Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter and providing feed backs.
As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.
Cross posted on AO3, for anyone who prefer that site.
The Four Corners' Room was cool before, and now the temperature had gone below freezing with the Hammer Hero and the Whip Hero getting into a glaring contest. Not that Malty can blame these two, for their grudge against each other comes straight out of a knight's novel. Originally before The Great War, the Star Hammer was in the care of Melromarc. Siltvelt took it after slaying its last holder, Bloom Friege in battle, and it was part of the tribute given to Faubley in exchange to conclude the war. And of course, King Egbert never returned it to Melromarc after the war in spite of consistent protest from Malty's mother. Eventually, a hero was summoned to Faubley using the Star Hammer, probably to settle this dispute once and for all. Said 'hero' from the other world being the figure standing in front of everyone, Maximilien Washington. He met Tact (who was not yet adopted by King Egbert at the time) back when they were both attending Faubley's Hero Academy, and the two soon became thick as thieves.
Their fallout began when Tact became the user of the Star Whip, and was adopted by the king of Faubley. It resulted in a fight to the death between the two of them, one which the Hammer Hero only escaped with his life thanks to Lord Dionysius of Siltvelt stepping in. The exact reason for their conflict is unclear. The public statement given by Faubley was that Prince Tact thwarted a conspiracy planned by the renegade Hammer Hero for trying to subvert the crown and harming the nobility. But it could have easily been a fabrication by the Faubley royal family to save face for its recently adopted heir to the crown. Malty has heard rumors among the servants, or gossip in the tavern. On how the Whip Hero had grown jealous of his old 'friend' and tried to murder him and take the Star Hammer for himself to further his own power. She's not too inclined to believe the explanation given by Noble Faubley considering what their king was like. But then again… the Hammer Hero did cause a major rebellion in Shiltfreeden that split the Faubley's vassal nation into a still ongoing civil war threatening to spill into neighboring countries. So who knows which side was telling the truth? The answer could easily have been: both, yet neither.
Malty turns around to look at Naofumi, and instantly notices he seems unusual from his normal behavior. She's not sure if Naofumi could be described as stoic, considering how he could easily fall apart when he sees his trusted allies, friends, or just innocent people get hurt. And he could also easily fly into rage. But he's not someone who is overly jumpy and acts in sudden agitation like the Spear Hero (or Bow Hero, in a different way from Motoyasu) either. Yet right now, his gaze is fixed on the Hammer Hero, and his face is twitching like he's seen a ghost. "What's wrong, Master Naofumi? Don't tell me it's nothing. There's clearly something this Hammer Hero has done to have gotten you."
Naofumi pulls his gaze back from the renegade vassal hero and looks at Malty. He stays silent for a few moments, perhaps trying to reorganize his thoughts till he finally says. "I know him. He's some rich kid of some big name military industry company, and his death made news."
Chapter 19: The Sound of Ignorance
The Shield Hero's short reply gives Malty pause. Naofumi didn't give a detailed explanation of Maximilien Washington's backstory like Kael'thas. But there's still a lot of information packed in what he said, and more importantly, how he said it. First, he is also summoned from a hero world. The exact same one Naofumi is from. So even though he had turned renegade, he was still a legitimate hero at the start. Not some destined 'fake hero' that somehow cheated the Star Hammer like Faubley's public statement claimed. Second, Naofumi doesn't seem to think too highly of this character with how lacking respect the way he chooses his words. That probably comes from the way he described Maximilien Washington: some rich kid. On its own, he could have simply meant the young man came from a well off family, but the tone Naofumi used implies Washington was more than simply the son of some wealthy merchant. The distaste from Naofumi's voice sounds more similar than when he hears the decadent exploit of aristocratic families. Which implies Washington was a noble, or something close from his world. This is further supported by how this young man's death was clearly newsworthy for Naofumi (who came from a humble origin before his summoning) to know. Malty has no idea what a 'military industry company' means, but it probably has something to do with Washington's family wealth, and it's clearly connected with the army in some way if the word 'military' means anything.
So in short, the Hammer Hero was the scion of a noble family from Naofumi's world before his summoning. Yet after he arrived on Medea, he got into a fight with a commoner who was adopted by the Faubley royal family. And now he is the head of a rebellion run by common rabbles that caused a civil war in Shiltfreeden in the middle of a Wave of Catastrophe that's supposedly trying to overthrow their Faubley oppressors. That is certainly a story worth to be translated into a novel.
"Max, my boy. I understand your grudge against your fellow hero. But this isn't the best place, or time to be holding onto them. We are fighting against a threat that would destroy us all if not treated properly." Lord Regent Dumbledore stands up from the Faubley delegation, making both Washington and Tact break their glaring contest with each other to look at him. Right... They both attended the Hero Academy even if one had to drop out due to the threat on his life. So technically, Dumbledore is the teacher of them both. "While I have mixed feelings about your alliance, I understand why you felt the need to do what you did. And right now, we should cease fighting among ourselves and talk about how to stop the ongoing Wave of Catastrophe. Now that you are invited to join the Hero Conference, I ask you to hold your grudge against Prince Tact's former actions, sit down and talk about the mutual defense of our world."
The Hammer Hero stares blankly at Lord Dumbledore, just as the old wizard staring back at him without flinching. After a short while, the young man blinks first. He leads the rest of his group over to an empty space around the circular stone table, between where the cardinal heroes and the small delegation of Shiltfreeden representatives sit. "Very well, Headmaster. We shall hear what you say, before making our declaration clear."
"Briar."
"Ahab."
