See chapter 1 for disclaimers and notes.

CHAPTER 7

Is this worth the hassle? Taylor wondered as she endured the king's glare. It was evident that he was unhappy both with the results of the previous night's duel and with the report that Yalan had delivered earlier. That report had contained nothing that he could use against her. He and the pope had talked privately after listening to the report, Taylor knew as she had listened in via her bugs, and they had apparently decided to keep waiting and watching for the time being, and of course spreading lies. The party had spent much of their time in the wild, hunting monsters and working on their survival skills. Taylor's time in Lute had been spent scrupulously following the law and being fair in all her dealings. That would have been the case even had Yalan not been with her, but there was no point saying as much to either of them.

"For their meritorious service, the Spear Hero, Sword Hero, and Bow Hero are to be awarded 4,000 silvers each. As the Shield Hero barely participated in the battle, she will be awarded 100 silvers."

"That's hardly fair," Motoyasu said, speaking up for her. "I saw the army of monsters in Lute. The fact that just three people were able to handle that is amazing, and I'd hate to think what would have happened to the villagers without her there, or how our fight with the boss would have gone had it suddenly got a huge number of reinforcements."

Malty snorted disdainfully. "Any such reinforcements could have been held at bay by a Shield Hero doing her job."

The king nodded. "My daughter is correct. There will be no alteration to the amounts allocated."

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Motoyasu," Taylor said, nodding to the Spear Hero, "but this is really more than I expected."

The man nodded, looking pleased with himself, and ignoring Malty's pointed glare. Taylor took the offered 100 silvers and left with the other Heroes. There was still a lot to do, but she was determined to head out that day. There were rumors of a good grinding spot a day's travel south of Lute. She decided they would head there, first. She would try out some more potion recipes on the way. The village could likely use additional medicines.

After picking up Raphtalia at a clothing shop and meeting Yalan at Erhard's shop, they reviewed their options. On their way back from Lute, Raphtalia had gone through a rather amazing growth spurt, and was now a full adult by the standards of her species. Taylor had been a bit suspicious, at first, but Yalan had confirmed it, saying that the unusual growth was part of the reason many humans regarded the demi-humans as monsters. They aged the same way monsters did. However odd it might be, Taylor reflected, it didn't change the fact that Raphtalia needed new gear, but there wasn't as much money to work with as they had expected. The new outfit to hide the lack of a slave crest was a necessity, but no less than new armor.

Erhard helped them as best he could, and Raphtalia soon had new armor and a new sword. The gear that no longer fit her was given to him and its value applied toward a discount. The smith would resell or cannibalize the old stuff as best he was able. Yalan's equipment was repaired and got a small upgrade as well. As they were wrapping up business, the smith directed them to the herbalist's shop. The proprietor, it turned out, was from Lute, and his family still lived there.

He greeted them warmly and presented Taylor with some proper tools for mixing potions to replace the used and worn equipment she'd been using and a couple of recipe books. Her reading had progressed to the point that she could understand the simpler recipes without effort, and puzzle through some of the intermediate level material.

She had acquired a few potion bottles in Lute, but they hadn't had many for sale. Those had already been filled and sold to the apothecary there at what amounted to cost. She wasn't about to ask full price from a people whose village had been so badly damaged. At the herbalist's shop, she got directions to a nearby glass maker, the same one who provided the herbalist's vials. From him, she'd be able to get enough that selling medicine began to look like a legitimate way of making money. With a little instruction, she also learned how to make poultices. Making a note to get the necessary material from a shop down the street, she thanked him and headed for the glass maker. She looked forward to her next gathering trip and trying out some of the new recipes.

Raphtalia stayed outside, as the herbalist had warned them that the owner disliked demi-humans. The shop was hot and smelled strange, but Taylor ignored it and sought out the owner. The old man that ran the glass making workshop made her wary after only a short conversation, so she told him as little as possible about herself. The sight of the church symbol he wore on a string around his neck made it clear that the Shield Hero likely wouldn't be well-received. The man turned out to be a religious fanatic, something that had made her uncomfortable when she wasn't the target of a church's smear campaign. They came to a reasonable agreement, and Taylor left with a good supply of potion bottles and a few stirring rods, glad to have that business behind her. Once out of sight of the shop, she put the purchases in her inventory and headed for the magic shop.

The old witch greeted her warmly when they entered her shop, and asked how her education was coming.

"As well as can be expected. Yalan's been a big help."

