You know it's going well when you see more comms of Rendia and Rishuki hitting the Internet. I'm definitely appreciating the extra fanart! Not that Raphumi is bad, but I like the variety! I also like that some of the comms are based on scenes from this story! It's nice seeing scenes I imagined being brought to life! It's also nice seeing more love for these ships happening!
Though I heard there was a lewd Rendia commission done, so maybe I'm taking it too far...?
Chapter Seven: Meekness is a Virtue
Itsuki was silent.
He'd been silent ever since they'd left the funeral. He didn't speak up for anything. Not when they walked through the castle. Not when they were escorted by several Shadows to the throne room. He didn't even speak as Naofumi and Ren had the displeasure of explaining to Mirellia about what'd happened several days ago.
He was just silent.
"So…" Mirellia finally spoke when the two were finished. "My knights were tricked with fake papers, and drugged with spiked wine… and then, slavers almost managed to kidnap the children from your village, killing one of your people in the process. To top it off, even though it happened several days ago, you are just now informing me about this?" Mirellia's fan covered the lower half of her face.
"I'm sorry. We would have come sooner if we could." Naofumi apologized for all of them.
"My my, Melty certainly wasn't in any danger during this, I hope?"
Ren and Naofumi tensed up out of fear. Itsuki didn't react at all. "Of course not. Your daughter was safe in my house when the attack happened. And she's been safe ever since." Naofumi answered. At her disapproving look, he continued. "She sleeps in the room next to mine with Filo. There's no way someone is harming the second princess without my daughter getting in the way."
…
Mirellia studied him with a critical gaze. Naofumi almost wondered if his death would be merciful or painful at her hands. However, she soon sighed and folded her fan. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Sir Naofumi. It has been… trying times for Melromarc lately."
"... Trying?" Ren asked in a meek voice.
"I wish we could retain the same spirit of celebration we had after the last Wave. However, it's all I can do just to keep many of my nobility from outright rebelling with my latest policies." She put a hand to her head, indicating the massive headache she was currently dealing with. "You'd think after what Sir Itsuki did to their numbers that they'd take it more graciously. I wasn't even aware of the attack on your village till now, though it makes sense."
"Why? Did something happen?" Naofumi asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Several nights ago, we had to deal with a band of Three Heroes followers that suddenly popped up outside the gates of the city. They were trying to bust down the gates and cause a riot. I immediately made it our number one priority to detain and question them. However, when the gates started to open for my knights, they... fled." She frowned.
"... they fled?" Naofumi dryly asked. "Are you serious?"
Mirellia's headache felt like it was developing a migraine. "Every time one of them was cornered, they drew their blades and attacked my knights… according to them, they claimed that they defended themselves."
"Tch." Naofumi crossed his arms. Typical knights, being useless like always.
"As for the rest, they escaped to God's know where." Mirellia scowled. "I sent several of my shadows to track them down. I want to know which of my nobles are betraying me this time. Only, I have as of yet to receive a report from any of them."
"... Damn it. Couldn't our problems with those bastards have ended with Balamus's execution?" Naofumi muttered.
"It appears not, Sir Naofumi. Even with his soul erased, that evil man's influence is still living on in the hearts of his followers, as well as my former daughter. Oh, if I ever get my hands on her again…" The aura of malice that suddenly surrounded Mirellia almost made Naofumi and Ren take a step back.
"My lady. Shall I bring more portraits of thy Bitch daughter?"
…
Mirellia took a deep breath, relaxing her scowl back to a frown. "Not now. Later, when our business is dealt with." The Shadow nodded and retreated back into the dark corners of the room.
Portraits of her daughter? What would the Queen want with that?
After witnessing a moment of the Queen's malice, Naofumi felt it better not to ask.
"Sir Itsuki, I'm going to be requesting your help tracking those followers down. If you could find out what has happened to my missing Shadows as well, I'd greatly appreciate it."
"..."
"Sir Itsuki?" Mirellia repeated.
Naofumi turned to look at the Bow Hero. His head was turned to the side, staring at something in the distance. "Hey, Itsuki." Ren put a hand on his shoulder, but the Bow Hero didn't respond.
If Naofumi remembered correctly, that was the direction Lurolona was at. However, the sky outside was dark, and thick with storm clouds, so it was hard to tell.
"I'm sure they're doing okay right now," Naofumi said to him. "You don't have to worry."
"..." Itsuki turned to face Mirellia, and nodded his head. "Of course, your Majesty." He muttered quietly.
"... Did something happen to Sir Itsuki that I should be made aware of?" Mirellia asked with a frown that betrayed her suspicion. She'd finally realized the Bow Hero had been silent since his arrival. And the way he spoke…
Perhaps she'd put her fan away too early.
"It's… part of the reason why we took so long in reporting this," Naofumi admitted.
…
Mirellia crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. He looked at Itsuki again, but the Bow Hero gave no response or gesture. So, reluctantly, he told Mirellia of Itsuki's latest dive into the Cursed Series.
By the time he was done, Mirellia looked at the Bow Hero with pity. Sometimes, she forgot that even the Heroes of legend could still have personal struggles and issues to deal with. "I'm terribly sorry for what you've had to go through. I realize now why you delayed coming to see me." She said sadly. "If you need more time to yourself, I'll postpone making any requests until-"
"No, it's fine, Your Majesty." Itsuki interrupted. "I'd rather help out than sit around and…" He went back to being silent, staring in the direction of Lurolona.
"Well, regardless, I cannot of good mind send you out until you've seen to yourself," Mirellia said seriously. "After all, I wouldn't want to cause unnecessary worry for your friends."
…
Itsuki hung his head, knowing Mirellia was correct. Ren and Naofumi noted his clenched fists at his sides, however.
Mirellia noticed it too. "Is there anything else you wished to ask for?" She said politely.
"We need to use the Dragon Hourglass to… delevel one of my party members," Naofumi said.
"Hmmm?" She hummed in surprise. "Did your Hakuko friend do something wrong?" It was uncanny how she knew which one he was talking about. Then again, they'd only brought Eclair and Dou-Lon along with them.
"No, that's connected to the other reason why we're here. We wanted to see Beloukas. Is he still in the city?" Naofumi asked.
Mirellia pursed her lips. "Yes, he is." She responded. "He has, however, been informed about the penalties in regards to… not following the newest guidelines I've implemented for the current slave trade. Is there a reason why you're wanting to see him?"
Naofumi nodded. He quickly explained how they were going to use the slave crest to strengthen many of the people in town. That way if slavers or anything else ever attacked them again, they'd be more than strong enough to defend themselves.
"I see, so it's like Miss Raphtalia's situation… and you promise you three won't be treating them like slaves?" The Queen asked.
All three nodded. Even Itsuki finally held some seriousness in his features instead of depression.
"I had Melty draft a law that would make us liable for the death penalty, should any of us ever try to do that," Naofumi explained.
