Chapter 25
Obloquy
CrossMyHeart And HopeToDie, StickANeedleInMyEye
- Location
- the Physical Realm
Day 24, morning
Naofumi Iwatani, Cardinal Hero of the Shield, woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of Raphtalia's voice as she shook him.
"Master Naofumi, Master Naofumi!"
"Geez, what is it, Raphtalia?" he groaned as he sat up. His special Restful Shield had been upgraded enough to provide extra protection during sleep, and he'd mastered the Black Orthrus Shield so its Alert ability would have sounded if an enemy snuck within 20 meters of them.
...Although granted, it might not have sounded if someone already that close decided to untrustfully sneak away with their gear (which was why he kept most of it in the Cardinal Weapon's inventory function overnight).
"Did Carrie sneak off to hock our shit for booze money?" he guessed as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"Hey! I'll have you know I was faking it that entire time," said girl objected from the campfire.
"Yeah, sure you pawed at me and fell asleep but you were faking it, why would-?"
"Oh?" said an unfamiliar voice that was eerily familiar. Adrenaline shot him into wakefulness as Naofumi stared at the Cardinal Sword Hero.
"I didn't do it!" he swore immediately.
"I know."
"I know what the rumors are, but I never touched that bitch. I don't fucking drink! I went to bed and woke up with all my stuff missing, and a minute later guards kicked my door in to drag me off to the palace for that bullshit excuse of a trial!"
"I didn't know about the door."
"No one believed me about anything!"
"I see."
"The bitch fucking smirked at me while she was fake crying and no one called her on it!"
"That's amazing."
"Ever since, the whole world here's been treating me like shit!"
"Please, tell me more."
"Everyone blackened my name and spit on me, you never answered any messages, why the fuck did you leave me hanging? Were you in on it too?! Give us warnings about double-crosses and leaving us out to dry because I'm the useless shielder with no attack-? Wait," Naofumi realized as Carrie offered him a plate. "Dolkness, what are you doing here?"
Carrie, the wanted-for-arson layabout who'd been helping them out recently, intervened with a wave of her hand. "Hi, sorry, my name's actually Farrie Bonheim, we met briefly the morning when I chose to follow Yumiella? When she heard the accusations had actually happened and weren't just crazy rumors, she asked me to investigate you a bit, so I showed up, acted vulnerable and then drunk, and you didn't try anything with me so I told her you were probably innocent. Especially since you haven't kissed or pawed at Raphtalia, either."
"She's literally a kid," Naofumi's mouth complained as his brain was still processing.
"Master Naofumi! I'm not a kid anymore!" Raphtalia protested fiercely.
"Yeah, yeah, sure you're not," Naofumi deadpanned, reaching out to rub the top of her head the way that always calmed her down. Geez, they're not supposed to hit the teenage "I'm all grown up and big now" stage for another year or two, right? "So. You, uh..."
"I am convinced there is reasonable doubt of your guilt, so I should not castrate you," Yumiella answered casually as she took a breakfast plate fromCarrie Farrie. "I have come to discuss the next steps with you."
Naofumi snorted and shoved a mouthful of food between his teeth. No flavor, but it was hot and probably nutritious.
"Pyuu~!" Firo sang from where she was eating... some big hunk of meat he didn't remember providing.
"Think we can clear my name to the other two dicks and turn the tables on that Bitch? Also, where'd the roast come from?"
"Rich-kun and Doduo-chan both like that type of meat, so I offered some extra I had to Firo-san to keep her from fighting with Yoshi-kun. I already informed Itsuki of my suspicions and I expect he will apologize to you next time you meet. Given that the King likely instigated the set-up, it is unlikely we will be able to overturn his verdict anytime soon. Nevertheless, a sufficiently public press by the other three of us may be effective, since he needed to get the public on his side by framing you. I believe I will be able to convince Motoyasu."
"Good luck," Naofumi snorted. "You think Itsuki will really mean that apology either? And that trash king doing the whole set-up, yeah, I can see that shit. Is me not assaulting a chick really a convincing sign of innocence, though?" he added. I don't want to believe she'd double-cross me, but if she can't convince me that she believes I'm innocent, she's sure as shit not convincing anyone else.
"Perhaps I should begin by outlining my encounters up to now," Yumiella suggested.
It was... not a short story, for sure. Naofumi had to jump in to say "Holy shit!" or "For real?" or that type of thing several times, and that was before her team got to Cal Mira.