As the Hammer Hero sits down, the bald warrior exchanges a quick nod with the red haired female from the Shiltfreeden group. Kael'thas did say that they both used to be warriors of the same nation. So it's not unimaginable for them to know each other beforehand. Actually... they could very well be related to them having the same last name. General Anderson's gaze is fixed on Ahab, while Admiral Hackett's mouth twitches like he wanted to say anything. But in the end, all the navy admiral let out was a soft sigh.
"Now that there will be no more interruptions... we could properly begin the Hero Conference." Lord Dumbledore's eyes move slowly across the room as the old wizard scans for any possible interruption before he continues. "As all of you know, the phenomenon known as 'The Wave of Catastrophe' appears every two hundred, or one hundred years since the first time it has been recorded. The four Cardinal Heroes of Alaya had been summoned time, and time again to save our world from oblivion with the seven Vassal Heroes supporting them. This current Wave of Catastrophe is a surprise to us since the last crisis was sixty years ago, but I believe it means we are better prepared for it for we still have some veterans who were alive since the last Wave. I, in particular, was one of the first companions of the last Sword Hero, Master Kazuto Kirigaya. I believe my personal experience would be invaluable in our defense against this current Wave of Catastrophe-"
"We are wasting our time talking, and listening to nothing." The Butcher of Torfan rudely interrupts Dumbledore's winding introduction to the Hero Conference, drawing everyone's attention over to the rebel. "We know previous Waves were not always natural, and they can be used by malevolent outer gods to invade our worlds. And we have evidence to show this current Wave isn't a simple natural disaster like it usually is. Evil entities are behind it, trying to assimilate our world. Why are we wasting time talking in this conference when we could use the time to gather our forces and resources, to strike at our enemies?"
"I agree with Commander Shepard." Naofumi opens his mouth before Malty has a chance to stop him. It seems like meeting a like minded person who is also clearly annoyed by the needless bureaucracy of the self-serving nobility had him throw Malty's warning behind his back. She would like to point out that this renegade isn't a proper commander of anything since he wouldn't be holding any official military ranks, but that's honestly the least problem in his speech. "I met this Avatar of Alaya, and she confirmed the external threat we are facing this time. And it's-"
"Giant mechanical cuttlefish from the dark space. They call themselves the Reapers." Ahab follows after Naofumi's words without skipping a single beat. It would have been impressive if not for the ridiculous nonsense he's sprouting. Malty fights back her instinct to groan, or to roll her eyes. Some of the other people in the room don't have as much success as her. Great... an out of his mind doomsayer is now among them. That's going to make Naofumi's case of trying to convince all the important leaders of this invading demonic legion much easier.
"Right, the Reap- WHAT?!" Naofumi clearly didn't pay enough attention to the rebel as he almost followed right after Ahab's nonsense. The Shield Hero manages to catch himself at the last moment as he whips around his face to look incredulously at the former Shiltfreeden warrior. "The Avatar of Alaya told me the enemy we are facing is called 'The Burning Legion'. Are you sure you didn't get them mixed up?"
"I have not met this demi-god like you claimed. But I know what I saw with my own eyes." Ahab turns his own face around to glare right back at Naofumi. The intensity of his stares instantly makes the Shield Hero avoid his gaze. "The First Wave descended upon us, while the Rebel Alliance and the Shiltfreeden army was in the middle of fighting. A giant, godlike cuttlefish calling itself The Sovereign came at both sides. It turned the fallen bodies of both sides into abominations. It took the combined effort of both the Rebel Alliance, and the Shiltfreeden army to kill it. More will come, to harvest us all if we continue to waste our time and resources playing politics than building up our army to prepare for them!"
"Stranger things than the giant squid god you claim have come out of the previous Waves, Ahab my boy. Not all of them being some appointed vanguard of some malevolent outer gods. Neither this one example of strangeness, nor our current Wave of Catastrophe's relative closeness from the last one prove this current Wave we face being commandeered by an outer god for their own nefarious purpose. Unless you have more examples of this army of 'Reapers' you claim to be trying to 'harvest' us?" Ahab whips his face around to show his death glare to Dumbledore next. But the old wizard, and the Lord Regent of Noble Faubley doesn't back down like Naofumi did mere moments ago. In fact, he looks as nonchalant as he is aloof, brushing away Ahab's anger like it's nothing more than the furious mewling of a newborn kitten. The lack of coherent words from the renegade Shiltfreeden warrior only emphasis the old wizard's smugness. "I thought so. Regardless if this current Wave of Catastrophe has an outer god, or some other evil entity behind it. We shall prevail in the end, as long as we all do our part in defending our world. Our world has repelled such invasions from the divine realm in the past, after all. Which brings us back to the point I was trying to make: The Cardinal Heroes should not be the private property of the nations that summoned them. Especially when one nation broke the covenant to summon all four of them. All nations that have donated resources, or forces to defend our world against the Wave of Catastrophe should have a rightful claim of the heroes."
"Commander Shepard is right - there really is nothing to talk about." Once again, Lord Dumbledore's monologue is interrupted, this time by the Hammer Hero who has turned renegade and sided with a group of rebels. Interestingly, he also refers to the rogue Siltvelt warrior by the title of 'commander', and perhaps that's Ahab's title within their little merry band of rebel scum. It would beg the question how Naofumi learnt it, but it's not important for now. The Hammer Hero pushes himself up from his seat as he turns his head towards the head master of his former school. "Headmaster Dumbledore. This will be the last time I refer to you with this title. I thought perhaps that you truly wanted what's best for this world, and your previous inactions were merely a result of your work as the headmaster of the Hero Academy, and being the regent of the most heinous, oppressive tyrant of this world trying to stop him from running his nation into the ground. But now I have seen the truth. You brush away Commander Shepard's legitimate concern of an otherworldly invasion to pursue the right to claim a summoned hero. You are no better than the rest of these aristocrats who bleed the people for their decadent lives."