A look of relief crossed her features. "That might be a tad overdramatic, Sir Naofumi. But I'll trust in your judgment. I'm thankful that you informed me about it yourselves." Her face became serious once more. "Do be careful of who you inform about this, and be cautious about who you entrust these… "Hero Seals" to. Even if you won't treat it as slavery, some of my nobility and the leaders of other nations could see your actions as an excuse to declare war. Or worse, as an opportunity to set up false charges against you."
"... Your Majesty, with all due respect," Ren said. "If anyone declares war on us for choosing to not practice slavery… they can go screw themselves with a meat grinder. We'll sink their ships and destroy whatever they send at us for a stupid excuse like that."
"And… if they're evil enough to try and set up false charges… I'll make sure they're punished." Itsuki said lowly. His tone was almost scary, similar to Naofumi's when he was pissed.
It didn't feel right to Naofumi at all. He was supposed to be the harsh cold one in situations like this, not the other Heroes. It was a little disheartening to see them like this. The Shield Hero briefly wondered if this was what Raphtalia and Filo felt whenever he had one of his own outbursts.
He made a mental note to hug the two the next time he saw them.
"... Do think carefully of your actions, Sword Hero, Bow Hero. You might find the consequences of such things to be far more extreme than you'd be prepared for." Mirellia cautioned.
Ren looked away in embarrassment at that, and Itsuki's head hung low in shame.
"You have the right to defend yourselves, but don't take things too far. Our world has seen enough war as it is..." She trailed off, a note of sadness in her voice. Then her face tightened. "I'll trust you to do the right thing. For now, my Shadows will make certain the preparations at the Dragon Hourglass are arranged for when you arrive. It'll be in the utmost secrecy of course."
"Yes. Thank you again for doing this for us." Naofumi said.
"As I already said numerous times before, I am always happy to help in any way that would ensure the continued safety of our world… please, take care, great Heroes." Mirellia bowed to them. "We'll pray for your safety and success."
The three bowed, and were escorted out of the throne room by shadows back to Naofumi's party. They passed by several knights carrying portraits of Malty.
Why she had several of them, Naofumi didn't know. Nor did he feel it necessary to ask. It seemed it had taken all Mirellia had at the end to keep a calm facade with them.
"Did things go well with Her Majesty, Sir Naofumi?" Eclair asked.
"Yeah, for the most part. She really does care about her daughter." Naofumi shivered slightly. Eclair opened her mouth to ask if her Majesty had asked about how her loyal knight, and last scion of the noble house of Seaetto was doing, but Naofumi had already turned away from her to face the Bow Hero. "Are you okay, Itsuki, it almost seemed like you were-"
"I'm fine." Itsuki looked away from them. "I just… need a moment, is all." He crossed his arms and began to brood.
Naofumi sweatdropped. 'Don't tell me he's turning into an edgelord too now! Damn it Itsuki! That's my thing! You're making me want to punch you in the face!'
"Um, Sir Naofumi, did her Majesty-" Eclair started to ask again, but Naofumi had already begun walking away from Itsuki towards Dou-Lon, who stood nervously by one of the restored statues in the hall.
"Are you sure you still want to do this? You don't have to be deleveled if you don't want to."
The Hakuko twisted so sharply that his arm almost knocked the statue off of its pedestal. Eclair died on the inside. Perhaps it'd be better if she didn't ask.
"If the benefits only come from leveling up, then it'd be for the best if I started from the bottom once more."
Naofumi frowned. "Still, didn't it take you years to reach your level-"
"Those years I'll hold in my warrior heart forever, Lord Naofumi. But as I am now, I'll be useless for your upcoming fights. So please, don't worry over this unworthy Hakuko." He then smiled. "After all, I don't have as much to lose as other demis would. Be comforted, and know I am content with my choice."
…
That phrase seemed odd for some reason. He didn't have as much to lose as other demis?
"Don't think this'll be a good excuse for me to take it easy on you in training," Eclair smirked while desperately trying to hold back tears.
Naofumi decided not to press about it now. If it was personal, he'd let Dou-Lon bring it up on his own. He'd already decided he was going to help him.
"I wouldn't expect you to take it easy on anyone, Miss Eclair," Dou-Lon replied sarcastically.
"Is that supposed to mean something, weak Hakuko?" Eclair shot back.
Dou-Lon scowled. "We'll see who's laughing after this is all said and done! I do hope you're looking forward to kneeling before me when I utterly defeat you in future training sessions in front of everyone!"
"Don't make me laugh."
Naofumi stared at the two as they butted heads. His expression was as dry as sandpaper. Was now really the time for this?
"Let's just get this over with before I lose my mind."
"Urgh…"
Naofumi nearly groaned like the Hakuko, who was being supported by Eclair.
"You could have warned me that you'd be like this after having your level reset!"
"I'm sorry… I thought I'd be strong enough to handle the transition, Lord Shield," Dou-Lon moaned tiredly.
"What have I told you about calling me that?!"
"I'm sorry…" Dou-Lon groaned again. His legs felt so weak. He could barely move his legs. His muscles felt like they'd disappeared. And Eclair, who he'd promised to defeat, was supporting almost all of his weight so he could walk.
This was torture.
The level reset ceremony worked almost like the class-up ceremony. Except there wasn't the option of choosing what class you wanted. And unlike the class-up ceremony, Dou-Lon was now extremely tired, lethargic, and weak instead of powerful and energetic. And he'd be like this for the next day or so according to the people who'd been in charge of the hourglass.
"I wish someone would have told me about this sooner." Naofumi groaned.
Naofumi was wearing his Mask Shield, and the other Heroes wore disguises as they walked in public.
"In hindsight, it makes sense," Itsuki spoke up. He wore his hood over his head and a very small bow under his sleeve to disguise himself. With a sword sheathed on his side, he looked like any typical adventurer. Besides the fact that he couldn't draw the sword because of the Legendary Weapon's rules regarding not using other weapons. "Dropping from level 50 strength to level 1 strength would probably be a huge change for anyone to try and adapt to."
Naofumi groaned again. Why hadn't he thought of that sooner?! He would have gone to see Beloukas first if he'd known this was what would happen! At least they would have teleported back from the Church right after instead of dragging Dou-Lon's butt along through the busy streets of Melromarc!
Ren had changed his sword to a regular Iron sword which he had sheathed on his back, and he also wore a different set of armor so he looked blander than normal. But Eclair's custom noble-like armor and sword, as well as the fact that she was supporting a Hakuko, were starting to grab the attention of the whole group.
Please, just for the love of everything holy people, DO NOT connect the dots! The last thing Naofumi wanted to deal with were the people who still thought he was guilty of rape!
The Hakuko giggled in a way that was very uncharacteristic for his usual stoic persona as he stroked Eclair's hair. "Wow, it's so soft, it's almost like-"
He was cut off by Eclair's fist hitting him in the face. "Touch anywhere else, and I won't be afraid to throw you into the moat outside the city."