Then she told him about Itsuki replicating some phone call bow bullshit and what he'd seen by the road, and Naofumi really needed to remind himself that Old Man Blacksmith and the people of Riyute had treated him well and didn't deserve to be eaten by monsters, because holy shit. It wasn't really surprising, but Naofumi at least never bothered with revenge-by-proxy shit, and if a mob of people were less moral than the supposed 'Shield Devil' then he hoped they all really went to hell for it.
Day 24, morning
"I spoke with Itsuki, and I suspect he will apologize to you," Yumiella repeated after she'd given the generalities of her story (although she omitted a few things like her and Itsuki's arson incident). "I have a few possibilities to discuss with Motoyasu as well, but even two or three of us together should be significant. In the meanwhile, how has your journey been to date?" I want to discuss him owning a slave soon, but Farrie made it sound like her not being enslaved while around the capital risked her being abducted and re-sold, if not killed, given King Aultcray's biases from his prior battles against demi-humans. I left my Liberation potion doses with Itsuki, but if she is not being abused, then it can wait a few days when I can get her alone without him watching.
"Well," Naofumi snorted, "even if you'r an airhead who never checks her messages, I'll admit that your info exchange our first evening and the next day probably saved my life a few times. Trying to find any ores was hard as shit, up until I finally got to a cave, but it turns out that 'using a shield in battle' for Proficiency includes receiving attacks that don't do damage, even if the attacks are to my body instead of the Shield. Once I got the idea to carry some balloons around gnawing harmlessly at my body, I started to hit 100% Proficiency about three times a day, and once in the middle of the night if I wasn't using my Restful Shield."
Yumiella stared, tried not to be jealous, and wondered if that method could work for her too. "I see."
"I've basically turned into a forager, potioneer, and amateur blacksmith with all my passive support skills that get buffed higher by being Awakened, plus your idea about sticking monsters underwater or in the campfire helped me unlock a shield form to set myself on fire. Hurts like a bitch so I still usually have Raphtalia do the attacking," he admitted, "but if anything gets close to me I can usually make it back away with some burns."
"I have a Flaming sword with a similar skill, but it drains SP instead of HP," Yumiella contributed.
"Hah! Yeah, but you have a double-digit attack stat for dealing damage; even after Awakening my Animal Spine shield a couple times, my attack is still stuck at nine," Naofumi riposted. "That said, I've got high-quality potions out the wazoo with all my crafting bonuses, and... You know, I should probably take you to meet the Old Man. There's a blacksmith who believed from the beginning that I didn't do it, so he gave me some cheap shit on clearance and introduced me to a few more store owners who weren't asshats to me. If you've got the dough, I'd love to send you his way."
"I have been neglecting the weapon copy function up to now," Yumiella conceded thoughtfully, "and I have been meaning to fix that. Is there a price attached to copying weapon forms from him?"
"He charges me a silver per weapon copy, since I'm upfront, but if you go in and try to copy it on the sly he'll probably try to land you with the whole price," Naofumi chuckled. "Apparently, Itsuki and Motoyasu both blew through on day one to try out every weapon he had before they left without buying much, so he's pissed that they stole his 'intellectual property'. Although, should the Sword Hero really be seen with a Shield Devil like me, if we're trying to keep this on the down-low until we spring some counter-trap on these fuckers?"
"Provided I've kept the first observer unable to report anything, there are a few ways to handle that. For instance," Yumiella reasoned, "if you drip some blood on your inseam and walk with a limp, we can tell anyone who asks that I castrated you for your crime."
He cringed at that, then looked thoughtful. "Huh. Yeah, it's not like anyone is going to check my- Wait, what 'first observer'?" Yumiella pointed toward where Yoshi-kun sat in the distance, watching the prisoner where Firo wouldn't bother him. "The fuck?"
"They were well-hidden, but Yoshi-kun was able to smell them, so I subdued them," Yumiella informed him as her precocious child prodded the bound and unconscious 'Shadow' with his tail.
Naofumi let loose a string of vehement swearing. "-ing burlap sack! Right, any idea how long the fucker was following me?"
"No. I struck from behind in the darkness, so the spy should not be aware of my presence or involvement; the unconsciousness status should remain for another hour or so before I may need to reapply it."
"Useful. Any hints about which weapon form provides that so I can get it?"
"It is the counting coup ability of the Wooden Practice Sword form, which I have upgraded repeatedly. I imagine a practice shield would be different."
"Right," Naofumi huffed. "Okay, let's figure out a game-plan from here."
