with five points and five rubies at each of the bases.
This was the Queen of Melromarc, the true ruler, Mirellia Melromarc.
She was currently waiting for one of her spies to return with an important message. And why was she here, far away from her nation?
Well, before the first waves hit, she had gone to Faubrey in order to cease hostilities with her nation's long time enemy, the nation of Siltvelt, a country that was ruled over by demi-humans. For centuries, they have been at war as both nations were stained with so much blood from both soldiers and civilians alike who were caught in the crossfire, that the fighting had to stop before it had gone too far.
So, she had diplomatically and civilly talked with Siltvelt's leaders to come to an agreement of some kind. Of course, they made their demands for the release of all the demi-humans that were slaves and those who had participated in the last war to pay for their crimes. For a moment, Mirellia was actually going to work out a truce between them, thanks to her opposite views on demi-humans and treating them like actual people, unlike the cult and her husband, who continue spouting out religious nonsense and prejudice against the demi-humans, and the village of Lulurona under the protection of her right hand man, Lord Seatto.
Everything was going smoothly… until the first waves hit. It didn't just hit Melromarc, it was in some parts of the world in every nation.
Everyone panicked at the unexpected attacks. They scrambled everywhere to move their troops to where the waves were hitting, and while they did stop it, it came at a cost. So many casualties from both civilians and soldiers, towns and villages destroyed, and monsters roaming around causing trouble everywhere they went. Not to mention the opportunities taken by the criminal element from bandits and thieves (And the questionably moral slavers).
After the first waves were stopped, the leaders and representatives of every nation joined a conference held in Faubrey. There everyone started to talk about the coming darkness upon their world. All hostilities from every nation against one another was postponed until they have defeated and vanquished the prophesied apocalypse.
It was agreed upon that each country would summon a Cardinal Hero, with Melromarc being the last. It was all going so well…
Mirellia began massaging her temples and sighed. When it was found out that her husband had summoned all four heroes in Melromarc, the conversation of working together turned to an all-out argument with each country blaming and accusing her of taking all the heroes for herself. For the hours she had to endure, it felt like half of her life was spent on that.
She had reassured them that she had no idea that her husband and the cult would do such an act and while some were understanding and justifiably angry, others were not. Siltvelt for instance, after learning the mistreatment from the Shield Hero.
The nation worshiped the Shield as a god because of a past wielder fighting for demi-humans years ago, freeing them from slavery and even falling in love with one of them. The other three were not revered in such a way since the past wielders of that time had mistreated them and abused them, more specifically the Spear since there were records of him being… less than savory towards the females he beds with. The war at that time had raged on, even after their deaths, which had led them to the current time.
And the Shield had gained notoriety from her nation, since the Spear Hero was revered there.
Mirellia had managed to find a middle ground, stating that as soon as she settles the affairs in Faubrey, the sooner she will return to Melromarc and fix the mess her family had made. That included dealing with the Church of Three Heroes.
She had tried for years dismantling the group and limiting their influence, but due to their persistence and now her absence, the death of her right hand, her husband's foolishness, and her daughter's scheming ways, they have amassed so much power that they have control of almost everything with spies and shadows lurking in every corner of the kingdom. This has to be stopped before they do something irreparable to the nation.
Finishing her cup of tea, she set it down on the table and stood up, approaching another table. With a special tool used for relieving stress.
She grabbed it and tested the string, then she grabbed another tool. She then pulled the string back… and released it.
The arrow hit its mark, right at her husband's face. Another was then shot, right at her eldest daughter's.
Mirellia set the weapon down and sighed. Ever since she left, Aultcray had done nothing but cause so much trouble for her, from destroying and enslaving Lulurona's people to falsely accusing the Shield Hero for a crime he didn't commit.
She knew that it was for their family, Aultcray had always cared for them, loving them to the point of spoiling his daughters and that he would protect them. But underneath that was also hatred towards Siltvelt and the demi-human race. All because of his family's murder.
While she understands, it doesn't excuse what he has done and his fears and hatred were unfounded on the current Shield Hero. But the man has lost so much wisdom and humbleness of his old self that he doesn't even see that. And it didn't help that their daughter is the cause of most of these problems.
Ever since her childhood to teenage years, Malty has only been nothing more than a problem in their family. Mirellia had tried to help her, to control her impulses and even become mature, but nothing ever worked for she had stubbornly and stupidly continued to be a nuisance. Thanks to her husband spoiling her rotten, her malicious behavior had only gotten worse, letting her abuse her authority with no consequence. Because of that, her younger sister, Melty, had been chosen as heir to the throne due to her acting more mature and even having the possibility of being a good queen one day. Something the red headed girl is reminded of with anger, hatred, and resentment over her mother and sister.
And thanks to the summoning of all four heroes, Malty's abuse of power had extended reach since she parties with the Spear Hero. His gullible personality had allowed her to get away with many things, and with her father being the King and her alliance with the Church, she was basically untouchable.
With the Church and her being allies, they have spies in three of the heroes' parties, which included her, keeping an eye on them if they ever get into trouble or the heroes needed to be steered away from things.
The only one who didn't have a spy or was granted the same privileges was the Shield Hero. Since he was framed, he was seen as a devil and was treated with hatred and disdain thanks to the church viewing him as the root of all evils in the world and one day showing his true face as a devilish person who seeks to rob the heroes of their riches and exploits. Thankfully, this meant that Mirellia could convince him of working together. And while he might be distrustful of her since she is the wife and mother of the two people who had made his life a living hell, she knows that eventually they will find a way to work together, for if he wishes to survive and go home, then he must trust her, whether he likes it or not.
So she planned his meeting with Beloukas, a slave trader, to get a new companion for him. From the reports she had gotten, it was successful as the Shield Hero and his new companion are working together. Despite their hardships, everything is actually going somewhat swell. And while there was that incident in the cave with the two-headed dogs that almost killed the Hero and his companion, it brought them much closer, becoming a working team that could actually fight against the waves.
Now that was something Mirellia was waiting and, internally dreading, for. The Second Wave.
