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Chapter Text

Chapter Text

A spray of bullets lit up the night air, the electricity coating them fading away as they arced across the sky unimpeded.

Naofumi lowered the gun, the smoking barrel still pointing up into the cool night air as if aiming for stars that its owner could never reach.

Even with the layers of protective gear he was wearing, everything felt cold.

Cold, alone, and so very tired.

He couldn't do it.

He hated everything about his situation, but he couldn't do it.

Gazing at the gun couldn't give him the strength to try again.

If he was back on that rooftop, Johnny's ghost at his side and knowing what would happen after charging into Mikoshi, then maybe.

But here?

Alone?

He was too afraid.

No matter how much it hurt to think it, he was afraid of dying again. Alone, with nothing to his name and no-one beside him.

The scraping of Lizzie against the cloth of her holster was like a roaring wave on that silent rooftop. Below Naofumi could hear the castle guards running about trying to figure out what the gunshot they hear was, much less where it came from. Around the castle, lights flickered in windows while in the town below people could be seen walking the streets at night or other signs of life could be noticed.

It didn't stop him from feeling so very alone.

It was only with titanic effort that he was able to lift himself from the literal edge where he sat on the tower-top, and shuffle halfheartedly back down the stone steps to the unfamiliar world below. Only an idle thought of exploring more, or browsing the software in his head to prevent him from sitting back down on that ledge till the waves came and the world ended.

"I really wish I had a guitar right now..." Naofumi told the air, "I'd probably be able to do a perfect cover of 'Fade Away' 'bout now."

He could almost hear Johnny laughing at the bitter irony.

It didn't make anything better.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

King Aultcray Melromarc XXII awoke from a restless sleep. A most unusual experience for him.

It had taken him hours of tossing and turning in the night to finally sleep. His royal mind plagued by second guessing thoughts, hypothetical scenarios, doubts and concerns. All due to the same source. The Summoning of the Four Cardinal Heroes. The Heroes in question. The Man who named himself V. These new elements plagued the King's mind with ever growing worries. It had taken three goblets of strong wine just to relax him enough for sleep to take him. Only for them to restart moments after waking the next day.

The Church of the Three Heroes had been insistent they could not wait for his wife to finish with the international conference, to do so would stunt the growth of the Heroes and give the waves time to damage more lives unimpeded. While the only damage in the country had been to the Demi-human settlement, a fact that pleased Aultcray to no end, another wave would come soon and there was no telling where the cracks between worlds would form. Knowing the damage such events produced, and knowing that sometimes it was better to ask forgiveness after a disaster than permission, Aultcray had allowed the summoning.

It was the finer details that caused his distress, the reports and observations of the heroes, but most of all the words spat out so venomously by the Shield Hero.

The representatives of his faith had been so sure, so insistent about what the Shield Hero would be. Wicked, devious, a devil in human skin, all to willing to embrace the powers of his weapon to rape their women and pillage the land. Aultcray had seen none of that. He saw a broken man, one who was at the end of his rope. The King had tried to play his political games, to prompt the Shield to lash out in fury or play coy. Decades of Politics and experience were tossed out with the bath water as the man turned to walk away. It was telling, not the action of a violent demon or a manipulative trickster. It was the act of one who knew what it meant and did not care.

As he sat in his luxurious bed, trying to ignore the brightness of the rising sun, he rubbed at his skull and wished he had handled the prior day with the tact and care that made his people name him 'The Wise King'. Instead he looked back and saw where his prejudice had tainted his actions. The evidence was all openly before him that things were not as legends proclaimed. The most obvious among them was the Shield's repeated use of a firearm! It was a weapon of another world, more advanced than anything the nation of Faubrey had even conceived of, much less produced, but unmistakably a firearm none the less! All the myths had held firm that the Heroes couldn't use anything but their Legendary Weapon. If that basic fact was false, then what else could be wrong as well.

What was worse in Aultcray's eyes, was the fact that he had acted unjustifiably petty when his rudeness had been not so subtly pointed out. The wine induced headache was less of a pain than the stab at Aultcray's pride. He'd had the King of Faubrey in his home, and his acts against god were an open secret, yet Aultcray had treated that monster with more kindness than he had the Shield Hero. A man who had proclaimed to be pulled from death's grasp by the summoning, only to be treated as a pariah in a foreign land's court. It was obvious with his wine stained retrospective that if the Shield had been open to aiding them, the King's behavior would only succeed in turning him into the very threat that he was weary of.

Aultcray was already debating taking a cup of wine with his breakfast instead of his usual Apple cider. He was sure he'd need it as his wisdom bit him in his mental ass.

The absolute worst of the prior day's events had to be the Shield's reaction to the waves. The utter rejection of his weapon in the most violent showing imaginable. It could be passed off as a misunderstanding or joke if it was overheard rumor or hearsay, but instead in-front of the open court the Shield had denounced his titles' origin as a slave collar. The attempt to destroy the Legendary Shield with his otherworldly firearm afterwards was a spray of piss on an already unappetizing cow-pie. There would be no keeping such actions a secret, by now world would have spread across the capital and from there into the other lands. Even if there were no spies in his court, and he would never believe such a lie for a second, then it was only a matter of days before the other nations knew what had happened.

His wife was going to be absolutely furious when her shadows inevitably informed her.

It was only the urgent knocking at his door that finally pulled him from his thoughts and his bed. He slipped on a decorated silk lined robe before commanding the knocker, "Enter."

"My King you told us to report at once if there were any problems with the heroes!" It was one of the Guard Captains, the man giving a bow of respect as he addressed the king.

"What is it? Was it the Shield?" the King questioned quickly, and just as quickly realized he was still biased against the man.

"No my King, I've heard no word against the Shield Hero." The captain bowed his head. "Regretfully the reports are about the Sword, Bow, and Spear."

"Regretfully?" Aultcray's eyes narrowed, the man moving to take a seat at the desk in his room.

"Yes sire, more than one has come forward claiming the Heroes in question have barged into their rooms and begun looking through their possessions as if they had the right or were a cut-purse looking for items of value."

"You are kidding me, you must be." The King locked eyes with the captain, hoping to see a jest within them. Instead, the captain's eyes held the full weight of his report.

"No sire, Lady Rosalia was insistent that her rooms were entered thrice. Once by each hero. She insists they all entered without knocking, and ignored her to 'poke and peek at her possessions like a flock of magpies'. She even insisted I quote her on the description." The captain paused, trying to recall his conversation with the lady. "She even wants me to make mention how Lord Itsuki seemed offended when she told him off for acting like a thief. Apparently the young man snapped at her saying that he was a hero not a thief."

It was only the presence of the guard that stopped the king from cradling his head with both hands. It was practice and experience that kept him from showing weakness, "...I see. What else is there to report?"

"The night patrol reports a suspicious noise last night, and the sight of 'shooting stars' coming from the upper floors of the castle. And the maids have reported a number of missing items, and even that some decorations in the halls have been vandalized."

"Vandalized?" The king leaned forward, curious despite the growing unease in his body.

"Yes sire, while nothing has been outright destroyed or taken, apparently jewels have been pried from some statues or other pieces of the castle's décor..." The captain shifted uncomfortably, "it has been suggested that the Sword, Bow, and Spear are at fault given their behaviors this morning."

The King could not contain his sigh of defeat, "And has their been any word of the Shield Hero, his behavior?"

"A few of the men have seen him pacing the castle grounds during the night, according to the maids assigned to the Heroes, he didn't return to their room all night. It seems the man didn't sleep at all. Apart from the oddities, the man has shown little presence since last night's feast."

Aultcray mastered to keep his voice calm as he asked his next question. "And where is he now?"

"According to one of my subordinates," The captain seemed to be struggling to maintain an air of professionalism. "He's been in the kitchens since dawn sire. According to those watching, the man has an appetite for food and a desire to learn cooking."

"D-did you just say cooking?" Whatever air of respect Aultcray might have had in his voice was gone, replaced with disbelief. The thought of the supposed devil of the shield being enamored with something so mundane was almost unfathomable to the king.

"Yes sire." The captain gave a nod, "and more than one of the chefs is expressing concern about having enough supplies to satisfy the Shield's desire for meat-based dishes."

"I see." The King gave a single nod, recalling the Shield's appetite at the feast. "Is there anything else to report?"

"Not at the moment, but we shall inform you at once if there are any new developments."

"Very good. Dismissed." Aultcray gave a wave of his hand as he sent the captain on his way. Only once the door closed did the king let out a groan and cradle his head in his hands. Thoughts of having that glass of wine with breakfast back at the forefront of his thoughts as he rang the bell to summon his personal servants and start the day.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

If there was one thing that Naofumi could learn to love about the new world, it was the food. A fact that was never more obvious as he watched the Castle cooks at work, all while his ever watchful eyes darted back and forth to learn everything he could about his newest addiction.

[Database Entry Added: (Technique: Smoking)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Smoked Trout)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Smoked Salmon)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Smoked Herring)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Smoked Anchovies)]

The cooking was simple, the ingredients easy enough to get a hold of if you knew where to look. The cost for most, especially the fish, was a little restrictive but could be acquired with time and effort. All and all one would consider this common dining for those in the capital. Naofumi didn't care about that. What he was after was the smells, the textures, and most importantly the flavors. While in the new world this was food anyone could eat, in Night City anything natural and organic was restricted to the rich and powerful. Bottles of naturally pure water would sell for hundreds of eurodollars, while a quality cut of real steak would cost thousands.

[Database Entry Added: (Technique: Searing)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Steak and Eggs)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Pan Seared Toast)]

So understandably, Naofumi was a little overwhelmed by the new abundance of fresh and filling flavors that overloaded his palate like a rockerboy on a drug binge. Others would definitely note his desires to learn cooking might be driven entirely by his new psychosomatic addiction.

[Database Entry Added: (Technique: Roasting)]
[Database Entry Added: (Technique: Charcuterie Arrangement, Meat & Cheese)]

Even as the Melromarc's personal chef was tutoring him, Naofumi's eyes kept leaping about the room. Scanning, and scanning, and scanning. Observed techniques became new entries and instruction manuals in his head. The Journal software in his head was filling out pages of recipes, cooking techniques, food types, and so much more. Each one making a new article to review, neatly organized away in his database. While the information would have to be reviewed at a later date, the fact that all of this know-how was being tucked away to be used later made Naofumi's thrice satisfied taste-buds salivate all over again.

[Database Entry Added: (Technique: Baking)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Manchet Bread)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Delicate Buscuits)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Honey Bread)]

"I see you appreciate the stew good hero." The Head cook commented loudly, wiry grinning at the obviously distracted hero. "Perhaps you'd like to try a sample?" The man knew the effect the savory smells of boiling beef stock and simmering spices was good, but to see the hero from another world shudder with anticipation for his dish was a great ego booster.

Both to cover his absent listening and to sate his growing gluttony, Naofumi gratefully took an offered spoon and took a sampling of the stew. When later recounting his stolen cooking knowledge, he would swear the sound he made was to distract people from his synthetic eyes scanning the meal.

[Database Entry Added: (Technique: Stewing)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Enriched Royal Beef Stew, imperfect/altered)]

The broth was divine, the perfect balance of savory and salty plus a hint of smoky goodness. The meat was so tender it was drinkable. If his reworked software hadn't stolen the recipe already, there was no doubt that he would hold the entire castle hostage unless he got it. He didn't care that his soft was telling him that it wasn't done right. It was miles beyond anything All Foods could make in their laboratory, hell, Biotechnica would go to war for a sample of the stew. Naofumi had been debating using Arasaka Business Techniques for it after all. Even if only considering it for a split second, any willingness to use that level of evil counts.

Naofumi puts the spoon down with an almost sacred care, as if the spoon was just as blessed as the stew it sampled. "I'm not gonna lie. I think that is the best thing I have ever tasted. In this world or the last."

The Chef's grin had an almost triumphant look. "I'm glad to hear it. The stew was a creation of my family's before the last time the waves appeared. Sad to say, the cookbook with the original recipe was lost and we've had to make due trying to make it again."

"And what would you need to make it?" Naofumi was suddenly even more attentive than usual.

"A lot of rare ingredients the country's budget can't afford and the connections to get them… And the means to move them across the land faster than they can expire."

Naofumi nodded. "That is a lot to ask for just to have a bowl of stew."

"True, true. That's why the queen refused whenever I ask for the means to make it." The chef shrugged, as if to say it couldn't be helped.

Naofumi let his eyes wander the room again, feigning thoughtfulness when in truth he was peeking at recipes again. The momentary pause he made to visually devour a whole load of pork being placed into an oven was not an accident.

[Database Entry Added: (Technique: Roasting)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Roasted Pork)]

"Sooo..." Naofumi let the word drag on a little longer than needed, still savoring the beefy flavors lingering on his tongue. "Would you mind making me a list of what you'd need for that stew to be completed?" he asked, eyes roaming over the kitchen again.

[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Oatmeal)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Sop in Wine)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Mashed Berry Jam)]
[Database Entry Added: (Recipe: Honey and Oats)]

The chef shrugged his shoulders, "If you're willing to pay and help out with an ambition of mine who am I to say no?"

Naofumi just smiled, "Great, glad to do business with ya."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

There were very few things that could irritate a stereotypical princess. They usually embodied purity, patience, and other goodly things. Princess Malty Melromarc was none of these things. She was easily slighted, and more easily irritated. The quickest way to earn her dislike was the simplest; either ignore or deny her of what she wanted. Something that 'V' the Shield Hero was doing, it didn't matter to her if he meant to or not. The missing Hero had yet to be seen by her father, her guards, or the other Heroes. If not for the guards at the gate assuring her that he hadn't passed them during the morning or night she'd have thought he left the castle entirely. Perhaps if she had asked the servants or the patrolling guards rather than the ones assigned to her rooms, she might have picked up the trail.

Thus she began her search for her wayward toy. The dining hall held no clues, apparently the man of metal flesh had yet to enter to eat. The Training hall had the spear hero, who was showing off and twirling his Legendary weapon like it was an entertainer's staff at a parade. The Sword hero was demanding things from the librarians in their offices adjacent to the Royal Library. The Bow Hero was wandering about like a social butterfly, moving from person to person to ask questions, then moving on whenever he got whatever answer he was looking for or saw someone else who caught his wandering eye better.

The lack of appeal from the other three only increased Malty's determination to capture the Shield Hero for herself. Her father and the church would just have to deal with it, she'd rather have the wild killer than a flashy peacock, a pompous child, or a distracted airhead.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

It would take an army of determined horses to pull the fact from his lips, but Kitamura Motoyasu had been a devout member of his high school's marching band. A fact that was all too easily confirmed as he spun, twirled, and tossed his spear about with the practiced ease of a veteran flag waver. Those viewing such a display in the training yard had a mixed reaction. Mixed as in it was torn mostly between the sexes. Women watching the show were impressed at the speed and ease he made such movements, believing it to be a show of talent with his sacred spear. The men, and experienced warriors saw it as the meaningless posturing of a peacock. Sure the movements could be seen as graceful, but they were all stupidly pointless in combat.

Of course the flamboyant skirt chaser either failed to notice, or failed to care about the second opinion. If he looked away from his showboating maneuvers it was only ever to look at the impressed or mesmerized faces around him. He was certain he even saw a princess gazing at him from a nearby window.

"Excuse me, Spear Hero." One of the more veteran members of the guard approached him, their own spear in hand. "Would you care to spar a moment? Perhaps I can show you some of the techniques of our men? Or help you refine yours?"

"No thank you." Motoyasu dismissed the man, expertly passing the spinning spear in between himself and the senior. The action brought couple murmurs of appreciation from the female crowd, while some disapproving grumbles came from the males.

"Very well. Should you change your mind however, my fellows and I will be glad to offer our time." The man gave a tiny bow of respect and left Motoyasu to his practice.

The blonde seemed not to hear the offer, and instead turned his attention back to the watching crowd. Letting out a small cheer, he released the spear into the air and expertly caught the spinning weapon, bringing another round of applause from the more enthusiastic watchers.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

It had been a while since Ren had really sat back to play an RPG, but it didn't stop him from remembering the basics to getting overpowered the fastest. 'The better the equipment, the better the stats' he thought, and he was planning on finding the stashes of loot before anyone else could think of it. If this was a game, then there was loot. If there was loot, it was hidden in rumors, myths, and legends. Like everyone playing fantasy game before the strategy guides or Meta-FAQs were released Ren was sure there was a way to find the treasures he sought: find the strongest monsters you can and find a way to cheese the fight.

Thus the Sword Hero's current task: pillaging the royal library for every hint of cleared bandit camps, dragons dens, abandoned castles, and other places that treasure accumulates while waiting for a collector to come to them. Old bandit camps could have their stolen goods buried in the area to hide it. A dragon's den was guaranteed to have a literal pile of gold coins, it was just common sense. Abandoned castles would have left over goods, maybe even a vault holding a noble's wealth or weapons inside. All of which would be Ren's for the taking.

"Something I can help you find, sir?" One of the archivists came to Ren's side as the sword hero leafed through the pages, setting the book aside with an exasperated scoff. It joined several dozen others on the long table to run between the shelves, all of them dropped with little concern to their aging spines.

"No." He picked up another volume with a similar title to the recently discarded book. Once again leafing through the contents, only to be greeted with much the same.

"Are you sure? Becau-"

"Yes. Thank you." This volume joined the other as he moved further down the bookcase. The archivist just sighed and took to putting the discarded books back in their respective spots, even as Ren continued his hunt for information. "There's got to be something here..."

"Are you looking for a book on sword techniques maybe? It would be a great way to sharpen both your mind and skills?" The archivist tried again to make conversation, hoping that helping the sword hero find what he was looking for would mean a few less books for her to put back. "Or maybe a book on the monsters around here?"

Ren had been ready to tell her off again, but realized there was a better option. "Actually, yes. A book on monsters would be helpful. Where can I find them?"

"Just on these shelves here." She moved to a bookcase two down from the one Ren was currently browsing, and tapped the side. "This whole case is full of books on monster physiology, their skills, drops, and so on."

"Thank you." The sword hero wasted no time in moving to the case, hands already reaching for a book.

"You're welcome, do you need anything else?"

"No." He shot the archivist a look almost as sharp as the sword at his side. Getting the message, the archivist gave a nod and proceeded to distance herself by putting back all the other books, even as Ren started a new pile in his quest for knowledge. "Not quite the information I'm looking for, but this will be a massive help in leveling up." He kept the thought to himself as he began to read a chapter about flying dragons.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Itsuki had spent the better part of his morning walking around the castle grounds, talking to anyone willing to give him a few moments of their time. Most of the people he had talked to didn't have the answer to his questions, or misunderstood what he was asking. Instead of hearing about bandits, corrupted guards, or of other villainous people, most went off about monsters. The few who did know of bandits just talked of their being bands of them around, but told him not to worry about it and to leave them to the guards.

"Lord Itsuki, don't you think you should concentrate more on learning about the Waves, instead of minor disturbances?" An older member of the guard asked the young hero after he had been seen pestering some of his subordinates for information about the recent bandit attacks.

"Sure, sure." Itsuki nodded, "But first I want to know more about the northern territory."

"Uh sure." The guard blinked, "What would you like to know? About the monsters? The people?"

"Just if there's been any news." The younger man crossed his arms, "I heard one of the servants mention hearing some heinous rumors about the area."

"Well, I'm not one for idle chatter..." The guard blinked a few times, suspecting he knew where the conversation was going to lead. "But I have heard a few things myself."

"Such as?" Itsuki felt a small surge of excitement flow through his veins.

"Well, there have been complaints from caravans about how there is a very high tax rate there." The guard scratched at his chin, recalling the information. "It seems that after some disaster, the local governor had to raise taxes and many are unhappy about it. They feel its far too much."

"So he's taking money from people..." Itsuki's inner voice noted, ignoring the fact that taxes were perfectly legal.

"Another incident I heard was that a lot of people had been getting recklessly drunk and holding meetings to talk about replacing the governor. It got to the point that he had to hire sellswords to keep the peace."

"He' s hiring thugs to silence people badmouthing him!" The voice cried, as Itsuki pressed for more. "I see, anything else?"

"The last thing I heard seems like total nonsense but..." The guard leaned in close, like a student not wanting the teacher to overhear. "Apparently a local lord was seen yelling at the governor with a spitting mad fervor. The lord's still in denial about his daughter running off to get married to the man, and raises a stink about it anytime the two are in the same town together."

"He's the villain! He stole the man's daughter to be his bride!" The voice was chomping at the bit, and Itsuki rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He expected the guard to decree then that a party should be formed and sent out to deal with these injustices. And of course that, as the Bow Hero, that he would be asked along.

"But those are just the same discontent filled rumors that always pop up when taxes are raised." The guard let out a small laugh, "or the gossip that bored housewives of the lower class spread whenever the nobility does something."

Itsuki seemed taken aback by the guard's apparent dismissal of the cases. "Still, shouldn't someone be sent to investigate these rumors?"

"In truth, no." The guard shook his head, "Rumors like this spread all the time, and nothing is done because there's almost no evidence to support them."

"But how can one find evidence if no one investigates these rumors?" The youth smiled, proud of his logic. "As a Hero of Justice I should investigate, shouldn't I?"

"I believe anyone who believes in Justice would wait until there was reason to believe the claims hold substance." The guard's expression was that of a disappointed teacher. "Otherwise, one might be condemning an innocent just because someone said they looked suspicious."

"He's just an NPC. He doesn't know that the rumors he's reciting are true." The hero within argued as Itsuki gave a nod. "Thank you for the information." The guard gave a nod of his own, the man excusing himself as a new group of guards showed up. Itsuki remained where he was, thinking about what the guard had said even as he heard the new arrivals talking about the upcoming waves. "I can easily handle both the waves and that corrupted governor. I'm the hero after all." The inner musings brought the smile back to Itsuki's face as he moved to address the newest arrivals.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

The sun had reached its zenith and court had been called. The volunteers to join the Heroes had all arrived without issue. Three mischievous Heroes had been found and brought to the throne room, each one excited to see their new teammates. The Shield Hero had yet to be located however. Much to Aultcray's frustration and confusion, the outsider had vanished shortly after his lessons in the kitchen.

The King was not sure if he should be thankful for the stroke of luck or annoyed that the troublesome Hero was so much harder to control than his simpler ilk. Once more he cursed his impulsive bias and the problems it was currently causing him. Aultcray knew full well that no volunteers were gathered for the Shield, another stupid decision on his part.

With everyone but the Shield gathered the King stood, "My dear Heroes, I have gathered you here so that those whom have come to aid us against the waves can join your parties and venture forth." He gave a practiced sweep of his arm to where the volunteers were gathered, "Now brave followers, select the hero you will attend!"

He'd hoped that the excitement of the party formation would keep them from noticing that someone was missing from their number. The Bow Hero was just as much of a stickler for fairness as the King had been told, and of course he would speak out.

"Pardon me, but shouldn't we wait for V?" Lord Itsuki protested, "He is the Shield Hero, so he's going to need someone to work with him."

Aultcray gave a nod to the young hero. "As with you and your fellow heroes, I sent out guards to find him some time ago. However, it seems he is either avoiding us or we have yet to locate him."

"Still..."

"His loss our gain." The Spear Hero cut in, grinned and uncaring.

"If he cannot be bothered to arrive when needed, he can't complain when he gets nothing." The Sword Hero added.

"Don't be like that guys!" Lord Itsuki frowned at his fellows, "I'm sure if we wait-"

"What? He's just gonna show up as if called?" Lord Motoyasu mocked.

The doors of the throne room creaked as they opened, showing a sight that was another subtle show of power. The King could feel his eyes widen drastically as V pushed open the heavy wood and banded metal door with a single hand. It normally took four guards to open the doors effortlessly, and here the metal man could do so with a single open palm. The guards were already muttering with amazement, the excited chatter creating an undercurrent of unease in the volunteers.

Completely uncaring of his display, Lord V entered the throne room taking a bite from what looked to be a stuffed loaf of bread in his spare hand.

Without meaning to speak aloud, the King asked, "What is this?"

The Shield Hero paused in his approach, glanced at the bundle of food in his hand and back to the king. "A steak-tip sandwich with caramelized onions." The outsider replied. He took another bite, chewed and swallowed, "A pretty good one too for a first try."

Aultcray was certain that the entire throne room felt just as nonplussed as him.

"I… See." The King continued. "I'm glad for your arrival," he lied, "We were just letting our volunteers pick the Hero they want to serve."

"Right. No need to stop on my behalf." V replied, taking another bite of his sandwich.

The division split more or less how the King knew it would. Five followers joined with the Sword Hero. The Bow received three, all roguish types. To the Spear went three, all women. All morning the volunteers had been given reports of the Heroes to help them choose whom they wanted. All of them had quickly and easily gone to the side of their Hero.

All accept one.

His daughter Malty, who was standing between the four and giving the Shield Hero looks of longing that made him feel a deep discomfort as a father. He felt the tiniest bit of relief when she took a few steps towards Motoyasu, but just as quickly had it squashed as she stopped well before him. Most of the eyes in the room were on the newly formed parties, or on the still eating Shield hero. Hoping to distract from her indecisiveness further, the King addressed the gathered crowds.

"Does anyone wish to serve with the Shield?" His eyes looked to a few of the volunteers, seeing most of them give tiny shakes of their heads or waves of dismissal. Though V himself didn't seem to care, Aultcray knew this was something he had to acknowledge. "Lord V, it would seem that our volunteers are a little wary of your, what did you call them, Implants?" He watched the man nod, "and thus have chosen to serve others."

"Understandable. Though if I'm to be honest, I'm kind of grateful of that fact." Another bite of the sandwich disappeared.

"Y-You are?" The King's posture straightened up slightly, "if I may inquire, why?"

"Because this gives me a chance to get to know the town on my own. Make a few connections on my own without help from outside sources." He chewed a bite of sandwich, and took a drink from a small wine bottle that had been concealed in his pocket until now. "And this way, I can also gather resources so that when I do form a party, I can better equip them."

"A most sound idea." Aultcray gave a tiny nod, the tactician within him impressed at the level of thought the Shield had given the situation. "Very well then, though we had already planned on giving all of you some coin so that you may fund your efforts." The king waved his hand, and four treasurers, each with a bag approached the heroes. "You will find six-hundred silver in those bags. Though Lord V, perhaps I can see to add a few more coins to your bag to compensate for a lack of volunteers? Just something to help a little more if you need to hire on teammates."

"No, this is more than enough. Thank you." V pocketed the coins with his free hand, and the King felt a sense of relief that V didn't push back, fight, or otherwise cause a scene at the matter. There was a smile on Aultcray's face as he watched the other three heroes inspect the bags, all of them seeming impressed with the offered silver. "Then its settled. Heroes and volunteers, please take this time to introduce yourselves to one another."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Malty was torn. Her choice should have been clear, join the womanizing Spear and lead him around by his cock and help the Church destroy the Shield and make her Queen. She'd spent all morning looking for the Shield and letting her frustrations with him build, purposefully letting her anger grow to drown out the desire she'd felt for him. By the time the party formation began, she was certain she could betray him and leave him to rot with no issue at all.

Then he barged into the room with his 'devil cannot care' attitude and she felt her loins throb at the muscle he displayed. She'd tried numerous times to move those doors herself, either running into them in anger or to childishly prove to herself how strong she was. The fact that he could push them open, doors made to withstand a besieging force, renewed her desire for him by pouring oil and pitch on the flickering flames.

She wanted him… no. She needed him.

The willpower, the prestige, the strength.

It had been a while since any man had inflamed her passion so. The way he looked at the room, and found everyone wanting. His exotic looks, ones that could be found no where else in her world. The fine clothes he wore, and the otherworldly knowledge he possessed would be an untapped source of riches. The weapons he carried had shown to be powerful enough, but matched with the physical strength he had just displayed? He was a perfect match for her desires. A powerful rebel, an unchained beast that couldn't be tamed. She was certain if she handled V in the wrong way he would break her… and she was certain she would enjoy it.

She bit her lip hard, felt her body subtly shift weight from foot to foot in a pathetic attempt to ease the wildfire she felt building.

Desire driving her, she walked to the Shield Hero. "Pardon me, Lord V?"

He gave her a glance, his eyes trailing up and down her body slowly. "Hmm?" an eyebrow raised above his exposed silver eye.

"I..." She hesitated, the gaze held a mystic power of its own. She swore it. "I heard what you said, but still I was wondering if you'd like to have me as a companion?"

"To be honest, not really." The second to last bite of sandwich punctuated the refusal.

"But why?" Malty frowned, unsure of how to feel about the rejection.

"I work better alone," V pitched his voice low, "besides I intend to see if I make any connections with the criminal elements in the area. Not exactly safe for you."

She was now mildly insulted, "Why? You don't think I can handle it."

"No, it's because you're a woman and a nice looking one like yourself is currency to criminals." Malty saw the briefest flicker of a smile on V's face after he said the words.

"Oh…well. I could still join your party." She wasn't about to give up or be distracted by sided compliments. "Doing so doesn't mean I have to join you when you meet these criminals."

He took a long pull from the bottle of wine before answering, "Princess… Malty, right? Why are you doing this?"

She blanched, taking a step back from the surprise. "Princess? I'm not a princess." She tried to weakly deny.

"Yeah, that kinda lie doesn't work when your image is in a half-dozen paintings in the castle." He gave her a roguish grin, one that made her knees weak. "Try again?" he prodded.

She couldn't help the embarrassed blush that was coloring her face. "Fine, you caught me." she pouted, "I'm Malty Melromarc, princess and spellcaster."

V didn't seem impressed. "I take it you had an alias for cover?"

"Of course!" She agreed pompously, "I was going to be Myne Sophia, adventurer and mage."

The Shield Hero leaned closer, lowering his volume and tone even more. "Sorry about that, but don't worry. You can still be mine."

She shivered. He knew her game and he knew how to play. The very idea that he was willing to play along just made that ever-present ache so much worse. "Are you certain that I can't join your party Hero?"

"You could, but I don't think your father likes the idea." Lord V pointed out, nodding his head towards the seated King. She turned to see her father glaring at the cause of her infatuation with the fury of a father fearing his daughter would soon be deflowered. Oh how little he knew.

"So? Are you afraid to upset Daddy now, after the show you put on yesterday?" She puffed out her chest a little, eyes going back and forth between V and her father.