"Don't forget to eat!" Farrie chirped, sticking another full plate in front of each Cardinal Hero before returning to Raphtalia's lesson in table manners.
Day 24, noon
"Damn, kid! I didn't recognize you," Erhardt laughed. "That's a really good disguise ya have on now! Here for another smithing lesson?"
"Not quite, but now might be a good time for your lunch hour," Naofumi answered.
Erhardt had been happy to greet the bunch of new customers that came through his door, only for them not to be new customers at all, but the Holy Shield Hero with some extra companions.
His decision to trust that Naofumi hadn't done the wicked deed hadn't proven wrong yet, at least; he'd been leery about the guy getting a girl slave, but little Raphtalia had grown up to be a happy and healthy young woman in the last two weeks, even if Naofumi himself still acted grim and brusque. Raphtalia's behavior wasn't that of an abuse victim, and someone would've bought her, so if she was happier out fighting than being a maid or learning needlework then he didn't have much right to complain.
Still, if Naofumi brought me some new clients to outfit... "All right, then. I'll put up the sign and it looks like I'll be doing measurements for armor, Miss...?"
"Yumiella Dolkness, the Cardinal Sword Hero," she introduced, displaying a small dagger that she quickly shifted through a few forms. "Naofumi informed me that you have a reasonable charge for weapon copying?"
"Oh! Uh, yeah, plus I'll do commissions or let him use the forge to try making his own shields a bit," Erhardt confirmed. "Hadn't heard you were back in the city yet."
"I will be in and out secretly for a little while. Naofumi mentioned that you believe in his innocence?"
"Uh, yeah, I liked the look in his eye." It was a bit more complicated than that, but basically... "I don't have solid evidence really, though. Just a gut feeling."
"She believes me too, but if anyone asks, I'm walking with a limp because she castrated me," Naofumi deadpanned. "Also, we might want to borrow your shop or upstairs rooms for a private meeting later, if you can swing it."
Erhardt chewed his lip a bit, thinking. "Let's get the blacksmith business done first. I don't see you wearing anything, so do you want armor for the Wave?"
"I normally rely on evasion, if you have armor that will not inhibit me," Lady Dolkness answered.
"Yeah, she moves like crazy," Naofumi's new friend Carrie confirmed. "Oh, by the way, I'm part of her party, I just went undercover to check the rumors for her. Farrie Bonheim at your service!" She gave a half-serious bow, and Erhardt nodded in return.
I guess that explains why she's more willing to believe his innocence, he figured. "Sounds like you'll want leather and enchanted cloth, minimal metal for less weight. I'll get Naofumi here set up at the forge if that's the plan, you copy stuff and pay me a silver per copy; also, since you're a Hero that the public will like, maybe we can talk about an advertising deal while I take your measurements, huh?"
"...Fighting monsters is dangerous, even for a Cardinal Hero," Yumiella said out of nowhere. Erhardt paused, unsure if she was going for a threat or a plea or what. "With thousands of monsters swarming around during the Wave, I rely on Erhardt smithy's top quality armor to keep me safe from attacks as I protect the world. Erhardt's smithy, insert business slogan here, exclamation point."
Naofumi laughed so hard he hit the floor.
Day 24, afternoon
"Transport," Yumiella commanded, and the Skill immediately teleported her group back to Cal Mira.
"Oh wow," Raphtalia mused. "This is..."
"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Naofumi agreed, fiddling with the metal helmet that was his Face Shield form for disguise. "You said you could introduce us to your shape-shifting bird twins?"
"Kueh!" His filorial chirped.
"It'll stress disbelief that we're back this fast, but the others probably won't care since she did get a whole bunch of weapon copy forms," Farrie confirmed.
The plan was to keep Yumiella's other teammates in the dark -- she knew who Bakta was reporting to, but she wasn't certain about the other two yet -- and have Yumiella go back to training with them while Farrie and the twins joined Naofumi's party for training on a different island. They'd be far enough away to avoid an EXP conflict, Naofumi's party would get carried to a higher Level in her teammates' backpacks, and Farrie and the twins would get the EXP bonus from being in a Cardinal Hero's party.
At some point today or tomorrow, she'd get a call from Itsuki when he reached the capital, and she'd take Naofumi back for a meeting of the Cardinal Heroes to make plans in secret.
Until then, she'd give the twins a new Filorial playmate, she'd help Naofumi get up to a more appropriate Level, and she'd work on using and Mastering the copied sword forms she bought from Mr. Erhardt.
Time to find her team.
... ... ...
