"I do hope to see you back soon!" Naofumi scoffed and walked away from the Slave Trader without looking back.

The whole experience left him in a sour mood. Sure, he got a working seal on Filo, which she was sulking about behind him, but he was down 200 silvers and still needed to purchase clothing that wouldn't tear during her transformation.

He sighed as he noticed the sun had already set while they were getting Filo's new seal.

"Damn, that took way longer that I thought it would. Hah... The old guy should still be open at least."

When they got to the wagon, they saw Momon in the back reading a book. Seeing their approach, he stepped out of the wagon to greet them.

"Considering the place isn't on fire, I'm assuming the new seal is working as intended."

"Yeah, now we just gotta find something she can wear without ripping... You don't have anything like that would you?" Naofumi asked hopefully.

"I don't. I have gear that can mold itself onto any user, but they're not designed to withstand sudden transformations."

'I guess I will have to waste more money. Ugh! Filo better make this all worth it.' Raphtalia approached the two with Filo running past them to the wagon, happy to be with it again.

"Mr. Naofumi, we're headed to the Weapon Shop now, right?"

"Yeah, that's the plan." Naofumi turned back to Momon.

"You don't need to come with. I get my gear from him, but I doubt you'd find anything better than your gear." Momon shook his head.

"It's fine. I commissioned a shortsword from him last time I was here. I gave him a unique metal to use, and I'd like to see if he's made any progress." Naofumi looked at him with interest.

"Unique metal?"

"Don't get your hopes up. From what you've told me about how your shield works; I doubt you could use it. And besides, it's not mine to give, it's my lord's."

"Yeah, alright. Figures as much- Wait a minute, the old guy accepted your job?"

"Uh, correct. Is that a problem?" Naofumi scowled in irritation.

'He accepted a job from Momon, but warns me about not dealing with him? What the hell, old man!' Naofumi sighed and waved dismissively at Momon.

"No, it's nothing, let's just go."

Filo was already happily waiting at the ready in front of the wagon while everyone else got on in the back. The trip back was quiet as most people were already in their homes and businesses were starting to close up. As they parked the wagon in front of the shop, they could feel the air growing warm and saw a closed sign at the front.

"What the? He's never closes this early." Naofumi looked around in frustration to see the building adjacent to the main shop had lights on. It also seemed to be the source of the heat with clanging sounds coming from within.

"It seems he's in the middle of something. Should we come back in the morning?"

"No, I don't want to stay in this city any more than I need to."

Naofumi tried the door, which to his surprise was unlocked. But as he pulled the door open, the mild warmth quickly turned into an intense heat.

"Master, I don't wanna go in there, it's hot"

"Fine." Naofumi turned to Raphtalia.

"Make sure she doesn't go anywhere. I don't want a pissed-off shopkeeper accusing me about her eating his product or some other crap they come up with."

"I'll keep an eye on her." Naofumi nodded as he and Momon walked into the shop.

The heat was sweltering inside the shop with a loud clanging echoing from the backroom. They approached the counter before Naofumi yelled out to him.

"Hey, old guy! Why are you closed so early!" The clanging stopped as the owner exited the backroom completely drenched in sweat.

"Kid, is that you? I had a sign up front… Oh." His energy seemed to be sapped away the second he spotted Momon.

"I figured you be back soon. Right as I was making progress…"

He sighed as he stepped into the backroom again. When he came back, he was carrying a glowing hot ingot with some tongs and set it on the counter. Shockingly the ingot didn't burn through the counter only barely singeing it, before quickly losing its glow.

"I'm sorry to say, but I can't complete your lord's order. The ingot you've provided is simply out of my ability to craft with. I can't even get it to melt within my forge. I apologize." The old guy's voice was steady and professional as he apologized. It was completely different from how he normally addressed Naofumi.

Momon picked up the ingot looking at it closely.

"Hmm, my lord expected as much, but even making the ingot hot is more than he expected. I trust you still have the dagger?" The owner bent down to grab an ornate box and slid it onto the counter. Momon picked it up and looked inside.

