Chapter Forty-Three: Sounds of Silence
It was evening. Yet Van's estate and the nearby town were abuzz with activity.
Demi-human Guards who'd been patrolling the land before now stood on large crates. Helping to direct the people out the town gate and towards the South. The bear therianthropes Itsuki had saved from slavery patrolled along the forest. Their noses sniffed for any sign of danger. Servants carried food and other things out of Van's manor and put them into his people's wagons.
Despite the evacuation, despite leaving their crops and homes behind, the people were calm. Many already had wagons loaded with supplies, family heirlooms, and other essentials. Van supplied food to those who didn't have enough to get by on their own. And former slaves who were still recovering from the effects of slavery rode in other's wagons.
Van's people would not leave a single person behind. Human, or demi-human. Even if they didn't get along at times, they banded together as one to help everyone they could.
Itsuki and Ren stood in front of Van's Estate. Together, they were going over the details of what they'd be doing once they got to Idol's city with their party members. This was going to require even more cooperation than the Capital. And they couldn't just bull crap a plan like last time.
They had to make sure they and the slaves got out alive.
Van had offered magic support. But they'd decided the smaller the group, the better their chances. So it would be only the Three Heroes and their parties carrying this out. If things went south, Ren and Itsuki would be capable of teleporting their parties, along with Naofumi's out.
Hopefully.
Naofumi sat at a desk inside his party's room. Compounding Magic Healing Waters, Soul Healing Waters, Healing Potions, and everything else they'd possibly need for tonight. All the ingredients came from his monster drop inventory. And all his finished products were stored away inside his Shield instead of in a pouch or on his person.
This would make holding things SO much easier!
Naofumi muttered a silent thank you to Itsuki and Ren for the information they'd provided earlier. He was multi-tasking in compounding the potions, reading the help guide for all the new information he'd acquired, and-
His shield popped out medicine onto the desk. Naofumi stopped compounding, moved the medicine out of the way, and got back to it. I was just like Itsuki had explained earlier. The medicine was of Average Quality and wasn't affected by any of Naofumi's shields that boosted the quality of medicines. But his shield automatically made it for him.
Using his HUD, he assigned more materials to it to make more before continuing his other tasks.
Naofumi felt good. Really good. The familiar activity of compounding was helping him mentally. Along with the knowledge that he wasn't just helping out a group of people. He was helping Raphtalia to come to terms with her past with Idol.
He was going to support her no matter what she chose to do when the time arrived.
Speaking of her, he saw Raphtalia through the window. She was a good distance away from the other two parties. She wore her armor, which had been repaired by Van's blacksmith. She wielded her Magic Silver Sword and followed Eclair's movements as she taught her sword basics and had her practice again and again. Eclair helped with correcting her form and stance.
She had a long way to go. But she didn't mind the corrections. She was willing to swallow her pride if it meant getting better.
Welt also practiced alongside Raphtalia. Filo and Melty were nearby. Practicing magic together. Besides Ren, everyone else was going to be assisting Itsuki. So they had the chance to practice now while they still had time.
His whole party was preparing for this. Even though he'd only met two of them over the last two or so days. They all wanted to help.
That was good.
Naofumi finished compounding one last Soul Healing Water. Then he proceeded to inventory all the potions and medicines he'd created.
'Alright. I just need to do a couple more things.'
With his Shield still working, he got up and got dressed in some black chainmail he had laid out on his bed. It was an item drop from a monster.
Black Frog's Chainmail
Equip Effects: Defense Up (Medium), Water Resistance (Small)
The chainmail reminded him of the black and grey chainmail he'd first worn as a beginner. It made him wish Van's blacksmith could fix the Barbarian Armor in time, even if it did make him look like a bandit chief.
Its better stats would have been appreciated...
'I've been running for so long… ever since I was summoned to this world I've been running.' As he examined himself in a mirror, he came to realize how things were really changing.
He had stood up and fought Bitch before. Now he was going to fight today, and if he survived, he'd be on his way to the Capital. To fight the people who had been ruining his life in this world.
'I'm fighting back for my right to fight for their world…' It was such an odd thought. He almost wanted to chuckle. 'Maybe if this all works out… I'll take Raphtalia and Filo somewhere for a vacation. They could use a break after everything they've done for me.'
He checked his inventory to make sure everything he prepared was at the top where he'd easily be able to select it and pull it out. Then he walked over to the window again and looked outside. The sun hadn't set yet, so it wasn't time to go.
Ren and Itsuki had finished talking to their parties. Ren was talking to that one demi-girl party member of his. Was her name Wyndia or Valley Girl?
Itsuki was talking with a green-haired girl. The one he'd accidentally healed the curse from.
The green-haired girl whined in fright at something. And the demi-girl just stared at Ren. The Sword Hero shuffled in place anxiously, and then she pulled a lock of hair from her tail and handed it to him.
Rishia eventually cut off a small lock of her own hair and gave it to Itsuki. Both Heroes absorbed them into their weapons.
'So they're seeing if they can unlock weapons to boost the stats of their parties…' If they had unlocked new weapons, Naofumi couldn't tell. But Itsuki went to Maya next and did the same thing, while Ren went to Welt.
His Shield was still making the next batch of medicine, so he opened his own Shield Menu to make sure he was ready.
He'd finished unlocking the Dragon Fang Shield for the +1 Attack stat. He'd also carefully read the help guides for the new strengthening methods Itsuki and Ren had shared with him so he could strengthen his best shields.
[Level Link]: This was Ren's core method. Basically, as Naofumi leveled up, the stats of his weapons would also increase. It made sense why the Sword Hero spent so much time grinding for levels before this.
[Mastery Level]: This was Ren's mastery method. By equipping a weapon or using it in battle, you could raise a weapon's mastery level to 100, increasing its stats along the way. At anytime, you could reset the weapon's mastery level, putting its stats back to normal but obtaining energy for the third method.
[Energy Transfer]: Using this method, you could use the mastery energy to awaken a weapon. This was permanent and not only increased a weapons stats but also upgraded or revealed abilities the weapon form didn't have before.
[Rarity Up]. This was Ren's last method. All weapons started with a C, or Common Rating. Using Mastery energy, you could upgrade a weapon form's rarity. Each tier up would increase the weapon's overall stats, with higher tiers providing higher stat increases than lower tiers. It had a chance of failing though, which could reset a weapon's rarity back to C. Meaning you had to be careful when using it.
That covered Ren's methods.
[Rarity Strength]. This was Itsuki's core method. It passively increased a weapon's stats based on how rare it was. It did not, however, base it on Ren's rarity method, but rather how rare the weapon itself was.
If Naofumi were to describe the difference between the two methods. It'd be like having an Excalibur, and then having THE Excalibur. One method worked on ranking up a weapon's rarity to that of Excalibur. The other became immensely powerful if it copied THE sword of legend itself and not a fake.
His Chimera Viper Shield, which was classified as a Rare weapon under Itsuki's method, had been upgraded to SR or Super Rare under Ren's method. He got the Rare bonus for Itsuki's method, and the Super Rare bonus for Ren's Method separately. Making it even more powerful than they would alone.
[Ore Enhancement/Equip]. This allowed the Hero to insert ore into ore slots on a weapon via the HUD. The ore inserted into a weapon upgraded a certain stat, and there was a finite amount of ore slots per weapon. Also, it ONLY took ore. You couldn't insert monster materials or anything else related to the Shield. It had to be ore.
It hadn't hurt for Naofumi to try. But it still failed. He'd just have to mine some more ore later.
[Item Enchantment]. This turned unwanted items and monster corpses into energy to enchant Shields. There was supposed to be a chance of failure every time he upgraded the Enchantment, and the enchantment would reset if it failed...
...
Naofumi glared at the Cooking Efficacy bonus tied to the Chimera Viper Shield.
Cooking Efficacy, LV 12: +60% Cooking Efficacy
The level 12 enchantment alone had literally been a 12% chance of success, and it still succeeded!
He looked over a couple of his other shields he'd used Item Enchantment on. Including the Shield of Hope II.
SP Regeneration, LV 4: 18 SP Regeneration
At least it was trying to be useful!