Yumiella hit YES on her Menu and immediately fell back behind Bakta as Tersia darted sideways to flank the boss.
"Drifa Icicle Prison!" Welt cast, immediately attempting to freeze and imprison the Karma Squirrel, but it was fast and he only froze its hind legs, leaving its claws free to scrape at the ice.
That was when Tersia jumped on it to knife its spine.
Hm, it seems Soul Healing Water isn't sufficient to entirely restore my SP, Yumiella assessed, discarding the empty bottle of the potion that Itsuki had told her about and Naofumi had taught her the recipe for. Still, it is far more useful than relying on form-based regeneration or retreating to the hot springs to recover.
"Shooting Star Sword," Yumiella declared, using the special skill of the Siderite Sword she was using for this battle. "Faust Jinx."
"Yom!" Yoshi yipped just before it bit the Karma Squirrel's fluffy tail, heedless of the fact that the tail hairs seemed to harden into spikes.
Bakta stepped forward to smash his axe into into the squirrel's neck right as it tried to twist around and bite at Yoshi or Tersia.
"Zweite Icicle Prison!" Welkt cast, icing down the squirrel's legs again.
"Faust Jinx. Faust Hex," Yumiella cast, taking a moment to down another SP restorative. The boss squirrel shrieked as dark magic washed over it, and she stepped forward to enter melee with her sword right as Tersia leaped off the squirrel's back and dropped a net down over it.
Her blade hit it in the mouth but only chipped the squirrel's teeth without drawing blood, though she hoped that might inhibit its biting capability.
That was when the Karma Squirrel went berserk.
...
"Hey captain," Tersia called, using the title he'd started to use instead of 'lady' or 'hero' or whatnot for her, "it's getting dark, so can we not try another fight and head to the inn?"
Yumiella blinked and flipped the little mental switch that would tone down all of her passive see-in-the-dark bonuses, discovering that yes, the shadows were long and it was dark enough she had trouble seeing her teammates' faces now.
Some other day, it would be useful to grind overnight and leave the day hunting to less able teams... but for now we should call it quits. "We can head back to the city," Yumiella confirmed. "Who needs a ride?"
"Yom!" Yoshi-kun offered cheerfully.
...About half an hour later, Yoshi was settled with a large serving of meat and pitted fruit in the stables while the party settled in for a late supper.
Bakta and Tersia were discussing equipment upgrades while Yumiella was discussing the methodology of creating a new spell with Welt -- she would get back her Dark Bind and Shadow Lance and Black Hole eventually, she absolutely would -- when a tall woman in a bikini stormed up to the table.
"What the flipping fuck?!" the woman accused, grabbing Bakta by the shoulder. "You told me she'd be in Zenoble until next week, I was this close to swimming out after her and she's fucking back already?!"
"Fuck off and let go of me, she only got back today," he snapped back with booze-flushed cheeks, and there was almost the beginning of a bar brawl before Tersia got between them to finesse things and pull the boys off to the bar.
This left Yumiella at the table with the tall, muscular, scantily clad and very self-confident woman.
"I am Yumiella Dolkness. Pleased to meet you," she offered.
"I'm Sadeena."
"I see." That sounds vaguely familiar but I don't know from where.
"From Lulorona. Hawkins sent me," Sadeena clarified.
"Ah. Should we talk here, or more privately?" Yumiella checked.
"Here's fine. Hawkins said you were primarily interested in how the Wave functioned, and I wasn't there for that one-," Sadeena looked terribly grim and sad for a brief moment. "-but I helped out with a Wave near Siltvelt about two weeks ago, so I can tell you about that. But in trade, I'm hoping you can help me find and free the surviving kids from Lulorona. I tracked some to a few slave traders still doing business in Melromarc, but most of them got shipped off to Zenoble, which is why I almost swam after you instead of waiting."
"I am willing to help," Yumiella confirmed. "If you're willing to join my party and help with the Wave, it will also give you improved status and authority to push publicly for action."
"Think your teammates will be okay with that?" Sadeena checked.
"If Bakta objects strongly, I will write him a recommendation to transfer to a different Hero's party. If nothing else, demi-humans and humans should work together now because the Waves risk eliminating everyone," Yumiella stated. She sent a Party Invitation to Sadeena, who had a morose look on her face.
"Yeah, but if people could be that reasonable, then the world wouldn't have half its current problems," she griped as she accepted the invitation.
Yumiella quickly checked over the woman's status, then immediately stopped to re-read it from the top.