The report was now on her desk, filled with tons and tons of paper filled with requests, demands, and other paperwork that comes when being responsible for ruling and running a kingdom. On the desk was a few pages of the information her shadows had written down.
She read the report.
A day before the wave, there was a minor scuffle with the Shield Hero and the other three when they went to the Dragon Hourglass. No surprise there, knowing it was inevitable for them to meet, especially with the hostilities between the Shield and Spear when the latter tried to take the former's companion. She hopes she can make them work together once she gets back, otherwise her… feathery friend will.
The start of the wave. The village of Lute was the target this time.
The knights assigned to the heroes went to face the wave boss. They didn't even split to protect the village, leaving only the Shield Hero and his companion to do it.
The shadow that observed wrote that the Shield had led the monsters away from the cave he and his companion had gone into. After that, he almost got killed, but was saved by his companion. They were surrounded and were about to fight, but then…
Mirellia's single brow raised, the report said that the monsters stopped and started to look around in confusion. Then their eyes laid upon a lone figure.
A tall black figure, covered in a dark cloak with a black helmet and skull-like face…
"Interesting…" Mirellia hummed, curious about this stranger who had suddenly appeared. It read that this stranger made both the Shield and his companion scared…
Then her interest turned to a flat disappointed expression, coupled with a soured look when she read that the Captain of the Royal Knights, one who Aultcray had personally made a few days ago, had ordered a fireball spell directly at the Shield Hero, destroying half the village in the process. The sheer stupidity of the man made her regret ever letting Aultcray make the man the leader of the knights.
When the Shield used one of his abilities to survive the attack, the captain approached the area with a squad of his knights. He mocked the Shield and then received a… kick to the face by the Shield's companion?
That part made Mirellia blink in surprise, before a snort of amusement came. She silently appreciated that.
The demi-human, called Raphtalia, had challenged the knights for almost killing her master when he stopped her. After calming her down, it seemed that the situation was cooling off when the Captain was about to leave.
Then came the biggest surprise to Mirellia in a while. One which made her brows furrow.
The black knight survived the spell somehow. The part said the stranger used magic without a chant to shield himself…?
Her interest grew, hand on her chin.
The black knight caught their attention and spoke, asking who had ordered the bombing. The captain replied that he did, stating that if he had any complaints, he better speak up about it.
No reply came when the wave just summoned a new wave of monsters. The captain shrugged off and began to march his squad to the area where he would meet the three heroes to fight the wave boss. The villagers who came to join the Shield Hero's side hurled insults at him, which resulted in a close confrontation with the Shield's companion after being provoked by the demi-human. The Shield was about to block the captain's attack when the black knight used his magic.
He grabbed the captain and some of his men tried to save him, but failed in doing so. After that… the stranger choked and snapped the captain's neck, killing him. Mirellia sighed through her nose, thankful that the captain was dealt with, but also curious at what the black knight used. What kind of magic did he have?
The next page. The scarred knight had taken command of the squad and joined with the Shield and villagers against the next wave of monsters. The black knight didn't join and approached the threat. The Shield tried to warn him, but was ignored. Then, just as a giant was about to kill the knight, he pulled out a magical crimson sword, cutting the monster in half and pushing its upper torso into the other monsters behind it. Then the knight began his slaughter, using his sword and magic in a number of ways ranging from decapitations and hurling with random objects and debris. The ways he did it made Mirellia more curious, the shadow that wrote this wrote it as if it was an epic story. Though she knows this source is indeed accurate, because her shadows are always loyal to her and would never lie.
The Shield, his companion, and a few villagers joined the fray in an attempt to dwindle the enemy forces still alive from the onslaught. The spectacle that was the black knight's excess of wrath and fury upon the waves of monsters were enough that it went down from a horde to a meager group of monsters that were few and far between, easy enough to handle. After that came the wave boss… and what was described, it made her eyes widened even more.
The second wave boss was a true monster to behold. The drawing included gave a good description of how hideously monstrous it was. It stood over 10 ft tall with a large mouth filled with sharp teeth that could bite a man in half. With the two large arms it had, it very well could.
From what the heroes had spoken to each other about, they predicted that the next boss would be an undead chimera. The Queen's plans were to take one of the pieces and give it the Shield secretly, but since the creature was not what they were expecting, the plan kinda went out the window. Still, it mattered not. What matters next was what happened next.
In the next pages, the black knight and wave boss fought in town, causing more destruction in the process. The Shield followed him to assist, which almost got him and his companion killed, but fortunately the knight had saved the demi-human's life. After that, he killed the wave boss in a… very gruesome manner which resulted in a ball of flesh and bone.
The report ended when the Shield Hero and his companion helped rebuild the village while the heroes just went back to Castle Town. It would've ended at that.
But she knew there was more, since she could already sense someone behind her.
"My Queen," a woman in a cloak kneeled, "I bring news from home."
Her arm outstretched, holding a few pages of the next report. This doesn't look good.
Already feeling that this one would cause her more stress, Mirellia took a deep breath before she approached and retrieved the report.
It continued when the Shield Hero was summoned to join a celebration to the victory they had against the second wave. Already Mirellia began feeling frustrated, they should've focused on rebuilding Lute and prepping up their defenses for the next wave, not throw a party and waste money needlessly. But it seemed that this party had a more nefarious plot.
Her grip on the report tightened, Aultcray and Malty were planning to humiliate the Shield by taking his companion away?!
"Those idiots!" Her anger flashed in her eyes for a moment. Doesn't her husband realize that now was not the time to start causing problems?! They are literally facing the end of the world and all he is doing is letting his grudge against the Shield get in the way! Not only that, but imminent war against Siltvelt thanks to his mistreatment and cruel bias towards the hero.
It was Malty's plan it seems. It didn't surprise her. The plan was to use the Spear to challenge the Shield in a duel for his companion's freedom, stating that she was his slave and that they needed to set a good example, not support a system that exploits innocent people. If only his brain was not connected below the waist.
Then, just as they were about to take the demi-human away… the black knight interfered, throwing away the guards with his magic and facing her husband. There were back and forths of insults and mocking thrown, and then there was the knight's proposal of taking the Shield's place in the challenge.
