The next day we set out to our individual island, saying goodbye to Naofumi and his group as we left. I had the oddest feeling as we did so, and decided to use (Insight) on some of the adventurers with him, finding they ranged in levels from twenty-five all the way to fifty-three for Theresa and L'arc as the high watermarks. Oddly, their classes still looked to be basic jobs according to my list, but I figured it was just them doubling down on the jobs somehow. It would explain their higher than average stats.
Wishing them luck, we were soon on Harmony Island, and this time, we immediately set out hunting the squirrels, using (Sense) to find them all with a single pluck of my bowstring, and then (Void Gaze) and (Awakened Mind) to send the info to my two party members. A few minutes later, and the island was cleared, the corpses of the various enemies were brought to me this time, as there were only a dozen or so, compared to the hundred and more yesterday.
According to Ray, that was normal. Monsters, after all, wouldn't normally have respawned even this fast, save that the double EXP event was ongoing. With how thoroughly we'd cleaned out the islands yesterday, there simply wouldn't be that many of them. Better, they didn't spawn save when the moon was high, so anyone venturing out today could do so in complete safety, a rarity in places so far from Guild Halls and Castles.
Diwaniya said likewise, and we set out from Greenwood next, having to use a boat since it was still only an hour past sunup, and the land bridge hadn't formed yet. Here, after a short boost, we cleaned it out. Dhonal's Island proved a bit trickier, taking us more than half an hour, thanks to the crags and stuff. Worse, a corpse or two we'd missed cleaning up yesterday had come back, forcing Ray and Lucia to rekill them, but they weren't any real stronger, just fewer weak points than the day before, so they made quick work of them.
Clearing Gull Island and the Isle of Spears, it was still more than two hours shy of noon, and so, with Diwaniya taking us back to Harmony, a few new levels in tow, though not enough to bring the two women to the cap, we said goodbye. He was grateful, thanking us again, as he loaded the three boats on the island with people to go harvesting while the other isles were clear, and quickly wished us all the best.
Arriving at the central island of Cal Mira once more, I was shocked to see Motoyasu's own ship pulling into port. Less shocked to see Ren's was already there, and in fact, he was waiting for us at the dock. According to him, his first lap had cleared the place of monsters, his Minimap allowing him to spot a few stragglers, even using one of the water breathing rings to go under the waves and take out some of the fish monsters, and even a cephalopod like creature.
Motoyasu, meanwhile, opined that the ice shelf he was fighting on was simply too flat for the penguins to hide. Worse, they were aggressive, even without their walrus boss directing them, meaning they'd come straight at him and Rishia, allowing them to clean up without too much trouble. Naofumi, meanwhile, was waiting in the city for us, or rather, just waiting in the city period.
The island wasn't quite cleaned out, he admitted, but then, he lacked (Sense), a minimap, and his area was a dense wooded thing rather than something that would allow him to check it all at a glance. However, far more importantly, he'd wanted to let the few other adventurers have a turn, especially after his group had exhausted themselves when they'd found a big balloon that spawned other balloons.
I admitted to encountering one a while ago with my own party, and he wondered how hard it was to beat. It hadn't been that hard, though not easy either, and with the EXP event in effect, it was likely the thing on the island was stronger than normal too. Still, killing it had not only gotten them another level or three between the Shield Hero's party and his two companions, but also left them with no energy to hunt the small fries.
Understanding, we discussed, and after a bit, headed to the hotel, where the Princess was with the Count. Rather than doing noble things like drinking tea or discussing politics, the two of them were actually helping the staff service rooms, including our own, which were nice and clean by the time we interrupted them, apologizing for it, and the being waved off with the typical response of it just being something to do.
"Speaking of something to do, Princess Melty, we would like to ask for your indulgence. We need to ask your father for a favor, and I don't doubt, coming from you, he'd be far more likely to grant it," I said, bowing my head, and making her blush for a moment, before she shook her head, clearing it, and nodding.
"If it's a favor for the Heroes, I don't see Father refusing it. Before we see him though, I would surmise this has to do with the Second Level Cap, and how Father broke through," she said, not a question, so much as a statement.
"Yeah, everyone in our parties are about to hit the second level cap. Best to know how to beat it before that point, you know?" says the Spear Hero, a bit freely, but it seems to amuse the Princess who smiles at him.
"A fine idea, will all of you be accompanying me in this endeavor?" she asked with a smile, and we all took a moment to look at each other, before Naofumi let out a long sigh.
"Yeah Princ-er, Melty, I don't think your old man is going to want to see me. Regardless of us burying the hatchet, I doubt he's over it completely," admits the Shield Hero.
"And I'd probably just remind him of Myne," added the Spear Hero, with the pair of them looking towards myself and Ren, who quickly shook his head.
"I'm thinking you'll have the best luck. You got a whole city out of him after all," said the Sword Hero, leaving me to puff out my cheeks a bit, about to remind him that was a different story, but I bit my tongue instead.
"Alright, just me then. Ray, Lucia, why don't you two avail yourself of the facilities here. I hope this won't take too long, but I also think he'll be far more willing to discuss such things away from those representing the Guild," I opined, and like myself with Ren, it looked like Lucia was about to object, but the panther demi-human put her hand on Lucia's shoulder, shook her head, and then stepped forward.
