Chapter Eight: A Good Deed
"Keel. We're going to be late."
"I know." The dog girl murmured.
"If you know then move faster! It's already bad enough that most of the stalls and eateries are closed!"
The two demis were back on the main street. It was past sunset, but nighttime hadn't hit the city yet.
Most small-scale merchants had already finished working for the day and their goods and treats were locked away. A few restaurants were still open, but neither of the two teens could see Melromarcian or Siltveltian letters written on their signs.
At this point, Anya had accepted that she and her friend weren't going to be able to grab dinner for themselves. She was just rushing to get back to the underground apartment complex owned by Hickwaal since Motoyasu made the two teens promise that they'd be back from the Colosseum before nighttime. But accepting the situation they were in didn't make the cat girl any happier.
Keel, who was running next to her, didn't seem to care about the notion of missing dinner. She had no appetite to speak of anymore. It'd only been a few minutes since they'd stumbled upon the scene of Fohl taking care of his younger sister. And the dog girl couldn't get it out of her mind.
"Urgh, I swear it was this way, right?" Anya asked out loud as she looked around the plaza they'd entered, trying to find the path they'd walked down earlier that day.
Keel slowed to a stop, looking down at her hands.
Both of them were trembling slightly. The dog girl tried to ball them up into fists to stop it, but it didn't help as she came to realize that her whole body was shaking.
This… this felt wrong. Why were the two of them acting as if the last twenty minutes had never happened?
This… this wasn't right.
"Keel, come on, we came from that way, right?" Anya asked, indicating a familiar-looking route with a desperate look on her face.
This wasn't right. Why were they running back to their shelter when they could have done something back there?
This wasn't right. Keel hadn't worked so hard to become strong enough, just to walk away from another person who needed her help!
Would her Father feel proud, seeing how she'd acted today? Would she be able to call herself a true proper woman of the sea after not only making a fool of someone who was just trying to protect his family but also not even trying to apologize or help him afterward when she realized her mistake?
Anya, growing frustrated, grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook her. "Keel, will you stop spacing out and help me out!?" The cat girl asked angrily.
"I'm going back."
...
"What? Back to where?! The Colosseum?!" Anya sounded even more infuriated after taking the second needed to process her friend's words. "Dummy, we can see the bloody building from here! That isn't going to help us get back home on our own! We're not that lost that we need a landmark and-"
"No." Keel interrupted. "I'm going back to help those tiger siblings." Keel clarified with a determined look.
…
…
"... you want to help them out?" Anya asked in a deadpan.
Keel's body finally stopped trembling. Yeah, that was the right thing to do.
"Yeah. I do." She affirmed.
…
…
Anya scowled. "Okay. You want to help them out. How?" She asked.
"I… I'll free them," Keel stated firmly. "That's how I'll help them out."
"Free them…? You'll… free them?" Anya repeated with an exasperated look.
Keel frowned at the mocking tilt in the cat girl's voice. "Is that wrong?"
The cat girl closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. "And how exactly are you going to do that, pray tell? Are you going to force your way into that store, drag the two of them out, and beat up whoever stands in your way while you're at it?"
"Umm..." Keel deflated slightly in response and looked down with her ears falling flat on the top of her head.
"Did winning a few fights get into your head so badly that you think you're invincible now?!" Anya bared her teeth. "That tournament you won was the fourth bracket out of ten, and you only fought one on one. Did you already forget the kind of security there is in the undercity? You make any noise down there and you're gonna get dogpiled- stop smiling, this isn't funny!"
"S-sorry," Keel muttered while trying to suppress her anxious chuckle at the catgirl's unintended pun.
"Okay, I get it, fighting isn't the smart choice here, but we could sneak them out instead! Your magic helped with keeping us hidden earlier!" The dog girl pressed on soon after, however.
"Oh, is it 'we' now?" Anya's tail visibly began to bristle.
"You- you aren't going to help?" Keel's mouth hung open as a look of betrayal spread across her features.
'I-" Anya grimaced and looked away. "Fine, let's assume that I do. But my magic can only conceal our footsteps at best. Even if we reach that cage, how are you going to get the key from the guard standing outside it without getting spotted? And what about those two hakuko? Do you think that they'll just nod and go along with you when you show up and proclaim that you're freeing them? After you humiliated and beat one of them up?"
Keel tried to say something in response but found herself at a loss for words. She was still not ready to give up however and shook her head before looking up into Anya's eyes again.
"Then I'm just going to buy them!" She proclaimed.
"Buy them? With what money!?" Anya asked, showcasing the six golden coins in her hands that the two of them won today. "This isn't going to be enough to buy them their freedom.
"Second, what would we do after we freed them?" Anya asked next and continued before Keel could answer. "You saw how sick the girl was. The cost of her medicine is probably going to be even greater than the price of buying them outright! Is that something you'd be able to afford as well?!"
"No, but maybe Bubba could-" Keel desperately tried to push back.
"And third, and most importantly, why do you want to save them and not any of the other slaves we've come across so far?!" Anya asked loudly, this time shutting her friend up. "Is it because it became personal?! Do you feel guilty about beating that guy up in your match so much?!"
"That's stupid! Every other slave in this city is suffering just as much, if not worse than those two! Don't forget why we came here in the first place! Our money would be better spent elsewhere!"
…
Looking around, Anya saw some people in the square looking at them in confusion. Thankfully, it looked like these residents didn't speak Melromarcian, as they just shrugged and continued on their way.
Anya growled as she faced forward again. "You know what, I think we came this way earlier."
"Anya-" Keel started to say.
"No, I don't want to hear it." The cat girl snapped. "We're already going to be late, and I'm tired and hungry, and-"
"Don't you want to help them too?" Keel asked in a sad voice.
…
…
Anya slowly looked back at her friend. The dog girl was staring down at the cobblestone ground in disappointment. "I know what I'm saying is stupid and nonsensical, but it's the truth. I want to do it anyway. Even if it is just for a couple of random people I only became aware of today."
"I do feel at fault for making their situation worse. And yeah, I don't know how I'll help them out after I free them. But I just can't… I can't stand aside and not do something. I didn't undergo Granny's harsh training regime because I wanted to become a bully like some of the masters I had as a slave."
"I want to save them. I want to help them!"
Keel balled her hands into fists and looked up again, her blue eyes glinting with a dangerous aura. "I am going to help them, Anya. Now are you going to help me do it the right way or not? If my ideas are so stupid then why don't you come up with a smart one, instead of pretending like you don't care!?"
…
…
"..." Anya let out a shaky breath. "Maybe I was right earlier and you want to help them because you have a crush on that guy." She muttered quietly to herself.
"Eh? Did you just say something?" Keel asked, leaning in close to hear her friend.
"It's nothing." Anya looked at the darkening sky and rubbed the bridge of her nose with both of her hands. "Fine. Fine. If you are that stubbornly dead-set on helping them then let's focus on getting back first. If we're going to do anything, we have to tell Moto about it."
"We'd be able to accomplish a lot more with his help than if we went back on our own."
"Are… does that mean you want to help?" Keel asked, sounding hopeful.
"I don't know. But we won't be able to do anything if we come back super late and get grounded or sent home, right?" Anya asked, a teasing smirk finally appearing on her face.
"Huh- oh, right! Look at the sky, whoa we're going to be so late! Uhhhhhh… I think we came from that way earlier!" Keel pointed to a different path out of the plaza.
"You sure? I thought we went down this one earlier." Anya pointed to the path she originally wanted her and Keel to take.