Mirellia was impressed. It seemed this stranger was smarter than it seems. He manipulated the two heroes to participate as well by taking their rewards, to perhaps humble them or show his strength and power over them. Maybe both. This also meant that the Shield and his companion gets the rewards as well.
The duel that happened made her even more intrigued by this dark warrior, who expertly and effortlessly dodged the heroes' attacks before using his weapon to keep them on edge. Her daughter had blatantly cheated, helping the heroes, but it was for naught. All three of the heroes were incapacitated after the knight redirected the Spear's ability right at them. The report ended there with Aultcray announcing that he will give the rewards tomorrow morning. This morning.
After reading that report, Mirellia set it down before sighing, pinching the bridge of her nose and began contemplating. This was the second incident of her family trying to destroy the Shield Hero's reputation, and while labeling him a rapist seemed to tarnish it, it didn't stop him from trying to help people sometimes. And it also seemed that hero was fortunate to possibly have a new ally.
Though this does present a much larger problem… who was he? There seemed to be no records of this stranger or his motives, only that he assisted the Shield and defended his companion. Whoever he was, he was the living embodiment of a wild card, with powers and skills of a being of unknown origin, this meant that she needed to keep a close eye on this person. He could be a spy trying to enter the Shield's party in order to gain his trust, but it seems Balmus is the same with her, confused and intrigued by this stranger's appearance and motives if what she read in the report is true.
There was a knock on her door, "My lady, the King of Faubrey now requests your presence. The meeting is about to start."
"In a moment." The Queen replied, and the servant outside left.
The meeting with the delegates was about to begin and she had be ready for another session.
"I want you to continue observing the Shield Hero's progress."
"Yes, my Queen." The shadow bowed.
"And watch the Black Knight for any new developments. Whoever he is, he could be a boon or trouble for us." Mirellia pulled out her fan, gracefully fanning her face, "Observe his progress and keep your distance."
"As you wish." And with that, the shadow left, following her mistress's orders.
Mirellia then left her room to join the session while also thinking about this new development.
Whoever this black knight is, whatever his intentions are, it could spell certain trouble that will arise in the coming days. Trouble for her or the church, it is unknown. So for now, she will wait and see if this stranger will be a massive help or a threat that must be dealt with.
And if the Shield does not fulfill his duty, then the feathery queen will remind him of it, otherwise… it will end with his death.
"I hope it doesn't come to that… but what are your true intentions, stranger?"
Melromarc…
It was morning, a somewhat good day considering that yesterday was the defeat of the Second Wave. Many of Castle Town's residents were starting the day by doing mundane things. It was a fairly normal place with people just living their lives and trying to get by, with visits from adventurers coming to repair their gear or visit the inn to take a rest.
But today wasn't exactly a nice one for those during last night's events.
The castle of Melromarc stood tall and proud while looking closely to a stereotypical fantasy castle.
The throne room was currently occupied as the sun rose warmly upon the kingdom, brightening the room. But even its warmth could not help those inside.
Darth Vader stood on the red carpet leading to two thrones, one much taller than the one the King was currently sitting with a silent look of grimness and exhaustion.
Beside the Dark Lord was the Shield Hero and his companion, next to the Spear, Sword, and Bow respectively, three of whom looked bittered and let down. Their companions, save for Malty, were not here due to a multitude of reasons.
Vader sensed their emotions, ranging from fear to anger to hatred towards him. He didn't mind them, only focused on the certain individuals that got his attention.
Malty was silently fuming due to Motoyasu's loss. She was hoping that maybe they can still salvage this, but if anything else, it'll probably fail. So, she schemes, not knowing that Vader can clearly read her mind as her thoughts leak through her head.
"I'll have to speak with the Pope about this. Maybe he'll know who this bastard is. Then he'll pay for sticking his nose into someone else's business."
She cackles internally as her thoughts run rampant with ideas to humiliate and shame. Vader rolls her eyes and turns his attention to the three children.
Motoyasu stood with a frown, clearly unhappy at the fact that he failed in freeing the cute demi-human girl. Next time though, he'll try and fight for her freedom. Once he finds better gear and stuff, he'll beat Naofumi and the Black Knight.
Ren wasn't angry, but he was furiously pissed. Despite his calm demeanor, the Force Wielder can sense his emotions clearly. He not only didn't get Vader's stuff, he lost his reward. He didn't get a single drop from the wave boss since its body mysteriously disappeared and now this? It was a bad day for him. The Black Knight was probably cheating, that's why. Once he finds better swords, he'll beat him so hard, he'll wish he was sorry.
Itsuki stared at the carpet, his mouth on a thin line while his thoughts ran. Why did he lose? He wasn't supposed to. He wielded a powerful legendary weapon that can destroy monsters with ease, he is a Hero of Justice that hunted down corrupt nobles and criminals, he was summoned here to save a world from its destruction. How? It wasn't fair.
Vader noted these thoughts with disinterest, seeing these idiots thinking of their own selfishness made him leave their minds.
The other two were his next point of interest.
Naofumi was thinking about his next moves for the third wave. He'll meet up with Beloukas later after this, probably to check out his wares and see what is new. Then he'll head to Lute and plan there.
Raphtalia was patiently waiting while humming to herself. Nothing seemed to be on her mind, except that her thoughts drifted towards Vader. She wondered what exactly he meant when he said that she has the same powers as he does. She'll have to ask him later, and his name if possible.
Her force presence was neutral with both light and dark around her while she looked around at the throne room, now wondering what was for lunch.
Vader then left her mind and started to think about his plans from here.
Wherever the Force sent him, it must be for a reason. Perhaps teaching this child in the Ways of the Force. Most likely, but maybe it has to do with the rifts.
Whatever comes his way, he'll face them like he always has. He'll find a way off this planet and find out if Palpatine is indeed dead, because if so, he wondered who he helped to destroy his former master. But today, he gets his rewards.
"Due to last night's duel…" Aultcray sighed in resignation before begrudgingly saying, "The Black Knight will receive the Three Heroes' rewards."
Said heroes glare at Vader with envy as three bags of silver laid at his feet, using the force to lift his new gains and carrying them over his shoulders.