"Nope, more like annoyed that he could send guards to watch over us and I'd have to risk losing out on some connections…" He paused, "and maybe have my cock blocked by the royal guard."

"Interesting… maybe we could make arrangements for later?" She leaned forward, eyes half-lidded as she shot him a lust-filled gaze.

"I think we can come up with something we'd both enjoy." He looked over her shoulder. "But it looks like we might have to cut this meeting short before it gets any sweeter."

"What? Why?" Malty tried, and failed to keep the whine from her voice.

"Because there is a Peacock walking over who clearly wants to mate."

The Spear Hero took that moment to cut in, grabbing her hand with what he thought was a suave grin and pulling her away from her intended target. "Princess, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Kitamura Motoyasu, your Spear Hero." he gave a crappy bow that was more theatrical than polite.

It took a lot for her not to demand his head then and there, or at least slap the impudent little shit till his teeth were gone.

"Excuse me, Spear Hero." She said politely, past gritted teeth. "But I was just having a conversation about partying with the Shield Hero." She turned to face V once again, only to find him missing. "Where did he go?"

The Stupid Spear didn't waste anytime pushing for what he wanted, "Looks like he's gone off on his own. Guess that means you can join up with me for now."

"Hooray..." she replied with all the sarcastic mockery her body could produce.

More than a few guards were genuinely surprised Lord Motoyasu hadn't dropped dead from exposure her spite. Meanwhile her father seemed to have let out a sigh of relief he wasn't aware he was holding in. Malty just let out a sigh of her own as Motoyasu seemed not to notice, the man instead nearly dragging her over to meet the other members of his party.

"Actually, this may work in our favor. Father won't send any guards if he thinks I'm with Motoyasu...And I can ditch the brat once he's preoccupied with something and hunt down that teasing bastard." The thought thrilled her, her mind flooded with more thoughts of V, and the simple brilliance of his orchestrating a plan to reduce suspicion from the King about the two. "Very well, I'll play along for now."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

As one would expect, the capital was an abundant source of news and trade. The lifeblood of mercenary work. Bold as polished brass, Naofumi made his way from the palace to roam the streets of the castle town like a bloodhound chasing a scent. With the Legendary Shield still concealing itself in his arm, Naofumi wandered about the market and posed as a trader. His wares consisting of stolen goods he had pilfered from the castle and altered slightly to conceal their origins. A swiped pearl necklace became a spool of silver string and a pouch of pearls. Worth less overall, but easier to trade off. A priceless gemstone pulled from a statue of some long dead queen was cracked by his hands and thus worth less, but couldn't possibly be the perfect gem that was stolen.

By the time an hour had past by, his ill gotten gains had been sold for coin, he was established as an eccentric from Faubrey, and nearly a thousand silver richer than he would have been with just the king's silver. The fact that his pockets were still filling with more stolen goods only helped raise more coin as he progressed. Every stall he stopped at or store he visited, he would appraise the items and either use a distraction or just use his Optical Camo to hide from sight. Then it was easy pickings. Never anything too valuable or too much. Small objects, and easy to lose goods were his targets of opportunity. Maybe an apple or two, but that was because he was still feeling peckish.

The only problem he had was avoiding or dismissing questions about his clothes, his exposed cyberware, or the two rifles still strung across his back. New things make people curious, unusual things draw attention, and both together will cause trouble. He needed a very large case to conceal the weapons in, a set of cloaks or something to cover his looks, and the patience to search for them in a medieval market pulled from a dungeons & dragons stereotype.

However one does not make a name for themselves among the disposable rabble of Night City's mercenaries for hire without being determined or willing to do grunt work. Thus another hour was spent looking for a shop that sold magic goods, preferably something better than a glorified stall but smaller than a building with gold framed glass windows that obviously appealed to none but the nobility. It took several rounds of questioning, getting lost once, a side stop for a mug of beer, but eventually Naofumi found his way to a large but humble shop that looked like it would suit his needs.

The door to the store opened with a pleasant little jingle from a trio of bells attached to the door. Naofumi's ever scanning eyes was moving from item to item in her shop, taking note of anything that looked important or that needed identification. Thankfully the update to his database was labeling everything he looked at, from wands to potions to tomes of spells that sounded ridiculous.

"Who the hell names these books? 'A curse to direct Dire Misfortune', 'Forced Flatulence for fun'?" He shook his head, "Isn't wizard stuff supposed to be for the more intellectual types?"

"In their later years perhaps, but as young adults most spellcrafters like to think they are original and so name their spells with some type of twist. Usually alliteration." An old woman appeared at his side, impressing him with her level of stealth. "Honestly, its the same reason why so many rituals and summoning have to do with virgins or sex."

"Huh, learn something stupid every day." He smiled as the woman nodded.

"Indeed. So, with pleasantries out of the way, welcome to my Magic Shop." She made a sweeping gesture to the room, before introducing herself. "I'm Mahoya, how can I help you?"

Naofumi really, really wanted to comment that her name directly translated to 'Magic Shop Owner', but kept it to himself. "I'm looking for anything you got about the Legendary Weapons, the Heroes, and specifically the Shield."

"Anything? Nothing specific?" Mahoya's eyes narrowed, her own seeming to scan him as he was her.

"Not unless you got an instruction manual for the Shield." He held out his left palm, showing off the jewel that marked the shield.

[Prosthetic Arm Shield – Deployed Mode]

As if it knew he was talking about it, the shield manifested in a New Form. With the faintest whir of metal on metal, a set of overlapping sword-like blades, just shy of the length of his forearm, popped out the back of his left hand. Their appearance reminding Naofumi of a folding fan. "What the?" He clenched his left fist and shook his arm, trying to dislodge the strange object. The blades unfolded into a perfect circle then, creating the appearance of an umbrella-shield. "Oh, now you decide to come back out?" He glared at the hunk of metal, grip relaxing just slightly. As if understanding the unspoken request, the umbrella folded back into a fan briefly, before withdrawing back into his hand.

[Prosthetic Arm Shield – Withdrawn Mode]

"Not exactly instructions," the shop owner blinked, keeping a professional air despite Naofumi's display. "But I do have a few volumes of notes left behind from past heroes and observers." She gestured for him to follow and lead him over to an old, dusty bookshelf. "Sword, spear, bow, bow...Ah, here we go, Shield." A dusty book was placed in Naofumi's hands. "And this one is just a generic volume about the weapons themselves." She offered him another book. "There's a small table over there, take a moment to see if those suit your needs, Shield hero. I'll see if I have anything else out back."

Naofumi gave a nod and moved to the table and opened the one about the four weapons. For the briefest of moments, the text on the pages looked like indecipherable characters to his eyes. However, his updated database was quick to translate, only the odd word or two remaining in its native tongue.

'All weapons possess a gem that acts as the matrix to activate abilities. This gem is present in every form the weapon may take, but never in a way that would obstruct the functionality of the weapon itself.' Naofumi reread the sentence, before he looked to the orb in his palm. "And I'm guessing there's no way to get rid of you then?"

'Possessors cannot remove the Legendary Weapon from their bodies. If thrown away, it will appear back in their hands.' Even the book seemed to be mocking him. "That persistent, huh?" He wondered briefly if his original idea of cutting off his arm would lead to the severed limb reattaching itself with all the skill of a veteran ripperdoc. Deciding to keep that idea on the shelf, he continued to look through the book, cyberware taking notes for him. A lot of what the book said was generic information, though there were a few specific notes about each weapon. The Shield journal proved to also have a decent amount of knowledge, and spoke of various forms others had unlocked.

"Hey, this isn't a library." Mahoya's voice brought Naofumi out of his reading, and he looked up to see the older woman laughing. "I'm only teasing, it's nice to see the younger generation taking an interest in knowledge of old. My apologies though, I don't have much else on the Legendary Shield."

"It's fine, these two have been quite... informative." He closed the journal and set it aside. "Though now that I've read about the weapons..." Naofumi paused, unable to believe the words he was about to say, "do you have any books on the magic of this world."

The old woman grinned, her eyes bright with excitement. "I do, but they're nothing compared to first-hand experiences. Anyways, magic is..." Naofumi was treated to an informative lecture about magic items, spells, and other information that he would have only thought to be the stuff of children's tales. Mahoya finished going over a basic spellbook with Naofumi, her eyes meeting his. "...You have a unique set of magic about yourself, now that I look."

"Excuse me?" He showed the gem in his palm again, "I mean, you saw that I'm the Shield Hero, but I do-"

"System reset. Ping. Short circuit." She blinked, "these are your spells, yes?"

"My quickhacks? How'd you know?" It was Naofumi's turn to blink, though more in shock that the woman could see that information.

"Is that what your world calls them?" Mahoya grabbed one of the larger volumes and quickly thumbed through them. "Doesn't matter, but these are spells I've never heard of. Nor am I finding them in any of my books." She smiled, "you've got some special magic there. I would love to see them in action sometime and study them..."

"Well then," Naofumi had done enough dealing in Night City to recognize an opportunity, "Got a way I can show you without hurting someone?"

"I have a doll I use for target practice in the back. Give me a moment to set it up."

"Not a problem." Naofumi wondered how he was going to use his quickhacks. In Night City it was a matter of scanning the target, accessing his readied stash of daemons and choosing which one he wanted to use. There was no telling how they'd work if they really had become magic.

Soon enough the enchanted shop keep returned with her target, a man sized man shaped mannequin made of leathers on padding. A dozen or more marking were painted on it. "Here you are, release when ready!" she said with excitement.

The unwilling Shield Hero repeated the process like he would facing a gonk gang member. Scan, select, activate. He scanned the mannequin, chose short circuit, and expected nothing to happen.

Instead, the Friend or Foe software in his skull activated. The doll was now highlighted red in his scans and a progress bar activated. To his utter disbelief, a surge of electricity erupted from the center of the now burning doll. The blast was equal to the overload of electrical power released if it had been a combat mech instead of tanned hide and stuffing.

"No. Fucking. Way."

"I can understand your surprise young man, but that is no reason for bad language." Mahoya hit Naofumi with the disapproving grandma gaze.

"That shouldn't have worked. That doll is just leather and cloth right? No cyberware to overload?" He touched his own augments.

"Correct, the only thing unnatural about it was the magic I imbued into it to make it harder to break."

"How?"

"Magic."

"That is not an answer!"

"Oh fine, spoil my fun. If I had to say, I would guess it was the shield. When it attached to you, it must have altered some of the talents you possessed in your home world. Loosening restrictions, changing requirements, and reassigning costs."

"You have got to be kidding." Naofumi massaged his temple, feeling a minor headache coming.

"Oh no dear, its just how dimensional magics work. When one crosses the threshold between worlds the natural order of each plane of existence forces them to adapt or else. It's why the Waves are such horrors. The things that come out are monsters here, but on their home world they were probably natural. Being forced to pass the gap corrupted them into the disaster causing beasts… or at least that is the theory my colleagues are invested in."

"So why didn't I come out looking like some metal spike covered zombie?"

"The Shield, my dear." She tapped her own hand. "While the Waves and world hopping is a topic of debate, what isn't is the fact that the Legendary Weapons stabilize the Heroes from suffering similar fates. It why when the Heroes unlock their methods of teleportation they never have to worry about losing pieces or merging with a wall. But don't ask me how to do it. I don't know either how to unlock such powers or the methods they stay stable. Though I dearly wish I did. I'd make a fortune off the trade guilds and make those bums wish they hadn't raised my fees last year."

"Huh." Naofumi gave the gem in his hand a curious glance.

"Anything else I can help you with?"

"I don't suppose you would be interested in a trade deal?"

"Perhaps? It all depends on what you have to offer. And don't play coy, I know a clever mind when I see one."

Naofumi grinned, he always appreciated it when he was allowed to cut out the bullshit, "'Kay then. I'll lay my cards on the table. The software in my head lets me memorize everything I see, organizes it perfectly too. Unlike the other Heroes when they were called, I came here ready for a one-man war. But, that didn't include a lot of money or connections. So what I wanna do is make a contract between us. I go out, do this hero business. If I find magic loot I can't use, or stuff you're looking for I bring it to you before anyone else. In turn you use your business to supply me with what I need. Also, some form of tab would be nice but not having one isn't a deal breaker."

"You know, I wasn't planning on charging you for zapping my target doll..." She looked towards the doll, which was still smoldering slightly.

"A fact I am grateful for. Still, what do you think? You have to admit, having one of your nation's Heroes as a supply source is a very tempting offer."

"I think you have a silver tongue to match your teeth."

"I've yet to hear any complaints about my technique." He flashed a smile and winked.

"Ha! And such a flirt too, the silk street ladies will just eat you up." She rolled her eyes with amusement, before pulling out a bundle of blank paper. "Fine, we have a deal. But I insist on two things. First, we keep the terms on paper. Second, you agree to a hefty fine for breaking the terms of the contract or going more than two months without paying me back. It's just bad business otherwise."

"I understand keeping a form of insurance around."

Soon the two of them had worked out a deal both could accept. In exchange for her giving his orders and requests priority, holding some of the better items, and allowing him to keep a tab. Mahoya would receive first pick of magic goods he himself would be unable to keep or use. She would also have the power to hire him as a guard if she needed to travel somewhere to obtain rare merchandise, and observe his powers as they progressed.

"I look forward to doing business with you, Shield hero." She smiled as she signed the contract they had drawn up.

"Likewise," Naofumi added his name, and watched as Mahoya preformed a small spell that duplicated the object. Accepting the copy, he carefully folded it and tucked it into one of the smaller books he had bought. "Oh, before I go though. Can you tell me where the nearest quality inn is? And the location of a blacksmith or two?"

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

After leaving the magic shop, Naofumi had followed the old woman's directions and found one of the town's higher quality inns. It wasn't the best, but he hoped the higher rate per day would keep most of the other heroes and their fellows away. He paid for the room, and after receiving the key, went to check it out. The room had a round rug on the floor, a single bed against one wall, with a small table and chair against another. A single window provided natural light, while some wall-mounted candelabras would illuminate the room in the evening. Satisfied, Naofumi locked the door and followed the other set of directions to a blacksmith Mahoya swore was the best in town.

Unlike some of the other buildings nearby, the blacksmith's shop was crafted mostly of stone. Opening the door, the small chime of a bell alerted whomever worked there that they had a customer. As he stepped inside, his nose was met with the familiar smell of metal, burning wood or coal, and various chemicals used to clean and maintain weapons. The strangest thing to Naofumi however was the fact the shop felt clean. All of the weapon shops in Night City, even those in the richer districts, had an unclean aura around them. This shop had no such feelings, and Naofumi couldn't help but wonder if that was due to the lack of firearms, or the fact this shop was also offering farming and other basic tools.

"Welcome to Erhart's weapon shop. What can I do for you, sir?" An older man stepped from a room near the front of the store and moved behind the counter. Naofumi didn't have to scan the man to know that he was the blacksmith and the titular Erhart, but old habits die hard. The blacksmith looked Naofumi up and down, appraising him. "Ah, you're one of the summoned heroes, aren't you? Well, don't expect any special treatment because of that, hero."

"Heh, what gave it away?" Naofumi found himself liking the man, appreciating the fact that, like the magic shop owner, didn't immediately fuss about him being a hero.

"Your clothes," the old man's eyes narrowed, as Naofumi approached the counter. "I can tell they're not of this world, and seem to have some sort of armor plating sewn into them. May I?" He pointed to Naofumi's coat, "I promise I'll give it back."

"You better...It's the only one I have." Naofumi removed the jacket, realizing then that he lacked any additional clothing. Making a mental note to track down a tailor later, he watched the blacksmith inspect the jacket.

"This is a fine piece of craftsmanship." He laid the jacket down on the counter and gave one of the exposed plates a gentle knock, "whomever forged the metal knew what they were doing. What is this, iron?"

"Titanium-composite Nanotubing with a silver-alloy coating, mostly for cosmetics."

"Titan-what?" The blacksmith blinked, not recognizing the words as he noticed the weapons on Naofumi's back. "And what are those? They're reminding me of those musket things the soldiers of Faubery carry."

"Titanium, it's a type of metal common where I'm from." Naofumi took back his jacket, swapping its position on the counter for the smaller of the two guns on his back. "And this is Buzzsaw, one of my guns...What you called a musket." He clarified, seeing the smith look over the weapon. Naofumi had to appreciate the fact that the man was cautious, and refrained from picking up the gun, choosing to look and just occasionally run his fingers along one part of it or another.

"And you have more than one of these?" Erhart's eyes looked to the one still resting on Naofumi's back. "May I see that one as well?"

Naofumi removed the sniper rifle from his back and set it down, deciding a moment later to add Lizzie to the mix. This simple action brought a smile to the blacksmith's face, and soon he and Naofumi had fallen into an animated discussion about weapons, armor, and crafting. Though he had learned from skimming the books he bought at the magic shop that the shield could assist with crafting, Naofumi had spent enough time maintaining and crafting weapons and the like back in Night City that he viewed the Shield as more of an assistant in that regard. As such, he was trying to work out a deal with Erhart as he had done with Mahoya.

"So you're saying you could possibly craft more of these, and or some of the knives from your world if you have access to my forge and supplies?" Erhart tapped Lizzie, before pointing at his jacket. "Fine, throw in the jacket and I'll lend you my forge and share materials."

"Sorry, this jacket isn't for sale." Naofumi rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. It was the fourth attempt the man made to acquire his jacket, and the first attempt to barter for it instead of buying. "But like I said, you give any of my orders priority, and let me use your forge. In exchange, I'll give you all the materials I can't make use of and will give you any of my failures once I start crafting."

"And what am I to do with a failed blade V?" Erhart questioned.

"Sell it as scrap, reforge it, re-purpose it into something else." Naofumi raised a finger with each option he listed. "Think about it, even if they weren't perfect you'd be the only smithy outside of Faubrey that could say they sell weapons from another world. If that don't light a fire under your buyers I don't know what will."

"A fair point...And how about I give you two hundred silver and you throw the jacket into the deal?"

"For the last time, I'm not selling you this jacket. And I ain't trading it either." He crossed his arms, amused at the highest offer Erhart made so far, "but throw those two hundred silver into the deal, and I'll give you the first one of these that I manage to make." He adjusted the jacket, as if to taunt the man.

"In that case, I'm going back to my second offer of fifty silver. I'll give you twenty-five now as a deposit, and the other twenty-five on delivery." Erhart held out a hand, wordlessly asking if Naofumi agreed to the newest deal.

"Alright, the original terms we agreed upon, plus the fifty for the jacket." Naofumi accepted the hand and the two shook on the deal before pulling out some pilfered papers to start drawing up the contract. Promising to return with a copy for Erhart, Naofumi stored it in one of his purchased books with the others and thanked the man for his business as he suited back up. "Oh, one final question, old man."

"And that is?"

"Know of any good bars in the area?"

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

If there was one thing that was certain to draw thugs and hired hands like ants to sugar it was booze.

In Night City you couldn't enter a bar in any district without at least three pests lounging about acting like they weren't another dead end in the command chain. Tyger Claws, Valentinos, even the Voodoo Boys. All of them followed the same pattern. Some small part of him considered that it was probably that was just a part of humanity, low-lifes of all types loved alcohol. It said something about himself that he too was fairly fond of his tequila and liquor.

Melromarc's capital castle town was no different than Night City in that regard. According to the clock in his software, it was only a few hours past noon but already the scum of society were gathering around their favorite watering holes. The more luxurious bars were avoided outright, what the wandering mercenary was looking for wouldn't be found in the uptight establishments meant for the rich and powerful. His target would be found from the barflies at the rotgut spilling hole in the wall types.

Naofumi was looking for a fixer.

It was a new world, so a new title may apply but the idea was the same. He needed underworld connections, someone willing to tread the border between the legal and illegal. Someone who was willing to spread their fingers in the filth to get what their clients wanted. A middleman to search for things that couldn't be discussed openly.

The process was simple. Find a dive bar. Enter and make friends, usually by buying a round a drinks. Hint that your looking for someone, a person with interests and out of the public eye. Approach or be approached by someone fuck-up ugly, and either make them an offer for info or counter their threats of violence. If someone's jaw gets busted, no sweat. Just back out of the building after giving the bartender a heavy tip for the trouble. Find a new dive, repeat.

It took four trips and for a few people to suffer some broken bones, but a promising lead was revealed. Beloukas, a slave merchant.

It wasn't hard to find the over-sized tent he worked from, concealed as it was between buildings in a red-light district. The sounds of the new world's joy-toys faking it for their buyers in the brothels was faint, the smell of the downtrodden coated the place with an air of misery. The Slums around them were silent. A stranger would think the area abandoned if not for the ever watching eyes peeking out from their owner's hiding spots.

The Outsider approached without fear, ready to draw his precious pistol from her hiding place if there was even a momentary need. His back straight, head straight but eyes constantly scanning, strides sure. All around him, he could see cages and chains, a few unlabeled crates either closed tight or covered to keep their contents hidden. It was then he noticed someone outside the cages, the outfit the man wearing would be considered eccentric by even Night City's standards. The tailcoat and silk top hat, and large dark sunglasses giving him the appearance of a circus' ring master. Fitting garb given his current choice of business establishment.

"I don't usually get unannounced customers, but welcome you none the less." A cane seemed to appear from nothing in the man's hand as he spoke, his posture a mirror of Naofumi's. "Something particular you're in the market for? Information? A companion? A fighter?" The man gestured to various points around the tent as he spoke, seeming more an old-time con-artist as opposed to a legitimate businessman. "Or, maybe a business deal?"

Naofumi scanned the man, but received little information beyond the name of the man. "You're a sharp one, Beloukas." He brought another Corpo power-play in, address your client by name. Play it friendly but firm.

The naming seemed not to bother the man, who let out a small laugh with a humorless grin. "I can say the same of you, Shield hero."

Naofumi had an expression that matched the man, he didn't feel as comfortable with Beloukas as he had the other two shop owners, but the fact the man had a Corpo mindset meant any negotiations might be easier. "Well then, let's agree to disagree and get to the point. Aside from this merchandise," he gestured to the cages near the front, which were all filled with strong-looking beasts or monsters, "what else do you have in stock?"

"Oh, I have quiet the menagerie of goods." He pointed the cane down one of the paths to run between the cages and gestured for Naofumi to move. "Right this way, please."

"You first." Naofumi tossed his head, refusing to have the man behind him. This seemed not to offend Beloukas, who once again laughed and praised Naofumi's wit.

"Oh, I can see we're going to get along quite well." He took a few steps, the signal for Naofumi to start moving. "You name it, I probably have it...and if I don't have it, I can probably work out the means to get it."

"You don't say?" The outsider raised an eyebrow, deciding to play dumb a moment, "Well then, sounds like a partnership could be beneficial for both of us."

"Don't play the fool Shield," Beloukas snorted, "I know you want my connections, and I'm willing to give them to you..." The slaver cut to the quick, "but what can you offer me in return."

"An offer of a lifetime. These waves that I'm supposed to fight against...They contain monsters from other worlds, yes?" Beloukas nodded, even as Naofumi continued. "And it's only the Heroes and their parties who have access to these creatures, yes?"

"And whatever forces are nearest where the wave strikes, but mostly the heroes."

"Well then, how about in exchange for your connections...I use my prowess as a hero to catch some of these beasts and bring them to you…. For a fee of course." He pointed to one of the cages that was currently occupied by a small, rabbit-like creature. "Admit it, it would be much more a draw if you had some otherworldly beast on display than this little piss stain."

"Oh, you do know how to sell a deal, don't you?" The slaver shot him a faux-flirtatious expression. "Come with me to my office," he gestured to a small table and chair just to the side, "we can hammer out the details more."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

From her cage near the back of the tent, Raphtalia could hear the slaver talking and bartering with another customer. She suppressed a sigh, knowing that noise was always punished. Sometimes it was a single slap from a small whip, other times a more severe beating or a loss of access to food and/or water. Not that the latter were offered more than once a day if you were lucky. Hugging her tail, she shifted slightly in her cage, the chain around her ankle scraping against the floor.

"Please, take a look at some of my other goods." The slaver's voice was suddenly louder, and Raphtalia could see him escorting another potential buyer. While Raphtalia had seen many customers before, she had never seen one like this man. He had scars and markings on his face, and she could see the metal embedded there as well. His clothing was also strange and unlike anything she had seen before. And what of his hands? His glowing eyes? And what of that expression on his face? Most who came to the slaver would have an indifferent or superior expression as they appraised the slaves. But this one? Raphtalia couldn't tell what he was thinking, but thought she saw him shake his head in disapproval once or twice.

The stranger passed close then, his jacket gently brushing against her cage, causing her to gasp. The sudden intake of air sending her into a coughing fit.

"Hey." The stranger took a few steps back, feet stopping even with her cage. "What's wrong with this one?"

"Ah, the Raccoon species. Not as desirable as the Fox species, and this one is chronically ill and has severe night terrors." Raphtalia's ears fell, and she hugged her tail tighter as the slaver explained her case to yet another prospective buyer.

"Do you give her anything for that?" The stranger asked, but continued speaking before he got an answer. "Never mind, how much for this one?"

Raphtalia's ears perked up at both questions. The first because no one had ever asked about the care of the slaves, and the second because it had come up several times before.

"Normally, she'd be thirty silver but for you my friend? Consider her a gift. A bit of good will for our future business together." The slaver smiled and called for one of his assistants even as he shook hands with the stranger, sealing the deal. The raccoon girl blinked as her newest 'owner' knelt down and studied her. She backed up slightly, scared now of the scarred face so close to her. The glowing eyes now reminiscent of the monsters from the wave that destroyed her village. No longer afraid of punishment from the slaver, the traumatized child let out a small whimper and retreated to the furthest corner of the cage. The additional words of the two men lost on her.

"Will I end up like him? Scarred and marked?" She kept the thought to herself, eyes wet with tears as the slaver's keys rattled as he opened the door. She did her best then to curl into a tight ball, trying to become as small as possible even as her leg shackles were released. She expected to feel the touch of the slaver's hand, hear the click and feel the coldness of the collar around her neck then. Instead, she found the door still open, the odd black and tan hand of her owner stretched out and opened to her in such a way it showed off all the metal embedded in its surface.

"Come on now, I won't hurt you." His voice was gentle, but there was an odd rasp to it that further scared her and prevented her from moving. "Let's get you out of that cage." The hand didn't move, instead it remained open and offered. By now, someone would have just dragged her out, but the stranger was waiting patiently. It was this action that made Raphtalia relax for a brief moment, her own hand reaching forward the slightest bit. "That's right, take your time."

Her owner's voice didn't change tone, the glowing eyes seeming almost soft as he waited. The slaver didn't seem as patient however, and gave the side of the cage a light kick, the noise sending her scurrying towards the open door and out. She felt the odd hand grab her then, the warmth from it an alien sensation as it guided her to just behind one of his legs.

"What was that for?" Her new owner glared, hand now resting gently on her shoulder.

"Motivation." The slaver smiled, "now that she's out, I can apply the slave crest an-"

"No."

Raphtalia's ears perked up for just a moment. The previous three to have taken her all readily agreed, and the slaver went through the ceremony. It was a painful experience, cold and uncomfortable. But the effects of the crest were just so much worse in comparison...

"Why not? I'm throwing in the ceremony for free." The slaver seemed mock-offended.

"Because I don't want any trail leading back to my dealings here. If anyone asks, she's a slave I freed." The new master gave a wicked smile to the former master, "Feel free to curse my name and insult me as you'd like. All the better to sell the story."

The slaver had a wily grin on his face. "Heh, as expected of a business man such as yourself." He turned his gaze down to Raphtalia. "Of course, no guarantees she'll listen without it."

"When have you heard of any kid always obeying the person taking care of them?"

"Ah true. So she's to be your child of sorts?"

"What can I say? I have a soft spot for kids with sob stories." He gave a nod to the slaver, "we should get going."

"Do come back if you have any problems." The slaver laughed, even as Raphtalia watched her new owner roll his eyes. She could hear the man laughing a little as her new owner gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and escorted her out of the darkness of the slave tent into the light.

"Bright..." Raphtalia whispered, her free hand coming up to shade her eyes. Looking to her owner, she saw the faintest smile of amusement on his face as he studied her actions.

"I suppose it is, kinda dark in that tent..." He released her shoulder and knelt down to her level. "Say kid, what's your name?"

"Raph-" A small coughing fit caught her then, "Raphtalia." She croaked out after a moment.

"Raphtalia? That's an interesting name." Her owner smiled, "My name is...Naofumi."

"Na-fumi?" She got her cough under control long enough to speak her owner's name.

"That's right. I'll be taking care of you from now on, but you've got to listen to me. 'Kay?" Naofumi offered his hand, which Raphtalia accepted with a nod. "Good, now let's see if we can't find a pharmacy or a medicine shop to get something for that cough."

Once more, Raphtalia couldn't keep her ears down as Naofumi began to lead her through the market. The sights, sounds, and smells overwhelming her senses as she followed Naofumi without a sound. She felt an odd level of relief as the two of them entered a quiet shop, the sign outside identifying it as an apothecary. The raccoon girl's nose wrinkled slightly as the smell of medicinal herbs and other remedies reached it.

"Can I help you?" The old woman behind the counter addressed them, voice soft.

"Yeah." Naofumi gently nudged Raphtalia forward, "I need the strongest medicine you have that will treat a chronic cough in a child."

The woman stepped from behind the counter and studied Raphtalia a moment. "Open your mouth a moment, please?"

She looked to Naofumi, who gave a little nod of his head before squeezing her hand in a gesture of comfort. "Ah." Raphtalia complied after a moment, the woman nodding after peering down her mouth.

"I've just the thing." The old woman returned behind the counter, and Raphtalia watched in amazement as the woman began to mix various powders together in a beaker of unknown liquid. She rapidly stirred the mixture until it had turned a murky brown and moved sluggishly like muddy water. Pouring it into a small bottle, she added a stopper and small spoon, both of which went into a small paper bag. "Give her one spoonful, three times a day. Should clear that cough up in a couple of days, but make sure you finish the whole bottle." The old woman picked up a smaller bag then, and filled it with a couple handfuls of small, round tablets from a jar behind her. "I'm going to warn you though, this medicine may be a touch bitter, but eating one of these afterwards should help with the taste. They're also nice to suck on if your throat is feeling scratchy." The smaller bag went in with the medicine and was handed to Naofumi.

