Alright, going to be a pretty chill and short chap today. Writing quite a bit for later on. Hope you all enjoy, and I'll be seeing you again in two weeks :).
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Midnight Raphumi
"Are we ready to have that talk now?" Naofumi asked.
"Mmmm." Raphtalia yawned with a small smile. "We've been putting it off for a while, haven't we?"
"We have." Naofumi slowly stroked the cheek of the sleeping familiar on his lap.
"Ra…fufufufu."
The young adult couple, dressed in nothing but their undergarments, was laid back on their new large bed, their heads facing each other. It, unfortunately, wasn't as good of quality as the one Ren currently had in Cal Mira, since the materials required to make the mattress and pillows so soft were not only expensive, but hard to find.
It was the next best thing Count Hadenburg had sitting in his warehouses at the docks in Cal Mira though. And Naofumi had gladly purchased them for himself and his fellow Heroes, as well as their party members.
It wasn't like floating on a cloud. But the softness almost tempted Naofumi to drift into dreamland right then and there, especially after the events from earlier that day.
"Let's sit up. I'm going to fall asleep if I stay like this." Naofumi sighed.
"Sure." Raphtalia agreed, and the two got up, leaning back against their bedboard.
…
Looking at his wife friend, with only her bra holding back her breasts, he was nearly tempted to sidetrack with a more 'fun' activity. Damn, if only she'd had her Miko Outfit on-
Actually, who was he kidding, it would have just turned him on even more. Miko Outfits for life.
"My eyes are up here, dear." Raphtalia bopped him on the nose, bringing his attention back to her face. Which was only slightly red from her blush. "Also, you were thinking something strange again, weren't you?"
"Maybe." Naofumi looked off to the side, before smiling at her. "Just that you're as beautiful as ever."
"Hmmm…" Raphtalia hummed in thought, not replying as she brought her blanket up to cover herself.
Ah, probably for the best. It was about time they did their weekly counsel session again. It had been a while since their last one.
"What do you want to get out of the way first?" Naofumi asked. "I know it was probably bad that I was cussing everyone out earlier-"
"No, it wasn't bad. I was just as pissed off as you." Raphtalia shook her head. "Just remember to cover our daughters' ears next time you let loose, ok?"
"... yeah, hopefully there isn't a next time of that." Naofumi shook his head, while Raphtalia hummed in agreement. "Before we move on, is it alright if I say I found you cussing extremely hot?"
Raphtalia rolled her eyes in exasperation, but giggled regardless as Naofumi smirked.
When she spoke next, it was on a different topic.
"... it's been a few days since then," Raphtalia started. "But when I told Wyndia about what Therese wanted me to tell her… it made me realize how much I miss our gem friend… and Kizuna, and Glass, and everyone else in the Otherworld."
"... … … oh." Naofumi muttered, thinking back on the memory. "But, you didn't…"
She sadly smiled. "I hid it because I didn't want to sadden Wyndia or the others with my thoughts. Especially after seeing how happy Ren looked after your talk with him."
"... well, it wasn't exactly so much a talk as, um… me making sure he'd have protection when he and Wyndia did the deed." The Shield Hero admitted.
"... Oh… really?" Raphtalia asked in genuine surprise.
"Yeah, really. He looked like he was in a bad place, and I wanted to cheer him up." Naofumi breathed in, before smiling at her. "And it's not like I expect the both of us to use up all the condoms we brought back from the Otherworld anytime soon."
"Hehehe… still, that was very sweet of you, dear." Raphtalia smiled back.
"I try to be from time to time… and as for what you said, you don't have to worry about being the only one who misses them.
"I feel the same way.
"Just think, it's only been a week here, and yet two weeks will have passed in Kizuna's world." Naofumi sighed. "I know we left things in as good a shape as possible before we left, but… I do worry about them getting in trouble and me not being there to help.
"But I think for now, I can trust Kizuna and her friends to keep things in order by themselves."
"Including L'Arc?" Raphtalia asked teasingly.
"Yeah, I trust him too." Naofumi admitted immediately with no shame. "I know I probably teased him a little too much before we left, but I do think that he's reliable. Not just as a fighter or a person, but as a leader and as a friend.
"He's got his heart in the right place. I saw that the day he almost attacked us at the Cal Mira Wave. He might be a bit laidback as a person, but he genuinely cares for his world, and especially for his people. He'll fight to the bitter end for their behalf. I wouldn't have entrusted Kizuna with him and come back otherwise."
Naofumi then sighed. "Just don't ever tell him I said all that."
"I won't." Raphtalia giggled.
"Good." Naofumi then smirked. "Now, continuing on to something less serious again, I noticed you didn't even react to S'yne calling you Mrs. Iwatani earlier?"
"Is there a use to even try to fight it when others keep calling me that?" It was the half-tanuki's turn to sigh. "I might as well accept that others are going to assume we're married at this point."
"I do tend to think of you as my wife friend in my mind." Naofumi admitted with a playful smirk.
"Kizuna is such an idiot for calling me that in front of you." Raphtalia rolled her eyes.
"Maybe." Naofumi grinned.
"I still love her though." Raphtalia admitted with a sigh.
"Me too." Naofumi nodded. "Best little sis I could have asked for."
"Want me to tell her that next time I see her?" It was Raphtalia's turn to tease again.
"Psh. She already knows it." Naofumi rolled his eyes.
The both of them giggled like little children as they continued discussing different things from the past week. Thoughts they'd had, experiences they'd gone through, people they'd met.
