Chapter 72

It took a lot of effort to watch all those videos without stopping. Friends, family, the two Gods closest to me, and lastly an enemy who had seen the light, so to speak. Each one of them had given me their word that things were well in hand, even without me, and while they didn't say it explicitly...

Focus on your task. We'll make sure you have a home to return to.

Heracles... His report wasn't exactly encouraging, but he was right. The things I'd done, and how I did them, would have upset a LOT of people, and now that I'd opened up Orario to Earth I'd given them a way to get to me. I would be sure to speak to them directly when I returned, maybe thank them for being so careful and not catching anyone else but me in the trap.

Before, say, punching their head off.

"I would have thought you would be in high spirits, receiving such encouragement." Glass said, my glow of 'anger' fading from the bark and vine walls inside the tree.

"There's a saying, back where I was born. 'You can tell the quality of a person, by the quality of their enemies'." I lifted the emerald up so I could talk to Glass 'face to facet'. "My enemies bypassed a dozen different security measures, a barrier between worlds, the magical awareness of my wife, children, and myself. Just to send me here."

"Alas, now you are my problem." Glass smiled behind her hand.

"Seems so. However, you've now seen just how many people support me. And they managed, somehow, to get HIDA here. In my opinion, that is how you tell the quality of a person." I lowered the emerald prison so it dangled freely from my neck, "Speaking of, HIDA?"

"Yes boss?" She replaced the 'ooo cookies' face of Heracles with her own avatar standing to the side of my family portrait home screen, "Nyah?"

I carefully poked her avatar's nose, "Your homework for tonight." I slid my finger against the screen to nudge her to the middle so I could talk to her properly, "If you haven't already that is. Compile a way to make what ever tools and devices I'll need in sections. Like a puzzle. My work here means I can't really just sit down and hammer things out."

"Oh! I like puzzles! Sure, I can make a bunch of modular projects that fit together!"

"You have the files on the crystal storage and holographic crystal medium of HIDA-one?"

"Of course! That's... Well HIDA-two was kinda waiting for you to mention it again. Didn't want to trouble you with it while you had so many projects going on!"

"I feel a little guilty now." I admitted, "But, there are some really neat materials here. I might be able to enchant something that will allow you a bit of freedom, as well as the ability to hold a pencil. I'm reluctant to take you with me." Something occurred to me, "I'm actually not sure I can take you with me..."

I looked out of the tree-cave entrance, towards the torch lit village below. "You mentioned all kinds of weird things." She said, "Like how everyone has 'status magic' and the like." HIDA said, "I'm..." Her avatar became a set of 32 bit pixel art, "Not detecting anything like that on my visual... Rifana? Do you have status magic again?"

Rifana shook her head, "I used to. Everyone does! Well, everyone but me now?" Her little ghostly hand reached down and lifted the emerald on its chain, "Miss Glass?"

The tiny prisoner glared at us, "I did, but do not now."

"The rules here are weird." HIDA said. "Well, if you wanted to risk it..."

I thought for a moment. Rifana couldn't leave the territory of my tree. Every time she did, she just appeared behind her gravestone. Glass was trapped inside an item the 'system' of the world didn't seem to understand, so maybe that disconnected her from the 'rules'. That, or like Rifana, she was dead and brought back to life in the tiny territory that existed in the emerald...

"I..." I shook my head, "No. So far as I can tell, this tree, as well as the others, provide limited shelter from the rules out there. I don't know if its a good idea to risk taking you off my property." Something occurred to me though... "I might be able to get a spare cellphone though..."

"Oh? Aha!" It took HIDA a tenth of a second to deduce my thoughts, "The other three hero types were from modern day, right?"

"The future, kinda. Parallel worlds too, kinda... Lots of similarities, but bits of their history don't match."

"I'll devise a workaround then! Be sure to bring me some of these materials, and I'll know better how to work magic into them! Oh oh! Is your memory still the same as before?"

"Almost. I have paper though. Um..." I looked around, "No desk... Rifana?"