"Perfect." Momon reached into his armor and produced a small bag of coins.

"Your compensation. I see you've made a true effort in trying to fulfill the request and my lord always rewards hard work." He set the bag on the counter before walking towards the exit.

"I'm heading back to the inn, Naofumi. Let me know when we're ready to leave for tomorrow."

"Yeah, alright." Momon waved to them both before stepping out. A silence filled the air before the old guy spoke up.

"I see you've completely ignored my warning about that guy."

"About what? About how he seemed like he wanted to kill me, well he didn't so it doesn't matter. Anyway, you're one to talk. You give me a vague warning yet you already took a job from him!"

"I- Ugh, alright kid, I'm glad I was wrong that he wanted to go after you. But still…" He looked towards the door where Momon left through.

"I've never seen that kind of metal before."

"It was cold to the touch and wouldn't melt no matter what I did. I had to order special materials to get it heat up at all, and when I tried to mend it, my best forge hammer's handle snapped in half." His face hardened as he re-experienced his trouble with the metal.

"The fact that it's an ingot means his kingdom's blacksmiths have materials capable of refining from ore. He has the backing of a kingdom that has access to materials and metals unheard of in Meltromarc or any of the neighboring kingdoms for that matter." Naofumi smirked at the old guy's deduction.

'This keeps getting better and better. I thought he just had access to gear the other heroes had, but his gear is actually better than theirs. Wait, does that mean that the mithril sword he gave Raphtalia wasn't even worth anything to him?'

"Kid! Are you listening to me?" Naofumi focused back to see the old guy's intense stare.

"I know he's from another country, and it's perfect. If this country ever tries to mess with me again, they'll have to deal with him and whatever country he's from. And while he does what he needs to accomplish his mission, I get an experienced knight in my party. It's a win-win." The old guy glared at Naofumi's confidence.

"And what if his lord plans to conquer the kingdom?" Naofumi shrugged.

"Why would I care? It's not my problem if Melromarc pissed off his country. Hell, this kingdom's royalty deserves it." The old guy shook his head disappointedly.

"Hah, should've figured that be your response. Whatever, it's your choice, kid. Just… be careful." Naofumi scoffed at his worry.

"It's not as though I'm blindly putting all my trust in the guy. I'm not an idiot." The old guy chuckled to himself, shaking his head.

"I guess you haven't changed as much as I thought. Now, I'm assuming you want something. You never come visit without a reason." Naofumi called Raphtalia and Filo in before explaining the situation.

[Chapter Break]

After they explained their situation to the old guy, he said he'd look into finding a place where they could get some clothes for Filo. The next day, he directed them to the magic shop where they could get some magic thread to make clothing that would survive Filo's transformation. The only issue was the jewel making the thread broke before it could make enough.

Naofumi tried picking up a shattered jewel for it to crumble in his hands.

"Ugh, is there any way we could get another one without buying it?" The witch thought for a moment before bringing out a map of Melromarc. She looked around before pointing to a spot near some mountains.

"There should be a rich vein of these crystals within a ruin in these mountains." Naofumi looked at the map. The place was a bit further out than he'd been to, but with Filo it shouldn't take them too long to get there.

"Sounds like a plan." The old lady picked up a pack resting next to the table.

"Great, I think I'll join you then."

"Eh, are you sure?"

"Of course, how else would you be able to know if you picked out the right one or not. A crystal isn't worth much if it's full of impurities."

Naofumi did have the ability to identify materials, but having an actual witch there to verify would be a great help. Besides that, she might be able to help with his studies while they were on the road.

"All right, let's go then. Oh, and don't mind the armored guy outside, he's with us."

She nodded as they exited the shop. They packed up their luggage and, with Naofumi in the driver's seat of the wagon, were ready to head out of the city, but, to Naofumi's annoyance, someone called out to him just as they were about to.

"Hey, Naofumi." Naofumi and Filo glared at the person approaching them. Motoyasu.

