Chapter Text
Once they were out on the streets, the woman released a breath and any tension she held from the court relaxed into an exhausted slouch. They were both silent for a few moments before Miya spoke up.
“I’m sorry,” she said to Naofumi, a crack in her voice. “I thought I could pull something from my experience to help you out, but the laws of this world aren’t those of mine. I should have known they would pull something like that…”
“It’s not your fault,” he responded. “I’m just grateful you attempted to help…”
“I wish I could’ve helped more.” They pass by a group of civilians, all of whom glare at them and start to whisper. Both outcasts noticed.
“Word travels fast, huh?”
“No doubt everything will be downhill from here. And it’s all because of them…” Naofumi grinds his teeth in anger. How dare Myne set him up like that! And no doubt Motoyasu had something to do with it too! A hand clasped his shoulder.
“Then we’ll have to make the best of it. Too bad it can’t be together,” Miya whispered with a smile. Naofumi sighed.
“You’re right… Regardless of what happened, we can’t level up if we’re near each other as the Cardinal Heroes…”
“Yeah. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be allies. We’re starting from scratch now with no help from the king or our fellow heroes.”
Naofumi nodded in agreement before a thought struck him.
“Speaking of help, why did you help me? What made you trust me so easily that you risked everything to prove my innocence?” he asked, coming to a halt in front of one of the many fountains in the city. Miya stopped behind him and stared at the lapis skies.
“Your eyes,” she finally said after a moment of contemplation. “My mentor told me once that the eyes are the window to the soul. If you want to trust your client, look deep into their eyes and see for yourself the truth…”
“And what did you see in my eyes?”
“I saw…” she drawled out. “Pain… and a cry for help.”
She paused for a moment more.
“And I saw myself…”
“Yourself?” Naofumi questioned.
“Yes… But that is all you’ll get from me,” Miya’s mouth upturned into a smile. “I have to have at least a little mystery to myself. Wouldn’t be interesting otherwise!”
They both laugh a little, even though Naofumi found it a little hard to feel anything besides crimpling rage. Maybe mimicking even the most rudimentary happiness will help him pass off as normal, not that he has the option anymore.
That begged the question of what to do next. They were both criminals in the eyes of the public, unpunishable by the court thanks to their newfound fate and unable to return to the comfortable lives in their home worlds lest they want all of the warriors to die first. They have no money, nothing to sell, nothing to protect them besides the magical legendary weapons glued to their beings for the rest of eternity. Naofumi knew nothing of video games, opting to be a proud otaku with the occasional knowledge of things through his shows. Miya admitted the other night that she wasn’t much of a gamer herself, but she did like watching anime as well as a teenager.
Two people with the least experience in their current setting with no followers, no influence, and reputation in the villain territory. How much of a handicap can you get?
“So, boss… what’s the plan?” Miya interrupted Naofumi’s train of thought.
“Plan?”
“Yeah, plan! You have a better idea of what to do in this world than I do. Or is that thinking cap of yours just as loose as mine when it comes to this game-esque deal?”
Miya shined a bright smile at the man. He looked away with his hand on his chin.
“I don’t exactly have a game plan at the moment but taking into account at our disadvantage in every meaning of the word, I think the best thing to do is make some money. I know some shops will buy monster drops. No doubt they’ll try to gyp us out of profits, though…”
“’Us’?”
Naofumi rubbed his head before turning back to Miya. Her face quizzically turned in thought, reminding the man of an owl.
“Y-yeah… Since you’re the only person who doesn’t have something out for me, I was thinking we could be… allies?”
Miya laughed, making Naofumi doubtful she was actually his side until he looked at the proud look in her eyes.
“And here I thought I would need a proper paperwork to ask for an alliance!” she joked jovially.
“So, is that it? Allies?” Naofumi raised an outstretched hand towards the woman who gently took it into her own. A firm shake solidified their unspoken pact of allegiance to their goals.
“I was hoping friends, but we’ll get there eventually.”
They released each other’s hand, settling them back to their sides.
“Now then, seems like we have a lot to do, huh?” Miya said, swinging her right arm around to loosen her shoulder. The two started walking forward into the judgmental streets.
“Yes. If it’s alright with you, we can go our separate ways here,” Naofumi mentioned as they passed some vendors. “We can meet up at the front gate a week from today to confer our progress.”
“Agreed. I’ll talk to some contacts I made around town. I just wonder if they’ll still help me. Luckily, my father taught me a thing or two about the textile trading business back in my home world if they don’t work out. Maybe that will get us on our feet…”
Trading, huh?
Naofumi thought to himself for a moment. Getting in the trading business might be a good idea. Travel across the country, make money by selling items. Maybe selling those monster drops could afford him a start to a fruitful business. And with any business, there comes contracts and business partners.
“That sounds like a good plan…” he muttered out loud. “Maybe we could help each other out on that.”
Miya smirked.
“Now that sounds like a plan. Right, partner?”
Naofumi smirked as well.
“Yeah, it does… Partner.”