"Thank you, and how much do I owe for this?" Naofumi reached into his pocket and took out a small bag, the clinking telling Raphtalia it was full of coins.

"Three silver for the medicine, and a copper for the mints." The old woman handed over the bag as Naofumi handed over the coins. "Thank you for your patronage."

Raphtalia heard Naofumi thank the old woman, and gave a tiny nod of thanks of her own. She was still too nervous to speak, and unsure of how to feel about Naofumi spending money on medicine for her. Once outside the shop, Naofumi gently lead her off to the side of the road and poured out a measure of the medicine.

"Well, it smells strong." He held the spoon before Raphtalia's mouth. "Down the hatch."

The smell met Raphtalia's nose, and she couldn't help but wonder if whatever punishment Naofumi might have for her would be better than the potential taste of the medicine. Not wanting to find out, she opened her mouth and swallowed the contents of the spoon. It tasted strongly of anise, and had a texture akin to syrup.

"Blech." Raphtalia stuck her tongue out and shook her head, a shudder escaping her.

"That bad, huh?" Naofumi offered her one of the mints, which she accepted gratefully. The coolness of the candy a nice counter to the bitterness of the medicine.

"Thank you..." Raphtalia whispered as Naofumi stored the mints and medicine away in his pocket. She didn't know if Naofumi heard her, but guessed that he did by the smile on his face as he once again offered her his hand. This time, she accepted it with much less hesitation, though she still followed in silence. The silence remained between the two as they passed the various shops and stalls. As much as the market intrigued her, she was more intrigued by Naofumi and the way he kept stopping to study everything. She was tempted to ask him about it, but was still afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"Hey, a toy stall." There was a level of childishness in Naofumi's voice as he pointed out the shop in question. A street vendor had a small cart filled with hand puppets, small wooden figurines, and balls crafted from the skins of the balloon monsters known to roam the lands outside the town's walls. Raphtalia couldn't hide her smile as a bright orange ball caught her attention. "You like that one?"

Raphtalia stopped short, she had unconsciously released her master's hand in favor of reaching for the ball. A small noise of concern escaping her as Naofumi picked up the ball, his left reaching for the coins in his pocket. Mystified, Raphtalia watched as Naofumi handed over a couple coins, before tossing the ball to her.

"Nice catch. Want to go play in the park over there?" Naofumi pointed to a clearing near the stall, where several other children were playing with various toys. A few stray tears leaked from Raphtalia's eyes as she nodded, the repressed desires of a child coming through with a small laugh as she nodded vigorously, hugging the ball close to her. "Then let's go." Naofumi let out a small laugh of his own as he moved towards the park, Raphtalia close behind.

The two of them had spent the better part of the afternoon playing simple games, and were now resting on the grass as the sun started its descent. Naofumi was gazing into the distance, while Raphtalia was hugging the ball close. Ever since the incident, Raphtalia couldn't remember the last time she had laughed, let alone had some fun. She was still wary of her new master, but the fact the man had seem to enjoy the games as much as she had served as a comfort. She looked to Naofumi, wondering where they would go from the park, but afraid to ask. Her stomach however, had a different idea and voiced its thoughts with a loud rumble.

"Ah..." She blushed, wrapping her tail around her in embarrassment. Naofumi didn't seem to mind, and rubbed his own stomach.

"You're right. I think it is about time for dinner. You probably haven't eaten much today either, have you?"

Raphtalia was torn between telling the truth and saying yes, or lying and saying she had already eaten. Even after spending the afternoon playing with the man, she didn't know what words might earn the man's ire, and was very hesitant to find out. Fortunately or unfortunately, her body betrayed her and her stomach let out a loud rumble of agreement as Naofumi rose to his feet, one hand reaching out to help her up as continued to hug the ball.

"I'll take that as a yes." He began to lead her back towards the shops. "There should be a few places to eat nearby. Let's see if we can find one."

Raphtalia gave the tiniest nod as she followed Naofumi, the man's steps sure as he lead her along some of the streets. She wondered briefly if his glowing eyes could see a path she couldn't, but just as quickly discarded the thought.

"Ah, this place looks nice." He stopped before one of the buildings, the smell of freshly roasted meats coming from inside. Pushing open the door, he gestured for Raphtalia to enter, before following behind.

"Wel~come..." The warm greeting of one of the hosts faded off as she looked at the pair before ushering them to a table. "Someone will be with you shortly."

Raphtalia nodded as Naofumi offered his thanks. Noticing how Naofumi was studying everything around, Raphtalia decided to copy him. She was instantly distracted however by the sight of a child enjoying the meal before him. It appeared to be some rice heaped into a mountain with a little flag stuck in the top. Various small cuts of breaded meat and vegetables surrounding the base. She was only broken out of her musings by hearing Naofumi talking to the server who had come to the table unseen by her.

"Your best cut of beef cooked on the outside but red in the center for me, with some wine. And whatever that child is eating for the little lady here and a glass of..." He paused, "whatever your sweetest juice is."

Raphtalia made a small noise of surprise as she watched Naofumi hand over payment for their meals. Only after the server took his leave did Raphtalia finally decide to address Naofumi beyond simple noises. "Why?"

"You're hungry, and it looked like you wanted that." He answered, smile back on his face. "Or did you want to order something else?"

The raccoon-girl shook her head in such a violent fashion that the wind it generated caused the fur on her tail to flutter slightly. "No, but...Why?" Raphtalia couldn't seem to fathom why, to her eyes, Naofumi was being so kind to her. She wanted to believe that he was genuinely a nice person, but she had seen so many bad people in such a short amount of time that it was hard for her to be sure.

"Again, it seemed that you wanted that." He tossed his head towards the child, before looking back at Raphtalia. "You're nothing but bones. And, it won't be doing anyone any favors if you die from starving."

Raphtalia's eyes went wide at the mention of dying, but she remained silent and gave a tiny nod of her head. The non-verbal reply seeming enough for Naofumi, who took to observing the area around him. She watched him sigh, or shrug as he looked from person to person, seeming oblivious to the mutterings going on around them. Feeling the courage to speak again, Raphtalia was about to ask a question, but the arrival of the server brought her up short.

"One steak special, and one kid's lunch." The server set a large cut of beef with some carrots and potatoes on the side before Naofumi, and the mountain of rice and other items before Raphtalia. She looked back to Naofumi, seeing him try a bite of carrot, before sampling the steak. The little raccoon could only watch in amazement as Naofumi began to eat his steak with earnest. Looking back to her own meal, she felt her mouth water at the sight and smell. The expression on her face communicating her thoughts clearly.

"You're not eating?"

"Is...Is it really okay for me, to eat this?" Her ears were sagging slightly, mind wondering if Naofumi's true colors would be shown in a grand gesture of pulling the plate away from her and denying her its contents.

"Yes. Again, you need to eat and put some weight back on." He reached across the table and gently poked her in the ribs, as if to emphasize his point.

"Oh, kay." Raphtalia responded after a moment, one hand tentatively reaching out to grab a fistful of rice. With all the grace of a baby discovering solid food for the first time, she shoveled the bite into her mouth. "Tasty." Seeing Naofumi make no move to stop her, she tried a small bite of carrot, before enthusiastically digging into the dish with her bare hands

"Slow down a little." Naofumi chuckled, before realizing her had done much the same with his own meal. Raphtalia nodded, taking a moment to stop and wave the flag from the rice before safely storing it on her lap with the ball. She had just taken a bite of what turned out to be fried shrimp when a new voice caught her attention.

"Oh what is this?" Though Raphtalia did not stop eating, she noticed Naofumi had stopped in favor of looking at the two adventurers who had stopped by their table. She gave them a quick glance, seeing the dark haired one carrying a sword, while the lighter haired man had a bow, before returning to eating her meal.

"Hello Ren, hello Itsuki." Naofumi greeted the sword holder, then the bow wielder, seeming annoyed at being interrupted. "Something you need?"

"Just stopping by to say hi, and ask how the food is." The dark haired one gestured to their half-empty plates, and to the happily eating Raphtalia. "I'm guessing it's good?"

"Very." Naofumi let out a sigh as Raphtalia shoved another handful of rice into her mouth. "Raphtalia, please use a fork."

"...Okay." Slightly dejected that she would now have to take smaller bites, Raphtalia picked up her fork and proceeded to spear a couple of the smaller vegetables on her plate.

"Say, who is this child?" The one Naofumi called Itsuki was looking at her, brow wrinkled in confusion.

"A slave I freed." Naofumi seemed to see something in Itsuki's face that Raphtalia couldn't, "and no. I won't tell you where I got her."

"And you're going to keep her with you?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, I'm her guardian now." Naofumi seemed offended by Ren's lack of understanding. "Why? What would you do? Leave her on the streets to be picked back up as a slave or worse? Pawn her off at an orphanage where she'd probably stay until 'adopted' by some freak or sent back to the streets when she's old enough to fend for herself?"

Raphtalia nearly choked on her drink, eyes wide at Naofumi's words. The other two seemed affected by his reply as well, and both excused themselves to take a seat at the bar. Naofumi seemed to understand Raphtalia's current emotions and reached across the table to give her a pat on the shoulder.

"I meant what I said, that I will take care of you." He smiled, eyes looking down to her plate, which was now three-quarters of the way gone. "Would you like another kid's lunch? Or maybe something else?"

"No...This is fine." Raphtalia smiled, before taking another bite of her meal. "Thank you."

"Alright then." Naofumi took a few bites of his own meal, before he continued speaking. "After dinner, I'll give you the next dose of medicine. Then I figure we'll head back to the inn I'm staying at and get some rest."

Raphtalia frowned at the thought of having to take the medicine again, but still nodded in agreement. Even if she had to sleep on the floor, the thought of sleeping somewhere with actual walls around her was a huge boost to her morale. A stray tear of joy sneaked down her face as she sent a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god had finally decided to take pity on the little raccoon girl.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

It had taken some careful investigating, but Malty had finally found out the name of the inn the Shield Hero was staying at. It had taken even more of her talents and a couple coins to convince the Innkeeper to give up his room number. Getting into the room had been the hardest challenge, but the delinquent princess knew more than one spell to pick a basic lock. But now here she was, laying on his bed, naked save for her undergarments, waiting for him to come back. At first, Malty had been annoyed to find the room empty, no sign of her target having even checked the place out. She soon realized this was a blessing in disguise. If guests of the inn knew he was out for the day, they wouldn't come knocking on his door, wanting to see the legendary Shield Hero.

"Is he honestly not coming back?" She looked out the window, seeing the last rays of light dipping below the horizon. Her question was answered a moment later however, and she heard footsteps in the hall that were getting slightly louder. She heard the faint scuff of shoes on wood, and the rattle of a single key in its lock. Raising herself up on one arm, and throwing on the most seductive look she could muster, she waited with baited breath as she heard the door creak open. She expected to see a worn out shield hero, one who smile and not protest at her offers of comfort. Instead, she was greeted to the sight of a caring guardian carrying a dozing child, the content look on his face now replaced with one of confused exasperation.

"Princess? What are you doing here?" He blinked, no doubt silently cursing the cheap security of this inn.

"Naofumi, whose that?" The voice came from the child in his arms, her eyes opening enough to barely take in the scene.

"A friend, go back to sleep." He gently slid one hand over the girl's eyes, partially to lull her back to sleep, and partially to shield her from the sight before them. "And I gotta say Malty, this is the best surprise I got all day."

"You're not the only one who is surprised. You found a child?" The princess noticed the animal ears popping out from brown locks of hair, "and a demi-human too?"

"Yeah, she was a slave." He gave a shrug as he continued to rock the girl back and forth, "I may have a soft spot for kids." he explained.

"That is a surprise," she said mildly, "didn't think someone like you had it in them."

"Yeah, listen… I'm gonna step outta the room. Let you dress up. Then I can put the kid to bed, and we can talk." He stepped out of the room respectfully, making sure to not let the door make a noise as it closed.

Malty's thoughts were racing, the presence of a child, even a demi-human child, was obviously a big play of some sort. She was certain that his offer to 'talk' was him saying that he would fill her in… even though she would prefer he filled her up instead. It was with unusual haste that she slipped her clothes and leathers on, and opening the door in under a minute.

The princess watched V tenderly lay the former slave on his bed, and tucked her in before turning back to her. He gestured to the door and pressed an extended finger to his lips in the universal gesture for quiet.

The Inn's hall had the sound of chatter, people passing by in the streets outside and the sounds of a few rowdy drinkers in the next door taverns that were singing a sloshed shanty. None of this distracted Malty from the Shield Hero or the softly glowing gaze from his exposed eye.

"I expected to hear that you were with Motoyasu. Wasn't expecting to find you in my bed." he commented.

"Oh. Did I offend you?" She doubted that she had, but years of etiquette training demanded she ask.

"Nope. Excited me to be honest." He flashed those silver teeth of his. "Just that the timing could not be worse."

"I see…" She looked to the sleeping child, then back to the shield. "So you chose her to be in your party?"

"Nope. That's her choice. I just couldn't stand the sight of a kid in a cage dying from a cough… It brought back some… bad memories of home."

Malty nodded her understanding. "So is the slaver dead?"

"Nope, but he and I have come to an understanding." He polished his knuckles against his chest. "He'll live as long as he doesn't piss me off."

"So..." She tapped a foot on the ground, "there is still room in your party then?"

"For you? Always." The gaze of his eyes cut right through her, and she felt herself turning weak.

"No! Not now, keep the game going!" Her mind screamed. "That's sweet, but I came hoping for something satisfying." She turned to walk away in a huff.

She felt the press of his fingers on her neck as he pulled her back, his other arm wrapped around her stomach and held her close. The fires that had burned all day became a wildfire inferno, made worse by his teeth nibbling at her neck just below her ear. "Hasn't anyone shown you it's so much better when you have to wait for it, work for it?" The husky tone made her ache, "It might not be a great time now. Your father's watching, Motoyasu is trying to impress you, and no doubt others would make a day of whatever comes between us. Trust me, when we have the time I am gonna give you all you can handle and more."

Whatever brains Malty may have been known for could have dribbled out her ears, her mind reduced to lust filled mush. Whatever resistance she might have had had also melted away, and she didn't fight at all when V gave her a gentle nudge towards the door. "Now be on your way, and be quiet. The child is trying to sleep."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Motoyasu was scared, more accurately he was terrified. He was exhausted, his muscles weak from what felt like hours of effort and strain. His guts were furious as they fought the poison in his system, his stomach felt like it was holding in a tidal wave of acid. Neither of these things stopped him from running the unfamiliar streets.

He could hear his pursuers getting closer behind him. Each gasp of air was a labor of its own, every breath a wheezing gulp that led them to him. It was only his animal-like panic that let him outpace them but that could only support him for so long before his body just gave up. He needed to get away, hide and recover, before those chasing him could take all he had on him.

"This isn't right!" he moaned, "I'm supposed to be the hero! They can't do this!"

"Get back here you yaldson!" the bouncer from the whorehouse bellowed, "You owe us Six hundred silver you cox-comb brat!"

The Spear Hero almost collapsed with a whimper, barely able to keep his wits about him as he stumbled drunkenly as fast as his legs would allow.

Chapter Text

The Night City Edgerunner was certain he was 'courting' trouble.

And developing a terrible sense of humor in the process.

Naofumi mentally counted to sixty the moment there was a door separating the princess from his sight. "Too close..." he muttered aloud, "Way to fucking close." he thought, "If she's anything like the corpo-gals I've danced with before, this give or take teasing is gonna piss her off if she's not satisfied. No matter how well I string her along, she's gonna be the death of me if I don't deliver." Naofumi had never been so thankful that certain stereotypes existed for a reason. Specifically that sheltered, spoiled, rich girls always lusted for the dangerous bad boys. In a thousand and one other scenarios, the mercenary would be happy to pound her so hard a Militech artillery regiment would get jealous. However, limited on ammo and with a royal army ready to cut off his cock at a dad-king's command, any games of hiding the syn-beef tube steak would have to wait.

That and Naofumi's current dry-spell wasn't far enough along to think about sticking his dick in a royal bitch with big enough warning signs to put the Night City skyline to shame.

As Raphtalia was settled in bed, and with a glance out the windows to give confirmation that Malty had gone on her way, Naofumi decided it was time to sit down and review the information his database had collected for him throughout the day. He sat down and looked at the categories presented to it. Deciding to start with something familiar, he turned his attention to the section labeled 'Inventory'. Expecting to see the same bare-bones summarized list he read when he first arrived, he let out a soft gasp of surprise at what met his artificial eyes.

A wall sized screen of transparent boxes, each filled with the icon of a familiar item. The entire horde of weapons he had smuggled across Night City for his raid on Arasaka HQ… and some extras that he wasn't entirely sure of where they came from.

"Masaka..." He thought with a hefty dose of disbelief, "so that's where all my stuff went." Displays opened and closed before his eyes as he browsed the various items he had stored away, but didn't have actively equipped on him. All of them were helpfully broken down into categories. Though it took him a few moments, he eventually figured out how to withdraw La Chingona Dorada from under the 'Weapons/Ammo' category. This was soon joined by three of twelve poisoned knives, his modified machete, The Tyger Claw's Tsumetogi, five of thirty frag grenades, a few boxes of ammo for his various weapons, and lastly Johnny's custom Malorian Arms 3156. As with the rest of his gear, none of these items showed any signs of having been affected during the 'transfer'. "Just as well, pretty sure Johnny or Jackie would have killed me if either of you two were damaged." He mentally addressed the Malorian and Dorada respectively, running his fingers along their metal and mentally noting how many spare shots he had for each weapon. "A hundred shots of .50 cal armor piercing titanium sniper rounds, another hundred triple zero shotgun shells, five-hundred or so .45 cal chem-lead pistol rounds, seven-hundred 7.62 tungsten-core rifle rounds...Got to be very sparing on using these until I can find a source of materials to craft more ammo."

Naofumi returned all the weapons to the shield storage, and looked through the rest of the items he had access to. Under 'Armor/Clothing', he had a pair of titanium solo techgogs with tactical software, a complete corporate suit with all the trimmings, a pair of stylish steel-toed shoes, a Wraiths gas mask – which was little more than a regular gas mask with goggles, but they insisted on calling it such. And finally, he had Yorinobu Arasaka's pants. While any Corpo-hater would have displayed the pants proudly as a trophy, Naofumi had put them to more practical use as a cleaning rag. A sense of relief flowed through him as he came across 'Software/Mods' and saw his spare quick hacks, that relief growing further when he was able to switch out System Reset for Suicide. Finding a few modifications for his knuckles under the same category, he changed them from Chemical to Electrical, then back.

The final category of 'Consumables' had him both shaking his head in a combination of amusement and disappointment. While he was thankful to see twenty units of both Bounce Back MK3 and Maxdoc MK3, he knew he'd have to reserve using those for the most absolute of life or death situations. He realized that everything under that category was limited, and some of it probably best saved for special occasions. The rest was… well..."One thousand, seven-hundred, and seventy units of assorted flavors of Nicola and Spunky Monkey soda. Seventy-three packages of Slaughterhouse jerky...wait, why are twenty-four of these the veggie crap? Thirty-nine cans of assorted teas, over a thousand Burrito XXL's of assorted flavors..." Naofumi let out a sigh, unsure of how to feel about one of the last things his inventory was showing him to have an excess of. "Holobites Peach Pie...I can't even begin to cope with how many of these I have." He thought with some bitter recollection, knowing full well that he was single-handedly responsible for clearing out every Holobites vending machine in Watson in one night in a drunken stupor. "Eh, least I won't starve for awhile even if everything goes tits up here."

He picked up the items he had bought earlier and stored them in the shield, eyes now shifting to the 'Crafting' section. Nothing had changed about the software, still little more than pages displaying how to put things together, though he noticed a lot of his recipe checklists were stating they were missing components. There were little labels on the screen saying 'craft', or 'upgrade' in pointless letterhead, something he decided to examine more later browsing and prodding the interface, Naofumi debated trying his hand at crafting one of the smaller items he had everything for, but decided against wasting the precious few materials he still had from Night City on him in what might be a useless gamble. Shifting his focus to the 'Database' he opted to spend the rest of the night reading notes about the world, the weapons, and other information he had gathered.

"Magic types, Spells, weapons, locals..." He looked at various topics and skimmed everything that caught his eyes, looking for things that might become useful later on.

"How to Cook beef." Occasionally he would lose focus and change to another topic.

"Legends of the prior heroes..." With will renewed, he'd return to the studying at hand.

"Proper preparation for pork roast." Only to return to more pleasant forms of research.

"Prior 'Waves of Destruction'… Seriously needs a less obvious name…" Then once more try to dive into knowledge of his new world.

"How to make fluffy puff pastry." Only to get distracted again.

"Some other countries? This is Melromarc, then there Faubrey, etc, etc… boring..." Sad to say it didn't take long for Naofumi to lose interest.

"The best types of bacon." The defensive hero would later deny dedicating an hour or so to memorizing the basics of bacon dishes.

Thankfully some of the browsed information caught his eye and kept it focused, "Legendary weapons can copy other weapons of a similar type… huh. Neat." He made note to return to the Weapon Shop and try this ability on the various shields he had seen on the shelves. By the time the sun's light was beginning to shine into the room, Naofumi felt he was as well informed on the Shield and the world he found himself in as he could be without getting some first-hand experience. Momentary lapses into culinary pursuits notwithstanding.

A small squeak caught his attention then, and he looked to see Raphtalia letting out a tiny yawn as she shifted under the covers. Beloukas had claimed she suffered from night terrors, but either he was lying, or the combination of a good meal, quality medicine, and a toy were enough to give her some joy in her sleep. Sure, she had whimpered and started shaking a few times, but it was nothing a little shushing and a stroke of the head couldn't fix. A moment later however, she let out a gasp and sat up, seeming momentarily confused about her situation. Naofumi didn't need his optics to tell him that Raphtalia was questioning if she was still dreaming or in in reality.

"Morning kid," Naofumi smiled, "sleep well?"

"Y-yes." She answered, hands rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she tossed the covers aside and swung her legs over the bed.

"Glad to hear that." He got up from his chair and moved to the bedside. "I figure we'll have some breakfast, then find someone who can get us some new clothes."

"New clothes?" Raphtalia looked at her own clothing, and Naofumi could tell she was trying to hide her excitement at the thought. She was about to speak, but her stomach once again beat her to the punch.

"Yup," He replied, popping the P childishly, "but first...Your medicine." Naofumi grabbed the bottle and poured out a dose, which Raphtalia took with a frown. "And now, we'll get some breakfast." He scratched his own stomach as Raphtalia nodded, hands raking through her hair in a futile attempt to fix it. He made a mental note to purchase a brush or comb for her, as well as to find this world's equivalent of a hairdresser. Offering her a hand, the pair made their way downstairs and found an empty table in the common area near the kitchen. Naofumi ordered two of their best meals, which turned out to be a thick cut ham steak, fried eggs, a couple of biscuits and some butter and fruit jelly. He and Raphtalia ate in silence, both content to enjoy the quality meal. Finished with breakfast, he had asked the serving maid where they could find a tailor. She gave them directions to one she occasionally visited, and the pair set out.

It was a bit of a walk, but eventually they arrived at the Tailor's shop. Raphtalia's eyes were bright as she looked at the outfits on display in the window, yet there was an odd reservation on her face as Naofumi lead her inside. Naofumi meanwhile was going through his usual routine of scanning everything and comparing it to Night City. There, you would only ever see the finished goods. Out here however, he could see the raw cloth, the various needles and threads, all sitting alongside completed outfits.

"May I help yo-" A plain-looking young woman with glasses and blonde hair had started to address the pair, but stopped short upon seeing Naofumi. "Judging by your clothing...You're one of the Four Heroes, yes?"

"Uh yeah, but..."

"Wait, you're one...One of the Legendary Heroes?" Raphtalia's eyes and ears were bright, and they only grew as he showed her the orb in his palm.

"Oh, I didn't tell you, did I?" Naofumi gave her a reluctant smile, "but yes, I am one of the four heroes." He popped the Shield into the weird blade umbrella, before pulling it back into whatever hammerspace'd location it was dwelling in.

"You're the Shield?" She reached out, seeming almost to revere the orb and the man attached to it. Before she could touch it however, the tailor spoke up again, seeming to bring the child back to the current reality.

"I was hoping one of you would come here! Otherworld fashion is a huge hit with the nobility." She stepped closer, a measuring tape already in her hand, "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Yosaiya, and this is my humble shop."

Naofumi suppressed the sassy comment he felt building. "Name's V, and this is my companion, Raphtalia." The little girl gave a wave, though her attention was still focused on Naofumi and the revelation of his identity. "And I was hoping to enlist your help in making some new clothing for both myself and the little lady here. Raphtalia, is there anything in particular you would like?"

Raphtalia let out a surprised gasp, still not sure how to feel about someone, let alone now that a Legendary Hero being genuinely nice to her. "May...May I have a new dress, please?"

"Not a problem." He looked back to Yosaiya, who in addition to the measuring tape, now had a piece of parchment and a pen in her hand, ready to take the order and note measurements. "So I'm going to need a whole wardrobe for the lady, some dresses, and maybe some shirts and pants that won't impede one's movements if out hunting. And a similar order for myself...Minus the dresses."

The joke brought a polite laugh from the tailor, and a small smile from Raphtalia, but Yosaiya was quick to stop laughing as she realized his order. "Wait, did you say you were looking for a wardrobe's worth of clothing? Two whole wardrobes worth? No kidding?"

"Is that too much? I can always take some now and the rest-" The tailor raised a hand, stopping him.

"Challenge accepted." She unfurled the measuring tape and held it like a garrote wire, "Let's start with your measurements. Remove your coat please, and those weapons on your back. For you little lady, I have some premade dresses about your size on the back table there. Feel free to look through them as I work with Lord V here. Lord V, please stand with your feet together, and arms out to the side."

"Go ahead and browse. And if you find something you like, please bring it to me." Naofumi noticed Raphtalia's hesitance to move away, but she complied once he had given permission and moved to the table. Looking back to Yosaiya, Naofumi complied with her request, having worked with a couple fashion designers in Night City enough to know the drill. "So how much is this going to cost?" He asked as Yosaiya wrapped the tape around his waist.

"That all depends on materials wanted, labor, and so on." She noted down the measurement, before moving to his arms. "For example, it's going to cost more for a pair of linen pants than woolen ones. Though I'm guessing you're probably looking for durability more than style."

"Correct," Naofumi spread his legs apart slightly, letting her get his inside seam measurement.

"Leather then for a coat, perhaps fur-lined for colder weather." She made a few more notes of measurements, mumbling various ideas to herself as she also made notes about his current attire. "Alright, if you're not looking for something custom fit at the moment. That shelf over there has some shirts about your size, I can always take in a seam or shorten the length if needed." She looked to Raphtalia, who had wandered back over with a cheap-looking white dress with little orange flowers embroidered at the bottom. "And now for you..." She set Raphtalia's chosen dress aside and went through the same process.

Naofumi meanwhile busied himself with looking at the clothing Yosaiya had pointed out. He picked up one of the linen shirts and gave it a gentle tug where the sleeve met the body, pleased with the quality. A couple pairs of pants received the same treatment. "Do you have a fitting room where I can try these on?"

"Just behind that curtain, let me know if anything needs to be adjusted." Yosaiya pointed to a small alcove that was covered by a hanging curtain, her attention now on Raphtalia's chosen dress. "Just need to make a hole for your tail, or do you not mind it tucked in?"

Raphtalia didn't respond, though the tailor didn't seem offended and went off on a small tangent about letting her try both ways. Naofumi left the girls to their musing and tried on some of the premade clothes. The pants were a little tight, and two of the shirts were a bit long in the sleeves, but as a stop gap until he got a more custom wardrobe, they'd work.

"Well?" Yosaiya asked, hands already at work on altering the white dress while Raphtalia seemed frozen to where Naofumi had left her, "did you find something?"

"A couple things, they just need some minor alterations." He set the clothes down in a neat pile at her side, explaining the issues. Yosaiya didn't look up from her work, but nodded, telling him to look around some more. The better part of the morning was then spent with him picking out clothing for both himself, and Raphtalia, who still seemed hesitant about choosing anything for herself. Yosaiya meanwhile worked on making some of the requested smaller alterations.

"Why don't you try this one on?" Naofumi offered a small tan and brown dress to Raphtalia. As always, she seemed surprised, but complied.

"You've got an eye for fashion." Yosaiya commented when Raphtalia emerged, the dress a perfect fit. "If being a hero doesn't work out, how about working with me?"

"Maybe when I have some down time," he looked to Raphtalia, who was gently stroking the soft cloth of the dress. "Do you want to keep that one on? Or do you want to wear something else?"

"This one." Raphtalia answered as she handed Naofumi her old cloth dress.

"That's fine, I'll add it to your tab." Yosaiya smiled, one hand tapping the counter as she added that dress to Naofumi's total. "Are you going to need bags for these or..." The tailor's voice faded as she noticed Naofumi was taking the 'paid' items and feeding them to the shield by holding them against the ball in his palm.

"Legendary weapons have an storage system." He explained, noticing Raphtalia had joined the tailor in watching his actions. He fed Raphtalia's old dress to the shield, before withdrawing it. "See?"

Raphtalia nodded, while Yosaiya mumbled something about that system being a great way to cut down on paying for storage space. Naofumi was about to ask another question, but the door to the shop opened, revealing two of the castle's guards. Yosaiya gave a nod to the men, while Raphtalia hid herself behind Naofumi.

"Lord V, forgive the interruption." One of the guards began, an apologetic look on his face, "but the King has requested the presence of all four heroes."

"Did he give a reason?"

"Lord Motoyasu is claiming to have been assaulted and robbed," the other guard answered. "The King wants to make sure that the other heroes are fine, and possibly enlist your help in finding the thief."

Naofumi let out a small snort, but gave a nod. "Alright, just give me a moment to finish up here." He looked to the tailor, who gave her own nod.

"Go ahead, I'll finish up the alterations while you're gone and have them ready for when you come back." Her eyes looked to Raphtalia, who was still hiding behind Naofumi's legs. "Would you like me to keep an eye on your companion while you're taking care of business?"