"Nah, I remember, it was definitely this path since there's the sign on that building there with the inscription of the weird lady on it." Keel pointed out.
Anya looked, and she did find the sign Keel had pointed out. It looked like some sort of caricature of a burly woman with a spiked helmet on her head and a tankard in her hand. She might have also had a mustache on her face, or maybe that was just beer stains from a mug thrown from the tavern under the sign.
"Actually… I think you might be right." Anya admitted.
The two girls ran down the path Keel had chosen.
…
After a minute, Anya looked around, eyes widening in recognition at the familiar territory. Soon enough, the two approached a wall hiding the passage that led to Hickwaal's underground complex. "Alright, hopefully we're not too late." The cat girl sighed in relief.
"As if Bubba would punish us that harshly for taking a few extra minutes." Keel scoffed.
"Whatever, I want to see if Moto has any leftovers I could eat. I'm starving." Anya rolled her eyes.
"But we're going to ask for his help with Fohl and his sister, right?" Keel responded quickly.
Anya pushed against one of the bricks on the wall, causing it to slide out of the way. "Naturally." Without saying another word to her friend, she went underground.
Keel grinned as she followed, closing the sliding door behind her.
Motoyasu was in the living room of his temporary residence in Zeltoble, sitting in a chair while casually discussing something with his Filolial Companion over a cup of tea. His helmet was set on the edge of the coffee table, next to the steaming pot.
But the calm and relaxing atmosphere was harshly brought to an end in a short time when Keel suddenly forced her way into the apartment by flinging the door open with a bang. Anya was quick to enter right after her friend.
"Ah! There you are! I was starting to wonder if I'd have to go topside to find you two-" Motoyasu smiled at the pair as he spoke, not minding their explosive entrance in the slightest. Judging by how out of breath the two of them were, they must have lost track of time while playing in the upper city and ran all the way here to make sure that they wouldn't break curfew-.
"Bubba Spear, we need your help to buy two slaves!" Keel yelled.
…
…
Anya facepalmed at the look of incredulity and confusion that crossed the Spear Hero's face.
Talk about phrasing something poorly.
"I… wha…"
"Did something happen?" Amber asked worriedly.
"Well, several somethings, really… uh, I guess I could have explained a little first." Keel began chuckling nervously while rubbing the back of her neck.
"You think?" Anya deadpanned.
"Hey- no, never mind, I don't have time to be offended by that! Where should I start?!"
The next few minutes went by, with Keel and Anya taking turns to frantically explain what'd happened earlier that day. How the dog girl fought a hakuko teenager named Fohl in her first match. How she taught him a lesson after he thought she was weak.
How Keel proceeded to win the tournament, which Amber looked super happy about. How Keel had then spotted Fohl limping in the street afterward, how she tracked him to a slave shop, and how she'd learned about his predicament as well as his sister's.
"Anyway, I want to buy their freedom, and see if we'd be able to help them out after that or not." Keel finished. "Do you think you could help with that?"
"I…" Motoyasu took another moment to process the dog girl's words. Anya studied the Spear Hero's face intently as he did so.
She wondered how Motoyasu would react. He always disliked buying slaves the most out of all the Heroes. Even to this day, he didn't make use of the Hero Service Crest whatsoever. And it was doubtful that he ever would at this point.
"Alright. Let's go." Motoyasu nodded to himself and stood up.
Keel smiled wide in victory while thrusting her fists up in the air. "YES!"
"Wha- seriously!?" Anya looked at the blonde incredulously. "Aren't you supposed to be the responsible adult here!? I was kind of counting on you talking some sense into her!" The cat girl then pointed her finger at Keel.
"Well..." Motoyasu rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm clearly not as responsible as you thought."
Amber laughed softly at the Spear Hero's words while Anya continued to glare at him in disbelief.
"I guess..." Moto looked around the room and shrugged. "I can understand the feeling, is all. You're not wrong with your reservations about this, Anya. But even if our actions amount to a spit in the bucket in the grand scheme of things, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to pursue what we feel is right whenever we can.
"No good deed is too small to consider. Otherwise, why bother doing anything at all? That's the way I see things at least.
"And since Keel here said we were buying their freedom and not enslaving them, I am all for supporting her."
The Filolial's eyes seemed to shine in excitement and approval at that response and Keel was sharing the enthusiasm too. Anya however...
"Ugh, freaking Heroes." She rolled her eyes and pouted. "Way to make me look like the bad guy here."
"You're not, Anya." Moto knelt and patted the girl on the head with a friendly smile. "Like I already said, your position is the sensible one. But being good isn't always about doing sensible things. And that goes double for us Heroes."
The cat girl blushed slightly and looked away.
"Oh! By the way, Bubba Spear!" Keel suddenly perked up as she remembered something. "Can we stop for food somewhere on the way? We still haven't had dinner."
"Keel… maybe it'd be better if Sir Motoyasu orders food after we free those siblings?" Anya suggested. "That way they'd be able to eat too."
"Eh, but haven't you been complaining about being hungry?" Keel looked at her friend curiously.
"It's… okay. I'm not that hungry." The cat girl huffed, looking off to the side.
…
"Awwww, you do care!" Keel jumped on her friend, embracing her in a big hug with a happy grin on her face.
"Of course I care! It's not like I have a heart of stone! I'm just not a total idiot who wears her heart on her sleeve like you!" Anya complained as she tried to push her friend off.
Motoyasu laughed at the sight, and Amber began to giggle too. "Alright, if that's all then let's head out. We still haven't gotten Sadeena's message yet, so she will probably contact us tomorrow."
"Huh- WAIT, YOU SAW SADEENA-CHAN?!" Keel shrieked as she let go of Anya. "IS SHE THE ONE WHO WROTE THE LETTER!? WHERE IS SHE?! I WANT TO SEE HER TOO!"
"Yeowch! Not so loud!" Motoyasu rubbed his sore eardrums. "It's a long story but I can fill you in on the way."
"ALRIGHT!" Keel jumped up, lifting a fist into the air while her tail wagged happily. "We're saving those tiger siblings, and Sadeena-chan's here too! I'm so hyped!"
Motoyasu chuckled a little. Welp, judging by the girl's reaction, Sadeena had absolutely cleared every single background check with just her name. Now it was just a matter of learning the details of her plan and bringing the last few missing residents of their town back.
First things first though. It was time to see what this whole thing about the hakuko twins was about.
Man, hopefully, Melty wouldn't be too mad if the Spear Hero teleported back a little later than normal tonight.
"Lead the way, Keel." Motoyasu gestured at the dog girl.
It didn't take long for the group to travel topside to the slave shop that Keel and Anya discovered earlier.
Motoyasu told Keel about his encounter with Sadeena on the way, which had the dog girl hanging on his every word. It seemed like she had great respect for the orca woman, and knowing she was still alive, she couldn't wait to bring word back to the town, so all the other kids who'd survived the destruction of their village could share in her excitement!
Fifteen minutes after the party left, they entered the shop through the secret entrance. And Motoyasu made sure to pound his fist on the wall after he entered. "Hey, shop owner! You're not closed for tonight yet, right?!"
Anya was still surprised that Motoyasu came with them to a place like this. At best, she thought he'd give them some money to buy the hakuko siblings with. She never expected he'd volunteer to come along as well.
Maybe it was because it was night and he didn't want them going off on their own. But then, he could have just teleported her and Keel back with him and then let them come here tomorrow.
