Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter and providing feed backs.
Special thanks to SmutWithPlot (You know you are a veteran fan of RotSH if you know who I'm talking about) for letting me using his OCs: Baldy, Blue Eyes, and Mala.
As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.
Cross posted on AO3, for anyone who prefer that site.
How dare they do this... how dare those miserable, pathetic, useless NPCs do this to HIM! The main character of this story! Degraded him like some common criminal, taken away everything he owned and turned him into a slave, AND changing his name like he was Bitch?! He never cared much about the name, or the family he got from this life. But it's still HIS! And these miserable NPCs dare to take them away. And that traitorous trash panda... he gave her everything and then some, and she still went back to simp after not only the Shield Loser, but Bitch herself. It seems you really can't change a tool. Once he raises again, he'll make sure to punish these NPCs for such transgression. Oh, yes~. Once he's done with these pathetic NPCs, they'll think what Bitch got from canon is a MERCY!
"Walk faster, mutt." A strong tug from Fuckboy's neck physically pulls him out of his own internal sulking. He glares straight at the gray haired woman in her tattered cloth. The unveiled contempt from her sharp eyes makes him fly into a rage again.
"How dare you treat me like this, you bitch! Do you have any idea who I am?! I am the protagonist of this story- GAH!" The sharp, burning pain in his chest where the slave crest was burned on by that smug little shit Leon Bartfort reminded him that what he suffered on that day was more than his pride.
"Of course I know who you are, mutt. You are the lowly dog who tried to murder my dear little brother over your own bruised ego. That devil bird might have gotten light with an exile thanks to the Shield Demon pleading for her. But you did not." Mordred Arc's feet fall on his head, hurting him much more than the slave seal did. Making him want to grind his own teeth to dust. "As far as I'm concerned, you are as guilty as that damn bird for my brother's death. And as an officially condemned slave to House Arc, you have no rights. Don't test my patience, I can kill you with a snap of my finger if I want, but I won't give you such a quick end. No. If I'm annoyed with you enough, I will make sure you suffer before you die."
He raises his head, narrows his eyes and glares at this NPC who dares to stand over him. She might think she has the upper hands, but he isn't worried. He is the hero, the protagonist, the main character of the fanfiction he found himself in. No matter how much he gets degraded and abused, it's only temporary. The author is trying to make him look sympathetic to the readers to justify his later power trip. It worked wonders like the original [Rising of the Shield Hero] after all. He hisses at the women. "Your clueless, pathetic worm of brother got what's coming to him. And if you have any good sense, you'd prostrate before me, before I-GGGAAAAAHHHHHHHH~"
"Wrong words, mutt. So you have chosen DEATH." The burning on his chest becomes much more unbearable this time, it feels like his entire body is being run through electricity. Black spots begin to appear in his own vision, as his mind begins to blank. This... this can't be his end. It just can't be. Because he is the protagonist...
Chapter 5: Hidden Foes
"Stop that, Mordy! You are killing him!" Lancelotte throws her hands over and pulls at Mordred's arm. Before Mordred, Fuckboy's collapsed body spasms on the ground. After Jaune's unfortunate passing, she worries for her only remaining younger siblings more than ever. And right now, Mordred's act of blatant sadism truly scares her. "This isn't like you, Mordred!"
"Do you not remember how this filth tried to murder our brother? That devil bird was the one who snapped Jaune's neck. But this worm pushed Jaune to the chopping block by his antagonization! And now he is nothing more than our property, but he still acts with nothing but spite toward Jaune instead of feeling grateful for our mercy, his mercy!" Mordred's haughty words slowly break apart as her voice continuously rises higher. By the end, her voice sounds more like a high pitched sob than a sneer it started out as. "So tell me, Lancelotte. Why should I show any mercy to this pathetic, rabid dog? Why should I not kill him, like how he wanted to kill Jaune over and over again?"
"I will not stop you if you want to pass further judgment, and kill Fuckboy for his past crime." Mordred's eyes blink, clearly not expecting her answer. "I'm not a saint, Mordy. I'm angry at our baby brother's death too. And Fuckboy is definitely responsible. At least he holds more responsibility for Jaune's death than Lord Shield Hero. But if you think he deserves death, make it quick. Pull out Clarent and cut his head off his shoulders. Do not torture him to death. You'll only hurt your own soul for doing it."
