Chapter 4: Decision
After the freed captive apothecaries went back to their village, the Bow Hero, Itsuki I believed was his name, and his pack of underlings personally escorted me back to my house. For some reason, he was very adamant about escorting me home; something about fulfilling a quest or something.
Trish and Arjun came along to personally report to gramps, as it was them that he originally made the request to.
Due to having to carry his unconscious fully armoured party mate, the sun had started to set over the horizon when we finally reached my home.
"KWAK!"
"Whoa, wait—!"
The moment my house came into view, I was immediately tackled down by Blanc; the filolial rubbing against me almost obsessively.
"E-Easy there, you big baby…!" I assured him, patting a bit of his feathers to try and comfort him.
"Liya!" Gramps dashed out of the house and pulled me into a tight hug, "Oh, thank the heavens! I thought I had lost you…!"
I gave him a tight hug back, "Sorry for making you worry."
"You have nothing to apologise for! It was that damn noble who is at fault here!" Gramps then turned to the Bow Hero, "Thank you for rescuing my grandson, Bow Hero."
"No need for thanks. It was all in the day's work for a Hero." The Bow Hero smiled.
And from the way he smiled, that first part was a complete lie. He definitely enjoyed the praise and thanks from being the Hero. Of being special.
Well, at least he was doing good instead of abusing the title for some other selfish purpose. Seeing how powerful a single Skill was, I doubt anyone besides the other Heroes could stop him if he turned to more nefarious activities.
"Oh, how generous, Sir Itsuki! As expected of the Bow Hero!"
"You are surely the most heroic of the Three Heroes!"
It didn't help that his party was a bunch of bootlickers that worshipped his every move and word, or at least it appeared to be that way. Thankfully the one that looked to be the worst among them was still unconscious from the residue Mordeus Bellflower pollen.
Speaking of that unconscious knight…
"Why do we let your party rest here for the night?" I told the Hero, "It is getting pretty late, after all. Or you are thinking of lugging that big guy to town with you? Night is going to fall by the time you reach Port Lola."
And Lurolana didn't have any lodgings for outsiders, especially when they were still rebuilding. And even if they did, asking one of the patron gods of the biggest anti-demihuman religion in the continent to stay there was just a disaster waiting to happen.
Not to mention that I was kind of the reason his party member was unconscious to begin with. It was the least I could do to make up for it.
"Ah, well, if you insist…"
With the way he was grimacing, the Bow Hero wasn't keen on the prospect of spending the night with us. If anything, he looked confused by my actions. What exactly was he expecting?
"Oh, then I'd better get dinner started." Gramps stated as he headed back to the house. He then turned to my two party mates, "Would you two like to join us? Consider it my thanks for helping save Liya."
"Ah, it is okay." Trish told him, "We wouldn't want to impose you even more. And Liya is our friend, of course we'll help him."
Arjun nodded in agreement, "It is the least we can do."
"Even so, let me repay you all the same. The world operates on give and take after all." Gramps thought for a moment before snapping his fingers, "How about some potions? That should be useful to you adventurers. I couldn't give any high end stuff, though…"
"That's more than enough! Thank you!"
With that agreed on, we ended up passing a few of the low quality potions to Trish and Arjun as payment for their services.
When they left, I went on to prepare a room for the Bow Hero's party. We had that armoured knight lie down in the spare room we had in case we had a sick patient over, while I cleared up my room for the Hero and his party.
The rest of his party complained about not having beds of their own, which I then suggested that they stay in the stables with Blanc if they want a more comfortable sleep. They immediately shut their mouths and begrudgingly accepted their sleeping arrangements.
By the time they had settled in, the sun had completely set.
We were then gathered around the table for dinner.
"Isn't this a bit much, Gramps?" I asked, looking at the intense spread of food in front of me. There was even food that he only cooked on special occasions like birthdays and such.
"We have a Hero at the table tonight." He explained, "It would do us no good to not pay any hospitality to him. And I do have to thank him for saving you."
"I am grateful for your generosity, but I doubt even I can finish this much food." The Bow Hero told him.
"I see… Well, at least some of these can be kept for leftovers tomorrow. Now come on, eat up!"
"A-Ah, okay then… Thank you for the food…"
We all dig into the meal. Thanks to the lackluster breakfast back in that damn noble's prison, I was feeling especially hungry so I must have eaten way more portions than I normally have.
"It is a good thing that I cook that much, huh?" Gramps chuckled at me.
"Yeah, I guess." I shrugged.
"So, how is the food, Bow Hero?"
"O-Oh, it is divine." He said with a smile, though he looked confused and completely out of his element from the sudden question.