Maybe it was just because Keel threw this out of nowhere, giving the Spear Hero little time to think things through. Anya never dared to ask, mostly because all her thoughts got thrown out by the figure that appeared at the end of the hallway.
"W-What are you people doing here?! This isn't the shop entrance!" The slave soldier yelled, brandishing his weapon and trying to look intimidating.
"Hey, if I'd wanted to rob this place, I wouldn't have been so loud." Motoyasu held two placating hands up. "Could you call the shopkeeper for us, please? I'm sorry if we used the wrong entrance, but I can promise that we're only here to buy."
"Urgh," The man grimaced. "W-Wait there. I'll see what my boss has to say about this." The man rushed back the way he'd come, leaving the group standing awkwardly in their spot.
"So… what kind of slaver are we dealing with?" Motoyasu asked the two teenagers.
"Uh…" Keel was about to answer when her voice trailed off.
"We… didn't get a good look at him," Anya admitted. "But at the very least, he wasn't treating Keel's opponent like property like most of the slave traders I've been under."
"Yeah, I think he said he wouldn't charge to have his injuries healed either," Keel added. "Though he told Fohl he'd have to wait till tomorrow till he had medicine for his sister ready."
"Hmmm…" Motoyasu put a hand to the chin of his helmet. If this guy was like that, then maybe this exchange might be a bit more bearable than his encounters with Beloukas.
Though, literally ANYONE would be more bearable than that masochistic dwarf.
"Hihihi, looks like you could use some help, good sir."
An… oddly familiar voice sounded from the dark tunnel ahead. Looking up, the group saw the slave soldier from before approaching. However, he wasn't the one who'd spoken. Beads of sweat were running down his face, but he was silent.
"Yes, you see, we are-" Motoyasu began to say.
And then the slave shop owner stepped into the torchlight.
Motoyasu's words were immediately cut off, and it was a good thing that his helmet's vizor was down because he couldn't have looked more surprised at that moment.
"Huh?" Amber tilted her head in confusion.
"EHHHHHHHH!?" Keel screamed.
"B-Beloukas?" Anya asked.
Yes, the dwarf standing in front of the group looked like the spitting image of the slave merchant in Melromarc. Perhaps a little more wrinkled around the eyes, and the frames of his glasses were a gold color. But for all intents and purposes, he looked exactly the same, including his extravagant outfit.
"Beloukas? Ah, so you know my nephew? Wonderful! Are you from Melromarc then? How's the ol' boy doing there these days?!" Beloukas' uncle, as it turned out that was who he was, smiled in delight while clapping his hands together.
"I… I… wha…" Motoyasu stammered. He was this close to grabbing the sides of his helmet and falling to his knees.
He hadn't gotten himself psychologically prepared for this, I say! It was going to be even worse than last time!
He was about to run away screaming in terror at the masochistic dwarf that'd appeared straight out of his nightmares when Amber spoke up. "Are… are you related to Creepy Dwarf Guy from back home, by any chance?" She asked.
"Hmmm, creepy dwarf guy does sound like him. Then again, most of our family members tend to share this unique appearance. Hihihi!" The short man began laughing to himself again. Even his laugh sounded similar to his nephew's. "The name's Deloukas, uncle of Beloukas, a pleasure to meet you, good sir and ladies!"
Motoyasu looked at the slave soldier escorting his boss, who was sweating buckets again now that he was before the group.
Perhaps it wasn't because he was scared of them… but rather because he had to be in close proximity to his weird, creepy boss because of them.
…
Man, Motoyasu felt so sorry for barging in like this at that moment. What a nightmare this was for both of them.
"Ah, I see, I see…"
The group was now sitting in Deloukas' office.
Motoyasu would rather not cover what happened to bring them here. It was a blessing that he hadn't been conscious for most of it. Running away or portaling out had crossed his mind more than a few times while he was actually lucid.
Like right now.
Honestly, if it hadn't been for Amber's silent support, or the glares Keel and Anya gave Moto whenever he was close to losing it, he would have run out of there. Why had he promised to support their good deeds again?
"So this girl here is the buyer, and not you, good sir?" The man asked Motoyasu curiously.
"Yep, I have five gold coins at the ready!" Keel announced excitedly while showing off her winnings that day from the arena in one hand.
Anya facepalmed against the wall behind her.
"Wonderful! And what are you in the market for today, young lady? A handmaiden? A bodyguard perhaps?" The man asked her this time.
"I want to buy your two hakuko siblings!" Keel pressed on.
Anya facepalmed against the back wall even harder this time. Why was her friend so honest and straightforward?! Did she know nothing about interacting with other people?!
"I… see…" The Slave Merchant's smile faltered slightly. "I understand how you'd know about young Fohl. But knowledge of his sister is not exactly public. Was he the one who told you about her?"
…
You'd think at this point, the dog girl would wise up and tell a half-truth or a lie to avoid causing any trouble.
"Nah, we saw her when me and my friend snuck into your shop earlier today," Keel admitted with the tact and finesse of a rampaging elephantman.
Yeah, you'd be wrong.
"Keel, you can be a bit less blatant with your words, you know!" Anya grabbed the dog girl by the folds of her maid outfit, shaking her up and down in her chair.
"Ehhhhhh!? But Anya, we want to buy them both, don't we?! Isn't honesty the best policy in this scenario!?" Keel asked in confusion.
Deloukas chuckled at the sight. Even hearing that brought a cold shiver down Motoyasu's spine. "Usually, yes. But sometimes, one can be too honest when dealing with others."
…
"Fortunately, I don't mind whatsoever, since you didn't steal anything, and even came back to purchase some of my stock!" Deloukas exclaimed happily. "I'll need to have my secret entrance modified since you were able to sneak in there, but oh well. That's the price of doing business."
The group released a collective breath.
"Though, if you want to buy both hakuko siblings together, I'm afraid that'll cost you more than five gold coins." The man then said, turning his gaze to the dog girl again.
"H-How much are we talking here?" Keel asked nervously.
"Hmmm…" The slave merchant thought it out in his head for a moment. "Young Fohl is level 30 but is an extremely capable martial artist. He gives me a portion of his winnings, which I would be losing out on if I sold him. On top of that, he is a hakuko, one of Siltvelt's four elite races. As is his sister."
"Yeah, but last I saw, his younger sister isn't going to be of much use in her current state," Anya spoke. "It's going to cost us a lot to heal her."
"Indeed, if you can heal her, that is," Deloukas shifted in his seat slightly to lean back in his chair and fold his hands together on the table in front of him. "Since you were honest earlier, young lady, allow me to offer some honesty in return." Deloukas' signature smile disappeared completely at that point.
"Young Atla's disease is something that she was born with, from what I understand. And it's only gotten worse in recent years.
"I am not a doctor myself, but the ones whom I asked to examine her after she came into my possession all stated the same thing. It's highly unlikely that she can be cured at this stage. Not with any regular treatments anyways. You'd need to spend quite a lot just to keep her alive. And even then, she won't last till the end of the year at this rate. Though, if by some miracle you did find a way to cure her, you'd likely earn young Fohl's undying loyalty." The merchant gave a knowing smile in Motoyasu's direction.
"What are you implying?" Motoyasu asked.
"Simply this: I have spent quite a bit of my own money to keep that girl alive. A part of which young Fohl has paid back through his winnings." The merchant's face became serious once more. This whole scenario was quite a shock for them to see since Beloukas never looked serious.