"Very well... sister." Mordred whips her face back. Not looking at Lancelotee again. The middle sister of the Arc Siblings recoils back at Mordred's reaction. This, combined with how Mordred had called her by her full name earlier meant that her younger sister still hadn't forgiven her yet. Lancelotte would have been fine with her younger sister hating her. But she feels anxious that her sweet, younger sister is going down a dark path after Jaune's death. And there's nothing Lancelotte could do to help Mordred.
As Fuckboy seemed to slowly twitch his way back up the ground, Mordred looked down at him again. "I should have struck you down now where you lie, mutt. But never be said that the children of Albion aren't fair. I shall give you one last chance to live. But if you dare to show any sign of defiance again, my blade Clarent will lob your head right off your shoulders like my sister suggested. Did I make myself clear, you pathetic little worm?"
"O-of course, my lady. I... I shall only strive to serve you from now on." Fuckboy doesn't seem to even dare raise his head to look at them now. With his head low, and his body still almost lying on the ground, the formerly arrogant son of Marquis Consevatie finally seemed to admit his defeat, and his submission. "I am but your humble servant."
"Doesn't something look weird, Mordy- Mordred? Why does he go from taunting and mocking you like he had some power over you, to groveling without any sense of pride, or shame?" Lancelotee narrows her eyes as she looks at the seemingly submissive form of Fuckboy with suspicion. His change feels too quick, and too sudden to look natural.
"Arrogant little daddy's boys like him are cowards by nature, Lancelotte. They talk big when they think negative consequences of their actions can not touch them. But when faced with the opposite, they are always those who fold first." Mordred nudges her chin slightly towards Fuckboy's direction as she sneers down at their prostrating slave. "Nearly shocked to death by the slave collar clearly broke his fantasy, and convinced this worm that he is in fact, not above touch. Come, Lancelotee. Let us rejoin Big Sister Artoria."
Mordred spins on her heels and leaves for the Menagerie Grand Hotel where all the highborns following Queen Mirellia now lodge. Lancelotee doesn't feel nearly as confident at Fuckboy's compliance as Mordred. But she knows that her younger sister would not hear anything else she said, so she quickly follows after her younger sister. Unfortunately for either of the Arc sisters, they failed to see the smirk around the corner of Fuckboy's mouth, or how his eyes shine brightly red for the briefest moment. The same color as the red wave that opens up over the horizons.
I am merely a humble servant... who serves my goddess.
"You don't have to follow me all the time, Keel. Don't you have something to do on your own?" Raphtalia shifts uncomfortably on her feet. Her childhood friend has been sticking close to her as a shadow, and it's starting to unnerve Raphtalia. She understands Keel would worry about her after what happened at the end of the Third Wave (or First... come to think of it). But does she literally have to stand right behind her, glaring and hissing whoever passes her by. Oftentimes this behavior even includes Naofumi and Malty?
"You are too trusting, Raphtalia. You never know who is ready to take advantage of you. I learnt this after running with Adam's crew." Keel glares at Big Sister Malty, even if she's training her newest student (She still can't fully get over the fact that she was HIS little sister) and isn't paying any attention to the two of them. "See that woman over there? She acts like she cares about you, but she didn't turn that awful Consevatie family away. They hurt you badly, but she wants to get in bed with them because they are nobles. She's using you, just like she's using that Consevatie woman."
"Big sister Malty isn't like that. She took care of me with Master Naofumi when I was only a sick, slave child. Big sister Malty was still a royal princess then. If she needs some help, she can easily get them with her knights, soldiers, or sellswords. What will she gain with me?" Raphtalia doesn't want to admit it, but she doesn't feel nearly as confident towards her adopted parents as she's telling Keel. She still remembers how at first, both of them were so fond of playing with her ears. Yes, she knows that's the kind of thing Malty is raised to do unconsciously as a noble, and something Naofumi clearly didn't understand the implication of because he came from the hero's world. That's why they stopped not too long after they were traveling (Naofumi nearly fell off a set of stairs after he realized what he's been doing). But deep down... the act itself reminds her of what her previous... owners would do. And thinking about them makes her want to jump into the nearby sea and start to furiously scrub her body.
"Raphtalia. We are demi-humans. Man-animals always want something from us." Keel walks around to Raphtalia's front, puts both of her hands on Raphtalia's face to force her into a staring contest. The ease with how Keel uses such racially charged derogatory terms makes Raphtalia feel sick. That's the kind of word Kael'thas, a high ranking Siltvelt noble often got into trouble with Naofumi for. Keel had always been head strong, and she hated how the arrogant some of the humans (especially from nobility) act around them at Port Harp. But she didn't spout out these kinds of words back then. The time she spent with those slum thugs really wasn't good for her. "That princess doesn't know you came from a royal family, but she was thinking about how to use you. Everyone knows our maturation bonus. She doesn't have to wait a few years for you to grow into an adult. Hell, she could even use you like a meat shield while you are still a child."