She's reached Level 91 without having the EXP bonus from a hero's party?! "Senpai, please teach me the secrets of your efficient grinding," Yumiella requested sincerely.
"Eh- what?"
Naofumi Iwatani, Cardinal Hero of the Shield, woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of Raphtalia's voice as she shook him.
"Master Naofumi, Master Naofumi!"
"Geez, what is it, Raphtalia?" he groaned as he sat up. His special Restful Shield had been upgraded enough to provide extra protection during sleep, and he'd mastered the Black Orthrus Shield so its Alert ability would have sounded if an enemy snuck within 20 meters of them.
...Although granted, it might not have sounded if someone already that close decided to untrustfully sneak away with their gear (which was why he kept most of it in the Cardinal Weapon's inventory function overnight).
"Did Carrie sneak off to hock our shit for booze money?" he guessed as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"Hey! I'll have you know I was faking it that entire time," said girl objected from the campfire.
"Yeah, sure you pawed at me and fell asleep but you were faking it, why would-?"
"Oh?" said an unfamiliar voice that was eerily familiar. Adrenaline shot him into wakefulness as Naofumi stared at the Cardinal Sword Hero.
"I didn't do it!" he swore immediately.
"I know."
"I know what the rumors are, but I never touched that bitch. I don't fucking drink! I went to bed and woke up with all my stuff missing, and a minute later guards kicked my door in to drag me off to the palace for that bullshit excuse of a trial!"
"I didn't know about the door."
"No one believed me about anything!"
"I see."
"The bitch fucking smirked at me while she was fake crying and no one called her on it!"
"That's amazing."
"Ever since, the whole world here's been treating me like shit!"
"Please, tell me more."
"Everyone blackened my name and spit on me, you never answered any messages, why the fuck did you leave me hanging? Were you in on it too?! Give us warnings about double-crosses and leaving us out to dry because I'm the useless shielder with no attack-? Wait," Naofumi realized as Carrie offered him a plate. "Dolkness, what are you doing here?"
Carrie, the wanted-for-arson layabout who'd been helping them out recently, intervened with a wave of her hand. "Hi, sorry, my name's actually Farrie Bonheim, we met briefly the morning when I chose to follow Yumiella? When she heard the accusations had actually happened and weren't just crazy rumors, she asked me to investigate you a bit, so I showed up, acted vulnerable and then drunk, and you didn't try anything with me so I told her you were probably innocent. Especially since you haven't kissed or pawed at Raphtalia, either."
"She's literally a kid," Naofumi's mouth complained as his brain was still processing.
"Master Naofumi! I'm not a kid anymore!" Raphtalia protested fiercely.
"Yeah, yeah, sure you're not," Naofumi deadpanned, reaching out to rub the top of her head the way that always calmed her down. Geez, they're not supposed to hit the teenage "I'm all grown up and big now" stage for another year or two, right? "So. You, uh..."
"I am convinced there is reasonable doubt of your guilt, so I should not castrate you," Yumiella answered casually as she took a breakfast plate from
Naofumi snorted and shoved a mouthful of food between his teeth. No flavor, but it was hot and probably nutritious.
"Pyuu~!" Firo sang from where she was eating... some big hunk of meat he didn't remember providing.
"Think we can clear my name to the other two dicks and turn the tables on that Bitch? Also, where'd the roast come from?"
"Rich-kun and Doduo-chan both like that type of meat, so I offered some extra I had to Firo-san to keep her from fighting with Yoshi-kun. I already informed Itsuki of my suspicions and I expect he will apologize to you next time you meet. Given that the King likely instigated the set-up, it is unlikely we will be able to overturn his verdict anytime soon. Nevertheless, a sufficiently public press by the other three of us may be effective, since he needed to get the public on his side by framing you. I believe I will be able to convince Motoyasu."
"Good luck," Naofumi snorted. "You think Itsuki will really mean that apology either? And that trash king doing the whole set-up, yeah, I can see that shit. Is me not assaulting a chick really a convincing sign of innocence, though?" he added. I don't want to believe she'd double-cross me, but if she can't convince me that she believes I'm innocent, she's sure as shit not convincing anyone else.
"Perhaps I should begin by outlining my encounters up to now," Yumiella suggested.
It was... not a short story, for sure. Naofumi had to jump in to say "Holy shit!" or "For real?" or that type of thing several times, and that was before her team got to Cal Mira.
