We had only one stop to make before leaving, and it was a quick one.

At the Dragon Hourglass, Rato and Hailey went through their class ups. Nelshen let us use a rare item as part of the ritual, so they could get higher stats. It was a good item, according to her, and backed up by my own memory. With it, all their stats went up by 50%.

It was no magical filolial cowlick, but it was still good. Really good, actually, since having a single stat rise that much was considered good. As a bonus, this didn't cost anything, as Nelshen considered this payment for eventually bringing the Shield Hero here.

With that finished, we teleported to Zeltoble.

"Okay, let's get started." I looked to everyone. "Rato, find us a carriage. Something that'll handle fast speeds. Make sure Hailey likes it, or at least finds it passable."

"Yes, sir." Rato replied.

"Gweh!" Hailey was pleased with my stipulation.

I continued. "I'm going to register with the hourglass here and copy axes on the way. Fohl, you okay to keep carrying Atla?"

"Of course!" Fohl proudly boasted.

"Good." I nodded and turned back to Hailey. "If anyone tries to attack any of you, listen to Rato, but you're free to kill them." I knew what kind of place this was, though I was confident Rato and Hailey could handle things.

"Gweh!" Hailey flapped her wings in approval.

"Meet at the entrance to the city." I said.

With that, we went our separate ways for the moment.

Registering at the hourglass was simple enough. It wasn't like they were going to stop a hero from protecting the surrounding land.

Next was a bit of an extra stop. I swung by the slave merchant's place and had him send a message to his nephew in Melromarc. He was to find Naofumi and sell him a cheap slave to help him grow stronger. Basically what the queen did, but I was going to have it done first. It might have been better if I remembered to do this yesterday, but whatever.

Last came the weapon copying. In a city known for trading, mercenaries, and the coliseums, there were plenty of axes to look at. It took a bit of time, but I was able to copy several dozen weapons that I didn't already have. There were plenty of good weapon forms, some of them giving skills or other effects. One in particular stood out.

Siderite Axe
(abilities locked) Equip Bonus: skill "Meteor Axe"

Well, I knew what I was going to be unlocking first.

I finished my copying, bought one axe that caught my eye, and set out for the city entrance.

~The Right Man~

"West bound and down, loaded up and truckin'~. A'we gonna do what they say can't be done~. We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there~. I'm west bound, just watch ol' Bandit run~."

"What is that song?" Fohl asked from the back.

"Tavel music from my world." I responded. I mean, we were going west instead of east, so I changed that part, but it was otherwise the same.

One important thing I realized about this world was the huge amount of time it took to get anywhere. It was a bigger hit when I first learned how long it would take to reach Melromarc from Faubrey, but it just kept adding up with smaller things. Like, for instance, reaching Melromarc from Zeltoble.

I copied the path the slave merchant used between the two countries on my map. With Hailey, it will take us under two weeks. She had pretty good endurance outside of a gallop—or whatever it was for a filolial. A run? Anyway, as long as she got regular water and some snacks, she could go until the end of the day.

So, to occupy that time, I did the only thing worth doing: I sang.

"It's weird." Fohl went on. "How is that a song?"

"Oh, I've got way weirder songs." I said over my shoulder, giving her a smile.

Fohl didn't look impressed. "If this is the worst thing about being owned by you, I guess it's not so bad."

"Sister." Atla chided. She lay on the floor next to Fohl, a bedroll beneath her. While she had the muscles to just barely stand, there was no need to exert herself right now.

"Ouch. That hurts." I said, laughing. "Hailey likes my singing."

"Gweh!" The bird chirped out. She had been swaying her head from side to side as she pulled the carriage.

"Filolials like music, Sir Axe." Rato chimed in. She was also in the back, partially to keep an extra eye on Atla, but also to help make potions. We had plenty of materials, and making more money couldn't hurt.

"Fair, but it's not like my singing is bad or anything." I said, looking out at the road. Yep. Nothing of note out here.

"Hm." Rato just hummed in reply.

"Right?" I turned back.

"I am unable respond, given the settings of the slave seal on me." Rato said, not looking up from her alchemy set.

"I'm feeling rather attacked right now." It wasn't like I was a master singer, or even necessarily a good singer, but was it actually bad?

"I like your singing, Mister Dante!" Atla happily said.

I sighed. "I appreciate that, but you don't have to lie. And it's a good thing I didn't have that as your restriction." I had a feeling she might try to downplay any problems she might have, so I set hers to attacking me in my sleep.