"Oh, boy. Here we go again." Tact leans back into his chair as he whistles at his nemesis, showing everyone just how little shit he gives to the Hammer Hero's pontification. The adopted Faubley prince and the Whip Hero turn to look at Lord Dio, who remains stoic and doesn't react to either the Hammer Hero, or the Whip Hero. "See? This is what I tried to warn you about. Now this little upstart has gone and made a comedy out of this Hero Conference."
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The Hammer Hero gives the Whip Hero a glare from the corner of his eyes, but he didn't stop his own monologue, seemingly giving some kind of declaration. "The very system of aristocracy is an affront to such values, as it enables oppressors to continually abuse those powerless to fight against them. Therefore, I declare all the nobles of this world who mistreat the good people to be my enemies, and make it my personal mission to grant freedom to everyone who is oppressed by the nobility!"
"And who do you think you are? A group of rebels starting a causeless war when we have the Wave of Catastrophe to contend with? The Whip Hero was right, you shouldn't have given the floor to speak such nonsense!" With a metal clank, Sir Palmer pulls her sword out of its sheath and approaches the Hammer Hero. An action of intimidation, or aggression? Malty could never tell when it came from her mother's most brutish thug. But Palmer doesn't have time to make good on her promise when Shepard takes a step forward, and grips her sword holding hand. The look of pain creeps up Palmer's face as her fingers slowly lose its grip on the hilt of her weapon, letting it drop onto the ground. Shepard kicks away her sword, loses her wrist but closes both of his hands around the side of Palmer's face as he rocks her around violently. The knight's body spasms, her hands flailing around either out of desperate struggle, or an uncoordinated attempt to strike back at the rebel in an attempt to free herself. It didn't take long till her limb goes prong and Shepard throws her body onto the ground with a thud.
Movement from the corner of Malty's eyes causes her to look away from the Hammer Hero. To her surprise, the former princess found Naofumi of all people gritting his teeth while glaring at the renegade hero. Blood veins visible on the back of his balled up fist. The Shield Hero looks... angry at Maximilien Washington, and it doesn't make any sense. Malty knows how much Naofumi cares about the wellbeing of the humble birthed common people, and how much disdain he has towards nobility. Yet, here is a hero from his own world, promoting the exact kind of value he seems to care for, yet what he shows is anger? If she doesn't know him better, the former princess would have assumed that the Shield Hero is angry that another hero has taken his stance and taken away some of his prestige. Yet she knows how sincerely kind Naofumi is, and he would have easily placed the greater good for other people over his own reputation.
Afraid of what he might blurt out, Malty leans down to Naofumi's side, and forcefully twists his face to make him look at her. "You are losing your mind, Master Naofumi. Think. Before you say anything, at least tell me what's wrong first."
Naofumi didn't say anything to Malty. But as he looks at her, his previously erratic breath gradually slows down, till it becomes even. His almost maniacal eyes slowly return to their usual self. Finally, the Shield Hero calms down and gives Malty a nod. The princess would have preferred if he explained what got to him, but she'll settle for him returning to normal. "Thank you, Malty. I'm calm now."
"Hold on a minute now. I don't like nobles who mistreat innocent people anymore than the next guy. But you can't just go ahead and declare war on the entire nobility." While Naofumi is busy locking eyes with Malty, Itsuki has spoken up at the Hammer Hero. "I have personally seen good nobles who do the right things not to gain power for themselves, but because they are the right things. I have seen some of the highest ranking nobles willingly throw away their noble title to help people. You can't just deny an entire group of people and call them your enemy because there are bad ones. I know, because I did it myself. And I only made things worse, not better. The Kingdom of Stormwind collapsed, and a lot of people died because I killed its king and its army officers when I thought they raised taxes to steal money from the people. When it turns out the tax was raised to fight the Wave. We should focus on fighting back the Wave first, before thinking about something like political reform."
Maximilien Washington slowly turns his body around together with his group of rebels. They stare at Itsuki in thoughtful silence. For his credit, the Hammer Hero does seem to genuinely consider what Itsuki said, rather than immediately puts him down like Dumbledore does to his opposition. After a few moments of mulling over the Bow Hero's words, the renegade hero finally opens his mouth. "You might have a point, Mr. Bow Hero. But it does not change the fact that the governing system of aristocracy is a system that gives overwhelming power to its social elites, whose only qualification for their title is their birth. It is a flawed system by design for the small group of nobility to oppress the masses who have no power to legitimately fight back. The few good outliers who are genuinely virtuous does nothing to hold back an otherwise completely corrupt system. Therefore, if we allow such a system to fester, a lot of resources would go into waste even if some gets channeled into fighting the Wave and saving this world. And in the end, it's the common people who will suffer while the small percent of the rich grows richer. Therefore, it is imperative that we reform the system to deal with the corruption before we prepare for the fight against this Wave of Catastrophe."
"I have allowed you to say your piece as a fellow hero, and now you have." Lord Dionysius didn't raise his voice, or slam his hand onto the table. He simply stands up from his seat, and speaks with his usual deep, slightly gruff voice. Yet this simple gesture immediately turns the center of the room away from the Hammer Hero to himself as everyone turns to look at the white tiger lord. He slowly walks around the table, into the center of the room. He doesn't walk right in front of the renegade Hammer Hero, yet his body seems to tower over the young upstart. "This is a conference for the most powerful nations to negotiate over the strategy to deal with the Wave of Catastrophe. If you are more interested in playing your little game of revolution than fighting our common enemy, you are welcome to leave."