"But I can't swim like this!"
"That's unfortunate, isn't it?"
"Will you just shut up already?!" Naofumi yelled at them. Unfortunately, he drew even more looks from that. It was also unfortunate that his Mask Shield didn't hide the scowl on the lower half of his face.
"Calm down, Naofumi," Ren whispered to him. "Yelling isn't going to make things easier."
"Sorry, Lord Naofumi." The two hung their heads in shame. It was so sad.
…
Naofumi sighed.
After a little while of walking, the crowd of people gradually thinned, and people stopped paying attention to them. Much to Naofumi's relief. "Thank the Gods that's over."
"How about we find this Beloukas fellow before we draw the crowd's suspicions again," Ren suggested.
"Sounds good to me I guess," Itsuki muttered.
"So, where to, Naofumi?"
…
…
"Naofumi?" Ren asked again when he noticed that the Shield Hero hadn't responded.
"Give me a moment. I'm trying to remember." Naofumi answered.
…
"Wait, you…"
Both Ren and Itsuki facepalmed. "You don't remember where he is?" Ren asked.
"Hey, I've only been there twice, and once was at night!" Naofumi said frustratingly. "It's not like I expected to go back there again!"
…
They just continued to give him looks of disbelief. "I'm serious, I never thought I'd be trying to acquire more slaves, or monster eggs, or whatever, and then I was just trying to get us out of those crowds of people, and, agh-" Naofumi looked around at the nearby people and groaned. "Forget it, I think it's this way." Naofumi tiredly said as he walked down a side alley.
"... I guess he really didn't want to become a slave owner," Ren said.
"I don't think I'm ever going to live this down..." Itsuki muttered.
They followed Naofumi.
Fortunately, it didn't take Naofumi nearly as long as last time to find the large goofy circus tent in the middle of the slums. Eclair stayed behind with Dou-Lon since, in her words, "This place gives me the creeps."
Smart girl.
Naofumi felt a familiar feeling creeping up his spine. A feeling of cold, hard dread. He sighed, prepared himself for the worst, and entered the tent.
Surprisingly, it didn't smell nearly as bad as before. At the very least, the stench of death and decay in the air was gone.
There were still cages, but they looked bigger than last time, and more spread out. They also had padding on their floors. There were some openings in the tent above allowing sunlight to shine through. A few assistants were going around, cleaning the floor, changing padding in cages, and the like.
However, the slaves didn't look much better. In fact, as he walked towards the center of the tent where Beloukas was likely to be, he walked by at least five different demi-human children. They all sat on the floors of their cages, their heads huddled between their knees. Trays of half-eaten food sat beside them. The looks they had reminded Naofumi of his first time meeting Raphtalia.
Itsuki and Ren both looked sad as they walked behind him. Naofumi somberly realized that this was definitely their first time visiting a Slave Trader's place. He was also somewhat happy that the conditions weren't as inhumane as they were before. But to the other Heroes, it still looked like hell, which, honestly, it was, despite the improvements.
Unless they wanted to buy these kids though, there wasn't much that they could do. Killing Beloukas and freeing his slaves wouldn't help them in the long run.
"Remember, I'll do the talking to start." He said to the two. "If I need you two to do anything, I'll let you know."
…
The two slowly nodded, and followed Naofumi into the main office in the center of the tent.
"Ah, if it isn't my favorite hero! Welcome good sir!" Beloukas got up from his chair behind his desk. He still looked as creepy as ever. He was wearing an even fancier version of his pimp outfit than last time.
Somehow, Naofumi was stunned by the fact that Beloukas had managed to make himself look even more punchable than before. However, he forced his business face on and observed the little midget calmly. "How's business going for you?"
"I must say, even if my expenses for handling slaves have gone up thanks to the Queen's latest policies, that portrait of your slavegirl has been a real boon for my sales good sir! And thanks to the rumors I've snagged about your Filolial and connecting them to my egg lottery, the money just doesn't stop rolling in!"
A portrait of Raphtalia? Oh, right, he was pretty certain he remembered something like that being mentioned last time. Had Beloukas actually used it as advertising for selling his slaves?
Naofumi looked at Ren and Itsuki again. Itsuki looked like a mess, and Ren looked like he was seconds away from murdering the poor bastard. So he wasn't the only one set on edge when he was around Beloukas?
If he remembered correctly, Beloukas might be the kind of person that'd enjoy it too.
"Calm down." The Shield Hero hissed. They still looked a little pissed, but listened to Naofumi. Both were wondering how he could handle being around someone like this Slave Trader. He was giving off a creepy vibe that was just inviting them to punch his lights out.
And then they remembered that Naofumi didn't have an ATK stat, so he probably didn't have much choice in regards to how to treat other people...
Unless he wanted to use that Shield of his. So instead of focusing on Beloukas, they focused on watching his gemstone in case any red flags popped up.
"I'm curious, what brings three Heroes of legend to my humble shop, hmmm?!" The slave merchant asked while playfully twiddling the end of his mustache with his thumb and index fingers.
"It's in regards to your slave crest." Naofumi began to speak. "We're... considering a business proposition. But first, I wanted to ask you a few questions."
"Considering, hmmm, you wouldn't be thinking about updating the one for your girlfriend, would ya good sir?" Beloukas asked cheekily.
…
It was a damn good thing Naofumi didn't have an ATK stat. He might have taken the opportunity to punch the bastard then and there. Beloukas shivered excitedly under the death glare that the Shield Hero was giving him.
That confused Itsuki and Ren. What the hell was this guy's deal?
"No, of course, it's not as simple as that!" After a moment, the Slave Trader calmed down enough to finally say: "I like ya good sir! I normally don't do this, but ask me anything you wish, and I'll do my best to answer, hmmm!"
"... alrighty then," Naofumi smirked. "Is there a version of the slave crest that doesn't require punishments to work?"
"I'm afraid that kind of slave crest doesn't exist. After all, if the punishments could all be disabled, it wouldn't have much use other than decoration, hmmm?"
… Naofumi growled in annoyance. Beloukas swooned at the sound. Ren and Itsuki went from being angry to being creeped out.
Was it possible that this guy was a masochist? No wonder Naofumi had told them to calm down! If they'd tried hitting him or anything, they might have committed the biggest mistake of all time!
Attracting this creep to them for the rest of their lives.
"Don't fret though, good sir. It'll still work with one punishment. And you can set the punishment to be so small that it's like it's not a punishment at all!" Beloukas twirled his hat around. "Maybe a member of my family in the past was feeling merciful, or maybe we just wanted to attract more business! Either way, that's how we've gotten the crest to work for centuries!"
"Does this guy give you the creeps?" Ren whispered to Itsuki.
"Yes. Yes, he does." Itsuki whispered back as he shivered. He wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. He hadn't thought it was possible, but what was going on now was actually driving his current depression away, and replacing it with genuine fear and disgust.
