Atreus hissed in pain as Raphtalia applied another bandage to a Bleeding Shot wound on his shoulder. By that point the worst of the pain had already died off, leaving behind only a dull aching. The blood had been cleaned thoroughly, leaving him clean of dirt.

'Please, hold still, Mr. Loki,' Raphtalia said. 'I just need to apply a few more bandages. The Bow Hero really did do a number on you, did he?'

'This is just minor. I've suffered a lot worse,' Atreus said, smirking reassuringly. Raphtalia only stared at him.

'You lost quite a lot of blood during that fight,' she said. 'I honestly thought that you would bleed to death right then and there.'

'Come on, he barely even scratched me.'

It was true. Despite the injuries he sustained, Atreus only took scratch damage during the duel. The only devastating injuries he took were the Bleeding Shots and the Eagle Piercing Shot. Only then, they had only reduced his HP by at least two quarters.

There was a knock on the barn door then. Raphtalia and Atreus both looked up as the Lord of Riyute Village entered, making a polite bow as he stood in front of them.

'Shield Hero,' he said. 'I would like to thank you for defending our village against the Bow Hero. If it weren't for you, the Bow Hero would've ruined all of us.'

'D-don't mention it,' Atreus said, rubbing his shoulder to soothe a dull ache.

'Yes, and…Well, we felt like it just wouldn't feel right to let you leave unrewarded. So, we've decided to give you this.'

The Lord pulled out a large, spherical object, and handed it to Atreus. Atreus examined it with curiosity and found it to be a large egg.

'What is it?' Atreus asked.

'It's a Filolial Egg,' the Lord said. 'In Melromarc, Filolials are commonly bred and trained for transport, or for pulling carriages.'

'Oh?' Atreus said.

'Mr. Loki, do you seriously not know about Filolials after seeing several of them? Or were you blind?'

'Oh yeah. I did notice several large birds pulling carriages throughout the town,' Atreus replied.

'Yes. Those would be the Filolials,' the Lord explained. 'We hope with this, you may have a way of travelling throughout the country.'

'That would be great,' Atreus said. 'I've always wanted to explore the country side. Thank you for this. Your gift is greatly appreciated.'

'Of course, Shield Hero. Now, I shall leave you be for a bit, so you may recover.'

'Thanks.'

The Lord of the Village left the room, leaving Atreus and Raphtalia with the Filolial Egg.

Night came. The village of Riyute allowed Atreus and the gang to sleep within a room in the Inn. Atreus had set the Filolial Egg delicately onto a dresser at the other end of the room.

'What a long day,' Raphtalia said, yawning. 'I'm exhausted.'

'How much time is left before the next Wave, lad?' Mimir asked.

'We've got about more than a month before the next Wave,' Atreus answered. 'Either way, there's a lot we need to do in the meantime.'

'It will be busy tomorrow,' Kratos said. 'We must rest.'

'I still can't believe Melromarc has a Queen,' Atreus said. 'That changes everything.'

'Of course. Melromarc is a Matriarchy,' Raphtalia said. 'Did you not know?'

'No,' Atreus said, before he thought back to their first meeting at the castle. 'Oh yeah. You remember the first meeting Father? In the castle?'

'Yes,' Kratos answered.

'There was another throne, beside the King's. One that was empty. I guess we didn't really pay much attention to it.'

'Well, in Melromarc, the Queen holds the highest authority,' Raphtalia explained. 'Because of this matriarchy, women traditionally hold higher social value than the men due.'

'Ah, I see,' Atreus said. 'But wait, what about the King? What's his story?'

'I don't really know much about that,' Raphtalia said. 'But I've heard that men who are married have their name changed to the choice of their wives.'

'So you're telling us,' Mimir said. 'That the King doesn't even have real authority here?! Ha! That's bloody hilarious!'

'Yeah, that is hilarious!' Atreus replied, laughing. 'Never thought the King would marry his way into the throne! Oh man, he is so gonna have to answer to the Queen!'

'Yes, yes, it is funny,' Raphtalia said. 'We should probably sleep now. We have a busy day tomorrow.'

'Alright.'

The group climbed into their beds, prepared to sleep for tomorrow.

'There's not enough beds here,' Atreus said. 'We'll have to share a bed, Raphtalia.'