Item energy was also added to the Mastery Energy pool. Meaning you could use Mastery Energy or Item Energy to use [Rarity Up] or [Item Enchantment]. So at least he could rely on that instead of just equipping random weapons to gather more mastery energy.
[Job Levels]: This one made the least sense to Naofumi. It was Itsuki's last method, and one he'd discussed the least before. It looked like he could use a lot of materials to upgrade a stat by... +1.
Yeah, he didn't think it was worth it. Naofumi had tried it on defense since he couldn't use it on his attack stat, but it had a cooldown of twenty-four hours before he could use it again. And the cost for increasing the stat to the next level, which granted +2, was higher than the first level.
It definitely didn't seem worth it. Naofumi wasn't going to focus on this much in the future.
Oh yeah, Naofumi would be remiss if he didn't note that NOT ONE OF THESE METHODS INCREASED HIS ATTACK STAT A SINGLE POINT!
Not even the Rarity methods, which increased all the stats on a Shield, increased the Shield's attack stat.
Granted, it didn't help that zero times any number was still zero, but Naofumi was still pissed about that! Why couldn't the strengthening methods improve his own stats instead of the Shield's stats!?
Seeing how some of these methods worked, Naofumi wished he'd done a lot more fighting with Raphtalia and Filo whenever they went monster-grinding. He would have had more shields to reset so he could obtain energy that way. He would have had more monster drops. And he would have had more monster corpses to use as fodder for enchanting shields.
Oh well. Hindsight is 20/20.
He still had the 20% defense buff affecting him. But because of all the active and passive strengthening methods Ren and Itsuki had shared with him; having the much stronger Awakened Chimera Viper Shield equipped made his defense stat far higher than before.
'Heh. I wonder if Raphtalia would be capable of hurting me now…'
...
He chuckled. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to test that theory anytime soon. Plus, he preferred staying on her good side.
"Naofumi, are you ready?"
Naofumi turned around in surprise. He'd been so engrossed with his Shield, he hadn't noticed Ren standing outside his door. "Is it time to go already?"
"It's past sunset," Ren said. "That's when we decided we'd leave earlier."
Naofumi looked outside. Ren was right. The sun had set while he checked his Shields. The village was finished evacuating. It looked like a ghost town outside. Van hadn't been kidding around when he said everyone would evacuate without leaving a trace behind.
His shield finished making the last batch of medicine, and he inventoried it.
He was still slightly pissed that his Shield didn't have an increase in attack. But at least he'd have the defense he needed to tank what was to come... hopefully.
At least he'd put forth the other Hero's strengthening methods in clear terms. No one could mess them up now.
If only he knew what his four methods were...
"Let's go then."
No more running.
It was finally time to confront Idol Rabier.
"You have your orders. Now make sure they can't flee."
The Shadows bowed. Then, one by one, they ran out of the large manor. Heading through the streets and jumping onto the tops of buildings to make their way towards the outer wall.
"Mr. Rabier." Idol turned. He had a revolting appearance. He was overweight and middle-aged, with an unkempt mop of frilled, strawberry-blonde hair on his head as well as a small mustache above his lips.
He was dressed in elegant clothing of black, golden, and purple hues, with some white frills to match his noble status. He also wore a purple cape, olive-yellow pants, and black riding boots. Right now, he had a cynical smile on his plump, ugly, bastardly face.
A messenger approached him and bowed. "The local militia is almost done integrating with the reinforcements Pope Balamus sent us. They should be ready to march on Van's Estate within the hour."
"Splendid!" Idol started to rub his grubby fat fingers together in anticipation. "To think, all this time, the slaves that were being 'liberated' by the imposter Bow Hero were hiding on my doorstep!" He started to chuckle darkly. "Oh, he wasn't just an imposter. He was a fool putting them so close to me. Not that I mind since it gives me the chance to prove myself a loyal follower of the True Gods!" He gripped a black whip tightly in his grasp.
"Mr. Rabier. The Church officers are also wondering if you'd like to take the lead on this victory?" The messenger asked.
Idol Rabier thought it over. "I do… but there is something I must attend to first. Give them the word that I will be down soon."
The messenger bowed again. "As you wish." He ran off to deliver the news.
Idol walked across his courtyard. Knights stopped and saluted him as he walked past. Heading towards a set of stairs descending to the ground. He took a deep, long sniff as he entered.
It smelled of death, blood, fear, and despair.
Just the way he liked it.
A knight opened a black iron gate for him, and he walked past cell after cell. At first, the cells were empty. Then, after a little while, he came across the cells holding fresh slaves. He passed by all sorts of slaves of different species and ages. Hakuko. Raccoon. Dog. Neko. Kitsune. Etc.
Slaves sent either by other nobles wanting to 'protect' their merchandise until the 'Bow vigilante' was killed, or those that had been given to him by Balamus's reinforcements when they arrived.
It hurt to prick his finger for the blood needed to apply slave crests to so many. But it was more than worth it seeing them all writhe on the ground in pain as the crest took effect. And that didn't even amount to what he'd do to them later when he had more time.
A few looked ready to be broken. Some were already broken, but their bodies didn't have enough scars on them yet. He'd have so much fun making sure they'd wish to never live again for existing in his world.
After a while of walking, the cells became empty on either side. This slave he was visiting had been separated from all the others. She was… different. In a frustrating sort of way.
He stopped in front of her cell. "Oh, demi... Are you ready to play?" He asked in a sing-song creepy voice. Pulling out a whip from his side pocket.
The little weasel girl lying in the cot didn't stir.
...
"Hmmm…" Idol frowned. His records showed this girl had been a rental a couple of months back. She'd gotten sick, but somehow, she survived long enough to be returned to the Slave Trader he rented her from.
He hadn't thought about her after that till two weeks ago when she was brought back by a noble wanting to protect his 'assets'.
She had been broken and sick when she left. But when he'd seen her then, she'd been strong. Healthy. Alive. The light of hope had shined brightly in her eyes.
Her first words when she saw him were this: The Cardinal Heroes will save me. And they will take you down.
He hadn't taken that very kindly.
Every day, he visited her cell to whip her. He didn't bother with bandaging her wounds. Sometimes, he even left her hanging on the chain until he'd come the next day for the next session. But somehow, she held onto that look. It got to the point where he had to move her here in case she infected the other slaves with whatever strange hope she had.
She was a light he had to break. No matter the cost. It was an offense if any demi-human he broke regained hope. He had to break her! This was no fun if the demi-human refused to break!
Idol cracked his whip. "Don't ignore me! Are you ready for more punishment, you little %$#^?" He asked. Glowering angrily at the girl ignoring him.
"ANSWER ME!" He walked into the cell and pushed her over.
He stared for a long moment... and then he started to chuckle. "Oh, I see now… I guess I went a little too hard on you in the last session." The girl was still alive. But barely. Her eyes were unfocused. Her breaths were slow and barely noticeable. "I doubt you even have the energy to scream."
Idol whipped the girl, but besides a slight flinch, she didn't move. Idol laughed creepily to himself. "I still don't understand how you survived the first time you little demi. But you won't be surviving now. You and every other damn demi-human in this world are about to meet the devils that created you!"
He pushed the girl off the cot onto the floor. He whipped the girl where she lay. But she didn't stir. "Where's your Cardinal Heroes now?! Did you really think they'd care about you!?" He whipped her to the floor again, but she didn't react.
"That's right. I knew-" He cut himself off in shock.
The girl's eyes had focused. And they were now glaring defiantly at him. "You…" Her voice was raspy. "Will never… break me… again…"
...
...
"YOU DAMN DEMI!" Idol started whipping the girl again and again. He activated her slave crest in an effort to force her to scream. He tried everything he possibly could to break her just like her best friend.
The girl grimaced on the ground as the purple seal glowed brightly. As the whip smacked across her back, her side, her arms, her face. Yet, she didn't scream. The defiance didn't disappear.
"DAMN YOU!" Idol cracked the whip against her one last time and then backed out of the cell. He growled impatiently. "I'll be back with more torture soon! Just you wait you stupid demi!" He yelled angrily.