"She and Raphtalia learn quickly, and I'll soon run out of things to teach them," the guardsman said modestly.

"I'm glad to hear it," she smiled. "I wanted you to know, I have family in Lute, and I very much appreciate you defending them. It may be a bit early, but I wanted to give you these as a thank-you." She placed several grimoires on the counter. "Earth and wind magic." She glanced at Yalan. "Do you know your affinity?"

"Weak water affinity," he admitted, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I was told it was hardly worth training."

"Well, let's have a look at the young lady, then." At her urging, she tested Raphtalia and found she had strong affinities for light and dark, which made her a good candidate for learning illusion magic. A slim volume dedicated to illusion magic was presented to her.

On returning to the inn, they got another surprise. The eggs Taylor had purchased were showing signs of hatching. It took almost an hour, but first one and then the other cracked, and the creatures inside began to struggle free. The spider was first. It was about the size of a tarantula, and superficially, at least, resembled one. There were important differences, though, and she rested a hand on the table, inviting it to come to her, which it did.

"T-Taylor? Are you sure you want to do that?" Raphtalia watched the creature in trepidation.

"It's fine," she assured her companions. "He won't bite." She examined the creature with her power. It was quite the marvel. It seemed to be able to modify the poison it produced at will. It could produce a paralytic, so prey could be immobilized for consumption, as well as some sort of organic acid that would eat through nearly anything. The spinneret was extremely efficient and could produce webbing unlike anything she'd seen before. Far stronger than any Earth spider, certainly. She could see several uses for it. Its upper size was impossible to determine, and she reasoned that it depended on several factors, ranging from environment to quality and quantity of food. She would be certain to take good care of it.

"I've never seen anything like it," Yalan breathed. "What is it?"

"A spider," Taylor shrugged. "Beyond that? I've no idea." That, in itself, was unusual, but she chalked it up to being in another world and having no frame of reference. The [Analyze] skill didn't offer her any more information than her own powers supplied. She settled it on her shoulder and turned her attention to the other.

The flying insect had six translucent, diaphanous wings on an elongated body. It most closely resembled a dragonfly, but unlike a dragonfly, it had a stinger. In fact, it had two. It also had what resembled poison sacks just behind the lower of four mandibles. For the moment, it was the size of a full-grown robin, with a red carapace oddly textured so that it almost resembled scales, but she could tell that it would grow. Its upper limit, like the spider's, was impossible to determine.

Both, she knew, would need to feed soon. She could arrange that easily enough. "You two are going to be very useful," she murmured. A glance at her party showed that they had their doubts, but she offered a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine. The study of insects and arachnids was a hobby of mine. They're fascinating, and I can tell that these two have a lot of potential."

She turned her attention to the remains of the eggs they had hatched from. Feeding the shells to her shield one at a time, got her some interesting results.

[Spider Egg Shield]

+1 defense, +1 poison resistance

[Unique ability: Spider Status Adjustment] Increase the stat growth of a spider by a small amount.

[Insect Egg Shield]

+1 defense, +1 poison resistance

[Unique ability: Insect Status Adjustment] Increase the stat growth of an insect by a small amount.

Those, she realized, were an enhancement of her already mastered [Invertebrate Status Adjustment] and would be very useful. She had already seen some benefit of that shield's ability to synergize with her powers. It was rather tricky, but she had never been one to give up when there was a clear benefit.

OOOOOOOOOO

They left that afternoon, after letting the new monsters rid the inn of pests. The innkeeper had been dubious, but had allowed it, as rats and roaches were becoming a bit of a problem. The spider, whom she'd named Grue for the coloring that reminded her of her old comrade's darkness, had gone room by room, hunting down holes and crevices used by the pests. The flying monster, Rose, which the owner had cringed away from and called a dragonwasp, had circled the building, eliminating needlewings and a few bats that had been sheltering under the eaves during the day.

Before setting them loose, Taylor had added them to the party, and they had all gained a small amount of experience from the efforts of the two infant monsters. That the two were effective hunters so soon after hatching, she put down to necessity, as she doubted either species had much in the way of parental instincts.

Although still scared of the creatures, the innkeeper had been grateful and paid her 10 silvers, wrapped up some supplies for the road, and promised that their next night there would be free. They left at midafternoon and made it to a good campsite they had discovered on their first trip, shortly after dark. They settled down, and the two monsters went off to hunt.