"You are from the most wealthy and powerful family from Siltvelt, which still uses slavery to power your economy. Your country openly worships a warmongering tyrant. Of course, an oppressor like you would be in support of a completely corrupt system." By contrast, Maximilien Washington's attitude towards Lord Dionysius is entirely dismissive. Malty isn't sure if it's empowered by empty bravado, or sheer stupidity and lack of self-preservation. Regardless, it's almost impressive if it wasn't utterly foolish at the same time. "But you are a native of this land. You have not lived through an age of enlightenment like us heroes who are summoned from the modern world. So your ignorance is understandable. And as a citizen of the United States of America, it's my duty to show you the error of your ways. My ancestors fought against tyranny to secure our independence, and we cast away slavery to forge our modern world. I will not step down from doing the right thing."
The Gauntlet Hero didn't pull the first punch. Nor did he dignify the renegade's monologue with any response. Lord Dionysius simply stares at the Hammer Hero with both arms hanging by his side as Maximilien Washington grabs the Star Hammer off his waist and assumes a fighting stance. For a while, two vassal heroes simply stare at each other without moving, till the upstart blinks first as he raises his hammer to strike at Dio. Dio's arm is faster, before the head of the hammer even touches his body, the white tiger lord's gauntlet wearing hand has grabbed Washington by his head. With a downward toss and a loud BANG, the Gauntlet Hero throws the head of his opponent face first into the ground. Washington's body bent in a way that looks like he is groveling down to the feet of the white tiger warlord, not moving.
The sudden defeat of the rebel leader makes most of them jump on their feet. Out of their dozen men group, only two manage to react like they should. A hidden blade pokes out of Ahab Shepard's sleeve from the side of his forearm, as he swings forward at Lord Dio. A much more serious attempt at hurting Dio than when he effortlessly handled Palmer. The other man is a young, tanned skinned man with a short cap and a pair of glasses over his nose. He takes off what looks to be a metal ball tied to a chain in his cloth, but he's much slower than Shepard. He's still trying to untangle his weapon of choice while his bald compatriot has already engaged with Lord Dio. Or more precisely, as Shepard's head is suddenly grabbed by Dio, and slammed into the ground just like the Hammer Hero. And now with a second loud BANG, there are two figures groveling at Dio's feet.
The dark-skinned underling of the Hammer Hero finally managed to get his weapon untangled from his clothes by this point, but he isn't the one who attacks Lord Dionysius next. The red haired woman from Shiltfreeden takes a step forward, and pulls a pistol off the side of her armor and immediately points it at Dio's head. Malty doesn't understand why this warrior of Shiltfreeden is trying to kill a Siltvelt hero for hurting a rebel she should be fighting against. Perhaps she got overly impulsive and tried to avenge her brother? Regardless, all Dio had to do was turn his body slightly around to dodge the bullet. He opens his hand up at the red head, and she's immediately sucked off her feet and flies into Gauntlet Hero's hand as if she's dragged by an invisible hand. Lord Dionysius didn't bother to say anything, and he simply threw his captive down at the ground.
BANG! Now a third figure grovels at his feet with her head buried in the ground like the two previous challengers. The dark skinned rebel swings his little chained hammer in his hand, but his body is paralyzed on the spot. His face twitches behind his spectacles, looking completely lost if he should follow the three previous examples and have himself crushed into the ground by Dio, or simply back down. The Gauntlet Hero didn't even bother to pay any mind to him. Dio turns around with his back against his potential enemy, walks back to his seat and sits back down. He turns his face to look at Lord Dumbledore. "I have taken care of the disruptors. Continue with your conference."
"Well... yes. Thank you for keeping the order. Dio, my boy." Dumbledore's eyes are fixed on Lord Dionysius. While he's staring at the Gauntlet Hero, the Hammer Heroes' subordinates seem to finally shake out of their stupor. They run to the middle of the room, grab the unconscious summoned hero, and the renegade Shiltvelt warrior and run out of the room like they are being chased by ghosts. Lord Regent Dumbledore didn't pay them any mind as his face slowly turned around to regard president Katherine of Shiltfreeden.
With Dio not saying anything, and Dumbledore not paying them any attention, nobody else seems interested in stopping the group of rebels who had essentially just declared war on all the nobles in the world. Malty thought it's a bit callous for them not to treat the group of rebels to end all rebellions as a serious threat. But perhaps she's simply giving them too much credit? Her mother certainly doesn't seem to be paying the Hammer Hero and his lackeys any attention.
"Katherine, my girl. Care to explain why one of your military officers decided to attack the Gauntlet Hero of Siltvelt?" As Malty expected, the regent of King Faubley turns his attention onto the only remaining victim of Dio still with her head buried at the center of the room. His tone was accusatory, even if he clearly wasn't angry at the assault on a Siltvelt hero. The headmaster of Faubley's Hero Academy is going to use this little screw up to push the Shiltfreeden president where he wants her. "It's not exactly my place to demand reparation on Siltvelt's behalf. But the action of your warrior-"
"Commander Shepard acted on her own impulsive nature. I have reprimanded her multiple times for such behavior. Unfortunately, she is too headstrong to take my advice." President Katherine Kennedy interrupts Dumbledore before he has a chance to finish his monologue. Both of her military officers turn to look at her attempt to throw Shepard under the carriage, the general's glare more piercing than the navy admiral. "I will make sure to have her punished, and put on a tighter leash from now on."
