Chapter Thirty-One: Before Tomorrow's Hell
"Guys."
The strategy meeting was long since over. With the input from the heroes and a few surprise recommendations from Trash, who'd seemed to briefly come alive at the prospect of organizing the coalition's forces against the large beast, the Heroes finally had something that resembled a solid plan of attack for tomorrow.
The coalition would remain at a distance to draw the majority of the Guardian Beast's minions away. At Aultcray's suggestion, it was decided that the coalition would use a half-circle formation around the Spirit Tortoise while remaining on the outer fringes of its area of effect drain ability. Something that they now knew the distance of thanks to Itsuki's forethought to take note of it during the last battle.
Since using Judgment hadn't seemed to affect the Guardian Beast too much, all the magic that they had would be used to either fight the familiars, or to buff and heal the Heroes and their party members. That way they would keep magic usage down to a minimum and could prolong the fight for as long as it was necessary for the Heroes to defeat the Guardian Beast.
As for the Heroes themselves, Itsuki would lead the rearguard composed of their parties' magic users. From there, they could inflict damage at a safe distance while suffering less from the effects of the drain ability. Itsuki had also noted from the previous fight that the further away you got, the slower the drain effect worked.
Crystal, Karn, Rishia, and Eclair would be staying back to fight off any familiars that tried to attack his group.
As for Ren and Naofumi, they would lead the frontal assault with Raphtalia, Welt, Maya, and everyone else. Naofumi would receive assistance from the two tanks, Bakta and Aksel, which would hopefully be enough to try and hold the Spirit Tortoise down and block its attacks while Ren would direct the main fighters to attack the Tortoise's head.
If they could somehow inflict enough damage quickly enough to cut it off, then they would win. Unless, of course, the Tortoise's regeneration ability was powerful enough to regenerate it. But from what they'd seen, that wasn't likely.
After discussing all the details of the plan with Mirellia, and then gathering their parties for dinner and telling them what was going to happen, sparking life back into them in the process, Naofumi was finally alone with the other two Heroes. They stood in the empty meeting tent. The stars shined brightly overhead outside.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Naofumi?" Itsuki asked, sounding more upbeat after a good dinner.
"Is it about tomorrow?" Ren took a guess.
Naofumi sat down in one of the nearby chairs, gesturing the other two to join him at the empty meeting table. Itsuki and Ren quickly sat down as well in response.
"No… it's about what's been happening to me lately. About why I treated you guys like… well, you know already." Naofumi grit his teeth.
The two were silent as the Shield Hero gathered the words he needed to speak next.
"I..." He took a deep breath and looked them both over. "Can we just… talk, about what happened?"
…
Itsuki and Ren looked at each other, then at Naofumi. They shifted uncomfortably as well.
"Well, it was… partly our fault for not trying to ask how you've been feeling lately," Ren said. "So what you said was-"
"No, Ren. Don't even try to justify it." Naofumi told him so seriously that the Sword Hero instantly shut up. "I had absolutely no excuse to be so horrible to you at all. You've helped me out so many times from stepping up for me at the Sacred Duel to saving me and my friends from the Church. And that's to say nothing about all the times when you've backed me up in fights."
"Ren, you literally saved my life when we faced Glass the first time. She was destroying you, and yet you still fought so hard just to protect me. You've been so much of a Hero despite your anxiety… and I had no right to throw that back in your face." Naofumi turned away from the Sword Hero, his face twisting in pain.
"And Itsuki. I may still think that you're an arrogant little prick at times, and your pride rubs me the wrong way. But you've been trying to do your best too. You were the one who told Trash that you wouldn't support Melromarc if he tried to harass me further. You were out there, freeing slaves from bad people while I was just a peddling night merchant."
"You've pulled your weight in fights just like Ren. When the slave debate was going down at the village, you brought up valid points that helped ensure the people wouldn't be taken advantage of. You were out there assisting other countries when I couldn't bring myself to leave the village. And… and I had no right to call you a murderer when I've murdered people myself."
Naofumi thought back to the time when he lost control of the Shield of Rage. The knights he'd attacked with his flames. The bodies of those who'd died because of him.
He never had gotten a figure on how many had died to the Cursed inferno that he'd released on the Capital. He only knew he'd killed more than just the knights in that square.
"I'm really sorry for what I told you both before. Neither of you deserved being the targets of my fury."
…
"Well, while we're at it." Itsuki sighed and hung his head.
"Naofumi, I was freeing slaves, but I had to kill people to do it," Itsuki told him. "Meanwhile, you were out there helping people as a night merchant. I talked with some of those people you affected on your travels. You were selling higher quality medicine and charging less for it than the other doctors traveling that part of Melromarc. You used your magic to heal the sick and went out of your way to help others even though they hated the Shield Hero."
"You also tried to warn me that this wasn't a game. But I didn't take you seriously until I made a big mistake." Ren spoke up next, looking up at Naofumi. "Even now, I still can't stop thinking about how I treated my party like NPC's. How I… how I killed Wyndia's father. She's forgiven me for it, but I still find it hard to forgive myself at times." His hands clenched on the table in front of him.
"While we were busy training or helping out in other countries, you were there in the village. Making food for everyone. Settling disputes. Holding people together whenever one of us was struggling." Itsuki continued. The memory of him losing control flashed through his mind.
The two Heroes spoke for a long while after that. Almost an hour, actually, highlighting all the good things that Naofumi had done for not only them but everyone around him. And Naofumi sat, staring at the two telling him about all the good he'd done.
He'd come up with many of their plans for many different situations. Infiltrating Idol's quarters. Getting into the Capital. Dealing with the Siltvelt Army. Taking down Glass the second time without even a single casualty amongst their friends.
Naofumi had put his life on the line repeatedly to protect them from Glass's powerful attacks. From the Tyrant Rex. From the Pope. From many other powerful figures and monsters that they'd faced.
He'd also protected all of their friends when Itsuki lost control. He'd given them warnings about what to expect in situations they were unfamiliar with like dealing with Beloukas. He used himself as the bait just so they could easily get into the Capital and give them a better chance against the Church.
They were the ones with the game knowledge, yet Naofumi had been able to help them play to their strengths better than they could have by themselves. He'd been like their guild master from an MMORPG in a way, helping everyone to stay united, grounded, and focused on their clear-cut, well-defined, and straightforward goal of fighting the Waves. And when it came down to it, he was the one who'd make the sacrifice move just so their odds of winning went drastically up.
While it was true that he was often sarcastic and rude during it… Behind that jerk persona that Naofumi had tried to put up, the other heroes could still see his genuine heart of gold.
"So that's why we're not particularly mad at you." Ren shrugged. "You might not realize it, Naofumi, but you've done a lot of good. And the last few days haven't made us forget it. You're also a natural leader. You're like the foundation that we can safely build ourselves on. You just... make everyone around you want to follow you, I guess."
"I was jealous of that at first," Itsuki admitted. "I wished I could be like you. That I could win the hearts of everyone the way you do. That I could lead the way you do." The Bow Hero shook his head. "But I realized that isn't what I am. I'm not meant to lead. I'm not suited for that role and I never will be. I'm much better at being ranged support both figuratively and literally." Itsuki chuckled to himself at the end.
"We wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you." Ren continued. There was more truth in that statement now more than ever, after their last battle. "I'm sorry that you can't attack like me. But to be honest, I'd feel a lot less confident attacking if I didn't have a shield like you protecting me." The Sword Hero conceded.