"I am a merchant in my family that deals with more… exotic slaves, compared to others. However, I do try to run an honest business. And as I've taught the others when learning the trade, one cannot make money if they can't even keep the slaves entrusted to them alive.
"I have been supplementing the young Fohl's efforts to keep his young sister alive since the pair came under my care. She has been more valuable to me alive than dead since her living inspires her older brother to keep fighting.
"However, as Hickwaal has most likely already informed you, the state of affairs in this place has been growing steadily worse as of late. Medicine is becoming more and more expensive with the high demand brought by the Waves. On top of that, the young Fohl's situation in the arenas is becoming more… precarious."
"You know Hickwaal?" The blonde interrupted.
"Indeed, I do, Sir Spear Hero!" The man grinned.
As soon as the words left the slaver's mouth, Motoyasu stood up and brandished his weapon before pointing it directly at the merchant's throat. Amber, Keel, and Anya didn't waste a second in assuming combat stances either. The bodyguard from earlier whipped out his spear and got ready to fight for his master as well.
However, Deloukas didn't even flinch and simply raised his hand in the direction of his bodyguard, gesturing him to stand down. His smile only seemed to grow in response to the group's reactions. "What delightful expressions you wear. It makes my skin crawl, it does! So thrilling! But before you separate my head from my body, would you allow me to explain myself?"
No one responded to the question, but since no one was in the process of decapitating him yet either, Deloukas continued to speak.
"You see, I do keep correspondence with other members of my family, good sir. Mostly for business reasons, but in the case of Beloukas, the two of us have had to work closely a lot as of late, due to the ongoing special order placed by the Hero Nation. I am sure you know what I am talking about. Who knew what an ugly affair rounding up slaves from Lurolona would end up spiraling into though."
"Wait... so you are his business partner here in Zeltoble?" Motoyasu's grip on his spear's shaft faltered slightly, but he didn't dare to lower it yet.
"An obvious conclusion, is it not, good sir? Hihihi." Deloukas slowly raised his hand and tipped his hat's brim in response. "I will not bore you with the technical details, but my nephew had informed me in his latest message that one of the four Heroes would likely be visiting the country soon."
"And you figured out who we are based on just that?" Unlike Moto, Anya's eyes were still unwavering and the shadowy claw-shaped constructs in her hands were ready to gore the creepy dwarf at a moment's notice.
"Not at all. Just that alone wouldn't be enough." Deloukas grinned widely. "But word travels fast around these parts, even with Hickwaal trying to keep the flow of information on the down low. A new gladiator showing up out of nowhere and dominating in his fights right out of the gate? And he was apparently accompanied by several demihumans who curiously seemed to speak Melromarcian with no accent.
"That is more uncommon than you might think. In fact, it's one of the core ways to identify a true Lurolona slave. The only other demihumans who speak that language are either diplomats or merchants."
"So you just put two and two together, huh?" Keel cocked her head to the side, having long since abandoned the notion to keep her guard up near the creepy dwarf.
"Precisely, young lady!" Deloukas clapped his hands in delight. "And the last clue that gave it away was this exotic-looking Spear with the red gemstone set in it. Oh, and before you ask, don't worry about Hickwaal selling you out either. When I first heard about him becoming Sir Bubba's sponsor, I tried to prod him for information but he feigned complete ignorance, despite us being long-time business associates. So rude! Hihihihi."
"It's… a naginata, not a spear." Motoyasu frowned. "So the two of you know each other, huh?"
The Spear Hero put his weapon away and set his chair up again before taking a seat.
Oh yes! Hickwaal and I go way back!" The merchant twirled his mustache as his grin grew even wider.
Anya, though looking uncertain, canceled her magic as she sat down. Keel also happily plopped herself back down in her seat.
"... is everyone going to learn who I am?" Motoyasu sighed.
"Not likely. I'm just fortunate to have the right connections, good sir." Deloukas laughed in delight.
"I see…" Motoyasu finally started to put all the deadly thoughts that had entered his mind back into the box containing them.
Not that he would have pulled them out anyway, as he didn't want to find out if Beloukas' Uncle had a masochistic streak in him as big as his nephew's.
"Now, back on topic. Since I'm assuming you listened in on our conversation earlier, you already know the young Fohl's predicament, correct?" The merchant asked Keel this time.
"I… think so?" Anya tilted her head while she thought back. "It was something about him having to throw his matches, right? Why are you ordering him to do that?"
"Oh, I am not ordering him to do any such thing, young lady. It is his sponsor who does." Deloukas shook his head.
"Wait, but aren't you supposed to be his sponsor?" Keel narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"Oh, no, no, no! I am just the young Fohl's coach! Allow me to explain.
"You see, in this city, when it comes to pit fighting, there is a certain particular group of people who make a game out of it. They see gladiators as... let's say 'collectibles' of sorts?
"Yes, that's the word I'll use! Hihihi! Being the owner of a high-ranked gladiator is another form of social clout in here, you see? But not everyone can afford a powerful gladiator. And even among those who can, they see the act of simply purchasing a prize-winning horse as boring and unsatisfactory. So instead, those rich and influential patrons are always on the lookout for new talent, so they can train and grow themselves their own high-ranked and prize-winning gladiator.
"But some of these 'sponsors' are so lazy that they don't even want to dedicate the time and effort necessary to train their fighters. And that's where people like me come in. By sharing ownership of the slave's seal, they can simply let an expert like myself raise their slave gladiator for them! If the slave fails and doesn't get far, then they are simply discarded and sold. And if they succeed, the sponsors can take all the credit and prestige over their gladiator's achievements."
"That still doesn't explain why his sponsor is demanding him to lose." Motoyasu pointed out.
"Ah, about that..." Deloukas' smile faltered again. "Fohl's sponsor has been struggling financially as of late, due to his... gambling habits. So he is using the boy in several scams.
"He takes money from other sponsors who want to see their gladiators rise in rank at Fohl's expense and he agrees to fix the fights against Fohl in their favor. He then uses this money to place large bets against the young tiger through proxies to multiply it. Old schemes that are par of the course here in the under city.
"So to keep his sponsor happy, Fohl has to throw some of his matches against random opponents so they get more betting money from the crowds. To keep the boy quiet and content, the sponsor offers him a small cut, though not as large as what Fohl would get if he won.
"Only, he has been told to throw more of his matches as of late. I am not being given as much time to train and level him as before. On top of that, the prize money he does win as well as the cut he gets from thrown matches has been decreasing more and more in recent weeks. Then, of course, you have days like today, where he was placed in a match against a strong classed-up opponent when he is let off the chain, so to speak."
"Does that matter though? It's not like they knew I was that strong or something." Keel replied.
"It does matter because as I stated earlier, Fohl is only level 30." The merchant said in his serious tone again. "He might be a hakuko and a good fighter at that, but his first opponent was a classed-up individual, whose level was probably listed to be at almost twice his own. The individual who had the highest level in his bracket, to be specific."
"..." Keel looked confused, but Anya's eyes widened.
"You mean, they wanted him to lose on purpose?" The cat girl asked.
"After delving into what I could access myself after he came back earlier, that's what I'm leaning towards." Deloukas shrugged. "I am sure his sponsor made a lot of money by betting against Fohl today as well, and the young man didn't get to see a single Zeni of it.
...
"Hold on a second, shouldn't this all mean that you can't sell him and his sister? Since you're only his coach instead of his owner?" Motoyasu asked.
"Not legally, no." Deloukas began to chuckle again.
