Another small bump. His rear was already quite sore from the trip. The carriage obviously didn't possess the best of hydraulic systems, so he could feel every rock, and hole that they come across on the road, especially since the road was nothing more then a track of dirt.
For what was probably the tenth time since the beginning of this trip, Ryou wondered why he had accepted this particular request with little more then three weeks to the wave yet he couldn't come up with just one single explanation. It could have been the reward even if he wasn't particularly hurting for money. It could have been the opportunity to hunt new monsters, and unlock new bows. It could have been just his adventurer spirit wanting to see more of this new world. It could even have been his own bleeding heart, though he put far less weight on that particular option.
Throwing an annoyed glance at the villager beside him, he asked in slight exasperation,"Remind me again Old man, why exactly do you need my help?"
The old man in question, the one that hired him, looked nervously in his direction before explaining.
"Yuusha-sama our village is being sieged by misfortune…" the old man explained sadly.
With a sigh Ryou had to ask, "You already mention that, but what exactly is this 'misfortune' you speak off?"
The old man clapped his hands before looking towards the floor of the carriage. "It can only be the work of an evil spirit… Diseased crops, cattle appearing mutilated or just disappearing altogether, fences and barns broken or just completely destroyed, burglary is everywhere! Even rumors have spread around, and because of that merchants avoid the town like the plague, and those that don't just disappear altogether after leaving, never to be seen again. It's the work of an evil spirit, I tell you!" At the end of the explanation the old man was almost bellowing with tears in his eyes.
Ryou released another breath in annoyance, but patted the old man on the shoulder as he cried.
The old Ryou, would have instantly called bullshit, and that there had to be a logical explanation for everything. On the off chance of it truly being the work of an evil spirit, instead of a hero they should have called the pope himself, maybe that shitty fanatic would actually do something worthwhile with his life.
The current Ryou, was still inclined to call it bullshit, however he couldn't discount the possibility, that it was actually the work of a paranormal force. The old him would have called magic bullshit too, and now he was more or less using it, his weapon powers were based on the concept.
If it truly was the work of an evil spirit like the man had declared, Ryou had no idea how to deal with it at all. Wolves were one thing, they had been alive to begin with, so they could be killed. A paranormal entity though?
I don't know if my arrows can actually damage such a thing, and I'm not really in a hurry to find out… Ryou pondered, it wasn't that he was afraid of the paranormal, no… His fears were a lot more down to earth, and much more boring than that.
Whatever the case there are far too many unfortunate events to be a coincidence, that's for sure…
"What about the neighboring villages?" Ryou asked, crossing his leg, even when another bump made him shift a little.
Rubbing his eyes the old man answered, "The farms around the village are suffering the same fate, but I haven't heard anything from the other villages…"
So it's only happening in this particular village…
It was a localized event then, and taking into account the increase in crime, there existed the possibility that a bandit group had made the village their headquarters. It would explain almost everything, except maybe the diseased crops, although that could be attributed too magic. They could be using intimidation tactics like the mob.
"Old man, do you know if some of the criminals are extorting money from the villagers…Like, offering protection from the events if you pay a toll, or something along those lines?" Ryou asked. If that had been the case he could lay the whole "evil spirit" theory to rest, although that kind of thing only happened in movies.
"Huh, no, from what I know they only steal from people, or kill them if they resist... If we knew who they were, we would have stopped them ourselves…" The old man explained with an angry frown.
Well there goes that theory…
So it could still be the work of the paranormal, but Ryou decided to leave that one on the bottom of the list, there wasn't much more he could get just from thinking about it. It would be better to wait until he arrived, and gathered more information.
One thing that Ryou couldn't help but to notice was that Melromarc had a very low population density. It made sense since it was mostly a Middle Age Kingdom, yet now that he actually went beyond the outskirts of Castle Town it became much clearer. In one entire week they had passed through the astonishing amount of two villages, and Ryou had been able to spot another one in the distance a few days ago. Besides that most of landscape was either great forests, or open fields so one couldn't help but to compare the Melromarc, with a European country, even the climate was for the most part a Mediterranean one.
The journey had taken a full week, only stopping to sleep and, taking some breaks or for the random monster on the road, that Ryou had easily dispatched, along with those that weren't even on the road. With his divine protection he could snipe even monsters that were far away. Since the carriage wasn't that fast to begin with, Ryou could actually jump off, gather what he needed, and return before it got to far.
All-in-all he had encountered an assortment of monsters from porcupines, poison frogs and even a couple of wolves, normal sized ones.
The porcupines, gave him access to the Spiked Bow, that besides increasing his defense by plus four, it also hurt anything that touched the outside of the bow. The poison frogs, had given him access to the Poison Frog Bow, that besides four points in agility, and a small resistance against poison, gave him a new offensive skill, the Poison Shot and as the name implied, in the description it stated what one would expect. It would fire an arrow, and if it hit, the enemy would be poisoned suffering from damage over time. In reality however, he had hit a wolf with it, and the canine fell on his side, instantaneously convulsing and frothing from its mouth. At that moment Ryou decided that he would only use that particular skill against monsters or in life threatening situations.