"But we might have abused you to shield ourselves from too many blows. And not all of them physical." Itsuki said sadly, lowering his head. "I'm sorry for that."
"I'm sorry too," Ren said sadly as well. The two Heroes both looked extremely guilty at that moment.
...
Crap. Naofumi had been staring at them silently that whole time. He had no idea what to say after everything they'd said.
Why… why couldn't anyone hate him?! Did he really have to march back to Melromarc right now so that Melty would treat him as the absolute pile of &^%$ that he was?!
He actually almost felt tempted to do just that since the Castle was still registered on his portal weapon. But he didn't. It'd probably be for the best to see the Second Princess at a later time. Or maybe he was just making excuses and waiting would only make things worse. But he couldn't leave these two now.
"I'm really not that good of a person-" Naofumi tried to say instead.
"Naofumi, you are." Itsuki snapped out of his temporary depression vehemently. "You even took the time out of your training to modify a seed so it'd grow food for the villagers. You didn't have to do that, but you did. All I've ever been able to contribute to the village are my talents for music and my temper tantrums."
"I already told you how you contributed more than that!" Naofumi argued back.
"And did I do it calmly without attacking you?!" Itsuki asked, silencing Naofumi. "Really." He chuckled darkly. "Don't try to downplay it. I've done horrible things too. I'm only lucky they led to some good things, you know, if I ignore the fact that everyone in the village besides the kids wanted nothing to do with me afterward. I still can't believe those kids want anything to do with me after I tried killing them..."
Ren remained silent. Besides dealing the killing blow in a fight or two, what had he honestly contributed to the village?
He couldn't think of a single thing.
…
Naofumi's shoulders shook. "Why… why do you two think so highly of me?"
"Didn't you hear me earlier? We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." Ren shook his head. "If I was still the old me, the me who thought that this world was nothing but a game, then I wouldn't have Wyndia in my party. I wouldn't be treating my party the way I do now. Actually, I'd probably be charging after the Spirit Tortoise just like Motoyasu because I would have been angry about you being stronger than me. I would have gone straight for that monster just to get my hands on the powerful weapons that it'd unlock for my sword after I killed it."
"And after our last battle, you know what would have happened if I'd faced it by myself." Ren crossed his arms, staring hard at Naofumi.
To hear the Sword Hero admit that Naofumi was stronger than him actually spun Naofumi for a loop.
"He's right, you know." Itsuki agreed. "I've already said how great you are. The old me would have been so envious of you that he would have gone after the Spirit Tortoise by himself just so he could prove that he was better than you."
"But we're not," Ren said. "We're not better than you. I mean, look at us. We left you alone when you were angry and hurting. We didn't try to help you at all these last few days."
"... To be fair, you both did try. I just wasn't in the state of mind to be helped." Naofumi rubbed his forehead. "It took a Titanic-sized tortoise almost squashing me to make me realize just how much I'd &^%$ed up." He said bitterly.
"... well, if there was anything that fight taught me." Itsuki looked up at Naofumi.
"No matter what happens tomorrow. I'm with you till the end of the line."
Odd, Naofumi felt he recognized what Itsuki had said from somewhere. It might have been from one of those western superhero movies that were starting to become popular in Japan before his summoning. But if he'd remembered correctly, that was the line of the protagonist's best friend…
"I am too," Ren said.
...
"Guys…" Naofumi finally looked up at them. "Can I just… ask an honest question?"
"Shoot," Itsuki said.
"Is my cooking really that good?"
…
…
Itsuki burst out laughing. Ren began to blush as he tried to restrain himself. A scowl worked its way onto Naofumi's face. "What's so funny?"
"Naofumi, you… you just crack me up sometimes." Itsuki wiped a tear from his eye. He hadn't expected an end to the heart to heart so suddenly. So he humored the Shield Hero with an honest answer. "I think I could go to a culinary school for years and still not cook as well as you do."
"Yeah, how do you do it?" Ren muttered nervously.
"It can't be that good. And if it is, it has to be thanks to this Shield-" Naofumi started to say.
"Actually, um…" Ren looked nervous still, wondering if he should confess this or not. Finally, he made up his mind. "I actually went out of my way and unlocked all of those weapons you mentioned that raised your cooking ability, and I tried cooking for my party but… even with all those bonuses, it wasn't anywhere close to what you make for us."
"... huh?" Naofumi looked at the Sword Hero confusedly.
"I also ended up stopping by Lute once after a visit to the castle." Ren continued. "The innkeeper there told me about how you had to fill in as the cook one night before you left. He said he remembered how you couldn't taste anything, yet you managed to recreate the secret recipe for his dish perfectly."
"... He what?!" Itsuki looked at Ren in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me about that before?!"
"I mean, would you believe it if you'd heard it?!" Ren asked Itsuki with a shrug. Both Heroes looked at the Shield Hero, who was seriously shuffling around in his seat.
He remembered the night that Ren had mentioned. The chef had hurt his left hand before they were supposed to open. Raphtalia had really liked the food there and had been disappointed when there wouldn't be dinner that night. So Naofumi had just… filled in for the chef and done the best with what he had.
It'd been a simple dish too. Sauteed Usapil.
It was apparently the inn's most popular dish, but he hadn't known how it was supposed to taste. He'd just tried to recreate it the best he could.
The fact he ended up nailing the chef's secret seasoning without tasting anything was just a coincidence. Nothing more.
"Naofumi, we might get bonuses for our skills thanks to our weapons. But there's not much that they can do in the face of that kind of raw talent." Itsuki shook his head. There was no doubt in his mind now.
Naofumi must have met God at some point and received the master chef cheat code from him.
Naofumi frowned. He didn't like the look on Itsuki's face for some reason. Was this what Raphtalia meant about his face being easy to read? "There's no way I'm buying that. It has to be because of my shield that you all are so addicted to my cooking."
"Then why doesn't my sword make me a god of cooking like you?" Ren genuinely asked. "Do you know how much easier it'd be for me if I could cook ambrosia and nectar too?" He would win his crush over in a heartbeat. There'd be no reason for him to stress about dating or anything. He'd be set for life in the romance department.
Ok, maybe he wouldn't be set for life. But dating would have been a hell of a lot easier regardless.
"Okay, first off, I'm not a god. Second, if a God did exist, there's no way they'd eat my food." Naofumi cut him off.
"I disagree. Your cooking would win the hearts of other nations in a heartbeat." Itsuki joked. This time, both him and Ren laughed.
Naofumi merely continued to frown. Then, slowly, he started to smile. "You shouldn't be turning me into your butler. That's what pissed me off in the first place."
The two Heroes went silent. "Sorry, maybe we should learn how to cook better," Itsuki suggested.
Naofumi shook his head. "And let your parties suffer from whatever sorry excuse for cooking that you'll come up with?"
This time, both him and Ren laughed while Itsuki scowled. Then, all three of them started to laugh.
"What are you going to look forward to after this?" Itsuki asked after wiping a tear of mirth out of the corner of his eye.
"Me? I'm going to take a damn break. And maybe try to find something resembling a therapist in this medieval stasis world." Naofumi chuckled.
"I don't think this world has therapists," Ren muttered.
He'd love it if he had someone to speak to about his anxiety. Living with that kind of condition is hard.
"What about you Ren?" Itsuki asked him next.