"Run… coward… run while you still can." The girl said, just loud enough to be heard. Glaring at him. "The Heroes... are coming... for you."
The noble growled. This feeling traveled up his spine… was he really scared of this little girl? Or…
He shook his head. And left the cell to find someone else to torture.
He had no more time to waste on a stupid demi that wouldn't scream.
…
The girl pushed to get herself back in her cot. Grimacing in pain from the latest marks on her scarred body. Her hand gripped a torn flag. Something Idol had failed to notice before.
'Raphtalia…' She missed her best friend so much. Ever since she'd woken up that one morning to find out she'd been bought by someone else. Yet her example and her surviving Idol's torture had given her new resolve.
She wasn't going to be broken by anyone ever again… she would stay true to the end for her best friend. The one who'd tried so hard to smile just for her.
She'd gone from master to master. Doing her best to stay alive, and to listen for news about the Cardinal Heroes. About the Shield Hero, and the demi-human he was on the run with. It was almost cruel that she'd ended up back here. Back into the hands of the man who'd first broken her and her best friend.
She collapsed back to the floor. Her breaths were mere gasps as blood leaked onto the floor around her.
She felt so weak. Idol had been punishing her so much for surviving. For knowing the Cardinal Heroes were out and about. For hoping that she'd be rescued just like everyone else… and for refusing to be broken by him anymore.
…
…
The girl stared at the ceiling above her. 'I'm sorry… I wish I could have seen you and the Cardinal Heroes myself… but I guess that was never my part for me to play...'
…
She breathed in. And then slowly breathed out. Her eyes still refracted the hope she'd had of surviving the deadly place.
'Please… stay well for me… Raphtalia... … ...'
Raphtalia tensed up where she sat on Filo's back.
Something felt… horribly wrong. But she couldn't tell what it was.
"Raphtalia, do you see the Shadows yet?" Naofumi asked.
…
"Raphtalia?"
Raphtalia shook her head. Clearing it of the feeling of dread she felt. They were sitting on Filo. Waiting for the Shadows that came with the army to leave. The night sky was full of stars up above. And Idol's city was lit like a beacon by all the light sources inside the walls. "No. Not yet." Raphtalia answered.
"Was mommy distracted with something?" Filo asked curiously.
"Yes. Something like that." Raphtalia said, smiling as she pet the large bird's wing.
"It's not fair! Why can't I ride her while we wait!" Melty said with a pout.
Ren stood nearby. Staring at the wall anxiously. Besides Welt, Eclair, and Melty, there was nobody else in the group.
"Because Filo's my daughter. Not yours, Second Princess." Naofumi blandly replied.
"Hmmph!" Melty crossed her arms and faced away.
"Wow. For a princess, she gets really childish around Filo." Naofumi commented to Raphtalia.
"I am not childish!" Melty complained.
"Don't worry Mel! You can ride Filo later!" Filo said happily.
Naofumi did his best not to think about there being a double meaning to that statement.
"Really!?" Melty turned childishly with a wide smile on her face. But at seeing Naofumi's smirk, she blushed a bright red and faced away again. "Hmmph!"
'Wow, I'm starting to think she's a Tsundere with that attitude.'
He could already picture the second Princess as an adult.
'I freaking hate myself and everyone else, but I want to save everyone else even though they suck. Oh, and I hate all of you. Except for Filo. She's cool. But the rest of you suck. I mentioned that I hated everyone except Filo, right? Like it matters since I'll end up saving all of you anyway. Suckers.'
Man, he was glad he wasn't a Tsundere like the bratty little Second Princess. He could see himself ending up being a real $%#^%$^ to everyone he met.
"Are you thinking something rude Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked.
"If I am, it's not about you," Naofumi answered.
"Hey, stop thinking rude thoughts about Mel!" Filo whined.
Damn, Raphtalia was teaching their daughter to read his mind a little too well at times. That could get him into trouble.
"What?!" Melty's expected indignant cry sounded.
Such a Tsundere.
"Are you ready, Ren?" Naofumi asked. Completely ignoring the fuming Second Princess.
Ren gave his best sword a look over. It was long, sleek, and black. The Dragon Claw Sword. "Yes. I think I am." He looked to Naofumi. "You ready, Welt?"
Welt nodded. Ren turned to Naofumi. "Is it normal for me to feel lighter, Sir Ren?" The light-orange-haired swordsman asked.
"I know I already asked earlier, but are you sure you don't know what your strengthening methods are, Naofumi?" Ren asked. Poor Welt was left hanging on his innocent question.
"Yeah." He said. "Why do you keep asking?"
"Because it just seems so weird for us to know our methods while you don't know yours."
"Like… Brave Star Online had these methods for strengthening the Swordsman class." Ren admitted. "But the methods detailed in my Help Guide were different from what I remembered. So it seems strange that your weapon wouldn't have them even if you were isekaied by a book."
Naofumi frowned. "I didn't find anything like that in my Help Guide after being summoned. And I've looked through it all at least five times."
"You didn't know you needed to sign up for the waves. You didn't know about the class-up ceremony or the Weapon Copy system. You didn't know about monster drops or inventory or automatic crafting..."
"... Didn't you have parts of your Help Guide you couldn't see until you discovered it existed?" Naofumi asked.
"No. As far as I know, neither I nor Itsuki has that problem. Besides learning we each had different strengthening methods we could both use, my Help Guide has had all that information since I was summoned." Ren answered.
"... So... I'm just the odd man out since I didn't play a game similar to this before coming here?" He asked.
Ren shrugged. "Not sure. As I said, there are some differences between how my game worked and what I read from my Weapon's Help Guide. But not enough to justify removing a lot of information."
Naofumi frowned. But before he could say anymore, Filo perked her head. "Over there."
Dark cloaked figures jumped over the wall into the forest. They moved past the encamped army and in the direction of Van's Estate.
They watched as the Shadows disappeared into the night.
"Alright. The Shadows are out. Get ready to climb us up, Filo." Naofumi said.
"Yes daddy," Filo said happily.
"Also. Did I ever tell you how strange it is that your Filolial calls you two her mom and dad?" Ren asked.
"About as strange as taking in the daughter of a talking dragon," Naofumi replied.
…
Ren couldn't argue that. So there was silence after that while Filo waited for the noises to occur. And while Naofumi prepared for Rachel to cast her spell.
Two knights were on sentry duty, patrolling the outer edge of the outside encampment of the army. Watching the road and the forest for signs of danger. Behind them, the camp was alive with activity. Soldiers were putting out fires from dinner. Mages were practicing magic. Army engineers were assembling catapults and ballistae that would rain fire down on the village from a distance. Everyone was getting ready for the massacre that'd be occurring that night or the following day.
"I can't wait to dig my sword into demi-human flesh." One of the two sentries muttered.
"Same here." The other said. "They've been tolerated for too long. Did you hear how they corrupted the Bow Hero into freeing them?"
"That's evil at its core. Corrupting one of the Holy Heroes to make him serve them." The first said in disgust.
"As my paps said. The best demi-human is a... dead one…" He trailed off. "Hey, am I seeing things?" He pointed.
There was something moving down the road. The two stopped and strained their eyes, trying to tell what it was.
Was it… a large bird? Odd, neither had seen anything like it before. It looked too far away to tell what it was. And was that a person riding on its back? Why would someone ride on-
The image cleared, and their eyes widened. The large bird was the same one from yesterday. And the figure riding on its back was the Shield Hero!
"What-" They both started to say.
"Hey! Can you help me?! I heard there were bastard devil worshippers nearby, and I'm trying to avoid them!" Naofumi's voice yelled, louder than normal.
It was loud enough that his voice carried over to the edge of the camp. The soldiers there stopped what they were doing and looked.
'Filo' stopped just a hundred yards down the road away from the encampment. "Hey, you morons! Can you direct me to my people so I can avoid the devils chasing me?!" 'Naofumi' yelled again.
"I… I don't believe it." One of the sentries muttered in fear.
"Hey, we have a situation here!" The other sentry yelled back.