"If we are at the stage where we settle all of our grievances before we talk about our strategies to fight back the Wave of Catastrophe, then I would like to bring up my own claim." Kael'thas takes a step forward behind Naofumi's back. The Phoenix Prince still doesn't walk in front of the sitting Shield Hero, but he is standing right besides Naofumi's chair. "Barely a full day has passed since our arrival at Cal Mira Island. Yet within a short period of time, one of the companions of Throwing Weapon Hero of Zeltoble has already tried to assassinate my rightful king twice, and he has tried to kill my king's personal companion twice. A full squad of Frost Wolf tribe raiders have given their lives to save my king, the Shield Hero twice. I demand retribution for my king, and a guarantee that such barbaric actions won't be repeated a third time!"
"Yes. It is a tragedy." The regent gives a curt nod of his head. But the tone of his voice didn't pack any emotion. It's clear that the Faubley King's regent didn't feel any pity for the assassination Naofumi and Malty experienced, or the death of the Siltvelt warriors. He does turn to look at the Zeltoble delegation. "And what do our Zeltoble representatives have to say for Siltvelt's accusation?"
"Sadina shouldn't do what she did, I have no idea what got into her! She should have been happy that Raphtalia will enjoy a good life with Naofumi-sama. She should have offered herself to Naofumi-sama after a-" The Throwing Weapon Hero jumps up and begins to run off his mouth before any lords of Zeltoble could speak, or stop him. Malty quickly grabs Naofumi's hand to calm him down as he begins to grip the arm of his chair tightly. Suddenly, Sato seems to figure out something as his eyes trail away. "Wait a minute! That's why! She should have challenged Naofumi-sama to a drinking contest. And offer herself as his slave after she loses! All we have to do is to have the two of them get into a drinking contest and the problem will solve itself!"
Malty has no idea how having Naofumi outdrink the crazy nudist (assuming he can outdrink her in the first place. It's not like the Shield Hero is well known for his alcohol capacity) is going to solve any problem between them. She doubts an insane woman who wants to kill one of the heroes in spite of protest from the child she claimed to protect would be as accommodating as her equally mad hero master claims. Apparently, Kael'thas agrees with her assessment. The Phoenix Prince crosses his arms and sarcastically gives his counter proposal. "Why not simply offer your companion as a slave to my king as a tribute in this case? The slave seal itself will stop her further attempt on my king's life, either by 'convincing' her of the error of her ways if she values her own life, or stop her dead in her tracks if she doesn't. I fail to see the necessity of a drinking contest, unless you wish to use the opportunity to promote the businesses of alcohol brewers."
"YES! That's a fitting solution to the problem! I will make Sadina a slave owned by the Shield Hero, and this will stop her from killing him!" Kael'thas takes half a step back at Sato's enthusiastic reply, clearly not expecting his sarcastic snark to get taken seriously and somewhat disturbed by it. He's apparently not the only one, as Malty could see Dumbledore's smile in his eyes and underneath his thick beard disappearing as his sight moves from the Throwing Weapon Hero to Naofumi. He's already admitted that he thinks Sato was working together with the Shield Hero during the Throwing Weapon Hero's conflict with House Arc. Is he expecting Naofumi to become the second coming of Mikage like Malty's father?
Jerky movement from the side caught Malty's eyes. She turns around and sees Raphtalia trembling on the spot. The princess turned slave turns to her surrogate daughter, and whispers in her ears. "What's wrong, Raphtalia? Talk to me."
"How could he do this to Big Sister Sadina? Making her into someone's property..." Raphtalia takes a deep breath, trying to hold back her emotions. But her pitch is still higher than usual. "I know he's offering Big Sister Sadina to Master Naofumi, and he's nice… but still..."
"Indentured servitude is how she'll be kept alive. She tried to assassinate the heroes twice. And she nearly succeeded. It's either slavery, or execution." Malty wraps her arms around Raphtalia to give her surrogate daughter a hopefully comforting pat. "Don't worry. Master Naofumi will set her free if she stops trying to kill him."
Raphtalia doesn't say anything. But she doesn't look convinced either. Malty can't blame her.
"I don't want to support the use of slavery, but if this stops her from trying to murder me and my friends... but what's going to stop you from murdering Malty? That's the bigger problem here! I have enough HP and DEF to not immediately be killed by Raphtalia's crazy bodyguard, Malty doesn't! And we know normal slave seals don't work on heroes like us. I'm not going to bust out that forbidden Imperius slave seal, but you have to stop trying to murder my partner! Or else I won't be courteous with you any more." Naofumi stands up from his seat, and openly brings forth his demand towards Sato just like he's pointing his finger at the Throwing Weapon Hero.
"I would also like to bring my own complaint against Lord Throwing Weapon Hero of Zeltoble. The grudge between House Arc and the Shield Hero for the accidental murder of their scion should have been concluded since I passed my judgment to exile his murderer from Melromarc. But with Lord Throwing Weapon Hero openly attacking Lady Mordred, he's opening a page on their grudge, regardless of Lord Shield Hero's involvement." And of course, Mother begins to fan the fire of animosity between her own nobles and Naofumi, because there isn't enough trouble for the Shield Hero yet. She isn't openly accusing Naofumi for doing anything like Dumbledore did, but she had subtly told everyone that Shield Hero is not her ally and does not have her protection. Well... of course she wouldn't support Naofumi, since he's openly standing together with Malty herself, plus mother strongly suspect she wouldn't keep the Shield Hero after this conference.
Malty immediately moves her hand over Naofumi's shoulder. She expects the insane vassal hero to let out another outburst about what a manipulative bitch she was (to be fair, he's not wrong in this regard). And how he would continue for the Shield Hero's own good. She can't do anything to stop the Throwing Weapon hero from acting as a complete idiot, but she can at least do her best to stop Naofumi from reacting violently to Sato's response. To her surprise, the Throwing Weapon Hero takes a deep breath, his face twitching like someone is taking a knife and cutting meat off his body, but his response is almost... reasonable. "I... apologize for the way my impulsive actions have... inconvenienced Naofumi-sama. I will seize my hostile actions on his companions, and find ways to repay the Melromarc nobles I antagonized."