He… reminded the Spear Hero too much of Beloukas. Except, in some ways, he seemed more weathered, and even more… human, for lack of a better term.
"What's your price?" Motoyasu asked.
"Sixty gold coins," Beloukas stated.
Both Anya and Keel's eyes widened, and the disguised Spear Hero took a deep breath.
"Any room for negotiating that price down?" He asked.
"Afraid not, good sir." Deloukas shook his head. "I am normally very open to bartering, but in this instance, you are asking me to do something quite uncalled for in this city. The laws here are more flexible compared to most places, but any fraud involving the slave trade is punished very harshly.
"Not to mention, I am certain I have already gone in-depth about my sunk costs in regards to the pair. So the risk I'm taking on has to match the reward, does it not? If you weren't one of the Cardinal Heroes, we wouldn't be having this conversation at all."
...
...
"Keel, you said you wanted to free them, right?" Motoyasu asked the dog girl.
"Y-Yes." Keel stammered. Even she was aware that that was a lot of money. She could fish off the coast of Lurolona her whole life and not make enough to pay off a debt like that. Maybe if she managed to win another eleven or so tournaments, she'd be able to pay it that way.
That would include a lot more fighting, and it'd only get harder the more she won…
Even with those doubts racing through her mind, she steeled her voice. "If that's what it takes, then fine." She gave Motoyasu her five gold coins.
"..." Motoyasu nodded his head and looked to Deloukas. "You have yourself a deal, Mr. Merchant." He pulled a pouch from his belt, took out some gold coins there, and put them on the table.
Some of them were what he'd won after fighting underground. The rest was what he'd gotten from Naofumi before he left for the Otherworld.
It meant he wouldn't be able to buy as many Filolial eggs later on. But it was a small price to pay to see the look of shock and gratitude on the dog girl's face, which then bunched up in determination. "Bubba, I swear that I'll pay off this debt to you in the future!"
"You don't have to pay me anything, Keel. I'm just doing a good deed, same as you." Motoyasu quickly rebutted.
"..." Without stating a single word, Anya put the gold coin she'd won on top of the pile.
"Eh?" Keel looked at her confusedly.
"Can you please stop thinking I have a heart of stone…" Anya sighed while shaking in embarrassment.
Deloukas laughed in delight. "Ah, I didn't think you'd have all the money on hand."
"Does that mean you're not selling them?!" Motoyasu asked in a threatening voice.
Too late. A shiver went through the other merchant's body, and Motoyasu nearly had a stroke as he thought he'd activated the merchant's trap card.
"Hihihi, I'd be a bad businessman if I said no, good sir." The merchant smiled. "Also, please say that threat with my name at the end. I haven't felt this good in months!"
"Absolutely not." Motoyasu recoiled in disgust.
"Hihihihihihi!"
Yep, deep down, Deloukas was just as weird as his nephew. Hopefully, this would be the only time Motoyasu would have to interact with him.
"Young Fohl, get up."
"Urgh, what is it? More training?" The tiger boy stirred from his troubled slumber.
"No, you and your sister just got purchased. Now get up already, your new friends are waiting." Deloukas said with a grin.
"What, what are you…" Fohl was speaking groggily as he turned towards the cell bars.
His eyes widened.
Keel stood awkwardly in the entrance, holding a hand behind her back. "Hey, uh… long time no see?" She offered.
…
Fohl's reaction… wasn't that surprising, to be honest.
"What…? YOU?!" Fohl leaped to his feet and charged at the dog girl on all fours. "GET THE HELL OUT-"
Bonk!
Just as he was jumping for her throat, Keel karate-chopped the middle of his head with her hand. The tiger boy fell to the ground, gripping his hair while rolling around in pain. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"
"S-Sorry. I didn't mean to make that hurt so much." Keel quickly apologized. "Um, Bubba, could you use one of your healing spells on him please?"
"You sure that'd be wise?" Motoyasu said, one of his eyebrows raised. "Like, I want to, but he also just… you know, attacked you on sight."
"Yeah, maybe let's have him calm down for a moment before we do anything," Anya suggested.
The tiger boy continued rolling around for a good ten seconds before the pain in his head finally started to abate.
Fohl was rubbing his temple as he sat up, but he glared distrustfully at Keel and those with her.
"Fohl, I'd like you to meet the individual who's purchased you and your sister. I'm pretty sure you already know her." Deloukas said, having to hold back a laugh.
"I refuse! I'm not serving under this freak!" Fohl harrumphed and turned around, crossing his arms.
"Excuse me?!" Keel said, looking offended. "I'm standing right here, you know!"
"I don't care! Go away! I'm not going anywhere!" Fohl yelled without turning around.
"But I already bought you and your sister!" Keel complained. "Well, I guess technically, Bubba here gave me most of the money, and Anya contributed too… well, either way, you're no longer under Deloukas here! So I'm bringing you both with me!"
"I don't care what you did, you can go shove it up your- WAIT, YOU SOLD ATLA TO HER TOO!? DON'T YOU KNOW THAT SHE CAN'T BE MOVED?!" Fohl rounded again, his face enraged with realization as he faced Deloukas this time.
"Yes, believe it or not, this girl bought both you and her. She even paid off the debt you owed to me." Deloukas grinned. "In a way, you could say you're now indebted to her."
"But… but… YOU CAN'T DO THAT! WHAT ABOUT MY SPONSOR?! WAIT, DID HE DECIDE TO SELL US OFF-" Fohl started to screech again.
"Mmmm, Big Brother?" The boy's younger sister whimpered as she started to wake up from all the noise.
"A-Atla!" Fohl immediately got up and rushed to the girl's side.
"Wh… Who's here, Big Brother?" Atla asked weakly.
"Nobody important! I-" Fohl suddenly realized how loud he was being, and began to speak in a more quiet voice. "Just go back to sleep. You need to rest."
The girl opened her mouth but began to cough violently as she had earlier.
"Atla!" Fohl grabbed her by the shoulders, keeping her body from moving during her violent fit.
Motoyasu's eyebrows scrunched up in worry. He took his helmet off as he walked past Keel into the cell.
"S-Stay back! Don't you dare touch her!" Fohl, seeing the disguised Spear Hero enter out of the corner of his vision, turned to bear his fangs at him.
Motoyasu paused. Fohl saw as the mystery man's orange eyes looked him up and down, before settling on the girl behind him. "If you or your friends even try to lay a finger on her, then-" Fohl started to speak again.
"What sickness does she have?" Motoyasu asked in a curt tone.
"... W-Why should I tell you-" Fohl started to sputter at the unexpected question.
"Because I want to try to heal her," Motoyasu spoke. To showcase, he took his naginata off his back, pulled off one of his gauntlets, and then cut his hand on the end of the blade.
He gritted his teeth as Fohl stared, but then he muttered a familiar chant under his breath. "Drifa Healing Warmth." An orange glow surrounded his hand, and the cut healed in a matter of seconds.
"..." This time, Fohl remained silent.
"I'm… not as good as a certain friend of mine, but I do know some powerful healing magic. And I have powerful medicines on hand as well. If you allow me, I'll do my best to help your younger sister out. But I will respect it if you don't want to receive help from a stranger." Motoyasu said.
"What... what's your angle? What are you trying to achieve here?" Fohl was frowning this time, but he wasn't looking at them with outright hostility anymore, at the very least.
"Big Brother…"
Fohl looked back at his younger sister, and his body began to tremble. "I… I can take care of her myself… I can…"
"We're not here to rip you two apart." Amber walked up next to Motoyasu, smiling gently at the hakuko boy. "We're here because we want to help."