Talk was already starting to spread through the camp. Like an angry hornet's nest being kicked. The Shield Demon was outside their camp. The SHIELD DEMON was OUTSIDE their CAMP!
"Hurry it up! There's supposed to be a bunch of idiots around here trying to hunt me down! I need to get returned to the true worshippers before they find me and sacrifice me to their fallen devils! The Spear, the Sword, and the Bow!"
Audible gasps came as the Shield Devil called the other Holy Gods devils.
Itsuki grimaced where he hid in the bushes nearby. "Do you have to call me a devil Maya?" He whispered.
"I'm not the one projecting his voice Sir Itsuki. That's all Rachel there." She said happily. Keeping the illusion going with her supply of MP. Wyndia stood beside her, supporting her illusion magic with a support spell. Farrie used wind magic to make it look like Filo's wings were pushing air away from her, while Tersia used earth magic to make Filo's steps leave footprints.
And Rachel wasn't making Naofumi's voice. She was using a Shadow Spell to project his voice from where he was all the way here to the illusion.
It was his favorite part of the whole plan. Itsuki didn't know Naofumi was trashtalking the other Heroes right now.
"Great," Itsuki muttered.
"Come now! Quickly!" 'Naofumi' yelled again. "I don't have much time before they find me! The Spear, Sword, and Bow Devil worshippers could be right behind me for all I know! And you have no idea just how stupid crazy they can be to peaceful travelers on the road!"
Those knights and mages already there were starting to look either very fearful or very pissed off. 'Naofumi' smirked on 'Filo.' "Wait, don't tell me. Are you idiots the devil worshippers tasked with hunting me down? Whoops." He said it like a joke. I didn't realize you were the devil worshippers I'm supposed to avoid. Damn it. Silly me for wandering so close to your unclean hands. Please, wash them before you come for me. Maybe go to the bathroom too so your *&^%&^ faith doesn't make you commit blasphemy towards the one true God of this world!"
The fear was now gone. At realizing the blasphemy being told to their faces, every Church Knight and Mage was turning red-faced from anger. The whispers traveled angrily throughout the camp. Swords were unsheathed. Bows were pulled out. Magic sparked in mages hands. And every face was red with unrestrained anger.
"Guess I should probably get going then. Sorry for wasting your time devil worshippers. But I'm glad to hear about two of your devils being redeemed for helping the true worshippers. Maybe Spear will redeem himself and help the true worshippers of this world soon. I doubt it because of his stupidity, but it could happen!
"Who knows?! Maybe one day he'll wake up to the glory of demi-humans tails and ears and embrace being a furrie just like the-"
"GET THE SHIELD DEMON!"
"KILL THE SHIELD DEMON!"
Like a dam breaking, the army of thousands began to overflow out of the camp en masse. Itsuki's eyes widened at just how many there were. Rushing for 'Naofumi' and 'Filo' with weapons bared and fanatic zealotry written on their faces.
To even mutter the f-word. Such blasphemy made the Shield Demon all the more deserving of death!
"EEP! RUN FILO! RUN FROM THE DEVIL WORSHIPPERS!" 'Naofumi' turned 'Filo' to the side and ran into the forest. Right as a volley of arrows from archers covered the ground where 'they' had been standing. The area was also hit by an array of different projectile spells.
Smoke obscured Maya's view from a fire spell. And she paled when it looked like her illusion went right through a tree. But the Knights either didn't notice or didn't care. Not even the mages stopped to check and see if it was an illusion spell or not.
"DON'T LET THE SHIELD DEMON ESCAPE!"
"GET THE SHIELD DEMON!"
"KILL THE SHIELD DEMON!"
With a roar, the army charged en masse into the left forest opposite Itsuki and his group. Running in pursuit of the infamous Devil of the Shield. Maya jumped up into the trees, as well as Wyndia and Rachel. Tersia and Farrie stayed behind, and the three ran across thick branches to keep up with the illusion they'd made.
Over by the cliff face, Naofumi heard the roar of the army shouting to get the Shield Demon. He also felt the Shadow spell cut off. And he nodded his head. "Now, Filo!"
"Okay!" Naofumi and Raphtalia clutched on for dear life. And Filo jumped high into the air. Scaling the cliffside on this section of the wall. One jump after another.
As expected, the knights patrolling up above didn't see them. They were running down the downward-sloping wall to the bottom of the city. Where the shouting army was encamped.
As they cleared the wall, Raphtalia finally spoke. "How did you know they'd yell so loudly?"
"Because they've yelled every time they've come near me to get me or kill me," Naofumi said flatly. "And there are thousands of those idiots in one place. I'd be surprised if they didn't hear them all the way back in Van's Estate."
If they hadn't been predictable like before, Naofumi would have been very disappointed in them.
"..." Raphtalia was impressed with Naofumi. And she stayed silent as she gripped him until Filo set them on the ground.
"RAHHHHHHH! KILL THE SHIELD DEMON! KILL HIM!" The forest floor down below was filled with Knights. Flattening bushes and doing everything possible to chase the Shield Demon getting away on Filo.
After a while of following, Maya cut off the illusion deep in the forest. Right as the illusion went over the side of a hill. She backtracked to where Wyndia and Rachel hid, and they rushed back towards the road. Staying as quiet as possible while the Knights charged below them.
Not that it would have mattered how loud they were. The Church forces were dead focused on the area the Shield Demon had run off to. They were yelling so loudly, the only way they would have been noticed was if they fell right on top of them.
A minute or so later, they jumped over the road and landed amongst the hidden group. The rest of the army was still pouring out of the camp and running into the forest. Weapons raised and battle cries of "Kill the Shield Demon!" coming from every last one of them. Their zealotry carried them to rid the Earth of the elusive blasphemous devil.
And Maya, Wyndia, Bakta, Aksel, and everyone else just sat and watched from the bushes as it happened.
"... Wow…" Itsuki shook his head in disbelief when the last few mages finally ran into the forest. Almost everyone from the camp had gone into the forest to hunt the Shield Demon.
Even the army engineers who had been assembling the siege weapons had gone with them. There might have also been a few army cooks too.
"That worked even better than I thought." Rachel said with a smirk.
"I'm so glad I decided to leave their ranks," Aksel said.
"With how stupid you are, you would have fit right in commoner," Bakta said with a smirk.
"Be careful there, you noble pain," Aksel responded. "I could see a pain like you fitting in with pains like them."
Bakta glared but didn't dare to comment. Tersia and Farrie were right behind him. The last thing he needed was for Aksel to reveal his last name right now!
"Sir Naofumi was right. Their zealotry made them incredibly stupid and blind." Wyndia said blandly.
"Then let's take advantage of it!" Itsuki ordered.
"Right." The rest of the group followed Itsuki through the right side of the forest. Heading towards the now mostly deserted encampment to find and assassinate the army leadership before the army returned.
If they even thought of returning that is. Since their minds were currently set on ridding the world of the blasphemous Shield Demon.
Filo landed her last passengers, Ren and Welt. They got off her back. Ren looked slightly dizzy as he tried to recover his bearings while Welt looked fine. "I don't want to do that again," Ren said.
"That was the easy part," Naofumi said. "It's going to be tougher from here on out."
Filo transformed in a poof of feathers. Turning into her little girl form. "Remember. Find us the largest wagon you can. Then wait near Idol's manor for us to open the main gate before you charge in."
"Got it!" Filo turned and ran down a different street.
"Aren't you worried about Filo running off by herself?" Melty asked worriedly.
Damn, the Second Princess worried about his daughter more than he did! Who did she think she was, Filo's lover?!
...
On second thought, Naofumi didn't want the answer to that question. He shouldn't have to be worrying about the Second Princess trying to steal his one-month-old daughter for herself.
Even though the only thing she seemed to care about was Filo.
"Nope." Naofumi dryly said.
Had it been any other little girl, Naofumi would have worried about their safety. But he was more worried about any knight who made the mistake of attacking her. He almost rubbed his groin in sympathy. 'I still have to teach her not to only aim for there… and I owe her an all-you-can-eat buffet too. Damn. Things really need to settle down soon so I have time to get some important crap done.'