Taylor tracked them, monitoring their status and using her swarm to keep an eye out for anything that might be too much for them to handle. The two hunted separately, but Taylor suspected that they would be an unbeatable team if they cooperated. They could work on that later, though. First, they needed to grow strong and sure of themselves. The trash monsters in the area, balloons and similar creatures, would be good practice. She monitored them as they ranged around the campsite. She didn't try to control them, but she did subtly nudge them, making them inclined not to wander too far.

"They going to be okay?" Raphtalia asked. "They won't wander off?"

"It'll be fine," Taylor asked. "They won't go too far or go after anything they can't handle, including the spy the king has trailing us."

"Spy?" Yalan asked, confused and somewhat concerned. "Someone is following us?"

"From the first day I got here," Taylor confirmed. "The one currently trailing us is a woman in a cloak and a mask." She considered. "At least there's only one. In the capital, I usually have an entourage."

"Seriously?" Raphtalia stared.

"I imagine that all of the Heroes are being watched," Taylor allowed, "but I, apparently, warrant special attention."

Yalan considered for a moment. "Based on your description, I believe the woman following us is a shadow. They're a very secretive group that serve the queen directly, not the king. It is likely that the king has people following you when you visit the capital, though." After a moment's thought, he added. "The pope may also have watchers that report only to him."

"How wasteful," Taylor smiled slightly. "Armsmaster would scold them for such an inefficient use of resources." Her smile left her. "What exactly do the shadows do for the queen?"

"They mostly gather information, serve her as spies," Yalan answered. "Though I have heard rumors that they act as assassins as well."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Taylor said absently, apparently untroubled by the idea. "The fact that none of them seem to trust each other is interesting. Why would the queen and king have separate spies?"

That question led to a brief history lesson. There was a lot that Yalan wasn't privy to, of course, but he shared what he could. Melromarc was a matriarchy, with the power passed down through the female line. Kings and princes had their duties, but they did not hold ultimate authority. Taylor asked what he knew of the queen and her opinions on the current situation, but Yalan shook his head.

"I've only ever seen the queen from a distance, during rare public appearances. I wouldn't presume to know her mind in anything."

"That's fair," Taylor allowed.

"I have always heard, though, that she is a just and fair-minded ruler."

The queen was, for the moment, a complete unknown, but being trailed by Melromarc's version of the secret service was troubling. Were they there because the queen held an opinion of her similar to the king's? Were they there to simply gather information so that the queen could reach an informed opinion? There was too much she didn't know, but Taylor found herself wondering if she could make use of the apparent divisiveness the next time she had to return to the castle. Without knowing more about the queen, that could risk alienating her, which wouldn't help the situation. Also, further irritating the king and the pope served no real purpose. It was annoying being followed like this, though. She decided to delay making any decisions on the matter till she had more information.

OOOOOOOOOO

Lute was still cleaning up and only making a start on rebuilding when Taylor and her party arrived. They were welcomed warmly, especially when she offered good prices for the medicines she had made.

The monsters, though, made people nervous, especially as they had both more than tripled in size since hatching. Taylor's experimentation with the various status adjustments didn't explain the growth, as she had focused on making their biology more efficient, and Taylor found herself at a loss as to how it was happening so quickly. Grue was the size of a bulldog. Rose was almost as long as Taylor was tall. She wondered briefly where the mass had come from, as they hadn't done that much hunting. She chalked it up to magic. Besides, a growth rate that spit on the laws of thermodynamics was nothing new to her. She suppressed a shudder at the memory of Lung.

The villagers accepted her assurance that Grue and Rose were under control, but she made sure to keep them with her, so people could see how well-behaved they were, or out of sight. That wasn't hard, as she and her party spent most of their time griding levels or gathering ingredients outside of town. The villagers were a bit taken aback by how quickly the two had grown and continued to grow. Taylor supposed she could understand that. A spider the size of a bulldog wasn't something you saw every day.

They quickly became an integral part of the party. Both monsters had extraordinary senses. Seeing and hearing through them gave her none of the problems that ordinary insects did. It had been an effort to learn to interpret the world through bug senses, and even then, she often had to gather a large number in one place to have enough sensory input to be useful. One couldn't eavesdrop on a conversation with a single fly.