Then she told him about Itsuki replicating some phone call bow bullshit and what he'd seen by the road, and Naofumi really needed to remind himself that Old Man Blacksmith and the people of Riyute had treated him well and didn't deserve to be eaten by monsters, because holy shit. It wasn't really surprising, but Naofumi at least never bothered with revenge-by-proxy shit, and if a mob of people were less moral than the supposed 'Shield Devil' then he hoped they all really went to hell for it.
Day 24, morning
"I spoke with Itsuki, and I suspect he will apologize to you," Yumiella repeated after she'd given the generalities of her story (although she omitted a few things like her and Itsuki's arson incident). "I have a few possibilities to discuss with Motoyasu as well, but even two or three of us together should be significant. In the meanwhile, how has your journey been to date?" I want to discuss him owning a slave soon, but Farrie made it sound like her not being enslaved while around the capital risked her being abducted and re-sold, if not killed, given King Aultcray's biases from his prior battles against demi-humans. I left my Liberation potion doses with Itsuki, but if she is not being abused, then it can wait a few days when I can get her alone without him watching.
"Well," Naofumi snorted, "even if you'r an airhead who never checks her messages, I'll admit that your info exchange our first evening and the next day probably saved my life a few times. Trying to find any ores was hard as shit, up until I finally got to a cave, but it turns out that 'using a shield in battle' for Proficiency includes receiving attacks that don't do damage, even if the attacks are to my body instead of the Shield. Once I got the idea to carry some balloons around gnawing harmlessly at my body, I started to hit 100% Proficiency about three times a day, and once in the middle of the night if I wasn't using my Restful Shield."
Yumiella stared, tried not to be jealous, and wondered if that method could work for her too. "I see."
"I've basically turned into a forager, potioneer, and amateur blacksmith with all my passive support skills that get buffed higher by being Awakened, plus your idea about sticking monsters underwater or in the campfire helped me unlock a shield form to set myself on fire. Hurts like a bitch so I still usually have Raphtalia do the attacking," he admitted, "but if anything gets close to me I can usually make it back away with some burns."
"I have a Flaming sword with a similar skill, but it drains SP instead of HP," Yumiella contributed.
"Hah! Yeah, but you have a double-digit attack stat for dealing damage; even after Awakening my Animal Spine shield a couple times, my attack is still stuck at nine," Naofumi riposted. "That said, I've got high-quality potions out the wazoo with all my crafting bonuses, and... You know, I should probably take you to meet the Old Man. There's a blacksmith who believed from the beginning that I didn't do it, so he gave me some cheap shit on clearance and introduced me to a few more store owners who weren't asshats to me. If you've got the dough, I'd love to send you his way."
"I have been neglecting the weapon copy function up to now," Yumiella conceded thoughtfully, "and I have been meaning to fix that. Is there a price attached to copying weapon forms from him?"
"He charges me a silver per weapon copy, since I'm upfront, but if you go in and try to copy it on the sly he'll probably try to land you with the whole price," Naofumi chuckled. "Apparently, Itsuki and Motoyasu both blew through on day one to try out every weapon he had before they left without buying much, so he's pissed that they stole his 'intellectual property'. Although, should the Sword Hero really be seen with a Shield Devil like me, if we're trying to keep this on the down-low until we spring some counter-trap on these fuckers?"
"Provided I've kept the first observer unable to report anything, there are a few ways to handle that. For instance," Yumiella reasoned, "if you drip some blood on your inseam and walk with a limp, we can tell anyone who asks that I castrated you for your crime."
He cringed at that, then looked thoughtful. "Huh. Yeah, it's not like anyone is going to check my- Wait, what 'first observer'?" Yumiella pointed toward where Yoshi-kun sat in the distance, watching the prisoner where Firo wouldn't bother him. "The fuck?"
"They were well-hidden, but Yoshi-kun was able to smell them, so I subdued them," Yumiella informed him as her precocious child prodded the bound and unconscious 'Shadow' with his tail.
Naofumi let loose a string of vehement swearing. "-ing burlap sack! Right, any idea how long the fucker was following me?"
"No. I struck from behind in the darkness, so the spy should not be aware of my presence or involvement; the unconsciousness status should remain for another hour or so before I may need to reapply it."
"Useful. Any hints about which weapon form provides that so I can get it?"
"It is the counting coup ability of the Wooden Practice Sword form, which I have upgraded repeatedly. I imagine a practice shield would be different."
"Right," Naofumi huffed. "Okay, let's figure out a game-plan from here."
"Don't forget to eat!" Farrie chirped, sticking another full plate in front of each Cardinal Hero before returning to Raphtalia's lesson in table manners.