"It's decent, for a commoner's meal." One of the Bow Hero's party members noted with a huff. Guess that guy's of noble origins.
Come to think of it, all of the members had this noble air to their movements and speech, kind of like Eclair and Trish. To think that the Heroes were that influential that nobles were sent to be their party members…
"I'm glad to hear that." Gramps noted with a smile, "I was afraid that my mediocre cooking wouldn't be up to Sir Bow Hero's tastes."
"Please don't sell yourself short, mister…"
"Just call me Hohen, Sir Bow Hero. And, if you don't mind this humble old man from asking, what brings you to this part of the kingdom?"
"I've heard that the lord of this region had recently passed, and that led to a rise of bandits skulking about." He explained to us, "And as someone who swore to uphold justice, I can't leave it be."
"I see! Then the recent rumors of you apprehending criminals in the region are true?"
"Indeed! For no evildoers shall escape the long arm of the law when I'm around!"
The more I listened to him, the more it became obvious that he really likes to act like this Hero of Justice, delivering vengeance on those that deserved it and be greatly praised for it.
But I could tell that there was some truth in his words. He really desired to see those who committed heinous acts to be brought to justice by his hands. The fact that he went to the trouble of outing a corrupt nobleman was evident of that.
The rest of dinner continued on with Gramps kept asking the Bow Hero about all the other acts of justice he had performed, and him proudly telling us all of his exploits for the past weeks.
…
When the following morning came, the armored man still hadn't regained consciousness.
"He breathed in more pollen than I'd thought…" I noted, "Though the effects should wear off by this afternoon the latest. Probably."
"Probably?"
"Most likely."
"Which is it, then!?" The rude party member from last night shouted at me, "And aren't you an apothecary!? Can't you make something to wake him up!?"
"That would be impossible. Nothing could wake him up."
"And how would you know that if you didn't try!?"
"Because I've experienced it first hand."
And woke up in a dress no thanks to Sadeena. She still wouldn't let it go to this day…
"Calm down, Gree." The Bow Hero patted him on the shoulder, "If the apothecary says so, then we have no choice but to wait it out."
"O-Of course, Lord Bow Hero… it is as you said."
"Let's just continue to raise our levels for now. The Wave is only a week away, and I wish to have all of you do a Class-Up before it hits."
"Understood!"
At the mention of the Wave, Memories of a red sky and countless corpses dotting the streets filled my mind. To think that disaster would be reeling its head on the world so soon…
As the Bow Hero and his party of bootlickers left for the forest, I stocked up on some medicine, armed with my weapons just in case, and headed for Lurolana to check on the villagers.
"Oh, Liya is back!"
"You okay, Liya?"
The villagers all came up to me to ask about my well-being and about my kidnapping. I was just gone for two days and they were all so worried about me?
I'm touched…
And then, one of the villagers, a cat demi-human lady, nervously walked up to me and said, "…Liya, there is something we need to tell you."
"Hm? What is it?" Judging from her expression, it was something serious.
"A bunch of us had discussed it for a while and…" She let loose a small sigh, "We had decided to leave Lurolana."
"…Huh? W-Why!?" I asked in shock.
"We love our village, and we truly wish to build it back up." One of her friends, a dog demi-human man, told me, "But after seeing what the kingdom's knights did to the others… I'm not sure if it would be good for us to remain here any longer."
"The only reason we could build a village here in the first place was due to Lord Seaetto's protection. But that is gone as well, so…"
All his reasoning made logical sense. It would be more beneficial to move on to a more secured place instead of remaining here for a vague hope of restoring it back. And without any protection from the nobles, it would be a matter of time before more slave traders would come here for them.
I know that he was right, and yet…
"…I understand…" I nodded, "Do you have a destination in mind?"
"There's word that the region of Reichnott was offering a similar protection as Seaetto."
Reichnott… if I remember it right, the lord in charge of that region was of a similar viewpoint as Lord Seaetto. They would be better off there.
"…Then I wish you guys all the best in the future."
"Thank you, Liya. And… we're sorry."
"Don't be. You did what you did to survive, after all."
No matter how frustrating it was, I had no right to stop them from heading for greener pastures. I never had that right to begin with, seeing as I wasn't able to protect them.
"And this might be asking for too much already, but… could you look after Keel for us?"
"Keel? What happened to him?"
"He couldn't accept the idea of us leaving the village and refused to leave." She sighed, "We didn't want to force him, so it would be nice if you could let him stay with you."
"Mm…"
Keel had always been rather stubborn. If he didn't want to leave, he wouldn't. You had to quite literally drag him with you.