The King then turned to Naofumi, "And the Shield Hero will be granted 300 silvers for his efforts in defending the village of Lute."
A knight held a very small pouch of silvers, to which the Shield rolled his eyes at the apparent pettiness the Trash King was showing him. He approached the knight to collect his reward until the knight pulled the pouch back.
"Wha-"
"However, due to his crime of assaulting his companion, the Shield's reward will be split evenly to the Three Heroes." Aultcray wore a smug when he said that while Malty giggled, at least taking some pleasure at throwing some dirt and reminding the Shield of his false crime.
Said hero glared at the two, gritting his teeth as he watched the knight distribute each 100 silvers to the Three idiots. Of course they'll do that just to spite him, even when he hadn't participated in the duel.
"Well, at least we got some money." Motoyasu shrugged, pocketing the silvers in his pouch.
Itsuki was grateful for the kind gesture and accepted it.
Ren rudely took the entire pouch of 100 silvers from the knight's hand before pocketing it, folding his arms as he waited for the King to continue. He's still bitter after that match.
Naofumi gritted his teeth, "Fucking asshole."
Aultcray's eyes narrow, "Watch your tone, Shield Hero. I expect you not to use that kind of language in front of me."
"Go to hell! You're just being petty now after this."
"I just fairly gave the other heroes the money they deserve after having their rewards be stolen by another person."
"Then why did you give those three my reward?! I defended Lute while they just ran past it!" The Shield wielder pointed out, "Your knights didn't help either when they bombed half the village!"
"While that may be true, they were focused on finding the Wave Boss and eliminating it before the wave could do more harm. More than what you did." Aultcray scoffed, "And the knights? They did their duty by eliminating a threat that would've overrun the entire village."
Naofumi was about to reply, but Raphtalia spoke up, "With me and my master in the crossfire! What kind of idiot bombs their own neighboring villages?! You should be ashamed for promoting that man as captain of the knights, he could've actually killed someone."
Aultcray scowled at the demi-human, ever since he saw her in the party, he knew she was nothing but trouble. How he wished the black knight didn't interfere so the Shield Hero will remain weak for the rest of the waves so he can easily dealt with.
"Yet the Shield Hero survived, did he not?" Malty asked, smugly looking at Raphtalia, "If the Shield Hero had died, it meant that he was always weak. If you're both worried about that, then why don't you run off somewhere else?"
Raphtalia growled, the urge of pouncing on this bitch and ruining her face became ever so tempting.
"You still continue to act cowardly." The red haired snake said towards Naofumi, who gritted his teeth, "But it's no surprise there, considering I still remember that ni-"
"You're the one who's acting cowardly!" Raphtalia pointed her finger, interrupting the snake, "You still play the victim here when you were blatantly cheating in the duel!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Don't accuse someone without proof." Malty glared, but the raccoon girl didn't back down.
"You gave the Three Heroes some stamina and even used a wind spell on the Black Knight!"
"She did no such thing." Aultcray came to the red head's defense, "If these accusations were true, then the audience would have pointed it out and the Three Heroes would've been automatically disqualified."
"Something tells me that you ordered them not to say anything about that." Naofumi folded his arms and scoffed, "No surprise considering they would happily agree if it meant they get to stuff their pockets like a bunch of greedy pigs."
Many of the nobles on top of the balcony let out offended gasps at that insult.
"If I were down in the ring, I would've been treated the same. All because of you-" Naofumi pointed his finger at Aultcray, then to Malty, "-and that bitch."
"How dare you!" The red haired girl placed a hand on her chest after hearing that.
"Hey! Watch your mouth, Naofumi!" Motoyasu ran to Malty's defense, pointing his spear at the Shield, "You should treat a woman with respect, not act like a jerk."
A dry laugh came from Naofumi, "Yeah, she deserves something. Someone to punch on her pretty face."
"Kya!" Malty grabbed Motoyasu's arm, her breasts pressing against it, "He's threatening to hurt me again, Motoyasu-sama! Defend me!~"
Her fake-innocent voice grated on Naofumi's ears.
Motoyasu soothed the red head's fears, "Don't worry, Malty. He won't lay a finger on you. I'll make sure of that."
"Like you made sure when you got your ass kicked by the Black Knight?"
Motoyasu gritted his teeth after being reminded of his defeat.
"Goes to show just how pathetic you are. Despite all that power you have, you couldn't do anything against him." Naofumi snorted.
A tick appeared on the blonde's head, the grip on his spear tightened as the Shield continued.
"And even when that red haired snake cheated, you still lost." He shook his head, disappointed.
"S-Shut it!" The blond stomped his foot, angered, he shouted, "At least I don't use slaves!"
Raphtalia's patience with the Spear was ever so reaching its breaking point, not that the blond was noticing the look of disgust and disdain from her.
Naofumi just rolled his eyes, "Yeah well, at least my companion isn't there to act like a bunch of cheering idiots."
Motoyasu and Malty both took a lot of offense on that, the latter especially.
"Take that back!" The Spear pointed his… spear, at the Shield threateningly.
Naofumi wasn't impressed, merely crossing his arms, "Or what? You gonna kill me?"
Motoyasu was about to reply but was cut off by Raphtalia, who stood in between her master and the blond.
"Over my dead body." She said, arms crossed like her master.
"B-But, Raphtalia-chan, I don't understand…"
"And you never will." Her face was close to his, but it gave him no comfort as he looked into the girl's eyes that glowed orange for a moment before fading.
The blond didn't say a word after that, only a thin line on his mouth was all there was, along with a feeling of apprehension.
But Malty took an opportunity by being spiteful towards the Shield, "Your companion should pay for hurting me. You should give me anything in your possession. The rest of your money, potions, monster parts, anything."
"Seriously?" Naofumi looked at the red head like she was an idiot, "You're literally working with the dumbass-" he pointed at Motoyasu, who took offense to that, "-and you've got the King at your back. What more do you want to take from me?"
"Indeed."
Everyone turned to the intimidating voice of the black knight, many still unnerved by his presence.