Naofumi felt Raphtalia grab onto his arm and hold it with all the strength she had.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think she wants to stay with me." He narrowed his eyes at the guards, "that won't be a problem, will it?"

"N-No sir. We've been instructed to gather both Heroes and any companions they are traveling with." The first guard answered as the second one nodded. "Be assured, we shall guard both you and the little lady."

"Alright then." Naofumi gently shook his arm, and Raphtalia moved to just holding his hand. Turning his attention back to the guards, he gave a nod. "Lead on."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

The Shadow assigned by the Queen to keep watch over the court had a sneaking suspicion about the Shield Hero who named himself 'V'. She was almost one-hundred percent sure that the outworlder feared neither man nor God, and wondered what he experienced to make him so. From her hiding place in the throne room, she could see the Shield standing tall, yet there was a relaxed nature to his posture that told her he wasn't intimidated by the scene before him. Indeed, he was so relaxed that he was playing a simple find it game with the demi-human child he had brought along. She looked to Ren and Itsuki, noting that both of them seemed apprehensive, like students called before a teacher to testify on something they might have seen. Motoyasu had a similar posture to V, but there was an odd fidget in his movements that betrayed his nervousness.

"Order." Aultcray's voice sounded over the noise, quieting the room in a matter of moments. "With the waves soon to be upon us, time is short. Thus, I shall cut straight to the point of this summons. Lord Motoyasu has been robbed in the night by an unknown assailant."

The gathered crowd began to stir, all wondering who out there would have the stones to attack the Cardinal Heroes. The Shadow looked to the heroes, seeing Motoyasu looking pleased at the reaction, Ren and Itsuki shocked, and...no reaction from V.

"Lord Motoyasu, would you please recount the events of last night for the gathered parties?" The King gestured for the Spear Hero to step forward, the young man coming to stop just before the first step.

"Of course, my King." Motoyasu gave a bow of respect to the king before turning to address the crowds. "I was making my way back to the inn I was staying at from one of the local taverns I had visited. I was about half-way back to the inn when I was suddenly pulled off the main road into one of the small alleyways by a big friggin' guy. He was about this tall, and about this broad across the shoulders." The spear hero raised an arm, showing how much taller his attackers was, before moving his hands to the side to show how wide. The Shadow's eyes narrowed as she looked around the room for anyone who might have fit the pointed size description. "I will admit that I was caught off guard, and didn't react as fast as I might otherwise have. But the attacker grabbed me around my wrists, shoved me to the wall and held my legs in place with one of his, preventing me from drawing my weapon."

"At this point, did you see your attacker's face? Or any identifying marks?" The King queried, and The Shadow saw his eyes flit towards the Shield Hero for just a second.

"Not clearly." Motoyasu's mouth moved into a frown, but it didn't quite reflect in his eyes. "The alley was dark, and while I couldn't clearly see their face, I could tell there was some dirt or paint on it. And while I didn't see what they were wearing, their hands were cold, like covered in metal."

"And then what happened?"

"The guy demanded my 'fucking money' as he termed it. Kneeing me in the leg when I denied his request." Motoyasu placed a hand on his leg, presumably where the bruise would have been. "He kept demanding, opting to punctuate each of his requests with a punch or kick. I continued to refuse, and tried to get away. Eventually I wiggled free when he tried to punch and kick me at the same time." He mimed the action, bringing murmurs from the court. "Due to the blows I received, I was a little slow in getting away, and my assailant then knocked me upside the head with one of those porcelain toilet tank lids." He seemed to notice the confused eyes of the watching people. "At least, that's what the blur of white I saw before I lost consciousness reminded me of. When I woke up a short while later, I noticed all of my remaining coin was gone, along with a few other valuables."

The King nodded, "Forgive me Lord Motoyasu, but how heavy are these 'toilet tank lids'? Could a child lift them?"

"Not without difficulty, most of them weigh a good ten pounds, and you would need a considerable amount of strength to repeatedly hit someone with it." The Shadow noticed Motoyasu's eyes go to the Shield Hero, before looking at the other two. Her own eyes and ears followed, taking in the reaction of the others. Ren's eyes seemed to doubt Motoyasu's story, and the faint movement of his mouth seemed to indicate that he wanted to admit this fact. However, she could tell no sound was or would pass beyond his lips.

"It has to be V!" Itsuki blurted out, bearing his feelings in full. This caused a stir in the court from all except V, whose only response was to pat the head of the demi-human child that was now clinging to him.

"Silence!" The King demanded, and the request was granted, "Lord Itsuki, to what do you base your accusation on?" The Shadow could tell Aultcray was doing his damnedest to try and sound impartial about the Bow Hero's opinion.

"Hands like metal. Strength enough to repeatedly swing a heavy object. And that language Motoyasu says he used and with his build..." He gestured to V, "it all sounds similar to me."

"Lord V?" Aultcray seemed to understand where Itsuki was coming from. "Where were you last night?"

Everyone seemed to lean in at Aultcray's request, and even The Shadow found herself adjusting her posture. She felt certain that most of the court expected him to curse out the younger hero, but she suspected he would play it the same as he had played everything else. Calm, cool, and calculated.

"In my room, at the inn on the north side of town. I stayed there the entire night from just after sundown until morning." V answered, eyes on the King.

"Is there anyone who can confirm this?" Aultcray seemed, rather obviously, to doubt V's answer.

"I can confirm Lord V returned to the inn." From her place near the King, Malty spoke up. The Shadow thanked years of professionalism for keeping her from laughing, but it couldn't stop the smile at how uncomfortable Aultcray looked at the revelation. "I saw him return and briefly talked with him in his room."

"And what were you doing at the inn?" Aultcray's authoritative tone seemed to be missing as he addressed his daughter.

"I was hoping to stay at that inn, but there were no rooms left." Malty looked at V, her impish eyes both apologetic and teasing at once, "When I saw Lord V return, I followed him in the hopes he had booked a double and that I could stay with him. Unfortunately, the room was only a single, which only allows for two occupants max. And since he had that child with him, I stepped out and returned to the Inn Lord Motoyasu had booked."

No one seemed to question the desires of the Princess to want to stay at a quality establishment. However, all eyes were now on V and the demi-human with him.

"Is this true?" Aultcray looked at the Shield hero and child.

"Yes, I did spend a few minutes talking with the princess at the inn. And my companion can confirm." He gave the child a nudge, "Right kid?"

To scared to speak, the demi-human gave a nod.

"That may be so, but tell me, child..." There was no missing the distaste in Aultcray's voice, "Did you see Lord V for the whole night?"

The child looked up at V, before looking down at the floor. Again, the Shield hero gently nudged her and told her it was okay to speak. "Until I fell asleep. And he was there when I woke up."

"So there's a period of time where you wouldn't know if he was with you or not, yes?" The King pressed, and The Shadow knew what was coming. The child nodded, seeming ashamed for some reason. In response, V just gave the child a pat on her shoulder, before turning his attention back to the King. "I shall send a guard for the Innkeeper's statement, but Lord V, is there any proof you can offer at this time to prove you're not the thief?"

"I can." V seemed to have been waiting for this moment. "Can someone please bring me some raw meat, preferably a chunk the size of my head or a little larger?" Aultcray nodded to one of the guards to head to the kitchen to comply with the request. "And do you mind if I ask Motoyasu a few questions?"

Motoyasu stiffened, as did the King but he had no choice but to nod to try and keep up the rapidly decaying façade of being impartial. "Of course."

"Motoyasu, If I heard your story correctly. You are telling us that..." V faced the Spear Hero head on, "and I quote you here, a 'big friggin guy' dragged you into an ally and beat the shit out of you with one of those white toilet tank lids?"

"Yes?" Motoyasu added, intrigued by the bait V was dangling before him.

"You are a dumbass." A sardonic smile appeared on V's lips as several gasped at his outright insult. "Do you want to know how I know you are a dumbass?"

"How? Enlighten me!" Motoyasu seemed offended, and The Shadow could tell he had taken the bait. All V had to do now was reel him in.

"Because…" V pointed to one of the windows to the city beyond. "The city doesn't have ceramic toilets yet you fucking idiot! They probably haven't been made yet! They use wood or carved stone like here in the castle!"

"Oh. Ohhh!" A cold sweat broke out on Motoyasu's forehead.

"Yeah, 'oh' you concussed moron!"

"It could have been a ceramic serving platter!" Itsuki argued, childishly unwilling to believe that either the Spear or himself could be wrong. "I saw a few of them for sale in some of the higher end shops!"

"Have you ever dropped a plate?" V shook his head at Itsuki, "a platter like that would break after the first strike."

The Shadow saw Ren nod, but the Sword Hero still didn't move to speak. Itsuki seemed taken aback, while Motoyasu seemed to be sweating even more. The crowd was once again abuzz as the King was forced to nod and admit that V had a point. Just then, a guard returned with a large pork shank, which caused the room to fall silent as the King once again addressed V.

"Lord V, as you can see, my guard has returned with the requested item." He gestured for the guard to present the cut to V.

"Yeah, That will do. Your gonna wanna' hold that cut securely at the top and bottom. You can either keep it in front of you, or hold it to the side like you're airing out something." The guard opted to hold it to the side as he watched V make a fist. As had happened once before V's hands began to let off a noxious looking gas. Pulling his arm back, he gave the shank a direct punch to the center. V seemed to give the guard credit for not losing his grip as he gestured to his fist, and the hole that was starting to burn its way into the shank. "As you can see, my punches have a corrosive effect. If I was his attacker, Motoyasu should at least have some sort of residual scarring where he was punched."

This observation brought the court back to life, and more than one person muttered about the lack of bruises or signs of a struggle on the Spear Hero.

"He may have gone to see a healer!" Itsuki argued, face slightly red.

"I'd like to see a healer fix melted skin." V gestured to the shank, which was still corroding slowly. The guard holding it seeming unsettled by the sight.

"I did!" Motoyasu spoke again, some confidence having returned to his voice. "As one of the Four Heroes, they treated me with the highest quality medicines. I feel they even got rid of some scars I had from my old world."

With these observations, Ren seemed to be further in doubt but still made no move to voice his opinion. Itsuki agreed with Motoyasu's logic about the healers, while V just shook his head.

"I can also prove my innocence in another way." V crossed his arms, as Motoyasu's eyes narrowed. "The fact you're still alive. You claimed to be alone when you were attacked, yes? If that was the case, and if I really did attack you…Why would I have bothered to leave you alive? A smart criminal never leaves a witness, even a poor one such as yourself."

The Shadow blinked, amazed that V decided to play up the 'monster' angle that she knew many still viewed him with. Motoyasu started to stammer, while Itsuki excitedly let fly several accusations of V being a murderer. Ren was the only hero to remain silent, but she could tell that while he was weighing both sides, he seemed to be leaning towards V. The gathered members of court were all talking, some agreeing with V's logic, others with Motoyasu and Itsuki's lines of thought. The chatter in the court only ceased as the King once again called for silence.

"I do believe Lord V has made valid arguments towards his innocence in this matter." The white knuckles of Aultcray's hands seemed at odds with the calm demeanor he was speaking with. "That being said, until we have more witnesses or some further evidence, I feel we can not pass fair judgment. This case is dismissed for the moment." He looked to the Four Heroes. "Lord Motoyasu, Lord V, I shall have my guards look further into the matter. In the meantime, I suggest you all continue with your plans to prepare for the incoming waves. If any of you desire, you may have some of my guards accompany you for security purposes while you train. Dismissed."

With a wave, the King dismissed the gathered crowd. The Shadow paid little attention to the gathered nobility, her eyes instead on the Heroes. Ren seemed to accept the King's decree and quickly summoned his party, gesturing for them to move out. Itsuki seemed to understand the King's desire for a fair trial, and after talking a bit more with Motoyasu, went on his way. Motoyasu seemed nervous, but was trying to cover it up by claiming he was tired. The Shadow watched Malty shake her head at the attempt, and though she stayed with Motoyasu, The Shadow could tell her eyes were following V. The man in question was walking hand in hand with the demi-human child, praising her for being brave, before promising to return to their 'shopping spree'.

With all that she had seen in mind, The Shadow wasted no more time and departed to report what she'd witnessed to the Queen.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Though Raphtalia had been nervous while visiting the palace, Naofumi's presence served as a comfort to her. He praised her for her honesty and bravery in speaking to the King, before promising her lunch from wherever she wanted and a continuation of their shopping spree. The pair stopped off at various stores along the way to browse or purchase some small items. One of the more practical purchases being a brush and comb set they found at a merchant's table near the tailor's shop.

"I'm no good with hair," Naofumi was saying as he held open the door to the tailor's shop, "but we'll see if we can find someone who might be able to untangle this rat's nest and make you look more like a raccoon girl and less a trash panda."

"Trash panda?" Yosaiya overheard his comment, "that doesn't sound like a nice thing to call someone."

"It's just another term for a raccoon," Naofumi gave Raphtalia a pat on her head. "I don't mean anything insulting by it. Anyhow, do you happen to know of anyone who might be able to help sort out Raphtalia's hair?"

"I don't, but I used to help my younger sister with her hair." Yosaiya gave Raphtalia a gentle smile. "If you want, I can see what I can do for her while you finish packing up your purchases."

"That's fine with me, if it's okay with you Raphtalia."

"Ye..." Her ears fell slightly as Yosaiya lead Raphtalia over to one of her work benches and motioned for her to take a seat.

"Alright," Yosaiya took the grooming kit from Raphtalia and picked up a small pair of scissors. "I hope you don't mind, but I am going to have to cut some of your hair."

Raphtalia gave a nod, but stayed still as she felt Yosaiya begin to gently pull, brush, and cut her hair. She was nervous, but distracted herself by watching Naofumi store away their purchases. The process took maybe five minutes, but to Raphtalia, it seemed to take much longer.

"And done!" The tailor picked up a small hand mirror and offered it to Raphtalia. Her long brown hair had been cut down to just above her shoulders, and all the knots and tangles were cut or combed out, leaving it smooth. "How'd I do?"

"Pretty," Raphtalia's voice was soft as she fingered the ends of her hair, "...thank you."

"Looks good, how much do I owe you?" Naofumi was reaching for his coins, but Yosaiya waved his offer away.

"Consider it a trade for letting me examine those otherworldly clothes of yours." She smiled as Raphtalia stood up and returned to Naofumi's side. "That aside, come back in a couple days and I should have some of the custom items done."

"Of course, thank you." Naofumi offered his hand to Raphtalia, who took it with no hesitation. Adding her own thanks, she followed Naofumi back out into the street. "So Raphtalia, is there anything you want for lunch?"

"..." Though she almost felt like she could fully trust Naofumi, she was still hesitant about asking for things. Her request for a new dress had taken most of her courage, and their trip to court took the rest. She found herself unable to reply. Naofumi seemed to understand her hesitation and made a suggestion.

"Say, what if we go back to the tavern we ate at yesterday." He began walking towards the tavern in question, and Raphtalia offered no resistance. "Get you another one of those kid's lunches, or would you like something different?"

"...That's fine." Raphtalia responded, not really paying attention to the idea of food. The two passed by a merchant's cart, which was currently surrounded by what she'd call 'adventurer types'. The merchant was selling small knives and daggers, and offering a sharpening service for existing blades. As they passed the cart, she could hear more than one making comments about going to gather monster parts to sell, or to gain a few levels before the Waves hit. A small whimper escaped the raccoon girl as she remembered the King talking of the Waves, as well as the legends that called for the Heroes to fight in them. She gripped Naofumi's hand just a bit tighter, feeling afraid for him...and herself.

"Hey, you okay Raph?" She noticed Naofumi kneeling down next to her, a small level of concern in his eyes.

"Yes..." She smiled and gave a tiny nod, but she could tell Naofumi wasn't buying it.

"No you're not." He gently escorted her to a small alleyway that was free of foot traffic, "Now tell me, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Or are you worried about monsters? Or the Waves?"

Raphtalia remained silent, her mind considering everything she had seen and heard over the last day or so about the man. The man who was now the Legendary Shield Hero. Some of her old owners would have activated her slave crest by now, or threatened her for an answer. Naofumi however, didn't seem to mind, and actually looked understanding of her situation. "He didn't mark you with a crest either..." Her thoughts reminded her, mouth moving slightly as she tried to think of what to say.

"I get it, you're still not fully used to being able to openly voice your thoughts and opinions." He gave her a pat on the head. "I think I told you before that if you need or want something, to let me know, yes?" He gave her hand a gentle tug, "and that includes talking about any concerns you have."

"Yes," Raphtalia gave a Nod as Naofumi started walking again. "I just...want to help." She could barely hear her own voice, and suspected Naofumi didn't hear her at all. The man instead commenting that they had arrived back at the tavern. Unlike before, the warm welcome stayed on the hostess' voice as she lead the pair to a table. While it had been an easy morning physically, it had taken a lot of Raphtalia spiritually, and she was thankful to sit down.

"Welcome back," One of the servers recognized Naofumi, but seemed to be questioning if the well-groomed tanuki was the same girl as the dirty raccoon. "What can I get for you?"

"A kid's lunch for her, and..." Raphtalia noticed Naofumi looking at the plate of a nearby diner, "what is that woman eating?"

"Bread and herb stuffed chicken wrapped in pastry dough." The server answered.

"Sounds good, I'll have that please." Naofumi gave a nod and thanked the server as the man took his leave. He looked back to Raphtalia then, "So now...What were you saying earlier about wanting to help?"

"Eeeh!?" The girl's eyes went wide, ears and posture alert. "You...heard me?"

"I'm used to listening for small details." He tapped his ears, and Raphtalia found herself looking at them. Like everyone else, she found herself wondering if his ears had also been enhanced somehow. "So, am I right?"

"...Yes." She bowed her head, body fighting the urge to curl up into a ball. "But...I don't know, how I could, help you?"

"Can you fight?" Naofumi asked, though he already seemed to know the answer. "No, you don't seem to have that desire."

"I...I could fight, if needed but..." She shuddered, and Naofumi gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"You're not comfortable with the idea, I get it." He pulled his arm back as the server returned with their meals, "but we'll think of something."

Raphtalia nodded as the server took his leave again. Both her and Naofumi started eating in silence, and while Raphtalia found herself unable to fathom where Naofumi's thoughts might be, her own were clear. "I owe my life to this man. To one of the Legendary Heroes." Her face fell slightly, the food before her no longer seeming appetizing. "New clothes. Good food. Good medicine. I need to repay him somehow, but he's right. I can't fight and-"

"Hey, I've an idea." Naofumi seemed to be looking at something only he could see. "How about I add you to the party as my 'supporter'?"

Raphtalia's ship of thoughts capsized at Naofumi's voice. "Party? Supporter?" Raphtalia's head tilted to the side, confused yet intrigued. She had heard these words used before by people visiting her village. While she knew the general meaning of the words, she didn't quite know how they pertained to working with a Hero.

"Yeah, you come along with me when I go out in the field." He gestured towards the window of the tavern, "While I kill monsters and hunt and protect us. I'll be relying on your to make sure I don't miss anything. Be it a dropped item, a hiding monster, or some wild herbs and so on. Also, you can make sure that I remember to stop and eat, or take a drink every once in awhile."

"How...How can you, forget to eat?" She blinked, remembering the only times she went without food being because the slaver or her owners kept it from her.

"Because I get caught up in my work." He withdrew something from the shield and offered it to her. "Back in my world, there were some days when all I would eat would be a Synthsnack before going to sleep."

Raphtalia looked at the odd pink and green package, but was unable to read the writing upon it. The texture of it reminding her of a bag full of jelly or paste. "This...Doesn't look like food."

"It isn't, at least not like this." He gestured to their plates. "I mean, it has what you need to survive but…I don't recommend eating them too much." He took the package back and stored it. "That's why I need someone like you to tell me to eat real food. Think you can handle that?"

In response, Raphtalia picked up the flag from her rice and saluted him with it. "You, you can count on me." The idea seemed to reawaken her appetite, and her stomach growled.

"Glad to hear it." Naofumi smiled, "Now eat up. Because after this, we're gonna see what it looks like outside the city."

Raphtalia needed no further urging, and taking up her fork, began to animatedly eat her meal.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

As he had done in the past for any mission in Night City, Naofumi took it upon himself to prepare before hitting the road. A quick stop at a general goods store and Naofumi had purchased two bedrolls, a large tent big enough to sleep four, and various other camping supplies. All of these were safely stored away in the shield as the pair had set out into the fields. Coming across a small clearing just inside the forest, the pair set up their camp. A small creek nearby provided water, and Naofumi could see the occasional fish swimming along as well. There was also a supply of wild herbs nearby that could be used in crafting, cooking, or collected for selling.

Once they had set up camp, Naofumi took to scanning everything nearby while Raphtalia followed behind, ready to gather anything that seemed of value. It was during this first round of scanning that they encountered their first monster, an orange balloon. Upon seeing a target, the creature let out a tiny hiss and bounced towards them.

"Balloons, really?" He threw a punch at the balloon, the corrosive effect of his fist popping the creature with the same effectiveness stabbing a regular balloon with a spear would have. "Are these really considered monsters?" Naofumi checked his stats, seeing 1 EXP displayed for both him and Raphtalia. "And are they worth anything?" He picked up the remains of the balloon, the texture familiar.

"Some merchants, they make balls from them…" Raphtalia answered, again seeming fascinated as the shield absorbed the balloon skin. Toys for children wasn't the first thought Naofumi had about the use of monster skins, but if it worked…

[!Unlocked: Balloon Shield – Orange!]

He ignored the message and looked to Raphtalia as he activated his optics, sensors pinging several objects. "Do you see any more?"

Raphtalia stood up as straight as she could and surveyed the area the balloon had come from. "I think I see something moving, in the grass...there!" She pointed to a patch of tall grass that Naofumi had already scanned, confirming what his optics already told him.

"I see them," Naofumi gave a nod as two orange and a red balloon came hopping out. He knew they were there, but figured it would be a nice way to ease Raphtalia into her roll as his spotter. "Good job kid." Three quick punches later, and three more balloon skins were absorbed into the shield.

[!Unlocked: Balloon Shield – Red!]

This time, he noticed he gained 3 EXP while Raphtalia had a gain of 4 EXP.

"Naofumi, there's another." Raphtalia pointed to an orange balloon that had rolled next to his left leg. This one was taken down with a heavy stomp. That stomp apparently disturbed a group of rabbit-like creatures that had been nesting in the ground underneath. Three of them popped out of their burrow, the entrance of which had been hidden under a small bramble bush. "Ah! Usapils!"

Naofumi looked to where Raphtalia was pointing, the rabbit-like creatures coming towards them. Two of them went for his legs, while the third targeted Raphtalia. He could hear their teeth and claws scratching at his boots, but they couldn't even leave a scratch on them. Knowing Raphtalia wouldn't be as lucky, he reached down and picked her up right as the third lunged. "You okay?" He asked as Raphtalia nodded, "alright. Let's try something different with these annoyances."

He went through the process of selecting one of his quick hacks, opting this time to try Contagion. He targeted the third Usapil, who was angrily hopping around his legs, trying to get Raphtalia. Activating the skill, the rabbit in question stopped hopping and began to twitch. Raphtalia's eyes were wide as the creature appeared to cough up the contents of its stomach, along with a bit of blood before it fell over dead. Not a moment after the first had fallen, did the other two expire in a similar fashion. Attracted by the noise, a few more balloons joined the party, and quickly deflated into piles of rubber-like skin.

"What...What was that?" Though there was only five or six monster corpses, Raphtalia seemed unsettled by the sight.

"Contagion. One of my...spells." He gave Raphtalia a pat on the head and gently set her back on the ground. Checking the EXP gain, he noticed that while he was gaining at a rate of 1 to 1, Raphtalia seemed to be gaining at a rate of 1 to 1.5. He picked up one of the Usapils and scanned it, the database revealing the pelt to be a source of quality fur, and the meat a source of acceptable food. Feeding it to the shield, he was greeted to another set of pop-ups.

[!Unlocked: Rabbit Skin Shield!]

[!Unlocked: Rabbit Meat Shield - +1 Cooking!]

[!Unlocked: Bone Shield – Small!]

"Are you going to do this every time I feed you something new?" The Hero questioned his Shield as Raphtalia brought him the remaining balloon skins. A moment later and she was offering him the small flask of water she had at her side. Taking a long swallow, he handed it back to Raphtalia, who did the same. "Come on, let's go a little deeper in and see if we can find a few more monster groups."

Raphtalia agreed and followed Naofumi, the pair making short work of the various monsters, and some of the other wildlife in the area as he tried out his other quick hacks. A balloon was the test subject for Cripple Movement, the creature's bouncing gait reduced to a nearly imperceptible roll, leaving it vulnerable to a stomp. A porcupine-like beast wasn't as lucky, and got treated to Suicide. The creature let out a shrill scream, before proceeding to run headlong into a large rock several times, effectively bludgeoning itself to death. He looked to Raphtalia, seeing her blankly staring at the now deceased porcupine. The blank stare shifted to him, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was reconsidering her offer to help him.

"You know, I'd say that's enough hunting for one day." He moved to pick up the porcupine carcass. "Why don't we clean up here and head back to camp? Then I'll cook us up some dinner." His words seem to bring Raphtalia out of her stupor, and she took to gathering up the balloon skins. Earlier, he noticed that she had no issues with gathering herbs and similar items, but seemed to have reservations about picking up the actual flesh and blood monsters. Even now, she seemed content to leave these to him as she brought over the last of the balloon skins. Debating about asking her about it over dinner, he picked up the last of the Usapils and escorted her back to camp.

That had been roughly three days ago, and ended up turning into their daily routine. While this system worked wonders for the two of them, it didn't work out so well for the other heroes. Itsuki and his party had come across their camp on accident while returning to town, and upon seeing the rack of smoking meats, the bundles of furs and other goods, the Bow Hero took it upon himself to call out the Shield Hero.

"So you're the reason there's nothing to hunt around here." Itsuki leveled an accusatory finger at the pair with a self-righteous air, both of whom were just about to sit down to a meal of Usapil Stew. "We had to spend an extra hour traveling to find some monsters so we can level up." The blond bow user continued to complain, "Have some consideration for your fellow heroes and the local ecosystem."

Naofumi had just sighed and activated his optics, the scan revealing that there was still a decent amount of monsters in the area. However, now more cautious of the apex predator in their territory, the monsters were a lot more conservative with their appearances. "Apologies. I'll keep that in mind." Despite the lack of substance, and the heavy amount of sarcasm in his voice, Itsuki gave a nod and seemed to accept his words at face value.

"Make sure you do..." Itsuki's eyes narrowed then as he looked at Raphtalia, and his mouth twitched as if wanting to say more. Instead, he gave a shake of his head and waved his party to continue on their way.

"He's not very bright, is he?" Raphtalia asked after the Bow Hero had taken his leave and Naofumi had to let out a small laugh as he nodded. In the last few days, Raphtalia seemed to have lost some of her shyness, and while Naofumi was pleased to see her finally opening up, he couldn't help but question if it was a good thing she had adopted some of his bluntness.

"Either that, or he was confused by you..." Naofumi took a large chunk of meat out of the bowl he was holding, mind circling back to a thought he had earlier in the day that Itsuki's actions now confirmed. No one would believe that the young woman with bright eyes, a mature figure, and no sign of illness was the same sickly skin and bones child with the tired face and dulled eyes he met a few days ago. In the span of three days, Raphtalia appeared to have had a growth spurt equivalent to six years. Not quite an adult yet, more a teen half-way there. Scouring the database revealed that demi-humans tended to grow faster when, as Naofumi had termed it, EXP grinding. Raphtalia herself had confirmed the fact when he asked her about it the day prior, when her hero had noticed that the once floor-length dress she was wearing now only reached her knees.

"Why would he be confused?" Raphtalia had finished her bowl, and was helping herself to another from the stew pot. While she always had a good appetite once she realized that any food offered to her was not going to be taken away, it had seemed to become more voracious in the last couple days. Naofumi suspected it was her body's way of compensating for the changes it was going through, and while he knew he had arguably saved her, he couldn't help but feel bad about how fast she had 'grown up'.

"Probably because he didn't recognize you." He sighed, "Which reminds me. We should probably head back into town tomorrow and trade in some of these goods...And I still want to take you to see one of the healers or Mahoya maybe to make sure everything is alright with your growth spurt."

"Everything is fine," the tiniest cough escaped Raphtalia, though Naofumi was unsure if it was still illness related or if her throat was dry. "I told you before when you first pointed it out, demi-humans grow faster. And trust me, I'm much better off being..." She seemed to be struggling to pick the right word. "Mature, as opposed to being a child."

"I'd have said bigger," He showed a brief smile as Raphtalia narrowed her eyes at him. "But I will admit that you do look more mature...Even if you don't always act like it." Raphtalia's face shifted into a pout, a groan of childish offense leaving her lips as her tail went slightly puffy in displeasure. "What? You were waving those stupid little flags from the kid's lunches proudly after we set up camp. And I caught you playing keep it up with the ball yesterday."

"I...I was celebrating a job well done." Shy Raphtalia came back as her eyes drifted to the flags in question, both of which were proudly hanging over the entrance to their tent like a coat of arms. "And I was honing my spotting skills for moving targets with that ball."

"You were acting like a child," Naofumi rolled his eyes, "and that's okay. And while you may be right about demi-humans, it would put my mind at ease to know there's nothing affecting your overall health." At that moment, he noticed Raphtalia's ears perk up, and her eyes lit up. While he couldn't fathom her thoughts, he could tell she was thinking about his words.

"Alright," she gave a brief nod, seeming to have decided something, "If it will make you feel better. I'll go."

"It does, thank you." Naofumi pulled out one of the rations he had bought, a loaf of dark bread the shop keeper said traveled well. Cutting off two slices, he offered one to Raphtalia, who instantly curled up her nose. "What? Do you not like brown bread?"

"With the slaver...If it was a day you were lucky enough to be fed. You either received a tasteless gruel made from stale oats that were just before rotting, or a chunk of brown bread about the size of my fist." She held up her own. "And while the bread might seem the better option...Well, try a bite." She shuddered, seeming haunted by memories.