"Sure!" She slipped off my back, gave one of my tails a pat before shooing it away, then pointed at one of the 'cave' walls. There was a creak of wood, a crack or two, then a little groan, and suddenly there was a desk.

"Thank you." I said, "Now I'll just..." I switched the Shield to the Light Metal Shield for the best flat shield, set it on the table, and started pulling supplies out of it. Pencil, paper, ruler, that kind of thing. "Now to set you up on the stand...

"Hi big sister!" Rifana interrupted my intense drawing session with a happy greeting and a ghostly ruffle of fabric. "Uh oh! Boss! She's got that look in her eye!"

"I do not!" Raphtalia grumbled, "It's getting late though."

"Rifana? The distraction." I said, drawing furiously. I was almost done the legs...

"Right! Here look at this!" Rifana came over to the little desk, picked up some paper, and intercepted Raphtalia before she got within reach of my ears.

There was a papery ruffle behind me, "This... Wait..." More ruffling, "The smithy... streets, then... oh..." More ruffling, "Oh wow! You planned out the entire town?"

"I had help." I said, looking up at Hida's little screen, "But we put our minds together and came up with a simple road plan, some sewer systems, places for communal recreation (yes, outdoor baths), that kind of thing. It will take time, but if that plan is followed you can provide enough space and have farms that will grow enough food for trade."

I gave my own drawing one last look, the overall design similar to the all encasing black armour, with allowances for modifications following the enchanting rules of this world. "Perfect." I smiled.

"Good! Because it's bed time." She squinted at me. "But... thank you! This will help things along perfectly!" She paused, "Wait..."

"You were so intent on pulling my poor ear last time, I couldn't introduce you. Raphtalia, this is HIDA."

Raphtalia leaned in, "There's a person in this... Is she like Glass?"

"Nope!" HIDA did a little spin in place on the screen, "Think of me like... a very complex series of spells and illusions, that is so close to being a real person, that most people couldn't tell the difference. Like you did just now!"

"Huh, but... you can't leave this..." She made to pick up the cellphone, but I stopped her, "Ah..."

"This is kind of like my body. I can hear, see, speak and in a limited way touch things with it." She waved it off, "Anyhow, my full name, is Holographic Interactive Designer (who is) Adorable!"

"Holo...g..." Poor Raphtalia, "Okay, yes, HIDA is much easier. Well, pleased to meet you."

I felt the big sister energy directed at me again, and my tails fluffed out in a threat response. "Just..."

"No. Bed time!"

"Five more minutes!" I almost didn't have enough time to grab all my designs and put them into the Inventory before she pinched the tip of my ear, "But..."

"Don't worry, I'll put HIDA away." Rifana said, waving as I was wrestled out of the tree/cave.

"You need to sleep properly." Raphtalia said after she let me go so I could walk properly along side her. "But it's good to see you smile."

"It's feeling a little more like home, now that I have proper projects on, and have solved at least one of the problems we were facing." I replied, wrapping an arm over her shoulders for a moment, letting her go, and sighing, "News from home was... no. Wasn't bad. They miss me, but they can get by without me for a while. I can focus on the job here."

She nodded, "Good. Has the Queen called you yet?"

"No. But I'm guessing soon."

"Are you calling me a problem?"

Morning two of our vacation(?) dawned... soggy. It wasn't (so said Raphtalia) the worst weather the little town got, but it was going to make a lot of the day miserable.

Well, if you cared about that kind of thing. I had work to do, and rain was just another thing that needed to be addressed. Lurolona wasn't really close to the nearest river, and the wells weren't always the most reliable (so said one of the elders).

But, just as Raphtalia had to learn to delegate tasks to her underlings, I gave her the simple town layout HIDA and I had worked on (with her taking pictures from outside the tree cave, from ground level, and up high thanks to Tenno). So now she was working with them, leaving me to work on my own stuff.

Problem. I needed to replace equipment. A lot of it. Raphtalia had weapons, though the ATMA weapon needed to be adjusted to suit her much higher magic output. Clive needed his bow replaced. I had no armour to speak of. Raphtalia's armour was out of date. Usa's armour had taken a beating from L'arc. Tetsu's gloves needed yet another look.