He'd rather go back to being sad than deal with this.
"Now, what else did you want to ask?" Beloukas asked excitedly.
"Is it possible for the crest to be put somewhere else on the body? You know, besides the chest area?" Naofumi asked. He was thinking like the elbow, or the shoulder.
Somewhere that would be more modest to have it.
"Hmmm…" The slave seller thought to himself. "No, I don't believe so, good sir. You see, the magic ritual for this has been very refined and well thought out by my family. Again, over the course of centuries. If it was on the arm or some other limb, it would be as simple as chopping off the limb to disband the contract. And since the chest is one of the most tender areas of the body, it's only natural that it'd be the best place to deliver shocks that could kill the slave should they try to attack their master or break some other rule." Beloukas explained. "Yep, it's only natural that'd be the case, good sir."
"Even if, hypothetically, we wouldn't set up the crest to do that?" Naofumi asked.
"It's just the way we developed it through time, good sir!"
"... Alright." That was another idea of Naofumi's that had been shot down.
"Unless, if you were to pay extra, perhaps, I could see about developing an entirely new ritual that'd put the crest somewhere else." Beloukas grinned widely. The three could almost see the greed coming off him in waves. "However, because of the ritual's extreme magical complexity, I'm not quite certain how long that'd take, good sirs! It might need a lot of money to help me get it off the ground!" He started laughing creepily.
"Last question." Naofumi moved on. They didn't have the time or the money for such a venture currently. "Is it possible for you to teach us how to do the slave ritual?"
"Nope!" Beloukas exclaimed. It was almost disheartening for the three of them how quickly he'd shot it down.
They were definitely at the mercy of a business dealer.
"The making of this ink and the ritual process are both "family trade" secrets! If you want to do business with slaves, it'll have to be through yours truly!" He did a little jig and laughed as he said it. "I can't miss out on money when I see it after all!"
"Screw it. I want to kill him. Please tell me I can kill him." Itsuki whispered. He didn't care how creepy the experience was. Better one large moment of creepiness than having to deal with this time after time again.
"No, you heard Naofumi, we can't kill him. Torture, on the other hand-" Ren began whispering back.
"No, we can't torture him! Not only is it unheroic... he'd probably enjoy it!" Itsuki whispered fiercely into Ren's ear.
Ren paled. "Isn't killing him also pretty unheroic though?"
Itsuki struggled with trying to find an answer to that.
"Fine then."
Naofumi's words interrupted the two heroes behind him.
"Since you've at least been honest and answered my questions, I've made up my mind."
"Hmmm?" Beloukas asked.
"We'll do business through you, and only you, for whenever we need to buy low-level slave crests," Naofumi said. "In exchange, I ask that you acquire kids from Lurolona and bring them there."
For once, Beloukas looked caught off guard. Ren and Itsuki did too. "Huh?"
"We'll pay you for your trouble, of course. Unless you want me going off to find someone else to work with. I'm sure Zeltoble has plenty of Slave Traders I could talk to…" He left that part hanging in the air. He could see the gears turning in Belouka's head.
The thought of having all of the Hero's business for himself. A monopoly on a potentially large source of income. And Naofumi's threat was no idle bluff. Ren had already been to Zeltoble. It wouldn't take much asking around for them to get directed to the right market. But if he did what they asked, all of their future business would go through him...
Naofumi could almost see bags of silver coins dancing in the midget's glasses. This was a win-win deal for him.
"Alright, you two." Naofumi stepped back, before addressing the other two Heroes. "If you have anything to add, now is the time. The conditions we'll present here will be our code of conduct for doing business down the road."
"I, um, but there isn't anything I can think of," Ren muttered nervously.
Itsuki, however, stepped forward after a moment of thought. By using this slave trader as a contact, Naofumi would be able to find Raphtalia's missing friends from the village. It was almost evil, yet so brilliant… So what could he do…?
"I'm looking for a Kitsune family. A mother and three half Kitsunes that'd be between ten to fifteen years old. There's also a Dog demi-human around seventeen years old named Thomas that was taken from Mirso Village." Itsuki began to speak hastily. "If you find and acquire them, me and Ren will follow Naofumi's example in only doing business with you, and I'll pay you for the expenses of finding them, plus whatever extra you'll charge."
"What, why are you including me on your deal?!" Ren asked.
"Didn't you say there wasn't anyone in particular that you're looking for?" Itsuki asked.
"Well, er…"
He looked at Beloukas, who was smiling at him expectantly. He shuddered inwardly. "If you acquire any slaves that are dying or useless to you, bring them to Lurolona. We'll buy them and cover for their treatments." Ren finally uttered.
"Hmmm, that's a tall order there, good sir. I don't know…" He twiddled his thumbs expectantly, as if expecting more. Itsuki and Ren scowled, and the man shivered in joy. "You know what, I've decided I like the look in your eyes too! You've got yourselves a deal!" He yelled extravagantly. "I'll see what I can dig up from my contacts, good sirs!"
Ren and Itsuki fell back. If it hadn't been for Itsuki's recent dive in the Cursed Series, he might have been convinced to equip it now so he could obliterate this piece of trash.
However, for the first time in several days, he felt somewhat better. Now that there was a chance he could find Crystal's friend and Marx's family.
And Ren, he looked back at the kids in the cages hopefully. If this really did work out, maybe they'd provide at least a ray of hope to those who would otherwise die in a place like this.
It was a small chance. But bigger than what it was before. Itsuki and Ren were both secretly thankful to Naofumi for this opportunity. Even if the Bow Hero personally felt that he didn't deserve it.
"Now, then, how many are going through the ritual, hmmm?" Beloukas asked.
"Depends. Would you rather do it here, or somewhere else?" Naofumi asked in turn.
"Will I make more money somewhere else?" The Slave Trader questioned back with a grin.
…
Naofumi nodded. Beloukas shivered in delight. "I daresay, this is going to be the start of an excellent legit business proposition!" He said happily.
"Yeah, let's just get it over with already," Naofumi mumbled, heading for the exit. He could see that it was starting to rain outside. Better they leave now before Eclair and Dou-Lon were soaked.
"Come on guys."
"Let's go home."
What came next was more or less what Naofumi had expected.
After giving Beloukas time to gather his supplies, they portaled back to the village. The midget seemed off-center for several seconds, unused to the feeling of teleporting. But he wasn't phased for long.
They found that, thankfully, the storm clouds over Lurolona were finally clearing up, allowing the sun to shine down on the place. "So, where are the people you're having me brand, hmmm?" Beloukas cheekily asked.
"Take a look around." Naofumi dryly pointed out.
The people who wanted it, as well as the knights, were already in the town square. Waiting for their return.
Beloukas didn't understand at first. But when it finally clicked, Naofumi swore his jaw hit the ground. "So many…" His grin became the biggest Naofumi had ever seen. "Let's get started, good sirs!" He rubbed his hands together greedily.