Day 24, noon
"Damn, kid! I didn't recognize you," Erhardt laughed. "That's a really good disguise ya have on now! Here for another smithing lesson?"
"Not quite, but now might be a good time for your lunch hour," Naofumi answered.
Erhardt had been happy to greet the bunch of new customers that came through his door, only for them not to be new customers at all, but the Holy Shield Hero with some extra companions.
His decision to trust that Naofumi hadn't done the wicked deed hadn't proven wrong yet, at least; he'd been leery about the guy getting a girl slave, but little Raphtalia had grown up to be a happy and healthy young woman in the last two weeks, even if Naofumi himself still acted grim and brusque. Raphtalia's behavior wasn't that of an abuse victim, and someone would've bought her, so if she was happier out fighting than being a maid or learning needlework then he didn't have much right to complain.
Still, if Naofumi brought me some new clients to outfit... "All right, then. I'll put up the sign and it looks like I'll be doing measurements for armor, Miss...?"
"Yumiella Dolkness, the Cardinal Sword Hero," she introduced, displaying a small dagger that she quickly shifted through a few forms. "Naofumi informed me that you have a reasonable charge for weapon copying?"
"Oh! Uh, yeah, plus I'll do commissions or let him use the forge to try making his own shields a bit," Erhardt confirmed. "Hadn't heard you were back in the city yet."
"I will be in and out secretly for a little while. Naofumi mentioned that you believe in his innocence?"
"Uh, yeah, I liked the look in his eye." It was a bit more complicated than that, but basically... "I don't have solid evidence really, though. Just a gut feeling."
"She believes me too, but if anyone asks, I'm walking with a limp because she castrated me," Naofumi deadpanned. "Also, we might want to borrow your shop or upstairs rooms for a private meeting later, if you can swing it."
Erhardt chewed his lip a bit, thinking. "Let's get the blacksmith business done first. I don't see you wearing anything, so do you want armor for the Wave?"
"I normally rely on evasion, if you have armor that will not inhibit me," Lady Dolkness answered.
"Yeah, she moves like crazy," Naofumi's new friend Carrie confirmed. "Oh, by the way, I'm part of her party, I just went undercover to check the rumors for her. Farrie Bonheim at your service!" She gave a half-serious bow, and Erhardt nodded in return.
I guess that explains why she's more willing to believe his innocence, he figured. "Sounds like you'll want leather and enchanted cloth, minimal metal for less weight. I'll get Naofumi here set up at the forge if that's the plan, you copy stuff and pay me a silver per copy; also, since you're a Hero that the public will like, maybe we can talk about an advertising deal while I take your measurements, huh?"
"...Fighting monsters is dangerous, even for a Cardinal Hero," Yumiella said out of nowhere. Erhardt paused, unsure if she was going for a threat or a plea or what. "With thousands of monsters swarming around during the Wave, I rely on Erhardt smithy's top quality armor to keep me safe from attacks as I protect the world. Erhardt's smithy, insert business slogan here, exclamation point."
Naofumi laughed so hard he hit the floor.
Day 24, afternoon
"Transport," Yumiella commanded, and the Skill immediately teleported her group back to Cal Mira.
"Oh wow," Raphtalia mused. "This is..."
"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Naofumi agreed, fiddling with the metal helmet that was his Face Shield form for disguise. "You said you could introduce us to your shape-shifting bird twins?"
"Kueh!" His filorial chirped.
"It'll stress disbelief that we're back this fast, but the others probably won't care since she did get a whole bunch of weapon copy forms," Farrie confirmed.
The plan was to keep Yumiella's other teammates in the dark -- she knew who Bakta was reporting to, but she wasn't certain about the other two yet -- and have Yumiella go back to training with them while Farrie and the twins joined Naofumi's party for training on a different island. They'd be far enough away to avoid an EXP conflict, Naofumi's party would get carried to a higher Level in her teammates' backpacks, and Farrie and the twins would get the EXP bonus from being in a Cardinal Hero's party.
At some point today or tomorrow, she'd get a call from Itsuki when he reached the capital, and she'd take Naofumi back for a meeting of the Cardinal Heroes to make plans in secret.
Until then, she'd give the twins a new Filorial playmate, she'd help Naofumi get up to a more appropriate Level, and she'd work on using and Mastering the copied sword forms she bought from Mr. Erhardt.
Time to find her team.
... ... ...
Yumiella hit YES on her Menu and immediately fell back behind Bakta as Tersia darted sideways to flank the boss.