Raphtalia talked animatedly about reconnecting with so many of her past friends and helping them to level up. She also gushed over her feelings on her older sister's return, and how she looked forward to getting to spend time with her again.
This made Naofumi think back on the private conversation that he and Sadeena had shared earlier that day. The odd little side tangent that the orca woman tried to go on near the end, in particular, before abruptly dropping it for some reason.
The Shield Hero contemplated if he should bring it up or not. The general topic of their conversation then was something that he would rather keep as a surprise, but at the same time, something about it irked him.
...
Raphtalia was still animatedly discussing what she had been up to these last few days with a wide happy smile. That single look into her tea-red eyes reminded Naofumi what mattered most.
"Sorry, Raphtalia, I'm gonna have to interrupt you for a moment." Naofumi began, making the tanuki girl instantly grow quiet as she sensed the peculiar tone in his voice that felt serious once more. "You know how Sadeena came upstairs to speak to me one on one after breakfast?"
The young woman nodded, her eyes focused on Naofumi's face. "Yes, she said she wanted to test your mettle and see if you were worthy of me. I figured it went well though? She looked relieved when she left our house."
"Well, sort of. I have her approval, yes. But our conversation took a weird turn at some point. Don't think too deeply about this, but... It kind of felt like she's... against us getting married in the future for some reason?" Naofumi managed to form what he wanted to say within a certain degree of subtlety.
"WHAT!? WHY!?" Raphtalia almost recoiled at the apparent betrayal of her older sister.
"I told you to not think too deeply about it." Naofumi rubbed his ear to get the ringing noise out. "I don't mean that she's against our relationship, I think it's holding a ceremony that she has an issue with. She suggested that you should become my concubine, instead of a wife. I was wondering what the hell was up with that, so I figured I should ask you. Is there some sort of taboo, tradition or other demihuman culture element in place that I'm not aware of that could apply to us?"
…
Raphtalia calmed down considerably after hearing the rest of what the Shield Hero had to say but continued to frown. "I... I don't know. Maybe? My parents didn't tell me about anything unusual involving something like that. At least not anything that immediately comes to mind?
"Thanks for telling me about it though, I'll ask Sadeena to explain what this was about, I don't want to be a concubine! That's demeaning!"
"Don't worry, you know I would never force you into anything you don't want, unless it was to save your life." Naofumi leaned forward and gave his lover a chaste kiss on the cheek which made her frown relax into a relieved expression.
With the weird topic out of the way, Naofumi moved on to discuss what it was like getting to reconnect with Motoyasu and Ren again to get Raphtalia's mind off it. He also talked about how his interactions with Melty and Eclair were going and how he was seeing everyone's lives improving.
There was some more teasing and playfulness between the two. Their talk becoming more comfortable and relaxed. Sharing everything and anything that came to their minds as they counseled with one another.
…
Eventually, as Naofumi thought of Ren and Motoyasu again, the thought of his fourth brother came to mind, dropping the smile from his face.
"..." Naofumi looked to Raphtalia, who'd also gone silent, just like him. She knew what he was about to talk about next, but she didn't discourage nor dissuade him.
"..." Naofumi looked down at his lap. Letting a long sigh escape his lips. "I… already know there was nothing I could do to help Itsuki…
"His friends, Rishia… none of them were able to help him. Fitoria wasn't able to help him. That damn stubborn jerk…
…
…
"Still, the fact that I didn't even try to help him out is eating me up inside." The Shield Hero admitted after a moment of silence. His voice heavy as it came out.
"..." Raphtalia nodded. "Me too."
"... have you seen Rishia at all since getting back?" Naofumi then asked worriedly. "Like, in her home, and not when she's with Granny or someone else?"
"I… no. I haven't." Raphtalia put a hand to her chest under her blanket. "I worry for her. I really do.
"I know what it's like to watch the person you love go away, hurting and in pain… wondering if you'll ever be able to see them again, if you'll be able to forgive them, or forgive yourself for what happened,
"Wondering if you were able to help them out at all, or if all you were nothing but a burden weighing them down and keeping them from being who they were meant to be."
…
…
One of her hands moved to Naofumi's face, wiping away tears he hadn't realized he'd been shedding. Raphtalia smiled warmly. "I understand. But at the same time, I don't, because Rishia isn't me.
"I learned that after the spider's nest, trying to help Wyndia out. I thought I knew what she was going through well enough to help her. But in the end, she didn't need understanding or someone who knew her pain. What she needed was empathy. A best friend who was willing to shoulder her pain and help her out.
"Someone like Therese."
…
Raphtalia let out a deep breath, before looking at Naofumi's eyes again. "I think this time it's the same with Rishia. I understand what she's going through… but at the same time, I'm not the kind of person who can help her bear that pain.
"I'm not someone she can trust on that level."
"Does she have somebody she can talk to?" Naofumi asked with concern.
"Yes, Granny." Raphtalia nodded. "And Anya too. I've seen them together several times. I'll have a chat with her and Granny when I see them tomorrow. I want to make sure Rishia is doing well. As well as the rest of her party too." The half-tanuki girl nodded in affirmation.
"And Naofumi, just know, even if I can't bear Rishia's or anyone else's pains, I'll most certainly bear yours when you need me to.
"I at least know that I can do that for you."
"... Thank you." Naofumi reached out with his hand, and his wife friend gave it a squeeze.