The rest of what the weapons he had unlocked were mostly stats boosting bows, while nice they didn't offer anything particularly new.
He had also tried his luck shooting down a wyvern, or at least that was what Ryou classified it has, unfortunately the flying lizards were far to quick, and smart to be taken down by arrows from such distances, and the poison arrow had no effect on them, on the rare occasion he actually got a hit.
One day you flying purses, I'll make a new bow out of you…Ryou vowed back then, he had the feeling that wyverns would actually unlock something nice, unfortunately he would have to wait until he had the means to actually take one down.
After finally arriving, Ryou took in the sights. Fortified by a wooden wall, the village was a far cry when compared to Castle town, it probably had around a hundred houses, and that was counting the farms on the outskirts.
Deciding that was better to go around, and start gathering information, Ryou did just that, after asking the old man for the Inn's location. He doubted that he could solve the situation in half a day.
A few hours later, Ryou was having dinner while his thoughts went to the information he had gathered.
Walking around the village, and the outskirts asking questions had confirmed what the old farmer had said. Burned or diseased crops, missing, and mutilated livestock, even destroyed property. There was also a scarcity of products, and equipment apparently far less merchants came to the land since the first wave had hit...That particular fact made no sense to him, since has far has his geographic knowledge went, the first wave had hit the other side of the country.
On a side note he found out, that technically speaking he wasn't in Melromarc anymore. The Northern Territories, were actually a different country, while still falling under Melromarc's jurisdiction. A Vassal country, or colony of sorts. Not only that, but apparently, he was closer to another superpower of this world then he realized, one villager explained to him, that beyond the mountain range in the very far distance was Faubley, the mountain serving as a natural boarder between the two countries.
Taking another bite of his bread, still warm from the oven, Ryou shifted his thoughts towards the current problem. He had at least confirmed his initial theory. There had been far too many events to be a coincidence, someone or something was targeting this village.
But for what purpose..?
Maybe it had been someone with power that wished for revenge, hoping to bring the village down, or maybe someone had been benefiting from the damage. Another conversation with the old farmer was needed, maybe he had forgotten something. Right now Ryou only had a lot of unfortunate events, and nothing pointing towards a source.
The following day Ryou had to curse himself, for not asking for the old man's address. Thankfully the village was quite small, but he had still wasted most of the morning searching.
Reaching the farm, Ryou couldn't help but to draw parallels between this one, and the farms around his grandmother's village. If he ignored the style of the building, the rest of the farm was a carbon copy of the ones in his old world.
Walking around he finally saw the figure of a man, digging into the soil in the fields, with a straw hat on his head.
"Hey, Old man..." Ryou raised a hand in greeting.
The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead, before dropping the hoe, and turning towards Ryou.
"Ahh, Yuusha-sama, have you dealt with the Evil Spirit already?" The man asked with a little bit of glee. Ryou for his part only sigh before scratching his neck.
"Yeahhh, I don't buy into that Evil Spirit theory of yours, I think something else is going on, but I still haven't figured it out… Can you remember anything else out of the ordinary, besides these unfortunate events? Anything at all even if its just a small thing..," Ryou old man, seemed to be thinking about it, scrunching his eyes before shaking his head.
"No, I apologize Yuusha-sama, but besides all these despicable events, our village has always been peaceful... If someone broke an arm, everyone would know within the hour…"
Another dead end hmm...Where am I supposed to look, then..? Ryou thought before remembering a forgotten fact.
"Hey old man, who's the leader of your village?"
"Leader..?" Shaking his head Ryou expanded on it.
"Yeah, isn't this village, or region ruled by a Lord?" And that finally seemed to click on the old farmer's head.
"Ahh, that would be Lord Almond... He is the lord in charge of this village." The bow hero inclined his head slightly before shifting his weight onto the other leg.
"This Lord Almond, what has he done in response to this crisis?" The old man looked a little crestfallen after hearing the question.
"Lord Almond is a man of hard work you see, he believes we should solve our problems ourselves, but he always had the best interests of the village in mind, or so we thought…" The old man trailed off, and Ryou was on it like a hound on a trail.
"What does that mean? As he given you a reason to believe otherwise?" Looking to the side, the old farmer scratched his mostly bald head.
"Well these are only rumors, people talk a lot around here… But apparently when our misfortune began, the lord of the neighboring village came here to offer help... Nobody knows exactly what went on in that meeting, there's only speculation, but the results speak for themselves... Lord Almond denied any help, it makes sense given the type of man he is, but still…" The old man looked even more defeated.
If the situation is this bad, what reason could this Lord Almond have to refuse a helping hand..? Is he just too stubborn, and prideful or is there something else...