He waved over casually as he made his way towards them. Weirdly enough, he was alone. Every other time they met him he was surrounded by his harem party. Another thing was he wasn't in his normal gear, but rather wearing a fancy set of clothing.

"What are you doing here, Motoyasu? Shouldn't you be off playing hero with your party?"

"Well… I decided to take a break. Yeah. I mean, I'm already at a high level so why not enjoy the perks of being a beloved hero? Hahaha. Heh…" He tried looking over to the back of the cart while staying out of Filo's kicking range.

"What do you want? I have better things to do than dealing with you."

"Is that guy in the black armor with you? I was told he joined your party, but clearly, they were mistaken. Why would someone like him lower himself to your level?" Naofumi gritted his teeth and moved so Motoyasu could see inside the wagon. Momon was sitting in the back reading, not paying attention to what was going on.

"You heard right, you prick! He joined me after we saved Riyute, while you fled with your tail between your legs." Motoyasu ignored Naofumi's comeback and went around to the open end of the wagon.

"Great knight! Could I please have a moment of your time? I'll make it worth your time." Momon closed his book and looked over to him.

"Ah, spear hero. It is good to see you again. I see you have recovered since the last time we met. What is it you want of me?" Motoyasu bowed deeply.

"Please join my party! I can give you whatever you want, money, women, gear, you name it, and I'll get it for you. I even have connections with the royal family that I'm sure you could utilize. Melty could even make you a noble!" Naofumi jumped down from the wagon and rushed to the back.

"What the hell, Motoyasu! You try to take Raphtalia and now Momon! Can't you just fuck off already!" Motoyasu continued to ignore Naofumi as he made his plea.

"I'm sure I'm a much better hero than him. Someone of your talents should be in a party with a real hero!" Just as Naofumi was about to yell at him again, Momon held up his hand. Naofumi scowled but kept quiet with Momon nodding.

"You say you're a better hero, than prove it. Let's duel. If you win, I'll join you." Motoyasu's face lit up as he gave a satisfied smirk.

"Are you sure? I know you're strong to take those wraiths out, but I was just caught off guard in the swamp. I could've dealt with them myself if I hadn't been ambushed." Momon nodded.

"I'm sure." Momon turned to Naofumi.

"Would you mind doing a countdown for the duel?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm going to enjoy this." Motoyasu, not hearing Naofumi's comment, smiled in eager excitement.

"Raphtalia!" She shuffled around in the wagon before sticking her head out.

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"I'm having a mock duel with the spear hero. I recommend you pay attention. It'll be a good reminder of why I don't allow you to get emotional during our training." She nodded as Momon went to take his position.

They took their positions in the middle of the road for the impromptu duel. Some guards, noticing it was the spear hero, rushed to block the road's entrance to prevent any accidents. Motoyasu held up his spear, his attitude seemed serious but still seemed sure of his victory. Momon on the other hand, crossed his arms.

"Start the countdown." Naofumi smirked, already knowing the outcome.

"3, 2, 1, Go!"

In an instant, Momon rushed forward closing the distance between them. Motoyasu caught off guard, jumped back in a panic, getting some distance between the two. But Momon didn't let up and continued to close the distance between them.

"Wanna lose so bad? Fine. Take this! Chaos Spear!" His spear glowed as multiple spearheads spewed forth targeting Momon.

Momon side-stepped the attack and pushed the spear into the ground, allowing him to get in Motoyasu's face. With a quick motion, Momon punched Motoyasu multiple times in the gut, with the last one in his chest causing him to be pushed back.

Motoyasu wheezed for a moment before putting his hand up.

"Ugh! This is… unfair! I-I don't have my armor!" Momon just stood there and tilted his head.

"Is that what you'll say when Akumu comes for you in the night?" Motoyasu's eyes widened, and his body shivered in fear at the mention of him. He rushed forward in a blind rage.

"Don't talk about him! Chaos Spea-Ahh!" Momon matched his rush and, before Motoyaus could use his skill, Momon headbutted his nose. He tumbled onto the ground as blood dripped from his nose.