"Well, um… look for fine dining options for dates I guess?" He said quietly.
But the other two heard it. "So you're already dating that dog girl in your party? That's a shocker." Itsuki chuckled.
"Wha- NO! It wasn't a date! At least, I don't think it was…" Ren trailed off unsurely. "Anyway, I don't see any reason you should make fun of me when you're no better with Rishia!"
"She has nothing to do with this!" Itsuki shouted back in embarrassment.
"Then why do you focus more attention on her than the rest of your party?!" Ren gave a pretty valid point there. Naofumi was surprised since the brooding teenager had seemed the densest towards his girl's feelings before. Perhaps, in opening up to his heart, he was also becoming more self-aware of those around him.
Why did that sound familiar-
Oh, wait. The same thing had happened to him with Raphtalia.
OOF.
It's shocking how you begin to notice new details around you after you enter a relationship. Maybe it was wrong to say that these idiots were dense before. Perhaps a better word would have been inexperienced.
"Well, whatever it was, I hope you establish with Wyndia what terms you're on. These past few days were probably as hard on her as it was on you." Naofumi suggested.
"Huh?" Ren looked at him weirdly.
"You were ignoring her and everyone else after I yelled at you, right?" Naofumi asked. "I can't picture what Raphtalia had to go through, much less, what your parties went through thanks to me."
…
Ren's face blanched. "Oh… oh crap…"
"I'd recommend thinking about how you treat your girls after this is over," Naofumi suggested. "I'd rather not be the reason your love lives were ruined."
"I already said I'm not in love with Rishia!" Itsuki shouted at Naofumi.
"You sure about that, Romeo?" Naofumi smirked. Ren remained silent as the Bow Hero and Shield Hero's back and forth continued for at least another ten minutes. Only rejoining the conversation as it spiraled to more trivial matters.
They ended up talking about things from their world. The anime genres they'd been interested in, which included, not surprisingly, isekai. What school life had been like among those with quirks or advanced technology. Old crushes squashed either by the girl moving or, in Ren's case, being too lame for his chunibyo self to even consider having a crush as it was considered uncool.
Ren talked about aspects of his world's technology Itsuki wasn't very familiar with. Itsuki also gave more details about the ESPer abilities in his world.
Naofumi would honestly be hard-pressed to remember the details they discussed over with each other. But they weren't important anyway. It was more important that they were talking to each other now. They were having a 'normal' discussion instead of a discussion about the fate of the world or, even more importantly, the fate of their love lives.
For a moment, his mind wasn't weighed down by any worries. It wasn't filled with the thoughts of protecting everyone from danger tomorrow.
They were, at that moment in time, just three otakus, chilling out and talking about their lives in Japan.
...
"Can… can we have things stay like this?" Ren suddenly asked. He was faintly smiling.
The two other Heroes looked at him. A nervous jolt went through his features. "I… I don't like it when we argue. I like it a lot more when we can just casually talk and joke around like this. I… I want things to stay like this after everything settles down."
"Do you honestly expect this world to settle down anytime soon?" Naofumi asked.
"Well, no, at the least… I want us to stay friends." The brooding teenager admitted. "I don't want an argument like before to happen again… and I don't want any of us to die tomorrow…"
"..." Naofumi put a hand on the Sword Hero's shoulder. "Ren. I'll promise you this: as long as I remain standing tomorrow, I won't let you or any other person die. And if we survive, I'm going to take steps so I don't ever break down like that ever again."
…
Ren gave him a half-hearted smile. "Do you really think we can win?"
"I'm not sure. I'm…" Naofumi thought about it some more. "I spent some time during the meeting trying to upgrade my shields some more, including the Shield of Hope II and the Shield of Rage II in case I'll need it. But I wasn't able to raise them by much compared to before…" His luck had really been horrid with some of the methods this time around. He wished there was a method that provided some way to increase luck on upgrading the rarity of a weapon or something. "I'm not sure if having your two party members assisting me will make enough of a difference either."
"They might not be decked out for defense like you Naofumi… but Aksel's done well-tanking hits for me and my party so far," Itsuki said with confidence.
"Bakta's no different. He doesn't even hesitate to defend someone else." Ren murmured, looking down at the table. "I sometimes wish he'd be more careful about that. But he's a good tank regardless."
"Do you… do you think they'll want to support me?" Naofumi asked, some tension returning to his voice.
Both Heroes nodded. "They want to protect those they care about as much as you," Ren said seriously.
"They won't let a petty argument that happened between us heroes get in the way of them doing their jobs," Itsuki affirmed. "Besides, it's either work with you or die, and I'm pretty sure they want to live like the rest of us."
It wasn't really a petty argument. It was much more than that. But seeing that Itsuki wanted to move on from it, Naofumi couldn't bring himself to talk about it anymore. They genuinely wanted to move on from it.
And honestly, Naofumi didn't mind one bit.
"Whether we live or die tomorrow… I'm grateful for you guys."
"Enough of that. I already said we wanted to live, didn't I? So let's act like it." Itsuki suggested.
And so they did. Staying up discussing matters that would only be considered important to them before finally departing to their tents for the night.
"Huh, I thought you swore off drinking after what happened at Cal Mira." Bakta poked fun at his fellow tank.
"This doesn't count. I need all the liquid courage I can get for tomorrow, Payne." Aksel gave his brother-in-arms a playful shove.
"Sure, whatever, just don't drink too much. You don't want a hangover before the big battle." Bakta cautiously urged.
"I'll be careful, besides, it's not often that Welt drinks with us. Speaking of which, glad to see you finally opening up a bit dude." Aksel waved to the third person that was present.
Welt gave the two of them a salute, however, his eyes were crisscrossed, and he was leaning heavily on a wooden post sticking out of the ground. "Issa a plesurr."
Aksel laughed uproariously while Bakta facepalmed.
"Quiet down, will you. We don't want to wake up the other soldiers who are trying to sleep." The fourth person there, Karn, spoke haughtily. He took a sip from his own beer before grimacing and throwing the rest of the foul stuff over his shoulder while no one was looking at him. Meanwhile, Welt leaned his head back to chug his beer, only for it to miss its target and get all over his shirt. "Oups..."
"That's enough for you pal." Bakta took Welt's cup away from him before he could down anymore.
"Nuuu. It's magic. It yas so foul at first, but now I ca't taste a thwing when I dwink it." Welt complained.
"Gods, I said I'd only do this if I didn't have to deal with any drunken shenanigans." Karn glared at them.
"Sorry Karn, I guess Welt had a lower alcohol tolerance than I thought." Bakta said to Itsuki's swordman.
"... whatever. I need to sleep anyway." The swordsman grumbled off in a bad mood, walking away without another word.
"Nu, Kernel, come back." Welt drunk called after him, getting no response.
"Alright, that's enough out of you." Aksel helped Welt to stand up. But then, the swordsman suddenly smirked. "So, how did I do?" He asked Bakta in a sober voice.
The tank grinned. "You annoyed him so much that he threw away his beer."
"Wait, you aren't drunk?" Aksel asked, stepping back and pointing at Welt in confusion.
"Of course I'm not. It's way too nasty for me to drink that much." Welt stuck his tongue out in disgust.
"Well, not that I disagree. That's why I prefer mead." Aksel began rubbing his arm, chuckling at the prank Welt and Bakta had pulled. The three began walking towards the Hero's tents. "Though, I am trying to get away from that stuff now since, you know, I'd rather not have Maya go through that bar experience again."