Not that I would blame him.
This village was his entire world, and to just leave it in ruins wouldn't sit well with him.
"I guess he could stay with me and Gramps…"
"Guys, we have trouble!"
One of the villagers, a female rabbit demi-human ran up to us with a panicked look and told us, "Keel is missing!"
"What!? Are you certain!?"
"Yes! I went to his house to check on him, but I couldn't find him anywhere!"
I let loose a small groan, "That little brat…" To run away just because he wouldn't agree with them…
"Say, didn't he mention something about becoming strong to defend the village yesterday?"
"Become strong…!?"
To get stronger meant increasing your level, which meant killing monsters to gain experience. And the only place to do so here was…!
"The forest!" I told them, "He's heading to the forest!"
"What!? But there were still monsters from the Wave still lurking in them!"
"That kid… what is he thinking!?"
I let loose a loud groan and dashed off towards the forest.
Keel, you dumb brat! You better not die on me!
"Hiyah!"
Keel stabbed into a Balloon with his father's knife, popping it into many little pieces.
"Hah… hah…"
He had been in this forest since sunrise, slashing away at any small monster he would come across. He didn't know how long it had been since, but he had finally reached Level 8.
"I can do it. Who needs them! I can rebuild the village all by myself!"
Anger filled his veins when he recalled what the other villagers were discussing. To think they would leave the place they called home like that, even after agreeing to rebuild it together!
So what if the lord's protection was gone!? They could defend Lurolana themselves! To abandon the village like that, how dare they!?
What would Raphtalia think if she returned to see the village abandoned? What would Big Sis Sadeena think if she returned to empty ruins?
"Stupid, stupid…!"
Keel channelled all his anger and kicked a rock away as hard as he could.
And it hit one of a pack of Dire Wolves feasting on a dead animal. What that was, he had no idea nor did he wish to know. What he did know was that his little tantrum had angered them somewhat; the wolves slowly approached him while growling quite fiercely at him.
"Grwwaaaahh!"
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Following his instincts, Keel immediately ran from the angry monsters as fast as he could; using his small stature to weave through the bushes and fallen logs in an attempt to lose them.
Unfortunately, the Dire Wolves weren't so easily deterred as they easily climbed and leaped over every obstacle. And thanks to their quadrupedal build, they soon caught up to the poor demi-human child with ease and one leapt at him with jaws open for a bite.
"Get away from me!"
"Grrah!"
Keel swiped his knife at them, which nicked the attacking wolf in the snout.
"I-I hit it—WAHH!?"
While he was stunned by the fact that he actually hurt it, one of its packs took notice of the small opening and used it to tackle him to the ground, knocking the knife out of his hand. Seeing its prey now helpless on the ground, the Dire Wolf bit into his shoulder hard.
"AAHHH!"
Keel could only let out a scream in pain and frantically bashed against the monster as hard as he could. His little limbs and low level could do nothing to it as its sharp teeth dug ever deeper into his shoulder, streams of blood spurting out from the increasingly deepening wound.
'Is… Is this how I'm going to die…?'
He was going to die, alone in the forest and being eaten by monster wolves, with no one ever knowing where he had gone. And without even being able to fulfil Raphtalia's wish of rebuilding the village.
Keel didn't want to die like this, but he was too weak to push the Dire Wolf off of him. And without his knife, he could do nothing to it. All he could do was await the ever looming shadow of death that approaches him.
'I'm sorry, Raphtalia, Rifana… I'm sorry…'
"GET OFF OF HIM!"
A rock came out of nowhere and slammed into the wolf monster's head hard, stunning the monster and causing it to let go of his shoulder as a chain whip shot out and slashed into its neck. Blood spurts out like a geyser from the fatal wound as it stumbles on its feet before collapsing on the ground.
'That was…!'
"Keel!"
"L-Liya…?"
I felt my heart freeze in fear when I saw the blood seeping out of the kid's shoulder. His stuttering voice was weak and hoarse from all that screaming he just did.
Though it was thanks to him screaming that I was able to find him in the first place.
When I heard it, I immediately took off towards its direction and saw the pack of Dire Wolves upon him, with one of them on top of him and biting into his shoulder. I immediately grabbed a stone and chucked it at the monster. Once it was stunned, I drew Chain Sword and struck, slicing a fatal strike into its neck.
"You'll be fine… you'll be fine…" I reassured him as I had him drink a Recovery Medicine, though he choked on it for a bit. Slowly but surely, his wounds slowly patched itself up.
"Liya… I…"
"You can explain yourself after we get out of this."