"I think you're right, but remember to be careful. If you go missing again, I can't promise that Lucia and I won't start tearing apart the country to find you. And that is not an exaggeration," she adds, Lucia looking at the other woman's rather direct threat in shock, before nodding at it. Melty, smiling, not even appearing to be forced, assured the pair that my safety would be assured, as she, perhaps a bit forcefully, told me to come with her, so this would be over quickly.
We walked outside, and I opened my menu, and was shocked as I hadn't really been paying attention to my (Fast Travel) skill for a while, using it without thinking about it. Now that I was looking at it, I realized I had opened up five additional points of travel, not having noticed any notifications or anything of that sort. Still, it meant I could set this island into my third slot, to make use of it later on, while still being able to hop back and forth between Sanctuary, the Capital, and wherever we happened to be, so we didn't have to camp outside.
Regardless, I took Princess Melty and myself to the Capital, finding it lively in the middle of the day as one might expect. The streets were filled with people, carriages, and other such things, with everyone looking far more laid back than usual, barely anyone even noticing our arrival. That was surprising, but I wrote it off as just a quirk of the daylight, and so we made our way to the castle, greeting the guard outside, who quickly brought us into the castle proper.
Strangely, rather than taking us to the throne room, or that panic room in the castle center, we were escorted into a wing that looked far more casually appointed than either of those, with Melty seeing my confusion and quickly identifying them as the rooms the Royal Family made their actual homes in. There were sleeping chambers for each of them, and right now, given what we'd heard, we were headed to the study, where her parents often worked out of.
Getting there, I was shocked to see how…normal the door looked. Not ornate like the visitor bedroom doors we'd stayed in, nor lavish like the throne room doors. There were a few magics I could feel inlaid in it, probably privacy stuff given I felt a similar 'weight' to the magic as when Balmus made our conversations private. Still, it opened easily enough, and the footman bowed as we entered, finding the 'study' doubled as a small library.
It wasn't as stuffed as the one for the general palace population I'd found that first night, as the books were on two large shelves between a set of desks, one facing the window in the wall directly, the other in a corner away from it. Still, there seemed to be quite a few there, with my translation skill quickly noting they had names that suggested each of the heavy tomes contained budget and trade information one might want on hand while making decisions for the kingdom.
At the current time, wearing what I can only describe as 'casual' clothing, the King and Queen sat at their own desks. The former was writing something down on a long sheet of paper, probably orders for either troops or supply distribution, given she had a large map of her kingdom on her desk, and kept referring back to it, marking on it at one point where I thought the village from the Soul Eater Wave had been centered.
The King, meanwhile, was obviously trying to balance the Kingdom's budget, given the various numbers on the sheets I could see. His formulas were quite interesting, but given everything else going on, and the lowered trade, I could see that Melromarc was about to hit a few lean years, even with what we Heroes were doing to keep it on track. Possibly in particular because of us, given Sanctuary's stealing the northern trade routes, along with us swiping what would be a windfall in Cal Mira's double EXP event.
The Princess and I, with the door closing heavily behind us, stood still in the room, and waited, as both of her parents continued to do their work, the Queen finally looking up, rubbing her eyes, and then glancing out the window, her gaze briefly seeing us, but seemingly not registering the sight. When she did, she let out a surprised gasp, only to recognize who it was and smile.
"Melty, Bard, to what do we owe the pleasure," she said, causing Aultcray, who was still deep in his figures to look up, startled for just an instant, before a smile graced his lips.
"Mother, Father, while I know it's only been a few days, it's good to see the two of you working so diligently for the Kingdom's prosperity. I would like to report the Heroes have done much the same, with their efforts keeping clear the isles, and allowing them to continue to operate in this dire time," she said, bowing her head slightly to the two, who stood up, and walked over.
It was strange seeing the King, whom I'd seen in such fineary every time we'd interacted, walking around in a tunic like a normal working man. It also helped to show off his physique, of course, revealing that, despite his age, he was on par with most of the adventurers I'd seen in terms of being ripped. You couldn't see it most times, given what he wore, but I was halfway certain that, despite being a head shorter, even without the power of his stats he'd have been able to lift me above his head and toss me around.
Seeing them embrace, in a way that made me wonder if they'd gotten any time together while we'd been here, I felt like a right heel to come between them, so instead I let the family hug go on for a few minutes. When they finally let themselves go, it was with a glow I had to admit, I was jealous of. For all the…turmoil I'll say, in their family, even missing a daughter at the moment, it was clear these three loved each other deeply, not something I could say about anyone in my own life, here or back home.
"Now then, I would assume this is not some social visit, so either this is going to be very good news, or very bad. Whichever the case, would you feel up to giving us a report?" asked the Queen, and I nodded, going over what I knew of the others' activities, how Naofumi was learning to lead by being with the Adventurer's on the main island, while the three of us had been cleaning ours out every day.
"A fine showing then. I'm sure Diwaniya is working his people to the bone to collect all he can from the Ashen Isles thanks to you. The others are likely doing much the same, as the ice from Motoyasu's chosen land is in much demand, and the Hot Spring Water Ren is protecting is sold in bottled form, kept warm via magic," said the King, obviously going over figures in his head, ones that were likely to be far, far better than he'd expected.
"We have done our best, your Majesties. However, we are about to hit a roadblock in the growth of our companions. While Ren has shown that we Heroes do lack that same block, it has come time to ask if we might be informed of the secret of breaking the second level cap, if either of you is aware of it," I asked, bowing deeply, trying to make this a formal question, and the mood in the room turned dour, as the Queen and Princess turned to the King, who looked…not angry, but worried instead. This was going to be a long talk.