Bakta grinned as he put an arm over his fellow tank's shoulder. "Speaking of which, how are things between you two?"
"Oh, um, well, you know… we're better friends now, at least," Aksel answered evasively.
"Better friends?" Welt pressed. Maybe what little he had drunk did affect him, since he normally wasn't one for teasing.
"Um, actually, why did you want to drink any way?" Aksel asked Welt, changing the topic. "You don't seem like the type to want to drink out of nowhere."
Bakta frowned, but Welt did ponder on the question for a few seconds before shrugging. "I think it's because I never tried it before. You know, I was just curious."
"And what did you learn from that enlightening experience?" Bakta smirked.
"One, that it tastes nasty. And two, I discovered acting drunk when you're not is a fun way to annoy people." Welt grinned. "Especially Karn. That jerk's been getting on my nerves lately."
"Hmmm, but where did you learn to act drunk?" Aksel pressed on.
"Why, by watching you two of course." The swordsman laughed while Bakta glared at him.
"So then... you didn't want to drink because of tomorrow?" Aksel asked, sounding a bit disappointed.
…
There was silence between them. They'd stopped in front of the large tent housing the Sword Hero's party.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that." Aksel looked away.
"Is that what you meant by needing liquid courage earlier?" Bakta asked him, his eyes widening in realization.
"I mean, um… yeah." The knight deflated. "To be honest, I'm super freaking scared about tomorrow... I really don't want to die."
"... what a pain." Bakta sighed, gripping Aksel's shoulders tightly and forcing the large man to face him. "We are the tanks of our parties, correct?"
Aksel slowly nodded. "We've both done the best we could to protect our friends, correct?" Bakta pressed.
Aksel slowly nodded again. "And the Heroes asked us to work together with Sir Naofumi tomorrow," His eyes took on a serious gleam. "Because they believe that we're strong enough to take blows alongside the Shield Hero in order to protect our friends. Correct?"
"I mean, it'll require all three of us working together…" Aksel trailed off. "Do you think we can trust Sir Naofumi after… after…"
"Whether we can trust the Shield Hero or not," Welt spoke up. "I can say you two working alongside him is our best bet on not dying tomorrow. Anything short of that is out of the question."
The two tanks looked at him, and the swordsman shrugged. "To be honest, I won't have any regrets even if I die. My whole family is dead and you guys are the only friends I have. I never imagined when I first became an adventurer that I'd get to fight alongside the Cardinal Heroes and get to witness so many incredible things. Seeing the Three Heroes Church being replaced by the Four Heroes Faith was a pretty sweet bonus though, I admit." The swordsman began to chuckle. "I could have done without Eclair's training regiments though.
"Anyway, we've witnessed some incredible things from them, haven't we? We even got to see Sir Ren beat a powerful Hero from another world with one move...
"No matter what happens, this ride was wild and fun so let's do our best to work hard and enjoy it to the end," Welt said, holding his hand out to the two tanks.
...
They looked from his hand to his face. Then, nodding their heads, they put their hands on top of Welt's. "Alright." Aksel nodded with determination. "But I'm not planning on dying tomorrow. So let's promise to meet here again after the battle and have another drink. I'll make sure it's mead this time."
"Oh please, if you died, then that would mean I was stronger than you after all." Bakta teased him.
"You are not stronger than me, you Payne!"
The group of three laughed, promising to meet again.
That wasn't the end of the evening for Aksel, however. As he was returning to the Bow Hero's tent, he found Maya standing outside.
He smiled, opening his mouth to greet the Raccoon girl. But no words came out. Something felt off, she didn't look like her happy and bubbly usual self. Rather, she looked nervous, and her foot kept tapping on the ground. "What's the matter? Were you afraid I'd be too drunk to find my way back-" Aksel tried to joke.
"Don't you hear it?" She suddenly interrupted him.
…
Aksel looked around in confusion. He didn't hear any strange noises while walking here. At least he didn't think that he did. "Hear what?" The knight finally asked.
The raccoon girl squirmed in place a bit before speaking again. "No, of course, you don't."
"Hold on, what are you talking about? What am I supposed to be hearing?" The knight strained his ears, trying to pay attention to his surroundings. Yet nothing stood out to him at all.
"You're human, you won't hear it like that." Maya shook her head. "Try putting your ear to the ground. You'll understand what I mean then."
Aksel considered the possibility that this was nothing but an elaborate setup to prank him but obliged her request.
He couldn't hear anything at first and felt stupid and embarrassed by the awkward position that he had to assume. He almost stood up, the words for Maya's prank on the edge of his lips, but then he suddenly felt the earth beneath him shift around ever so slightly.
Thud…
It was subtle and barely audible, like trying to decipher a newborn's heartbeat while holding one in your arms, but it was there.
Thud…
And a few seconds later the sound was heard again. Aksel broke into a cold sweat. He could have sworn that it felt like whatever had made the sound moved just a tiny bit closer to where they were.
Thud…
...
Thud…
...
Thud...
"... what the hell is that?" Aksel asked quietly after another minute of listening.
"That's… that's the sound of the turtle moving." Maya grimly answered.
"B-but it's still so far away!" Aksel stood up to face her.
Maya nodded. "Yes... and we can already hear it."
Aksel looked away from her and gazed at a group of nearby demi-human soldiers who were out on patrol. They were shivering and kept glancing over at the distant horizon where a mountain range could be seen. Some of the demihumans had their tails hidden underneath them between their legs. Even the beastmen looked frightened.
He hadn't even noticed. Was that why the demi-humans he'd met earlier had been so subdued?
"Aksel." His thoughts were brought back to the present by the Raccoon girl. She was looking at him, her face filled with fear. "Please, whatever you do, don't die tomorrow." She pleaded.
"Y-You don't have to worry-" He started to respond.
"No. Please, I want you to promise me you won't die." Maya staggered over to him and grasped the front of his chest plate. Her motions were stiff and her hands shook while she looked up at him in fear. "I know you don't want me to press you with my feelings, but… I already lost my family to slavers. I lost my friends to horrible masters… Please, I don't want to lose you too."
Holy hell… he'd never seen her look so afraid. Not even when…
He slowly wrapped her in his strong, warm embrace. "Don't worry. I'm not planning on dying tomorrow."
"But as long as I'm able, I'll do my best to help the Shield Hero protect you and the others." He promised.
They stood there for a while longer. Gradually, the raccoon girl's trembling lessened. Eventually, he released her and looked down at her pretty face. Maya seemed a bit more at ease than before, and for some reason, she was blushing.
Aksel was blushing a little too. They'd been hugging a little too long there. Had it not been to help her, it could have been perceived as very awkward. But at least she was feeling better.
"Hey, um, would you, would you mind helping me sleep tonight-" Maya tried to ask, sounding a bit nervous as she did so.
"Absolutely not," Aksel answered with a smirk.
…
She pouted up at him. She had definitely cheered up. A brief look of surprise then crossed her face when he booped her on the nose. Her eyes then closed and her face blushed even more fiercely, mixed now between surprise and embarrassment. "You're so meaaaan~!"
Ha! Aksel began to laugh. At least his friend was back to somewhat normal now.
"If you really need me to, I could hold your hand." Aksel teased.
"I'm not a little girl anymore!" Maya complained.