Vader finally decided to speak, seeing as how this entire match of words was wasting his time. He could already tell that the King was stalling, looking for more reasons to demonize the Shield, such as painting him as a gluttonous and greedy individual who seeked to steal the other three heroes' deeds for himself. Same with the red head, her ideas for Raphtalia to paint her as a rabid wild animal that deserves to be put down.
Already knowing about what Melromarc is thanks to reading the minds of individuals in the castle, he was not surprised to find himself in a place where prejudice and bigotry were towards an entire race. It disgusted him even more when last night he read a random noble's mind when he had bought two slaves that were children for more… less savory reasons. Vader ended up killing the man by drowning him in a barrel of ale. Two guards that found him thought that he drowned due to being drunk, which thankfully saved the Dark Lord the trouble of disposing of witnesses. But he also learned something else.
"What more does the Princess of Melromarc want?" Vader asked, making Malty go rigid and eyes wide.
Naofumi and Raphtalia turned to him in confusion, same with Ren and Itsuki.
"Princess?" Motoyasu's brows furrowed.
"Indeed. She is Malty Melromarc, the eldest daughter of Mirellia and Aultcray Melromarc, and the next in-line to become Queen." Vader folded his arms as both Aultcray and Malty looked at him in dread and suspicion.
Motoyasu looked at Malty in surprise, never learning that from her. It made him confused as to why she didn't tell him.
Ren's confusion turned to surprise then to suspicion. He knew the red haired girl was odd, but learning that she was the daughter of the King? It made him suspicious, why did the girl not reveal her heritage? Or she never intended to…
Itsuki was shocked, Malty was the King's daughter and the future Queen? What are the chances that Motoyasu got and how Naofumi screwed it up? It made feel that the universe was unfair to him, not realizing how lucky he was that he was not the Shield Hero.
But for Naofumi, it was a clear revelation as the anger inside him was invigorated, learning that the two people who he hated most didn't just work together because of a common hatred towards him, but also because they were related. He kept his mouth shut however, his anger on a leash as the black knight continued his explanation.
"Or, she was supposedly."
Many people in the throne room looked to him in confusion by what he meant, while Aultcray was increasingly worried about how much this person knows and how this will affect Malty.
Indeed, the red haired princess had a tick mark, already seeing that this would not be good for her.
"What do you mean?" Itsuki asked, "You said she is the next in-line to become-"
""Was" next in-line, before her younger sister took her place." Vader corrected the Bow.
"Sister?" Raphtalia's ears perked up at that.
"Yes. She has a younger sister, Melty Melromarc."
"She has a sister?" Naofumi wondered.
"But what do you mean her sister took her place?" Itsuki questioned.
"Simple. It is because of the eldest princess' less than positive reputation due to her attitude and abuse of her authority over her subjects. All of that eventually led to her mother making her youngest daughter the next Queen instead of her eldest." Vader explained, already noticing the red head's veins on her forehead at being reminded of her mother's decision.
Motoyasu however, shouted in denial, "Those are lies! Malty isn't a bad person, she's helped me prepare for fighting against the waves. And even if she is the princess, she would never abuse her power like-"
"Lying about the Shield Hero's actions towards her?"
Now that made Motoyasu pause and look at Vader in confusion while Naofumi had a bitter look but also a curious one.
"How she was assaulted by the Shield Hero? How he ripped her clothes and forced himself on her?" Vader rolled his eyes, "Of which never happened?"
"W-What do you mean?!" Motoyasu demanded, "Naofumi did assault her! She said so!"
"So you would trust the testimony of a person you only knew for about a few hours when you were summoned?" The Dark Lord was unimpressed and disappointed by the lack of logic in this blond's head, "Why would she trust a person from another world when she was assaulted by a person from another world as well?"
"W-Well, maybe it was because she trusts me! Because she chose to join my party first!"
"Or perhaps because you are a gullible and naive fool who would fall under the words of a woman in an instant."
Motoyasu gritted his teeth, agitated by this stranger once again thinking him a child.
"Because I was desperate!" Malty spoke, her expression filled with fear as if reminiscing that terrible night, "You can't exactly predict or expect someone would be noble enough to give a woman like me comfort and safety. I was fortunate enough that I met up with Motoyasu-sama and that he was kind and caring."
Naofumi scoffed, "Yeah right."
Motoyasu glares and was about to retort but was cut off by the King.
"That's enough." Aultcray commanded with an authoritative voice, "We are wasting time here arguing with one another when you should prepare for the next wave. You all have your duties to fulfill and I expect that you cease this in fighting."
"And you." He points at the black knight, "Cease your interrogation of my daughter, lest you face the consequences."
Vader's hands were on his belt, "Then I suggest keeping your personal biases and family matters to yourselves and not to the heroes lest your country is ruins."
"You dare lecture me on running my kingdom?!" Aultcray looked at him in anger, "Who are you to lecture?"
"One who knows when a fool lets his personal feelings get in the way of logic and common sense." That struck a nerve on the King.
But instead of continuing on antagonizing the fools around him, he turned around, "But I have no intention in furthering this foolish argument."
He walked off with an air of confidence and victory as the three heroes and the king and princess watched with different views on him, most of which are still angry and resentment towards the black knight.
Before Vader left, he glanced at the Shield, "I suggest leaving, unless you wish to further this debacle and waste time instead of preparing."
Naofumi blinked, "Wha…?"
But Raphtalia agreed, tugging on her master's arm, which made Motoyasu's eye twitch.
"Come on, Naofumi-sama. Let's go." She pulled and the Shield wielder did not resist as three of them exited the throne room, leaving the rest as some were seething in rage at being treated like an idiot.
"I can't believe he got away with our rewards…" Itsuki sighed in frustration and defeat.
Ren was silent, thinking about the next time he'll get that laser sword, but also coming to terms with the information the black knight revealed about Motoyasu's companion.
Said blonde was angry and frustrated that not only did Naofumi get away with Raphtalia, but that the black knight got away with insulting and hurting his pride, treating him like a spoiled brat, stealing his reward, and even insulting Malty. The next time he got to meet this knight, he would win. He swore it.