"Drifa Icicle Prison!" Welt cast, immediately attempting to freeze and imprison the Karma Squirrel, but it was fast and he only froze its hind legs, leaving its claws free to scrape at the ice.
That was when Tersia jumped on it to knife its spine.
Hm, it seems Soul Healing Water isn't sufficient to entirely restore my SP, Yumiella assessed, discarding the empty bottle of the potion that Itsuki had told her about and Naofumi had taught her the recipe for. Still, it is far more useful than relying on form-based regeneration or retreating to the hot springs to recover.
"Shooting Star Sword," Yumiella declared, using the special skill of the Siderite Sword she was using for this battle. "Faust Jinx."
"Yom!" Yoshi yipped just before it bit the Karma Squirrel's fluffy tail, heedless of the fact that the tail hairs seemed to harden into spikes.
Bakta stepped forward to smash his axe into into the squirrel's neck right as it tried to twist around and bite at Yoshi or Tersia.
"Zweite Icicle Prison!" Welkt cast, icing down the squirrel's legs again.
"Faust Jinx. Faust Hex," Yumiella cast, taking a moment to down another SP restorative. The boss squirrel shrieked as dark magic washed over it, and she stepped forward to enter melee with her sword right as Tersia leaped off the squirrel's back and dropped a net down over it.
Her blade hit it in the mouth but only chipped the squirrel's teeth without drawing blood, though she hoped that might inhibit its biting capability.
That was when the Karma Squirrel went berserk.
...
"Hey captain," Tersia called, using the title he'd started to use instead of 'lady' or 'hero' or whatnot for her, "it's getting dark, so can we not try another fight and head to the inn?"
Yumiella blinked and flipped the little mental switch that would tone down all of her passive see-in-the-dark bonuses, discovering that yes, the shadows were long and it was dark enough she had trouble seeing her teammates' faces now.
Some other day, it would be useful to grind overnight and leave the day hunting to less able teams... but for now we should call it quits. "We can head back to the city," Yumiella confirmed. "Who needs a ride?"
"Yom!" Yoshi-kun offered cheerfully.
...About half an hour later, Yoshi was settled with a large serving of meat and pitted fruit in the stables while the party settled in for a late supper.
Bakta and Tersia were discussing equipment upgrades while Yumiella was discussing the methodology of creating a new spell with Welt -- she would get back her Dark Bind and Shadow Lance and Black Hole eventually, she absolutely would -- when a tall woman in a bikini stormed up to the table.
"What the flipping fuck?!" the woman accused, grabbing Bakta by the shoulder. "You told me she'd be in Zenoble until next week, I was this close to swimming out after her and she's fucking back already?!"
"Fuck off and let go of me, she only got back today," he snapped back with booze-flushed cheeks, and there was almost the beginning of a bar brawl before Tersia got between them to finesse things and pull the boys off to the bar.
This left Yumiella at the table with the tall, muscular, scantily clad and very self-confident woman.
"I am Yumiella Dolkness. Pleased to meet you," she offered.
"I'm Sadeena."
"I see." That sounds vaguely familiar but I don't know from where.
"From Lulorona. Hawkins sent me," Sadeena clarified.
"Ah. Should we talk here, or more privately?" Yumiella checked.
"Here's fine. Hawkins said you were primarily interested in how the Wave functioned, and I wasn't there for that one-," Sadeena looked terribly grim and sad for a brief moment. "-but I helped out with a Wave near Siltvelt about two weeks ago, so I can tell you about that. But in trade, I'm hoping you can help me find and free the surviving kids from Lulorona. I tracked some to a few slave traders still doing business in Melromarc, but most of them got shipped off to Zenoble, which is why I almost swam after you instead of waiting."
"I am willing to help," Yumiella confirmed. "If you're willing to join my party and help with the Wave, it will also give you improved status and authority to push publicly for action."
"Think your teammates will be okay with that?" Sadeena checked.
"If Bakta objects strongly, I will write him a recommendation to transfer to a different Hero's party. If nothing else, demi-humans and humans should work together now because the Waves risk eliminating everyone," Yumiella stated. She sent a Party Invitation to Sadeena, who had a morose look on her face.
"Yeah, but if people could be that reasonable, then the world wouldn't have half its current problems," she griped as she accepted the invitation.
Yumiella quickly checked over the woman's status, then immediately stopped to re-read it from the top.
She's reached Level 91 without having the EXP bonus from a hero's party?! "Senpai, please teach me the secrets of your efficient grinding," Yumiella requested sincerely.
"Eh- what?"