Malty has no idea what the Throwing Weapon Hero is suddenly playing at. His response really isn't that cunning compared to someone who is used to court life. But it's practically genius compared to how he usually carries himself. He openly admitted his own mistake, and apologized to both Naofumi, and the queen of Melromarc who is chastising the Zeltoble aligned vassal hero on behalf of House Arc. Therefore no longer giving them any reason to escalate the situation without making them look bad in front of the other nations. This clearly isn't a strategy the Throwing Weapon Hero came up with himself, judging by his pained expression, and how this conflicts with the usual way he acts. So the better question would be who managed to put a leash on the previously out of control Throwing Weapon Hero? One of his companions, or perhaps someone from Zeltoble? And how did they do it? Malty suppose it's not so urgent that she must figure out the answer at this moment, but still a mystery she needs to solve eventually so she wouldn't be caught off guard by the Throwing Weapon Hero like she just did.
"I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to do better, young hero. But your empty apology won't mean much after you openly assaulted one of my nobles." Mother turns her face to look at the Zeltoble delegation. "And what of the representatives of Zeltoble? Do you endorse the action of having heroes you summoned openly attack nobles from another nation? During the middle of a Wave battle to begin with? If not, then I think I am within my right to ask for compensation on behalf of House Arc, and the Shield Hero."
The warrior lady who fought in the Fourth Wave turns to look at her fellow Zeltoble leaders. Of the three major cities within the Zeltoble Pact, the gladiator and mercenary city of Zeltoble is the most wealthy. Not from all the sellsword works, but from all the tribute when freelance adventurers wanted to gain their [Class-Up]. Of all the nations that possess Dragon Hourglass, this benefit tends to be reserved for troops loyal to the crown, and the royal family's more steadfast allies. Zeltoble is the only one that freely lets anyone obtain their class-up, so long as they can pay for the enormous fee. It seems like mother has decided to use the opportunity opened up to her by the Throwing Weapon Hero's mess up to take some money from the gladiator and mercenary city to recover the damage caused by the Three Heroes' Church's failed rebellion.
"Please, do not be so hasty, Cousin Milly. While I'm sure the Zeltoble Pact can pay you back to settle the grudge of both your noble and Lord Shield Hero. How would the rest of the world benefit from such an action? Not to mention, it would not be fair to Siltvelt which has lost a number of men due to actions of the Throwing Weapon Hero and his companions." Malty was both unsurprised and surprised by King Egbert interjecting himself. On the one hand, this was the same guy who left her mother to face Siltvelt's wrath alone during The Great War. So another backstab from him whenever the opportunity to raise itself is guaranteed. On the other hand, Malty certainly didn't expect the pig king to be thinking for 'the rest of the world'. "If I'm not mistaken, one of the two grandmasters of the Peerless Change style martial arts is working alongside the Throwing Weapon Hero of Zeltoble, no? How about having her take some more students from each of our nations as a reparation for Throwing Weapon Hero's impulsive mistakes? This way, all of us gain some stronger fighters who could fight back the Wave of Catastrophe, and Zeltoble doesn't have to pay monetary compensation for the mistakes of their inexperienced hero."
Malty blinks, and then stares at the king of Faubley. Why would he make such a proposal when his adopted son and chosen heir is already adapted in the Peerless Change style? Sure, Prince Tact is probably not a master at the style with him both being a young man, and more focused on his perks as a hero. But he should be well trained in the style to teach some students to fight Wave battles. Elrasla Grilaroc did admit the style itself is more body enhancement than a proper fighting style, so one really doesn't need to be a great master to teach the basics. Unless... Is there already conflict brewing between the two of them?
The princess turned slave turns her focus on Prince Tact. He doesn't seem to be paying any mind to the discussion after the escape of the Hammer Hero and his rebel subordinate. Choosing to fix his own nails instead. The Whip Hero seems to have recovered from the death of his maid and returned to his usual aloof and foolish self. Or is he simply playing the role of a fool to let others underestimate him? Malty thinks back on their earlier meetings before she became a companion of the Shield Hero, and all those letters he sent her. He was bold enough to make passes at her, when she was secretly arranged to be his step mother. And the way King Egbert acted when he discovered Prince Tact's little (failed) courtship adventure... Yes, there's definitely no love between them in spite of the pig king adopting him as an heir. It was a publicity move to gather more prestige to the crown and to pressure the rest of Faubley nobility by showing the king has their nation's hero in his grasp. But it's a double sided sword, as now this young and very likely ambitious hero is slowly growing to challenge the aging king for the right to rule the nation.
"Very well... Melromarc agrees with Faubley's proposal." Mother stares into King Egbert's eyes for a long while. Her eyes halfway down cast to let her displeasure known. But in the end, she goes along with the pig king's proposal. Mother had never been able to truly stand up to Malty's (very) distant uncle, considering Faubley was one of the biggest reasons that Melromarc was even allowed to exist after The Great War for multiple reasons.
"Wonderful! Now that all the disagreements are settled, we could go back to the most important topic of this conference: the belonging of the four Cardinal Heroes." Lord Dumbledore stands up from his seat once again, trying to act as if he has the control of the room this whole time when incident after incident has been spinning out of his grasp over and over again. He does manage to wrestle everyone's attention back to him once again, now that the time to divide the proverbial cake has arrived. Needless to say, all the important figures would be very interested to see how he'll assign the four Cardinal Heroes. Because there are five major factions present, but only four heroes to split between them. "As all of you know, the last time the Wave of Catastrophe happened, the hero that was summoned by Noble Faubley was Master Sword Hero Kazuto Kirigaya. And I was one of his earliest companions at the time. This means I have a lot of knowledge to help the current sword hero develop even if I am a wizard. Therefore, it makes the most sense that we should be getting the current Sword Hero."