…
…
"Is there anything else we need to talk about?" Naofumi eventually asked.
"S'yne." Raphtalia nodded her head. "I haven't had the chance to tell you her story."
…
"Oh… right. How bad is it?" Naofumi asked, thinking back on Moto's newest and most mysterious companion yet, who was also a Hero from another world like L'Arc and co.
"Pretty bad… she's one of only two survivors from a world destroyed by the Waves."
…
"Destroyed… did, did she-" Naofumi started to ask, only for Raphtalia to shake her head.
"No, she didn't see what happened. But it's why she's forced to speak through her dolls instead of normally.
"Her weapon is a Vassal Weapon from her world, but it's been slowly dying ever since the world it belonged to vanished. And because of that, all of its functions are gradually failing, like the auto translation feature. That's why her voice comes out sounding all weird and warped some of the time when she tries to talk on her own.
"I… tried asking the Katana about it, but it wasn't able to tell me much, besides confirming that S'yne's story is legitimate. Luckily, the magic she uses to speak through her dolls still works. Though, she doesn't know how long it'll last for.
"S'yne and her older sister are the only ones from her world who survived. And she's been wandering from world to world by herself ever since."
…
…
As that thought sank in, Naofumi looked up in the direction of where Moto's house would be.
A cold shudder went down his spine.
They had a survivor of a destroyed world close by. A survivor who's world lost against them. Unlike Lurolona, there was nothing for the silver-haired girl to rebuild.
Nothing left for her to come back to.
"Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked, looking concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I… yeah, I am." Naofumi breathed in deeply to calm himself. "I know Kyo revealed as much to us, and pretty much all the known legends on the Waves state that they'll destroy the world if we can't stop them…
"It's just one thing to be told it can happen. It's another to know that it has happened. That someone has gone through it." Naofumi swallowed hard.
…
"..." After a moment of thought, Raphtalia gripped his shaking hand in hers again. "We're not going to lose." She promised.
"... You're right. We're not." Naofumi agreed, squeezing her hand in return.
"And I swear I'll continue to improve as your Sword so that doesn't happen." Raphtalia promised again.
"And I will continue to improve as your Shield." Naofumi promised in return. "For as long as you'll have me."
"Is forever too long to ask for?" Raphtalia smiled. Feeling the counseling session had come to an end.
…
Naofumi answered by leaning in and kissing her on the lips. A kiss which she gladly returned.
How he wished he could spoil his future plans to her right now. Raphtalia was already being exceptionally patient by not interrogating him further in regards to what Sadeena had talked to him about. If only Elhart could finish all his projects sooner! The damn old man!
Hurry your &% up already!
When the kiss was done, Naofumi hugged the half-tanuki girl close. Relaxing his head against the side of hers. "Honestly, I don't think forever would be long enough for me."
"Why not?" Raphtalia asked.
"Because I could never have enough of you." Naofumi stated in simple words.
…
Raphtalia breathed in, looking deeply touched. Then, with a beaming smile, she embraced Naofumi in return. Her blanket falling down and revealing her sizable assets again.
Naofumi leered down, a grin spreading on his face.
Aw yeah. This was awesome. He definitely couldn't have enough of this.
"Save the lewd thoughts for the morning." Raphtalia warned him. "It's too late as it is."
"So we'll do it in the morning then?" Naofumi asked for clarification.
Raphtalia flicked her finger against his nose, but then pecked him on the cheek. "Let's see if you manage to behave for that long, my dear 'husband' friend." The girl winked.
… &%$#.
"You're going to need to give me another reason to wait. I don't know if I can hold it in." Naofumi groaned.
"Another reason, alright, how about the fact that Raph-Chan's sitting here watching her two parents right now." Raphtalia gestured to the bed between them.
…
Naofumi looked down at the adorable familiar, watching the two of them with wide, curious eyes.
"Rafu." Seeing the two finally acknowledging her presence again, Rifana posed cutely while sticking out her tongue to the side.
SO CUTE- but wait, she was cock-blocking Naofumi right now- %$#!
Raphtalia giggled again. "You're so cute when you're flustered."
Naofumi turned away from his future wife, crossing his arms while his pout grew on his face. "I'm not cute."
"You are. And that's just another reason why I love you." Raphtalia smiled as she hugged herself against his back. Raph-Chan cooing happily as she jumped onto her best friend's head, much to the woman's delight.
"Thanks for talking with me tonight.
"Not all of it was about bad or important stuff like some of our past talks… but even if we ever reach the point where we have no problems to discuss or have anything important going on in our lives, I'm very grateful to share what I'm feeling with you. My precious husband friend."
…
"Same here, Mrs. Iwatani." Naofumi softly smiled, putting a hand over hers on his chest. Her admittance calling him husband friend made even his cold heart melt and his pout vanish.
Alright, he'd hold off till the morning… and wait patiently for Elhart to allow him to propose and make her his wife properly.
He didn't care about Sadeena's warning whatsoever. It would happen, come hell or high water.
Armed with the knowledge that the Hero weapons could make a marriage last beyond death, the Shield Hero wanted nothing less than that with the best person in the universe.
…
…
At first, he'd thought Raphtalia had fallen asleep. But then, when he sneaked a glance back at her face, he found her deep tea red eyes wide open, and her face red with embarrassment.
"Oh, uh… is it awkward if I call you Mrs. Iwatani myself?" Naofumi suddenly realized as he asked his question hesitantly.