Even with her experiments on her swarm with the various [Status Adjustment] abilities, she was nowhere close to achieving what Panacea had done so easily. While she had managed to improve their senses to a degree, progress was slow. The lack of a stable home-base at which to monitor their breeding and development was the largest barrier to real progress in that respect. Very little needed to be done with Rose and Grue, though. They were incredible from the beginning and were growing beyond all expectations.

The monsters' senses were superior to those of a human. Getting useful information from them was much easier. They weren't exactly stealthy, but that didn't mean much, given their other uses. Both were natural predators and had gained levels quickly as they hunted. As Taylor had made them part of the party, the experience was shared, and any drops they earned were accessible to her. She didn't really understand how monsters that didn't have hands, let alone pockets, dropped things like stamina potions or magic cloaks that they had most definitely not been wearing, but she gave up thinking about it after a while, just as she had gotten used to dismissing the amazing things Armsmaster and Kid Win built as 'tinker bullshit.'

She never got anything terribly useful, but there were things that could be sold. There had been a few weak potions, nothing that she couldn't make better versions of herself. Occasionally, something useful turned up. The venom wolf had given her an amulet that offered weak poison resistance. From a creature whose name she never learned, the display had just given question marks, she'd gotten a cloak made of animal fur that was reasonably warm and a bracelet made of bone that increased the wearer's endurance. Normally, all they got were various types of monster meat, some of which tasted pretty good, and similar. She had given the bracelet to Yalan as, when they first set out, he had been the first to start to flag during a fight. They had all grown considerably since then.

When Grue and Rose were approaching level 12, and she, Yalan, and Raphtalia had reached 23, 24, and 21 respectively, they broke camp and headed back to Lute after three days in the wild. It had been a productive time, and they were all ready for a break. A night or two at the inn, and they would be moving on to another village that they had heard about. A week's travel to the south was a place that had been hit hard by the first wave.

They arrived back at Lute to find a developing confrontation. The villagers were gathering near the main gate and facing a group of knights. The knights were escorting Motoyasu's party. Princess Malty was prominently in the fore and began reading from a scroll even as Taylor came within earshot.

"In recognition of his valiant efforts during the wave, the Spear Hero has been appointed reigning lord of this region. To help with the rebuilding efforts, we've decided to levy a toll. This toll will be 50 silvers to enter the village and 50 to exit."

There was an immediate uproar from the villagers who began to protest the toll. Some tried to reason with their new lord, some shouted in anger, and many simply gaped and sputtered. It was clear, though, that they all realized something the princess and the Spear Hero seemed blind to. Such a toll would ruin them.

The princess reacted badly to the protests and shouted them down.

"You dare defy your lord's orders?" Some of the soldiers she had brought with her drew and brandished their weapons.

"I'm sure there's no cause for violence," Taylor offered, coming up behind them. Several of the knights, on seeing Grue and Rose drew back and prepared for a fight. Seeing this, the Shield Hero scowled briefly but tried for a placating tone. "They're with me. Put the pointy things away, please."

"What are you doing here?" Malty demanded, "and what are those hideous things?!"

"I've been training around Lute for a few days now, and they are part of my party. I'd appreciate you extending some courtesy."

"To a thief and her pet beasts?" Malty sneered at the idea, her eyes sliding over Grue, Rose, and Raphtalia. "Everyone has heard the stories."

"Now, Myne," Motoyasu interrupted. "There's never been any proof of that, or even charges laid that needed disproving. There's no reason to slander her like that."

"You are far too generous, sir Hero," Malty cooed, trying to sway him, but Motoyasu just looked uncomfortable.

"Anyway," he addressed Taylor, trying to put that awkwardness behind him. "I've been appointed lord of this region, as you just heard."

"Congratulations. Was the toll your idea or hers?" Taylor asked.

"Huh? Why do you ask?" He was caught off guard by what he likely saw as a non-sequitur.

"That's not your business!" Malty snapped. "You should be on your way. Take those beasts elsewhere before they start eating the villagers!"

"It costs one silver to stay at the inn for a night, food included," Taylor said, ignoring the princess. "You and I are new to this world, so basic stuff like how much things cost is something we need to constantly check and be aware of. If we don't stop and think about such things, we might get cheated, or unintentionally cheat others. That toll is equal to 100 nights at the inn with food included."

Motoyasu gaped. "Well… I had no idea. The place in the capital…"

"Is the place in the capital," she pointed out. "Would you expect to pay the same for a motel room in a small town as you would for a luxury suite in downtown Tokyo?"