Raphtalia blushed faintly, then slowly nodded, squirming a bit.

'O-okay then, Loki…'

The two of them climbed into the bed, gently closing their eyes. As Raphtalia slept, she felt Atreus come close behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She couldn't help but smile, feeling herself safe close to Atreus as the two of them fell asleep.

'Raphtalia!'

Raphtalia's ear twitched as she woke up to Atreus's voice. A quick look out the window showed that it was early morning. She sat up and found Atreus standing in front of the Filolial Egg, watching it intently. She raised an eyebrow, then gently shook Kratos to wake him. Kratos woke up with a low growl and stared at Raphtalia. She pointed to Atreus, and the two of them stood at Atreus's side, trying to see what was wrong. They found that the Egg had cracks all around it, a sign that the Filolial inside was about to hatch.

They jumped a bit when the egg shook, cracking, before it finally burst open, revealing a Filolial chick inside. It was an average sizes chick, with large, round blue eyes and shining white feathers that reminded Atreus of the snow back at Midgard. The Filolial chirped happily as it suddenly jumped onto Atreus's head, settling peacefully in his hair.

'H-hey, what the-?!' Atreus exclaimed in shock.

'Aww, it's marking you,' Raphtalia said. 'It thinks you're its parent!'

Atreus sighed as he picked up the Filolial, holding it gently in his hands. The Filolial was easily pickable, being all chirps and smiles, wings flapping happily. Atreus smiled as he rubbed one finger gently against the Filolial's head. The Filolial chirped happily as it nuzzled his finger.

'She's so cute,' Raphtalia said.

'She?' Kratos said.

'It's a girl, Kratos,' Raphtalia explained.

'Heh, I like her,' Atreus said.

'What will you name her, lad?' Mimir asked. Atreus thought for a moment, trying to think of a name.

'I think I will name her…Drífa.'

The group walked around the half-ruined village, Raphtalia holding onto Drífa as Atreus looked at the map, thinking where to go. Drífa chirped happily as she nestled into Raphtalia's hands, her feathers feeling soft.

'So, where do ya wish to go, lad?' Mimir asked.

'Well, considering our levels, the mountains west of here would be a good place,' Atreus explained. 'We should find some decently strong monsters there.'

'Hello, Shield Hero,' the Lord of Riyute Village greeted, walking up to Atreus and making a respectful bow. 'I see the Filolial has already hatched and grown attached to you.'

'Yeah.' Atreus picked Drífa up and held her in his hands. 'Her name is Drífa. Hey, I've never raised a Filolial before. Any tips?'

'Well,' the Lord said. 'Filolials are unable to stay calm unless they have a cart to pull. Maybe when the Filolial grows to adulthood, we can grant you a cart for her to pull.'

'With a cart,' Raphtalia said, 'we may be able to travel to more places, Mr. Loki.'

'Okay. Yeah, that could work,' Atreus said. 'But what should we feed her?'

'You should start with something soft, like baked beans mushed into a puree. Once she grows up, they aren't picky. They'll eat pretty much anything as adults.'

'Gotcha. Thank you. We should probably be heading off now.'

'Of course. Farewell, Shield Hero.'

The Lord bowed respectfully, before walking away. Atreus and Co. bought a few baked beans, had lunch, then headed off towards the mountains, starting their day.

'Watch it! This thing's huge!'

The group had come upon a Mountain Wolf within the mountains. It was a large canine, almost bigger than Kratos, with grey fur, red eyes and rows of sharp fangs. Even Atreus wasn't able to hide his shock at how large the Mountain Wolf was. He kept Drífa hidden under his armour as he raised his shield, prepared to fight.

'I'm going!'

'Raphtalia, wait!'

Raphtalia had suddenly leaped and charged at the Mountain Wolf with her spear, yelling as she sought to impale it, completely ignoring Atreus and disregarding his plan. The Mountain Wolf barked loudly and aggressively as it charged at her, it's mouth opened wide as it made to bite down her. It was Atreus who saved her, pushing her aside and raising his arm. The Wolf clamped down hard on Atreus's arm, impaling it in several places.

'Now!' Atreus shouted.