Things like teaching Filo to not aim for the groin with every kick. Or taking Raphtalia out on a romantic date so they could officially be boyfriend and girlfriend.
You know, the important things in life.
After Filo left, the group ran into the streets of the city. Sticking close to the shadows as they went uphill towards Idol's Manor. It rested near the top of the city inside another layer of fortifications. The civilians were staying in their homes. All the way up here, they'd heard the shouts of the army of spotting the Shield Demon.
What a bunch of suckers.
A couple of times, they stopped and hid because of knights that charged down a street towards the gates below. Word was spreading fast of the Shield Demon being around. And they also wanted a chance to take him down. When they disappeared, they moved on.
"Raphtalia. Do you remember if Idol kept any guards over his slaves? Or if he was the only one they were bound to with slave crests?" Eclair asked.
"I think so. There were a couple of guards at the entrance, but I never saw any in the hallways besides Idol." Raphtalia answered.
"And you're sure the entrance is in the courtyard?" Welt asked.
"... I could never forget where it's at," Raphtalia said bitterly.
The swordsman was luckily smart enough not to press about it.
They were getting close to the manor when another knight appeared. Unfortunately, Naofumi hadn't had time to hide. And the knight, recognizing him immediately, charged for him. "Ahhhhhhhh!"
Clang! Crack!
There wasn't just the sound of ineffectual clanging like normal. The knight's pike broke against Naofumi's Shield.
The whole group stopped. The knight looked at the broken weapon in shock. "What…"
Naofumi stood there, looking surprised. 'Did his weapon… just break?'
This world still amazed him at times like this. He'd seen monster balloons wear their fangs out trying to gnaw on his arms. And monster claws normally broke whenever they struck his shield.
But he couldn't remember if there'd actually been a time before when a weapon broke from striking him.
It was like the knight had charged a brick wall instead of a person.
Was this the power of the strengthening methods? He was supposed to have a 20% defense debuff, right?
"Naofumi-" Ren turned to knock out the knight.
"Wait, let me try something." Naofumi spread his arms out wide in invitation. He smirked in challenge at the knight. "Come on. You still have one more weapon, don't you?"
The knight looked at Naofumi again. "Give it your best shot you lame furrie."
The knight growled and threw away his broken pike. He drew out his sword. And he swung at Naofumi with all his might. Curious, Naofumi didn't try to block the strike. Even though his higher agility stat could have allowed him to do so easily.
"Naofumi-" Raphtalia started to say in worry.
The blade hit Naofumi's neck. And it shattered into pieces like it'd struck bedrock.
The rest of the group stared in shock.
'Ha! That's amazing!' Naofumi thought in glee. The pieces of the sword fell to the ground around him. His defense was so high that weapons broke against him! Or maybe it was because the knight was at a very low level? Either way, Naofumi laughed at how funny and ridiculous this was. 'This so isn't like my world at all! YES!'
The knight paled when Naofumi laughed. Both his weapons had broke… and the Shield Demon was laughing…
His eyes rolled into the back of his head. And he fainted on the spot.
…
Eclair sighed and pulled the Knight down an alleyway out of sight. It had not looked like an honorable way to defeat the poor man.
Ren stared at Naofumi. He had to admit to himself inside his mind what he'd just witnessed was pretty epic. 'I wish I could have Naofumi as my party tank. I wouldn't have to worry about him being overwhelmed in a fight at all.'
Bakta sneezed down below, almost giving away their position to a pair of messengers trying to give orders to the Church forces.
He got the feeling that someone was insulting him again. "Aksel, did you whisper something about me just now?" Bakta growled out quietly.
"What are you talking about? I haven't said anything since entering the camp." Aksel complained.
"Quiet. Or else." Rachel turned threateningly.
Both tanks shut up and didn't say anymore.
"Naofumi." Raphtalia glared at Naofumi.
"Come on. I had to test out my defense stat there." Naofumi said as Eclair came back out and they started running again.
"Did you have to test it out like that though?" She argued. "What if the blade hadn't stopped when it hit your neck?! What if you'd gotten killed?!"
"With how high my defense is now. I doubt a simple knight could have managed that." Naofumi said with a chuckle.
"But that still wasn't a smart thing to do," Raphtalia said. "Are you going to do this every time someone attacks you in the future?"
"It's not like I plan on making it a habit."
"That doesn't excuse you from doing something stupid like that."
"It wasn't stupid."
"Was too."
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
The others in the group stared at the two of them. "Do you know how often they get like this?" Welt asked Eclair.
She shrugged. "I only joined the party yesterday."
"Same. The only one who could answer that is Filo." Melty said with a sigh.
She knew her parents better than anyone. Everyone else still needed more time around Naofumi and Raphtalia to know what exactly was normal for their relationship... If there was such a level as normal for it.
"Shut it, Second Princess!" Naofumi snapped back at her, before continuing the childish argument with Raphtalia.
"My name isn't Second Princess!" Melty snapped back. However, her complaint fell on deaf ears. Much to her annoyance.
The group continued on. Naofumi eventually promised Raphtalia that he wouldn't pull something like that again. She rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek that surprised him and left him blushing.
They eventually reached the outer wall around Idol's manor. Without encountering any more knights.
"As source of thy power I order thee, decipher the laws of nature. Hide us all from sight. All Hide Mirage." Raphtalia used illusion magic to conceal everyone against the wall.
They pressed themselves against the flat surface. Naofumi snuck forward and looked around a corner to see where the gate was. Both the main gate and the side gates were closed. Naofumi frowned at that and informed the group.
"Should I open it?" Ren asked, holding out his sword.
"… let's wait a sec and see if more knights come charging out." It'd be better to wait instead of barging in.
And so, they waited.
Itsuki and his party were sneaking their way through the camp. Going through the alleyways between tents. Silencing lone knights acting as messengers for the commanders before they got the chance to reach the army.
Itsuki's scouting skill worked really well here. By using SP, he could see for a brief time the area around him from above like he was operating an invisible aerial drone with a GoPro attachment. He couldn't see inside the army tents or wagons. But he was able to mostly see when knights were in their way or what route would be the best to go down.
Bakta's sneeze and subsequent conversation with Aksel almost gave them away. But fortunately, the messengers were too busy focusing on delivering their orders to notice.
Tersia and Farrie still gave the large knight a slap in the back of the head after the messengers disappeared to silently voice their disappointment in him.
Bakta reconsidered his life choices in joining Ren's party once again.
It was almost creepy how deserted the camp was. Everyone besides a few stragglers, officers, and messengers had left just to go after the Shield Demon.
'Why do they hate Naofumi so much… it makes no sense.' Itsuki also wondered how much time they had left before the Knights searching the forest realized they had been chasing after an illusion.
If their reactions were anything, they'd probably search until dawn for the elusive Shield Demon out in the forest.
He couldn't have them run too far though. Otherwise, they might accidentally chase the Devil of the Shield all the way to Van's lands. Where they'd discover them empty. Or, probably more likely, the Shadows would come back to report the lands empty themselves. Alerting the knights and what little brain cells they had of a possible ploy.
Which meant he had to alert them to their complete and utter stupidity that much sooner in order to sow more chaos amongst their ranks.
Near the center of the large camp, the command tent finally came into view. Itsuki and everyone with him stopped to observe from about one hundred feet away behind a set of wagons. A flock of armored Dragons napped nearby. Resting after their journey.
A few knights stood guard in front of the tent. As they watched, another messenger ran out of the entrance in the direction of the forest.
"So, how do we plan on fighting them?" Aksel asked.
Itsuki pulled out his bow. "Who said anything about fighting them?"
"Aren't we supposed to silently dispatch them, Sir Itsuki?" Wyndia asked. Wasn't that what assassinations were supposed to be?
Itsuki shrugged. "They won't be disorganized and chaotic unless they know for sure that their commanders are dead." Plus, he'd honestly hated being the silent assassin. If his past experiences with nobles had shown anything, he wanted people to know that their evil overlord nobles were dead.
Ren's dragon materials had given him a new bow with a new skill. And with the new strengthening methods helping him out, he wanted to test just how powerful it'd be now. On people who were more monsters than they were humans.