"Grrgghhh…"
The other wolves growled at me, pacing in front of me while baring their fangs at me. Killing one of its pack mates had no doubt painted me as a threat, and they would no doubt want revenge for it.
No matter. I can handle a few Dire Wolves on my own, especially with my level.
"Come at me, you mutts."
As soon as I muttered that out, the wolves pounced on me from all directions. I avoided one of them and swung my chain whip at another, slashing it deep in the sides and causing it to collapse.
I kept up my attack and whipped at another wolf, this time cutting into its eyes. It yelps in pain while its comrades rush at me in a pincer attack, which I easily dodged out of the way before wrapping my chain whip around one of them and slinging it at one of the trees.
"Liya, behind you!"
Its partner had tried to jump me from behind; I twisted my body to the side to avoid it as I drew my knife and stabbed into the back of its neck. Leaving it embedded in the dying wolf, I swung my whip at the stumbling blinded wolf and slashed into its side.
"And then there's one…" I muttered to myself as I turned to the wolf I had thrown to the trees, the last of its pack.
Either driven by vengeance or desperation, the wolf charged at me as fast as it could. I swung my whip down at it, but it managed to dodge my strike and left me open. It seized the opening and lunged at me with jaws ready to bite down on me, too fast for me to dodge.
Thinking fast, I quickly grabbed a loose chain that had not retracted back in and let it bite into it hard. The force behind its lunge pushed me down to the ground.
"Liya!"
"I'm fine!"
Not wanting to give it a chance to run away, I wrapped the chain around its snout and grabbed its head as tightly as I could. I then began twisting its head back to break its neck. No doubt sensing its life to be in danger, it attempted to escape my grasp but my tight grip wouldn't allow it.
"Yeah, I don't think so."
With a great heave, I twisted its head and its neck broke with a loud sickening crack. I let loose a sigh of relief as I let the now dead monster collapse onto the ground next to me.
"That was close…"
I stumbled back on my feet and unwrapped the chain around the dead wolf's snout, retracting it back into Chain Sword with a loud click. After a quick glance around to see if I had missed any other monsters, I turned to the one that I had entered the forest to find.
"Keel."
"L-Liya, I—OW!"
I slammed a fist on his head as hard as I could. He immediately raised his head at me with tear-filled eyes and hands covering his growing bump, "What was that—!?"
"What were you thinking!?" I didn't realise how angry I was at him when I shouted way louder than I normally did, "If I hadn't shown up when I did, you would have gotten yourself killed!"
"I… I…"
"Think about how everyone would feel if you died! How Sadeena would feel…! How I would feel…!"
"L-Liya…?"
I could feel the tears flowing down my cheeks as I continued to shout at the stupid brat, "T-That's why, if another one of you died like that, I…"
"…I'm sorry…" Keel apologised, looking actually genuine for once, "I'm sorry, Liya… I just…"
"…Is it because people are leaving the village?"
"You knew?" I nodded in reply to his question and he sighed, "It's… It's just… Everyone agreed to rebuild the village together! And yet now they are just leaving!? We just managed to clear out most of the rubble!"
"I know it is selfish of them to just abandon the village." I stated, "But it can't be helped. Without the protection of Lord Seaetto, there's nothing stopping the slavers from just coming in and enslaving the rest of you."
"B-But they promised!"
"They did. But what's the point in restoring a village only for it to get torn down again?"
"I can defend against them!"
"With what? A rusty knife? They would capture you like all the others."
"I… I…"
"Keel." I placed my hands on his shoulder and looked him straight in the eye, "I didn't want people to abandon Lurolana either. But we don't always get what we want. We can only respect their decisions and let them go. Understand?"
"…Okay…"
"Thank you, Keel." I helped him back on his feet, "So, I take it you don't want to leave the village either."
"No. This is my home." He stated firmly, "And… I don't know where else to go…"
"Then why don't you stay at my home? We have extra beds if you want. And I think gramps would like the extra company."
"…are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Then… I'll be bothering you-"
"Fear not!" A sudden cry echoed in the air as the Bow Hero and the rest of his party came out from between the trees, "For I am here-Huh?"
"…Liya, who are these weirdos?"
"Pfft!" I stifled a laugh at the reasonable question. I've got to give the kid points for appearing with flair.
Ever since being summoned to this world as one of their great Heroes, Itsuki Kawasumi had been living it up in this new world.
Compared to this old life of being bullied for his mediocre esper powers, his new life as the Bow Hero couldn't be any different. He was seen as a special individual, someone that people looked up to, to be depended on; it was everything he had wished for when discovering his powers.