Kratos roared as he charged at the Mountain Wolf with his axe, slashing deeply at its side. At the same time, Ingrid unsheathed itself from the scabbard on Atreus's back, slashing at the Wolf repeatedly. The Mountain Wolf yelped as it let go of Atreus and leaped away, snarling at all three of them. Atreus clutched his arm. The Wolf had done a considerable amount of damage. Atreus gritted his teeth as he pulled out his bow, roaring as he charged at the Wolf.

The battle ended up being chaotic and bloody. Atreus tried desperately to try and restrain the Wolf, while Raphtalia kept trying to stubbornly attack it. It was an effort for Atreus to keep her safe from the Wolf as it tried to rip her to shreds.

'Raphtalia!' Atreus yelled. 'Stay back!'

'But if what you get hurt, Mr. Loki?' Raphtalia said.

'Just do what I say, Raphtalia!'

'But…'

Atreus yelled as he suddenly charged, swinging his bow and slamming it down onto the Wolf's head. The Wolf yipped in pain as it collapsed to the ground, then snarled as it tried to get back up. Atreus leapt on top of the Mountain Wolf, keeping it pinned. It was a struggle; The Wolf was almost stronger than him.

'Now!'

Raphtalia, Kratos, and Ingrid attacked all at once, slashing the Mountain Wolf deeply. The Mountain Wolf howled as it was attacked before it finally went limp and died. Atreus sighed exasperatedly as he got up, clutching his arm in pain.

'Loki! Are you harmed?' Raphtalia asked. Atreus turned to her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

'Hey, Raphtalia,' Atreus said calmly. 'I'm going to need you to be more careful next time.'

'What do you mean, Loki?' Raphtalia asked. 'Didn't you save me so I could fight for you?'

'Look at my arm, Raphtalia,' Atreus said, showing his injured arm. 'If that Wolf was able to cause this much damage to me, then imagine what it could've done to you. We didn't save you just so we could get you hurt. It might've been different back then, but now, we want you to be able to defend yourself.'

'Your haste will cost us,' Kratos said.

'B-but…' Raphtalia said, before sighing in resignation. 'Alright, Loki.'

Atreus sighed, before focusing and healing his bloodied arm. There was still a tiny bit of pain left over from his wounds. Atreus decided to check his Status. He found that Drífa had levelled up considerably, despite not having contributed to the battle. Drífa chirped as she climbed out from under Atreus's armour and walked over to the dead Mountain Wolf, striking a triumphant pose over its body, as if she had killed it herself.

'She's already grown a lot,' Mimir said.

'Yeah. Must be that Monster User Shield I unlocked,' Atreus replied. 'At this point, she'll be able to carry us already. Alright, shall we go on?'

'Yes, Loki,' Raphtalia said.

'We shall follow,' Kratos said.

The group went on, wandering the mountains for a little while longer. By the time that evening had come, the group had levelled up considerably. The group headed back to Riyute Village, retiring for the night.

Atreus and Co. woke up early the next morning to find a surprise waiting for them. They reached the stables just on the outskirts of Riyute Village, where they were shocked to discover that Drífa had grown overnight. It had been only yesterday that Drífa had been only a baby chick. Now, she had grown into a full-adult, resembling on Ostrich. Drífa chirped happily as Atreus fed her, while Freyr examined her thoroughly.

'Sheesh, I've never seen a Filolial grow this quickly,' he said, muttering to himself. 'You seem to be caring for this creature a lot.'

'Yeah,' Atreus said. 'She was only a chick when she hatched yesterday. Are you certain that she's a Filolial?'

'Yes, I am sure,' Freyr said, finishing his examination. 'She's a very common variant of Filolials, even. But to see a Filolial grow this rapidly…'

The group froze when they heard the sound of creaking, like bones cracking. Drífa screeched as she shifted in her stall, making the creaking noises louder.

'It sounds like she's making all the creaking,' Raphtalia said.

'Sheesh, she's still growing?' Atreus said. 'Is this normal?'

'No. They usually do not grow this fast. What have you been feeding her?'

'We've been feeding her baked beans, like the Lord recommended,' Atreus replied. 'I think her growth may have to do with my Shield.'