"Yeah…" Keel began to rub the back of her neck. "And I really wanted to apologize for getting off on the wrong foot since, well… I didn't know you were fighting to keep your sister alive.
"So… can you please let Bubba help?" The dog girl asked.
…
…
Atla coughed again as Fohl fought some internal conflict inside his mind. The sound of her coughing brought pain to his face, and he turned away, exerting a great force of will to get the words out of his throat.
"D-Don't come close! I-If you so much as touch her, I'll rip your head off!"
"I won't touch her then, I promise," Motoyasu said as he walked past him.
"I said- GAHHH!" Fohl tried to lunge at Moto's exposed back only for the slave seal on his chest to flare to life, causing him to fall on the dirty ground of his cell and start to wildly convulse.
"My apologies, young Fohl." The slave merchant's gloved hand shone with a similarly tinted purple light as the seal on the hakuko's chest. "But you must stay down for a moment."
"No- I- ARGHH! DON'T TOUCH HER! ATLA! ATLA!" The hakuko screamed in desperation while trying to crawl towards his sister through the pain.
"Hold him down and cover his mouth," Deloukas ordered his guard curtly and the tall brutish man obliged, pushing Fohl against the ground before using the leather sheath on his side to cover the boy's mouth.
"MMF! MMMMPH!"
"Big...brother...? What is... what is happening?" The bandaged girl stirred again, only to enter another violent coughing fit.
Motoyasu swallowed hard, took another step forward, and knelt next to the bandaged girl without looking back at Fohl's struggling form. Focusing on her, he was finally able to see how her whole body was bandaged from head to toe. With only her mouth and nose visible.
'Skin condition. Unless it's to keep her warm. Perhaps both.' Motoyasu frowned at the thought that entered his mind.
Atla coughed weakly again, but then, suddenly, her head turned in his direction.
"Who… who are you?" She asked quietly. "I don't recognize you."
Strange, her eyes were covered with bandages. He would have guessed smell or hearing, but she spoke as if she could see him.
...
Motoyasu didn't respond to her inquiry at first. Instead, he chanted under his breath, holding his hands over the sickly girl as he prepared his best healing spell.
"Drifa Healing Fire."
A soft, orange glow surrounded the tiger girl's body.
To Motoyasu's dismay, her health bar didn't change at all on his HUD. Most of it remained greyed out, with what little she had remaining not shifting on his HUD. Besides the pain easing a little on the visible parts of her face, the powerful healing spell didn't do anything to heal Atla's body.
This must have been a very serious sickness. Even worse than the one Granny had recently.
The Spear Hero broke his promise to Fohl, resting a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. Even through the bandages, he could feel how cold she was. He was surprised that the girl was somehow still alive.
"Mmmm! Mmmmm!"
Fohl continued to struggle in the back, hot tears streaking down the sides of his face as his muffled screaming reverberated through the cell.
"Your aura… it feels warm, like a campfire," Atla spoke in a pained, yet gentle voice. "It's similar to the girl next to you."
"Hmmm?" Motoyasu looked to his side and saw Amber standing next to him. She'd also tried using a healing spell, but it'd had as little effect as his own. She'd been so silent that he hadn't even noticed her.
"Aura?" He asked the tiger girl curiously.
"I… I've been blind ever since I was born…" Atla slowly explained. "But… I can see… auras of people around me…"
"You… have a very kind aura, one that has experienced a lot of pain in his life, and yet, you still show those around you kindness… just like… that girl in the back…"
…
"I'd… I'd like to ask for your names, before I die, if that's okay…" Atla coughed softly at the end.
"Mmmm... mmmm..." Looking back again, Motoyasu saw that Fohl wasn't trying to get up anymore. Instead, his head was buried in the straw on the floor, his body shaking as he sobbed.
"Is that ok?" Atla asked again, making the disguised Spear Hero turn to look down at her again. This time, he had a smile on his face.
"The name's Motoyasu, and not to worry. I'm not going to let you die." Motoyasu put a hand next to his Spear's gem. Giving a nod to his royal companion before taking something out. "Not if I have anything to say about it, at least."
This was the only one he'd autocrafted so far, but it appeared he was already going to be putting this medicine to good use.
Yggdrasil's Elixir
Quality: Average
The Spear Hero uncorked the surprisingly small vial, bringing the tip up to the girl's lips without much fanfare. "Drink this. I promise you'll feel a lot better afterward."
The tiger girl obediently did as instructed. Opening her mouth and swallowing the surprisingly good-tasting medicine.
A notification appeared on Motoyasu's HUD, indicating that his Medicine Spear as well as a couple of other spears related to it were boosting the efficacy of the Yggdrasil's Elixir. Atla's body began to glow below him.
"H-Hmm?" Fohl looked up from the ground, his eyes wide in surprise at the strange light emanating from his sister.
"Well now…! Is that…?" The Slave Merchant's eyebrows arched up, an intrigued look appeared on his face.
"Is it normal for her to be glowing like that?" Keel asked out loud curiously.
"Why should I know?" Anya rebutted.
"You certainly act like you know everything half the time." Keel shrugged but continued to watch the scene unfold while Anya restrained herself from smacking her friend upside the head.
...
When the vial was half-full, Motoyasu pulled the medicine back from the tiger girl's lips. He wasn't sure why, but it was almost like someone was whispering to him that he needed to administer this medicine to her in doses, so the tiger girl's body would have time to adjust and heal so she could live a healthy, prolonged, fulfilling life.
He wasn't sure why, but if she'd suffered from this disease since the day she'd been born, then that could be a good indication that it was a genetic disease. Which meant the damage extended down to the molecular level. It was not something that could be healed all at once, and likely not even completely, but it'd be possible to give her life back this way.
…
Where did all that medical knowledge just come from? Motoyasu certainly hadn't studied much in regard to medicine before he died in his old world.
He then recalled unlocking a line of Spears with equip bonuses called Medical Knowledge I, II, III at one point. But could that explain his thought process there?
Either way, Atla looked considerably better than before, with the blood being cleaned from her lips, and her breathing sounding far more relaxed. The visible skin on her face was still pale, but there was a bit of color to it now. On his HUD, Motoyasu could see that the girl's health bar visibly improved by a small fraction. However, the rest of it was still greyed out.
Indeed, not all the damage was fixed, but she was out of immediate danger for now. But just to make sure.
"How are you feeling?" Motoyasu asked, resting a hand on the girl's forehead to check her temperature again. This time, she felt warm to the touch.
"I… the pain… it's…" The girl sounded shocked. Her voice, which had sounded so weak and broken earlier, now had some life and strength to it.
Deloukas nodded at his guard and he released the hakuko boy in response. He was still grinning wildly like a madman.
"A-Atla?" Fohl crawled over opposite his sister, sounding just as shocked by the sound of her voice.
…
It took a few seconds for the tiger girl to process what she was experiencing right now. But when she finally realized it, the edges of her bandages over her eyes began to wetten.
"It's… it's gone. Big Brother... The pain deep inside me… the pain that's never gone away entirely, I... I can't feel it anymore."
"It's gone, Big Brother. The pain's gone!"
"A-A…!" Fohl stuttered, speechless at the admission from his younger sister.
"B-Big Brother," Atla said, this time in a tone that showed she was crying. How long had it been since she could speak like this? Be able to feel and express something other than that deep, constant, all-encompassing pain.