Once again, Raphtalia feels a stab of hurt when she remembered how Malty admitted to have left her for that horrible wavehound. And then she feels even worse at the sense of guilt that came after. Malty could have easily left her to die alone in the underground cavern, and nobody will know any better. She chose to bring Raphtalia along, and took care of her till they bumped into that horrible monster. Raphtalia herself might have turned and run if her body wasn't already paralyzed by fear. But a small part of mind starts to stab her like a persistent needle, that reminds her that Malty did abandon her to the wave hound in spite of everything else she's done for Raphtalia. And it makes Raphtalia hate herself even more.
"Did they try to save you when you were enslaved by Fuckboy? No, they were too busy trying to save themselves and flee the country. When push comes to shove, man-animals will always look after themselves first." Outside of her own mind, Keel continues to push more hatred and vitriol towards her newly found family. "That awful princess probably 'took care' of you because she made you into liking her. Like some pet. It's always easier starting us young-"
"-NO!" Raphtalia belatedly realized that she suddenly screamed on top of her lungs as she pushed Keel away. Her childhood friend, who had always been the most physically fit of them now lies on the ground, staring up at Raphtalia with stunned shock. Raphtalia is also aware how she has gained the attention from Malty and her new student now. The sister of Fuckboy even yelped and jumped on her toes herself, when she lost control of her small ember of fire dancing over her finger, and got slightly burnt. "You accused Master Naofumi and Big Sister Malty didn't saving me when I was enslaved again. What did you do?! You have no right to accuse anyone when you didn't do anything yourself!"
"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me, Raphtalia. I shouldn't have listened to you and stayed behind in Balafon. But please, believe me. I did try to save you after you were taken! I went back to Adam, and tried to get him and his crew to help me. But they were too busy pillaging and looting in the riot and I- Raphtalia? Raphtalia!" Raphtalia knows that she is being too hard on Keel because of her anger. There's realistically no way for Keel to save her, just like Naofumi and Malty couldn't do anything after Naofumi lost his shield to that awful goddess, and they were forced on the run by the church. But she hates the way Keel suggested that her new surrogate parents were as bad, if not even worse than her previous owners. And more... She hated herself for daring to agree with Keel on some level. So she lets her anger go towards Keel for pulling those things from the depth of her mind to distract her own traitorous thoughts, as she tries to run away.
Raphtalia bumps into something hard, and falls back down. She wipes her eyes clear, and sees Naofumi fallen on the ground and shaking his head. It made her realize that in her attempt to get away from Keel and the traitorous thoughts her friend's paranoia conjured up, she had hurt one of her surrogate parents. She feels someone's hand on her shoulder next, and then hears the voice from Malty. "Raphtalia? Tell me what's wrong."
Raphtalia opens her mouth, but hesitates at what she'll say to her surrogate mother. She is angry at what Keel suggested, but she understands why Keel came to her conclusion. Unlike herself, who came from the wealthy Hirata (Kyutenrou, really) family, Keel's family reside in the bad part of Port Harp. Where the dock workers live. It's not quite the slum of Melromarc Castle, but it's still the place where prejudice, and tension between humans and demi-human are a more common occurrence. Keel might not have run with actual, human-hating demi-human gangs like she did after Port Harp lies in ruin, but she had always been more suspicious towards humans. And as bad as Keel's words are, she was trying to look out for Raphtalia. So Raphtalia doesn't want to get her friend into trouble even if she's still angry at Keel. She's more angry for herself in believing Keel's agitating words on some level.
"I...Keel brought up my enslavement by Fuckboy. And I remembered how I helped him capture you and Master Naofumi. I got upset, and ran off." The doubt in Malty's eyes shows that she very much doesn't believe this is all that happened between Raphtalia and Keel. But Malty didn't comment on it. Instead, she kneels down in front of Raphtalia... and then edges herself a bit to the side to let Naofumi scrabble closer to her too.