"Rafu?" Raph-Chan looked down at her mom curiously.
The half-tanuki buried her face in the Shield Hero's shoulder. "Just, don't do it in front of other people yet please." She bashfully admitted. "That's going to take some getting used to."
…
Naofumi nearly laughed. "Alright, I won't say it out loud, Raphtalia Iwatani."
"That's almost worse!"
"Hmmmm, Future Mrs. Iwatani?"
"Gah!" "Rafufufufu!"
Ahhhh, it was indeed a good night.
And what a wonderful morning it'd be after they woke up.
The next day, shortly after a 'morning workout' with his wife friend as well as breakfast, Naofumi thought it'd be back to his usual schedule.
Instead, he found himself in the townhouse with Melty… and a certain old acquaintance.
"Why, Mr. Night Merchant! It's a pleasure to finally see you again! I see that you've been doing well!" Hickwaal, the short, portly merchant greeted the Shield Hero with a smile and friendly wave of his hand. He was seated in one of the chairs opposite of Melty's work desk in her office.
"Greetings." His butler, Sebas, whom Naofumi had met only yesterday (though he'd only been wearing pants at the time), stood in a fresh suit. The half-dragonnewt man bowed to the stunned Shield Hero. "Please forgive my manners yesterday. I have talked with Elra about keeping any future spars between us outside the walls of Lurolona in the future.
"Also, to make up for yesterday, Elrasla and her students are assisting with the rebuilding of the town's outer defenses. As soon as I'm excused, I'll be heading out to assist with repairs as well."
"Oh… uhh, yeah, sure." Naofumi slowly nodded to the butler, before glancing at the small plump merchant again and walking around the desk. He leaned down to whisper into the bluette's ear. "Why didn't you tell me that the merchant moving his business onto our territory was the freakin' leader of the Merchant's Guild?!"
"But I did, weren't you paying any attention this morning?" The girl whispered back, beginning to pout at the Shield Hero. "Hickwaal even told me that you two knew each other! What were you thinking I was saying?!"
"I… ok, I might have been distracted with thoughts on Raphtalia and what we did before breakfast." Naofumi admitted while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
…
Melty looked confused, then surprised, then disgusted, then she sighed in exasperation. "Seriously?"
"Yeah, dead serious. Maybe when you're older, you'll understand after you fall in love yourself." Naofumi teased.
"Ew, no. I have enough on my plate as is." Melty nearly gagged.
"You sure? If you need me too, I'll help pair you up with somebody and-"
"Naofumi, please pay attention and stop distracting me. I'm trying to do my best to help the Hero's Nation succeed."
"I know, I'm sorry. I'll make sure-" Naofumi continued to whisper.
"Is there some kind of problem?" Hickwaal interrupted with a quizzical look on his face.
"If you need more from me, Sir Shield Hero, then-" Sebas began to speak as well.
Naofumi straightened and faced the smaller man and his butler. "It's fine, nothing serious. Just a shortfalling on my part. Er… Sebas, right? Feel free to go assist with repairs. I'll ensure nothing happens to your master in the meantime."
"Of course," Sebas visibly relaxed. "Thank you very much, Shield Hero."
Hickwaal subtly gestured for him to go and the butler left the office in a hurry after making a quick bow.
"Right. Well, ignoring what happened yesterday, how has life been treating you, Accessory Guy?" Naofumi asked in a more pleasant tone.
"Fufufu, it had its ups and downs lately, but overall, I'd say I've been doing pretty great!
"My information networks are all still intact. I've had no issues with assassinations or backstabbings from guildmembers since dealing with that one mole sent by Saxon. I have the chance to make lots of money helping out the Heroes of Legend! And the best part is that I'm now free of all the worries, restrictions, and stresses Zeltoble was placing upon me!
"Truly, I don't know if my life could improve more than it already has!" Hickwaal's bright smile gleamed.
"Then maybe it's time to find a missus and start a family, perhaps?" Sebas suddenly stuck his head back through the door.
"Bah! I have no time for that! Now shoo! Shoo!" Hickwaal waved his butler off with a pout.
"Huhuhuhu." Sebas chuckled lightheartedly before leaving for real this time.
"Anyway," Hickwaal turned to Naofumi with a gleaming smile. "I couldn't help but notice, but is the necklace that Lady Governor is wearing your handiwork, Shield Hero?"
"It is." Naofumi nodded with a smile.
"Ooh! May I please have a look at it then? I'd love to see how much progress you've made since I taught you." The merchant said excitedly.
"That's up to Melty, not me." Naofumi looked down at the girl with a smile. "After all, I made it specifically for her."
"Sure thing, guildmaster, just be careful with it, please." Melty took the necklace off, setting it on the desk in front of her.
"Hmmm." Hickwaal took out a small eyeglass out of his pocket to put it over his eye and study the piece closely. "Oh? What's this? I don't recognize some of the materials here. The chain looks like it's inlaid with sapphire, but its texture resembles something organic in nature like damascus or ebony."
"I made this while in the Otherworld. Roses made of gems grow in some parts there." Naofumi informed the merchant helpfully.
"Truly? How fascinating, I wonder if such flowers would be capable of growing- wait, PERFECT QUALITY!?" Hickwaal suddenly screamed as he nearly fell back from his chair.
"Uh… yeah. I was surprised too. But I spent a lot of hours over the course of weeks working on it." Naofumi said, eyebrows furrowed.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A YEAR AND YET YOU'RE ALREADY CAPABLE OF PUTTING OUT MASTERWORK ACCESSORIES LIKE THIS ONE?!" Hickwaal continued to shout in disbelief.