"Nah, you're not." He patted her on the head, finally snapping her out of her embarrassed pout. "You're my good friend. And I'd be damned before I allowed something to happen to you."
"Hehe… thanks, Aksel." Her face melted into an embarrassed smile. She started humming happily as the two of them walked into the tent.
"You… you were serious when you offered to hold my hand, right?" She asked.
He'd been joking when he said that. Seeing how vulnerable she'd looked when she asked though, he gave her an honest smile in return. "Sure."
And he did so, holding her hand in his until he himself fell asleep in his chair.
Yet despite their good spirits, the rhythmic distant footsteps of inevitability continued even in their sleep. Marking the slow approach of the Spirit Tortoise that would decide their fates tomorrow.
"You're going easy on me tonight," Dou-Lon noted from his familiar position on the ground, looking up at the stars in the night sky.
"I can't have you breaking before an important fight." Eclair shrugged. "Now get up."
Dou-Lon almost reluctantly did so. He picked up his discarded lance from off the ground, and then, they went back to sparring again.
They remained silent for a while. Eclair's movements were as fluid as ever, but there was a certain air of tension about her that made it seem like she was moving slower than she had in the past. Yet whenever Dou-Lon thought he had an opening and tried to take advantage, he found himself having to step back or to block yet another unexpected strike from the talented swordswoman in front of him.
He could tell that she was taking it easy on him. Normally, she'd have him down within the first minute. But five minutes soon passed, and he was still standing.
She stepped back, putting some space between them. A question that had been bugging Dou-Lon for a while finally came to his lips. "You haven't actually forgiven him, have you?"
...
"No. I can't find it in myself to forgive him right now." Eclair answered, her expression unreadable.
They exchanged blows once more. And after a moment, Dou-Lon found himself flat on his back again. As Eclair helped him stand up, he spoke again.
"Why did you agree to come back then?"
"... I'm honestly not sure." Eclair shrugged. "On the one hand, I still hate him for what he did. But on the other hand… I can't help but feel that I messed up when I chose to walk away.
"I was so angry about what he said to Princess Melty. But was leaving the party the right answer? Wouldn't things have gone better if I'd tried talking to Sir Naofumi instead of running away…
"I've been having trouble figuring many things out lately. It makes me miss the times when things were simple. When all that was needed was a sword in your hand and parents who loved you."
"I'm…" Dou-Lon looked away. "I'm sorry if my question brought up some unwanted memories."
He'd left himself wide open for an attack. But Eclair sheathed her sword, signaling the sparring session was on pause. "It's fine. I got my retribution on the man who murdered them. I am certain their souls are at peace."
"Yea…" Dou-Lon stayed silent, not sure where to take the surprisingly serious conversation he was having with the crazy swordswoman. Or maybe he shouldn't bother her and go rest up for tonight? But before he could decide, she asked him a question of her own.
"Have I ever told you about how I met the Shield Hero, Dou-Lon?"
"It was in a prison, I think?" Dou-Lon responded with a cock of his head. He recalled that Eclair had mentioned it before. He wasn't sure though.
"Yes. Did I ever tell you how I was put in that prison?" Eclair continued.
"... I don't believe so. Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
She sat opposite of him. "It was... because I tried to join the Shield Hero's party."
The rose-haired swordswoman then proceeded to give him a short account of those events. How she'd learned about her Father's murder. How he'd been killed by Melromarc's own soldiers. How she'd wanted to assist the Shield Hero and help him avoid the Church's plots. How she'd almost been assassinated, and how she'd been thrown into prison for killing her assailant.
When she'd finished, Dou-Lon was left with more to ponder than before. He had to push aside the thoughts that came from learning the Three Heroes Church had plotted to get rid of the Shield Hero very early on. To think that they'd plotted to get rid of Sir Naofumi before even meeting him! Blasphemous! The Soul Worm wasn't enough punishment for what they'd done to his Great God-
Ehem, it was a most indignant crime indeed. But he forced his mind to focus on Eclair's situation.
Thinking about it, Miss Seaetto should have had no reason to trust other people after everything that's happened to her. Yet, she'd decided to trust Sir Naofumi. She'd decided to help him and the other Heroes out, and spent countless hours training Dou-Lon against his will, all so that she could help him improve his reflexes and give him a better chance in fights.
"May I ask another question?" Dou-Lon looked up from the ground and at the knight in front of him.
"Go ahead." Eclair nodded. He remembered asking her about why she joined the Shield Hero's party before. So he asked a different question instead.
"I can tell why it's hard for you to trust people, but why did you trust me enough to tell me about this? Why did you come back only because of me giving my word?" The Hakuko man asked, sounding unusually serious.
"Isn't that two questions?" Eclair responded evasively.
"Just answer them if you can please," Dou-Lon said back.
"Well, I… I don't know-" Eclair looked frustrated for a moment, but then she seemed to realize something. She paused, trying to put her thoughts into words. "Maybe it's… because you're... simple, Dou-Lon."
"... Oh, so it's because I'm too dumb to lie?" The hakuko snorted and crossed his arms on his chest while looking away. He looked hurt by the comment.
"No, not like that." Eclair quickly clarified. "It's more like you're... predictable? Both in fights and in general. But you're reliably predictable. You can always tell what you're going to do and how you'll react when something happens. And when you have something to say, it's always exactly what you're thinking.
"At least, it seems that way to me. I don't know for sure, but..." She looked up at him and gave him a nod. "Since that time when we first talked in your room in Sir Naofumi's home, I have clashed with you again and again. Fighting with you repeatedly, I feel I know you far better than anyone else. Thus, you are predictable to me." She smiled. "And I feel I can trust someone predictable like you."
"I see... Thank you for your confidence, Eclair." He smiled brightly. "That means a lot to me." It honestly did mean a lot to him. Even if he still called these sparring sessions punishment or torture, it didn't feel as bad as those first few sessions.
In an almost twisted way, he looked forward to sparring with the crazy human swordswoman. No matter how much he improved, he felt there was always something more he could learn from her. Or was this him discovering he had a secret masochistic streak in his blood-
Actually, that was probably a line of thought best left unexplored for the Hakuko man.
It definitely wasn't enjoyable being beaten to an ugly pulp in the slightest.
Eclair stood back up. "Break time is over. Let us go a few more rounds before we retire to bed."
He stood up as well, and then their sparring match resumed. Both their movements were quicker and more graceful than they had been before the talk. Which really let Dou-Lon get into the feel of the fight.
It also made it so he was on the ground in less than a minute once again. Ouch, that would definitely leave a bruise. Couldn't she let him win at least once?
Watching from the shadows, a lone figure observed the duo through teary blue eyes. Watched them fight. Watched her help him up. Watched them both laugh...
'So… that's the woman who replaced me…'
Chen said nothing, not wanting to bother her childhood friend while he looked to be enjoying himself. So she quietly slunk off to prepare for tomorrow, leaving the two to continue sparring unnoticed by anyone else.
"I can't believe Ren just forgave him!"
"Fuehhhhh!"
Wyndia and Rishia were walking outside. The dog girl was ranting to the older girl next to her. "I mean, he's so stupid! It was just last week that Sir Naofumi made him fall into a pit of depression! And now they're back to being friends?!"
"Fueh… Um, well-" Rishia tried to say something.
"I mean, does that idiot want to bend over and let that bastard hurt him some more!? Ugh, I can't believe that Dummy! It's just-"
"FUEH!" Rishia whimpered loudly, interrupting Wyndia midrant. "Um, can't we just be happy that the Heroes are getting along again?" The green-haired girl shyly asked.