Before the rituals, Beloukas prepared several bowls of ink, which Naofumi, Itsuki, and Ren dripped a little of their blood into. After that, the two other Heroes absorbed a little of their slave ink into their weapons, which, in turn, unlocked the first and second weapons in their individual Slave User Series. After Beloukas applied the crests to their first party members who'd asked for it, they absorbed a little of that party member's blood to unlock the third weapon in the series.
Naofumi had figured since he'd been capable of unlocking the Slave User Series that they could unlock it as well. And they were, much to his relief. The process had also been exactly as he'd unlocked them long ago too, so there was nothing to worry about on that end, now that he wouldn't be the one that was solely responsible over all the people.
Motoyasu chose not to unlock it at first, but then after seeing Itsuki do so, he bit the bullet and got a small bowl of slave ink that he mixed his blood into, before absorbing the whole thing. He didn't unlock the third weapon, as he refused to register a single slave to his party. However, he'd done it because he didn't want the moral high ground over the other three, especially since Itsuki, the one who had opposed it the most, had relented. He wanted to share the responsibility they were putting on themselves.
Even if he felt a part of himself die in the process...
Oh well. At least he had equip bonuses from two new spears to unlock.
While they were busy with that, Naofumi noticed Filo and Raphtalia and walked up to them.
"Did it go well-Whoa!" Raphtalia began to ask when Naofumi suddenly embraced her. "N-Naofumi?" She blushed at the open display of affection while the Shield Hero repeated the gesture to Filo, who took it in stride with a wide smile and a pleased murmur.
This made Naofumi smile in turn. He was glad that his cold, hard self hadn't rubbed off on Filo as much as it did on Raphtalia. It'd be the worst thing ever should his daughter grow up to be just like him.
"What are you thinking about now?" Raphtalia asked suspiciously.
"Daddy was thinking something about Mommy. It was mean, wasn't it?" Filo glared at him.
"Why would you assume-"
"Ah, seeing Miss Raphtalia and little Filo reading the Shield Hero's mind is always a marvel. I hope to someday be worthy of the same ability." Dou-Lon said in awe.
"Will you just shut up already?" Naofumi asked in annoyance.
"I'm sorry, Lord Naofumi! Please forgive this unworthy Hakuko of his transgressions!" Dou-Lon immediately collapsed to the ground when he tried to prostrate himself in humble sincerity.
Naofumi groaned. At least he wasn't calling him Lord Shield now. Still, the bowing and prostrating and everything else was getting on his nerves. He doubted he'd ever get used to it.
He didn't know if Raphtalia had apologized to the Hakuko yet. However, she was at least acting more amicably to him than before as she helped him stand back up.
The branding process was proceeding smoothly. From Ren's party, Tersia and Wyndia asked for the crest. Farrie, Welt, and Bakta did not.
Wyndia, when Ren asked her if she was sure, said that she wasn't doing it to feel closer to him or anything. She just wanted to get stronger, that was it! Nothing else! And she threatened to slap Ren when he seemed confused by it, stopping him from asking any further questions.
From Itsuki's party, everyone but Karn asked for the seal.
Itsuki was surprised that almost all of them wanted it. But they refused to take no as an answer from him. Even meek Rishia was adamant about it.
Aksel admitted he hadn't wanted it at first. But after seeing Maya get it, he ended up asking for it for his own protection.
After all, he was worried about what would happen if Maya should ever successfully manage to overpower him. It might have also helped when he realized that it could give him a certain, albeit unfair advantage over his other tank rival, Bakta, who wasn't getting it.
Dou-Lon was the only one from his party to get the crest. But the Hakuko had never looked happier in his life. Naofumi felt a little too weird watching him get it.
"Finally, a symbol of my loyalty to Lord Naofumi! I shall display it proudly for the rest of my days!" Dou-Lon exclaimed.
"Oi! Don't go showing it off to other people! That's weird!" Naofumi yelled at him.
"I'm sorry Lord Naofumi! Forgive this unworthy Hakuko of his-"
"Urgh!" Everyone else shared a laugh at Naofumi's expense.
After them, it was the people's turn to have the "Hero Service Seal" painted onto their chests. They were given the option to choose which Hero they wanted to be assigned to. And Melty wrote their names down on a sheet of paper to help keep a record.
Keel was first in line, and asked to be assigned to his "Shield bro." The application of the crest still hurt, but like when Raphtalia got it, it was only a little. In fact, he was smiling as he did it. "Now I'll get to work hard to get stronger, just like Raphtalia-chan!"
"You have quite a ways to go before that'll ever happen." Naofumi dryly said.
"Ha! I'll make sure to surprise you both then, Brother Shield!" Keel exclaimed happily.
The kid's words made him smile somewhat. He was definitely energetic. Raphtalia would have her hands full helping her childhood friend to level up. But at least he'd put forth the effort to do so. The brandings continued from there.
"Hmmm, I'm surprised this is hardly hurting anyone here," Beloukas muttered, looking uncharacteristically thoughtful.
"Why's that?" Melty, who was there to oversee the branding process, asked him, sounding curious.
"Normally, in my line of work, slaves are most unwilling to be slaves. Thus, the crest hurts them far more as a means to overcome their will." Beloukas looked around at everyone. "Yet even I can see that these people are more than willing to have it applied to them." He smirked. "This is a most interesting case indeed, hmmm."
"So the slave crest does hurt more if the person receiving it is unwilling." Melty thought out loud.
She watched for that with every case going forward. It was a good thing too, as one person nearly did collapse from the pain. "Was this what you were speaking about?" Melty asked in shock. The crest glowed a violent purple through the man's clothes. The Heroes took a step back in surprise as the man screamed in pain.
"Yes, yes indeed." Beloukas grinned at finally seeing an unwilling participant.
When it was over, she quickly questioned the man, who was a rabbit demi-human. After a little while, he broke down and admitted that his friends had talked him into it. Even though he'd still harbored doubts about this. He really hadn't wanted the crest back. But he didn't want to be weak either.
The person had been registered to Naofumi. And at hearing his confession, he promptly took out the solution needed to rid the person of the slave crest and used it to terminate the seal. "If you didn't want it, you didn't have to get it. After all, Second Princess here isn't getting it." Naofumi said somewhat frustratingly.
"Hey!" Melty pouted at him.
"S-Sir Shield Hero?" He said in surprise.
"The rest of you. Don't try to coerce anyone that doesn't want it. This has to be your choice." He sternly told everyone else. "We're not going to waste more money than what we already are on this. You got me?"
The people were surprised by his words. And as he walked back to stand with the other Heroes and their party members again, the rabbit demi-human looked at him in stunned awe. A couple of people in the line sighed in relief and left to rejoin the crowd. Naofumi was glad to have addressed that then and there.