"I did have a lot of practice ever since you taught me." Naofumi shrugged. "I've had to make dozens of accessories to make money and strengthen those around me while on the run, and it's still a fun past time of mine, even though I'm past that part of my life now."
"... Unbelievable." Hickwaal could only mutter in shock as he offered the necklace back to the governor. Melty slowly put her necklace back on, sitting back with a big smile on her face. Leave it to Naofumi to downplay his natural talents again. This was really entertaining for her to witness since it didn't involve cooking this time.
…
…
"... truly, I did not think the Heroes of Legend were capable of surprising me anymore… I was wrong." Hickwaal slowly shook his head after another long pause.
"Is it really that surprising? I know Perfect quality gear isn't common, but I did see it being listed for sale here and there while in the Otherworld. Particularly in the short time I was in Lapis." Naofumi asked.
…
Hickwaal sighed. "Perhaps another time. I merely wanted to discuss your craftsmanship skills as an icebreaker before we moved on to more serious topics… I see now I'll have to slot more time with you to expand on your huge pool of talent." Hickwaal slowly smiled while continuing to shake his head in disbelief.
He'd thought he recognized talent in the Shield Hero back then. But to think he'd already come so far on his own!
"That's a tough ask. I've already got a lot on my plate." Naofumi frowned slightly.
"As do I. But trust me, it'll definitely be worth it. Not just for you, but for your friends as well. If you can make more such accessories for your strongest fighters, you could very well become an unstoppable force in the world. Or reap in a lot of money charging lords through the nose for your stuff!" Hickwaal smiled widely.
…
"Alright, I'll at least consider it." Naofumi nodded after a moment. "Though, while we're on this topic, I hope we could also discuss these in the future." He then pulled another, unfamiliar accessory from his weapon, setting it in front of the guildmaster.
"And what is this?" Hickwaal asked curiously.
"An accessory that allows people to make use of the Hero Drop Item function." Naofumi said.
"..."
"..."
"..."
All was silent in the room, and Naofumi frowned at the looks on the other's faces.
"It what?" Hickwaal finally asked.
"It lets people be able to use the Hero Drop-" Naofumi started to repeat himself.
"I heard you the first time! But are you being serious?!" Hickwaal yelled.
"Yes. I'm dead serious." Naofumi nodded. "Could you imagine anyone being able to get drop items from the monsters they killed?
"Granted, they'd still need to absorb a part of the monster into the accessory, the drop item won't be as high in quality as what us Heroes get, and you're only able to access those drops at Hourglasses, or at special gem machines in the Otherworld, but as they don't exist here…" Naofumi trailed off.
"... anyway, that's why I wanted to talk to you about it." Naofumi frowned again. "I was wondering if you'd have the skill to replicate this since I don't have the skills or the knowledge.
"It'd really help the people of our nation out if they could get more rewards from the monsters they killed instead of having to give all the drop items to us Heroes."
…
…
…
…
…
"Hickwaal?" Naofumi asked.
"Please, just give him a moment." Melty sighed. Having to fight to keep her own surprise from taking over her features. "This is probably a lot for him to take in. It's certainly that way for me."
Oh… now that Naofumi thought about it, he'd been completely blown away when Kizuna first told him about it. Had he just gotten desensitized to the ramifications of it thanks to everything else he'd seen in Kizuna's world like communication ofudas or flying ships?
"Does it actually work?" Melty then asked.
Naofumi demonstrated by taking a small balloon carcass out of his Shield's gemstone, before placing it against the gemstone on the necklace accessory.
In a flash of light, similar to that of his legendary weapon, the monster material was absorbed into the accessory, disappearing from view.
…
…
…
"You know, funny thing actually." Naofumi spoke again to break the deafening pause. "I think they also replicate the Hero's Inventory function, since I've found that I can even store items like rope inside." He then demonstrated by pulling a length of rope from his weapon's gemstone, before storing it in the accessory he was holding.
"It's just that, well, I can't pull the stuff out of this unless I'm at an Hourglass." The Shield Hero then shrugged. "So not really a smart place to store things for a camping trip. But hey, at least you could store as much as you wanted in here without needing to worry about it getting full, and-"
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Hickwaal screamed. A LITERAL INFINITE BAG OF HOLDING?! AND NAOFUMI WANTED TO MAKE MORE OF THEM!?
Melty nearly slammed her head into her desk.
Gods, please give her strength!
Eventually, Hickwaal did regain control of his voice, however, much to the Shield Hero's chagrin, the topic of accessories was left shelved for another time.
"Let's move on to why we're having this meeting now." Melty stated. "And you better pay attention this time, Naofumi, because the things we're discussing here are super important for the Hero's Nation!"
"What makes you think I won't be-" Naofumi started, only for Melty to glare at him, helping him recall what he said earlier. "Alright, fine, you have my full undivided attention this time." He raised his hands in defeat, causing the bluette to smile happily in response.
"Ohoho! Does this mean that I have your approval for some of my proposals then, Lady Governor?" Hickwaal laughed in delight.
"You do. It's going to be an ambitious project for sure. But we need to make sure the citizens of the Hero's Nation are able to contribute in meaningful ways that don't involve just fighting! They need to be able to do things that'll give them purpose and identity while helping them to grow!" Melty proclaimed as a blazing fire appeared in her eyes.