Wyndia opened her mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again, closed it. She visibly scowled, making the green-haired girl tremble. She wanted to say something along the lines of 'did you have to go through what I went through because of that damn Naofumi?' but she had enough respect for Rishia to not say something like that.
"I'm not saying they shouldn't forgive him. I'm just saying that they shouldn't be forgiving him so easily." Wyndia clarified.
"But… um…" Rishia deflated a little more. Wyndia was just so… intense at times. It made her feel afraid to speak what was on her mind. "C-Can you p-p-please not get mad at me for what I'm a-about to say?" Rishia asked timidly.
Wyndia gave her a nod, and Rishia started to tremble just a little less than before. She slowed her breathing so she wouldn't stutter, then…
"I think that line of thinking is incredibly selfish."
"..." Wyndia looked like she'd been slapped across the face.
"I mean," Rishia looked unsure, then shook the uncertainty off her face. "I'm not entirely happy about how Itsuki is throwing this under the rug either. But that's his choice to make, not mine. It'd be selfish for me to tell him what he can or can't do. And besides…" Rishia rubbed her arm nervously. "When Itsuki… lost control. The other Heroes were quick to forgive him. We were quick to forgive him too."
"Last I checked, the Shield Hero didn't use his Cursed Series…" Wyndia grumbled, but Rishia continued.
"But what if it was Sir Ren that lost control? Cursed Series or not, wouldn't you want everyone else to forgive him?"
"That's not… you can't…" Wyndia stumbled with her words.
A short awkward pause fell between them.
…
Wyndia just couldn't look the green-haired girl in the eye no matter how hard she tried. "Fueh…" The surprising amount of bravado Rishia had put up began to fade away again. But traces of it still remained. "I don't think you'd want that to happen. Right?"
"... No… I wouldn't." Wyndia finally admitted sadly. "I guess… I'm just…" She sat down on top of a nearby barrel, Rishia stopped to pay attention to her.
"This is the first time since we fought that wave that Ren became depressed… and there was nothing that I could do or say to bring him out of it. It…
"It really hurt, seeing him like that. I can't forgive Sir Naofumi for making Ren hurt so terribly." She stared hard at Rishia. But for once, the green-haired girl didn't flinch.
"I can't say much for how Itsuki acted since Sir Naofumi didn't hurt him until the night before they left. But when I met Itsuki outside that night, he was... angry. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he snapped at me and told me to leave him alone. That… that really hurt." Rishia held her hands over her chest, looking lost and forlorn.
"It's going to be hard to forgive Sir Naofumi for what he did to them." She admitted.
"It'll take a damn miracle," Wyndia grumbled in agreement.
"But… but if Itsuki is willing to forgive him and work with him again, then I'll respect his choice and try to work with him as well." Rishia stood as tall as her small frame allowed.
…
Wyndia merely sighed and got off her barrel. "Alright, I'll think about it, but no promises."
Rishia nodded, looking small and awkward again. "Th-Thank you for coming out with me tonight." She said nervously, before waving goodbye and fleeing to the section of tents the Heroes and their parties had been given to sleep in.
"... whatever…" Wyndia stayed standing in her spot a moment more. Her arms crossed under her small chest.
Then, she began to walk randomly around the coalition camp by herself.
There were guards standing outside for night duty. Those that weren't patrolling sections of the camp were drinking in preparation for tomorrow. Or playing card games or whatever they'd managed to bring with them before coming here.
Wyndia tried to focus on her surroundings but couldn't get her mind off of what she'd just talked about with Itsuki's party member.
She wanted to move past this. This was the great Shield Hero she was holding a grudge against for crying out loud! But it was hard. Naofumi had deeply hurt Ren that night with his words. And she hadn't been able to help him at all. Ren had ignored her words entirely and insisted on remaining alone after that night.
She didn't want to think that Ren didn't see her as somebody important. But that was hard to do when the one she loved, who she'd thought had at least liked her in return, had brushed her and everyone else aside, not wanting to bother with them. And then that moment when he'd told them to assist Mirellia instead of going with him…
That hurt. That had hurt so much. It was beyond words. And even though he was back, he still hadn't tried to talk to her about that night or anything else. She didn't even know if he was still hurting or not.
She didn't know what he was about to confess to her at the end of that dance… before...
She pinched the bridge of her nose. The point was, she just couldn't forgive this, nor could she forget it. She didn't want Ren to be hurt that deeply ever again.
But what could she do? She wasn't anything special. She was just the adoptive daughter of a dead dragon. And nothing she would ever say or do would make her something more than what she already was.
She wasn't Raphtalia or Rishia. She wasn't someone their Hero could trust with anything and everything.
She was just another party member. Another friend of the Sword Hero.
A tear leaked from one of Wyndia's amber eyes. She wished so badly that she could be that pillar of strength for Ren like Rishia was for Itsuki. Like Raphtalia was for Naofumi. But she wasn't strong like them. She wasn't brave or optimistic. She wasn't confident even when she tried to act like she was.
She was just a small chested teenage girl.
She was average.
Not to mention, her personality sucked.
'I wonder what Therese would tell me if she was here…' It'd been a while since she'd thought about her gem mage friend. She'd given her good advice before, even if she had turned out to be the enemy…
Wyndia wished she could talk to her again. If only to know how to get through this pit of self-doubt she was in. But wasn't that selfish? Wasn't the gem mage struggling with trying to find a way to save her world right now? Hadn't they put their search on an answer for that problem on hold because of the Spirit Tortoise?
She sighed, beginning to walk back through the camp towards the Sword Hero's tent. She'd wandered for a while and now felt tired enough to sleep without her mind pushing any more unwanted thoughts on her.
The stars were out in the night sky up above, but she paid them no heed and stayed in the torchlight illuminating the paths of the camp. Avoiding the soldiers, messengers, cooks, and everyone else.
When she finally returned to the three large tents reserved for the Heroes and their party members, she found no one out and about.
But before she had approached the flap of the Sword Hero's tent to go in and retire for the night, it opened on its own, and Ren came out.
Wyndia instantly froze. Ren did too.
...
For a moment, the two stared at each other. Ren shuffled nervously, and Wyndia found herself mirroring him. Of all the damn, rotten luck in the world...
"Um… lovely weather tonight?" Ren finally asked awkwardly.
"Yes, very clear night tonight…" Wyndia went along just as awkwardly.
Of all things holy, this was the last thing she'd needed tonight! Now she was going to beat herself up about this conversation for the next two hours. And then she wouldn't have enough sleep for tomorrow. And then she wouldn't be of any use whatsoever. And- And- Ugh. This was truly going to suck.
"Um, Wyndia?"
The dog girl shook her head, shaking out her thoughts. Ren was standing a few feet in front of her now. "I'm… I'm sorry, I don't know if I can talk to you right now Ren." Wyndia said, sadly looking off to the side.
"What is it? Did… did I do something wrong again?" Ren asked.
She balled her fists, still unable to face him. Unwanted tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. "No, you haven't done anything, it's just…"
Ren stared at her, giving her his entire attention. She dug her foot into the ground. She wanted to think he looked better. That maybe things could get better. But…
"These last few days have been so hard!" She tearfully admitted.