The red head meanwhile was seething in rage as her plans were foiled in ruining the Shield Hero even more. She has to speak with Balmus about this interloper, maybe his shadows finally have information about him.
Aultcray scowled as the three people he despised left the throne room. He sighed through his nose, realizing the amount of trouble these people will inflict upon his nation. He needs to speak to the Pope and ask for guidance during these dire times, perhaps he has answers. Though he guesses that these answers will not satisfy nor reassure him of the coming weeks.
But while they were thinking about their situation, a woman dressed in a beautiful gown watched with keen interest. This black knight intrigued her. Swiftly, she left the crowd of nobles without alerting them of her leave as she exited the throne room to observe the Shield Hero and the Black Knight.
Castle Town…
The streets of Castle Town were buzzing with its inhabitants as markets opened with the populace doing mundane things. There were workers moving supplies, knights patrolling, and children playing. There were also adventurers that came by as they entered inns, potion shops, blacksmiths, and doing what adventurers do. All in all, it seemed that everyone was in a good mood, but not everyone.
Naofumi walked with a look of frustration after getting no reward from his efforts. It didn't surprise him, but it still tasted bitter all the same. He still got looks of disgust and contempt from some of the people in town, but he ignored it as he contemplated his options, thinking about going to the Trader and seeing his "wares".
Raphtalia joined her master's side, thinking about getting new weapons and food. She noticed the dirty looks her master was getting so she replied by glaring at them, making some of the people look away intimidated and fearful.
Vader was given both due to his height and appearance, especially his breathing which unnerved many of those who heard it. No surprise given the fact that no one had ever seen him before. He regarded their observations towards him to be minor and just went back to being brooding.
As he did, he began to number in his options. This world followed the stereotypical stories of heroes saving the world from evil doers which he read when he was a child, though those stories took a backseat and were nothing compared to the stories of the Jedi he once looked up to.
This world has nothing to no technology such as landspeeders, starships, blasters, nothing. But what it makes up for is their magic and something called a Status Magic System. He learned from the minds of those within the castle about it but not enough to know how it works. For that, he decides to do something.
"Stop." He tells both Naofumi and Raphtalia, their attention on him.
"What?" The boy looks at him confused and wary.
He got even more confused when the black knight showed one of the sacks of silvers he was carrying towards him.
"Take it."
Naofumi blinked, "Seriously?"
No reply was given, and seeing as how he was offered a generous sum of thousands of silvers to replace the meager reward of 300 pieces, Naofumi accepted the gift and took it off the knight's gloves.
After that, the knight left and just went his separate way as he disappeared in a crowd of people.
Raphtalia was confused by why he went off and gave them one of the heroes' rewards. But she felt a bit happy that at least they managed to get some money, appreciating the knight once again. She asked Naofumi.
"Where to, Naofumi-sama?"
Naofumi thought for a moment before he answered, "We'll head to the Tent, then probably get something to eat."
"Ok."
As the pair leave to meet up with one of their allies, Vader heads to one of the destinations that has information about this world.
This world, while the Force flows through this world, the other powers that exist are unknown to him. Despite winning against three people with so-called legendary weapons, they were still children and not skilled warriors or powerful mystics. As such, learning about this world's knowledge will certainly be helpful. With people and factions such as the Church of Three Heroes (More like the Cult of Three Fools), it's imperative that he learns about this world, its magic, and its history.
After all, Mother Talzin proved to be an issue for Sidious and his plans when she and Maul had tried to destroy him, Dooku, and Grievous. The same went with Garoche Tarkin, Cylo, Crimson Dawn, the Gentis coup, and while they all failed, they still came close enough.
Arriving at his destination, he comes upon a building with a sign, a drawing of a potion and book. Seeing that this is the store he was looking for, he enters with the doorbell ringing.
Inside was a room filled with many items ranging from books, potions, parchments of paper, ink, etc.. There was a desk with books, parchments, and such, but no sign of the shop owner.
Approaching one of the shelves, Vader scans each book, their spine and cover. As he eyes them, he notices something from these books. Picking one off the shelf, he checks the cover. It was written in Aurebesh, but it was sort of crude and sharp.
Libatus Borage's Advanced Potion Making
Shelving it, he returned to scanning the room and its contents until he heard a door open. Out came an older woman in a stereotypical witch outfit with a kind and caring face, but the expression that came when seeing him in front of her ruined it. She froze in fear as she and Vader stared at one another, unmoving. There was silence as no one spoke for a few moments before the witch composed herself.
"M-My apologies. Welcome to the Magic Shop." She greeted him, "How may I help you?"
"I require a few books."
"Oh." The old lady blinked before she asked, "Anything specific?"
"A book about the Cardinal Heroes, their weapons, and anything relating to the Status Magic System."
Again, the witch blinked, confused and surprised by the order from this strange and intimidating customer, but she shook her head and nodded.
"I'll see what I can find." She heads to one of the shelves and starts searching, while Vader waits patiently.
This went on for at least a few minutes until she found at least 5 books for him; The Book of the Spear, the Book of the Sword, the Book of the Bow, and the Book of the Shield, and Book of the Legendary Cardinal Weapons.
"Here you go." She places them on her desk, wiping the sweat off her brow before speaking, "About the Status Magic System, it is all in these books."
Vader examined the covers of each book before opening their contents. Writings, drawings, and were thankfully, and strangely, written in Aurebesh. This seemed to be what he was looking for. The woman then grabbed a sack under the desk and placed the books inside.
"How much?" He asked, about to grab the sack of silvers.
"T-That won't be necessary!" The witch waved her hands, "Consider this as my thanks."
The Dark Lord didn't say anything, thus she explained.
"My grandson was in Lute during the Second Wave. He told me about a Black Knight that saved his and others lives and assisted the Shield Hero against the Wave Boss." A warm smile was on her face, "Please, take these books. My only hope is that they will help you in the future."
Vader still didn't say anything. Then he grabbed the sack of his purchase, hidden under his cloak before he spoke.
"Your gratitude is appreciated."
The woman nodded, "My name is Mahoya. Please, come anytime if you need to ask for something."
After that, Vader left the shop and walked down the street where he came from.