"I'm not lying." Atla responded. "I can prove it, too."

"I appreciate it." I didn't see the need to verify her claim.

Fohl started giving me a look.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm trying to figure you out." She said.

"Reasonable."

"The Hammer Hero called you a psychopath."

"I care about people. I'm just good at not caring, too."

If my goal was to endear myself to Fohl, I was failing here. But that wasn't my goal at the moment.

"How many people have you killed?" She asked.

"Since when?" I replied.

That got her to slide just a little bit closer to Atla.

"Really?" I had to hold back a laugh. "You know how much Yggdrasil Elixir costs. Do you really think I'd give it to someone only to kill them?"

"I don't know you."

"Again, reasonable."

"Sister, be nice." Atla spoke up again.

"Atla, we don't know anything about him. Who knows what he could be planning for us." Fohl argued.

"Mister Dante bought us and gave me medicine. He could have taken you to the Wave, but he let you stay with me. Doesn't that show he's not a bad person?" Atla pointed out.

"He didn't bring an 11-year-old girl with him to the Wave." Fohl countered.

This was good. While having people do whatever I said could be considered a good thing, having someone willing to push back was also important. Well, I'm sure Rato would if I suggested something really stupid.

"Heh." My quiet laugh got Fohl's attention.

"What?" She glared at me.

"Sorry. I'm still not used to the fact that you're a girl." It was still throwing me off. It wasn't like I got a good look at Fohl before coming here, only a few images from the light novels. He—She wasn't in too many pictures, and those two didn't come up in the manga or anime before I died.

Fohl's eyes widened. "Wait, if you thought I was a boy, that means you wanted to do that with me!"

Ah, so we weren't done with this. I mean, I guess her thinking I was gay was better, but…no. No matter what I said, I had a feeling it wouldn't resolve anything, so I might as well set things straight.

"I like women, Fohl."

"So you admit to wanting a girl that looks like a boy!?"

"I can tell our working relationship is going to be an interesting one."

I wasn't even upset about her implying I would do that sort of thing with a child anymore. Martin was 15. In my defense, I was drunk and someone else brought us together.

"No one is sleeping with anyone here." I told her.

"Gweh?"

"You are a fluffy pillow. You don't count." I told Hailey.

"What about her?" Fohl pointed at Rato.

"Business partners." She replied.

"He's never tried to use you?" Fohl asked.

"On the contrary. He kept several men from having their way with me. Since then, he hasn't attempted anything, despite being far stronger than me." Rato explained.

"Hm." Fohl didn't look convinced. She turned back to me. "You don't think she's attractive or something?"

"Who said that?" I asked back, eyebrow raised. "She's a gorgeous woman."

That got a bit of a reaction out of Rato. She stopped her potion making.

"I'm not blind, Rato." I went on. "You have beautifully tanned skin and a figure many women would kill for. What man wouldn't find you attractive?"

"Hm." That seemed to satisfy her, since she went back to her potions.

It wasn't like she could possibly think I would try anything with her. I had every opportunity to, even more so after she took a slave seal. Our partnership hasn't lasted this long with her learning nothing about me, and what kinds of things I would and wouldn't do.

"Besides," I looked to Fohl again, "you're missing some important details. Like how our partnership began, or what it's about."

"Then tell me." Fohl looked me right in my eyes.

"Sister!" Atla chided her again.

"Sure. I can do that." I said.

It wasn't a bad idea. Not only would it give these two a much better idea the kind of person I was, it might also help Fohl feel a bit more at ease around me. Well, probably not, but it would get her to worry about the right things. Plus, we had a long road ahead of us. I could share a story or two.

"Let's start with my death and summoning." There was probably something poetic about what I said, but it was entirely accurate.

~The Right Man~

"Lady Hammer Hero was right." Fohl said as we broke for camp. "You're a psychopath."

"Sister!" Atla shot her sister a look, eyes closed.

"He is, Atla!" Fohl didn't back down.

"I mean, I wouldn't classify myself as that." All joking aside, I wasn't a psychopath. I did feel little when killing people, and would do so for my own benefit. I had no problem with racketeering, intimidation, or any of the other things Eddy either had me do or had done in our group.

On the flipside, I wasn't that manipulative. I didn't make big plans or maneuver people into unfavorable positions for my benefit. Sure, I didn't connect much with people, but that was more by choice after high school. I had all the people in my life that I needed. There was no need to find someone to fill a hole, because there was nothing to fill. I had the best three people in the world with me. What more could I want?