Naofumi paused at her words, then looked between the short princess and shorter merchant.
He… focused a lot of his attention on getting the people as strong as possible. He hadn't meant to, but he hadn't been checking in to see how all those who didn't take on the Hero Service Crests or who weren't undergoing Fitoria's Growth Revision were doing.
"Yes, and more than that, having too large of a focus on fighting could end up destroying the monster populations in your territory entirely… or destroy the natural environment, which also isn't a good thing." The merchant sweatdropped, remembering yesterday. "And well, it goes even further than that when some people might want more peaceful means to growing stronger than swinging a blade at someone."
It was like everyone there could hear Granny cackling as she broke some poor soul in two at the training grounds that very moment.
"AIEEEEEE!"
Said poor soul sounded an odd lot like Motoyasu.
"Raphtalia and the others haven't slowed down yet as far as I can tell." Naofumi grimaced. "But yeah, you're right. Now that I think about it, it's been pretty hard for people to find anything above level 10 living near Lurolona these days."
"That part is fine. Naturally, around the seat of power for a nation, the soldiers will slay all the powerful monsters living nearby, leaving only small fry for rookie adventurers to try their luck out on. That is bound to happen no matter how you try to curtail monster hunts. The real issue would be if you hunted so extensively that you had no monsters left to level up with nor take care of the natural environment in the entire territory of the nation.
"Your people are going to need stuff to do, so they're not idly sitting by and twiddling their thumbs. And while you've made good progress with construction projects and farm works, you spend a lot of focus on physical work. Even those training in magic or becoming healers/apothecarians are doing a lot of footwork. Despite having higher stats and levels, that can be taxing for a lot of people, especially young ones." Hickwaal explained.
"How do you wish to address that then?" Naofumi asked curiously.
"Before I answer that, I have a question for you, Shield Hero… If you were going to help improve an entire nation of people and bring them out of the depths of poverty, where would you start?" Hickwaal answered with a question of his own while maintaining a small, sly smile.
"Hmmm..." Naofumi clasped his hands and thought about it for a moment.
It seemed like a question that could have many different answers. And it likely did. However, there were some answers that were better than others, depending on their context.
His time studying business at college gave him insights into some of those answers.
"To use some phrases from my world to compare, your question is what does it take to move people living in a third world country like, say, Melromarc, and change their nation into a first world country like Faubley, correct?"
"Hmmm, I think I understand what you're going for there. Yes, that is a good way to put it." Hickwaal nodded his head.
Naofumi thought about it some more. That was a big question back on Earth. Normally, it took a variety of actions to turn a third world country into a first world country.
One way to do so was improving a nation's average GDP. One normally did that by working hand in hand with the ruling government, which could implement growth policies or lower taxes in order to encourage businesses to move and work there. But Melty had been tackling that issue ever since they'd moved there, and that was something Hickwaal could do naturally without their input.
So what was there next? They could try for copying technologies from more advanced nations, and Naofumi had some plans for that with some of what he'd brought back from the Otherworld. Thing was, that wasn't guaranteed to work. And from what he'd heard of one of the only advanced nations in the world, Faubley, they were only that advanced because they had a lot of wealth to waste.
Maybe if it was more simple, like building a printing press or a more efficient means of making ships. Or maybe even those magic lights that lit up Zeltoble at night, according to Motoyasu. But crazier tech needing way more time and materials was out of the question.
Hmmm…
You know, Naofumi beat himself on the head over it earlier, but in this world, especially during the Waves, being able to fight was important. If you didn't do something combat related, however, the next best thing would be to learn a trade. But that wasn't broad enough. One could also become a farmer or a knight or any other profession as long as they knew what it entailed.
Knew… what was that popular saying from his world? Knowledge is power. But too often, people thought it meant power over others, when it could also be used to power your own life.
If there was one universal truth high on the statistics bracket that dragged people out of poverty and even propelled them to the 1% back in his world...
"You educate them." Naofumi finally answered.
Hickwaal clapped his hands together happily. "Indeed, Shield Hero. Indeed."
"Are you suggesting we set up a school for the residents of the Hero's Nation then?" Naofumi pressed on.
"Not just a school." Hickwaal smiled wide. "And again, I must say, I do love your analogy comparing Melromarc and Faubley earlier, no offense, Governor. But if I'm going to help institute education, then I'm going to do so at 'every' level. And not just the best of the best like what Faubley wants."
"None taken, I am aware that education is hard to come by in Melromarc. And personally, I have no love for the Faubley Academy since my sister was accepted there." Melty said in a deadpan.
"Ahahahaha!" Hickwaal laughed, while Naofumi smirked in agreement.
"Since you've brought this idea up, I'm going to guess you already have enough people at hand capable of staffing this kind of project?" Naofumi asked.
"Why of course! I wouldn't have ever put it forward if I didn't already have the resources to back it!" Hickwaal said excitedly. "I have plenty of former teachers from Zeltoble, as well as a few professors who were let go from the Faubley Academy for… reasons."
"Do you mean like they were mad scientists?" Naofumi asked with narrowed eyes.
"No. How do I put this… the Faubley Academy isn't what it used to be. Where before, merit or hard work could get you in, being the child of an alumni gives you highest priority, whether you have good grades or not. On top of that, depending on whom you're connected to in the Academy, you can get away with anything, even sexual harrassment of other students or teachers.