"I guess not," he acknowledged the point, and then shrugged. "We can modify that toll easy enough, and of course it'll be limited to visitors to the village." He paused, remembering Taylor's earlier question. "Why did you ask if me or Myne came up with the toll?"

"Because the kingdom's princess should definitely know better," Taylor answered, still ignoring the woman's ranting.

"How dare you?!" Malty shouted. "You will not ignore a royal decree!" She gestured to her knights, who promptly raised the weapons they'd never been at ease enough to put away. Before she could do anything else, and before either Hero could protest, three cloaked and masked figures appeared before Myne. They appeared to be kneeling respectfully, but Taylor could see they were tensed and ready to act should it be necessary.

"I trust you know who we represent, princess Malty," the one apparently in charge spoke politely.

"W-what are you doing here?" Malty demanded. The princess suddenly seemed less sure of herself. Wordlessly, the shadow handed over a scroll. Malty read it incredulously. She rounded on Taylor who was examining the new arrivals with interest.

"Hm?"

"Shield Hero! Fight us for the right to rule this place!"

"Huh? Why would I do that?" Where did that come from? Taylor wasn't sure what was in that scroll, but Malty had a death grip on it, so it seemed unlikely she'd find out. The shadows gave nothing away by their actions or expressions.

"Now hang on, Myne. This is getting out of hand," Motoyasu tried to reason with her.

"Do you know anything about running a town?" Taylor asked him. "I know I don't." She doubted defending a section of Brockton Bay from the Slaughterhouse Nine counted, even if they had called her a warlord.

"Er, no, actually." The admission seemed to embarrass him for some reason.

"Anything worth doing is worth doing right. I don't think either of us have the time to learn to do the job right and prepare for the waves." Learning how to provide even the bare necessities for the people in her section while fending off those damn murder hobos was not something she ever wanted to try again.

"Can't really argue that," Motoyasu allowed after a moment's thought, though he looked a bit disappointed. "Although, a spar might be fun." He looked to the village lord, putting a hand on Malty's shoulder when she tried to protest. "Sorry about all of this. It was a nice gesture on the king's part, but Taylor is right. While it'd be nice to be a lord, I guess, neither of us know how, and we need to focus on the waves." He looked at the fuming princess. "Enough, Myne. Let's go. I hear there are some good grinding spots near here."

"About ten miles south of town," Taylor confirmed. "Look for a river running through a light wood. Decently strong monsters, but you'll get bored pretty quick." She considered and then allowed herself a slight smile. "I'll take you up on that spar some other time."

The Spear Hero nodded, and he and his party left. The knights, left at loose ends by this turn of events, left to return to the capital on Motoyasu's orders. Taylor looked to the shadows, who had watched the developments with interest. She tagged each of them with a bug before speaking. "Isn't this village a bit small for five of the queen's elite espionage force?"

"Five?" one of them asked, seeming startled, either by the question or at being addressed. The three women traded glances.

"You three, the one on the roof," she nodded toward one of the village's taller buildings, "and the one in the tall tree over there." She pointed to a tree at the edge of an orchard not far from the village walls. "How do you ladies avoid tripping over each other?" Getting spied on was becoming annoying. While revealing her knowledge of them was giving away a strategic advantage, it was entirely possible that they didn't all work for the same person, and their reaction was both telling and amusing.

None of the three answered, instead leaving hastily. Taylor concentrated on what her bugs were seeing and hearing. There was a brief altercation in the orchard, and the one on the roof left to investigate or to join in, Taylor wasn't sure which.

"Five?" Yalan asked. Taylor nodded. "That does seem excessive."

"Think we can be gone before they get their act together?" Taylor asked, half joking.

"I… doubt it," he said, suppressing a chuckle.

"Thank you so much," the village lord said, approaching them. "Even I, as lord, could not have endured further taxation."

"Motoyasu's not a bad sort, he just tends to let the princess do his thinking for him. I'll see what can be done about that." She honestly wasn't sure what, though. Motoyasu didn't seem to lack confidence, but he also didn't seem to be able to see any woman, no matter what that woman did, as in the wrong. That made no sense to her. It was an issue for another day, however, as the village lord was offering her a reward for settling the matter so quickly, and without any violence.

"You need every copper you have for the rebuilding efforts," Taylor answered, shaking her head. It was easy to guess how the king and the church would characterize her taking money from the village. "However," a covered wagon near the gate caught her eye. "Walking everywhere is slow and gets tiresome."