"Ever since that night when we danced together, everything feels like it has been falling apart! The others became so quiet and despondent! I couldn't do anything to help them! We were running around trying to protect people all over Melromarc! And you… I…"
She swallowed hard. It was like the weight on her heart was crushing her. She could barely get her voice out above a whisper. "I wanted to help you so badly… I wanted to make you feel better. I wanted to help you to smile again... but I couldn't even do that… I was useless..."
Ren continued to stare at her. His eyes gradually widening with every word she said.
She couldn't bear to look at him. To see the look on his face.
She realized this was probably the closest to a confession she'd ever come to. The only way she could make it more obvious was to state it plainly that she loved him. She loved him so much that it hurt. To not know if he loved her in return. If all they'd ever be was friends.
Either Ren was too stupid… or he really didn't feel the same for her as she felt for him.
"Wyndia, you're… you're crying." Ren finally said.
She brought a hand up to her face. She hadn't realized it, but Ren was right. She was crying. Her own tears had betrayed her, and she forced her eyes shut.
"I need to sleep." She suddenly said. "Today has been too stressful for me." She tried to move past him.
"Wait- Wyndia." He suddenly grabbed her by the wrist. His voice was a bit louder than before as if pleading her not to go.
"By the Gods, please, Ren, I-" She turned her head up to look at him. She didn't want to deal with any more emotional baggage tonight. She couldn't take much more than this!
But her words were cut off.
...
'Wh… wha…'
Her mind was blank. Her body didn't respond. She couldn't speak at all.
What… what was going on… why was she...
Wait… Ren was kissing her… Ren was kissing her on the lips...
The pressure ended too abruptly. She hadn't even had time to process what it'd felt like before Ren stumbled back, almost like he was afraid of getting struck. "I-I'm sorry. I j-just… I needed to be honest with you, j-just in case." He began to speak, stuttering at first. Yet as Wyndia didn't move at all, he found the courage to continue.
"I'm sorry for everything that's happened since the reception. I wanted to tell you back then how much I really, really like you. But then the familiars attacked, and we were going all over Melromarc because the people there needed our help, and then, well…" He shook his head.
"You didn't deserve that. I didn't mean to hurt you again. You're so great, and cool, and beautiful, and, and you're one of the bestest friends I've ever had!... And, well, I wanted to tell you sooner. But I was afraid you wouldn't like me… I was scared that you would reject me... I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. But I really do like you."
She still hadn't spoken. And Ren, blushing intensely from the weight of what he'd said and done, nearly turned around and bolted out of sheer nervousness and anxiety. But her hand had slowly moved to the one holding her wrist. And instead of removing it, it laid on top of his.
"Do you… do you really mean it?" She finally whispered. More tears shined in the corners of her eyes.
He gulped but nodded his head. "Yes. I… ... I love you, Wyndia." Seeing the look in her amber eyes, he couldn't bring himself to hide it from her any longer. Actually, as he was starting to realize, hiding it had probably been what'd hurt her to begin with.
She gasped. The tears in her eyes thickened. For a few short seconds, he feared he'd said too much too soon. But then her hands rested against his cheeks. Her lips twisted into a smile. "You… you dummy. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She then raised herself on her tiptoes, meeting his lips with hers before he could answer.
After a brief second of shock, his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her back.
This time, both were able to properly document the experience in their minds. His embrace was strong, warm, yet gentle. Her hands trembled against his face, unable to contain the huge bottle of emotions she was currently going through.
Both their lips felt unsure and kept on moving against each other as if trying to find the perfect spot. They weren't used to what they were experiencing, and both questioned if they were doing it properly. But both were doing it willingly of their own accord. They wanted this.
If anyone were to catch them now, either of them might very well die of embarrassment. Yet, even with how awkward it was…
They both felt incredibly happy.
…
It ended all too soon.
She pulled back, several tears falling down her cheeks. She still held his face in her hands. Both their hearts beat rapidly in their chests. They were both teenagers, yet at that moment, they felt something greater than themselves.
Neither spoke for some time. It was as if they were scared that trying to capture ask what'd just happened would shatter the sacred atmosphere they now found themselves in.
But the silence couldn't last forever. And eventually, Ren's lips parted for him to speak first. "Does… does this mean you… you…"
She suddenly put a finger over his mouth, shushing him. The look on her face was unlike anything he'd seen before. Her ears laid on top of her head.
"I… I need some time to process this… can I… can you wait till tomorrow, after we're done saving the world?" She quietly asked in a shy voice, very much unlike her normal one.
...
Ren genuinely smiled. For some reason, seeing her flustered and uncertain was… adorable. Cute, even. "I-I can do that."
She pulled her hands away from his face. Then, before she could second guess herself, she hugged him. It was quick, and she swore her heart rate increased even more with that. But it felt nice. It felt… right.
"Th-Thank you… Ren." She whispered.
He was at a loss for words. When she released him, it looked like she wanted to say something more. But then, her face turned red, and she dashed off behind Ren, making a beeline into the tent.
…
Holy crap, shy, and embarrassed…
Ren smiled widely. Standing like a lovestruck dope outside in the cold night air. Yet he felt plenty warm because of what'd happened.
Was this what Naofumi experienced on a daily basis with Raphtalia? It was no wonder he'd been so happy even while he'd been secretly falling apart on the inside.
But Wyndia really… he hadn't really known how it would pan out. He definitely hadn't thought he'd confess to loving her. Yet...
'Naofumi was right… telling her was the best option.' He quietly chuckled to himself. To think he'd gone into this situation so nervously, and they'd not only hugged, they'd kissed, twice.
It'd been his first kiss too…
Oh, Gods, he just realized! He'd totally messed up their first kiss!
CRAP! He hadn't even felt her kissing back that first time?! Had that been the wrong thing to do! Was that why Wyndia needed to process what'd happened?! Had she actually liked him but him stealing her first kiss in such a way made her not like him, or-
But then she'd initiated the second kiss. And… and the look he'd seen in her eyes…
For once, his self-doubt and anxiety crumbled under the weight of what'd transpired. A bright, beaming smile spread across his lips.
However it'd started, it'd ended even better than he could have imagined.
There was no way in hell the Spirit Tortoise would take this happiness away from him tomorrow.
He went to get a last-minute snack from the chef. A pitch in his step that hadn't been there before when he first walked out of his tent.
Back in the Sword Hero's tent, Wyndia laid in her sleeping bag, fingers pressed against her smiling lips. The lips that had finally touched his.
She just felt so… better. That weight resting on her heart felt lighter than it had in a long, long while…
Ren liked her… no, Ren loved her.
How could such simple words make everything come together again? Had her brain gone haywire from what'd happened? Was she turning into an idiot now?
And why didn't she mind that one bit?...
…
She resolved to herself.
They'd survive tomorrow.
And after that, she'd tell Ren that she loved him too.
Her dreams that night were filled with thoughts of the future.
A future where the both of them were happy together alongside everyone else.
Trash looked down at the staff in his hands with regret.
How long had it been since he'd wielded the actual Vassal weapon that chose him? Too long. If only he was worthy of wielding it now. He could be of more help in the coming battle.
"Dear, is something wrong?" Mirellia asked, dragging his attention from the staff to his beautiful wife.
"I'm… sorry, Your Majesty… your Prince Consort… is useless." He said slowly, sadly.
She got up and hugged him, sitting down in his lap. "You're not useless. You helped plan out our strategy for tomorrow, didn't you?"