"It really doesn't help that they started doing coed dorms recently after the Crown Prince's reforms. Their research department has been going downhill as well since networking is becoming more important than teaching, meaning those with connections can get grants for absolute nonsense while those without connections aren't given funding for important research like the Waves."
…
"..." Naofumi remained quiet.
"It's truly unfortunate." Hickwaal sighed. "I'm a former graduate myself, but the changes in the last ten or so years have been for the worse."
That was… really sad, actually. It definitely sounded as though more than one thing in this world needed to be fixed.
"Well, that's all my questions for now. Let's get started. I doubt that Ren and Motoyasu will object to any of this." Naofumi nodded with an excited grin.
And with that, the group of three got to work.
Hero Clips!
Never A Private Moment
"Mmmm, honey." Raphtalia giggled happily.
"Hey there pretty mama, let me whisper in your ear." Naofumi teased, making his companion giggle even more in delight.
Yep, you know what this is. Any moment now, the scene would be fading to black, and the mature young couple would appear later, having made sweet, sweet love to each other that'd make all of us smile and shake our heads at how sweet the two were together, and-
"Rafu!"
...
The two stilled, suddenly realizing something, or rather, someone they'd forgotten about.
"Rafu? (Did I do something wrong?)" Rifana asked curiously.
Raph-Chan could never do any wrong, I say!
"Rafu!" Raph-Chan posed happily at the narrator's response. Of course it'd been a trick question! She always did these things on purpose!
...
Right, they'd gone straight to bed, not letting Raph-Chan out of their room the night before...
"Gods damn it. Now the mood is ruined." Raphtalia muttered under her breath.
"Oops. Sorry." Naofumi grimaced.
"It's fine, we can just find time to resume later." Raphtalia promised.
"... you mean you'll still be alright doing it today?" Naofumi asked with a gleam in his eyes.
Raphtalia leaned forward, pressing a nice, lingering kiss on the Shield Hero's lips, winking suggestively at him before getting out of bed and readying herself for the day.
Ha, Naofumi was already looking forward to later. Too bad it couldn't be now, but oh well, that was life.
Besides, it wasn't as if they were going to be interrupted every time they wanted to make love today and-
"Mommy! Daddy!"
"Eh-" "Filo?!"
"Hmmm, how peculiar."
The Shield and Katana Heroes had chosen to 'grind' on their own that day in the mountains.
There wasn't going to be anyone else hunting in the area, since the monster populations needed time to recover, which the two thought meant that they'd have enough privacy to do the deed together.
However, just as they were beginning to make out, Filo dropped in... with Fitoria of all people.
"What the heck are you both doing here?!" Naofumi tried to ask as kindly as possible without venting out his frustration on being blueballed again. Also, shouldn't Fitoria have been busy doing something else?!
"Didn't Filo tell Mommy and Daddy that Filo and Fitoria would be doing some training in the mountains today?" Filo asked curiously.
"I do remember hearing you tell them as much during breakfast." Fitoria nodded her head. "Fitoria needed a break from her task."
"..." "..."
"Looks like Mommy and Daddy were distracted by lewd thoughts during breakfast... again." Filo said in a deadpan.
"It would appear so." Fitoria agreed.
The power couple bowed their heads, faces red as Naofumi raised his Shield and portaled them back to the town.
Oh well, he had another spot they could try! And thankfully, he and Raphtalia still had a bunch of time slotted for each other today!
There was no way anybody would be able to find them this time-
"What the- WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"
"What are we doing?! WHAT THE &^%$ ARE YOU DOING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE &^%$#$% OCEAN?!"
The power couple were standing on the ocean floor...
No, I'm dead serious. They were several hundred feet underwater, surrounded by a bubble of air. This was thanks to a skill on one of Naofumi's shields called Bubble Shield.
Aptly named, but anyway, the two would have had complete privacy down here (besides the underwater monsters, but they weren't that important), unfortunately, their third daughter had decided today was the day she'd practice using a new water-breathing spell she'd learned recently.
And Melty had thus been extremely unfortunate to come across her adoptive parents just as they were beginning to strip each other of their armor to make a fourth daughter for the family.
"Naofumi, language!" Raphtalia chided.
"But I- fine, you're right, I'm sorry, but literally, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DOWN HERE?!" Naofumi yelled in frustration.
"Shouldn't I be yelling that at you?!" Melty demanded angrily, a blush slowly working its way onto her face as she wished she could have been anywhere else besides there.
...
Both sides went quiet, feeling a growing awkwardness in the atmosphere.
And just as if it couldn't get anymore ridiculous...
"Oh, hey Naofumi! How's it going?!" An adult sized penguin creature wearing a poorly sewn hat on its head and holding the Legendary Spear in its grasp appeared in the water, swimming alongside a larger yet extremely hot killer whale.
"... Motoyasu?" Naofumi asked confusedly.
"Sadeena." Raphtalia groaned.
"Hey lil' sis! Don't you realize you shouldn't be doing such acts out in the open where lil' ol' me can watch?" Sadeena teased in her therianthrope form.
"That aside, Naofumi, did you know that the monsters down here give ridiculous amounts of EXP?! I'm almost at level 90 already!" Motoyasu said excitedly.
"Is that really important right now?!" Naofumi yelled at the blonde man.
"Ehehehe, I'll have you at 100 before you know it, Moto!" Sadeena hugged the Spear Hero's side, making the man laugh instead of answering Naofumi's question.