"Remember what I told you before, Raphtalia? Sometimes in life, unfair things happen to us out of our control. At those times, you can't keep blaming yourself for 'not being good enough'. Sure... you might have avoided the bad thing that happened to you if you did something differently. But you aren't responsible for those bad things. At those times, it's much better for you to be angry at who is actually responsible. And you have to take what makes you happy by force, because you can't wait for someone to hand it to you." Malty gives Raphtalia an embrace, and then she shifts a bit to the side once again to let Naofumi join in. "I'm proud of you Raphtalia. You didn't simply forgive Fuckboy, because 'it was the right thing'. You took that fucker to task, and help got him condemned to answer for his crimes. Now he's a slave, and he can't hurt anyone else like you anymore... Well, maybe he still can. But he'll hurt much less people now that he's a slave, and not an insane noble brat throwing his weight around."
"Yeah. I'm glad you didn't choose to forgive that isekai protagonist wannabe. And it's not because he burned a mark on my chest." The corner of Naofumi's eyes twitches as he turns his nose at the mention of the men who nearly ruined all of their lives... and did ruin the life of Firo. Reminded of her exiled 'little sister' once again makes Raphtalia feel guilty for how good she had her life... yet deep down she still felt insecure if her new surrogate parents truly loved her. "Malty is right this time, Raphtalia. Sometimes it's better to blame others than blame yourself. At least when they truly deserve it."
"Only 'This time', Master Naofumi? You are acting as if I'm not the very example of a wise, heroic princess that always helped and supported you on your journey." Malty pulls herself back from their group family hug. She thrusts out her upper chest as she closes her eyes and smiles in a fake, smug way. The gesture brings out a short chuckle from Naofumi, and some giggle from Raphtalia. "Jokes aside, Fuckboy was nothing more than an incompetent and insane small fry. A very small, barely noticeable little fish in this vast ocean where people play a game for supremacy. We need to be even more careful from now on. There are a lot of people who are more dangerous than him on this very island because they want to gain something from you revered heroes. I'm not saying you have to stay with your retinue all the time. But if you want to go sightseeing by yourself, take your sworn shield, Yatsuhashi, and one of those signal arrows from Kael'thas to be able to call for help."
"I actually did want to do that before we go to that conference tomorrow. This island reminds me of home. Thanks for the advice, Malty." Naofumi nods his head. He looks at both Raphtalia and Malty. "What about the two of you? Want to come sightseeing with me. Forget all of this bad stuff from the church, and Fuckboy?"
"I'm going to be training my new student a little more... and I prefer to get to recreation after we know what'll happen after the Hero Conference. Don't forget, officially I'm your slave. Nobles from the other nations might get the wrong idea about me if you don't make a strong presence with them." Malty points her finger back towards the Menagerie Grand Hotel. Raphtalia gets the feeling that she's pointing at the people staying in it, and not the building itself. "How about you, Raphtalia? Want to keep Master Naofumi company?"
Raphtalia thinks it over. Both of her surrogate parents would need her, and she can't be at two places at once. Her gyoubu danuki magic allows her to cast illusions, and change her own shape. But so far, she doesn't have a way to literally split herself into two... yet. After pounding a little, she made the decision. Malty is at more risk with her forced into slavery. Raphtalia has personally experienced how slaves were being treated after all. "I'll stay and watch Big Sister Malty teaching her students. I might learn something too. And... I want to have us all go enjoy the resort after the conference, like a big family."
"Good girl." Naofumi gives a genuine, happy smile as he reaches over and ruffles Raphtalia's hair a little. "I'll take Malty's advice and bring Yatsuhashi with me. Kael'thas too if I can find him. It's strange, usually he sticks right behind me like a shadow, but I can't find him after we arrived here. Hope he's not up to no good with other Siltvelt people."
"You can't find Kael'thas? He's usually sticking so close to you, one'd think he's your sworn shield, not Sir Yatsuhashi." Malty suddenly frowns at Naofumi's nod, she looks around as if trying to find something. After a few moments, she turns to look at the two knights who left the queen's service to protect her. "I haven't seen Mala since we arrived either. Do you know where she is, Baldy, Blue Eyes?"
"Miss Mala excused herself and went inland almost immediately after she disembarked. She asked us to look after you... almost like she knows something is going to happen." The bald former knight's answer makes Malty's frown grow even deeper. The pupils in her eyes also dilate at the mention. Malty pulls her hand up to her face, as she starts gnawing at her finger nail. Raphtalia remembers how Malty used to do this a lot back when they first started traveling together. As they face more and more threats, her surrogate mother becomes more and more sure of herself. And even in her distress, she tends to pour out her emotion to scream at someone, rather than nervously biting her own fingernail in silence.