Naofumi complied and took a bite. Instantly, he could feel the heavy weight, dry texture, and odd balance of sweet-yet-bland in his mouth. It took him several moments of chewing, and a swallow of water before he was able to get it down. "Fuck, not even one of AllFood's Vitamin B-ran Muff'ins is..." He couldn't finish his sentence, seeing Raphtalia looking at him with a level of sympathetic amusement. He dipped a little bit of the slice in his stew and tried it again, the quality only marginally improving as a result. "Kind of thankful now that I only bought one of these."

"And it's all yours." Raphtalia took a long swallow of water as he sent the remains of his slice and second one flying into the woods. Finishing off his bowl, Naofumi looked through his shield's inventory, trying to find something to fully wash the taste out of his mouth. As well as use as an apology to Raphtalia for bringing up old memories. After a moment, he removed two packages of Holobites Peach Pie.

"Or maybe I can re-purpose it into bait for fish, animals, or monsters...Anyhow, now that I know you're going to see a healer. I feel a bit more comfortable in letting you try one of my favorite snacks from Night City." He tossed her the peach colored package. "If you like it, consider it an apology for the bread."

"What's this?" As she had done with the Synthsnack, Raphtalia gently squeezed and poked the package.

"Dessert. When you're ready, just tear off the corner of the package like this. Then gently squeeze the contents into your mouth." He demonstrated with his own as Raphtalia opened hers. He couldn't help but laugh as she hesitantly tried a small lick of the orange paste within. Her eyes went wide, and she happily drained the contents of the pouch. Shaking his head, Naofumi opted to enjoy his dessert at a more reasonable pace.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Mahoya had just switched the sign in front of her shop from Closed to Open and was in the process of setting up a few items on her counter when she heard the tell-tale chime of an arriving customer. Looking up, she was greeted to the sight of the Shield Hero and his demi-human companion.

"Back so soon?" She gave him a smile as he approached the counter. "And who is this?"

"This is Raphtalia, my companion." The man turned his attention to his companion. "Raphtalia, this is Mahoya – the owner of this shop and a business partner of mine."

"Nice to meet you." Raphtalia gave a tiny nod.

"A pleasure to meet a companion to the Shield." Mahoya looked back to the man in question. "Guessing you finally went out into the field?"

"Yeah, spent a few days testing out my...spells too."

"And how did that go?" Mahoya was all ears, her eyes drifting briefly to the training dummy. Though she had fixed it up, the burn marks were still present.

"Made my job a lot easier." The man explained about the various effects of his spells, commenting on the differences between how they acted here versus back in his home world.

"Well it sounds like everything worked out." She smiled, eyes looking at the pair. "And did you level up at all?"

"I didn't, but Raphtalia did. Which speaking of," V seemed to be gathering his thoughts, "I know it may not be your area of expertise but...Is there any chance you can give her a check-up of sorts? I mean, I heard that gaining experience and leveling up affects demi-humans differently but...I didn't think it would be like this." He filled her in on Raphtalia's rapid growth.

"That does seem a little strange." She picked a book off a shelf behind the counter and quickly leafed through it. "Demi-humans do grow faster, and some say that anyone or anything that forms a party with a Legendary Hero also grow faster. Some side effect of the hero's magic or whatnot." She closed the book with a snap and returned it to the shelf. "I'll admit I'm curious now myself. For a dozen silver, I'll gladly give the lady a check-up as you said."

"It's a deal." He handed over the coins. "So how long is this going to take?"

"About an hour." Mahoya was already busying herself with gathering items. "So if you have some other errands to run, feel free to take care of them while I work with Raphtalia here."

"Naofumi..." Raphtalia's ears fell, the faintest hint of fear on her face.

"You'll be fine. Mahoya's friendly," He placed a comforting hand on Raphtalia's shoulder. "Remember, this is as much for your benefit as it is for mine. I'll be back in a bit."

Raphtalia nodded, the words seeming to comfort her as the Shield Hero took his leave. Mahoya watched the scene play out, eyes on Raphtalia the whole time.

"He tries to act tough, but he's got a good heart, yes?" The older woman broke the silence that seemed to be hanging over the shop with his departure.

"...Yeah." The raccoon answered after a moment. "He takes good care of me."

"I'm glad to hear that. Anyhow, if you would come with me a moment. I want to run a few tests." She gave Raphtalia her best gentle grandmother smile. "Oh don't worry, they won't hurt. Mostly I want to see your magic level and compare it with some notes I have."

That small amount of reassurance seemed convince the younger woman, and she followed Mahoya willingly into her personal workshop. Gesturing for Raphtalia to take a seat, Mahoya gathered up the rest of her needed items and set them on a small table near Raphtalia. "Hold this a moment please?"

She held out a sphere-shaped crystal about the size of a grapefruit, its color a milky white. Mahoya had to suppress a smile as Raphtalia took it, the sphere glowing briefly as it fully came to rest in her hands. The raccoon let out a tiny gasp of shock at the sight and dropped it, sending it gently rolling to just under the desk.

"I'm sorry." Raphtalia's ears folded as a frown appeared on her face.

"It's fine, it would take a lot more than a three-foot-fall to harm that one." Mahoya laughed and picked up the sphere, which had returned to its milky state. "Anyhow, you seem to have an innate affinity for magic. At least, that's what the orb was saying when it lit up."

"I can do...magic?" Raphtalia studied her hands, which Mahoya was quick to reach out and touch.

"You are at least part Tanuki, yes?" She smiled as Raphtalia nodded, "Tanuki are known for illusion magic. But we'll look into that later. First, I'm curious about your growth from traveling with a Legendary Hero. Now," she pulled up her own chair and opened a notebook to a blank page, "tell me everything of your time with Lord V."

"Excuse me, but why do you call him V?" The girl shifted in her chair, "I've noticed a few others doing the same too. I meant to ask him but..." She shrugged.

"Do you not call him V?" The older woman noticed Raphtalia open her mouth to answer the question, but raised a hand for silence. "No, I can tell you call him by another name. Maybe even his true name, but don't tell me it." She stopped the younger woman from speaking once again. "Obviously you did something to earn his trust, so now - from the beginning, where does your story with Lord V begin?"

"Well, it all started when Na-, when V found me in the Slaver's tent..." Raphtalia began, her eyes shining as she recounted her time with V. Mahoya nodded and started taking notes, occasionally stopping her to ask a question about something. Once Raphtalia had finished her story, Mahoya cast a couple spells on her, and compared the effects of them to her notes.

"So that's it then." Mahoya tapped her notebook, smiling as Raphtalia's head tilted to the side. "It's true that those who travel with a Legendary Hero do grow at a much faster rate. Though I also think your relationship with Lord V may also play a part."

"My relationship?" Raphtalia's face turned a similar shade of red to her tail.

"Oh, I don't mean it like that sweetheart." The older woman let out a laugh as she moved to check on a kettle she had started boiling. "But it's obvious based on your story, as well as your willingness to help him, and desire to pay him back...You like him, don't you?"

Raphtalia's face was now as red as the bottom of the kettle, and Mahoya couldn't tell if the whistle of escaping steam was coming from her or the cooking implement.

"I may not be a certified healer, but I will guarantee you the same professional level of healer-patient confidentiality." She moved the kettle off the fire and poured herself and Raphtalia a cup of the brew within.

"Yes...I, I owe the man my life. I mean, my life was good in the time before the Slaver..." Raphtalia accepted the cup and took a sip, the action seeming to calm her nerves. "But now? I feel like I'm actually living. Sure I'm working harder than I've ever worked before. But I owe it to him. Not once since the attack on my village has anyone been as kind to me as him." Mahoya was suddenly thankful she had enchanted all her teacups with a hardening spell, because she felt certain Raphtalia would have broken the one in her hands with how determinedly she was gripping it. "As such, I want to get stronger for him. I want to be the supporter he needs against the Waves. I, I want to fight for him and with him!"

"Whether consciously or not, your feelings and desires to help him also played a part in your growth." Mahoya sipped her own drink, thinking. "Which I think will help with the next thing I want to try."

"And that is?"

"You want to support him, but at the same time, feel you can not fight. A fact that could be a burden to Lord V if you get into trouble." She gauged Raphtalia carefully, "there's a couple spells I want to teach you. Both basic wind magics that should help you and V."

"I'm listening." Raphtalia leaned in, ears and eyes alert. "Anything that will help me help V..."

"Speed Boost and Sharp Wind. As the name implies, Speed Boost will grant you faster movement speed. I don't know if you have any issues currently in keeping up with Lord V's movements, but this can also help with that if you do. It should also help you evade monsters if you find yourself needing to run from them. You can also use it to improve the speed of allies. Stand up a moment, please?" She uttered the short incantation, attention focused on Raphtalia. "Take a few steps around the shop here."

Raphtalia looked at herself, seeing the faintest glowing aura of white. Mahoya watched her, and by her face could tell that Raphtalia was feeling the affect of the spell.

"That spell will wear off after a time, so you will need to recast it shortly before or after it runs out to keep its effect going." Mahoya waved her hand, canceling the spell. "The second spell Sharp Wind is a defensive spell. This one creates a strong gust of wind that can push lighter enemies back, and can also serve to slow down some mid-sized enemies. If you're clever about it, you can also use it offensively and create a small dust storm, or maybe to send a few small objects flying at your foes." Once again, Mahoya chanted the spell, a strong gust of wind flowing from just in front of her. "Try to tap me on the shoulder."

Once again Raphtalia complied and moved towards her. She could see a smile on the girl's face, despite the fact she was shielding it with her forearm against the cutting nature of the wind. Her gait was also the tiniest bit slower than normal, and Mahoya only dropped the spell when she felt Raphtalia's touch.

"I see what you mean," Raphtalia rubbed her face, seeming to feel the faint wind rash upon it. "Please teach me these spells."

"Of course, but first..." Mahoya refreshed her cup and did the same to Raphtalia's, "let's finish our tea and talk a bit more."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Slums come in all shapes, sizes, and filled with the local flavor of downtrodden people unwanted or disliked by those above. Though he had paid little attention to the area the first time he had passed through, he now found his pace just a few steps slower. His eyes now noted the dilapidated state of some of the buildings, the shoddily constructed shelters in some of the alleys. The streets too, he noticed, were mostly composed of dirt, with patches of long neglected cobble littered with trash. A far cry from the pristine nature of the rest of the town, but one that hinted towards a sense of realness to this world that he had thus far failed to find.

"Spare a coin?" He heard some beggar or another hail a passing traveler. And while he didn't hear the traveler's response, guessed that it had been a no based on the sound of quickened steps. Naofumi supposed that it said something about humanity, and maybe sentient lifeforms in general, that the ever present features of bias and bigotry crossed not only national lines, but inter-dimensional ones too.

Thus, he supposed that was why it didn't surprise him when a group of thugs emerged from an alley, their set of short blades already drawn as they surrounded him with a practiced ease.

He expected the usual insults and demands such common thugs would use. However, the names thrown at him were new and a surprise.

"Stay still Shield Demon, and we will make this quick!" Their leader shouted, the words briefly echoing off the surrounding walls. He was obviously trying to sound threatening and commanding. Naofumi gave it a three out of ten, given that he could hear the feet of some unseen inhabitants shuffling away.

The Militech 'Identify Friend or Foe' Software kicked on, marking the five threats surrounding him. Their silhouettes red and posed for attack against the blue and grayscale view of the world currently before him. They were too close for him to draw his weapons without triggering hostilities, so he tried a more 'diplomatic' approach.

"Look, I have places to get to and things to buy. Can you fuck off now? If you do, I'll pretend to have felt anything but pity for you." While Naofumi kept his voice steady, the tone indicated that he may have been looking for a real fight after what felt like a month without a challenge.

"Fiend!" One called out, charging from behind, "A deceitful monster like you deserves to die before you bring anymore misery with your presence!" He took a small leap forward, the knife thrust out, aim locked on Naofumi's spine in an attempt to cripple him.

Naofumi felt the knife try, the key word being try, to pierce his armor and dig into his back. Lesser armors may have been pierced by such a move, but the only thing Naofumi actually felt was the faintest sensation of a blunt poke. "Yeah, ignoring the metal fiber making up this coat," he adjusted the collar as if to mark his point, "there was no way in any hell that you were getting past four layers of Legendary Grade Armadillo reinforcement with a cheap iron knife." Naofumi spun around, slamming his right elbow into the poor bastard's head to stun him. This was instantly followed up by sucker punching him with an open palm strike to the stomach from his left.

The loud wretch was just enough of a warning, and Naofumi barely dodged the impressive spray of vomit as his victim felt all the air, and everything he had eaten in the last week, be forced out of his mouth. The man fell to the side in a human-shaped heap, no air left in him to even gasp as his head struck the ground. "Huh, guess that was too much?"

"Bastard!" A second thug voiced his opinion of Naofumi, his eyes glancing at the body of his fellow, knuckles white in anger as he gripped the blade in his hands.

"My parents were married…" He appraised his foe, taunting him as well, "and since you haven't run yet, I'm willing to bet your parents were brother and sister?"

"How dare you?!" The second idiot took the bait and charged, wildly swinging for Naofumi's face and neck with an overreaching knife, frustration and fury showing equally on his own face.

"Kinda easily," The sassy Hero quipped, effortlessly dodging the attempted blows, "kinda like when I do this!" With a targeted strike, he grabbed the swinging blade and ripped it from the attacker's hands and turned it back on him. The attacker had a moment of shock at the sight, before he realized that his own blade was now buried up to its handle in his intestines. Naofumi felt little guilt and less resistance as he tore the blade to the side, ripping a hole in the second thug to fall to him. Unlike the first however, he wasn't blessedly unconscious, and instead fell to the filth on the ground, weeping from the pain as he tried in vain to hold his entrails in.

"Two down." Naofumi mocked as he dropped the blade, arms held up as if to beckon them to him, "Who's next?"

"Zweite Holy!" Another voice from behind bellowed. The crywas followed by a bright light and the feeling of a small shove against his back that was only the tiniest bit stronger than the original knife wielder's poke.

Naofumi turned to his third attacker, a skinny man with his hand outstretched, "Really? You were right behind me and you used a magical push? Couldn't you have done something better? I mean, at the very least, couldn't you have at least tried to inconvenience me a little in some way?"

"Zweite Aqua Slash!" This time a ball of water formed from the man's hand, and sped at him, reforming into a blade.

Surprised at the sight, it hit the Shield Hero with far more force than expected. The impact slamming him into a wall and exploding in a spray of water that prompted the remaining three to cheer at the sight.

When the water had cleared from his vision, Naofumi glared at the three, seeming no worse for wear from the attack. The only sign indicating that the attack had hit being the water dripping from various points on his body.

"How did that do nothing?!" The third attacker exclaimed, eyes quickly looking at his hand before looking back at Naofumi. "Men have been crushed by that force before?!"

Naofumi's reply was to spit out a mouthful of water, a frown forming on his face as he wiped away a few stray drops of water on his forehead. "Okay, I walked into that one. I now feel...Inconvenienced." Faster than their eyes could track their target, he pulled a knife of his own from somewhere, pulled back the arm holding it, took aim, and launched the blade.

The target gasped, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his chest. His gaze trailed down, seeing the silver sheen of an unadorned handle sticking out over his heart. The last beat of his heart was absolute agony. Three dropped to his knees and collapsed in the newly formed mud, murmuring "Idol… I..." The thought went unfinished as his eyes clouded over and death embraced him.

"So, You've tried water, a magical light push, and stabbing me in the back. Oh, and the front." Naofumi's head dipped to the second attacker, who was somehow still clinging to life. He crossed his arms and looked at the final two, his ever-bored expression more obvious than ever. "I don't suppose the two of you are willing to take my original offer to fuck off?"

The Fourth growled, Naofumi would later swear when recounting the tale, honest to the powers that be, that he had growled at him. "A monster like you deserves to die!" He proclaimed, the same holier than thou tone in his voice as his already crushed teammates had used, "Even if we fall here, another will end you!"

Sadly, he failed to notice his last capable partner turn and walk away behind him.

"Buddy, I've been killed a few times already." Naofumi tapped one of the ports on his head, "One of which was by the very thing that revived me once. Some hired boot-licker in the back alley of a ren-fair slum ain't gonna off me anytime soon."

Instead of charging as two and three had, Four whipped out a handful of bottles, and threw them at Naofumi as hard as he could. The various vials of colored glass shattered. Though whether they splattered their contents on the ground, splashed the walls behind him, or in the case of one lucky vial – break on the Shield Hero's clothing, didn't matter to him. The various liquids began to smoke or steam, covering the two in fumes as the various substances mixed with the surrounding air and each other.

Four began to laugh, cackling with the insanity that comes with a dying man believing himself triumphant. "It's over hero! There is no way to survive these fumes, we'll both be in hell in moments." The cackling began to mix with coughing as the fumes continued to mix with each other.

"Huh, didn't think you guys were advanced enough to make stuff like this." Naofumi stood in the same place, unfazed by the attack, and with the same bored expression. He had to give the tiniest amount of credit for the effort though as he brushed away a few stray shards of glass from his coat.

Killer number four was already bleeding from the nose, his eyes turning red from burst capillaries, "H-how?! You should be...dying, the -same as –me?!" Coughs punctuated many of the man's words, and Naofumi could hear Four's breathing growing more difficult with each passing moment.

In reply, Naofumi tapped the metal in his face, then tapped his knuckles on his chest. "It's not that hard to buy poison immunity where I come from. In this case tho'… I'd say it's cuz' I've got three types of protection keeping me safe…and that you idiots didn't do your research before attacking your target."

"And you should pay more attention to your environment Hero." From the rooftop nearest them, a dozen barrels or so began to roll off the roof. Each one of them smashing to the ground, and sending a flood of black liquid all over the ground.

"Been a while since I've seen oil this raw. Neat." Naofumi glanced at the pooling puddles, then back up at number Five. The man had perched himself upon the edge of one of the buildings, a burning torch held in his outstretched hand.

"You may have killed most of us, but all men burn. Even men of metal." He tossed the torch to the center of the largest pool, where it caught ablaze at once.

The torch tosser expected to hear screams within a moment, and sort of got what he expected. Those still alive in his crew cried out in further agony for a brief time as they were set ablaze from his betrayal. Cries of fear came from the slums inhabitants as some hollered about the fire. But what he didn't hear was the Shield Hero's pain in any form.

Five barely felt anything for the suffering of his fallen comrades. But he did feel the Hero's second dagger. The thrown blade having pierced his thick leather clothes, ignored the thin metal lining underneath, to come to rest deep in-between his ribs. It was only heavenly intervention that stopped the knife from reaching his lungs. A strange chemical was emanating from around the knife, staining his skin. The wound burned and itched as the chemical coating tainted the flesh. The attacker collapsed, both from the sudden pain and in hopes of playing dead. A task made harder as the knife's curse continued to increase his agony.

With a loud click and a whoosh of air, Naofumi lept from the burning soil to the rooftop attacker. A small cloud of dust and a thud marking the Shield Hero's landing beside his prey. The man was lying on the rooftop, gasping for air not unlike the fourth before him. The otherworldly Mercenary had seen enough lung shots in Night City to know when someone was faking. "If that knife wound doesn't kill you, the fires will when this building comes down. Or... maybe the poison currently soaking into your skin. Don't know, don't care." He knelt down, gaze burning into the man. "If you do make it back to your employer somehow, tell them I said, 'Don't try this again.' Next time, I'm gonna hunt them down." The Hero ripped the offending blade from the man's chest like a butcher pulling their cleaver from a corpse, ignoring the gasp of pain from the wounded man. Though Five's hands had moved to cover the wound, Naofumi could see the burns the chemical-coated blade had left behind.

With a grunting sigh, Naofumi hopped back to the slum's well worn roads from the rooftop with all the grace of a cat. He barely paid any attention to the people who had already gotten a handle on the fire by burying it in dirt and sand, and they did much the same to him. He surveyed the area, noting the charred remains of the other four men. There was little chance of him finding anything on them to hint towards who had sent them. And the damage to the surrounding area further hindered that idea. He had to give number five just the tiniest bit of credit for, accidentally or purposefully, cleaning up their attack.

"A monster like me deserves to die, huh?" He mused aloud, idly rubbing a finger on the neural port behind his ear, as he continued on his way. "I suppose there's always someone who's gonna think that."

"I can't believe I'm thinkin' this again, but I wish you were here Johnny." he thought. He pulled one of the precious few cigarettes he had from his inventory and lit it. He hoped the rush of nicotine would take some of the edge off. Or serve to clear up his now clouded thoughts.

It didn't help.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

…

It had taken an hour's patience, and nearly every healing item on his person, but the would-be assassin had mastered to evade the slum-dwellers detection and make it back to his party's headquarters. It was no small surprise to the man to find that his employer was impatiently waiting for him, his master standing beside him.

"Well? Is the abomination dead?" The cloaked figure of his employer questioned, unseen eyes upon the man.

"I'm sorry, but he lives." The assassin coughed blood, hands still grasping at the burning wound, only for it to be ignored by his betters.

"How? You may not have been the best, but we trained you to be assassins did we not?" The master spoke with the air of an inconvenienced manager.

"The Shield Protects him far more than we thought." He rasped out, pushing at his chest to relieve the tightness he felt. "The fiend bragged that he has protections brought from the other world, ones that even protected him from our alchemic attacks."

"Of course the Shield Devil brings powers from his hellscape home!" The cloaked figure of the employer stomped his foot in annoyance. "What kind of sick place would butcher their people just to stick metal into flesh?"

The Master closed his eyes a moment, seeming to ignore the tantrum throwing noble beside him. "Was there anything left behind to tie the attack to us?"

"No, when the battle looked lost, I flooded the alleyway with lamp oil and set it all ablaze." Despite the pain, the injured man smiled. "There is nothing the guard or onlookers could do to point fingers, much less discover our attempt. At worst, the damage to the area and bodies of the fallen will be taken as a back alley fight that got out of hand."

"Good." The cloaked noble tapped his fingers together, thinking.

"Should I gather another party my lord?" The assassin asked, trying to distract himself from the pain with business. "Perhaps catch him while he sleeps?"

"No." The cloaked man answered, "Doubtless if we attack again too soon, then we could end up showing our hand, or worse."

"Yes," The master agreed. "Though it is our loss, I feel it was fortunate that there were none of our number left behind alive for him to question. Only the heavens could know what foul deeds he'd have done to them to get answers." His eyes drifted to his injured underling, seeming for the first time to notice the damage done.

"I agree my Lords," the failed assassin noticed where his senior's eyes were now looking. "I think the Shield poisoned me with his last attack...Could one of you please?"

"Yes, yes." The Master cast a spell with a gesture, a powerful one meant to cure all ailments, "Better?"

The would-be killer felt the tightness in his chest lessen, the ache of his bones subside and the urge to cough fade, "I think so." He removed his outer layer of armor and looked at the wound. It had closed cleanly, but there was still a large mass of scarred tissue from where the Shield's poisons had come to rest. And it may have been a trick of the light, it seemed the poison might have still been spreading despite the healing magic.

"Excellent." The master gave a nod. "Rest a while with your brothers, and share with them what you have learned from this encounter with the demon. When you feel ready, return to your normal duties. We shall call upon you when needed."

"Of course, my Lords." With a bow, the assassin took his leave, leaving his two seniors behind. The master waited until he heard the door close before turning his attention to his fellow conspirators, who had emerged from the shadows.

"Though we underestimated the Shield Demon, this may have worked in our favor." The master began, "that damn shield and his otherworldly protections are a hindrance, but this display gives us an idea of just what strengths and powers he may possess that we have yet to fathom." Nods came from around the room at their Master's decree. "We won't strike again so soon, but we will see this false hero dead before the end of the Waves."

As the conspirators plotted and planned, their surviving tool felt the poison's burning start anew. The assassin returned to his quarters, expecting that the spell cast upon him would protect him and with difficulty managed to get into a restful sleep.

The survivor was dead by dawn's first light.

His corpse was tossed into the sewers without a care, thought, or prayer. Just like so many of his victims before him.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Following the confrontation in the alley, Naofumi found himself scanning and analyzing everything as he made his way back to Beloukas'. Partially from paranoia, and partially to pass the time. Fortunately for him, it seemed most had gone to assist with "clean up" and the few who he did pass paid him little mind. There was no one around as he entered the Slaver's Tent, and the man in question had welcomed him back with open arms.

"Welcome back my friend. I suspect you are here to collect on our deal, yes?" He waved Naofumi over to the table he used as an office. "And forgive me but I must ask. Where is your little companion? You didn't sell her off to someone else did you?" Beloukas had the briefest moment of looking genuinely offended at the thought.

"No, she's visiting with a friend of mine." Naofumi felt content to leave it at that, his eyes falling upon a large wrapped parcel resting on a crate just behind the table. "Is that it?"

"Sharp eyed as always." Beloukas gestured to the package, "It is. Take it with you or work with it here." The slaver's eyes drifted to one of the others under his employ who was currently talking with a prospective customer. "Just don't disturb me while I'm working."

Naofumi gave a nod to the Slaver, who was quick to depart to interact with his employee and potential customer. Taking out a knife, Naofumi cut through the cheap cloth and began absorbing the monster parts into the Shield.

[!Unlocked: Bone Shield – Medium!]
[!Unlocked: Bone Shield – Large!]
[!Unlocked: Lizard Hide Shield - +1 Poison Damage!]

"I really wish I had a 'skip ahead' option." He cursed as more and more notes popped up as the Shield absorbed the dozens of monster parts. Once or twice he made a mental note to test out a couple of the Shields that seemed to offer a boost to the damage types he could already do, but was otherwise content to leave the rest of the Shields alone. The few monster parts that didn't offer any benefit were sent into the shield for storage, and he had every intention of selling them off later with his other goods.

"Oh, one more thing my friend." Beloukas had come up behind Naofumi, a small crate held between his hands. "I've a small favor to ask of you."

"And that is?" Naofumi eyes looked at the box, seeing what appeared to be four eggs of various sizes nestled within the straw lined box.

"It's more something I want to test based on certain rumors." The slaver smiled, "I'm sure by now you've heard the theory that those who travel with a Hero grow faster, yes? The same has been said of monsters under a Hero's control...Though there has also been reports of mutations of those same monsters under a Hero's control."

"So what? You want me to raise one of these eggs for you?"

"More like all of them." He set the crate down on the table. "There's four different species in here. If the Hero's growth does affect monsters, I want to see if certain ones grow better than others. I'll give you everything you need to hatch these eggs, and a little extra to help you start raising them."

"And I'm guessing you're not going to tell me just what is in these eggs?" Naofumi poked the largest of the four eggs.

"Now where would the fun be in that?" Beloukas laughed, "relax. Though you declined it with my last gift, these ones will require a Monster Tamer's seal. Being simple beasts, they lack the higher thought process of traditional slaves. The seal will ensure that the creatures obey you. It will also administer punishment, should they disobey."

"And I suppose that, once they hatch, if I don't like them or have issues with them that," Naofumi narrowed his eyes, "you're more than willing to buy them back?"

"I am the only authorized trader of monsters in town so..." The slaver shrugged, no remorse in the regretful expression on his face. "Likewise, you could just abandon them in the woods, or kill them for parts."

"I'd get more selling them back to you...And you get the power to brag that you have hero-raised monsters for sale. Or that a hero is using your wares?"

"Sharp as ever," The slaver rubbed his hands together. "So, do we have a deal"

"Having a few more allies, even beasts, would be a bonus. And I can always sell them if I need the money. It might also be nice to have a pet again..." Naofumi gave a single nod, "Sure. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Excellent." Beloukas clapped his hands, summoning one of his underlings who appeared with four devices that Naofumi's optics identified as incubators. "All you need to do is spread a little bit of your blood into the seals on the eggs. This will bind them to you from the moment they hatch."

Naofumi removed one of his knives and made a small cut on his arm. Using a finger, he followed Beloukas' instructions and smeared it into the design. The moment he finished marking the first egg, he saw a new notification and a new category appear in his database.

[!Monster Tamer: Unlocked!]

Selecting it, he noticed the egg he had marked was listed, along with a few options for punishment should the creature within choose to disobey. The options ranged from mild, which seemed akin to a static shock, to severe, which sounded more like electrocution. Feeling that the monsters were more like animals and not able to truly understand, Naofumi settled on the mid-range punishment. He figured it would give enough of a shock to not hurt, but still be forceful enough to make a point. He marked the other eggs and went though the same process, choosing the same parameters each time.

"So, how long until they hatch?"

"Says right here. Heh, seems there is something to the rumor after all." Beloukas tapped at a counter that had appeared on the incubator. The translation software locked onto the characters. To Naofumi's eyes, the first egg's counter seemed to show it would hatch around this time tomorrow, and the counters on the other three indicated they'd hatch sometime within the day after. "I do hope you'll return in a few days so that I can see these babies."

"We'll see." Naofumi reached out and stored the incubators away in the Shield, content to leave them alone until they were ready to hatch. "If that's all, I'll be on my way."

"Of course. See you again, my friend."

Naofumi gave a single grunting nod in reply, and exited the tent, wondering what Raphtalia was going to say about their impending new party members.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

After his delay at Beloukas', Naofumi wasted no more time and returned to the Magic Shop. Upon arriving, he could hear a bit of laughter coming from within, and opened the door to the sight of Raphtalia, quite literally, zipping around the shop as she helped Mahoya with some task. The older woman herself was laughing as she was animatedly mixing a few ingredients together in a large pot.

"He's back. Dispel." There was no missing the joy in Raphtalia's voice as she saw him, her form coming to stop just in front of him.

"What's all that about?" Naofumi's eyes moved up and down Raphtalia, scanning her.

"I was hoping to surprise you, but Mahoya taught me some magic!" Raphtalia smiled, "Nothing major. Just a defensive spell and a speed boosting spell."

"That's great," Naofumi gave Raphtalia a pat on the head, causing her to blush. Looking to Mahoya, he noticed her hiding a grin as she put a lid on the pot. "Well, how is she?"

"Picture of health." Mahoya smiled, moving closer to the pair. "Which is rather impressive given what she told me of her time before you took her along with you."

"See, I told you I was fine." Raphtalia moved to his side, "but do you feel better now?"

"Mostly. I'm still getting used to how stuff in this world works." He looked back to Mahoya, "Do I owe you anything extra for you teaching her those spells?"

"Not at all, she has quite the aptitude for magic." The older woman smiled, "I'd welcome the chance to teach her a little more in the future. So please, do come back the next time you have any questions on magic. Or want to teach your friend some more spells. Or if you have any goods you'd like to trade."