However, just a few minutes later, the rabbit demi-human was back in the line to receive the crest once again. Naofumi, somewhat annoyed, tried to stop it. However…
"Sir Shield Hero, I might not trust any other slave owners... but you have just proven to me that I can trust you." He simply said. "I'll do my best to become stronger."
...
Naofumi was stunned at the sincerity in his words. And this time, Beloukas was disappointed that when he reapplied the crest, the rabbit man merely cringed from the burning sensation of having it applied.
The problem didn't come up for anyone else after that. Still, Melty made sure to write down in the addendum for the Hero Service Seal that this would be a standard marker for telling if the person willingly wanted to receive the "Hero Service Seal" or not. And the way that Naofumi responded to it was also added. In short, it read like this:
If a person is found to have been coerced into receiving the "Hero Service Seal" against their will, the previous law of waiting till Lv. 40 will be suspended, and the Hero that he or she is assigned to will immediately act to remove said Seal as soon as possible.
It felt good to be making progress on an important matter.
As Ren and Itsuki got more people assigned to them, Naofumi helped them to navigate their new Slave menus which had appeared in their HUD's. He helped them through the process of unchecking all the punishments, and setting the pain level for the remaining one to the bare minimum on the first few Hero service volunteers, and then left them alone when they knew what to do.
As the process went on, Melty made sure that the Heroes had unchecked the punishments by checking her new Slave Menu on her HUD as well. By mixing her blood with the Hero's in the slave ink, she was registered alongside them as the "owner". She was thus able to check and make sure that the Heroes had followed through on their promise.
It would also serve as a last-ditch measure that'd allow her to veto any unreasonable orders or actions they might take should another Cursed Series incident happen.
She soon found that the only thing that was left set to punish the person was if they lied. And the shock from it was hardly unnoticeable.
Beloukas seemed only mildly disappointed by that.
As time went on, Itsuki became depressed once more. Almost all twenty knights had chosen to be assigned to him, undoubtedly out of shame for their failure to keep their town safe a couple of days ago and a desire to repent for it. But none of the demi-humans wanted to be registered to him. Even though he'd saved their lives…
No, that line of thought died in his head as soon as it came. He felt guilty for even thinking about it. These people owed him nothing. He hadn't saved their lives so they'd owe him. His latest actions hardly helped either, attacking Naofumi on the Church, trying to murder Terra's kids in the forest.
He was still only a teenager. Naofumi had a way of inspiring those around him to act. And even if Ren was awkward, he at least had a good heart.
Honestly, what trait did the Bow Hero have that these people could trust in? He was stubborn, hotheaded, and shortsighted, an ironic trait for a bowman to have. He felt pathetic compared to-
"Um, you know you don't have to sign up like Keel did, right?"
Melty's voice interrupted Itsuki's moment of self-loathing. He looked up, and was surprised, and horrified, to see some of Terra's kids standing in front of Beloukas, waiting to receive the crest. One of the stipulations was that, for demi-humans, the crest couldn't be applied unless they were at least 10 years old, since that was the norm in demi-human culture to begin the level-up process. But these kids had been traumatized only a couple of nights ago.
The kids that were around 6-9 years old were watching from the side expectantly. All the ones that were 10+ stood, waiting to receive the crest. "We know, Miss Melty. But we've decided that we want to do this." Anya, the girl that spoke, sounded more mature than her age would have indicated.
"If Keel-Kun is signing up for this, then so are we!" One of the boys exclaimed determinedly.
Melty looked at the Heroes unsurely. However, they looked just as unsure. After all, the three of them had party members that had started out as kids.
"If they want it, I won't mind! It'll mean more money for me!" Beloukas exclaimed gleefully.
Of course, Beloukas didn't care at all. He instantly became more punchable to everyone within a hundred-foot radius of his voice.
"If that's what they want, then I'm not going to stop them," Naofumi said. "Just as long as they know what they're getting into."
"We do, Sir Shield Hero." The kids answered.
"... Alright then. Who do you want to be assigned to?" Melty asked.
They all pointed at one person. "We want to be assigned to Sir Itsuki." One of them, a dog boy said for them all.
…
Itsuki stared at them in surprise. "Huh?" Even Melty looked surprised.
Itsuki continued to stare at them, horror creeping through his veins. "But… why would you want to… to…"
"Sir Itsuki. That night was the scariest night of our lives." One of them said sadly.
"We almost thought you were going to kill us." Another said, her ears hanging down.
"But you also saved us from a life of slavery, again!"
"And you only killed the slavers! You didn't kill anyone else!"
"But, but that was because of Naofumi arriving and-" Itsuki tried to refute.
"Sir Motoyasu also explained to us what happened to you!"
"... huh?"
Naofumi and the other Heroes looked at the Spear Hero in surprise. He smiled abashedly, looking off to the side.
"Plus… someone important told us something that resonated with us," Anya said.
"... How can we help him?" Anya asked seriously. The others looked at her in surprise. "Even if I'll never forget what happened that night," Her hands clenched at her sides. "Even if he almost killed us... I can't deny what Uncle Worth's said. I can't deny what Raphtalia nee-chan and the Spear Hero have told us. If his weapon really broke... if he is really breaking right now because of something he was forced to do by that darkness, I don't want to hate him. I don't want to hate the Hero that originally saved us from the horrible nobles that enslaved us. I want to hate that darkness! I want to help him fight it! I want to save him! Please, tell us how we can help him, Uncle Worth!"
He looked over them all. His eyes fell on Anya. "I'm sorry. That is something that you'll have to figure out yourselves." Anya's throat choked up, and she almost felt like crying when she saw his black pupils glint. "But as long as that desire exists, all of you will find a way to do so. And you'll find a way to come to terms with your grief. I should know, since Terra helped to raise you all."
He let go of their shoulders. He turned around to leave. Anya stared at his large, retreating form in wonder.
"Have you come to terms with your grief?" Anya felt to ask.
...
"I still have a debt of gratitude to repay to Van Reichnott for his kindness... But when that's done, I know what I'll be doing when I come back."
His parting words rang in the cat girl's ears long after he'd left. "I'm going to become what Terra wanted me to be, and I'll fight by Sir Itsuki's side in her stead,"
"Through hellfire and brimstone if I have to."
Itsuki frowned. "But, I almost killed all of you… I couldn't-"
"Oh please, it's not like that's the first time we've been scared, right guys?" Anya asked the others. They quickly nodded in response.
"What Uncle Worth said reminded me of the stories that Auntie Terra told us at night when we couldn't sleep! They were about how she'd been scared, until you rescued her and gave her the courage to fight!" One of the girls said excitedly.
Itsuki was surprised to hear that. "She got to tell us all sorts of stories when we couldn't sleep because of the nightmares." Another kid said. "She told us how her life before had been a living nightmare too until you entered it!"
"And we got to learn even more about her from Uncle Worth!"
"Even though she was afraid, she always did her best to help the kids around her!"
"And she swore after meeting you that she'd never be afraid ever again!"