Fohl grabbed her hands, which she gripped in return. He gasped at the strength of her grip, at the fact that she was able to grip his hands at all; and then, he began to openly sob in front of everyone there as he hugged his sister tight. "Atla! Atlaaaaaaa!"
…
…
"I'm… not sure if she's cured or not," Motoyasu admitted to the pair of young hakuko. "I'm not a doctor like my brother, but I can tell the medicine I gave her didn't heal all the damage.
"I think I'll need to give her several more doses over the coming weeks. Give her body time to heal naturally in between each one. I'm not sure what she'll be able to do after that point, but there'll be the possibility of her being able to live a full and happy life. But I'll only be able to do that if you both come along with us.
"Would that be okay with you?"
Fohl didn't respond to his question, however. He was now holding his sister's hands to his face, still sobbing in relief and saying his younger sister's name over and over again.
It'd been so long since anything like this had happened to her. He was too happy to speak any words.
No more did he have to sleep at night, fearing that when he woke up, she'd be gone. No more did he have to fear her passing away all alone while he was out winning money for her medicine. Years and years of caring for her after losing everything…
He didn't know if the nightmare was over or not yet, but Atla was at least given more time. And that was more than the two of them could have ever asked for.
"... Blondie, how about we give them some space?" Amber suggested.
Motoyasu smiled, putting his helmet back on his head. "Sure. Come on, everyone. Let's give them a moment." Motoyasu walked out the cell door.
"Hmmm, that was Yggdrasil's Elixir you used on the girl, wasn't it?" Deloukas asked as Motoyasu walked past. "That'd be worth quite a lot in the hands of nobles, you know?"
"I guess." Motoyasu shrugged. "But I think it's better to use it to improve the lives of people around me than having it gather dust in some nobleman's emergency medicine cabinet. Wouldn't you agree?"
"... I do." Deloukas began to grin again. "I can see why my nephew talks so highly about you Heroes. Beloukas really lucked out, getting to meet you all first."
"If only I hadn't met him or you." Motoyasu sighed.
The short man laughed as they left the cell to give the hakuko twins a moment to recover.
"Well then, now that that's settled, the only thing left to do is to remove their seals and have you teleport them back to your home," Deloukas announced a few minutes later, once the sound of Fohl's sobbing had died down to a more bearable level. "Knowing who you are, I trust you have some slave seal dissolvant on hand?"
"We sure do!" Keel took out two slave seal erasure potions from her pockets.
"Hmmmm…" Deloukas looked briefly surprised at the girl's readiness, but then, he began to grin widely. "Of course, what else would I expect from the Hero's Nation, good sirs! Hihihihi!"
"Just have to ask, are those low-tier crests that they have, or are they..." As Keel was about to ask, Deloukas pricked the edge of his finger, dripping a drop of his blood into both vials.
"There we go, that should do it. Luckily, you only need blood from one of those registered to these higher-tier crests. Hihihihi!" Deloukas laughed in delight.
"Nice!" After shaking the vials around, Keel walked up to the tiger siblings in their cell, interrupting the rest of their emotional moment so she could pour the potions over their slave crests.
The slave crests glowed brightly, before vanishing from sight. The words Contract Terminated appeared on Deloukas' HUD. "Excellent, most excellent indeed!" The short man cackled even more in delight.
"Now, as I said earlier, I'd make use of Sir Spear Hero's portal skill and take these two to your home in the next few minutes, if I were you."
"What do you…?" The look on Motoyasu's face was palpable. "Ohhhh... right, the sponsor. Wait, what's going to happen now?" He asked.
Deloukas smiled conspiratorially. "The man will likely be here within the next few minutes to question me about why the slave contracts were both terminated at the same time."
"And what are you going to tell him?" Motoyasu asked warily.
"That I was robbed of course! Hihihihi! So you better hurry, before I 'catch you in the act' so to speak!" Deloukas laughed.
Yeah… Motoyasu hoped he'd never see the creepy dwarf again.
"I say, I hope I'll be able to do more business with you in the future, Spear Hero!"
Motoyasu definitely didn't want to see him ever again, I say.
The Spear Hero sent party requests to Fohl and Atla. The boy seemed confused about the party request, as he'd barely paid attention to what'd been happening since he'd been so busy crying from happiness and relief. "Eh, what's this for?"
"Just accept it, we're leaving now," Anya told him in a blunt voice.
"Eh?" Confused, but still feeling good, the tiger boy did so.
Atla also accepted the request on her HUD. She could not see in real life, but she could see her HUD thanks to Status Magic. Where she was able to read what was in front of her.
The full name of her savior…
Motoyasu Kitamura
"Motoyasu Kitamura…" She said out loud, trying the name on her tongue.
...
She was going to make sure she would remember that name for the rest of her life. As well as the image of that kind, troubled aura that surrounded him.
"Alright, Portal Spear!" Motoyasu yelled.
"What the heck- WHAT IS THIS LIGHT!?" Fohl yelled in shock as his surroundings began to glow.
"Ehehe, prepare yourselves! The first time usually feels a little nauseous!" Keel laughed in delight as the bright light of Motoyasu's skill surrounded them.
"What's happening, I don't understand- AHHHHHH!" Fohl screamed in terror.
And then, they all vanished from the room. It and the hallway looked considerably darker after the brightness of Motoyasu's teleport skill faded away.
…
…
"Uh… sir? This is one of those things I'm not allowed to talk about, right?" The slave soldier in the room asked.
"I'll, of course, give you double rations for the next two weeks, if you'll not mention this to Fohl's former sponsor when he arrives," Deloukas said.
"... griffon meat." The slave soldier pushed.
"Cheeky, aren't you?" Deloukas laughed. "Fine, griffon meat it is."
"Nice." The man sighed with relief. He and the others were already well fed under Deloukas, but a little treat never hurt anybody.
Not like he cared much for that &^%$#$& in charge of Fohl anyway. The tiger boy was a good kid, and the guard respected the hard work he'd put in to keep his sister alive.
He hoped wherever the Spear Hero was now, that he'd help to completely screw that guy, as well as those greedy City Council Members in charge of the city before his business here was done.
"Hihihihi!" The slave soldier shuddered as Deloukas prepared to receive his next 'guest'.
If only his boss weren't so creepy with that laugh of his.
Author's Notes:
Believe it or not, this is another instance of me cutting a chapter in half again because of length, but also because this first part is just, so freaking, GOOD! DAMN I LOVE THIS!
Ahem, needless to say, I'm happy to add Fohl and Atla to the roster as well. I love their anime portrayals, but I also love their LN/Manga portrayals as well. We'll just have to see how they develop down the road.
See you all again soon!
Hero Clips!
The True Pokemon Reference
"Hihihihi! It's been a while, nephew!"
"Hmhmhm! Indeed, it has, uncle!"
The two family members embraced while Motoyasu sweated nervously in the background.
Goddamnit, why couldn't Naofumi have been the one to be here for this?! Or Itsuki! Surely the little prick could have handled this torture on his older brother's behalf!
He'd mention Ren, but… the Spear Hero wasn't that cruel, unfortunately.
"Wow, you really can't tell them apart." Keel looked the two over closely.
"I'm just trying to figure out why the omake is titled 'The True Pokemon Reference' to be honest." Anya, who stood next to her, was looking up above at something only she could see.
"Eh?!" Fohl screamed in confusion once again. Was this where that bright light had taken them too?! Was he dead right now?!