It wasn't just Drífa's growth that was becoming a problem. Her rapid growth meant that the Shield Party had to feed her more often. It was a struggle to find food with which to feed her with. Thankfully, thanks to her being an adult now, the group just let her devour any monsters that they slayed. It barely managed to fill her, and she would end up hungry again before long. By the end of the day, Drífa had grown even further, spontaneously transforming into a large, owl-like bird. She towered over the whole group, chirping happily as she nuzzled Atreus.

'Sheesh, I really hope she doesn't grow any further,' Raphtalia said.

'I think she has stopped growing, for now,' Atreus said, examining Drífa. 'Her creaking has ceased. You hear them? I think this is as much as she's gonna grow.'

Atreus and Co. made their way back to Riyute Village, where they met up with the Lord, along with the other villagers, within the centre of town. A carriage sat behind them. It was old, and a bit torn in some places, but otherwise held up well.

'What's this about?' Atreus asked.

'Shield Hero,' the Lord said, bowing respectfully. 'We decided it would probably be worth to hand this carriage over to you. As a token of our appreciation for everything you've done for us. And…Well, it wouldn't be fair to let your Filolial go without pulling a carriage, eh?'

Drífa chirped happily, jumping out of excitement at finally getting to pull a cart. Atreus rubbed his chin as he examined the cart, before nodding.

'Well, it'll need some repairs in a few places,' he said. 'But it'll do. Thank you. Your help has been invaluable.'

'As it has been for us,' the Lord said. 'Oh, right, I'd like you to take this as well.'

The Lord pulled out a tiny scroll of paper, handing it to Atreus. Atreus examined the scroll, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

'What is it?' Atreus said.

'It's a Merchant's Pass,' the Lord said. 'It shall allow you to enter any town in Melromarc without having to pay a toll. I'd figure it would help you in your business ventures.'

Atreus smiled and nodded, before putting the Merchant's Pass into his pouch.

'Alright. Thank you,' he said. 'I suppose we shall get going now. We have a lot of things to do today.'

'Of course. You are welcome here any time you please,' the Lord said.

Drífa chirped happily as she took the reins of the carriage, waiting for them to travel. Atreus nodded and turned to Kratos and Raphtalia.

'Alright, let's go,' he said.

The three of them climbed into the carriage, with Atreus taking the reins. At Atreus's call, Drífa bolted off out of the town, running at an incredible speed as she pulled the carriage deep into the forest, forcing the group to hang on.

By the time Atreus and Co. returned to the town, it was nearly nightfall. The group had spent the entire day training in the forest, slaying any monsters they came across. Drífa devoured any monsters that were slain, meaning that Atreus didn't get the chance to absorb them into his shield. Atreus meanwhile had been collecting herbs throughout the forest, before crafting them into the new intermediate medicine recipes that he learned. The group decided to head into the town, where Atreus sold his medicine for a fair price. By the time they were done with their trip, it was already night out. Most of the people had already gone home by now.

'Well, Drífa has already proven useful,' Mimir said. 'See how much distance she covered in such short time?'

'Yeah, she's really fast,' Atreus said as he pet Drífa's side, making her chirp happily. 'I've never seen an animal this fast. Can't imagine the places we'll be able to go to now. I just wanna explore more of the country side.'

'I really wish she'd just slow down a little,' Raphtalia said, rubbing her belly. 'I'm still feeling nauseous from the ride she gave us. I keep trying to tell her to slow down, but she won't listen.'

Drífa chirped lowly, almost as if she was laughing at Raphtalia. Raphtalia glared at Drífa, who only made a chuckle.

'I suppose we should get some rest then,' Atreus said. 'Got a busy day tomorrow. I wanna head out to the country side, see what's there to do.'

'I suppose,' Mimir said.

'Someone, help!'

The sound of a woman's scream caused Atreus to stop dead in his tracks, becoming tense as he listened. The others stopped when they realized he wasn't with them and turned to face him, becoming concerned.

'Atreus?' Kratos said.

Atreus raised one finger as if to indicate for them to be silent. He listened very closely, before his eyes narrowed as he heard the voice again.

'Someone, please help me! Anyone!'

Atreus immediately turned and ran through the town, searching for the woman who had been screaming. Kratos and Raphtalia looked at each other, before they ran after Atreus, Drífa sprinting at their heels.