Thanks to his knowledge of Dimension Wave, he was able to quickly raise his and his party's levels to the mid-thirties by the end of the first couple of weeks.
With that out of his immediate schedule, he decided to use the rest of the time he had left before the Wave to act as his namesake and set out to punish all the evil individuals that plagued this kingdom.
So far, he has been able to bring down the hammer of justice on many criminals across this region.
From bandits that roamed the mountains, to pirates that threatened the port towns, to even corrupt nobles that abused their status to harass the common folk, all would not escape his sight.
The debacle with the apothecaries was originally one such incident, one that he knew was part of a long hidden quest line that would reward him with a new kind of powerful healing item.
Originally, in the game, after escorting the rescued apothecary back to her home, the player would return back to town via a cutscene. After that, if he leaves the inn, she would appear once more and ask him for help, after which she would reward him with the new kind of healing potion that would be available for purchase at other potion shops.
That was the supposed scenario for this easily missable quest.
However, instead of that, it went in a whole different direction. He was even asked to stay the night to help his party recover, and she didn't ask for his help before they left. Not once did the continuation quest activate.
Of course, this could all be a different scenario when one of his party members was indisposed. If so, he had no idea how to proceed from here. All the walkthroughs he had seen for this quest never mention any of this. For all he knew, it could be an entire different quest line all together.
And then, he heard the scream and rushed forth with his party to save whomever was in trouble.
Only to find that same apothecary with a young dog demi-human along with several dead Dire Wolves. The demi-human said something, but he didn't quite hear it.
"What… happened here…?" Itsuki asked, very confused over the current situation.
"Nothing much. Just a pack of Dire Wolves attacking this runaway brat." The apothecary told him as she gave the young demi-human a bob in the head, "But no worries, I've already taken care of them."
"Eh? On your own?"
"Yeah."
"You gotta be kidding!" Gree shouted, "A mere apothecary can't possibly be capable of dealing with monsters of that caliber!"
"I am a part time adventurer as well."
"That doesn't explain anything at all!"
The Bow Hero couldn't believe what he heard. In the game, the apothecary wasn't someone to be added to the party, and all interactions with her portrayed her as this weak and dainty yet determined and studious village girl, someone that you would want to protect.
And yet, all the evidence presented to him paints her as the exact opposite; especially with how she seamlessly extracts a knife from the body of a dead wolf with no show of it bothering her ever the slightest.
Not to mention how boyish she had been acting compared to all the materials about her. He had seen her in action yesterday with that chain whip of hers, but he never thought her to be strong enough to deal with the mid levelled Dire Wolves.
'Is this really the same apothecary in the game?'
"Well, I've got to bring this fella back to his village. I'll see you back at the house, Bow Hero."
"A-Ah, allow me to escort you!" .
"No, it's okay. I can handle it—"
"Please, I insist!"
He didn't know what caused the quest line to change, or why it did. Even so, the conditions for clearing the last act of it had to be the same. All he had to do was escort the two of them to their village, and he'll finish the quest.
"…uh… okay…?" She gave him a weird look as she said that.
Was he a bit too pushy with his request? No, it shouldn't be. A Hero was presenting his services to escort her, after all.
They slowly made their way through the woods, all the while his party strangely kept a rather sizable distance from them. A few small low levelled monsters had jumped them several times, but they were quickly dispatched by the Bow Hero before anyone could react.
Though the apothecary did give him a sour look whenever he did so.
Whenever he did this with other people, they always looked at him with awe and admiration; yet instead of that, she was doing the exact opposite.
Was he doing something wrong?
No, that can't be. He was defending her from the monsters. That can't be a wrongful action. He must be misinterpreting her actions somehow.
"Woah… For a weirdo, you are pretty strong." The young demi-human noted.
"Weird—how dare you! You happen to be addressing the great Bow Hero!" One of his party members, Gree, told her firmly, "I would suggest you watch your words, demi-human!"
"Huh? Why? A weirdo is a weirdo. Who cares if it is the Hero or not, stupid old man."
"Why you little…"
"Stop it, Gree!" Itsuki shouted at him when he saw him about to reach for his weapon, "It's just an ignorant kid's rambling."
"Pulling a sword on a child because they were a little rude? Quite a hypocrite, aren't you?" The apothecary noted with a glare, "And here I thought the Bow Hero and his followers were all about justice."
"O-Of course we are!" Gree quickly bowed to him, "My apologies, Bow Hero! My anger at his disrespect got to my head!"
"Seriously… don't let anger cloud your mind. As bringers of justice, we can't let such a inconsequential comment affect us. We need to be of clear mind at all times."