Before he left, he made an observation on the shop keeper. He sensed the witch's life signature that the Force and powers of this world flowed through her, though the former was not enough to make her a force wielder, the latter however was more than enough to make up with it. The power within was like a sphere of clean energy mixed with different colored dyes, making a mixture of different colors that ranged from a bright calm orange.
This world was different from the other worlds filled with the Force. Much more so with the unknown powers mixed in with the Force flowing through this world and its inhabitants. Once he is finished with his errands, he will learn from the books about this world and perhaps get some answers to some of his questions.
The day went by calmly with Vader visiting some shops, getting some dirty looks by some and fear by many. Eventually, he headed to one of the last shops he listed down.
Entering, he was greeted by an assortment of weapons. Swords, axes, spears, bows and arrows, the works. There were also racks of armor from chainmail to plated and shields that came in many designs that were practical in the applications of defense and combat.
Overall, it was an organized and clean room surprisingly. In front of him was the counter. He then heard the sound of someone approaching from behind the counter. Then out came someone.
It was a middle aged bald man wearing a white shirt under an apron and gloves with a beard. He had a few scars on his face and arms.
He looked at Vader in surprise, not expecting a customer, nor a very intimidating one. His appearance got a chill down his spine, especially with the loud breathing coming out of him. He then cleared his throat and spoke.
"Uh, hey there." The man greeted, "You new around these parts?"
Vader didn't reply, so the man continued.
"Ummm… welcome to my shop. The name's Erhard." He rubbed the back of his head, "So what brings you here?"
The Dark Lord approached the counter and Erhard realized how tall this person was.
"I am here to buy tools."
The blacksmith flinched a bit from the voice, but quickly got over it, "What kind of tools?"
Vader then went on to specify what kind of tools he wished to buy, which made the shop owner surprised, impressed, and baffled.
"That's a very detailed description there sir." He looked apologetic, "But I don't have those kinds of tools. Sorry."
Vader then asked, "Then would you accept my request for these to be made?"
Erhard blinked, "Uh, s-sure. I can do that, but I'm gonna need some things you're gonna have to specify in detail."
Sure enough, after getting ink and some parchment, Vader drew on what he wanted. The blacksmith was impressed yet again by how detailed the drawings were. After the drawings were done, he took a full look at them. He hummed as he mentally calculated the time he was to finish and deliver.
"I can get this done in probably a month or so." Erhard rolled the drawings and placed them into one of his apron's pockets, "So it'll be about 1800 silvers."
Vader then paid the amount on the counter using the force, which made one of Erhard's brows raise in surprise at both the use of magic and how quickly the amount was paid.
After that, Vader left the shop. It was afternoon and the sun was setting, with many people now heading back to their homes and some shops already beginning to close up. Some guards that were patrolling all had varied looks from intimidated to disgust. Same went with a few people who wore some necklaces over their necks, with one of them spitting behind his back before he caught it with the force and sent it back to the idiotic fool who fell on his ass on the street, unfortunately sitting on some random feces of an animal.
He then went to the local inn and got a room. The people still awake of course stayed as far away from him as possible while some of the staff continued their work while looking over their shoulder. As he walked up the stairs and to the left down the hall, he saw three girls talking to each other.
"Will you keep your mouth shut?!" One of the three stomped on the wood floors. Her hair was long and braided, her face was sharp and elegant, and her clothing was light with some accessories.
"I just asked Motoyasu-sama if he knew about the Royal Family." The second girl explained, hoping her friend would understand. She was a short green mage with orange hair and holding a staff. Unfortunately, her comment had only made her friend more angry.
"Exactly!" The first girl snapped, "Malty explicitly said not to talk about her family or anything related to them!"
The third girl ignored the two as she glanced about while her arms were folded, she was the tallest of them. She had short blonde hair with an elegant look to her face, her clothing was black from shirt to pants with long brown boots and black gloves.
That was when her eyes landed on him and her expression turned to shock.
"Elena, come on! You have to agree with me on this!" The first girl looked to her friend for help. She was confused when she saw her stunned expression, "Elena? You okay? What's wrong?"
"L-L-Lesty…" The green mage nervously called her friend as she also looked at him.
"What?" The first girl, Lesty, turned to her in annoyance then confusion. The short girl pointed her finger to which Lesty followed and soon, her expression turned to shock and fear as she stared right at the black knight down the hall.
Vader and the Spear Hero's companions just stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence. For a while, no one spoke, the girls were just too scared by the Dark Lord's appearance to even say a word. Then he approached, making them flinch and shiver from the cold aura and audible breathing. They blinked when he just walked past them, turning around as he went to the end of the hall and made it to his room door. Using the key, he entered and closed it, leaving the three girls in silence.
For a minute, no one spoke until Lesty shook her head and cleared her throat, getting her teammates' attention, "We'll discuss this conversation in the morning." She told the green mage before the braided girl left and went into their room.
The green mage deflated, sighing in exhaustion after today. Elena just looked at the young girl before she left, heading downstairs and getting dinner with the mage following soon after.
Meanwhile, Vader examined his room. On his right was the bed, next to it was the dresser, and on the left was a desk and the window. A simple room, but enough. He placed his items on the bed, opening the sack of the books he got from the Magic Shop.
For the entire night, he read about the previous 4 Heroes. Well, more specifically the 3 with the Shield being limited thanks to the Church's attempts at erasing the hero's exploits and existence from the nation.
The weapons all possess gems that can activate abilities. Wielders are unable to remove their weapons, even if you throw them away. Nothing much except just a few forms and spells used by the previous heroes.
Unfortunately, it seemed to be limited as well, that didn't really help. Still, good enough that he knows a few things to use against the three imbeciles, but not enough to know their secrets.
The Shield was generically the same, but quite different since it's more of a defensive tool than an offensive. Still, it provided all the same. Though these books wouldn't be as good as first-hand experiences, one cannot deny that these have provided enough knowledge for Vader. Putting in these books in the sack, he finally decided to meditate.
As he sat on the floor and took a meditative stance, all around him, the room suddenly fell apart and there was only a calm red sea with storm clouds above him. His armor was gone and only a figure of darkness that was his being is all there was.