"I will, take care now." He gave a nod of appreciation as he held the door open for Raphtalia.

"Thanks again Mahoya." Raphtalia gave a tiny bow as exited, Naofumi close behind. "So, where are we going now?"

"Figure we'll find a vendor who can use some of the spare monster parts we collected." He looked to the orb in his palm, "and also do a little more shopping. You did good hunting the monsters, and I figure you deserve a reward. So please, if there's anything you see that you want, let me know."

"Of course!" The enthusiastic agreement and nod caught him off-guard. He had expected her usual hesitant nod, or maybe even a polite refusal now that she had grown a little more bold. Naofumi couldn't help but wonder if the newfound courage came from Raphtalia being secure in the knowledge she was fine, or something more.

"Good. I figure we'll start with the pharmacy, see if they can't use the herbs." He started walking, Raphtalia in tow. As they had done before setting out, they stopped off at various shops and stalls and browsed their wares, and bartered off their gathered harvests. He noticed this time, while Raphtalia was still a little reserved, she was a lot more active in picking up various items and commenting on them. Thus, he had bought her a new decorative scarf, a few ribbons for her hair, and even a small knife she wanted to make harvesting herbs and other items easier.

"When I finally get around to trying out crafting, I'll make you a better one." He told her over lunch. The pair had found a small cafe near the river that was offering light fare such as soups, cheese trays, and pastries. "Maybe if you're up for it, teach you to fight a little."

"If it would help you." Raphtalia replied, finishing the last of her drink as a server came by and took their plates. Naofumi nodded and thanked the server before gesturing that they should be on their way. Another hour or so passed with the two of them shopping before they were approached by a large man and his female companion. Though his clothing seemed to have a level or armor to it, the more elegant nature to it told Naofumi the man was more akin to a bouncer for a night club as opposed to being another street thug. The woman with him gave off a stern, matronly air, but also had a sense of welcome around her.

"Can I help you?" He asked as the man gave a tiny bow of greeting.

"Hopefully," The bouncer smiled, hands open and in clear line of sight. Naofumi could tell the man had probably heard some of the rumors about him and was proceeding with caution. "I won't bore you with details Shield Hero, but my employer has wished for me to make contact with one of the Legendary Heroes in regards to the actions of one of your fellows."

"I'm listening." While he had a feeling he knew which hero the man was speaking of, Naofumi waited for confirmation.

"Lord Motoyasu owes me and my girls a substantial amount of coin." The woman spoke, no humor in the smile on her face. "And so far, the Spear Hero has mastered to avoid contact with anyone we've sent out to collect on his debts."

Naofumi let out a snorting laugh, instantly piecing together the story. Motoyasu's claim of robbery a poor attempt to hide the fact he had squandered the money granted to him by the King on the wares of the part of town known as the Silk Streets. "I see. So what? You want me to catch him for you?" He was no stranger to bounty missions, and almost welcomed the thought of doing one again after what felt like so long a time.

"Not quite." The woman smiled as the Bouncer suppressed a laugh, both seeming pleased with Naofumi's apparent willingness to help. "We were hoping you could use your influence as a Legendary Hero to bring our grievance with Lord Motoyasu before the King." It took all of Naofumi's Corpo-training to not laugh at the request as the man continued. "Any matters involving the Heroes must be handled delicately, and while I'm sure we would get results much faster if, as you offered, caught him for us...It would be better for all sides if we handle this through more diplomatic means."

"Does the King not approve of your line of work?"

"The nobility will scoff and mark us as trash in the light of day, yet come the evening we're just as valuable a treasure as the gold they wear." The woman gave a wink, and Naofumi nodded in understanding.

"Alright, say I do offer to help you." He met her eyes, "what's in it for me?"

"We are prepared to offer you a portion of the proceeds in exchange for your help in the matter." The woman looked to her guard, who handed Naofumi a folded piece of parchment. "That there is an itemized bill for what is owed to us."

"Six-hundred silvers?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow at the total, almost impressed by the level of foolish expenses Motoyasu had racked up.

"Is this why Motoyasu tried to frame you?" Raphtalia had whispered so only he could hear.

"Probably," his reply went to her ears only. Then, louder, "I hope it was worth it."

"Maybe for him, but not my girls." The matron's face soured slightly as Naofumi handed the page back. "So can we count on your assistance?"

Naofumi considered the request. He didn't have the best relationship with the King, but knew the man would have no choice but to grant him audience if he wanted to keep saving face. And thanks to Raphtalia's reminder, he realized that the King probably still suspected him of somehow being involved in Motoyasu's loss of funds. And since he didn't know if the King had ever gotten the innkeeper's statement to further prove his innocence in the matter...

"Ten percent, and you send along whatever evidence and witnesses you can, along with who you want to represent your case."

"Deal." The woman nodded at the request. "How soon can we expect a summon?"

"That will depend on the king, but if you've got the time right now..." Naofumi looked to Raphtalia, who nodded. "You could accompany us back to the castle. If we're lucky, the King will be able to grant us audience today."

The woman gave a nod, "I'll need about an hour to get everything ready, and it will take maybe half that time to reach the castle."

"Then how about we meet just outside the castle in two hours? That will also give us a little time to get ready as well."

"Of course, see you in a little while Shield Hero." The woman and her escort gave a nod and made their way back to the Silk Streets as Naofumi gave his own, gesturing for Raphtalia to follow as they made their way towards the castle.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Things had been going smoothly for King Aultcray since the morning the Spear Hero had come to him, claiming of having been robbed. He had summoned everyone forth and heard all sides and passed a temporary verdict of suspending the case until more evidence had been gathered. His guards had brought back the Innkeeper's statement later that day, which confirmed the accounts of his daughter and the damn demi-human that V did not leave the inn during the time of the attack. Without additional evidence at the time of other possible suspects, he had decided not to inform the Heroes of this revelation and focused on other matters. Currently, he was in his study, reading over an old book with information about the Waves when one of his servants came to fetch him.

"My liege," one of his servants bowed before him, "forgive me but the Shield Hero has requested an audience with you."

"About?" He marked the page he was reading and closed the book. Had it been one of the other heroes, he would have agreed to see them without question. But given the Shield Hero's history, he felt the need to proceed with caution.

"It is in regards to the case of assault and theft on the Spear Hero." Aultcray raised an eyebrow as his servant looked up. "He's even brought a couple of witnesses along."

The King shifted uncomfortably, wondering just where V had acquired these witnesses. His own guards had been unable to acquire any information or evidence beyond Motoyasu's testimony. And neither the Bow or the Sword had information, nor did they seem to be looking for any. He entertained the thought of V having paid for their testimony, but that didn't seem like the man. There was also the possibility he had threatened the witnesses into cooperation, something that seemed plausible. Then there was the third option, the one Aultcray didn't want to admit was the most likely, that with all his otherworldly enhancement, he had mastered to find something everyone else had missed.

He considered holding a private audience with just the witnesses, but felt that might further show his distrust of the Shield. It also meant that, in future cases like this involving Legendary Heroes, that he would need to do it with all of them to maintain order and appear unbiased. Taking a deep breath, Aultcray informed the servant of his decision.

"Summon the other Heroes to the castle. Tell Lord V I will hear what he and his party have to say once the other three heroes have arrived."

"Yes my liege," the servant gave another bow. "Though what if one of the heroes is unable to come for a few days?"

"Then we wait. In a case that could potentially affect the safety of the Heroes, it is best to have them all together to share the information, no?" He explained, noticing the servant's briefly puzzled expression at the reply. In reality, if V's witnesses were bought or threatened, he hoped a longer wait would make them break and confess the fact.

"I shall inform Lord V at once." The servant took his leave, and Aultcray let out the sigh he had been holding. Calling forth another servant, he requested a cup of wine, hoping that a bit of alcohol would dull the impending headache he felt brewing. The wine had been delivered a few moments later, along with a report that the other three heroes had been seen around town, and that guards were dispatched to bring them forth.

In less than an hour's time, the other three Heroes and their parties had arrived at the castle. From his throne, Aultcray appraised the heroes. Ren seemed indifferent to the circumstance, while Itsuki kept sending suspicious glances towards V. V himself was talking quietly with his demi-human companion, as well as those the servant had informed him were witnesses. By their attire, he could tell just where they had come from, but reserved judgment. Motoyasu was with his party, and while they seemed calmed, Motoyasu looked to be a bundle of nerves. He looked to the sides, seeing the various guards and servants, as well as some higher nobility present as well to hear the a hand, Aultcray called the room to order.

"Lord V, I understand that you claim to have information pertaining to the assault on the Spear Hero."

"Yeah, I think so." V looked to the crowd gathered around him. "After gathering evidence, witnesses, and the attacker in question, I believe I can tell us all what happened a few days ago."

While he didn't turn his head to see the cause, the King couldn't miss the Spear Hero flinch so hard one could mistakenly think he'd been struck. Such a guilty response to an empty statement only added to a growing knot of tension in the royal guts.

"Proceed." Aultcray kept his voice level, but his posture showed he was a bit tense about the upcoming trial.

"Following outfitting his party and getting them a place to stay, Motoyasu decided to celebrate his newfound wealth, or at least what remained of it, by treating himself to a visit to the Silk Streets. And after treating himself to a few rounds," Aultcray noticed V deliberately chose a vague description that could be interpreted in several ways, "Discovered that he didn't quite have the funds remaining to pay. Upon discovering this fact, the bouncer confronted Motoyasu," V gestured to the large man in his party of witnesses, "Who decided to run, instead of working out a tab."

"He was going to kill me!" Motoyasu exclaimed, stomping his foot on the ground as if to emphasize his statement. "I had no choice!"

Aultcray's stomach twisted into a knot, Motoyasu's outburst seemed to confirm V's account of what might have happened. The King gestured for the bouncer to take a few steps forward. "Sir, have you seen this man before?" He gestured then to Motoyasu, who seemed very uncomfortable despite his attempt to mask it with anger.

"I have, my King." The bouncer looked at Motoyasu, "Hero or not, it is my job to enforce payment of those who partake of the services my employer offers. Lord Motoyasu racked up an impressive debt of six hundred silver coins. When asked for payment however, he began to stammer and seemed at a loss. Now, I had no intention of hurting the lad, and simply gave him a shake and shoved him to the wall, just to show I was serious." The bouncer placed his hands on V's shoulders and gave a solid shake. While the gesture barely moved V, Aultcray could tell it would have easily knocked someone like Motoyasu off his feet. "Apparently, this scared Motoyasu enough to send him running. I mastered to follow him for a few blocks, but eventually gave up the chase."

"I see, and did you have any other contact with Lord Motoyasu during that time?" Aultcray leaned forward, eyes locking with the bouncer's.

"Other than verbal confrontation, no."

He looked to Motoyasu, noticing the man seemed ready to burst, though he couldn't tell if it was in anger, embarrassment, or something else. Looking to the other witnesses. "Can any of you back these claims up?"

"I can," A younger red-haired girl stepped forth, "Lord Motoyasu was my last customer. I saw Brutus give chase as he ran out the door."

"So did I," this time a young blonde came forth, "other than when Brutus shoved him to the wall, no one laid a hand on him."

"Three bottles whiskey, a round of beer for everyone – totaling twenty-seven mugs, assorted chocolates and fruits..." Another woman wearing the clothes of a barmaid was reading off the page in her hand. "All of these items were purchased, yet not paid for, by Lord Motoyasu." Aultcray gestured for one of his servants to bring him the list, and all his willpower went into keeping a straight face as his eyes looked over it.

"My girls speak the truth," The oldest woman in the group now stepped forth. "And while Brutus was unable to secure payment, I did send a debt collector after Lord Motoyasu. However, his powers of evasion are quite impressive, and he has managed to resist our further attempts to secure payment."

Murmurs and mutters came from all sides, more than one noble sending a disapproving look towards the Spear Hero. Aultcray sat back in his throne, considering everything before him. The only things to align from Motoyasu's story of assault with the testimony of the witnesses was that it happened in an alley, and involved a big guy. And while it had been confirmed that Motoyasu had been shoved against a wall, there was no additional violence, and the bouncer's use of force was well within the man's position. There was also the proof of a debt against the Spear Hero.

"This document, as well as the testimonies of these people are very telling." He looked to Motoyasu, who was visibly sweating with nervousness. "Do you have anything to back up your original claim of assault?"

The Spear Hero's hands clenched and unclenched as he met the King's gaze. "No, your highness."

"And is what they say true? Did you partake of the services offered by these folks? And subsequently fail to pay for such services?"

"Yes, your highness." Anger andembarrassment weighed heavily on Motoyasu's words. The youth's eyes filled with contempt towards everyone. Aultcray took a moment then to collect his thoughts, eyes again looking at the various parties in the room. The nobility seemed to be all whispered gossip, no doubt about the nature of these heroes. Lord Itsuki was sputtering, seeming to want to make an argument, but couldn't given the just nature of the trial. Lord Ren, who had originally seemed indifferent to the case, now seemed to be interested and waiting with baited breath for the verdict. Lord V was nearly unreadable, but Aultcray could sense a sort of smug triumph from the man. Meanwhile Lord Motoyasu seemed to be sweating so much that the King was afraid he'd suffer from dehydration. Making a decision, Aultcray once again called for silence and delivered his verdict.

"Lord Motoyasu, given the evidence and circumstances...I have no choice but to fine you for your actions." He straightened up, feeling the weight of what he was about to say on his shoulders. "You are to pay the full amount of six hundred silver that you owe these people, as well as any charges they incurred in trying to resolve this matter. There is also the matter of you attempting to deceive the court of your actions. In doing so, you wasted not only my time, but also that of my guards and, more seriously, your fellow Heroes. For that, you must pay a fine of two hundred silvers, and an additional thirty silvers to Lords V, Itsuki, and Ren." He met the Spear Hero's eyes, the disappointment in his own registering on the now shaking hero. "Total fine, Eight-hundred and ninety silvers plus expenses. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your highness." Whatever dignity Motoyasu may have had left him with those words.

"Good. I shall have one of my treasurers work out a payment plan with you and the others later." He turned his attention to the other three heroes. "Let this also be a warning to the rest of you. While your status as Heroes may grant you certain leniency and liberties, you are not fully above the law. If you commit a crime, you will be tried as if you were just another citizen. Do you understand?" Ren and Itsuki both nodded and gave a verbal affirmation, while V gave a single nod. "Good. Now if there are no more matters that require my attention..." Blessedly, the room stayed silent. "Lords Itsuki, Ren, and V – Continue to train and hone your skills for the upcoming Waves. Lord Motoyasu – I request that you and your party remain here on castle grounds. I shall grant you full access to the training grounds, and members of the guard as well for sparring partners to compensate for the delay." He watched Motoyasu's face contort into a mixture of rage and disappointment, but still the hero nodded. "Dismissed."

That single word seemed to break the tension in the room, and everyone began to leave. The witnesses V had brought had all stepped forward and offered their thanks to Aultcray and praised his judgment. He watched them offer their own thanks to V, before departing with him and his companion following behind. He saw Itsuki give V a disgusted look as he passed, and saw him send the same expression to Motoyasu before leaving. Ren had departed with his party the moment he had given permission, leaving Motoyasu the only Hero still in the room.

Aultcray watched as Motoyasu's party did their best to console or calm their leader. He noted that his daughter's eyes appeared bored, despite the comforting tone of voice she was using on the Spear Hero. He noticed Motoyasu's party had gained a new member since the initial forming, a man who he recognized as a semi-retired monster hunter. The man had said something that annoyed the Spear Hero, and Aultcray found impressed that Motoyasu didn't smack the man's head off.

"He's going to pay for this!" The Spear Hero's fist connected with his palm, the thud punctuating his words as he gestured for his party to move along. Though Aultcray had no idea what his companion might have said, he suspected the reply was probably directed at V. He thought briefly of cautioning the Spear Hero against retaliation, but doubted the young man could actually do anything against V. Only when the throne room was empty did Aultcray finally let out the groan he had been holding in, the weight of what he had done sending him sinking down into his chair as he cradled his head in his hands, considering his next course of actions.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

...

Following the proceedings, Malty had followed Motoyasu and the others out of her father's throne room. She had done her best to try and console the man, but in reality felt little sympathy. Through his own shortcomings, the Spear Hero had done himself in, and revealed just what kind of a man he really was. As the party made its way through the castle's halls, she noticed the change in the looks and whispers of servants and visitors. Before, they eyed the party with envy, offered words of praise or well wishes. Now, their eyes held disappointment or a sad resentment, and words exchanged included labels of thieves, whore-mongers, and other terms reserved for society's undesirables.

"I understand where they're coming from..." Malty kept the thought to herself as she saw two of the maids move as far to the side as they could as Motoyasu past, one clutching the silver tray she was carrying close to her chest. No doubt trying to shield her bosom from the eyes of the Hero. Motoyasu himself seemed to be moving with no particular destination in mind, just determined to get away from the humiliation he had suffered. Every step was punctuated with him making some remark or comment against V, against the kingdom, and so on. She had only been half listening, wondering if she could still leave his party somehow without causing too many issues. Eventually, they had emerged to the castle's training grounds, the few guards milling about paying no mind as Motoyasu grabbed his spear with a white-knuckled grip and viciously stabbed at a training dummy.

"Damn you V!" Another thrust punctuated the statement. A string of cusses against the Shield now leaving his mouth with every thrust. While not exactly the most adept at combat, even she could tell there was no thought, no style behind his attacks. Nothing but a child's desire to destroy a perceived foe. "I'm going to kill that bastard!"

"Lord Motoyasu, I would advise against anything that could further damage your reputation. The Heroes-" The only male member of the party dared challenge Motoyasu, suddenly finding himself staring at the tip of the Legendary Spear. Malty very vaguely wondered if she'd ever remember his name, or if he'd leave or be dismissed before she bothered to recall.

"What? The heroes have to work together?" The spear lowered, being thrown a moment later with reckless abandonment into a target just behind the man. "I hardly call selling each other out working together."

"How did he sell you out?" The man asked, watching as Motoyasu retrieved his spear. "I hardly call finding evidence that disproves a story selling someone out."

"The King let him go, even with suspicion. He could have left it at that, but no." The Spear hero grimaced, "He had to find a way to prove me a liar. Prove himself clean!" The target received a few more stabs. "Heroes work together. Cover each other...UGH!"

Malty took a seat on a nearby hay bale and watched the situation before her with ever growing boredom. The once pristine target now reduced to a pile of straw as Motoyasu vented his impotent frustrations as all the while her fellows tried to talk some sense into the man. Traveling with a hero was supposed to be exciting, a way for her to further boost her status and show off her willingness to defend her country. Instead, she felt she had been reduced to the roll of a glorified babysitter who had to mind a very stubborn toddler. Her Hero and the Spear bearer she was tied to couldn't be any more different, and that fact was leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

"...But there has to be something we can do to him..." Motoyasu's voice brought Malty out of her musings, and she noticed his eyes were on one of the statues to decorate the training grounds. It depicted Melromarc's victory in a battle against Siltvelt. She noticed his eyes seemed to focus on the defeated demi-humans it portrayed. "Wait, what do any of you know about the child he was with a few days ago? Or of his current companion?"

"The demi-human?" One of the other women closed her eyes, thinking. "She looked a little mangy, but I think she might have been part of the fox or raccoon race."

"Raccoon. The tail gives it away," the second woman now spoke. "I saw her clearly when they left originally. And seeing her today confirms it." She noticed Motoyasu's confusion. "That demi-human with him is, well was, the child you saw originally."

"Demi-humans really do grow that fast, huh?" The man asked, bringing nods from the others. "If I didn't see it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it."

Motoyasu seemed to accept their explanation. "Okay, but where did she come from? And why is she traveling with him?"

"Lord V said she was a slave." The words left Malty's mouth before she realized what she had said.

"What was that?" The Spear Hero's eyes were now on her, his mind seeming to recall something. "Wait, you said you saw him and her at that other inn. What do you know about them?"

The princess mentally cussed herself out, but even with her status, she knew she couldn't ignore the question without starting a fight. "When I talked with Lord V at the inn, he mentioned that she was a slave he had found and saved. And subsequently, at her request, took her along with him."

"You said he found her? Where?" Motoyasu suddenly seemed intrigued by this knowledge.

"I'm not sure. That's all Lord V told me about her." Malty shrugged, everyone knew of Melromarc's black market, but she wasn't about to send him there. She narrowed her eyes slightlyas Motoyasu smiled at the information. "Why does that matter?"

"Acquiring a slave..." The blonde's foot began tapping, a plan seeming to start to form within his head. "Though I suppose given the man's nature, it's not much of a surprise..." He trailed off, eyes suddenly bright.

"My lord?" Malty couldn't say which one of her female companions had spoken, she was too focused on the Spear Hero and his sudden shift in personality.

"Sorry, just trying to fathom the thought of a hero having slaves to do his bidding." Motoyasu shrugged, seeming to have decided something."That aside, I don't know how long it will be until the King sends for us, but why don't we get in some friendly sparring while we wait? I can show you the new technique I learned." Though there was still annoyance in his voice at the impending meeting, Motoyasu sounded more like his original self with these words.

"Uh, sure." One of the women responded as Motoyasu smiled and moved a couple of the training dummies around. Malty paid no mind to when he preformed a flashy spin attack on the dummies, her mind instead thinking of what he had said.

"What are you planning Motoyasu?" Her eyes focused on the same statue Motoyasu had, a dozen scenarios running through her head as she tried to fathom just what the Spear Hero might have been thinking of doing with, or about, V's companion. "Should I maybe warn V? But would the man even believe me?" She heard the sound of empty applause, noticing the other three were applauding whatever Motoyasu had just done.

The peacock posing as a hero didn't seem to notice this fact, and instead proceeded to challenge the other man of their party to a duel. She watched as all of the Spear Hero's attacks were blocked with an effortless ease, something which only seemed to bring back some of the Spear Hero's lost anger. She heard the two of them get into a verbal match that ended only when the other man called Motoyasu a child and quit the party. The other women quickly moved in, taking Motoyasu's side and saying they didn't need him. Meanwhile Malty watched the man go, and once again heavily considered doing the same.

"I should have joined Lord V, and just told my father to fuck off and deal with it." the now dour princess thought with a buttload of regret-tainted annoyance.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Armed with a small map and Erhart's directions, and after a quick stop at the general store to pick up some additional supplies, the pair had set out on the path to Lute Village. Normally, they would be walking side-by-side, Raphtalia having long since learned to keep pace with Naofumi's stride. Both with their attention focused on their surroundings, watching for any signs of trouble. Today however, the demi-human found herself lagging just behind the man. She kept looking over her shoulder, as if checking that they weren't being followed.

"You're being silly Raphtalia," She chided herself, the ghost of a smile crossing her face for just a moment as she realized the only thing that might be following them would be the Princess Malty. More than once she had heard people muttering about how the princess was hunting for the Shield. "Still though..."

She shivered, her hands gently rubbing her arms in an attempt to shake off the cold she felt growing from within. Thanks to Naofumi's care, the amount of night terrors she once had had been greatly reduced. Sure, she still occasionally had a bad dream about her time with the Slavers. But actual nightmares about the attack that woke everyone up with her screaming? It had been awhile since she had one of those, let alone even actively thought about it. Yet once again, she heard Erhart's warning about the creatures within the mines:

"Main issue being the two-headed dogs. They can be a handful, even for the most seasoned adventurers at times."

And suddenly, her nightmarish memories were at the forefront of her thoughts. Only now, they seemed more like fever dreams. Instead of her parents, it was Naofumi on the cliff. And while the Cerberus had lost one of its heads, the fact it would have towered over the blacksmith's shop more than compensated for that.

"Raphtalia?" She realized Naofumi had come to a stop when her own steps caused her to walk into the man. "Are you feeling okay?"

She felt Naofumi's hands resting on her arms, a gentle touch that sometimes seemed at odds with the gravel of his voice. One of his hands moved to her forehead, but he quickly frowned. Seeming to remember that the metal in his hands would prevent him from getting a proper read.

"That's no good...Hang on..." He leaned in then, his forehead touching hers in an attempt to see if she was running a temperature. "You do feel a little warm..."

The concern on his face, coupled with how close his was to her own, made Raphtalia's heart ache. On the one hand, here was her hero, making sure she was okay and looking out for her well being. On the other hand, the last two people who had cared about her in a similar fashion...

"Mommy! Daddy! Nooo!" Her mind screamed, the two of them once again replaced with the Shield Hero. "Naofumi!"

She wanted to wrap her arms around him, surrender to what she was feeling. Instead, old habits from her time with the Slaver took over. Ignoring the screaming of her heart, she pulled away from him slightly, one hand reaching down to her side to pick up the canteen that rested there. "I, uh, think I'm a little dehydrated." She opened the canteen and took a long swallow, hoping the drink would wash away what she was feeling. An exaggerated sigh of relief left her lips as she offered the canteen to Naofumi. "That's better."

"I think you need it more than I do. Besides, I've got my own right here." He shook his head, declining a drink even as he patted his own canteen. Raphtalia nodded, though she could tell he wasn't quite convinced with her answer. Her observations were further proven correct when instead of continuing to walk, Naofumi scanned the area, trying to decide something.

"You know, it's getting a bit late in the day...And this looks as good a spot as any. So if you're not feeling up to traveling anymore, why don't we set up camp here?" He looked around, pointing at a small woodland to the east and slightly south of them. While he couldn't hear anything to confirm it, the lushness of the trees and the grass, as well as the abundance of smaller forest creatures, told him there was probably a brook or maybe a small pond somewhere nearby that provided water for the area.

"Maybe we should go just a little further?" She questioned, knowing Naofumi's desire to reach the mines of Lute Village sooner rather than later.

"We've been traveling, what? About half a day?" He asked, unrolling the map as Raphtalia nodded. "By my estimates, we're somewhere around here." He tapped the relevant point, "if we set out early tomorrow, while I don't think we'll make it to the village before tomorrow night. We should be there sometime before nightfall the day after." Naofumi tucked the map away, eyes now back on Raphtalia. "Does that plan work for you?"

"Yes." Raphtalia gave a single nod, though her normal enthusiasm was missing. Naofumi gave a nod of his own and turned his attention to the Shield's inventory. Though she had been helping him set up camp for awhile, Raphtalia still couldn't help but ask. "What would you like me to do?"

"Since you seem to need a bit of a rest, can you set up the shelter half to protect the firewood and other goods we'll be using tonight and tomorrow morning?" He began to remove items from within the shield. "Meanwhile, I'll take care of setting up the sleeping tent and clearing some of the ground."

"Of course..." Raphtalia gave a nod, eyes focused elsewhere. "Are we going to set up the cooking station too? Or are we having a cold supper?"

"Though I'm fine with a cold meal, figure a hot meal would be better given that you seemed to be a little cold earlier." The faintest pout came to Raphtalia's face, Naofumi never missed a thing. "Also, I'll be honest and admit I've gotten used to having a warm breakfast." He rubbed his own arms, mirroring her earlier actions. "Mostly because it has been a little cool these last few mornings.

The faintest smile crossed Raphtalia's face. She knew he wasn't as bothered by the cold as much as she was, but still appreciated Naofumi's attempt to make her feel better about her own 'weakness'. She also suspected he said it out of concern that she might coming down with something.

"...It's alright dear. I'm right here." A long forgotten voice sounded clearly in her ears, its tone full of motherly concern. "Are you cold? I've made some raisin and date porridge if you need something warm..."

Raphtalia shook away the voice, wondering just where in her memories it has surfaced from. "Do we, still have some oats or rice and dried fruits? Porridge is always good on a cold morning..." Her mind once again flashed to the past, memories of a table of bowls of porridge spilled onto the ground in haste to get away. "It will be different this time..."

"Sounds good." Naofumi replied, now removing their tent from the shield's storage, along with the tarp and poles they used to construct a shelter half. Taking the tarp and poles, Raphtalia set up the shelter a few feet away from the tent. "Naofumi? Do you mind if I set the eggs down in the shelter? Give me a little more room in my backpack as I look for rocks and kindling?"

"Go ahead." He gave a wave of acknowledgment, "just don't go too far into the woods. We don't know fully what might be out there yet."

"Wild beasts, skeletons, dogs..." Her mind ran wild, but she shook off the feeling. Instead focusing her attention on the tasks at hand. Reaching into her backpack, she set the incubators down in a line near the back of the shelter. Partially to ensure they had the most coverage of the tarp, and also to keep them out of the line of sight of any curious creature that may dare to approach their camp. She looked at the timers, all of which were still slowly ticking down, even though they were no longer directly on her person. "Whatever is in these things..."

The small assortment of dry rations she carried in her own bag joined the incubators, while the pair of gloves within went on her hands. Satisfied that she now had enough room, she made her way over to the trees. While she didn't have Naofumi's optics, her own eyes and ears were able to pick up signs here and there indicative of monster activity. Most of it was probably the work of the smaller creatures like Usapils, but the occasional scratch mark higher up on the trees hinted towards something larger.

"Copperskin Bears, devil cats..." The irrational part of her brain started up again as she took a few steps in beyond the tree line. Raphtalia suppressed a sigh, her posture on full alert as she made her way just a little deeper into the woods. "Any one of them could show up at any time and..."

"Don't listen to her. You'll be fine, Naofumi won't let anything happen to you..." The rational part that had been mended somewhat from past traumas reminded her as she knelt down to pick up some dried brush. "And besides, you're just as tough, if not tougher given everything you've been through." Just then, the distant sound of barking met her ears, causing a shiver of dread to move down her spine.

"But he's not here...He can't protect you like they did..." The irrational voice came back, only this time it took the form of the scared child that still resided within her. Raphtalia quickened her movements, adding a few decently sized rocks to her bag to make the walls of their fire pit with. She frowned, ears perked in the direction she thought the sound had come from. However, she heard no further noises beyond the standard cacophony of the forest and found herself questioning if what she heard was real. Or another memory come to the surface. The scared child spoke again, "you're alone..."