"Something bad is happening to you, Big Sister Malty? Are those people from Siltvelt bad?" Raphtalia moves closer and wraps her hands on Malty's arm, trying to gently bring out her surrogate mother's concern. Raphtalia isn't sure if she can help, but maybe someone else could. Malty turns around to look at her for a brief moment, before shaking her head.
"No. Not to me. Mala was talking about herself." Malty spins on her heels to look at Naofumi. The face of Raphtalia's surrogate father also grows concerned. "You remember how I mentioned that Mala used to be a great Siltvelt warrior?"
"Yeah, you said something about it while we were on the run. Let me guess... she didn't get her people's approval with her career change... and now she's in danger because Kael'thas realized who she was. DAMN IT! I should have seen this one coming!" Naofumi's face also grows colder and colder as Malty nods her confirmation. He turns around even faster than Malty as he begins to stride towards his sworn shield sitting a little distance away, brushing the feathers of their two filorials. "I'll grab Yatsuhashi, and we'll try to find Ms. Mala... and Kael'thas for you. He'll get another earful from me if he doesn't back off."
It didn't take Naofumi long to get Yatsuhashi's attention. The armored giant stops tending their two new birds (they are going to become her new sisters like Firo... aren't they? Raphtalia privately makes a promise to be a better sister to them, so they don't end up with Firo's fate). They walk over to Naofumi together.
"Didn't you want to go see the sights, Master Naofumi? I can end my session with Lady Flare and go look for Mala myself." Malty gives a quick wave to Consevatie's sister, and runs after them. But Naofumi and Yatsuhashi had already mounted Lial and Lori before she got close. They aren't the only ones. A few dozen paces away from them, twelve of Nazgrel's raiders who had been watching over the Shield Hero from afar immediately jumps onto their own wargs, and rides over to follow Naofumi.
"I can go sightseeing anytime. But Mala is important to you... I don't want you to lose someone else you cared about... like what happened to Mr. Aldrecht. And I'm the only one who'll get Kael'thas to stand down." Naofumi pulls the reign of Lial as he rides away, Yatsuhashi follows right after him.
Malty stands still on the sand as she watches Naofumi disappear in the distance. After a while, she shakes her head, and walks back as she begins the magic lesson anew. Raphtalia sits down on the sandy beach a little distance from Malty and... Consevatie's younger sister. She begins to mimic their training exercise by conjuring up a small bundle of light on her own index finger, and has it dance, and jump onto her other fingers. She feels Keel sit right besides her, so she leans over and whispers to her friend. "Keel. I appreciate you looking out after me. But don't talk bad about my new parents again. You'll no longer be my friend, if you keep talking trash about Master Naofumi, and Big Sister Malty."
"Alright, alright! I won't openly say anything bad about them unless I catch them in action. I'll just look after you, like one of those queen's shadows." Keel throws her hands up, and Raphtalia knows that her friend isn't done thinking the worst of her new family yet. She supposes there's nothing much she can do about her friend, and she'll have to accept things as it is, for now.
The forest of Cal Mira Island gives a very different atmosphere than the ones from Melromarc, and Mala didn't mean that they are tropical, palm trees compared to the evergreens and oak trees that's more often seen in northern Melromarc. The land of Melromarc isn't what one would call untamed, especially compared to some of the land that's been intentionally left alone in Siltvelt so young clan members can challenge themselves. But it still feels natural enough that there's a sense of constant wild danger lurking behind every shadow. Maybe not to a well trained, and accomplished (at least before she broke her arms, but she's still more dangerous with only her legs than most people) martial artist like herself. However, that's definitely the case for budding adventurers and warriors. Especially when one goes further away than the more intentionally cultivated King's Forest that's been intentionally cleared off high level and high threat animals so it acts as both a proving ground for new warriors, and a hunting ground for the royal family.
That's not the same case as the forest in the heart of the main island of Cal Mira Archipelago. The land is even more tightly cultivated and managed than the plain outside of Melromarc Castle, and the King's Forest slightly further away. One would not find predator animals, only gentle, grass eaters leisurely munching on the foliage till they eventually die of natural, old age. Above them, the sound of happy bird chirps make for a harmonious song for this verdant paradise that's no doubt well maintained by a small army of druids or nature mages. It's a place where one goes to relax their mind and body, thinking nothing of fighting.
Mala, the former personal maid of first princess Malty, doesn't feel relaxed. Especially when Kael'thas Sunstrider, prince of the phoenix clan steps into the clearing she's standing from the opposite side. The phoenix prince stares at her silently for a long pause before finally speaking. "Ms. Mala. Former personal maid to the former first princess of Melromarc. Or should I call you Matilda, the former 'Strongest Tiger' of the white tiger great clan before Lord Dionysia?"