"He laughed at your fear, didn't he?"

"Shut up!" Motoyasu stood back up and attacked wildly. Momon dodged the attacks without a single one grazing him.

"It haunts you still. You put on a brave face, but you can't fool me. You're scared to leave the city, but even here you're afraid he'll come after you." A mixture of embarrassment and fury filled Motoyasu face as he jumped away from Momon.

"Air Strike Javelin! Second Javelin! Lightning Spear!"

Two glowing spears appeared above him while a lighting attack attacked from the front. Momon pulled out his swords, blocking the spears above him and deflecting the lighting into the sky. Momon stood there, unfazed by his attacks.

"And you came to the only person you knew who could protect you from him." Motoyasu fell back, shaking.

"Fine, I admit it! But what else could I do? I was powerless. I attacked his illusions, but they just laughed. I tried running, but they were always behind me. What was I supposed to do? Tell me!" Momon sheathed his blades and walked toward him.

"Get stronger." Motoyasu hit the ground in rage.

"I am strong! I'm the goddamn Spear Hero! Soon, I'll be able to blast mountains away with my skills! Nothing will stand in my way!" Momon hesitated for a moment before confidently stepping towards him.

"Yet, you'll still fall before him. He'll use your confidence and untrained mind against you. I could kill him in a single strike, but he won't allow me to do so. So, I train my mind to prepare for his plans and illusions, which you must also do. If your will or mind had been greater, you would have never fallen for his trap in the swamp. However…" Momon stood directly in front of Motoyasu, enveloping him with his shadow.

"If you ignore my advice and wait for the day he comes for you, he won't kill you. He'll trap you within your mind living in a nightmare that will never end, that is, until you're broken, and he tosses you away like a child's plaything." Motoyasu's gaze went to the ground, there was an indescribable look on his face as Momon turned back to the wagon.

"Let's go."

"Hmph, about time." Everyone hopped back on the wagon, leaving Motoyasu alone in the street.

The wagon ride was quiet as they rode out of the city. It wasn't because Momon won; Naofumi and Raphtalia knew it would be the result. Rather, it was because he won without getting hit a single time. It made them wonder how strong Momon really was.

After the wagon was far enough from the city gates, Naofumi called back to Momon from the driver's seat.

"Hey, Momon. Was any of that stuff you told Motoyasu true? Needing to train your mind to resist Akumu's spells." Momon shook his head.

"Of course not. If that were the case, he wouldn't be nearly as much of a threat. That's not to say it's not important. A well-trained mind can help escape his illusions and other magic, but it does nothing to resist the initial effects." The witch from the magic shop nodded her head.

"It's the same with monsters. Certain monsters can cast illusions to trick adventurers, but they can be detected as long as you keep your wits about you."

"Hmph, even so, why bother telling him that? It's not like he's going to listen to you. He's completely hopeless, even more so than the other heroes."

"If the Spear Hero doesn't improve, he will fall the next time he fights Akumu. Even if they are not as powerful as Akumu probably assumes, their presence makes him hesitant to make his forces act more openly. Slowing his master's rise to power."

"Still don't think that guy deserves your advice after he fled like a coward at Riyute." Momon chuckled.

"He's indeed a fool, but he might be useful someday. Besides, the main reason I requested the duel in the first place was…" Momon paused. Naofumi looked back with curiosity.

During their short time together Naofumi could tell Momon was trying to keep his distance, keeping to himself most of the time. Naofumi didn't blame him, he came to this country for a mission, so why attempt to build bonds with people he'd never see again? But slowly, it seemed like he was starting to relax around them.

Momon sighed heavily and looked out the wagon.

"Hah, I didn't want him bothering me whenever I was in the capital. Or worse, following us on the road." Naofumi burst out laughing at Momon's response.

"See, Raphtalia, even the Momon can't stand that guy! Hahaha!"

"That doesn't mean you should teach Filo to kick him!" The wagon's tension faded as they made their way to the old ruins.