Atreus kept running, listening out for the woman's voice, until it led him to a massive tent in the centre of town. Atreus recognized it as the slaver tent that Atreus and Kratos had found Raphtalia in. The woman's screams could be heard from within. Atreus snuck into the tent, peeking behind a cage as he looked out.

He saw Beloukas, grinning widely as he held a bowl of black ink. Alongside him was a pair of assistants, holding onto what appeared to be a woman. She was a young blue-eyed woman, roughly the same size as Atreus, and with a medium build. The woman possessed long, curly blonde hair with an ahoge on top.

The woman struggled vainly against the assistants as they began stripping her of her clothing, bringing her down onto her knees. Beloukas chuckled as he dipped a brush into the blank ink, before bringing it to her chest.

'No! Please! Someone, please help me!'

Atreus snarled as his anger surged, before he ran out from behind the cage, charging at Beloukas. He roared as he leapt at them, turning into a wolf mid-air. Beloukas turned and raised his eyebrows in shock, dropping his brush and bowl as he lost his grin.

'W-what the-?!' was what all Beloukas was able to say before Atreus charged into him, sinking his teeth deep into Beloukas and beginning to tear him to shreds. The assistants let go of the woman and backed away in terror, as all three of them witnessed Atreus rip Beloukas apart. Atreus threw Beloukas away, causing him to crash into an empty cage, as Beloukas groaned and died, blood pouring from his wounds. Atreus turned and barked aggressively, before he charged at the assistants. The assistants screamed in terror as Atreus leapt at them, tearing them to pieces with his fangs. The woman crawled away in terror, her back against an empty cage as she witnessed Atreus's rampage.

Atreus growled when the assistants' screams died, his teeth stained in blood. He whined as he turned back into a human, wiping the blood from his mouth. Atreus turned to the woman, and saw she was looking up at him with fear, her eyes widened. Her clothing had been torn and ripped in some places.

'H-hey, are you alright?' Atreus said, taking a step towards her. He stopped when the woman backed away with a gasp, her breath shaky as she was on the verge of panic.

'Y-you,' she said, noticing the Shield on Atreus's arm. 'Y-you're the Shield Hero…'

'Hey, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you.'

Kratos and Raphtalia burst into the tent then, Drífa following close behind them. They stood shocked at Beloukas and his assistants' dead bodies, their blood pooling out onto the ground.

'Atreus…What has happened?' Kratos asked.

'This woman was in danger,' Atreus explained. 'They were going to make her a slave, so I stopped them. Are you harmed? Do you need any help?' he asked the woman.

'I…I….' the woman breathed more quickly, before she closed her eyes tight, trying to slow her breathing down. She opened them back up once she calmed down enough, her face becoming stern.

'My name is Rino,' she said. 'I was a member of the Spear Hero's party.'

'Motoyasu?' Atreus asked. 'That guy?'

'Yes,' Rino went on. 'I…I met him about a month ago. After the Four Heroes were summoned. I didn't recognize him at the time, but he came up to me and flirted with me. I felt flattered, even more so when he revealed his identity to me. The Spear Hero invited me to join his party. I accepted. And so, I became part of his party. I wanted to fight by his side, truly. But I couldn't understand why his party members would cheer for him instead of helping him during battles.'

Atreus knelt by Rino's side, concerned.

'So, how did you end up here?' Atreus asked.

Rino sighed, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

'Myne,' she said. 'She's a part of the Spear Hero's party as well.'

'Myne,' Atreus replied, nodding slowly. He got a pretty good idea of what happened. 'She betrayed you, didn't she?'

'Yes. I should've realized that something was wrong with her. But I was naïve, and gullible, and I was too easily tricked. Myne always seemed so close to him. Then, Myne betrayed me. She…She said that I was getting too close to the Spear Hero. That I needed to go. So she captured me, and bought me here, so that I may become a slave.'

Rino sobbed as she wiped at her tears. Atreus rubbed her back sympathetically.

'I-if she wanted me to leave,' she said. 'She could've just said so. This was…Unnecessary.'

'Hey, it's okay,' Atreus said. 'You're safe now.' He sighed, before he noticed that Rino was nude. He took his cloak off and handed it to Rino.