"You already knew the answer before you came to Cal Mira Archipelago. Why the rhetorical question? The name Matilda, or the title of 'The Strongest Tiger' means nothing to me anymore. I'm just an old woman who is doing her best to help raise a rambunctious child." Mala didn't even blink as she kept her body posture entirely still. Her body isn't relaxed, not in the sense that she is finished with her duty for the day and has some free time for herself as a maid. But she keeps herself in a state before tense for battle, and relaxed for recreation where no weakness would show anywhere around her whole body for an opposing warrior to exploit. It is known as the state of void for martial artists. "Tell me, Young Phoenix. Why did you not reveal my true identity to Nazgrel and his raiders? I doubt I could defeat over five hundred of you in my current state. Do you seek greater glory by bringing home the head of a race traitor alone?"
"Ms. Mala, then. I'm afraid you quite underestimated me. I take pride in my clan, and my nation. Our culture and our history. But I'm not some insecure little hatchling foaming at the mouth screaming 'DEATH TO THE RACE TRAITORS!' to anyone of our own who rejects our way of life." Kael'thas briefly narrows his eyes in a show of annoyance before he calms down, and resumes his usual, composed and graceful self. "It's different if you have done something that actively hurt Siltvelt like Farkas, the former 5th captain of the Five Hundred Guards. Bless his soul. At least he died the very example of a noble Siltvelt warrior: giving his life to defend his only rightful king. But you clearly didn't do anything to harm Siltvelt like Farkas did with his rebellion. For if you did, I doubt everyone would believe you, the former greatest warrior of the white tiger great clan to be dead rather than alive. I don't know why you would choose to live as a maid raising the daughter of that child butcher. But I see no need to punish you for it."
"I did not expect such words to come from a prince of Vermilis. Then again, I suppose your kind did become more self-introspective after what happened with the Kingtaker." Mala's words make Prince Kael'thas look down in a clear sign of shame. "Do not take this as an insult, Prince Kael'thas. What happened with the Kingtaker was a shame for our last king, and all the children of Malis. But at least your clan learnt from his mistake, and became humbler, better. If only my own clan, or better yet, those blue pond loaches had the same self-introspect as you."
"An azure dragon being humble and self-introspective? Surely you jest, Ms. Mala. That would be the sign of the end time." Kael'thas chuckles with Mala for a brief moment, before any mirth disappears from his face. "Jokes and jeers aside. I do come bearing a warning to you, Ms. Mala. I realize you do not care much about the insecure brats pretending to be patriots. But don't so freely show off who you really are. A lot of my countrymen do take issue with any perceived betrayal of our countrymen, and they are not afraid to use violence to hide their insecurities from everyone else. You might not fear their power, or the consequences they would bring you. But I assume you care about the safety of your young ward. Princess Malty might be the slave of our only rightful king, but it would not deter some arrogant brats from one of the greater clans to do her harm. And at this moment on Cal Mira Island, there are plenty of their kind."
"I thank you for your heartfelt warning, Prince Kael'thas." For the first time, Mala gives the much younger warrior a bow of true respect. She didn't think much about the Young Phoenix, one of the two most recently prominent Siltvelt warriors. But in spite of his pride and prejudiced beliefs, she can see something truly noble behind his bluster. And yes, she does have to think more about the safety of Malty.
Malty tries to not let her worry for her former personal maid to get to her, but it's hard. Mala had been the one that took care of her after she accidentally killed her old nan. While father would likely act indignant if she said it out loud, the fact remains that Mala had been more of her mother than her queen mother ever was. Yet like before, she didn't even realize Mala's life might be in peril till Naofumi mentioned that he can't find Kael'thas. She was the one that warned him of expecting trouble from the phoenix prince after he started to suspect Mala's true identity. Yet she completely ignores the possible threat from him when he didn't immediately show his aggression. It's like she learnt nothing after her journey with Naofumi since his summoning, and she is still the same self-serving, self-centered, spoiled princess as before.
But Malty is also painfully aware that she can't do much to help Mala if Prince Kael'thas truly wished her harm. Naofumi is the only one who can bring him to heel with a simple order. So for now, she tries to put her mind into Flare... and Raphtalia's magic training. They are both depending on her guidance right now, which is quite the dilemma regarding the younger sister of Fuckboy. The spoiled little 'princess' of House Consevatie lets out another curse as her finger is burnt by the ember again. "DAMN!"