A red circle of energy appeared in front of Itsuki's bow as the skill charged up. The knights jumped in surprise at his appearance. Then, they started charging forward to try and stop Itsuki. But it was already too late.
"Explosion Shot!"
Itsuki released the skill. An arrow in the shape of a dragon's head came out. It hit the ground right at the entrance of the command tent behind the knights.
Boom!
The resounding explosion engulfed the knights and the entire tent.
Naofumi and Ren's eyes widened when they saw an explosion down below outside the walls in the center of the Church's encampment. It was like staring at a bright red bonfire. They almost swore the roar of a dragon traveled up the streets to their ears.
"That legend about us heroes being capable of destroying mountains?" Naofumi mentioned.
"I'm one step closer to believing it," Ren admitted fearfully.
Screams of terror came from the civilians, who charged out of their houses en masse all over the city.
Itsuki's group stared at the area in shock. The entire command tent had gone up in the explosion. The Dragons that had been resting were now running around in terror. The explosion had woken them up. They were causing an even bigger mess with their cries of fear.
Itsuki felt a pang in his chest when he saw the charred corpses of people lying on the ground. "Sir Itsuki, are you alright?" Rachel asked worriedly.
"Let's… let's get out of here before the knights arrive," Itsuki mumbled.
He'd killed people before. But despite thinking of them as monsters, it still hurt to do it.
He didn't know if he'd ever get completely used to this... he hoped this conflict ended soon. And that no more like it ever sprang up while he was a Cardinal Hero again.
Wishful thinking from a wishful teenager.
The group ran away from the destroyed area. In the forest, there were already yells of surprise and shock. And knights were charging back to figure out what the hell had happened to their camp. But by the time any would arrive at the center of the camp, the Bow Hero and his party would have already disappeared. And, like the riled Dragons, the army would also freak out at the death of their command structure.
A side gate around the corner burst open. "Hurry! Somebody's attacking the camp!" The remaining knights that had been guarding the gate charged down the street in the direction of the city gates a couple of miles away. Leaving the side gate wide open.
Still hiding under Raphtalia's illusion spell, they ran through the empty gate into the wide-open courtyard.
"What is this?! What's happening?!"
They hid behind a green bush when they realized the courtyard still wasn't empty yet.
"An, an explosion just happened down in the Church's encampment." A messenger said nervously. "The mages communicated to me that the Shield Hero was spotted. And they were chasing them when they heard the explosion. We're getting no word from the commanders down there. The army's in complete disarray."
Idol Rabier growled in anger. "I just finished torturing demis so I'd be ready to slaughter Van and his demis! That damn Shield Demon!" He clutched his fist. "Come! I must get dressed for battle immediately!"
"Ah, yes! Yes my Lord!" The messenger quickly followed Idol back in the direction of his manor.
Raphtalia growled lowly in the back of her throat. They'd hoped Idol would already be down there when the leadership was assassinated. But he'd been up here, torturing his slaves! She pulled her sword slightly out of her sheath. Wanting to run the noble down right now.
...
"What do you want to do?" Naofumi asked.
Raphtalia still looked mad, but she didn't unsheathe her sword. She wanted to save Rifana and the other slaves first. That way, when she attacked Idol, he wouldn't have any leverage to hold over her.
Idol and his messenger servant disappeared into the front doors of the manor.
Raphtalia led the others out of hiding. The courtyard, despite the evil of its owner, was rather pretty. Trimmed bushes and trees grew along the sides of the courtyard close to the walls. Lanterns hung from trees, giving the place a nice calming atmosphere. An obelisk rose from the center of the courtyard. Ren stared at it uncomfortably as Raphtalia led them past everything.
They got past the pretty scenery to cobblestone ground. A knight or two still patrolled around here. But they went unnoticed to a set of stone stairs that led down underground. After they'd gone down a few steps. The doors were slightly ajar, and no knights were around.
Raphtalia released the illusion spell. Almost at the same time, the stench of the place hit everyone's noses.
"What is that?" Ren held up a hand to plug his nose.
"That smell, it's so terrible." Eclair was doing the same. Naofumi and the others covered their noses from the stench.
"Is this where he really keeps his slaves?" Melty asked in a horrified voice.
Raphtalia nodded. Steeling herself for what she might see down below. "Idol doesn't just house his slaves here, away from the light."
They arrived at the bottom, and Raphtalia pushed the door the rest of the way open. "It's where he likes to tortures them too."
The hallway was dark. Hiding the horrors contained within. She paused in the doorway.
It had been a long time since she'd last been here. She never saw herself stepping foot in this place again... She shook, imagining dried patches of blood and tears on the ground. And smelling the familiar stench of death, hopelessness, and despair in the air.
'Ri… Rifana…' Was she even here anymore? If she was... was she… still alive?...
…
"You don't have to go in if you don't want to," Naofumi whispered worriedly to her.
…
Raphtalia shook her head. "It's okay. I'm going to be alright." She took the first few steps into the hallway. The first few steps back into the past. "I have to see for myself."
The group followed behind her. She stared, stone-faced, ahead at a black iron gate. The last barrier that separated this place from prying eyes.
She could almost see herself as a child, standing next to Rifana as knights opened the gates. Leading her into a place she'd come to see as a dark and twisted hell. She'd smiled optimistically to Rifana back then, thinking everything would be okay. Having no idea of what truly lay in front of her.
Those knights from before were gone. No one stopped her as she opened the gate. "First Light." She summoned a ball of light over her head. Driving away the darkness and bleakness from before. Yet the light also revealed the evils hidden in the Shadows. Their faces fell at what they saw.
Empty cells lined both sides of the cobblestone hall. With only small grates high up in the walls allowing the light of the starry sky to come in. Chains hung from the ceilings. Bloodstains, bones, and old piles of feces lay on the floors of these empty cells.
As they walked, it was like the bones called out to Raphtalia. The souls of past demis who had met their fates in this place. Asking for help that was too late to be given.
Raphtalia gulped, selfishly hoping they weren't the bones of her best friend.
The rest of the group looked around, their faces a complex set of emotions. They had as of yet to see a slave.
'Raphtalia was trapped here…' Raphtalia had already told him what it was like being Idol's slave. But seeing it all for himself… 'Just thinking about it makes me sick.' Naofumi's fist clenched at his side again.
He wanted to make that fat bastard pay now more than ever.
"This…" Melty stared around in horror. To think such a place even existed in her mother's kingdom. She was horrified that this could happen in her home country.
She huddled close to Eclair, who raised a protective arm over the Second Princess.
"I've… never seen anything like this, Sir Ren," Welt said in stunned disbelief.
Ren remained silent. Itsuki had told him all the details about what he'd seen in the cellars of noble's manors… but it hadn't prepared him to see it with his own eyes.
He was crying. And his whole body trembled.
He wished that he had Wyndia there with him. He worried about her safety now more than ever.
...
Raphtalia stopped in front of an empty cell. The others stopped as well.
"Raphtalia?" Melty asked.
"Can… can you all go on without me?" Raphtalia quietly asked.
Naofumi looked at the others and nodded to them. The rest of the group walked on, and Naofumi stood next to Raphtalia. "Is this the cell you and Rifana were held in?" Naofumi asked.
She nodded. Her hand reached out and gripped the steel. Unlike some of the other cells, this one had nothing in it. No bones, no feces, nothing. All that was inside were torture instruments. And old bloodstains on the floor.
She could picture the memory in her mind. Seeing herself or Rifana being held up by the chains. The whip struck their backs. Their tears hit the floor alongside their blood...
Naofumi put a comforting arm over her shoulders. And she leaned into his embrace. They were both silent… 'Please… I hope Rifana is okay.' He could feel Raphtalia slightly trembling. If Rifana wasn't here, or… well if something bad had happened to her. He didn't know if he'd be able to help Raphtalia through that...
Ren reappeared from around the corner. He spoke in a trembling voice.
"We... we found them."
The two wordlessly followed Ren.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the cells holding the slaves. The others stood there, waiting for the three of them.