Problem. I needed tools. This nice little anvil was great for nice little projects. The tools from the wagon were for equipment upkeep, not total replacement.

Problem. I needed to process materials, but this town didn't have anything past a partially built smithy and a few small (barely) waterproof homes. No real 'infrastructure' to speak of.

Problem. Time. I knew, any day now, the Queen would give me a royal ahem and ask me to come to Melromarc.

Lunchtime, no call from the Queen. And since the elder smith's apprentice was still learning to make nails, I worked with my little glass furnace and the buckets of nice white sand. And just because no one was looking, I also used the top of the furnace to bake some flatbread, so I could bring a bunch of sound stones, some Occulus, and food, to Raphtalia, who was probably foaming at the mouth with all the paperwork she needed to do (except, the only paper in the village was in the Shield).

"Hey..." She said around a mouthful of bread, "Your smile is gone."

"Have problems of my own, so to speak. I need materials and tools, but don't have them handy. I don't want to go into Melromarc just yet, and a trip there and back from the port would still take most of a day."

"What about the Shield?" She asked, "You had that evil laugh and everything when you got the sand..."

I blinked at her, opened my mouth, closed it, sighed, "Right..." I thought for a moment, "You know... I wonder if-"

"Mademoiselle Kodori!" Mr. Fancy and two of his inquisition greeted me as I stepped out of a glowing portal next to the Zeltobe hourglass. "Vat a fazzinating ability!"

I bowed, accepted the rose he offered me, and tucked it next to an ear. "I learn new things as the hardships from the Waves increase." I replied with a smile, "Time however, ticks ever downward, and I am here to make good on that offer to barter with you like a proper merchant."

While he swooned at my offer of proper trade, and a chance to make money from me, I glanced at my Status and noticed the Portal Shield had a full hour cool down. Not terrible, but certainly worth noting.

"Vell! I am zertainly willing to open my doorz to your cuztom! But if you are calling upon me, and not Monsieur Hickwaal..."

"Depending on how fast rumour travels, you might know one of my party, with my help, has reclaimed her people, and the land they used to live on. But this needs materials. We have wood in abundance, but lack many other things. Stone, more tools, a couple anvils, the list isn't very long, but it is specialized towards your type of trade, not my good friend Hickwaal."

He nodded understanding, one hand stroking his finely trimmed mustachio, the other holding his elbow. "Let us zee this list!"

I wasn't sure if I won, or lost, the bartering match between Mr. Fancy and myself. He led me to a nice well appointed office, we sat down, snacks and tea were provided...

Then we went over my list with a fine tooth comb and bartered over every single item, how much he could spare, how much he could really spare, then the actual price. To an outsider, it looked like we were arguing over who would pay the bill at a restaurant, arguing back and forth while waving our hands at each other over a single strip of paper on the table between us.

But thanks to Hickwaal's training, it was more like speaking of the item, then waving around 'the offer' with hand signs. 'True' merchants never mentioned the number of coin, just the number of items. The only exception, was when counting the money at the end, because in the end, money was just an item.

An hour later though, I was smiling, he was smiling, and we had both gotten what we wanted. It was here, where I truly tested the Shield's inventory, compacting most of an entire small village worth of building materials into the gem.

Since I was here though, I went to do some shopping.

"Shield Hero!" Someone called out as I naturally gravitated towards the sounds of ringing metal.

Oh right, I was famous here... sigh... Turning to look, I spotted a reasonably successful merchant (a little overweight, clothes mostly clean, smiling) standing behind a big stall of equipment. At first look I was reminded of the 'rookie shop' on the second floor of Babel. Swords (reasonable quality) standing point down in barrels, a couple shelves with wooden boxes of gear, a bunch of sheathed daggers on the counter in front of him, and behind the counter, a rack of shields.

"Good afternoon." I said, "Quite the selection you have." Polite, offhand compliment, textbook greeting.