"Thank you for your wisdom, oh wise and just Bow Hero!"
"…Laying it on a little thick there, aren't you…?"
He managed to overhear the apothecary muttering such a thing under her breath, though he wasn't quite sure what she meant.
"Please accept my party's apologies, uh…"
"…Liya."
"Miss Liya, then. I'm sure they meant no real ill will."
"Yeah, yeah. Not like those racist fuckers meant any of it…"
Itsuki was quite stunned by the foul word coming out of her mouth. All her known dialogues were filled with kind and encouraging words, not a cuss word to be found.
Though it could be due to the stress from worrying about the young dog demi-human. He had seen nice people acting very differently than usual when deeply stressed.
'Still… for the character to be so different is highly unusual…'
They carried on walking through the forests before finally making it out of the forest. In the distance was what Itsuki could tell was an aftermath of some big battle.
Half destroyed houses, crumbling walls and fences, roads dug up, rubble and broken wood everywhere; it was like the photos of the aftermath of wars in the history books. Walking among the ruins were several more demi-humans like the kid.
This actually stunned him. The village in the game was supposed to be some generic rural village, not a half destroyed ruins of one.
"Thanks for the escort, Bow Hero." Liya stated, "I can take it from here."
"Eh?" The stunned teen was left speechless at her words as she and the young demi-human left for the village.
Itsuki wasn't sure what he was hearing. He had fulfilled the requirements for the quest, so he should be getting the reward for it. But instead, it doesn't look like it would be happening that way.
'Why? I did everything the quest wanted me to do, so why isn't it getting completed?'
"Could this be…?"
"Hm, what is it, Rojeel?"
"Sir Itsuki, I think this might be Lurolana Village." He told him, "It is the village that got attacked by the first Waves."
"This was the place?"
"I believe so."
Itsuki remembered the king had mentioned that a village got attacked by the Wave before they summoned the Heroes. This was that village?
He knew the Waves of Catastrophe was a world ending event, but seeing the aftermath of one really put a new perspective on the whole thing.
'This is what the Wave was capable of… it is worse than I originally thought…'
A shiver went down his spine at the thought of having to fight whatever had done all of this.
"Sir Itsuki?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Itsuki assured his party mates as he watched the villagers swarm the young demi-human.
From what he can see, the boy was getting scolded by them with some giving him tight hugs. A few of them had glanced his way, surprised looks turned to fearful and anxious ones in an instant as they turned to talk to Liya, the apothecary looked to be assuring them to the best of her abilities.
He could understand. A great Hero of all people coming to a rural place like this, anyone would be nervous at his presence.
Moments later, Liya walked up to them with a tired look on her face.
"Is something the matter?"
"It's nothing much, just that everyone is a bit anxious about you guys." Liya told him, "So I kind of have to keep an eye on you for them."
"Oh? That's… I have to admit, that feels rather excessive…"
"You have to understand, armed humans aren't the most welcoming sight for them, not since the raid a week ago…"
"Raid?" Itsuki blinked in confusion, "Wasn't it the Wave that did that to this place?"
"The first Wave did hit, and it caused all that destruction." She told him, "But the day after that, the village was raided and a lot of people were either killed or taken. I tried to fend them off, but I was quickly overpowered by them… I would have died if my comrades didn't manage to get me out of there…"
"How awful!" He cried out, "Such injustice! Tell me, who are the fiends that did such a thing!?"
"…the soldiers."
"Huh?"
"The ones that raided the village; they were the kingdom's soldiers." Liya venomous spit out.
"W-What…!?" Itsuki couldn't believe what she was saying. The kingdom's own protectors were actually responsible for such vile acts!?
"T-That's a bold statement!" Rojeel shouted, "Such remarks could be seen as treason against the kingdom!"
"I know what I saw that day." She stated firmly, her glare stabbing into his party member, "And we both know how bad it is between humans and demi-humans. They would have plenty of reasons to—"
"S-Sir Itsuki, you mustn't believe a word this l-lunatic says! This has to be some misunderstanding! I-I know! Maybe some bandits had swiped some of the soldiers' armor and wore it to shift the blame to them!"
"Ah, that's possible." Itsuki nodded. The kingdom's soldiers were the protectors of the people. No way they would do such heinous acts like raiding a defenceless village—
"Are you guys suggesting that the kingdom's armory could be easily broken into by some random bandits?" The apothecary pointed out, getting a flinch from his two party mates.
"W-Well…"
"And even if they did, why would they even need to go to such lengths in the first place? In the first place, slavery is a legal trade. There is no point in trying to frame the kingdom's army."