"That's why she risked her life fighting to save us!"
"We want to become courageous just like she was!"
"Don't worry Sir Itsuki! We'll overcome our fears so we can help you!"
"That way, you won't be sad and use that evil bow ever again! Even if it means going through hellfire and brimstone!" Anya finished enthusiastically for them all.
They all smiled, and looked eagerly up at the Bow Hero with tails wagging excitedly behind them. They'd taken Uncle Worth's words to heart, and come to terms with their grief.
"So, will you accept us, Sir Itsuki?" Anya asked.
…
Itsuki's lower lip trembled, and he sniffled as he forced himself to stay calm and nod.
Beloukas laughingly applied the crest to each one, and Itsuki saw how none of them had even flinched from the pain. He then went through the process of unchecking the punishments, having Melty check them over.
When it came time for the lie test, they honestly said they wanted this. Their crests didn't act up.
They wanted to be assigned to him. They… they wanted...
"Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He couldn't take it any longer. When it finally registered to him that these kids were being absolutely and entirely sincere, he was overcome by emotion and ran away from everyone.
"S-Sir Itsuki-"
He ignored their surprised shouts. He threw open the door to his house, dove into his room, and landed on his bedsheets. He cried even as he clutched his pillow to his face, bawling like a baby.
He didn't deserve this. Not in any way, shape, form, or time did he feel he deserved this! He was horrible! He was filth! He was...
But those kids, they were just so… so amazing! So mature! So much more than he ever was! So much more than he could ever be!
He'd thought they'd want nothing to do with him. At best, he'd thought they'd avoid him for his monstrous acts. At worst, he'd expected them to bully him or scorn him like the other villagers.
But they wanted to help him. They'd turned all of his expectations upside down. Even after seeing the worst side of him imaginable, they'd vowed to help him…
As he continued to cry. Memories came to his mind.
"I'm going to do my best to help you and the others become stronger from now on, Rishia."
"I'll protect the innocent all over this damn world!"
He remembered what he'd said before at times when he'd felt like this. He remembered the promise he'd made to Rishia. As well as a promise he'd made to himself in Van Reichnott's estate after Wyndia spoke some sense into him.
He went over those words, over and over again. Eventually, Itsuki set his pillow back on his bed and wiped the remaining tears from his face. The self-loathing he'd been feeling the last several days finally faded away somewhat.
"I… I have to do better. I promised them I'd do better." A look of resolve crossed his features. He couldn't erase what'd happened, just as much as he couldn't erase his past… but he could still do something. This whole fiasco could have been avoided had he only listened to Rachel and the others. If he'd listened to Rishia when she'd told him what he did was wrong. Had he been meek instead of prideful... So...
"I'm not right about everything. So I'll listen and trust in my friends."
Something seemed to ring in him with those words, something that made his inner darkness fade back from his mind.
However, he didn't have much time to think about it as his door was thrown open.
"Sir Itsuki!?"
"Are you okay!?"
"Is there anything we can do to help?!"
"Fuehhhh?!"
Of course, his friends came rushing into his room. All of them looked worried or stressed. He touched his face, still wet from all the tears he'd shed. And not just the recent ones. Several more tears hit his fingers.
Had he worried them so much by sinking into his deep depression for so long?
"Sir Itsuki?"
He smiled at them. "It's alright guys, I feel better now." As much as it shocked them to see him smile, they were even more shocked when Itsuki bowed to them. "Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry for making you all worry for me. I promise I won't let you down again in the future."
…
Aksel sniffled loudly. And just as Itsuki straightened up, the bawling knight tackled into him for a big bear hug, tears streaming down his face. "SIR, SIR ITSUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
"Ack! Air! AIR!" Itsuki felt like he was being crushed. And it didn't help when everyone else, almost all with tears coming down their faces, joined in the tight group hug as well.
"Thank you for everything you've done for us, Sir Itsuki!"
"We promise we'll stay by your side, no matter what happens in the future!"
"Fuehhhhh!"
"Guys, stop, please, you're killing me!"
Itsuki was grateful for the group hug regardless. Still, with his recent promise came a realization that Ren had already stumbled upon earlier.
When they finally let go and stepped back from him, he looked at them seriously. "Thank you for that, honestly, I needed it. But there's one thing I don't want to hear from you guys ever again."
"... fueh…" Rishia and the others looked down sadly. Had they done something wrong now?
Itsuki took a deep breath. "I'm not your glorious leader… I don't want you to view me like that anymore. I don't want anyone else to view me like that… that's not what I deserve, and it's not what I want.
"From now on, I want you to view me as your friend and comrade," Itsuki said. "I want you to just refer to me as Itsuki. No more calling me sir." He smiled for them.
"Can I rely on my friends to do that for me?"
…
Aksel sniffed, and honestly, Itsuki should have seen this coming. But everyone tackled him once more, piling in a giant bear hug on top of him.
"ITSUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
"ACK!" Itsuki wasn't able to get any words out this time.
"Thank goodness. I hate having to address people by sir or madam. Not having to say that to you any longer will be a giant load off my back." Karn said with a smirk.
"Don't ruin the moment Karn." Crystal snapped at him.
The Bow Hero's party laughed. And Itsuki laughed along with them when he was finally able to breathe.
It really did feel great being surrounded by great friends. And whether he noticed it or not, his actions had only made the darkness within recede ever further.
Just a few more steps, and it'd be overcome once and for all.
Naofumi looked at Raphtalia. The both of them were peeking through Itsuki's doorway, along with Ren and Motoyasu.
"Did you do this?" The Shield Hero asked with a drawl.
Raphtalia smiled at him. "Believe it or not. It was thanks to Motoyasu."
"Not just me," Motoyasu spoke out next. "Terra's husband helped too. And you weren't so bad yourself, Mrs. Iwatani."
While Raphtalia made a noble, but ultimately futile effort to not burn right through the wooden floor all the way down to the core of the planet out of embarrassment, Naofumi looked through the doorway one more time. He finally smiled as well, seeing that Itsuki would be alright.
"Come on. Let's get out of here before Itsuki realizes we're here." Ren suggested with a happy smirk of his own.
They left to rejoin everyone else, glad to see that their friend was okay once more.
By the time Beloukas was done performing the slave ritual on all those who'd wanted it, he was laughing with glee. "My goodness, I haven't had so much fun in a longgggggg time! I almost ran out of ink!"
Instead of silver, Naofumi swore that he saw sacks of gold coins reflecting in the creepy man's glasses now. Despite how good the experience had turned out, he already had a bad feeling about this. And it only became worse when he saw that. "I'm almost afraid to ask…"
"Now then, my bill of charge, good sir." Beloukas presented a small piece of paper to Naofumi with a small bow.
Naofumi took it and looked at it. The other three Heroes appeared behind him, waiting to see the verdict.