"Welcome welcome! Yes, I have all sorts of interesting, if common goods. I'm not quite a junk dealer you see. Rookie gladiators need to get their gear someplace, and sometimes it finds its way back to me too." He shrugged, "But, I occasionally get things from people who can't make debt payments, see?"

He put a dagger on the table. At first glance, it looked flimsy and weird, but to the educated, it wasn't just a dagger, but a kris knife. "Huh." I picked it up, giving it a bit of an inspection, "Yeah, this wouldn't be practical in an arena, but whomever made it knew what they were doing at least."

"Indeed! Though... it looks a bit sinister to me." He laughed, his eyes looking a tiny bit sad when I set the knife back down, "But this wasn't why I called you over." He left the counter, went back two steps and picked up an odd looking shield.

What he set on the counter looked a little impractical. Without touching it, since that would basically be stealing in my case, it was about as wide as my arm, but had a shape more like a pot lid, than a proper dome of a shield. Flat, nearly smooth, an outer rim that was curled down and inwards...

"Anyone who knows anything about Shields knows it should be curved, or have a boss to protect your hand if the rest of it is flat, but this..." He flipped it over for me, showing that the back only had a solid handle and strap bolted to the back.

But... that outer rim wasn't just curved inwards like a pot lid, it was curved inwards like a handle. "May I?" I made to reach for it.

"Of course!"

Frisbee Shield Unlocked!

"I'll buy it." I said, looking behind him and spotting the little price tag next to where it had been hanging, "And if you throw in the weird looking knife..."

I appeared next to the hourglass in Melromarc with a little 'fizz' of air and a little wave of humidity. One of those weird things about this world, were the seemingly independent weather patterns, and Zeltobe was fairly arid.

Of course, my arrival didn't go unnoticed, and a... would it be a 'nun'? Maiden? Priestess? Whatever, perked up and greeted me. "Lady Kodori. Welcome back to Melromarc." She bowed, her white-with-silver trimmed robes looking a little more humble than the version the rude lady who denied my party a class up had on. "Would you like me to send a message to the Queen of your arrival?"

"No. Actually, I'd like you to pretend I wasn't here at all." I said, stepping closer to her so I didn't have to talk across the room (and have the handful of people in that room hear me. "I will gladly answer her summons, but I have to get back to Lurolona."

"I understand. If you wished to borrow one of our filolial?"

The 'hero' treatment was new and weird, but welcome. "Please. Have it wait by the south gate? I have one more stop to make before I head out. Now... If someone DOES ask about me, let them know I need at least another two days, maybe three. But only if they ask you."

"I understand." And with a polite bow, she turned to go find me a ride back.

The chime above Erhard's shop door rang happily, and the man himself stepped through his workshop door a moment later, "Welcome- You're back!" He smiled, "The Queen got here a little while ago, all kinds of cheers and stuff. But you weren't with her. None of you were actually..."

We met in the middle of his shop and clasped forearms with each other. "Well, Motoyasu is still on Cal Mira, training a new member and taking advantage of the event. The Sword and Bow... well they didn't want to get seasick all the way back, and used a portal to get back here. No idea past that."

"What about yourself?" He asked, flipping his sign around to 'lunch' and locking the door.

I watched, then followed him to his workshop while I spoke, "Well, after the Wave, we took the ship back and went to check on Lurolona. After a bit of poking and prodding at what we had, and what we needed, I went to Zeltobe to buy as much material as I could."

"I guess this portal skill isn't perfect then?"

"Hourglass to hourglass." I nodded, "But, this brings me to another problem. Special tools."

He looked sympathetic, but shook his head, "I'll help you however I can, but..."

"No no, this is your life here. Can't just take your tools. But, can you make some? Got most of the boring stuff already. Anvils, hammers, good furnace bricks... But I need stuff like this." I gave his rolling press a tap, "Or this." I motioned to a primitive but very good lathe.

"Well that I can do sure." He nodded, but raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well, lemme show some of the stuff we pulled off the monsters out there..."