The old wizard turns his gaze upon the Zeltoble delegation next, and his eyes slowly move to look at the other group sitting by the circular table. "I believe Bow Hero should go with Zeltoble. It is well known that the Bow Hero's strength is his attack power, but he has severe weakness in defense and close quarter combat, therefore needing the support of a large group of hardened warriors to keep himself safe. The city of Zeltoble is well known for being the free city of mercenaries and gladiators, therefore it fits this criteria perfectly. And the Ardorian swordlords of Restov are killed enough to keep individual fighters back. As for the Spear Hero and Shield Hero... Melromarc has abused their power after they broke the covenant and summoned all four heroes together. But they still have enough power to back up at least one hero as shown by the current retinue of the Cardinal Heroes, so I am willing to give Melromarc a second chance. And Siltvelt of course, could have their king back so long as we monitor the Shield Hero's development to make sure he doesn't repeat the same steps as his immediate predecessor King Mikage Mikami. While it's a bit unfortunate to not include Shiltfreeden in the consideration, I can't in good conscience entrust the safety of a Cardinal Hero to a nation still embroiled in civil war. That being said, I am sure both Prince Tact, and Lord Sword Hero would be willing to lend President Kennedy a hand in stopping this foolish waste of human lives."
For a brief moment, Malty was surprised by Dumbledore's assignment of the Cardinal Heroes. She didn't expect him to give away one of the Heroes to the Zeltoble Pact since it's a defensive pact of free cities rather than a true nation. She didn't expect him to deprive Shiltfreeden, the vassal of Faubley, a hero when he could control two Cardinal Heroes using Shiltfreeden as a proxy. And most of all, she didn't expect him to willingly hand Siltvelt the hero they wanted. Perhaps the old wizard is genuinely unnerved by the power Lord Dionysius the Gauntlet Hero of Siltvelt commanded. Or perhaps he always planned to treat the current Shield Hero as a lost cause just like Malty's own father due to the past actions of Mikage Mikami. Regardless, Malty could feel her heart sink when Dumbledore openly invited Siltvelt to take Naofumi away without any attempt to block their attempt.
"So you are just going to give us away. Like we are a set of tools for you rich, powerful people to distribute over and use?" Malty turns around to look at Naofumi. The Shield Hero's brows are twisted in a knot as he glares at Dumbledore. His head shakes slightly, making his hair bounce a little. His three fellow Cardinal Heroes all turn their heads slightly to look at Naofumi in the face for one brief moment, before they all look forward to stare at Dumbledore in silent support of the Shield Hero. "Aren't you even going to listen to what we think, what we want before you decide what we should do?"
"Naofumi, my boy. I am aware that you, and your fellow heroes would want to choose your own fate. However, you have to accept that we simply have better experience leading large scale operations than all of you, and know our world better than what all of you could have discovered on your own. So, for the greater good of stopping this current Wave of Catastrophe, it is simply better for everyone for you to follow our guidance." Light begins to twinkle in the eyes of the headmaster of Faubley's Hero Academy. He talks as if addressing one of his own students, patient like a grandfather, yet patronizing in a way that's self-assured of his own superiority over the Heroes. "That being said. It is our duty to hear your concerns. So please, share them, and let us put your worries to rest before you focus on your duty of saving the world."
"You say dispatching us to different countries is for the greater good of stopping the Wave of Catastrophe. But I have to ask. Have most of you... any of you seen what damage a Wave could cause to the people living under your rules? Because I did. The first Wave I fought in, it was a small village near the capital of Melromarc. The boss of the Wave and most of the horde didn't go to the village. But to the villagers, it's still a horde of endless monsters that almost overran an entire village and killed them all." As Naofumi speaks of his personal experience, his three fellow Cardinal Heroes all look down in shame. They were reminded of their own callous nature at the start when they cared more about the glory... or perhaps the fun of going against the boss of the Wave than the lives they were saving. "That was the first Wave. There's no invading outer god, and the monsters were much weaker than what we are facing now. But it's still the end of those villager's worlds and many of their lives. "
"I have to make a minor correction for you, Master Naofumi. The first Wave we fought in was actually the Second Wave. The first one merely destroyed Port Harp, one of Melromarc's most important trading ports and the Silver Fort, one of Melromarc's most important northern fortresses." With a faint smirk, Malty pretends to undermine Naofumi's words, only to emphasize the main point he is trying to get across. "I'm sure little Raphtalia could recount the traumatic events from her own perspective to all the revered great leaders sitting here, if they so choose to."
"Naofumi, my boy. The tragedies you described are precisely the reason why distributing you, and your fellow heroes across the world is one of the most important, and urgent steps we have to take to fight back against the Wave." Dumbledore shakes his head in an act of disapproval. His face scrunches up like a disappointed grandfather at his misbehaving grandchild. "There are only so much resources and guidance a single nation could bestow upon the hero, and we can't have it further divided among all four of you. Now that we have seen the example of strange beings using this Wave to invade our world, it's imperative for all of you to grow as strong as you can as fast as possible. So the tragedies you speak of would not become the norm."
"Yet a tragedy I described just happened yesterday! At the place all of you are standing around! And all of you noble leaders sit in this grand room of a luxury hotel, discussing which country gets to own us like tools, then talking about how to help the people who are hurt! You care more about who is paying coins to fill your wallet, not about how to help the people getting hurt by this end of the world disaster!" The Shield Hero slams both of his hands on the table to push himself up from his seat. He points his finger at Malty's mother, without looking at her. "If all of you only care about your political gains like the revered queen of Melromarc, I'm staying where I am! At least after two months and a rebellion in Melromarc, I know where I'm standing! I know who my enemies are, who my friends are, and who aren't interested in stopping the Wave of Catastrophe, but will help me for their own gains!"