Raphtalia looked to the sides in surprise. 'There's… so many of them…' Idol had never held so many all at once. Many were covered in whip marks. Most of the marks were scabbed over, but two of them here had marks that were fresh and still bleeding.
Both were kids.
At the sound of more footsteps, they backed away from the bars. Fearing more punishment. When Raphtalia and her bright ball of light came close, they covered their eyes because of the brightness of light in this dark, cursed place.
"They… they look so scared," Melty said sadly.
Just what had Idol Rabier done to them? Had he only beat them with a whip? Or had he done even worse things to them?
"How do we help them if they're like this?" Welt asked.
Eclair took the lead. "It's okay," Eclair said. She approached a cell, and took off her helmet, revealing her strawberry blonde hair. "None of us are here to hurt you."
At the voice, one of the demi-kids peeked through her hands. "Miss… Miss Seaetto?"
"Yes, it's me." Eclair brought Melty forward as well. "And the Second Princess too."
"Please. We came here to help." Melty said. "Please don't be afraid of us.
...
One by one, the half dozen demi-humans in the cells around them lowered their hands in awe. Two recognized the daughter of Lord Seaetto. Others recognized the daughter of the Queen.
"Is… is it really you, Miss Seaetto?" The demi-girl asked. Raphtalia didn't know her. But Eclair recognized her from a demi-family that had lived close to her Father's manor.
"Yes." Eclair got down on one knee. "I've brought the Cardinal Heroes with me. We're here to rescue you. All of you." Eclair looked to Ren and Naofumi. As if understanding what she wanted, they both held out their Cardinal Weapons so everyone would see.
Idol had been breaking these slaves. What they needed now was a bit of Hope to lift them out of their depressed, fearful state.
The older demi-humans had been in the dregs of slavery. Some for their entire lives. Yet even they recognized the Holy Sword and, more importantly, the Holy Shield from the legends their parents, friends, or fellow slaves had taught in the dark of night.
Murmurs of wonder started to sound. The two oldest looked ready to pray on the spot.
"Please, keep it down," Ren said. "Your captor doesn't know we're here yet. We want to keep it that way for as long as possible to give you the best chance of escape."
The demi-humans looked at him. Then at the Shield Hero. "You heard him," Naofumi said dryly. Realizing they might be more inclined to listen to him. "Keep it quiet."
They nodded, and silently whispered the news of the appearance of the Cardinal Heroes, the Second Princess, and Seaetto's daughter down the line of cells of the hallways. Soon, other slaves were coming to the edges of their cells, some bound to chains. Staring at them in confusion or wonder, silently waiting to be freed.
Eclair, Ren, and Welt got to work. Slicing old rusty locks off with their swords. Then they opened the cells, allowing the demi-humans out. Those that were chained up were freed by their swords slicing through the chains.
Naofumi and Melty used magic to heal those that were seriously injured. Naofumi used Fast Heal and Melty used First Water Heal. Naofumi also pulled out various medicines and Health Potions from his Shield and had the slaves take them.
Some were coughing like Raphtalia had been when she was sick. Others were covered with rashes or had infected wounds. But as they took the medicine, his shield increased the effectiveness of the medicine and helped them with their various sicknesses. The Health Potions also helped to give them strength.
It was a miracle to these poor souls.
The slaves silently followed behind the group as they continued down. Those slaves who had enough strength helped the ones that were too weak to walk on their own. Ren and Naofumi waited on removing the slave crests. Since Idol was still alive and not down with the army like they'd thought, he'd be alerted via his Status Magic when they started removing them.
They had to wait until they had everyone gathered before they started removing the slave crests.
Raphtalia remained silent. Looking for anyone she'd possibly recognize.
The group of demi-humans grew to two dozen, and they were close to the end of the 3rd Hallway of the cellar when Raphtalia rushed up to a cell in surprise. She recognized the demi-kid holding to the bars. A chain wrapped around one of his wrists. "K-Keel?"
The dog demi-human had been looking at the group rescuing them. But at her words, he focused on her in surprise. He was dressed in rags similar to what Raphtalia had worn as a kid. And he looked to be around 10 years old. "Huh?"
"Keel, I can't believe you're here!" Raphtalia said happily. She ran past several different cells and stopped in front of his.
"... Who, who are you? How do you know my name?" He asked.
"Keel, it's me. Raphtalia. Don't you recognize me?" Raphtalia said in a happy voice. It wasn't Rifana, but it was still one of her friends!
"Raphtalia… no, you can't be her. That's impossible. The Raphtalia I know is a little girl. Not a grown woman!" Keel said in disbelief. He looked like he'd been tortured recently. He had fresh whip marks and cuts on his arms and his lower back. But he didn't look weak and tired. He looked like he'd only recently arrived here.
Raphtalia cut off the lock. Then, after sliding the door open, she sliced the chain off of Keel's wrist. "It is me," Raphtalia said, her smile wavering a little bit. "I'm so glad you're alive Keel."
Keel backed away. Looking unsure.
"Don't you remember that time we went diving and you nearly drowned?" Raphtalia asked. "And we had to find Sadeena so she could come to rescue you?"
Keel looked stunned at that. Raphtalia and Sadeena had promised not to tell his Father or any of the other villagers about that experience. "What?"
Raphtalia smiled brightly. The smile... was familiar.
The dog demi's eyes widened in realization. "There was also the time you ate that poisonous mushroom and ended up with an upset stomach. You begged me not to tell anyone-"
"Ah, okay! It's you! I'm convinced!" Keel said, looking down in embarrassment.
Raphtalia embraced him happily.
"I've missed you so much Keel." Raphtalia had happy tears rolling down her face. Her smile caused some of the other slaves to smile for the first time in a long while.
Raphtalia and Keel got caught up with each other while Naofumi and the others helped free the last couple of slaves. Keel was amazed at how big Raphtalia was now. And Raphtalia briefly explained how she traveled as Naofumi's sword and grew up.
After a moment, he walked out of the cell with Raphtalia. He had a slight limp, but otherwise, he was okay. Had he been here a couple of weeks longer, he would have been a lot worse off.
"Is this one of your friends, Raphtalia?" Naofumi asked.
"Yes, this is Keel," Raphtalia said happily. "Keel, this is Naofumi." Keel noticed how her smile became a little brighter looking at this… Naofumi fellow.
Naofumi nodded in response and put a hand over Keel's ankle. "Fast Heal." A green glow came from Naofumi, and Keel's limp disappeared. He tested his weight on the healed leg again and smiled at the fact that it didn't hurt to stand now.
"Raphtalia, is he really the Shield Hero?" Keel asked. The others had whispered that the Cardinal Heroes were there to rescue them. But it was still so hard to believe.
"Yes, Keel," Raphtalia said. Smiling happily towards Naofumi. "And I've been helping him ever since the day he bought me."
"Wait. You mean you're his slave?" Keel asked incredulously.
Naofumi grimaced. But Raphtalia answered. "No... I have a slave crest, but he doesn't use it on me. He trusts me, and I trust him. I wouldn't trade our trust for anything in the world." She said happily. "And my slave crest symbolizes my trust in him."
"In my defense, I let her keep it since I have Shields that make slaves registered to me stronger," Naofumi said dryly. He wouldn't admit he hadn't known that fact till after he absorbed the slave ink while Raphtalia's slave crest was reapplied.
"Oh... well as long as you're not hurting my friend and forcing her to do uncomfortable things." Keel said. Lightly glaring at Naofumi to let him know he still didn't completely like it.
If Naofumi was honest, he didn't like it either. He'd rather that Raphtalia didn't have the slave crest.
Then again, she wouldn't be so strong for a level 40 if it wasn't for that. They likely would have had a much harder time without it.
Naofumi's grimace disappeared. Keel wasn't coughing, but he had him drink some medicine too. Just in case.
Raphtalia continued to smile. And seeing Raphtalia smiling brought a smile to Keel's face. It reminded him of better days back in the village… maybe this Shield Guy wasn't so bad after all if Raphtalia was so happy around him.
Naofumi finished up. Ren looked around the corner. "I don't see any slaves in the other cells." He said.
Raphtalia's smile disappeared. She'd found Keel, but… "Keel, I need to know. Is Rifana here?" She asked seriously.