On the beach, watching through the needle on the Pengu Kigimuri together, a tiger girl and her seamstress older sister both screamed at how unfair it was that they couldn't fight underwater with Moto too.
...
"..." Naofumi didn't say another word as Raphtalia raised her blade to the sky this time, portaling them back to the town... again.
"Can I level with you guys too?" Melty asked curiously.
"Sure, the more the merrier, I say!" Motoyasu said happily.
Atla and S'yne's screaming only intensified as they wished they had the ability to cast water magic too.
"Dou-Lon... are you kidding me?"
"Urk... I'm terribly sorry, Naofumi. I didn't realize you and Miss Raphtalia were... um... in here together."
Naofumi and Raphtalia both groaned as they put their faces in their hands. The Shield Hero's bloodkin sitting in the water opposite them.
They were in the bathhouse, where they'd worked to ensure they'd have a private bath 'all to themselves'. Since they were only dressed in towels, it would have been so easy for them to undress and do the deed really quick, and then wash off in the hot bathes as if nothing had happened.
It was a place to wash up, and the water was drained and refilled pretty often, so it wasn't like anybody would have minded like a certain Bow idiot.
Unfortunately, just as they were getting started, Dou-Lon walked in. Not even noticing the pair until he was already neck deep in the water.
By then, it was too late.
"Keel, just ten minutes... that's all I wanted." Raphtalia groaned in despair.
"Why the hell did we trust her to keep watch?" Naofumi groaned alongside his wife friend.
"Um, well, in her defense, she was distracted by that one tiger teen, who's been following me around lately." Dou-Lon admitted.
"It's weird, I was going to talk to ask why he's been following me during the day, but as soon as he saw her, he ran away face all red faced and screaming in terror. And that's when Keel chased after him." Dou-Lon shrugged.
...
So much for asking Keel to keep watch.
...
The silence between both sides began to get more than a little awkward.
"I'm sorry again, Naofumi. I swear, next time you and Miss Raphtalia need privacy, you can ask me to make sure nobody goes into your home, and I'll make sure-"
"Oh? Dou-Lon, you're also using the public bath right now?" Eclair asked curiously as she came out from the woman's dressing room. Dressed in nothing but a towel.
"AIEEEEEEEEEE!" The large white tiger man suddenly clawed himself out of the large bath. Towel still wrapped around his waist as he dashed on all fours out the exit while screaming like a banshee.
"Eh? Dou-Lon?! Where are you going?! Don't tell me you're going off to train like that!" The swordswoman chased after the man.
Eclair in just a towel?! WHYYYYYYYYYYY?!
...
...
The power couple raised both their weapons at the same time.
Screw this, if they couldn't find a moment of privacy in this world, than they'd just have to travel to a different world to do the deed!
Alright, the two now had a nice romantic dinner ready on the beach of the Infinite Labyrinth in Kizuna's world.
Don't ask how they'd gotten there. Most of these omakes got pretty cracked eventually. Let's just say that through some shenanigans, they traveled to Kizuna's world and went into the inescapable (not) Labyrinth where they'd thought FOR SURE that they'd have some privacy!
There'd even been enough supplies left in the Hunting Hero's old hideout down here that Naofumi had managed to put together a nice romantic dinner for two just for the two of them so it'd be certain that the mood would be set. They'd have their fade to black moment, and then they'd be happy and satisfied, able to handle being around people again and doing who knows what as they prepared themselves and the people for the improvement of the Hero's Nation and-
"Oh, hey, Naofumi! Fancy meeting you and your wife friend here again!" Kizuna greeted happily.
...
...
...
"Eh? What is it? Do I have something on my face?" The young girl asked curiously.
There was no way.
There was no &^%$#$% way!
"WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING HERE!?" Naofumi yelled as, in the background, Raphtalia beat her head against a large boulder on the beach.
The poor rock. The half-tanuki was smashing it into so many pieces as Naofumi's little sister had been the one to interrupt them this time.
"Fishing, duh." Kizuna showcased her fishing pole with a proud grin. "Didn't I tell you about all the awesome fish I caught while trapped here?! Now that Mikikage is no longer a country, and since I have these handy dandy Bio-Seeds you gave me, I can come and go as I please!
"Pretty sweet, amirite?!"
...
...
...
"That does it." Naofumi crossed his arms. "You're no longer my favorite little sister."
"EHHHHHHH!? BUT WHY THO!?" Kizuna instantly complained.
"Tell L'Arc he can have his favorite older brother status back by the way. I'm done with this ^%$#." Naofumi walked to Raphtalia to help her away from the boulder that was now nothing but a pile of rock dust that she was still pounding her head against alongside the sand of the beach.
"Boo! Why is it my fault you can't get a moment of privacy with your wife friend?!" Kizuna pouted. And here she'd been so excited to tell the Shield Hero about his younger bro being summoned as the Mirror Hero!
Which technically hadn't happened yet if you went by the timeline... but did that really matter in a crack omake?!
"Hey, Shield Kiddo! Guess who heard through the grapevine that a certain somebody thought I was actually pretty cool?!"
"JUST &^%$ OFF ALREADY!" Naofumi and Raphtalia shouted at L'Arc at the same time.
Was this their lives now?!
And thus, the pair were repeatedly blueballed as they failed to have a fade to black moment where they could express their love to each other.
And both of them eventually went crazy together because of it.
Smh, they should have just gotten their own room at Cal Mira.
I'm sure Ren and Wyndia are having plenty of privacy right now.
Till Next Time
Allen