"I'm not alone..." Raphtalia answered aloud, "Naofumi wouldn't...He won't let anything happen to me..." she formed her hand into a fist, trying to convince herself. Again, her rational self pointed out that Naofumi was just over there. Heck, if she focused, she could just make out his silhouette against the end of the tree line. Still though, child-Raphtalia couldn't seem to understand that. And for some reason, the child was winning and making her way to the surface, ready to overpower rational-Raphtalia. "I don't have time for this...I need to get back." Shaking her head, Raphtalia turned her attention back to the task at hand, gathering more than enough rocks, small sticks, and even a few larger sticks about the size and thickness of her arm.

Returning to camp, she watched Naofumi had taken to digging a small pit for them to build the fire in. The sight reassured her just slightly, and she moved to his side to assist him.

"Find everything?" Naofumi asked, one hand reaching out to take her pack, which she gladly handed over with a nod.

"I think so..." The doubt in her voice was almost as heavy as the bag she had carried.

"Okay, seriously. What's wrong?" Alert as always, Naofumi picked up on the familiar tone that had all but faded in their last few weeks together. His eyes searched hers, even as his hands took to building their campfire in and around the pit he had dug.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." She made a show of stretching and wiping her brow, even as he began to remove the items to set up their cooking station. It was a simple system of a metal tripod that could rest over a small campfire. A couple pegs jutted out from the poles about a third of the way down, serving as a rest for the circular grill that they often used to roast a small monster, or to hold a cast-iron pan for making soups or strews. "Anything...Anything you want for dinner?" She stared at Naofumi, trying to draw comfort from his presence to counter the growing feeling of unease threatening to engulf her.

"Thinking I'll make something simple – can you hold the tripod steady? Thank you." He gently shoved the legs into the ground, surrounding each with two or three stones for added stability. Setting the grill down on the pegs, he looked back up at Raphtalia. "I've still got a decent chunk of salt pork left. Maybe cut it up and fry it with some wild roots, if we can find any." Using his knife and a flint, he was quick to get a spark and set the kindling ablaze.

"Sounds good..." She turned her back to him, feet pointed at the trees. "I'll, uh, go back in the woods and..."

"No you won't." Naofumi's hand was on her shoulder before she could take another step. With hands more gentle than anyone would think possible, he turned her to face him, before pulling her into a hug. "You're acting different...Something's wrong, and I'm not letting you go until you tell me what it is."

Scared child-Raphtalia returned fully to the surface, her voice gone.

"Raphtalia, remember what I said in our early days together?" He gently turned her head to face him. "I told you, if you needed or wanted anything, to let me know. Told you that included talking to me about any concerns you have."

"...I know, but..." Raphtalia sighed, knowing she couldn't lie to Naofumi anymore. And while she trusted Naofumi more than anyone else, the thought of telling him the truth seemed just as unappealing. Still though, she owed the man an explanation. As pathetic as it made her feel, she mumbled her answer into his shoulder.

"What was that?" He gently shifted his shoulder, uncovering her mouth slightly.

"I heard a dog in the woods. Mister Erhart mentioned the mines near the village... T-that they... That they had two-headed dogs..." She began to shake, even as she tried to simultaneously curl herself into a ball and bury herself deeper into Naofumi's embrace. "I-I...I don't...like two-headed dogs..."

"Is that all?" His head tilted to the side, seeming confused and thoughtful at the same time. "Well, I suppose that compared to some of the other monsters we've faced. A two-headed beast may be more horrifying bu-"

"No...You don't understand." The briefest flicker of anger passed through her eyes, though it didn't come to her face. "They're vicious brainless beasts that care nothing for anyone or anything!" Before she realized what was happening, the words were flowing from her mouth as freely as the tears from her eyes. The slightly more mature tone her voice had taken on gone, replaced with that of the child he had pulled from the darkness. "When the last wave hit...My village, was the sight of the attack."

"Raphtalia..." Naofumi gently squeezed her, but she seemed unaware of his touch.

"It started with skeleton soldiers marching from the surrounding woodlands, and while various adventurers in the area were able to keep the numbers in check...The skeletons soon got reinforcements. Giant bugs and snarling beasts joined the ranks, and quickly overpowered the defenses of the village and the adventurers."

"Finally, a pitch black, three-headed Cerberus appeared. And the village and many of the villagers were trampled with ease under its paws. Those of us who were on the outskirts ran. I remember my mother grabbing me away from the table so fast that she knocked it over. And the way she was clutching my hand so hard, it's a wonder she didn't break it as she dragged me along behind her and father. When it was clear to them that I couldn't keep up...Father grabbed me in his arms and carried me."

"We...They ran until we reached the cliffs that bordered the sea." Her breath was ragged, as if she had been running, and not just remembering. "I see it all so clearly. Father setting me down...my back to the ocean." Sobs began to puncture her words, even as Naofumi started to rub soothing circles on her back. "Mother moved next to him, her arm around his shoulders...The two of them making a perfect shield from the even increasing sound of violence, death, and destruction. I recall mother placing a hand on my head, her eyes gentle and loving...

More sobs wracked her body, silencing her story even as Naofumi continued to hold her. By the way his chest moved, Raphtalia could tell he wanted to say something, but was remaining silent out of respect as he waited for her to continue.

"Mother was speaking...'Raphtalia...Soon, you will surely find yourself in a terrible situation. There's even a chance you might die from it.' Her hand moved to my shoulder, Father's hand taking its place on my head. 'But even if that does happen, do you know what Raphtalia? Both of us want you keep living to the best of your ability.' They both embraced me then, but as...As I moved to return the hug, they spoke as one, moved as one. 'Forgive us our selfishness...' They said, arms striking out as they, they..."

"They what?" Naofumi's grip didn't lessen, even as Raphtalia tightened her own.

"They pushed me over the edge right as some beast or another pounced on them...All I could do was scream as I fell. I screamed as I hit the water...Struggled, sputtered, and coughed as the waves hit against my tiny form." She sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "By some miracle? Curse? I...I don't know anymore, I was washed ashore on a nearby beach. Away from the Waves, away from the monsters. I don't know how long I was out, but everything was silent when I awoke."

"I recall standing, shaking the salt and sand from my clothes...From my hair..." She rubbed her eyes, the saltiness of her tears reminding her of the spray of the ocean. "I don't know what compelled me, but I began to move back up and towards my village." Though her tears had stopped, the hollow look in her eyes told the world the weight of her sadness. "I passed the corpses of so many beasts, so many bugs. The monsters subjugated thanks to the efforts of knight squadrons and other adventurers. Not that I didn't pass the corpses of them, as well as those of other villagers and unfortunate travelers."

"I made my way back to the cliffside, to where my parents had...Had taken the time to comfort me, to save me, when they could have potentially escaped themselves." More tears formed, further soaking Naofumi's chest. "There...wasn't much left. A large pool of blood, scraps of meat and bone..."

"Raphtalia, you don't-" Once again, Naofumi's words and touch went unnoticed.

"I ran away then. Screaming, crying...Just wandering around aimlessly. Wishing for the warmth of my parents, really for any touch at all." Once again, she wiped her nose, even as Naofumi embraced her as firmly and gently as he could. "Before I knew it, someone did find me...And threw me in that cage."

"You mean the Slaver's cage?" For the first time since her breakdown, Naofumi's words reached her ears and she nodded.

"I thought I went through hell, when the Waves hit...But the slaver's tent?" She shuddered, eyes now devoid of tears, but there was a hollowness to them that rivaled the look she had when he first found her. "That might have been closer. Every day, someone was sold or someone returned. Someone was beaten or abused."

"And what about you?" He asked gently, shifting her so that her head was resting on his other, dry shoulder.

"They spoke of turning me into a servant. Some noble opted to buy me, and tried to teach me...But, he was troubled by my cough, and apparently my night terrors. The same thing happened with the second man who purchased me. I was with him barely a day before being sent back." Raphtalia started shivering again, despite the warmth of the fire and Naofumi's embrace. "The third man to buy me...The one before you came along...was the worst. He brought me home, then him and several others spent the entire night taking turns whipping, hitting, and cursing me out. I was nothing but a toy to them. They sold me back the next morning, tattered, torn, and scarred."

"Fucking sickos." Naofumi growled. Even through his clothing, and with her dulled senses, Raphtalia could feel him tense up with restrained anger at the unknown assailants. "Guessing no one wanted you after that?"

She nodded. "I was broken, and no one...wants to play with a broken toy..." Raphtalia whispered, whatever strength she had drawn upon to tell her story now depleted.

"Raphtalia..."

"But you...You didn't hesitate to take me in. Didn't once try to restrict, restrain, or change me." She met Naofumi's gaze head on, "why?"

"Because broken toys can be fixed." He withdrew a small cloth from the Shield and gently wiped her face. "Maybe I never told you fully, but I used to help a lot of people back in Night City. And looking around here, I see people in a lot of the same situations. You however, looked to be in a really bad place...and I knew I couldn't leave you there." He returned her head to resting on his shoulder, once again stroking her hair.

The sincerity of Naofumi's words, coupled with the gentleness of his touch, seemed to release a weight from Raphtalia's back that she didn't know she had been carrying. Maybe it was because someone finally listened to her story. Or because, while she always suspected it, she knew she found someone who truly cared for her like her parents had. Though she had smiled many times since first meeting Naofumi, the one currently taking over her face would have ranked as the most genuine.

"Thank you, Naofumi." She gave him a hug of her own, "and I know I promised a million times over to be your supporter and to help you. But, if I can ever do more to help you..."

"Well, I can't think of anything right now..." By the way his eyes shined, Raphtalia could see the gears turning in the man's mind, despite his words. "Actually, just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"It doesn't matter what we're doing, or where we're going..." He gently stroked her hair, "If you ever see any of those responsible, I want you to point them out to me...So I can kill them."

Raphtalia couldn't stop the small laugh to escape her as she snuggled into Naofumi's chest. Looking into his eyes, she saw his usual resolve and sincerity to her case. "I will."

"That a girl." Instead of stroking, he gave her a couple head pats. "Now I don't know about you, but story time has made me hungry..." Raphtalia couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh, one hand hitting against Naofumi's chest with a thump at his words. Separating himself from her, Naofumi reached for his own bag and removed the chunk of pork, along with a small bag of assorted dried vegetables. "Feel up to helping me cook?"

"Of course." She took the bag of vegetables from him and began the process of rendering them into chunks that were quickly tossed into the pan with the chunks of meat. As the pair took turns tossing and stirring the pot, Raphtalia couldn't help but smile. Sure, her life definitely wasn't perfect, but she couldn't argue that she wasn't living. "I hope you're proud of me Mother, Father..."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

…

Following the revelations about Raphtalia's life, the girl finally seemed to have moved past some of her traumas. Naofumi knew it wouldn't be an instantaneous thing, far too many memories of acquaintances back in Night City suffering from similar problems came to his mind. But she definitely seemed refreshed in a way. Her eyes had been bright as they fried the vegetables alongside the pork, using the meat's own fat and juices to flavor everything. The smile on her face as they enjoyed that simple meal was on par with the one she had given him when he bought her the ball. Even when she fell asleep at his side just relaxing around the campfire, he could tell there was a newfound lightness she was feeling thanks to having shed some of the weight of her memories.

He had carried her into their tent, and while he wasn't exactly tired, opted to just relax and do some reading. Even though he usually went to bed and fell asleep later than Raphtalia, he was almost always awake before her. This morning however proved to be one of the rare exceptions, and he found himself being awoken by his companion's semi-frantic mutterings and the sounds of items being shuffled about. He exited the tent, seeing Raphtalia kneeling before the small shelter half they had constructed.

"Where's the creature? Where's the creature!?" Raphtalia was haphazardly throwing all their belongings strategically to the left or right, repeating the same question.

"Raphtalia?" He approached slowly, announcing his presence so as to not unsettle her further. "Everything okay?"

"The first egg we got hatched..." She pointed to the empty incubator, which showed signed of having been broken out of by whatever was inside. The other three remained undisturbed in their resting spot under the shelter. "But I can't seem to find where whatever hatched from it went! You..." The mild panic in her voice switched to one of sad regret. "You don't think something came by in the night and ate it, do you?"

"Doubtful." He placed a hand of Raphtalia's shoulder, "nothing else was disturbed. If anything, my guess is that it hatched and wandered off. Depending on what it was, it might not have gone far."

"Maybe..." Her eyes drifted to the woods, still seeming nervous for whatever creature might have gone astray. She rose to her feet and took a single step away from the shelter, her feet making the smallest crunching sound on the ground. It was then his ears picked up the sound of additional crunching, and he motioned for her to stop and be silent. Activating his optics, he scanned the area, and was quickly greeted to the heat silhouette of something sitting just behind the shelter. Deactivating the skill, he carefully crept around the shelter and couldn't help the small smile of amusement to grace his face at what he saw.

"Found it..." He whispered just loud enough to reach Raphtalia's ears, who had now moved to his side to look at the creature. It appeared to be a small chick of sorts, though to Naofumi's eyes it looked more like a ball of creamy pinkish-white feathers with feet and a smaller ball that was probably its head. The chick seemed not to notice them, its attention focused more on devouring whatever crumbs remained of the trail rations the pair had left out in the shelter the night before. He looked to Raphtalia, who was trying to hold back her laughter and embarrassment of having not thought to check outside the shelter.

"What kind of monster is that?" Raphtalia asked, even as Naofumi gestured for her to go around the opposite side of him. He looked under the 'Monster Tamer' category, seeing the creature's type listed.

"Filolial." Naofumi sighed as he cross-referenced the database entry about the monster in question. "Says here they're basically a glorified beast of burden who like to pull carts?"

"Fii!" The chick finally noticed them, chirping in response to Naofumi's assessment before continuing to peck the ground for food.

Naofumi shook his head and looked again at the status of the newly hatched monster. Originally, he had only looked at the Species, but now saw it also showed things like sex, level, and a section for entering a name. "I can name...Her?"

"It's only polite." Raphtalia picked the chick up, the gesture bringing a string of happy chirping from the chick who was quick to spin around a few times before nestling down in her open palms. "Besides, if you're going to keep her as a mount or beast of burden. It would be easier to address her by a proper name." She held the chick out for Naofumi to look at more closely. "I mean, look at her. She's like a little snowball. Or maybe more like a down pillow...or a dandelion puff."

"Fii!" The chick peeped happily as she looked at Naofumi, eyes bright. "Fii! Fii!"

"Aww, just look how excited she is about getting a name. Is that it? Are you excited?" Naofumi could only sigh as Raphtalia nuzzled the Filolial. The action bringing about another round of happy chirping and giggles from the two. Realizing he wasn't going to be able to get out of it, and after barely a moment's thought...

"Filo."

"What?" The absolute deadpan tone of Raphtalia's voice matched the now blank expression on her face. Even the chick had gone silent, and seemed to be staring at him.

"Filo, short for Filolial." Naofumi entered the name and hit 'save'. "Simple, and allows for a level of distance if I decide to sell her, or if she dies."

"Fii..." The ball of feathers seemed to deflate in Raphtalia's hands. Prior excitement to being given a name seeming to have faded.

"That's not very nice." Raphtalia brought Filo to her chest and gave her a hug, the action causing the chick to perk back up slightly.

"It's practical." He shrugged, ignoring the frown Raphtalia was giving him and the oddly indignant expression Filo seemed to be hitting him with.

"A fair point..." Raphtalia just sighed as Filo nuzzled further into her chest, the little chick's eyes closing as she fell asleep. "But just for that I'm naming the next three." She gently stroked Filo's back, "and I'm going to pretend that you were named after the pastry dough, because it gets all puffy like you when baked." She walked back over to the shelter then, Filo cradled to her chest as she began to look for something she could turn into a makeshift bed for the chick.

"Sorry Beloukas, but you're not getting this one back. Once she gets bigger, I'll definitely invest in a cart. Would be nice to have the power to carry more without needing to go through the hassle of storing it in the shield." He looked to the other three eggs, "Now to just hope you lot are just as useful..."

Naofumi glanced at the chick in a way that made the newborn shiver.

"And you get to help me test the limits of experience sharing on the way."

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

…

Having packed up their campsite, the newly formed trio continued on their way to Lute Village. While Naofumi scouted ahead, Raphtalia was alternating between carrying the newly hatched Filo, and letting her run alongside her, but always well within her reach. The chick peeped happily every time Raphtalia laughed at her, seeming to enjoy the sound.

Naofumi meanwhile had his attention focused mostly on their surroundings, casually activating his 'Contagion' spell anytime he saw a monster or similar creature close enough to be affected, but far enough away to not be a threat. An Usapil that was lazily munching on some grass was his first hit, the creature behaving erratic enough to summon some of its friends, who were quick to catch the contagion. After a moment's longer struggle, all five of them convulsed and died. He checked the party screen, seeing the usual one exp gain for himself, and the one and a half to two point gain for Raphtalia. What he wasn't prepared to see was a three point increase for Filo, and the fact he had taken down five of them already put the creature up to fifteen points of experience, despite not even being more than three hours old.

He continued this behavior for the rest of the day, impressed with how easy it was to 'level up' his party members. By the time they stopped for the night, the fluffy chick was now the size of Raphtalia's backpack. She still weighed next to nothing though, as Raphtalia was still able to easily carry her. He continued his experiment into the next day, and by the time they stopped to rest on their third night of traveling, the ball of feathers was gone. And while Naofumi had only ever seen the stuffed specimens in the collections of Corpo-Millionairs, her newfound form reminded him of an emu. Filo still maintained her white coloration, but her feathers had lost most of the downy softness they had. She also now stood just about a head shorter than Raphtalia, but that was only when she perked up and opted to stand at her fullest.

"Okay Filo, your bed's ready." The girl commented, tossing a final bundle of dried grass onto the pile of leaves, pine boughs, and other grasses she had raked together.

"Beh!" Filo chirped, scratching at the leaves before settling down to further refine her bed.

"Yes Filo, bed. Still can't believe you're the same chick we just hatched." Raphtalia smiled, her eyes looking then to Naofumi. "Didn't think Filorials grew this fast."

"Normally no." He replied, eyes focused on something only he could see. "But as I've mentioned before, it seems that all party members of a Legendary Hero, even monsters, grow faster."

"Fast!"

Both Raphtalia and Naofumi nearly gave themselves whiplash as they turned to look back the Filorial chick, who now had what passed for a smile on a bird on her face.

"Did you just talk?" Raphtalia's head tilted to the side. She knew Filorials weren't the brightest, and while some did learn to mimic a word or two...the fact that this one did so so young...

"Talk?" Filo's head tilted like Raphtalia's, seeming confused at her own newfound ability.

"Uh...hang on," Naofumi checked the various documents he had about Filorials. While two or three of them mentioned mimicry, only one made mention of Filorials learning to talk – and that was of a couple who had been raised by a past Hero of the Sword. "Says here some Filorials learn to mimic common words they hear. But that usually only happens once they're fully developed adults...but actual talking, as in, forming a coherent sentence, seems to be something limited to Filorials raised by Legendary Heroes."

"Hero!"

"Huh, wonder if this one will ever learn to talk properly?" Raphtalia looked back to Filo, noticing she had left her bed and was once again wondering around camp, pecking the ground. "Hey Filo, you hungry?"

"Hungry!" Filo wandered back over to Raphtalia, beak open as she looked at Naofumi. "Filo Hungry!"

Raphtalia's eyes grew wider, mind trying to decide if Filo's declaration counted as talking or mimicry. That argument was thrown away however as her own stomach complained. With no shame, Raphtalia turned her attention to Naofumi as well. "I'm hungry too!"

"Really?" He rolled his eyes, not actually angry or annoyed as he began to set up the cooking station. "Why don't the two of you see if you can't find some wild greens or mushrooms? We've got enough to make it through today, and hopefully before this time tomorrow we'll be in Lute Village. But," he shrugged eyes on Raphtalia, "you know me. I like to be prepared for various situations."

"Okay." Raphtalia smiled, one hand coming to rest on Filo's back. "Come on Filo, let's see what we can find."

"Okay!" Filo replied, "Filo find food!"

With that, the bird took off running towards a nearby cluster of bushes, Raphtalia laughing a little as she followed behind the creature.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

…

Since the closing of the mines, Lute Village had seen better days. Travelers still came through and stayed at the inn, or bought, sold, and traded goods within its boarders. The farmlands provided more than enough food, and herbs and lumber were plentiful in the woods just beyond. However, with the loss of the mines, Lute Village had taken a blow that they were having difficulty recovering from.

Genkei, the Chieftain of the village sighed as he walked through the streets of the town, which were currently only occupied by the residents of the village. More than one trader had stopped off in recent days, looking for ore, coal, and other goods from the mine, only to have to leave empty handed. He had put out an appeal to the King, asking for assistance in clearing the mine, but nothing had come of the request. Or so he thought.

He looked up the road, seeing three figures approaching the village. Even at a distance, he could tell one was a demi-human, the second a juvenile Filolial or similar beast, and the third was a man who appeared to be part-man, part-armor. Though he had yet to actually see any of the four heroes, travelers through their village brought stories of them. While stories of the Bow, Spear, and Sword were the usual, it was the stories of the Shield that captured the most attention. Some of the things said of the man seemed like old wives' tales, the kinds of stories intended to make a child's eyes pop. However, he could see now that, at least some aspects, of the man had not been exaggerated.

"Shield Hero!" He hailed the man once he felt they were close enough, bowing his head ever so slightly as the Shield came even with him. "I am Genkei, Chieftain of Lute Village. On behalf of our humble village, I welcome you and your companions."

"Thanks. Name's V, by the way." He held out a hand, which the chieftain was quick to shake. "Where's the nearest Inn?"

While he had heard the stories, he was still slightly taken back by the rough attitude the man gave off. However, the smile on the face of his demi-human companion, and the luster of the Filolial's coat told a different story.

"We have but one inn here, that building over there." He gestured to one of the larger buildings, "there's also a stable attached to the inn, so you can keep your Filolial close. Though speaking of your steed, I must admit I'm surprised to see a white Filolial. They tend to be one of the rarer colors, and even when found, are nowhere near this radiant."

"Filo is rare?" The bird's head tilted to the side, seeming confused while Genkei was shocked to hear it speak. "Like meat?"

"No Filo." The demi-human laughed, a gentle sound. "It means there's not a lot of others like you. You're hard to find, like those apple snails you like to snack on."

"Oh..." Once again, Filo's head tilted left and right, seeming to be absorbing the information. It was impossible to know just how much got absorbed however, because when next she spoke. "...I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," V sighed, attention shifting from Filo back to Genkei. "Do they serve food as well? Or is there a tavern to dine at?"

"The inn has some simple meals, though there is also a small tavern serving similar fare." Genkei smiled, gesturing to another building. "Most passing through visit the tavern, while those staying longer tend to eat at the inn."

"Glad to hear it." V looked to his two companions, "I don't know about you two, but I'm thinking we get settled at the inn, then have something to eat." He looked back at Genkei, "perhaps you would like to join us? There's a few things I would like to discuss and ask you."

"Of course." Genkei's smile grew as he fell into step alongside V, the man's companion flanking the other side while the Filolial trotted circles around them. "Oh, apologies miss, but I don't believe I got your name?"

"Raphtalia," the demi-human answered, waving away the apology. The four of them walked in relative silence, with Genkei doing most of the talking as he pointed out some places during their short walk. Arriving at the inn, V and the chieftain went in while Raphtalia waited outside with Filo. Genkei had offered to pay for V's first night, along with the boarding fee for Filo, but the younger man had refused, telling him to hold onto the coins.

"Then at least let me buy you folks dinner." He offered, wanting to show the Shield Hero just how much his presence was welcomed.

"Dinner! Filo wants dinner!" Filo cried, barging into the inn with Raphtalia trying in vain to drag the ever bulbous bird back outside.

"Sweetheart," the innkeeper, an old woman just a little shorter than Raphtalia, came out from behind the counter and addressed Filo. Unlike everyone else, the innkeeper didn't seem surprised by the bird's actions. "There's plenty of food out back in the stables for a growing Filolial like yourself."

"Food for Filo?" The bird blinked, understanding the key words as the innkeeper nodded.

"Yeah. Raphtalia, why don't you take Filo outside and get her settled in the stables?" V nodded in agreement with the innkeeper as she snapped her fingers.

"How'd she do that?" V whispered to Genkei, impressed with the woman's talents.

"She used to be a Filolial rancher in her younger days." Genkei answered, causing V to nod as a young man appeared at the innkeeper's side.

"Rumi here will help you with that." The innkeeper shook her head as the three youngsters took their leave, before looking back at V and Genkei. "As for you, Shield Hero, I hope you'll find your stay with us most comfortable." She handed over a key to the room he had rented. "Room 2-2. Up the stairs, second door on the right.

"I'm sure I will, thank you." Genkei gave his own nod of thanks as V pocketed the key. Spying an open table, he lead V over to it and took a seat, gesturing for the man to do the same. Within a few moments, a young woman had come over and rattled off a list of available food and drinks for them. Raphtalia had returned in time to catch the end of her speech, the younger woman looking slightly frazzled.

"Filo's not too happy about having to sleep alone in the stables...Even though there are a couple other Filolials with her." She plucked a stray feather from her hair. "However, she's very happy for the assortment of food scraps and grains they've got for her to eat."

"She'll get over it." V replied, attention going back to the waitress. "I'll take a beer, and some of that pork roast you mentioned."

"Sounds good," Genkei gave a nod, "make it two."

"Raphtalia?"

"Uh...Guess I'll have the same...Though can I get juice or water instead of a beer?"

"Apple juice okay? " The waitress asked as Raphtalia nodded, the woman stepping away from the table for a moment as she put in their order, before returning with the requested drinks.

"So Lord V, what brings you to our village?" Genkei took a drink, "did the King send you to help us with the mines?"

"The blacksmith Erhart actually." V took a drink of his own as Raphtalia nodded, both of them sharing a knowing look that the King would probably never choose him for any sort of official mission. "I complained about a lack of metal for my own crafting endeavors, and he told me about the mines. Said there's a fair amount of metal and other ore to be found, with the only issue being the monsters."

"Erhart's always been a good one," the chieftain smiled at the name, but quickly frowned. "But he's right about the monsters. More than one party of adventurers has tried to thin their numbers, and subsequently had their own thinned. I put in an appeal with the King, hoping to get some additional help, but..." Genkei shrugged as the waitress returned with their food. "I'll be the first to admit, once I realized who you were, I thought the King might have listened to me."

"Thank you – I doubt it even reached him." V nodded at the waitress, hands already taking up a knife and fork. "He's been too busy dealing with other issues within town."

"So I've heard." He ate a few bites of his meal, thinking. "Anyhow, Erhart's also right about their being plenty of resources in those caves. Even the monsters themselves have value. Problem is taking them out." Genkei's eyes drifted to V's weapons, "though I suspect you might be a little more than qualified to take them out."

"That's what I'm hoping." V took another drink, sending a few bites of pork along behind it before continuing. "My thought on it was this. You let me and my companion go in and clear out the monsters. And if they become occupied again, we'll give them priority in being cleared."

"I see." Genkei caged his fingers, head tilted slightly as he appraised the Hero. "Though aside from experience, what would you receive from such an arrangement?"

"In return, I want the ability to take whatever metals I can find while clearing the place out." The shield hero took another drink. "Also, I want a discount and to be considered a priority customer at the local businesses."

"Discounts may be up to the discretion of the shopkeepers themselves, same with preferred status..." The chieftain closed his eyes, thinking of which merchants would agree with the proposal as it a little back and forth, the two reached an agreement not to dissimilar from the initial proposal of V's.

"Tomorrow, I'll have a guide take you out to the mines." Genkei was saying as the waitress came over with another round of drinks for them. "For tonight however, take some time to rest and relax." He raised his new glass, inviting V and Raphtalia to do the same. "To our agreement. Cheers."

"Cheers." Both V and Raphtalia responded, clicking their mugs against Genkei's as the conversation strayed away from business into discussion of day to day life.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

…

Following a hearty breakfast of sausage and eggs, Naofumi and Raphtalia had gone to visit Genkei and meet their appointed guide. He was one of the hunters who had originally served as a guard for the miners, and had explained to the two of them how best to navigate the tunnels.

"We did our best to keep everything as organized as possible, though I will admit there are more than a few dead-ends and unexplored passages." The hunter pointed to the crudely drawn map of the tunnels he had made up for them. "Still though, we hung up and or painted several markers to guide you. Red marks points of danger, such as loose ground. Green marks safe passages, while blue marks, for lack of a better term, flooded areas. To get back out of the mines, follow the orange markers."

Following his explanation, he had taken the pair out of the village on his personal cart, the man's own Filolial contently moving along. Originally, Naofumi had debated taking Filo with them as well, but decided against it. He had argued it was for her own safety, though Raphtalia knew it was also because Filo lacked any sort of discipline. The bird had thrown a fit when Naofumi commanded her to stay to the point he debated using the 'punishment' option that came with the 'Monster Tamer' system. Eventually, with help from the innkeeper, the three of them had mastered to get the bird to calm down with the promise of giving her a cart to help them bring everything back to Erhart's place if she behaved herself while they were gone. That had been enough to placate the creature, and Filo offered no more complaints as her friends had taken their leave.

Upon arriving at the mines, the two could see signs of past conflicts. Here and there was a splash of dried blood, a bit of bone or torn fur. A hastily made wooden gate covered the entrance, though the cracks and broken planks showed it did little to stop determined creatures from getting in or out, and mostly served as a warning to the unsuspecting adventurer who may happen upon it.

"I'll keep an eye on everything out here." The hunter answered, checking a few things on the cart as Naofumi and Raphtalia dismounted. "Though if you get into trouble, don't hesitate to call for my assistance."

The pair had nodded their thanks, before Naofumi took the lead and lead him and Raphtalia into the mine. While her knowledge of mining was limited, she could see the effort and skill that had gone into making the support struts that kept the walls and roof in place. She could see Naofumi nodding as he inspected everything, before he turned his attention to her.

"Raphtalia, these creatures are probably going to be harder than anything we've encountered up until now." He reached into his bag and handed her the machete he had brought with him from Night City. "Take a few swings and let me know how it feels."

She looked at the machete and complied, her movements an odd combination of swings and chops. "It's a little heavy, but I think I can manage."

"Good." He gave a nod as she sheathed the machete and attached it to the belt around her waist. After a moment's thought, he also handed her the pistol he called 'Lizzie'. "Also, while I know you have your bow...I think you might also benefit from having a little more firepower. Just in case."