The pinkette stares at the tip of her finger forlornly. Burnt marks are starting to form into more permanent scars over her previously immaculately soft and smooth skin in spite of her effort to heal them with her magic. But after a brief stare, she resumes the exercise Malty gave her. Without a doubt, Flare has both the power, and the talent to become one of the world's greatest magic users. If she gets proper guidance, and applies herself. In less than a week, she had managed to reel in the control of her own fire magic (the most volatile of the four prime elements) enough to have them reliably form into a small petal of ember over her fingers, and have them dance and jump around her fingertips. By contrast, Malty had to try over and over for a month to not have a stationary ember in her hand to fizzle out, and two more months to have them reliably spin around when she first started to practice under Uncle Aldrecht. And Malty did it in a quiet room, while Flare did it on the march, or on a rocking ship with a gust of ocean wind breezing at her face.
Which begs the most important question for Malty - should she continue Flare's training? So far, what she taught her new apprentice is the basics of controlling one's own magic developed by her teacher Aldrecht. Not that it's unimportant, but it's more on the side of granting a wizardry magic user better control of their spell work so they aren't hazardous to everyone, including themselves. Not making them more dangerous to their enemies. But if she continues... The training will eventually encompass how to gain better control to use more dangerous spells (such as the dreaded Fiendfyre), or how to safely amplify one's spell work without having them blow up on their own faces. It would make Flare, the little sister of Fuckboy (not to mention the daughter of Lord Grima, one of her mother's lackeys) more dangerous when Malty still isn't too sure about her allegiances. After what happened in the capital, she no longer fears the possibility of another woman taking Naofumi away from her. But she might still create one of their own worst enemies if she continues to train the young lady from House Consevatie.
Uncle Aldrecht's words echo in her head once again. There is no do, or do not. There is only try, or not have tried at all. No matter how hard one attempts to calculate their every move, there is never certainty in life. Even a seemingly simple action might bring entirely unpredictable, and unintentional consequences. That's why one can never do anything after already knowing the final result. If Naofumi... and everyone in her group haven't shown her what unconditional kindness is, would she become the woman she is now? The answer is a very resounding no. Especially if Mother had her way and made her into the queen of her (distant) uncle King Egbert. She would have lost herself in The Game, become colder and colder until endlessly calculating political gain and loss became her entire life, if not her entire self identity. Which means... now it's she who has to do what Naofumi did to her, isn't it? She needs to show Lady Flare what unconditional kindness looks like, to a pampered noble lady who most likely lacked it in her own life. A part of her still feels repulsed by the very idea. Especially since she hasn't even built her first real friendship with Eclair with any genuine kindness at first.
But it's what she'll have to do. Malty stands up, walks over to Flare and disspells her embers with a wave of her own hand. The younger daughter of House Consevatie frantically looks up, clearly thinking she messed something up again. That's when Malty shows her a smile, she actually looks even more frightened at the gesture. "Well done, Lady Flare. You have grasped the basics of this exercise within the week. It seems like Eclair was not exaggerating when she talked about your potential."
"Ah... are you sure, Master? Th-THANK YOU!" For a brief moment, the younger sister of Fuckboy looks completely surprised, like she never expected to be praised for anything. And then, a wave of immense gratitude seems to be released from her as she furiously nods her head and thanks Malty for what's nothing more than a few encouraging words. Such an unusual reaction almost makes Malty narrow her eyes on instinct.
"I didn't say anything out of what you already deserved. Take the rest of this day off and enjoy yourself here at Cal Mira Island. You earned it. We shall move onto more difficult lessons tomorrow." Malty gives her apprentice a wave, ready to dismiss the woman for the day. Yes, she knows it's her responsibility as the teacher to cultivate the talent, and the discipline of her new student. And she wants more opportunity to observe the daughter of Lord Grima to better gauge her trustworthiness. But there is only so much she can stomach her... quirky personality for a single day. Flare didn't speak much else, she immediately sat back down, and began to conjure more embers over her fingers once again. "What are you doing, Lady Flare? Your training for today is over, you may enjoy the rest of the day off."
"Ye-yes, Master. But you did say we'll move onto harder practices tomorrow. I want to get a better grasp of what I learned so far, to better prepare for harder lessons." Flare's response completely surprised Malty. With how pampered she is, and how tiresome the life of a marching army is (granted, it's still much better condition than when Malty was hiding, and running away from the Three Heroes' Church after Naofumi's shield was sealed away by Lautrec's goddess. But that's a very extreme and rare occasion), Malty expected her to immediately run off and enjoy the luxuries offered by Cal Mira Island. Yet the sheltered, and spoiled little 'princess' of House Consevatie choose to square her shoulders and apply herself beyond what Malty forced her to.