Some people would find it weird when a bald man who looked like he curled anvils for exercise sparkled at you. But after showing him most of what I found, he was acting like a kid in a candy store.

"This is pretty incredible... Never going to need hilt wrapping again!" He grinned, "Normal leather or cord just doesn't do it, ya know?"

I nodded, "And that's just the stuff we butchered..."

His reaction to the weird 'mascot' outfits was more thoughtful. "These look silly. But wow..." He was using his appraisal lens to look at them, "If it wasn't for that..."

"Well, I was thinking of stripping the magic out of them and putting it someplace else. Modify them, cut them up a little, make them less likely to kill me out of embarrassment."

"That's not a bad idea." He nodded slowly, "Can you leave these with me?"

"Sure." I nodded, "Now check this out." And I took out my design for my new armour from the Shield's inventory.

"If I didn't know you, I'd say this is impossible." He said.

"Before coming here, I couldn't do this. But with all the little bits of enchanting work my party and I have done..." I rolled up the sheets of paper, put them into leather scroll case, and returned it to the Shield's inventory. "I need the tools to do it though."

"Well... I can melt down the metals and alloy them for you. That'll save you time. But after that..."

"Thank you." I nodded, pulling out other monster materials and base metal ingots. "Anyhow, it's getting close to dinner time, and I have to get back." I perked up, "Oh! Remember Clive's bow? Could you make an arm for it?"

"That monstrosity? Sure. Wait... how did he break it?"

"You know..." I took out an Occulus, "I'll just tell you while I ride. And we can keep in touch like this too."

"Lady Kodori." One of the gate guards greeted me as I got within sight of the south gate of the castle town. "I would say welcome back, but suppose 'fair travels' would be more appropriate?"

"Indeed. Lots of things to do, but I need to be there to do them." I gave him a fist-in-palm bow, "You should have a filolial waiting for me?"

"Yes Ma'am. Fastest we have on hand." He looked back through the gate and whistled, "She's here!"

Someone outside the gate called back, "All saddled and set for her!"

I went through the gate, and saw one of the two guards outside the town holding the reins of an intense looking filolial with blood red highlights over its plumage and on the tips of some of its feathers. This one was a fighter for sure.

We looked at each other, the filolial's long neck lowering its head so it could stare into my eyes. "We'll be sure to get along." I said, "Let me just..." I went into the status screen under the 'animals' tab, and put my hand on the side of the big bird's neck. Mostly to show it I knew exactly where to pet, but also to add it to my party. "There. Gustav? Good name."

"squark." It replied shortly, before eating the rose I still had in my hair with a 'click' of beak.

I accepted the reins then got on its back. "Thank you."

"Not a problem Ma'am!" They both saluted.

I gave the bird under me another pat, "Drite-boost-aura."

A little stop in Riyute for some bread, a little saddle adjustment, a big clay jar of tannin (the stuff you treat leather with), and what ever other tools I thought of (saws! Right forgot the saws! I'll take four!). I also gathered up a bit of good will and a heap of 'thank yous' from the people, leaving me with a warm fuzzy feeling while I continued my story to Erhard through the Occulus.

"That's crazy." Erhard voice replied through the Occulus, "I wonder who the... Oh, I think I know who the Queen will get to train the other two. Or at least Ren."

With the liberal use of boosting magic, frequent water and snack breaks, and many 'you are a good bird' encouragements, my mount was making excellent time. And while I'd never tell Tetsu, filolial were far better for my rear at this speed.

But with a sudden "squark!" and a rapid (smooth, but rapid) deceleration, we came to a halt as a knight patrol spread out in front of us on the road ahead.

"Does she have pink hair and look really pretty?"

"Huh? Actually yeah, thinking about it. Her name... Eclair. I forget the last name." I could faintly pick up the sound of him rubbing a rough hand over his head, "Maybe I am getting old. But why do you ask."

"Because I think she's standing in front of me. Story time is basically over anyhow."

"Sure. So... I just cover this with some-" And my Occulus went dark. Once it was safely in a pouch, I got off my filolial. "Can I help you?" I called across the ten metres or so of road where the patrol had stopped.