"This is an outrage! Gremory, get Lady Lung! We can not allow our rightful king to stay with our biggest enemy, his biggest enemy!" The lion from Siltvelt also stands up. But he is stopped immediately by Dio raising his arm.
"Sit down! The Shield Hero is an adult who can make his own decision! You should respect it. Or do you plan to knock him unconscious, and kidnap him to Siltvelt?" Dio's face slowly turns to let his eyes glare at the steward of the Siltvelt throne. The pillar of the west let out a shiver as his body shifted half a step away from Dio.
"Alternatively, you could do what Nazgrel, his raiders and myself did," Kael'thas looks down at the cowardly lion. The phoenix prince rips open his clothes, showing the mark of a slave on his chest to everyone in the room. "Accept the mark of fealty, sworn away your other duties to become a personal protector of our rightful king above all else. But I suppose your duties as both the ruler of the west, and the steward of the Siltvelt throne makes you unavailable to be Master Shield Hero's personal guard."
The cowardly lion sits down back in his seat, thoroughly chastised by both the Gauntlet Hero and the Phoenix Prince. But he's clearly not the only one who disagrees with Naofumi's proposal. Dumbledore slightly turns his head as he looks at the Shield Hero from the corner of his eyes. "In regard to your choice to pick Melromarc over Siltvelt, I'm sure we can make some arrangement to make things work for the rest of the nations. But surely, the rest of the heroes would not be willing to have you make their decisions for them-"
"I'm with Naofumi! I trust him more than I trust any of you! If he thinks Melromarc is our best choice, I'll support his decision!" Motoyasu is the first to stand up and give his support to the Shield Hero. He looks at their two younger compatriots. "Ren! Itsuki! What do you say?"
"I don't know who is on the right. I didn't even fight the Waves yesterday because I got hurt. But I saw how all of you just acted now. Naofumi once taught me justice isn't about judging other people, but to protect other people. And right now, he's the one trying to protect more people. So I will stay with him." With the Bow Hero also giving his word for the Shield Hero, everyone set their eyes on the last Cardinal Hero in the room who hasn't made a statement yet.
The Sword Hero didn't jump at the chance to blurt words out of his mouth like his other two fellow heroes. He casts his eyes over on everyone sitting in the room. "I did fight the Wave battle with all of you from the start. Of all of you who were there, some of you went to fight the invading outer goddess. Others hide behind your army and let others do the work for you. A warrior once told me being strong is about challenging someone who is stronger than you, to keep bettering yourself. So I refuse to believe someone who contributed nothing in the Wave battle has anything to teach me. I'm staying with the rest of my friends."
Ren didn't openly state any names, or point fingers. But everyone can tell he meant Dumbledore. And speaking of the regent of Noble Faubley, the patronizingly grandfather-like smile is gone from his face. The way his eyes narrowed at Naofumi makes him look like an angry owl inspecting its next prey. His beard moves, like he's sucking in a breath of air before he speaks. But another old wizard beats him to the punch. The white haired and bearded wizard from the free city of Dalaran speaks before Dumbledore. "The wishes of the revered Cardinal Heroes must be respected. However, their well being can not be left to Melromarc alone considering how they abused their power before this Hero Conference. Therefore, I propose all of us send our own delegations to monitor the action of Melromarc from this point after. To make sure they aren't exploiting, or abusing the heroes. Or sending them aid and support when the heroes request them."
"I second Magister Kal'thuzad's motion. And I volunteer to represent Noble Faubley. Surely, no one, but the terminally insane would think about mistreating the heroes under the watchful eye of Duchess of Dunwall and her personal retinue." Before Dumbledore has any chance to fight back against the proposal of his fellow wizard, Duchess Emily stabs himself in the back a second time. Malty's cousin gives a faint nod to her, to which the former princess nods her own head back at Emily for her timely help.
The four Cardinal Heroes, standing together, were able to fight back at the attempt by the other world leaders to divide and manipulate them. It shouldn't have felt like a bigger victory than when they managed to kill that corrupted outer goddess last night, but it did to Malty. Their influence might not be enough to command unilateral support, and their base of power is still comparatively small. But they are shown to be more than pieces used by all the players in The Game.
End Note:
once again, confession time. As I revealed before, pulling 4th wave battle ahead of the Hero Conference was a last minute by the seat of my pants decision because I feel like this story needed some action. Plus it introduces the ability for Legion agent to mess around the timing of the actual wave. So originally, Dio effortlessly put Max Washington and (both) Commander Sheppard into the ground was meant to tease both his power level and his skill. But since both were already better demonstrated in the wave battle against Kumoko, this became a scene on showing his personality (on how he doesn't play all the political bullshit rules and would cut them through with brute force) and the kind of fear he intrinsicly command in people even during a conference with other world leaders.
So... we get some more elaboration on the lore of my story's world. The whole Siltvelt civil war which were before only mentioned in passing become a more major point... and we get to see that the other world leaders aren't any better than those from Melromarc. Which of course, lead to Naofumi and other heroes' decision to stay in Melromarc (so I can keep them in somewhat familiar setting and slowly introduce other part of the world as the story progress). At least they know who their friend, ally and enemy are, and they have each other's back. Naofumi also takes his reluctant first step out into becoming a Player of The Game with heroic aspiration rather than stays as a fully clean hero. Well... let's see where this takes him and Malty.