She took the pistol with an odd reverence, holding it flat in her palms. Though it seemed lighter than the machete, Raphtalia knew holding it was a heavy burden. More than once, she had seem Naofumi handling them with what appeared, to her eyes at least, a serious reverence. Spotting her confusion, Naofumi took the weapon back and gave her a basic course in gun safety while also showing her how to use the weapon.

"Rule one. Don't point at anything you don't intend to kill. Rule two. Don't put your finger on the trigger until ready to fire." He showed off his hands, the barrel of the gun pointing at the ground and into the darkness of the tunnel while his index finger was flat beside the trigger. Naofumi then took her through the basics of aiming, loading, and firing the gun – though he didn't actually let her fire off any shots. "Though you've only got ten shots, I don't think you'll actually need to use it, but I'll feel better knowing you at least have it if you do."

She nodded her agreement as Naofumi helped her holster the pistol at her side. Satisfied that she could handle herself, Naofumi took the lead and moved further into the mine. Following the hunter's guidelines, it didn't take the pair long to come across an exposed vein of iron guarded by a trio of cave crickets. Naofumi quickly scanned them, and deeming them to not be much of a threat, instructed Raphtalia to take them out.

She complied, using the machete to make short work of them. Though they were about the size of her head, the bugs were no match to the weight and sharpness of the blade. Two more had hopped off the ceiling, but they met the same fate as the others.

"Looks like you've got the hang of that." Naofumi let out a single laugh as he watched her shake the remains of the last cricket off the blade. She nodded as he removed a pickaxe from the Shield. "Think you can gather up the chunks of ore as I dig? Don't worry about storing them, just consolidate them into a pile."

"Sure." She kicked the cricket corpses into a pile, figuring they could deal with them later. With that, Naofumi swung the pick. It connected with the rocks with a heavy thunk, a fist-size piece of ore breaking off and rolling towards Raphtalia's feet. A few more chunks followed shortly after a few more strikes, and it wasn't long until all that remained of the vein was a indent in the wall showing where it had been. Instead, the ore now lay around the pair, Raphtalia gathering it in as Naofumi fed them to the Shield for easy storage.

The two worked in this fashion for quite some time, moving from area to area. Two other iron veins and one of copper had fallen to Naofumi's pick. Meanwhile, what few creatures decided to take offense at the pair's desecration of their home were quickly felled by Raphtalia's newfound abilities with the machete. Several more crickets, some beetles, and even a cave Usapil had been cut down by her.

Raphtalia's eyes went from the blade, to the creatures, then back. When she had first started 'hunting' with Naofumi, she had been hesitant to even get near the deceased beasts. Shortly after she had gotten her current assortment of spells and weapons, she often found herself assisting Naofumi with taking out the lesser beasts to bother them. Whatever guilt she felt from when she killed her first Usapil had long since faded, replaced with an odd sort of triumph.

"Think there's a butcher back in Lute Village that might want the Usapil meat?" She asked, holding up the deceased rabbit by its ears. Something that had helped alleviate her guilt was the fact that many of the monsters had additional uses, meaning killing them wasn't a total waste at times.

"Maybe, otherwise...We can keep it and use it ourselves." Naofumi took the creature from her and stored it, "at the very least. It's Filo food."

Raphtalia laughed, remembering how Filo had eaten everything edible they had left out once she hatched. There had also been a problem with her eating most of their other food, along with items they found along the trail. "Do we even have anything left to eat?"

"The innkeeper sent along a small picnic basket for our lunch today while we're out...But I'd have to check what we have for the trip back. Though I don't see that being a problem. Besides, we can always trade some of the goods we've gotten here if needed." He picked up the last few ore chunks, before motioning for her to follow him. "Figure we'll check one or two more spots, then step out to have some lunch."

"Sounds good." Raphtalia's ears and tail twitched as she looked around with Naofumi, debating their next path. Spying a short tunnel that lead to what appeared to be a cavern, she tapped Naofumi's shoulder and pointed. "Think there might be something there?"

"Maybe," his eyes narrowed as he looked down the path. "At the very least, it might have been an area they used as a hub for processing or sorting. Might be able to find some additional materials without needing to do the work."

Once again, Naofumi took the lead and lead Raphtalia into the cavern. His guess hadn't been too far off, and in more than once place the duo noticed crates filled with coal or other ore, abandoned tools, and other supplies littered about. However, there was also a fair amount of dark stains, stray patches of fur or flesh, and bones scattered about. Seeing it, Raphtalia whined and wrapped her tail and arms around herself. While she had put up a mental barricade against everything that had happened to her, the signs of her nightmares still unsettled her.

"It's alright." Naofumi placed a hand on her shoulder, the other directing her to look back the way they came. "You know as well as I do our way back is clear. And besides, you've got your new toys and your magics to protect you. Plus, I'm here."

"I know," she relaxed just slightly, arms moving to her side where her weapons rested. "Still though, the sooner we're done here, the better I'll feel."

Naofumi nodded his acceptance, eyes now scanning for any threats. Not picking up on any, he gestured for Raphtalia to help him in checking the contents of the open crates. They proved to be full of enough ore that Naofumi found himself wondering if he could either fit the entire full crate in the Shield, or if it might be wiser to step out and come back with a cart to haul it. While he moved to check the ones deeper in the cavern, Raphtalia stayed near the entrance.

"Hey, this one's on a sled." Naofumi gestured to the one he was currently inspecting. From her place near the entrance, Raphtalia could see the cart in question. In reality it was little more than a polished slab of wood that had been semi-rounded off at the bottom, but the various trails it had scratched into the ground served as a clear testament to how well it actually worked. She watched as he positioned himself behind the wooden handle and pushed, the sled moving along slowly behind him. "Think between the two of us we coul-"

Naofumi's words were lost as a loud howl echoed through the cavern, followed shortly by the scraping of claws on stone. The pair looked to one of the other tunnels that branched off the cavern, and were greeted with the sight of a pack of two-headed dogs charging towards them.

"Oh shit!" Naofumi cursed and rolled away from the cart right as most of the beasts spotted him and went to harass him. Raphtalia let out a scream, her instincts telling her to run away from the cavern. However, her desire to help Naofumi was stronger, and she found herself moving further into the cavern, moving towards Naofumi who was currently using a combination of the Shield itself and his own fists to keep the dogs at bay.

She was so focused on the man, that she failed to notice one of the remaining dogs that hadn't targeted Naofumi had set its sights on her. The beast let out another howl and charged. Growling and snapping every time its paws struck the ground, it went straight for Raphtalia. The sight was enough to cause Raphtalia to freeze, her senses dull to everything as she found herself standing on a seaside cliff. Only this time, there was no one to shield her from the sight.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi's voice cut through the fugue she was in, and brought her back to reality in time to see the dog take flight.

Letting out another scream, Raphtalia pulled Lizzie from her side and aimed in the general direction of the dog. Either fate was on her side, or Naofumi was a better teacher than anyone might have thought, because the moment Raphtalia pulled the trigger, the dog went down with a loud whimper. The pistol's spray having struck the creature at the point where its two heads connected to the spine, effectively severing the connection of the two brains to the rest of the body. Her eyes went from the corpse of the dog, to the gun in her hands, to the rest of the dogs that were currently approaching.

"Holy shit-" She blinked, something about the aching weight of the weapon in her hand making her forget the manners she had been taught. Naofumi seemed not to notice her lapse, the man's attention back on fighting the dogs that were currently charging him. Raphtalia looked back down at the gun, feeling an odd sense of power coursing through her veins at what she had just done. The semi-rabid grin on her face was on par with that of the dogs, her fear of them almost gone as she took aim and began to hunt them with a passion she didn't think possible.

She fired another shot at the dog nearest her, the micro-bullets catching one of the heads in its neck. The creature let out a cry and shifted its weight to the side of the injured head, giving Raphtalia a clear shot with the machete at the other head. The beast went down with a pained yelp as she once again whacked at it with the machete. Another tried its luck, and was rewarded with one shot hitting it in a hind leg, and the other in the chest. Two more dogs were taken down at the mercy of Raphtalia's gun and machete, leaving her with just two rounds left.

She looked back at Naofumi, seeing him moving to activate one of his spells while still keeping the dogs near him at bay. As such, he failed to notice the dog charging at him from behind. Raphtalia did notice, and with another cry fired twice at the beast. Once again the bullets struck the animal in the lungs, shredding the torso with holes. It went down, yelping and wheezing in distress even as Naofumi mastered to activate one of his spells. The dogs nearest him went into a frenzy, before succumbing to whatever he had hit him with. As the last one convulsed and died, he looked to Raphtalia with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Good job kid!" He praised, the smile on his face mirroring the one on Raphtalia's own. His eyes drifted to the dogs nearest her, seeing the bullet wounds. "Man, if I had known how good of a shot you'd be, I'd have given you one of my guns sooner..."

In reply, Raphtalia just looked to the fallen dogs, before looking back to the gun in her hands. And, she started laughing.

It was a proud laugh, one she had often heard customers use at the Slaver's tent that soon shifted into one of hysterics. As she lost her grip on the gun and fell to her knees, her laughter had turned into sobs.

"It was...It was so easy..." She gasped out as Naofumi came to her side and began to check her over for any injuries. Not finding any, he gently embraced Raphtalia and let her cry into his shoulder. "Why was it so easy?!" she hysterically pleaded to know.

"Yeah." He stroked her hair, nodding his head. "I... I suppose it's because where I come from, we need weapons like these. Makes it really, really easy to kill whatever you have to."

"I...I know..." She seemed to regain some of her conscious mind and pulled away slightly, one hand reaching out to pick up Lizzie. "I...I think I understand...Understand now why you're as strong as you are. How your home was so dangerous."

"Yeah, and ta' think. You took these guys down all by yourself with it." He took the gun from her then, quickly checking that it wasn't loaded before putting the safety on.

"I just...I don't know how." She looked back at the weapon, before looking into Naofumi's eyes. "I mean, they went down just like that." She snapped her fingers, "I can't...I don't know how I did it."

"I do, now say it with me..." Naofumi held the weapon up for her to see. "Gun."

He said it in such a deadpan, obvious tone that Raphtalia couldn't help but crack up laughing. Still a bundle of nerves, but at least a little life was back in her eyes. Naofumi joined her after a moment, before the two took to cleaning up their handiwork.

...

...-ooo000ooo-…

…

Upon returning to the village, Naofumi and Raphtalia were welcomed back by several members of the community. The sight of the hunter's cart loaded with the corpses of the dogs and some other goods recovered from the mines serving to cheer the town. There was only one moment of trouble, and that was a small scuffle that broke out between a butcher and a furrier over the two-headed dog corpses. Fortunately, Genkei was quick to step in and settle it by saying the butcher got the bodies while the furrier got the pelts.

"But of course, that's all with Lord V's permission." The chieftain looked to the hero, seeing the man shrug.

"Fine by me, though I would appreciate it if you butchered a couple of the larger carcasses into more manageable cuts for me to keep." He looked then to the furrier, "and if you would let me keep a couple pelts of those same dogs."

Both men agreed, with each offering him some coin in addition to his requested items.

"Of course. I can have the pelts brought to you by tonight." The furrier gave the tiniest bow as he handed over his coins.

"Sadly, it's going to take me a little more time to wrap up the cuts..." The butcher shrugged as he gave his coins, "but I can definitely get them to you sometime early in the morning."

The blacksmith was next to approach Naofumi, the man offering the use of his forge to smelt some of the raw ore into more usable ingots. He thanked the man for the offer, but declined it for the moment, wanting to see what could be done with the raw ore before risking more valuable processed ingots. After settling the rest of the items he had brought back, he had retreated back to the room he had rented.

At a rate of one silver per night, Naofumi hadn't expected much of his temporary quarters. As such, he had been pleasantly surprised to find the room they had been given was just slightly smaller than the one they had back in the capital. The two beds were low to the ground, but the straw-stuffed mattresses were soft and covered by clean linens. A small table and chair sat against the wall between the two beds, and while there was no dresser or chest to store items, there was enough room to set any bags to the side to allow easy passage in and around the room.

Taking the seat at the table, he began to check over his gear.

The machete he had lent Raphtalia, as well as his own knives, were still sharp as ever. Lizzie had also come through unscathed, though he did have to clean a little dirt off her. Studying the pistol reminded Naofumi that he had yet to try crafting the one thing that Raphtalia proved would be a valuable asset against whatever this world threw at them.

Ammunition.

Now that he had a reliable supply of metal, and a slightly better understanding of this world's crafting methods, he felt ready to try it out. Opening the crafting menu, he found the section for ammo and studied it. As with the other items, he was greeted with the list showing what items he had versus lacked. A key one he hadn't considered was gunpowder, or this world's equivalent of it. Fortunately, after speaking with a couple people in town, he discovered that blast mining was a thing one of the countries of this world had developed. And several members of the mining corps were more than willing to part with some of their black powder for him to work with.

This time, he noticed a few less glitches with his crafting menu as he selected .45 caliber pistol rounds. He idly wondered if there were less issues because he now had more supplies of items from this world. Or if one of the software had patched itself to be more compatible. Even still, he checked and doubled checked everything before crafting his first set of ammunition.

After a moment, he checked his inventory, seeing the shield's latest creation on display.

[Crafted: 10x Iron .45 cal Pistol Rounds]

He withdrew one of the newly crafted bullets and compared it to its Night City counterpart. The size and shape were the same. The weight difference was only noticeable because of his artificial arms. The only obvious difference being that these were made from iron while the NC round was tungsten. He loaded the test round into Lizzie and just as quickly unloaded it, the motions smooth. He debated going out and firing a few practice shots to see how they worked, but decided his testing would be better saved for when they were well out of town.

Naofumi smiled and returned them to storage, setting his sights on trying a few more recipes.

[Crafted: 10x 7.62 Iron Rifle Rounds]
[Crafted: Low Quality Iron Machete]
[Crafted: Good Quality Copper Knife]
[Crafted: Low Quality Monomolecular Blade]

The man let out a satisfied chuckle at the last item and withdrew it from the Shield. Compared to the Night City variants, it was a vastly inferior replica of a quality item. However, it was still a higher quality and more advanced item than anything he had thus far seen in this world. Feeling like celebrating his windfall a little, he removed a Holobites Peach Pie and tested the knife out on the pouch. Absolutely zero resistance. The blade cut through the plastic like it wasn't even there, a testament to the sharpness of the blade. Naofumi knew however, that this and any other Monomolecular blades he would produce would all have the same flaw: Fragile as all hell due to the sheer sharpness of the blade.

Without the synthesized alloys from his world, he wouldn't be able to make an atom thin blade without it being chipped from touching it wrong.

"Erhart will still probably be able to make a good amount off these." He set the automatic crafting system to make a few more blades as he ate. "Maybe set up a deal with the old man to have him take back any that break, see if I can't recycle them."

"Naofumi?" Raphtalia's voice reached his ears, and he turned to see the raccoon-girl standing in the door frame.

"What's up Raphtalia?" He asked, quickly checking on how production was going.

"Filo is insisting you come see her new cart." The smile on Raphtalia's face was that of an exasperated mother. "According to the innkeeper, she behaved well enough while we were gone to warrant receiving it."

"Hopefully she stays that well behaved on the way back." Naofumi finished off his snack, and followed Raphtalia down the stairs and out to the stable. Instantly, he was greeted with the sight of an overly excited Filo trotting laps around one of the paddocks, several of the other Filolials following behind. Nearby, the innkeeper was watching, a smile on her face. "Hey Filo."

"Master!" The bird came to a stop, wings flapping and head bobbing happily as she saw him. "Look Master! Filo has a cart!" She let out an odd purr-like chirp as she tossed her head behind her.

At a glance, Naofumi could tell the cart was old, but well-maintained. The walls of the flatbed in the back were about two-feet high around, with a gate on the back to allow for easier loading and unloading of goods. The bench-like seat at the front was large enough to seat two, though he idly wondered just how comfortable it would be on long trips. As a whole, the cart was maybe the size of a cheap sports car back in Night City, but for the here and now, it would do.

"That's great." He feigned enthusiasm, eyes going between the bird and cart as she started trotting around with it again. He looked to the innkeeper, remembering Genkei's words. "Is she going to be able to pull it like that once we load it up? Especially since she's so young?"

"Easily." The innkeeper chuckled, "filolials, even juveniles, are rather strong. Also, I've heard rumor say that those trained by Legendary Heroes tend to be even stronger than their traditional counterparts." Her eyes appraised Naofumi, "and given how healthy and spry she is, I think there's something to that."

"Maybe there is something to it..." He had seen it with Raphtalia, and though Mahoya had said the same thing, he didn't quite believe it. However, having seen it again with his Filolial, who wasn't even a week old...

"Filo is strong!" The bird declared, once again stopping in front of Naofumi. "Filo can pull any cart!" An odd rumbling noise sounded then, and Filo frowned. "Filo needs food!"

"Again?" Raphtalia, who had been watching with silent amusement shook her head at Filo. "Rumi said you just ate a bushel of rotten apples before we got back when I asked him if you were fed."

"Filo did! But Filo wants more!" She wiggled impatiently and held her beak open.

"Are they always like this?" Naofumi looked to the innkeeper, who had an apologetic smile on her face.

"When growing, yes. Though they usually lose some of their voracious appetite once they hit maturity." The innkeeper tapped a finger to her chin, thinking. "Course, by that time they're more than capable of hunting and scavenging on their own...which really helps cut down on the food bill. They've also got iron stomachs, and can eat quite a lot of things most other creatures would shy away from."

"So that's why you feed them table scraps..." Raphtalia answered, recalling the meal that had been waiting for Filo that first night.

"Scraps are yummy!" Filo chanted, once again trotting around in circles with her cart.

"I'm sure they are..." Naofumi answered, idly wondering if they were better than some of the "food" back in Night City. "But you might want to rest up a little instead of running around with our cart."

"Why Filo rest?" She slowed her pace to a walk, the circle she had been trotting around in decreasing in size as well.

"Because tomorrow, I'm going to need you to take me and Raphtalia back to the capital. Along with all the goods we now have to trade." He placed a hand on Filo's head and gently scratched behind where he perceived her ear to be as she once again came to a stop before him. "Think you can do that?"

"Filo wants to go now!" She stomped back and forth, acting like a toddler who wasn't getting their way. "Filo go! Filo go!"

"But Filo..." Raphtalia came to her side, one hand coming to rest on the bird's back. "If we leave now, you won't get to eat dinner."

"No dinner?" There was a slight amount of fear in Filo's voice at Raphtalia's words.

"Right. No dinner for Filo." The raccoon-girl looked to Naofumi then and winked so only he could see.

"And no breakfast tomorrow either." He added, noticing that Filo was suddenly acting much calmer. "We just wouldn't be able to carry enough food for two meals for a growing Filolial."

"...Filo wants to go tomorrow." She knelt down then, neck retreating into her body in such a way she looked like a very large chicken sitting on her eggs. "Filo no want to miss dinner! Or breakfast!"

"Didn't think so." Raphtalia smiled as one of the other stable hands came over and showed her and Naofumi how to harness and hitch Filo to the cart. Once both of them felt comfortable, with Filo somehow mastering to harness herself at one point, they left her be in the paddock to relax. Much to Naofumi's delight, the threat of a lack of food seemed to still be lingering, and the few times he looked out at the stable to see her sitting quietly, staring at the cart. Meanwhile, Raphtalia was making friends with a few people in the village, while Naofumi focused on crafting some additional goods. The only time he stopped crafting was when Raphtalia summoned him for dinner. He had come down the stairs, only to be greeted by the sight of a banquet prepared by Genkei and some of the other townsfolk. While he had no idea how many people actually lived in the village, he couldn't help but feel that everyone was currently congregating under the inn's roof, or milling about just outside. Everyone was in good spirits as they ate, drank, and made toasts to Naofumi, Raphtalia, and the prosperity of the village well into the night.

The next morning seemed almost silent by comparison to the raucous noise of the prior night. While there were quite a few villagers who were up and about, most seemed to either still be home relaxing or sleeping off food or drink induced hangovers. Raphtalia was among the latter, the girl finally deciding to indulge in some of the stronger drinks. It was taking a good amount of Naofumi's will to not laugh at his companion, who was currently whining like a beaten dog about the sun being too bright. And of people walking too loudly, even though it was only the two of them in the room, and she was currently the only one moving. Meanwhile, Naofumi was no worse for ware. While he could tell some of the alcohol they had served was what passed for strong in this world, it was still a far cry from the booze of the old world.

"Wonder how'd they would handle a Johnny Silverhand." He thought back to his inventory. "Or maybe share a shot of Baalbak Arak with a few of them. I still don't know what's in that stuff, but it kicks like a millitech mule." He looked to Raphtalia, who had mastered to dress herself and was now yawning as she half-sat, half-fell back down on her bed. "Good morning Raphtalia. How are you feeling?"

A pained grunt left Raphtalia's lips, her voice raspy. "Like someone dropped a ton of stone on me...Or like, someone used fog magics on me..."

"You have a hangover...here." He picked up her canteen and opened it, hand holding it easily within her reach, "drink some water, and you'll be fine."

Raphtalia grabbed the canteen and drained the contents of it, a small noise of relief coming from her as she handed it back to him. Thankful that he had packed everything up the night before, Naofumi motioned for her to follow him. Her steps seemed a little more sure than they did when she first woke up, but there was just the slightest wobble in her form as she took a seat at a table. Following a hearty breakfast for Naofumi, and a lighter one consisting of toasted bread slices and jam for Raphtalia - So far, she hadn't complained of being nauseous from hangover, but he wasn't taking any chances - Naofumi had gone out to check on Filo and the carriage.

He had come out in time to meet up with the butcher and furrier, who were loading a couple small crates onto the back of the cart. The two men had greeted him with smiles, explaining the pelts and butchered cuts were in the crates.

"Got my cousin to cast some ice magic, so those cuts will stay fresh on the trip." The butcher smiled, "though I do recommend getting these into proper storage sooner rather than later."

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem." The furrier gestured to the front of the cart, where Filo had, once again, mastered to wiggle herself into the harness. "It took you, what? Three days to get here on foot? I'm willing to bet that Filorial of yours will get you back in a day or less."

"Filo goes fast!"

Naofumi made a noncommittal grunt and shrugged in reply, his eyes studying the whole picture of Filo and the cart.

"The cart looked like it rode smooth enough on the grass, but no guarantee on how well she'll handle on the dirt and stone paths." The faint smile on Naofumi's face was hidden by his hand coming up to rest on his chin. "Though Filo herself seems to have a lot of horsepower..." He shook his head slightly, wondering why he was appraising his newest mode of transportation like one of his cars or motorcycles.

"Are we ready to go?"

Naofumi turned, seeing Raphtalia standing at his side. Other than her skin being slightly paler, and the faintest hint of dark circles around her eyes, she seemed no worse for wear.

"I think we are." Raphtalia gave a nod, "are you ready Filo?"

"Filo ready! Filo ready!" The bird chanted, flapping her wings and stomping her feet in staccato with her words.

"Yeah, I think we are." He noticed the Chieftain and a few others moving over to him. "Everything still good?"

"Thanks to you they are, Lord V." Genkei gave a nod, one hand gesturing to the villagers who had accompanied him. "As such, we wanted to send you off with a few additional goods. Mostly some trail rations for your travels, along with some materials you can use to repair the cart if it becomes damaged."

Naofumi gave a nod of his own, seeing now that several of the villagers were holding sacks of food, wooden planks and nails, and even a spare wheel. He motioned for them to load the goods in the back. "Much appreciated, thank you."

"Really Lord V, the thanks are all ours. You've done us a great service," Genkei proclaimed, several nodding their agreement even as Naofumi climbed onto the driver's bench. He offered a hand to Raphtalia, helping her up and to get settled beside him. "And know that you and your companions are always welcome here."

"Oh trust me, I'll be back. Take care everyone." He picked up the reins, attention now on Filo who was looking back at him. "Come on Filo, let's go."

"Filo go fast? Filo go slow?"

"Take it slow until we're a bit further out." Naofumi commanded as Filo gave a nod. There was the briefest moment of delay between Filo taking her first steps with the loaded cart to them starting to move towards the edge of town. Though the villagers offered up final wishes of luck and thanks, Naofumi was more interested in watching Filo. The bird seemed to be having no issues with the additional weight that now rested in her cart. Indeed, she seemed to be enjoying herself even more than usual, and was whistling a tuneless melody. "Hey Raphtalia? Are Filorials always this happy to work hard?"

"I've not had much experience with them..." Raphtalia let out a tiny burp and excused herself. "But every time I've seen one pulling a cart, they've looked, happy."

"Filo is happy!" She turned her head briefly to look back at the two. "Filo would be happier going fast however."

Naofumi looked at the map, "well, it's a pretty straight course for awhile," before folding it back up and handing it to Raphtalia. "So sure, let's pick up the pace." Naofumi smiled as Filo cheered at the command, and he couldn't help but wonder how riding in an open-air cart would be closer to being in a convertible, or riding a motorcycle.

It was neither.

Filo decided that 'pick up the pace' meant go from zero to sixty as fast as possible. She shot forward with all the speed and power of a bullet fired from one of his guns. While the rush of the wind against his face was a familiar and welcome feeling, he was already making a mental note to look into having some sort of shocks installed on the cart...Along with some sort of cushion for the bench. While he had to admit Filo's Cart wasn't the most comfortable thing he had ever driven, the speed they were traveling at more than made up for it.

"This is great!" He praised Filo, hearing her cheer in reply. "Reminds me of blazing across the desert with the Aldecados. What do you think Raphtalia?"

A scream that was half-fearful, half-exhilarated left her mouth as they hit a particularly rough patch of ground. It was then that Naofumi realized that Raphtalia had a white knuckle grip on her side of the bench. Her pale face had turned slightly green, and her expression seemed torn between terrified and nauseous.

"Raphtalia? You okay?" He placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer. Feeling his touch, her grip switched from the bench to clinging to his torso.

"I, urp, don't feel so good..." Raphtalia let out another burp, one hand moving to her stomach.

"Do you suffer from motion sickness?" The raccoon-girl's head tilted to the side as she let out another burp, the words meaning nothing to her. "Erm, do you get sick when you ride in carts?"

"Never, really ridden, in a cart...before." She groaned, head landing heavily on Naofumi's shoulder.

"That's probably why. Filo, slow it up!" Naofumi commanded, bringing forth a depressed whine from Filo.

"Why? Filo want to go fast!" Her speed didn't falter for a second as she craned her head backwards to give Naofumi a confused yet sad look.

"Because Raphtalia isn't feeling well." He gestured to Raphtalia with his head, the action making Filo comply and reduce her pace back to a gentle trot.

"Filo will be slow for Raphtalia." The bird stated, a resigned tone in her voice.

"Thank you, Filo..." Raphtalia smiled softly, even as Filo turned her attention back fully to the road before them. Though he had wanted to get back to the capital as soon as possible, Naofumi knew he had to take it easy, at least for a little while, for Raphtalia's sake. It was his hope that moving at the slower pace would help her adjust, and then gradually speed up as their travels went on.

This proved to be a winning strategy, and after a couple hours, Raphtalia was able to handle a slow canter with little upset. Filo however finally seemed to be feeling the effects of her efforts, and began to slow down on her own before she came to a stop.

"Filo? Why have you stopped?" Naofumi blinked, curious about his steed's actions.

"I'm hungry! Filo stop for food." Predictably, Filo opened her mouth, still acting like a baby bird dependent on its mother.

Comparing the landmarks on the map to their surroundings, Naofumi mused they were still probably a good two days or so away from the capital. Still though, the amount of ground they were able to cover with Filo compared to their own feet was impressive. He looked to Raphtalia, seeing that most of the proper color had returned to her face, though her eyes still looked tired.

"I'd like to cover a lot more ground before we stop traveling for the day. But maybe a short rest will be better for Raphtalia?" Naofumi was brought out of his musings by Filo chanting about her hunger. He could hear Raphtalia trying to calm her down with the promise of food once they stopped to make camp.

"But Filo is hungry now!" She stomped her feet, "Filo no go without food!"

Starting to feel annoyed, but still not quite willing to resort to punishing Filo via the Monster Tamer system, he tried to think of something to appease the bird with, while also serving as a sort of punishment. After a moment's thought, an idea formed in his mind and he found himself looking at the Shield's inventory. "Oh, that should do nicely..."

"Ugh, here!" Naofumi reached into the Shield's inventory and took out a package of Eezybeef. Fully cooked, the synthetic meat crumbles could be eaten right out of the pouch, at the cost of looking absolutely unappetizing, and not tasting much better. More often than not, it was just used as a way to add meat to various other cheap foods like instant noodles or rice. Ripping open the package, he set it on the ground before Filo. "You can have that for now."

"Yay!" The first bite saw half the bag's contents go down Filo's throat, while the second bite actually took the bag with it. After a brief moment, Filo spit out the bag and looked at Naofumi. "Tasty! Filo wants more."

Naofumi blinked, eyes staring at the empty bag which Filo was now poking at, one eye trying to see into the bag for any remaining crumbs. He looked at Raphtalia, whose nausea seemed to have come back at the sight. While Raphtalia had yet to try the stuff herself, she knew there was a good reason Naofumi claimed that was a desperation meal item and held back until absolutely necessary.

"You've got to be kidding..." He had seen a lot of weird things since coming to this new world, and accepted that weird experiences would probably also be a part of that. However, finding anything that not only willingly ate but enjoyed Eezybeef?

"You...You can have another bag when we get back to the Capital." He answered after a moment, "but only if you behave yourself."

"Filo can behave!" She announced proudly, puffing out her chest. "Filo will be good for...what was that?"

"Eezybeef..."

"Filo will be good for Zee Zee beef!"

"I-I-That's...not..." Naofumi sighed, picking up the empty bag for reuse. "Whatever. Ready to go?"

"Filo Go!" With another cheer, Filo resumed her course. Naofumi meanwhile, was just thankful that, if all else failed, he had a way to cut down on the food bill Filo was certain to rack up. He turned his attention back to the road, once again repeating the same experience sharing process as they trotted back to the capital.

Naofumi idly wondered how big the bird would be by the time they reached the capital. "She'll probably stop growing at some point." He pondered as another group of horned rabbits were caught by his contagion. "What's the worst that could happen from some easy exp?"

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