Thinking over Flare's response when Malty first voiced her praise... Malty gets the impression that the youngest child of Lord Grima has a chronic lack of positive reinforcements... and therefore craves them to an almost unhealthy degree. But would it truly be this easy? Is giving some well-deserved compliment, and reward all it takes to win over a member of House Consevatie to her? Malty doesn't think so, but it's certainly a good start.
Alternatively... Flare could simply be that good of an actor to fake the sense of her gratitude. But that would mean she is a master at faking her own actions, and emotions. Not very likely. As it means her previous acts of pampered behavior... Even her starting two magical accidents when fighting the gutter beak are all part of some intentional act for some grander purpose. And if Flare truly is that good at playing this game, she doubts Lord Grima would have left sheltered at home instead of using her to gain more influence in The Game.
Malty sits down on the sand once again, and conjures up two spheres of ember, and two beads of water above her left hand. She has them spin around her fingers, faster and faster without the two opposite elements ever touching each other. The more traditional belief of Wizardry magic state that advanced elements are created when a mage with multiple affinities mix two of the prime elements together, and the opposite elements tend to be the strongest and most difficult to control (a belief not shared by her late teacher, but that's neither here nor there). And she already had some experience at using steam magic when mixing her fire, and water spell together. It makes her think... could she begin to have a solid grasp of air magic through this practice? By Uncle Aldrecht's own belief, the four prime elements were meant to symbolize the four states of matter in the world, rather than being entirely separate things like gold and silver. And what is steam, but highly heated and agitated air?
With a flicker of her fingers and a single push from her mind, the bundles of fire and water join together and turn into steam. She tries to use her magic to shape the new form of her spell, to keep them contained in the same spherical shape of their predecessors. But it's much harder to maintain the physical shape when she neither has the strong affinity she was born with, nor the deep understanding she gained by studying the Founder's grimoire. Slowly but surely, the bundles of steam above her finger tips fade into nothing.
For a brief moment, Malty considers leaving further experimentation and practice to later. She had already taken the first step, and she has no idea if this line of training would yield any fruit, or be a waste of time. Wouldn't it be better to try again after having further sessions with the other magic user's group sessions, maybe find an actual air mage and learn more of their methods? But then she looks at Lady Flare, putting more effort into gaining better control of her own magic out of her own determination. Well, she wouldn't be beaten by her own student. With that thought, she began her practice anew.
At least till a familiar, shrieking sound overhead catches her attention further inland. Malty's face whips up, and she sees a Siltvelt signal arrow flying into the sky. But unlike Kael'thas, who throws it directly up so that it disappears into the cloud itself (for practical purpose, to better let people pinpoint its original destination), it flies into the sky in a shaky diagonal angle. The user was clearly not trained, or used to wield the tool and tossed it up in a case of emergency. "It's Master Naofumi! Go get Motoyasu's birds, Raphtalia! He needs help!"
End Note:
In this chapter, we get to see a bit more of the buried grudges from all sides. As we can see, just because Three Heroes Church rebellion had been stopped, doesn't mean the problems it caused directly, or indirectly wouldn't live on.
Well... something is definitely happening to SIOC/Fuckboy, and I'm not going to say anything just like I didn't say SIOC was meant as a literal allegory for fanfiction SIOCs till it's revealed in the actual story.
:)
Raphtalia isn't anywhere as single minded devoted to Naofumi and Malty as she was in canon. She is loyal to them for taking the role of her parents and taking care of her, but she does have doubt towards them (especially Malty) deep down even when she doesn't show it.
And of course, we get a bit more implication on Mala's past from her conversation with Kael'thas. Before his 'retirement', SmutWithPlot did tell me that Mala was secretly a Siltvelt white tiger clan member who jumped ship to Melromarc because she loved Aultcray, but her being one of their greatest warrior was my own addition... because I figured she has to have a chance to get to know and fall for him. And I figured them fighting on opposite sides during The Great War and him showing her some mercy is as good as any.
Malty gets busy teaching the second generation 'pampered princess'. It's rather fitting that after Malty's own character growth, she takes the role as the mentor for other villainess, isn't it? I welcome suggestion on which other villainess anyone of you want to see aside from Flare. I already have something planned for Noriko Tatsumiya from [Dungeon Seeker], and Yuri Neuer from [Shilling of the Author's Pet].