Here, many things were open to him, able to see things as they were happening.
The Spear Hero slept on a bed while 3 of his 4 teammates slept on separate beds in this inn, but the Princess was absent. Expanding his senses, Vader located her in the castle, in a room filled with inks and parchments. On the desk she was occupying was a parchment with some writing. With a grin, she grabbed something else and stamped on the parchment. It was a seal of the Royal Family. Reading her thoughts, he wasn't impressed.
You never fail to disappoint, Princess.
Malty turned around when she felt something behind her, something cold. She wondered what that was, but shrugged it off, thinking nothing of it.
Next was the Sword Hero. His party was also in this inn, but their leader was also absent. They were in their room discussing a few things, ranging from topics that were related to Vader to Ren himself being a questionable leader since he prefers to go solo. Though they did have doubts, they decided to put their faith in him, hoping that he'll come around. Vader found the raven haired boy outside as he was killing monsters that were balloons and usapils. He felt his fury being loosed upon these creatures as he needed to prepare, one day defeating the black knight and getting him items as his own.
The Bow Hero was also absent from his party, with a few of his members doing their own business separately while some decided to retire for the night in the inn. Vader found the bow wielder outside, on a roof while eavesdropping on some guards talking about something. After that, the boy left and went into the inn his teammates were in and also retired. The boy's thoughts were about some cruel noble paying high taxes on his people, thinking that he was abusing his authority and power on them to keep the riches for himself.
Seeing as nothing was out of the ordinary, Vader turned his attention to the two people outside of Castle Town.
The Shield Hero and his companion slept soundly in the village of Lute after helping rebuild it. After today's events, things seem to be going good for the two, thanks to the sack of silvers Vader had given them. But something caught his eye. It was the demi-human girl.
From the outside, her physical figure was just that of a normal demi-human, but for those in the Force, her figure was much like Vader's while in meditation, but much different. Instead of an entire figure of the Dark side of the Force personified, Raphtalia was white and pure. In the center of her was a sphere of light and dark together, not at odds, but together, which intrigued the Sith Lord. He guesses that for now, the light and dark will not fight tonight and just wait until the conflict within the demi-human begins or another strong emotion flares.
But that was when he felt the Dark side start plaguing her dreams.
It was a peaceful night for the people of Lute Village after getting their homes rebuilt thanks to the Shield Hero and his companion.
In the local inn was where Naofumi and Raphtalia retired for the night, sleeping in a room. During today's events, they had done many things, from buying a sword and armor for the raccoon girl, selling some medicine and monster parts, to buying a monster egg from the Slave Trader. Said egg was on a desk, waiting to be hatched.
While the Shield Hero slept comfortably and calmly, the same cannot be said for Raphtalia.
She groaned in discomfort as the painful memories were all she could see, all she could hear. Her parents viciously ripped apart, her people in chains and forced to work as slaves, her friends whipped constantly for the pleasure of evil men who cackled. It was incoherent, too much to focus on one thing, but there was something she saw which shook her to her core.
Naofumi was on his knees, struggling to stand up. His armor was damaged and his body was bleeding in many parts. He coughed out blood as he glared at whoever was in front of him. Then, he screamed. Chains were on his arms, his legs, his neck as he struggled to free himself, growling all around him like a wild animal.
Raphtalia was horrified as she saw many figures, many familiar faces, and not so good ones. Then they started to laugh, mock, spat, insulted, and humiliate Naofumi, with Malty in front looking at him with a mocking smug of a grin. Then she turned her attention to the demi-human.
"Pathetic. You couldn't even save your master, just like you couldn't save your parents."
The raccoon girl stood rigid as the red head continued.
"You couldn't save your people."
Her hands clenched as her nails dug into her palms.
"You couldn't save your friends."
She gritted her teeth as the wicked orange glowed ever brighter.
"And you couldn't even save yourself."
There was a pause as Raphtalia shook with anger and hatred. She hopes that the Princess wouldn't continue, that she would stop and she would leave her alone. But before the last words could come out of her mouth, there was nothing. In front of her, the Princess was gone, like she was never in front of her.
It left the demi-human stunned, wondering what was going on. Then she felt something, a presence of an unfamiliar feeling.
Looking behind her, she saw in the distance a figure. She couldn't make out what was in the distance, but she could see that the figure was tall. She approached, wondering who or what this figure was doing here. She stopped as her eyes widened in surprise.
The figure's body wasn't anything human. It was the silhouette of one, but only dark and crimson filled with negativity. She could feel its aura, something so much more potent and powerful than her anger and hatred, but more controlled. It surprised her that such a being in front of her could exist. Then again, she was dreaming.
She spoke, "H-Hello?"
The figure didn't reply, only instead looking at her with those red eyes. No expression could be identified, so it was difficult for Raphtalia to understand its current mood.
"Who are you?"
Once again, no reply. But the figure did move, turning its back from her and walking away. She was startled by the action, wondering why this strange being was leaving. It stopped, then it spoke. But when it did, its voice made her even more startled as her eyes widened in shock.
"Be mindful of your own power, lest it would destroy you."
The figure's voice was the black knight's. The figure continued walking away from her, fading into obscurity.
Before he left her mind, Vader calmed both the light and dark within Raphtalia, the girl finally sleeping peacefully as a result. A calm smile formed on her lips as she dreamt.
You would wonder why he helped her. Perhaps it is because he sees a little bit of himself in her, or maybe he took pity. It didn't matter, what mattered was this girl is powerful in the Force, untrained she could accidentally and unintentionally cause harm to others, to herself even. Her power was even stranger, as it seems both the light and dark within are at times in peace and at random days are at odds with one another, causing some internal conflict that could destroy her mentally.
So, perhaps, out of curiosity, Vader will see what she can do and what her power is, by guiding her in a way. Perhaps training her in some capacity, but not taking her in as an apprentice. He will see though, see where this leads him as he feels the Force approve of his decision.
These are strange times, with him betraying Sidious and here in this world, whatever he finds, the answers he seeks might give him more questions.
But he will find out, eventually.