'Here, put this one,' he said. Rino took the cloak and wrapped it around her body.

'T-thank you,' she said, blushing faintly.

'That Myne women really is a nasty piece of work, is she?' Mimir said.

'Yeah. I can't believe she would stoop this low,' Raphtalia agreed. 'What do we do now?'

Rino sighed, before standing up, her face becoming stern as she looked at Atreus.

'You have saved my life, Shield Hero,' she said. 'Were it not for you, I would have met a terrible fate. Allow me to pay the debt I now owe you. Please, let me fight by your side.'

Atreus thought for a moment, then nodded.

'Alright then,' he said. 'If you can fight, then welcome to the party.'

'Thank you. I hope my skills in combat meet your expectations.'

'Alright, then that settles it, then,' Mimir said. 'I suppose we should get going, we've wasted enough time here as is.'

'Wait,' Kratos said, just as the group turned to leave. 'What about the slaves here? They are still held captive. Shall we really leave them to their fate?'

The others looked around at the cages, Demi-Humans, mostly children, looking through the bars with pleading looks on their faces. Atreus sighed as he felt a wave of sympathy for them.

'You're right, Father,' Atreus said. 'It wouldn't be right to just leave them here, to suffer. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to help them.'

The Demi-Human's faces all lit up at Atreus's words, muttering to each other joyfully at the thought of finally being freed. Atreus quickly put a finger to his lips, motioning for them to be silent.

'Quiet,' he said. 'Otherwise, people are gonna hear and start looking. We gotta do this stealthily.'

The Demi-Humans all nodded, quickly falling silent as Atreus and Co. went around opening the crates one by one, as Rino pulled her cloak close to her body. The group of Demi-Humans all stayed close together as Atreus and Co. led them out the tent, creeping silently through the town. It was dead of night when they reached the end of town, stopping just outside Melromarc.

'This is far enough,' an older, feline looking Demi-Human said. 'Thank you, Shield Hero, for freeing us from our prison. We will not forget what you have done for us this night. From here on out, we are forever in your debt. If we ever meet again, we shall repay you any way we can.'

'Don't mention it,' Atreus said. 'Just be careful out there, okay?'

'Oh, we will,' the Demi-Human said. 'We shall get as far away from this country as we can. We shall head North-East, to Siltvelt. May we meet again, Shield Hero.'

'May we meet again,' Atreus repeated.

Nodding, the Feline Demi-Human turned, leading the group of Demi-Humans as they disappeared into the night, keeping themselves well hidden. Atreus sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, as Raphtalia put her hand on his shoulder.

'That was a great deed you've done, Loki,' Raphtalia said.

'Aye. You really are living up to the title of Legendary Hero,' Mimir said. Atreus smiled.

'Yeah,' he said, before yawning. 'Man, what a day this has been. Let's rest, okay?'

The group nodded, before they set up camp outdoors, just outside the town. Rino huddled close to Atreus for warmth as the two of them closed their eyes gently, falling asleep.

The morning was fresh and crisp. Atreus woke up with a yawn, wiping his eyes. Rino huddled close to Atreus, snoring, then snorted as she woke up, peeking one eye open.

'Good Morning, Shield Hero,' Rino said, pulling her cloak close to her.

'Morning,' Atreus said. It wasn't long before Raphtalia and Kratos woke up as well.

'Good morning, Loki,' Raphtalia said, grabbing a piece of food to eat. 'What shall we do today?'

'I would like to go into the town, first off,' Rino said. 'I would like new gear, since, well…' She gestured to her tattered clothing, blushing faintly.

'Hey, where's Drífa?' Atreus asked, noticing that she was missing from the group. The group immediately became concerned as they looked all around them, trying to find Drífa, until they heard yawning from a stump nearby. The group examined the stump and froze, completely caught off guard. Lying against the stump, where Drífa had been, laid a small, young girl, with long blonde hair and white wings on her back, but no clothing on. The girl looked up at Atreus and smiled, giggling as she waved.

'Good morning, Master!' the girl said. Everyone quickly jumped back in shock, appalled.

'Who's she?!' Raphtalia exclaimed.

'I-I don't know!' Atreus replied, staring at the mysterious young girl in shock, not realizing the girl was Drífa.