"Quiet, no one wants to hear your idiot murmuring, Big Brother," Atla said in a deadpan.
Ahhhh, nice. There was the light novel girl we'd been missing! High five!
"Thanks, narrator. I can't wait to see what you have in store for me." Atla smiled in acknowledgment of the text above her head as she held her hand up.
A breeze of wind came over in the shape of a small hand. Atla high-fived it perfectly before it dissipated to nothingness.
"EHHHHHHHH!?" Fohl screeched in confusion again.
Man, these two were going to need their own omake later on. Hopefully, it'd happen after Atla was all healed up so she could kick her brother's &^% around just like in canon.
"So, um, you mentioned earlier that all the members of your family look alike?" Motoyasu asked the two dwarfs. He didn't know why he was the one asking, maybe he just wanted to get this omake/torture back on track and over with so he could return to the story?
"Yes! Believe it or not, all the male members in my family look the same!" Deloukas explained as he and Beloukas parted, revealing several sets of red curtains behind them. "Behold!"
The first set of curtains parted, revealing another dwarf man, identical to the other two in everything except the feather and plumes of his outfit being a gold color. "The name's Feloukas! Older brother of Beloukas! Based in the Capital of Faubley, a pleasure to meet you, good sir! Fufufufufu!" The man chuckled creepily at the end.
Another strange chill went down Motoyasu's spine. He really was the same as his counterparts!
The meaning behind the title of today's omake only made the Spear Hero feel more nauseous as the next sets of curtains parted, revealing more Beloukases who varied only slightly in outfit as well as naming.
"The name's Celoukas, younger brother of Beloukas. Based outside the largest city in Shieldfreeden! Pleased to make your acquaintance! Hohohohoho!"
"I'm Seloukas, father of Beloukas! Formerly based in Sworn, but was part of the group that escaped the city's destruction thanks to the Holy Heroes! A pleasure to meet ya! Huhuhuhuhu! I do hope you won't mind it being a while before I have stock to sell again!"
"Geloukas, nephew of Beloukas. I lived in the Spirit Tortoise Country… thanks again for saving my life, Spear Hero. Hehe." The boy, who looked just like his uncle and his uncle's uncle, fidgeted in embarrassment on the spot. He tried to pose in a cutesy manner.
NO! WHY DID SAVING A CITY HAVE TO SAVE ONE OF THESE CREEPY MASOCHISTIC DWARFS!? &^%$!
There were a few more after that which Motoyasu didn't pay attention to as he tried to recover from the psychological damage that copy of Beloukas in particular had inflicted with his words. But as the last curtain opened, he focused again and was… immediately confused.
The guy was the spitting image of Beloukas. Motoyasu could not spot any differences between him and the original whatsoever. Not even with his outfit.
"Is… is that your twin brother by chance, Beloukas?" Motoyasu asked.
"No, he's the result of my aunt marrying a cat demi-human in Siltvelt." Beloukas shrugged. "You could say we're cousins."
Before Motoyasu could ask, the dwarf took the hat off his head, and a small pair of cat ears sprang up from his hair as he bowed.
"Nyahloukas." He said in the creepiest voice ever spoken. "I look forward to working with you in the future, nyahhahaha."
…
…
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Yep, Motoyasu lost it after that. He ran away, screaming in horror as his mind was forever traumatized from what had just happened.
"Honestly, the creepiest thing about this is how they're even able to find someone to procreate with… multiple times." Anya shuddered. Not to mention, Beloukas had an aunt and a sister?
What would the females in their family even look like?!
"Wasn't he going to explain why this is a Pokemon reference though?" Keel asked, looking unperturbed by the different Beloukases there.
"I think our narrator friend can do that for him," Atla smirked as she sipped a cup of tea.
"Atla, please, you're scaring me talking like- AH!" Fohl's yelling was cut off by Atla karate chopping a pressure point in his neck, collapsing him to the ground.
"Shut it, brother. Nobody wants to hear from you. Especially when you're still this pathetic." Atla scolded her older sibling.
"Whyyyyyyyy?!" Fohl screamed on the ground.
"Take it away, narrator!" Atla smiled at the sky again.
Yep, to put it in simple terms, Beloukas and his family were the Officer Jenny's and Nurse Joy's of the Shield Hero setting. And the canon version of these different characters is likely to be even more cursed than Allen and Co. could ever hope to imagine.
"Hmhmhmhmhm! Guess we'll just have to see if Aneko ever does expand on my family past Zeltoble now, won't we, good sirs." Belouka's eyes gleamed behind his glasses, as did all the other clones of him there.
"Nyahhahaha, indeed, good sir! Indeed!" Nyahloukas chuckled creepily again.
A whimper followed by a gunshot and the dull meaty thump of a body hitting the floor sounded from somewhere off-screen.
"Rafu! Raf! Raf! (Can somebody please call the janitor?)" Raph-Chan cried out cutely from the same direction.
May you all be cursed by the image of catboy Nyahloukas.
Just like I have.
Hero Clips!
What Happened After
Slam! "Deloukas!"
The Slave Merchant sat with a crap-eating grin on his face as Fohl's 'former' sponsor entered his shop. The man was surprisingly unimposing. A middle-aged fellow with graying hair and a small port belly only a few inches taller than Deloukas. He was a little below average in terms of looks and personality.
Maybe a little more below average in terms of personality, actually. As well as intelligence, but we'd find out if that was the case or not in a moment.
"Yes?" Deloukas continued to grin.
"Where is my property!?" The man yelled.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Deloukas tilted his head in confusement.
"Those damn hakuko twins! My contract with them was just terminated moments ago! Who did you sell them to!?" The man screamed, spittle flying from his mouth onto Delouka's face.
"Ohhhh, I see." The Slave Merchant shuddered in delight. Running a hand along the spittle. "I didn't sell them. In fact, I was robbed."
"...?" The man looked confused.
"It was horrible." Deloukas continued to croon. "They broke into my shop and held me at swordpoint. They forced me to terminate their contracts before escaping with them through my underground passage. Made off with some of my other stock too.
"The poor things. Hihihihihi!" Instead of crying, Deloukas began to laugh in delight.
"D-Don't lie to me with this &%$#! Tell me where they are right now, or I swear-" The man raised his hand to strike Deloukas.
"MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" The dwarf's masochistic switch was turned on. His mustache began to spin on his face, and a giant flashing rainbow appeared above his figure.
He opened his arms wide, and his signature outfit fell off, revealing the horrifying sight of Deloukas with a giant censor bar smacked across his entire body below his head.
Don't worry, he wasn't naked, but that might have been preferable to the outfit he was wearing. Which BDSM enthusiasts would have probably recognized if a description of it had been given.
"Ah! AHHHHHHHHHH!"
What do you know, Fohl's former sponsor might have been more intelligent than I thought. Upon witnessing Delouka's transformation, he screamed in pure, primal fear and bolted out of the shop's entrance. Screaming in terror as he fled into the night.
"Awwww, I was ready to have some fun though!" The Slave Trader complained.
"You can stop pretending sir, he's gone." The slave soldier muttered in the background.
"Fine, fine… unless, you feel like-" Deloukas began to grin.
"Not for all the griffon meat in the world."
"Hihihihihi!"
In the end, Deloukas never had to deal with Fohl's former sponsor ever again. And he got to keep every gold coin paid to him that day too.
Yes, this scene is canon. I just didn't want to slap this at the end of the chapter for you all to deal with.
You're welcome.
Till Next Time
Allen