"T-That's because—"
"Wait, slavery is legal?" The Bow Hero suddenly asked, "As in, protected by the law?"
"Yeah? Didn't you know that?" Liya looked at him confused.
"Such heinous practice is allowed!?" He shouted angrily, "Treating people like products… How could such a thing be supported!?"
"Y-You're right, Sir Itsuki! We wholeheartedly agree!" Rojeel proclaimed earnestly, "People aren't supposed to be treated like that!"
"Unless they are demi-human, you mean?"
"Grgk!"
"What do you mean?" Itsuki asked the apothecary, not noticing the pale faces of his party mates. Now that he had thought about it, he had almost never seen any demi-humans in the towns he had saved. This village was the first time seeing so many demi-humans together like that.
'Are they a minority in Melromarc?'
"…I guess you really didn't know." Liya sighed, "Melromarc is a human-supremacist kingdom, so human slavery is frown upon. Demi-humans, on the other hand, are welcomed and even encouraged. Unless they are backed by someone of notable rank, most free demi-humans often either end up getting hunted down and killed, or getting captured to become slaves."
"That's…"
He wasn't expecting things to be that bad. Non-humans getting discriminated against were a common trope in most mangas and light novels, but to hear about it from a local…
"She is clearly e-exaggerating, Sir Itsuki!" Gree quickly told him in a panic, "Things may be bad, but there have been steps to try and curb the racism!"
"T-That's right!" Rojeel nodded, "I've heard that there has been a village built for them and is protected from slavers and whatnot!"
"Ah, I-I see… that's good to—"
"And that village is here." Liya's words immediately evaporated any relief Itsuki had felt, as she carried on without acknowledging the rapidly paling faces of his comrades, "Which unfortunately lost any protection it once had when the lord governing this region died in the Wave."
"O-Oh… that's…"
He now understood why the villagers were acting so cautiously with them. Sure, part of it must be due to his reputation as the Bow Hero, but it was mostly due to their traumatic experience with the vile and evil men that had raided their home.
To them, his party must have looked the same as those evil bandits.
"No point in getting all apologetic on me." She told him, "Not like it would make any difference."
"Even so…" Itsuki let loose a small sigh and placed a hand over his chest in a salute he saw the soldiers made back at the castle, "I swear on my title as the Bow Hero, I'll make sure the bastards who did this will get their comeuppance."
That was the least he could do. And he truly intended to uphold that oath. He would make sure those bastards get their comeuppance!
"…hm, thanks." Liya nodded with a small smile, before muttering to herself, "…guess he isn't just a…"
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
He accepted her answer, unknown that his words had helped the apothecary make an important decision.
"My sincere apologies, Lord Itsuki!" He cried as he prostrated himself in front of the teen, "My carelessness had caused you a great disservice!"
"It's fine, Mald." He told him, "You weren't aware of the pollen, so it can't be helped. I'm just glad you are fine now."
"Oh, how forgiving you are, Bow Hero! I'll follow you and your justice to the ends of the earth!"
I groaned at the scene in front of me, already feeling a migraine from the intense brown nosing that armoured knight was giving the Bow Hero.
It was late into the afternoon when we returned back to my house with Keel and his belongings; the Bow Hero was strangely very adamant of escorting me back home.
After lunch, the formerly unconscious knight bursted out of the room and immediately greets the Bow Hero before prostrating right in front of us, all the while apologising profusely.
"If anything, you should thank Miss Liya over here." He gestured to me, "She's the one that lent you the room while you were unconscious."
"I-I see…" The armoured man turned to me, scowled for a moment, and then bowed, "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Liya."
"…I'm only doing my duty as an apothecary." I assured him. He must think that it was my fault that he ended up in a coma in the first place. If anything, it was his own fault for rushing in so recklessly like that.
"Right, now that Mald is awake…" The young kid noted, glancing at me for a moment, "…let's head on back to the capital. Mald, you are going to raise your levels as much as you can on the way back. Try to reach as close to the level cap as possible."
"Understood, sir Bow Hero!"
"The Bow Hero is leaving?" Gramps asked me as he entered the living room.
"Oh, Gramps. Keel finished settling in?" I asked.
With that armoured knight now fully awake, the now vacant spare room was now Keel's. Gramps had brought him to said room to unpack the moment said knight began prostrating himself.
Thankfully he did, or he might have said some words to trigger the knight; and by how the other members of the party went, it wouldn't be pretty.
"Are you all leaving soon?" Gramps asked the Bow Hero.