In conclusion, I wasn't a finely-tuned watch with complexity that worked perfectly. I was a hammer. Anyone who thought they could take hold of me would soon find themselves with their head caved in and taking a long dirt nap.

"Also, 'Lady Hammer Hero'? Just use her name." I couldn't let that line slip.

"She's a hero." Fohl retorted.

"She's also not here." I said.

"It's better to stay in a habit of being respectful." Fohl argued.

I couldn't help but laugh. "What about how you speak to me?"

"I treat you respectfully, Master!" Fohl spat out.

Honestly, I couldn't tell if she was doing that on purpose or not.

"What, is it because you're worried about me being near your sister?" I asked her.

Fohl just glared at me as she picked up Atla from the carriage and brought her close to where I was setting up the fire.

"You realize both you and Atla are in more danger around her than me, right? Especially…" Well, I couldn't actually finish that thought.

I didn't actually know what kind of women Khana liked. I knew I was in the good column for men, so maybe muscular women? She swooped in and, supposedly, swooned a few from Garth, and he struck me as a man who liked more feminine women, so perhaps not. Maybe any woman with a pretty face?

"Anyway," I filed that away for later, "you two now have a better idea of what kind of person I am."

What I told them was basically what happened right before I died, and how I spent my time here. Since they would be trusted party members, I also told them about my goddess, and the deal I made with her. It wasn't a good way to think, but I could prevent them from telling anyone about it if I needed to.

Though, that threat from Mirellia was still valid, so this wasn't as important. I could be a known heretic by the end of the week. On the plus side, in that case, my level would skyrocket…in different circumstances.

"Yeah." Fohl had her arms crossed as she sat next to her sister. "You're a psychopath and you're insane."

"I…hm." I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Sister, if you keep insulting Mister Dante, I'm going to be really upset." Atla said, lying down once more.

Fohl flinched. "B-But he is!"

"He's trying to bring his family back to life." Atla said.

"That makes him insane! They're already dead." Fohl continued to argue.

"What would you do?" I asked. I wasn't angry with her.

"Huh?" Fohl looked back to me.

"What if Atla died? What would you do if someone legitimate came along and offered to bring her back if you did them a favor?"

The look in Fohl's eyes…I knew them. They were the same that were in mine when I first spoke with my goddess. I was sure of it.

"Seems like we're the same." I said to her.

"We are not the same." Fohl turned away.

"We are. You and I believe the same thing." I leaned forward slightly. "Family is everything."

Whether or not she wanted to admit it, she knew I was right. I could ignore everything I knew about her from the books and still come to the same conclusion. She would move heaven and earth, fight her way through hell, if it meant saving Atla.

"That said, there are other things I know about you, aside from where you were and your situation. Some of it is not so pleasant, and some you will help determine what happens next."

"Like what?" Fohl asked, looking at me from the corner of her eye.

"Another night." I told them.

Telling them about Aultcray and their cousins…well, no point in overloading them.

Killing Aultcray was just an idea I had. Really, it was only because he was likely to get in my way. I understood why he did the things he did, especially because it was all his fault. Summoning your religion's devil, and then that devil tries to rape your daughter? Or actually does, translation being what it was? Yeah.

But killing him was a bit of touchy thing now. I wanted to at least get the okay from these two now that I've actually met them, before I actually went through with it. Funny how that works.

~The Right Man~

Camp was made, and dinner was eaten. I had Hailey rest since she spent all day pulling the carriage. It was good to stretch out and kill some things myself. Not that we ate the stuff I killed after we set up camp. That stuff needed to lose its blood a bit.

I have to say, the looks on Fohl and Atla's faces when they ate my food was pretty good. I already knew how to handle hunted animals, but the bonuses my axe provided me made the meal that much better. A few spices didn't hurt any. This was the first of many good meals for them.

After dinner and making sure our campsite was in good order, we slept in shifts. Sure, we could have teleported back to Zeltoble—or better yet, Shieldfreeden—but then I'd have to worry about the carriage. Although, if it was just me and Hailey, I wouldn't have to worry about something like that.

That was something I thought about. Should it have just been us two? Maybe. Would we get to Melromarc faster? Yes, but only by a couple days, according to the maps, Hailey's stamina, and the additional monsters we'd be fighting. That was assuming I didn't get lost going through the hard wilderness. I've been hunting before, but I wasn't about to rely on my skills alone. Khana got us to Zeltoble, after all.