"Are you the Shield Hero, Kodori Haruhime?" She motioned to the other five in her patrol and they spread out just a little more to block the road.

"I am. Are you Eclair?"

I watched as she got off her filolial, gave it a pat on the beak, and sent it out of the way with a quiet word. Like the other knights, like Ake and his teams, she was dressed in the bog standard knight armour. Full plate with a few small allowances for her figure, it was good sensible gear. That said, she had a few small personal touches, and her sword was far from standard issue.

"You've heard of me then!" She drew her blade, "The Queen has ordered my return to the Castle Town, to see to the training of the heroes. I ask that you return with me, so we can begin right away."

She was serious, carried herself well, and her fighting stance was solid too! She quite clearly knew what she was doing.

"I'm going to have to decline. I'm a little busy you see." I made a show of changing the Book Shield to the nice Hagane Red one, and putting it on my back out of the way.

"I must insist." She nodded at my 'proof' of being who I said I was, "Our world depends on the heroes, and I am under orders to train you."

"She reminds me of L'arc... I fathom that all worlds have the meathead type..." Glass sighed quietly.

"Hows this?" I started, doing a slow stretch and a quick left-right head tilt to stretch my neck out, "We can spar a little, and if you think I need your training, we'll go back."

"This will certainly be more amusing than all the shaking you've been doing riding that... thing." Glass remarked as I made sure my gauntlets were secure.

"I accept!" She said, flicking her hair back with one hand (nice long pink hair), then putting on a simple skull-band to keep it out of her eyes and protect her head somewhat.

Her first swing started low, sweeping up and across. Textbook, good speed, easy two handed grip on her blade. I stopped in mid step towards her and leaned back a little to avoid the strike, and was surprised when that easy two handed grip turned into a one handed downward swing at my shoulder.

"Too slow!" She said as her blade descended, "Wha-"

I finished my step forward, one hand reaching out low near her hip, the other coming up to capture her suddenly free hand.

Yes, I'd just captured her in a 'waltz', her sword arm over my shoulder now, the blade clanging off the Shield on my back. "It's rare I meet a woman almost as tall as me."

"Unhand me!" She tried to headbutt me, but I did as ordered and managed to escape the potential broken nose. "Fight seriously!"

"You don't want that." I said as I swayed away from a clean swing and sudden thrust of her blade. "We're sparring! Not fighting."

To her credit, she'd recovered from the embarrassment, AND ignored the single chuckle from someplace among the other knights. In terms of skill, she was better than most.

In this world at least.

She did a neat back step, spin, forward step and cut, an evasion and attack in one, but as she came around, missed, then switched hands again for another overhand cut, I stepped forward, slipped the back of my hand under her forearm, and swept it around with her swing over and past the pommel of her sword. Just for good measure, I gave the small of her back a slap with my other hand to push her along.

She stumbled past me, recovered her balance, then looked at her empty hands.

"Huh, how did this get here?" I asked, holding the sword lazily, admiring it as if I'd made it myself (for effect, and to stop the Shield from zapping me for holding a sword). "Really good work! Oh... Heh, no wonder Erhard said he knew you. He made this." I carefully gripped the blade, my thumb in the fuller, fingers curled over the edge but not touching the very sharp metal. "Shall we continue?"

She looked at me, then the offered sword hilt, "No..." She sighed, accepting the weapon and sheathing it. "I hear you have taken over governorship of my dear departed father's lands. Is this true?"

"Ah, Eclair Seaetto." I said, "No. The town belongs to Raphtalia, a former, now returned resident. She's in my party, and I am certainly helping her, but the land was given to her, not me."

"If she is in your party, then she is also your slave, is she not?" She said the word 'slave' like it was made of sand.

"The Shield takes advantage of that, allowing me to improve the effect each time she gains a level. The entire village is enslaved to me for only that reason." I replied honestly.

Her reaction was one I didn't expect, "Then... You are helping them gain power, so there is no repeat of the past?"