"That's right, sir. Thank you for all the hospitality you have given us."
"Oh, it is no big deal. I'm just glad to be of service."
"Actually…Before you all go," I stepped forward and asked, "Do you mind if I ask a request of mine?"
My request had the Bow Hero instantly swerving his head towards me with an almost ecstatic expression. "A-A request? From y-you?"
"…yeah…?" I was a bit stunned by his actions. What was that all about…?
"Of course! Anything you wish!" He nodded fervently.
"…right." I let out a small sigh as I continued on, "I was hoping if you could help me get a Class-Up."
"A-A Class-Up?" The Bow Hero looked at me in confusion, "That's a little…"
For regular folk like me, our levels would always peak at lv40 and could not get any higher without what was known as a Class-Up. It was a special ritual performed in the church in front of the Dragon Hourglass; it was how Arjun could get to Lv45.
Only those with special permission were allowed access to them. The Bow Hero naturally would have that privilege, and I was hoping if he could use that privilege to allow me access to that ritual.
"What kind of preposterous request are you asking the Bow Hero for!?" The armoured knight shouted at me.
"Why would you want a Class-Up all of a sudden?" Gramps asked me.
"…I had been thinking about what to do for Lurolana for a while now." I told him, "Aside from Sadeena, I am the only one that could be considered its protector. But in the end, I couldn't do anything at all. Against the Wave, against those knights, I'm powerless, weak."
"Even two days ago, I was so easily captured by that stupid noble and his knights like some damn damsel!"
"Liya…"
"Not anymore. I'm done getting my ass handed to me like that." I proclaimed, "If I'm going to protect Lurolana, I need strength. And getting a Class-Up would be the best start."
All the Kingdom's knights had undergone a Class-Up; so, if I were to be able to defend against them when they struck again, I would need to get a Class-Up.
"I see. I understand." Gramps nodded and turned to the Bow Hero, "Sir Bow Hero. Is it possible to get Liya a Class-Up?"
"Well—"
"Don't be absurd!" The armoured knight responded for him, "You think it is easy to get a Class-Up just by asking a Hero!? Such rights are only reserved for the Hero's party members, not some random no-name villager in some backwater village!"
"Then, if I join your party, will I be allowed to get one?" I asked.
"Wha-!? Do you really think it would be that easy to join us!? And why should we allow you in our party in the first place!?"
"…Well, Bow Hero?"
"Don't you dare ignore me!"
I turned to the Bow Hero while ignoring the annoying armoured knight, "If you want, I could join the party in exchange for getting a Class-Up."
If anything, I didn't mind joining the Bow Hero's party, for the time being anyway. By the way he swore to me when I told him about the knights raiding Lurolana, he couldn't be that much of a glory hound.
"S-Such a shallow exchange…! Lord Itsuki, we can't let such a person join our party!"
Okay, this guy is seriously getting on my nerves. Is he holding that much of a grudge for the whole Morphus pollen thing?
"…what can you bring to the party?"
"L-Lord Itsuki!?"
The armoured knight could only gape in shock at the Bow Hero's question. Huh, guess the Bow Hero had more autonomy than I thought.
Regardless, I replied to him, "I'm a decent support to the rear guard in my previous party; and I could heal with my potions."
"And your current level?"
I glanced at my status, "Lv31." I must have leveled up from my fight with the Dire Wolves.
"That's… rather high for an apothecary." He noted in surprise, "Very well, welcome to the party, Miss Liya."
"Y-You can't be serious, Lord Itsuki!" The armoured knight shouted.
"Relax, Mald." The Bow Hero assured him, "She may not look like it, but she is capable to defeating a pack Dire Wolves on her own."
"T-This kid did…!?"
I wanted to correct him of my actual age, but it would do me no good to antagonise him anymore than I already had.
"W-Well, if Lord Itsuki had decided, then this Mald would accept her into the party."
"Thank you, Mald."
Seconds later, a window appeared in my sight, one that indicated an invite into a party. I glanced back at Gramps, who simply smiled and nods.
Then, without a second, I accepted the invite, a decision that would bring me down a path of hardships and agony. Though I would not know until much later.
…
To be continued…
Yup, Liya had officially joined the Bow Hero's party. I originally wanted him to join Naofumi, but that much is too much a canon rehash so I'm trying this.
As for anyone who was wondering now, no, Liya is a guy and identify as one; Itsuki and his party just assumed that he was a woman, and he just didn't correct them.
*Sup! So, this is the rewrite of my rewrite of my Shield Hero OC fic. This time, I'm going to make a few changes so that it would be more than just a Canon rehash.