Keel's smile disappeared. He looked unsure of what to say.
…
"Keel?" Raphtalia asked, looking worried. "Is Rifana here?"
"She's… a few hallways down..." Keel said sadly. "I..."
"Keel?" Raphtalia asked.
Keel looked to the side. Unable to finish his sentence. But Raphtalia saw the single tear that escaped.
'No.' Raphtalia took off down the hallway.
"Wait, Raphtalia-" Naofumi tried to reach out, but she was already gone. "Raphtalia!" He ran after her.
The hallways seemed to stretch out forever. Raphtalia breathed in and out frantically as she ran by many different cells. All of which were empty.
"Rifana! Rifana, are you here!?" Raphtalia yelled frantically as she ran.
"Rifana!" She was met with silence. She passed by cells, holding the bones of other demi-humans that had long since passed.
'No, Rifana can't be.'
"*cough cough* I… I want… I want to go back to our village." She held a small stick, like a toothpick in one hand. Attached was a small piece of cloth. Like a small flag. "I want to go back to raise our flag… and I, I want to meet the Shield Hero," Rifana said tiredly. "Like we talked about... on the log..."
Raphtalia sniffled and coughed once more. "Save your energy, Rifana," Raphtalia whispered. "I don't... I don't want you to die..."
Raphtalia ran down another hallway of the dark cellar. Her ball of light still followed her overhead.
"Rifana…"
"Raphtalia… I want to meet the Shield Hero…"
Raphtalia stopped in front of a cell.
...
"And when he saves us… I want to be his wife," Rifana said with a smile on her face.
…
…
Raphtalia's grief-stricken yell echoed down the corridor.
Keel paused near the back of the group, looking ashamedly down at the ground. He'd realized there had to be a reason why Idol came to torture him so soon after going to torture Rifana… but he'd hoped it hadn't been because Rifana died…
More tears leaked from his eyes at his fears being confirmed.
Raphtalia was on her knees. Crying at the sight of her best friend's body laid out before her. Rifana's face looked so peaceful, and the flag Raphtalia had made for her long ago was still held in it.
She'd kept it. Even after all this time.
"Rifana, no!" Raphtalia felt her friend's arm. Crying harder as she felt a trace of warmth still in it. A warmth that was slowly giving way to cold. "Gods please, don't take her away! Please give her back!"
Naofumi appeared in the back of the cell. He stopped, looking down at Raphtalia and her dead best friend.
Eclair and Ren had followed right behind him. Melty and Welt were helping the other slaves.
"Rifana… Rifana…" Raphtalia whispered tearfully. Her hands pulled the body of her best friend to herself. She hugged the dead girl, crying into her hair. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."
Naofumi was silent. Looking sadly down at the dead demi-girl. He was silent, unsure of what to say. Unsure if anything he said could help.
Eclair and Ren were silent. Melty and the other slaves appeared. And she gasped at what she saw.
"Wh… why did this happen?" Melty asked. "How was all this allowed to happen?" She voiced out loud at last.
"I don't know…" Ren murmured. He had more tears leaking from his eyes now.
They looked back at the group of about thirty or so demi-humans. Some of them carried kids that looked far smaller than they should have. Some of the demi-kids must have been five years old at least. A tiny little Neko girl mewled in sorrow. Even she had lash marks that needed time to heal. They were almost toddlers, yet they hadn't been spared by Idol's cruelty.
"This has been what your Mother has been fighting against ever since she became Queen," Eclair said, her voice like ice. "She hates slavery and the nobles that support it. This is why she pushes so hard against it. Why my Father and I pushed so hard to get rid of it in our lands."
Melty's fist clenched.
To think this had been happening under her Mother's nose. She would never allow such a thing to happen when she became Queen. Ever!
Raphtalia didn't hear any of it. Naofumi set a hand on her shoulder. But she barely felt the comforting touch.
All she heard was the sounds of her own tears hitting the floor. And the sounds of silence coming from her dead best friend…
'Rifana… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry' She was too late.
She didn't manage to save her...
…
…
Anger lit up her eyes.
"He's dead."
Before Naofumi could realize Raphtalia's mental mood shift, she let go of her friend and jumped up. "YOU'RE DEAD! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THIS, YOU BASTARD! YOU HEAR ME?!"
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
She ran out of the cell. Pushing everyone to the sides out of her way. "Wait, Raphtalia-" Naofumi ran out, but she was already rounding the corner. Disappearing along with their light source!
"Damn it, Ren! Start getting rid of the slave crests now!" Naofumi said quickly to Ren, before chasing after his pissed-off Companion in the darkness.
Ren quickly nodded. Pulling out the vials Van had given him earlier. "Reveal your slave crests." He ordered. "Welt, check further down. Make sure there are no other slaves. And you two." Ren gave Eclair and Melty each a vial. "Help me remove these crests."
The two both nodded. "Got it."
The adult demis brought the twenty or so kids upfront. And helped move the rags to reveal the slave crests on their chests.
Ren quickly got to work.
Raphtalia ran up the stairs out onto the courtyard. Not even bothering to hide as she charged a knight.
"What the-" Raphtalia knocked his weapon out of his hand by breaking his wrist with one hand, while her other elbow slammed into his gut. Knocking him to the ground.
"Where's Idol! Where's that fat bastard hiding!" Raphtalia growled in anger.
The knight stared up, his face filled with fear at the demi above him.
Raphtalia looked unhinged.
The fangs in her mouth were fully bared. Her tea-red eyes were dark and menacing. She was beyond pissed off. She had the look that said, if he didn't answer within the next few seconds, he was going to die.
"I, I don't know!" He said, fearing for his life.
"Where is he!? TELL ME, NOW-"
"What is this?!"
Fortunately, for the knight, Idol himself ran out of the entrance to his manor. He was donned in armor, which didn't completely cover him because of his bulk. He had a whip on one side, and a sword sheathed on the other. He glared at the demi-human standing over the knight. "How did it get this far into my city!?"
…
Raphtalia smirked. It looked creepy combined with the fact that she was beyond angry right now.
"Good." She got up and kicked the knight away with such force that he rolled over and over across the ground into the far wall. Where he collapsed unconscious.
Idol's eyes widened in shock. What… what the hell are you?"
Raphtalia unsheathed her sword. "What am I?" A growl escaped her throat. "I'm the one that's finally going to put an end to your bastardly existence!"
With a guttural yell of fury, she charged the noble.
Hero Clips!
Unbreaking Wall
"Ahhhhh!"
A sword broke against Naofumi's arm. He lifted it and yawned in boredom. The knight who'd struck at Naofumi backed away in fear. "You're, you're a monster!"
"Do you have anything stronger?" Naofumi boredly asked.
"faint"
"C'mon Steve, don't be such a lightweight!" Another knight approached Naofumi. There was a long line of knights behind him.
"Yeah! You just gotta hit him in between the armor gaps!" Another knight in the line yelled encouragingly.
The knight stabbed below Naofumi's armpit, where the armor was weak. "This is how you-"
The sword broke.
Naofumi: ...
Knight: ...
"So... you want to try again?" Naofumi asked.
"faint"
"Not you too Larry." The next knight said in disappointment.
"Come on now. I don't have all night." Naofumi once again said in boredom.
As the next knight broke his weapon against Naofumi, he wondered if it would have been better to just do this instead of using an illusion to sneak in.
The knights backed away, and a boulder from a catapult fell on top of him. But the catapult had been manned by a level 40 knight, which translated his stats onto the catapult weapon.
Which meant the boulder's attack stat was nowhere near high enough, and it burst into dust that settled around Naofumi. Causing zero damage.
Naofumi yawned into his hand again.
Most of the knights fainted at the sight.
"Guess you all are still as useless as ever," Naofumi said with a shrug.
It was too bad they weren't as powerful as a Wave Boss. Maybe then, they might have done some damage.
Because yes, stats matter in this world. Whether you're a catapult or a mountain-sized Tortoise rampaging through the land.
Is that too spoilery to mention? Probably.
Guess you'll have that to look forward to fifty chapters from now.
Till Next Time
Allen