Besides, if I was going to give any real focus to levels, I'd bring Rato for healing. That would mean leaving the sisters by themselves, and I wasn't about to do that. Fohl was decently strong, but Atla was in no condition if things went wrong. They also didn't have a way to contact me.

And it wasn't like I could ask Nelshen. I mean, how could I trust someone who used hired killers? Heh.

Instead, I brought them with me. Maybe seeing some sights would improve Fohl's demeanor as a bonus, though I didn't find that likely. Atla could use better rest, but I had the feeling she actually would appreciate traveling around. Khana was right, I was a big old softy.

"Mister Dante?" Atla whispered my name.

I looked over at her resting on her bedroll, Fohl in the one next to her. The older one had some bad sleeping posture, sprawled out over her entire bedroll. Both had their heads near Hailey, with Rato resting on her other side.

"What is it?" I asked quietly, trying not to wake anyone else. I moved closer to her and sat down.

"I've been trying to figure you out, and I think I have." She said, turning her head to the side to look at me, though she kept her eyes closed. They still didn't work. It turned out the medicine really wouldn't help with that, though I wasn't too hopeful.

"Oh?" I was curious what she came up with.

"I don't think you're a bad person. Not completely, at least."

"I'm pretty bad. I've killed plenty of people, not a small number of which didn't deserve it." I wasn't going to make any excuse about it. Doing that paid well, which would help ensure Mary had a good future if something happened to Eddy and Gloria's revenue.

Well…that was the excuse, really. The truth was, I was really good at it. That wasn't the only thing I could do. Private detective, bounty hunter, bodyguard, security. There were plenty of options, some of which I did on the legal side. But nothing compared to doing what I did best.

"But did you revel in it?" She asked, but continued before I could respond. "I don't think so. I think…it was more about using your skills to the fullest. Even when killing people, it wasn't just about the money. You perfected your craft and were proud of it."

I couldn't help but laugh, though I did manage to keep it quiet. "Heh. For someone who's blind, you see a lot more than most people."

Atla was pretty impressive. At such a young age, she was close in perception to me and Khana. It had to do with her natural talent with hengo…with lifeforce, but it was still impressive.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She then asked.

"You and your sister will be helping me eventually." I told her. "Well, Fohl probably thinks it'll be mostly her, but—"

"No." She shook her head on the bedroll. "I meant helping you."

"I don't follow."

Atla formed a thin line with her lips. "It's with…something else. Something for your heart."

Oh boy. I may have miscalculated where Atla's affection for Naofumi came from in the books.

"I don't know what Fohl has been telling you without me around, but I'm not going to use you two for anything like that. If I really need to, I can find someone in a town." Really now. Fohl knowing about that sort of thing was bad enough, but she shouldn't be telling Atla this stuff.

"Huh?" Atla tilted her head back slightly. "What do you mean? Sister only told me to be cautious around you. She didn't mention anything about healing the scar on your heart."

"The what?" I asked, confused.

Atla pushed herself off the bedroll, an impressive feat. She was barely walking earlier, sure, but they were all muscles she didn't have a lot of use of.

"I can feel it. A terrible wound that never closed properly. I don't know what I can do to help, but I want to repay you in whatever way I can." She said. "Even if the only thing I can do is listen to you, I want to do something."

Ah. I was mistaken. She wasn't referring to anything sexual, just the 'old wound' I had. Was that when my mom was killed, or when my dad tried to kill me? I didn't properly mourn my mom's death, and, well, I had a different view when I had to kill my dad to survive.

"Sure. I suppose we can talk about those scars." I leaned forward, resting my hand on her shoulder and easing her back down. "But another time. Your body is still recovering, and you need your rest."

"You promise?" She asked, her face still angled toward me. "You promise I'll be able to help you."

"I promise I'll give you the opportunity." I didn't think too much about those incidents anymore. Back then, they didn't affect me as much as they should have. My dad's attempt at killing me was much more personal, more intense, but that was it. Now, sure, I can look back and easily see how terrible those events were, but I was pretty emotionally stunted at the time.

"Okay." Atla smiled at me. "Goodnight, Mister Dante."

"Goodnight." I said and gave her a pat on her head before moving away again.

Author's Notes:

A bit of a shorter chapter this time. Getting back into the groove of things after NaNoWriMo. Next chapter will probably be a montage of things, getting us to Melromarc.