"That's right. Ake and his squad are stationed there, running patrols and training anyone who wants it. I don't expect the young or elderly to fight, but this will stop the next slaver in armour from ever doing it again." I smiled, "The ones responsible for that have been dealt with."

"I have heard of Rabier's fate, but have not found time to visit Lord Van's lands. Until the Queen's return, I had been in a cell for sympathizing with the Demi-humans. On her return, I was let free, and told to find any and all knights who still hold a contrary view on the Queen's edict of equal treatment for Demi-humans." She looked towards where her filolial had gone, and it instantly perked up and stomped over to her.

"Don't tell me where you put them, and I won't give them to Lord Van to work the fields Rabier burned." I gave her a fist in palm salute, then went to my own mount. Unlike hers, it had just sat down where I'd dismounted, and looked like I would have to give it all kinds of encouragement to get back up again.

"I will return to the Castle-town, and train the other heroes on proper weapon handling. It is clear you need no such training." She smiled, "A shame, since I would have liked you to teach me."

"After I've gotten more work done." I said, reaching back and getting some food for the poor bird. "Go easy on them. Remember they are from different worlds, and monsters were just in their books, not in their fields." I figured I'd try and get her expectations as low as possible...

"I understand. I hope to meet again then." She got on her filolial, nodding to the others of her patrol, and with a nice and organized motion, they all continued on their way towards the Castle-town.

I waved at them for a moment, then looked down at my filolial. "Only another hour or so. Come on. I know you can do it."

An hour and a half later, Gustav and I arrived at my tree. He had apparently had enough of me however, and with a move that got him almost up to his tip-toes, I either had to slide off his back, or fall over backwards with him on top of me.

Not wanting to be buried under a pile of angry feathers, I slid off, and immediately started getting the harness off him. Rifana, giggling all the while, caused the outside of tree to make a little hut for the poor bird, and escorted him inside, where it instantly flopped over and started snoring. (Even sleeping, it had managed to keep the 'grumpy' look pointed at me).

I gave my faithful tree spirit a hug, and left some food for bird. Then, I headed into the town proper.

"Ah, ma'am. You're back." Usa greeted me as I arrived at one of the only other places with a 'roof'. The Stockpile.

It wasn't much. We had pulled apart some wagons for the boards, used a bunch of canvas, and made an big open air tent to keep the worst of the rain off. Since most of the wood and stone was getting cut and put to use right away, it didn't have much in it either.

Usa himself was doing that now. Cutting and trimming logs from the mutant tree farm, so others with the few saws we had could make them into planks or trim the ends to make 'log house' styled logs.

"Well, I went to Zeltobe, since Raphtalia reminded me about the portal Shield. I spent a heap of coin, and bought just about everything I could from that one guy with the gun." My arrival had got the attention of the nearby workers, eager for a break and a bit of story time. "Then, I went to the Castle-town, picked up stuff I couldn't in Zeltobe, then borrowed a filolial to get back here."

"For less than a day's work, that's amazing!" One of the workers said, "But... Where is it?"

"I'm glad you asked. Catch your breath. Then we'll clear a space and we can unload."

Unfortunately, the Shield only spit out one item at a time. However, like everything else it spit out of the inventory, it was exactly the same distance from the gem every time.

With that in mind, I slammed the Shield of Marius down, angled it just so, and had the workers take stuff as it appeared, to carry it out of the way, then return for more. At first, it was a little awkward. It was still magic, and hardly anyone knew of the magic the Shield was capable of. But after they got used to it, we were happily throwing a warehouse full of materials into neat piles for later.

Even Raphtalia, Atla and Fohl started helping (mostly to stop Raphtalia from pulling my ear to dinner), and just after the smell of whatever the hunting teams had brought back for the stew pots reached us, we had finally emptied out all the stuff I'd brought back.

Notes!

Just some life, just some slices, moving on. :)

Thank you for reading! And if you want to see any full colour art, join the discord!

aKAQg4bnYu for the discord!

And my actual book, Were Too? is on Inkitt.

And! I'm looking into getting some story themed merchandise made. Join the Discord to find out more!