"If... if I could only fight... instead of sitting in the back..." He hung his head.
"However you feel about yourself, I'll still love you regardless." She whispered in his ear.
His hands let go of the staff and hugged her.
How he wished he could let it all go and reclaim his past self. The self that was worthy of her love and attention.
The self that would give everything to help the Cardinal Heroes save the world. Not this useless husk that couldn't let go of the sadness the past had inflicted on his soul.
In another tent, Garfield held his wife in his arms.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, that beast will die." Rachel said, her voice low and threatening.
Her husband buried his face in her hair. "Are you sure you don't want me there helping you?" He asked.
"It already took my father… I'm not letting it take you as well." She answered coldly.
He chuckled. "Are you never going to allow me to protect you…" The catman's face became sad. "I don't want to lose you either, you know."
"I…" Rachel's face fell somewhat. "I'm sorry, but I need to do this. I can't move on until I end this."
He nuzzled his face against hers. "Alright. Just promise me you'll come back safe."
...
She gave him a kiss on the nose and hugged her husband tightly. Even though she didn't promise him, he still trusted that she'd come back alive when it was all over.
And in another section of the Sword Hero's tent, Farrie laid next to Tersia. Her eyes open and uncertain in the darkness of the tent.
"Why do I get the feeling like something terrible will happen tomorrow?" She asked her sister, all playfulness in her voice gone.
"You feel it too?" Tersia asked.
…
The two huddled closer together. "If… if something happens… please help Bakta learn to read for me." The normally playful mage tearfully asked.
Tersia smiled. "Don't worry…" She got the hidden message behind her sister's words. "But I'm going to be making sure that you're the one teaching him after tomorrow."
"Th-Thank you." Farrie nearly sobbed.
"Believe in the heroes," Tersia said, holding her close so she could fall asleep. Even with everything they'd read on the past heroes, the former nun spoke her next words with conviction.
"I know they will prevail."
In a shop cleaned out of nearly everything in preparation for evacuation, Elhart paused his hammer. A thought coming to his mind.
"I… I did my best for their weapons… didn't I?"
The large blacksmith wiped the sweat from his bald head. He recalled it happening a couple of days earlier. Of Raphtalia coming into his shop with several others. How sad she'd been. How she'd nearly cried when he handed her the improved claws he'd managed to make for Filo as well as her new sword. He hadn't felt to ask where the little lady was, seeing Raphtalia's reaction to the claws and feeling it'd be better not to press at that time.
But when he'd asked about Naofumi, she hadn't responded, only thanking Elhart for all that he'd done for them before leaving with everyone else. It was only when he and everyone else received the news about the Spirit Tortoise that things finally came together.
Shield Bro had gone on ahead with the other Heroes to fight it. That was also why their party members had been accompanying Raphtalia… and now that they'd been ordered to evacuate, it was likely that the Heroes hadn't been strong enough to defeat the Guardian Beast by themselves. Now, Raphtalia and the others would be assisting in the fight against that powerful monster.
He looked in the distance. Towards the mountains, trying to see beyond them to the next mountain range, and past that to where the coalition forces would be. But he was only human. He could only picture how it'd all go down.
Had his efforts been enough? Would the weapons and armor he'd made for Raphtalia and the Heroes' other party members be enough to help them survive the coming battle?
He hoped so. He truly did.
To lose a customer was one thing. To lose valuable friends...
He looked back at the sword he was forging. It had cooled sufficiently and was ready to be placed in the hot furnace again.
"Come back safe, Shield bro. Please."
The powerful blacksmith put the sword back in the hot fires. Then, after a moment, he pulled it out and began pounding out the night.
As the Guardian Beast pounded ever closer to Hell's tomorrow.
Author's Notes:
This chapter hits me hard. Already, I can see the end of this arc in sight. It feels like only yesterday I started on it, and now, it'll be done in less than a month. Then comes lucky number Seven.
Such a fun ride over these last two years. I wonder if I'll be finished in two years when I graduate college? That'd be nice.
For those wondering, yes, the thing Ren mentioned about Naofumi cooking in Lute is canon. The story can be found in the special collector's edition LN Aneko wrote for the anime. Somehow, despite not having the ability to taste anything, Naofumi recreated a dish all the way down to its secret seasoning, and dozens of people ate it. They couldn't even tell that it hadn't been the regular chef that'd cooked that night, and in fact, many of them said it tasted even better than normal.
And I will admit this here. His insane cooking abilities are not because of his Shield. He might think that, but that's the furthest you can get from the truth. After all, there is only so much a few grains of sand can do when they're added to a mountain of talent.
Thank you Kiro for the idea from Discord that spawned this omake. After writing the earlier section of this chapter, it definitely feels fitting.
Hero Clips!
God of Cooking
"Naofumi…"
Naofumi stood at the head of a table. Ren and Itsuki were looking up at him with wide eyes and trembling fear.
"I know we joked about you being a god of cooking earlier, but…" Itsuki looked at the covered plate in front of him. "Did you really make us dinner from the rotten ingredients we gave you?"
"I wouldn't have. But then you made a bet that I couldn't do it." Naofumi crossed his arms and stared at them. "Now, you have to reap what you sow."
The two heroes gulped. Slowly, they lifted the covers off of their plates, and…
…
"Awwwwwwwww…" A choir of Filolials sang in the background.
Their eyes couldn't believe it. This had to be illusion magic! There was just no way!
Their plates were stacked high with big, juicy steaks. On one side of the steaks, what looked like mashed potatoes covered in rich, creamy brown gravy sat enticingly before their eyes. And the asparagus-like vegetables on the other side looked as green as the day they'd been picked. They were also steamed to perfection, and the smell...
The smell… OH, THE SMELL! Ren and Itsuki's mouths instantly watered. "Is this really the rotten stuff we gave you?!" Itsuki asked in disbelief.
"Yep." Naofumi nodded, smirking at the dumbstruck pair. He'd been given the absolute lowest in quality meat and vegetables. The meat and vegetables had literally looked and smelled like they'd been left out for months. And yet now, they were a meal fit for a King!
Ironically, the two heroes finally noticed Aultcray at the other end of the table. He was tearing into the food Naofumi had made with his bare hands. "So… so good…" The sad king was crying tears of happiness. The rest of their parties were there too, digging in and crying over how good the food was.
H-HOW DID YOU DO IT?!" Ren screamed at Naofumi. Wyndia looked so happy over there!
He had to know how to cook like this!
"Well, I obviously didn't start with cooking everything in the rotten state you gave me. That would have been begging for trouble." Naofumi shrugged.
… "Huh?" The two cocked their heads in confusion.
"Basically, I cheated a little and used a recipe from my weapon to make the ingredients into other dishes. Steamed asparagus-like vegetables. Baked looks like potatoes or whatever they are. And so on. Then, I took these average dishes out of my weapon and used them alongside some seasonings, sauces, and other such things I could find in the castle kitchen as the base for the meal you see before you now."
Holy crap… Naofumi had actually utilized a function from the weapons to take rotten food and turn it into something edible! The two would have never thought of that!
And then he'd taken something edible and average and turned it into…
Quality: Ambrosia and Nectar
Even the status magic of the world agreed.
Naofumi was truly the God of cooking.
"Anyway, I win," Naofumi smirked.
He'd won indeed. And as the two Heroes ate, they'd never been so happy to lose a bet in their entire life.
Till Next Time
Allen