"..." Naofumi's face paled. He felt his heart stop in his chest. "No… it can't be…"
"Wh-what is it Naofumi?" Motoyasu asked, shaking in his boots.
The Shield Hero had known that there were plenty of people lined up to get the crest. He also could have handled his initial approach to Beloukas better to get a discount. But…
"YOU'RE CHARGING US FIFTY GOLD COINS!?"
The three Heroes behind Naofumi fell to the ground. Naofumi gripped the piece of paper in his hands tightly.
Something was rising, and it was his blood pressure.
THIS IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY! THESE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE CHEAPEST CRESTS AVAILABLE! HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE WORTH THAT MUCH?! THIS PRICE TAG BETTER INCLUDE AN ADVANCE PAYMENT FOR WHAT THEY'D ASKED HIM TO DO, OTHERWISE, THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER FUNERAL TONIGHT!
"Mmmmmmmm!" Beloukas shivered all over from the amount of anger coming off the Shield Hero. Yes, he was glad to have decided to do this now.
"MMMMMMMMM!" It only became better when the other Heroes showed up behind Naofumi. Glares of death were on all their faces, and their weapons glowed brightly with power. His mustache began to twist and twirl on his face.
This had been a fabulous idea indeed!
"Sir Heroes! We can't kill him!" Melty yelled at them. "Please, calm yourselves!"
Their party members rushed forward, prying them all back from the midget. Though his creepy laugh almost made them want to unleash the Heroes on his sorry little butt.
Almost.
Eventually, they coughed up the money and paid the short man for his work. Though they still gave him looks of death for the enormous price tag.
Beloukas, either because he was feeling generous, was happy from all the money he'd just made, or maybe because of the pleasure that he'd felt under their death glares... or maybe even because it was a mixture of all three? Regardless, he decided to immediately give them the five slave kids from his tent, free of charge.
Ren had asked for any slaves that were useless or dying to be sold to them. And he decided that they were useless to him. After all, they were merely taking up space. And nobody wanted to buy them. With the physical and sexual abuse of child slaves now completely outlawed under Mirellia's latest policies that entitled the lawbreakers with swift execution, the demand for them had sharply decreased, at least, the known demand. There would obviously be those who'd go through the black market. But since Beloukas was an honest businessman, he'd never do such a thing.
Especially when he was under constant surveillance from Mirellia's shadows.
Their use for physical labor was not particularly efficient either. And even with black market ties, few dared to openly break the new laws, which were being enforced with deadly efficiency under the constant hawk-like watch of the crown's shadows.
Regardless, the magnanimous gesture still didn't make Beloukas look any less punchable to anyone there. In fact, when Ren left with him via his portal skill, they were all too happy to see him gone.
Ren came back an hour later with the five kids in tow. He looked as pale as a ghost. All he said was:
"I never want to be alone with that creep ever again."
Naofumi shrugged it off. "You get used to it." More importantly, he felt a nice home-cooked meal would do the former slave kids accompanying Ren some good.
Melty also had to add yet another amendment to the slavery laws.
For any slaves purchased by Heroes outside of Lurolona where it's legal, they're to have their crests removed upon purchase, and given sufficient time to rest and recover from their past life before they're given the choice of applying for the "Hero Service Seal".
Thus, with the exception of Belouka's bill, things went rather well.
Author's Notes:
It's been a while since I wrote Beloukas in. He's such a funny character despite his occupation. I also liked how this chapter turned out overall.
I did look into the nature of the slave crest. I'm sorry to say that this is what I turned up from Beloukas's answers. It makes sense though, since the magic system for this world is already more hard-coded than the hull for a ship. Developing a new kind of crest would be unbelievably expensive, not to mention, difficult as hell after centuries of fine-tuning. And a crest that didn't have any punishments would be nothing more than a tattoo, which wouldn't meet the qualifications for using the Slave User Series. Still, glad to see how it turned out in the end.
Now that we're finally past the serious stuff. I believe it's time to bring back some comedy.
Hero Clips!
Idol Raphtalia
"Raphtalia, Raphtalia!"
Naofumi ran through the Capital frantically. It had been several hours since Raphtalia had mysteriously disappeared on him. And it had been several minutes since he'd been told that someone had seen her walking into Beloukas tent earlier with a distressed expression.
Had that slimy little weasel used the village as an opportunity to kidnap his girlfriend?!
As the tent came into view, he was prepared to burn down everything… only to stop in confusion as he saw a long line of people coming from outside the tent. "What…"
They were also carrying portraits of Raphtalia in their hands. Some carried portraits of her and Naofumi together. Holding hands, kissing under a cherry tree, etc.
It was enough to make him stop in shock.
"We're finally seeing our Goddess in the flesh!"
"She has the nicest ears."
"Must, resist, urge to touch tail!"
"Man, that Naofumi must have been low on funds if he authorized this."
"Guys, seriously, if we could only lewd her." Several people glared at that one. "With Naofumi of course!" The guy quickly added, showing his portrait of the two. It looked like their wedding day, with Naofumi kissing her as he carried her bridal style.
"Best girl ever." One fan said with stars in his eyes. The others quickly nodded in agreement.
"It's sad I'll never get to head-pat her."
"Naofumi better do that plenty for us."
'What the hell is going on here?!' Naofumi was conflicted in so many different ways. Why was everyone here talking about Raphtalia and-
He pushed past the line and entered the tent. "Ah, NaofumI! Thank goodness you're here!" Raphtalia sat behind a table, holding a pen. One particularly crazy fan was having her sign several dozen portraits with her signature.
"I must have all of this for my future posterity to worship!"
"Please, there are others behind you. And my hand is getting tired." Raphtalia tried to say kindly.
"Oh! Your kindness is truly that of a Goddess!" The fan swooned.
"Beloukas, what the hell is this?!" Naofumi asked the short midget standing nearby.
"Why, this is a way to help finance your village, good sir!" Beloukas mustache twirled on his face. "Your slave girl's so popular that fans are willing to pay any price just to have her signature!"
"Shut up and take my money already!" The next person in line through his gold coins over the counter.
Naofumi glared at Beloukas. "And you didn't tell me about this because...?"
"You know what'd really be effective?! If you turned her into an idol! Then you'd really be raking in the dough!" Beloukas laughed. "What do you say, good sir?!"
Naofumi's eyebrow twitched.
Had Beloukas just suggested...
…
A few moments later, Raphtalia followed Naofumi away from a tent enveloped in a cursed inferno. "You didn't have to go that overboard, you know." She chided him.
"I literally couldn't care less." He said dryly.
She sighed. At least he'd given time for the others to escape. They were nice people. Though one of them had been confused because he thought they'd been in line for food. "At least we made plenty of money off this."
Beloukas, meanwhile, was rolling around in the middle of the inferno, having the time of his life. "MMMMMMMMM!" The money he'd made, as well as the pain he was in.
He might just fall for the Shield Hero yet!
Till Next Time
Allen