"I doubt the help would have been for free, do you have any idea on what the other lord could have asked in return?" Ryou questioned. Nobles were for the most part greedy, it was stereotyping on his part, but it didn't make it any less true…
"Well no but…" the old man trailed off, before copping his hand in front of his mouth, and Ryou raised an eyebrow."...This isn't particularly secret information but...The neighboring lord as shown a passing interest in courting Lord Almonds daughter... Perhaps that's what he asked for, and why Lord Almond refused, but like I said this is mostly speculation from an old man." The lines were finally starting to resemble a painting, with that information… Yet at the same time Ryou couldn't help but to think.
I'm pretty sure all of that counted as important information old man… Very important if I'm painting the right picture here...
If Ryou's hypothesis was correct, then everything connected, however it was just a theory, and he needed proof.
"Hey Old man, do you fancy a trip to the neighboring village?" Ryou questioned with a small grin, and the old man just released a confused, "Huh?"
Reaching the gates of the Neighboring Village, that went by the name of Gentlewood, Ryou, and the farmer were stopped by the guard at the gate. The man looked more like a thug then a guard, wearing simple leather armor with an axe on his back, and having a scruff appearance.
"Halt! All visitors must pay the toll!" The guard exclaimed, before moving near the carriage, and extending his hand.
With a sigh Ryou asked, "How much?" The guard responded non paused.
"Thirty silver." The amount stopped Ryou in his tracks, turning towards the farmer he had to ask.
"Hey old man, what's the average price on a toll to enter a village in Melromarc?" The old man turned to look at Ryou before responding.
"Between five cooper and one silver coin, one silver coin being the average price imposed by his Majesty, however even that amount varies depending on the village…" Ryou hummed before turning to face the guard again.
"Your toll is thirty times the price imposed by the crown, a little high don't you think?" The guard just frowned before replying.
"It is what it is, so either pay or turn around boy." Ryou released his bow after a moment, before inquiring with smile on his face.
"I'm sure we can bargain…" The guard took a step back at the sight of his bow.
"You! You are one of the Legendary Heroes… It matters not! You could be his Highness, and you still had to pay, those are my orders, so like I said before, either pay or turn around Hero Boy…" The guard stated like the fact he was in the presence of a Legendary Hero meant nothing. Ryou finally relented silently giving some credit to the man. There was no way around it, he had to get into the village. Opening his inventory window he withdraw the money, before dropping it in the guards hand.
"Here you go…" Ryou replied while the guard counted the money, before narrowing his eyes, and looking back at the Bow Hero.
"There's forty silver here…" Ryou only smiled pleasantly.
"That's ten more, in exchange for your discretion, after-all the Yumi-no Yuusha, is in Castle Town, as far as everyone is aware you see .." The guard, that Ryou was almost one hundred percent sure was anything but, just grinned a yellow smile.
"You know how things work around here, Hero boy... Well as far has anyone asks, the last I heard of the four Legendary heroes, they were all in Castle Town…" The Guard agreed, and that was that.
If the picture I'm painting is true, I would rather not have this village Lord aware of my presence here yet… Though I hate to take a card out of Itsuki's book, with the whole hidden vigilante thing…
The first impressions of Gentlewood was that it definitely eclipsed the Northern village as far as size went, and that someone had a very ironic naming sense, or at least that was what Ryou had thought when exploring the village. The people looked like corpses, not even living, but just surviving. Unlike Castle town, where everyone was lively, Gentlewood felt like death was hovering over the village, yet none of the misfortune from the Northern village had reach here, and Ryou couldn't help but to question the reason for it.
The look in these people's eyes are almost identical to Raphtalia…
After almost an hour exploration Ryou found a good target, exactly what he had been looking for, a very dubious looking merchant near an Alley. With what had been a little prodding in the form of some silver, the merchant's tongue had gone quite loose, and what a well of information the men had been.
The lord of Gentlewood was, to put it in simple terms a scumbag that fancy himself as the kingpin of the region. The man, had filled his pockets with money from the toll, and accepted all kinds of bribes. Not only that but he had also 'cautioned' any merchant to not take their business to the Northern Village, and by 'cautioned', the merchant had explained that if they were to do business there, he would not be hold responsible for any misfortune that could happen. The final nail in his coffin, had been the fact that he had his own personal group of attack dogs, that the merchant had been sure were just normal bandits. The very few who were courageous, or stupid enough to open their mouth despise everything would be silenced almost immediately.
And we have our culprit… Not the work of an Evil Spirit, but the greed of an Evil Asshole…
Now the big question on Ryou's mind, was how to go about it. The easiest way would be to return to Castle town, and talk to Aultcray even if he hated the idea. However, Ryou was sure he could come back with an army behind him or at least a few squads of knights. Hero's privileges, and all that.
The thought of confronting the Lord alone crossed his mind, but he preferred when the odds were completely in his favor. The man had bodyguards with him so things could turn slightly ugly. Not only that, but the only thing he had on the Noble, was the fact that the man was corrupt, hardly something that would make anyone lose their sleep, most nobles had dirt on them after all.
Truly the best way would be to return to Lord Almond's Village, and spend the night there, especially since the Inn's in Gentlewood's Village cost a small fortune. He would then start his trip back to Castle Town the following day, after registering the Northern Village as a teleportation location. Ryou's teleportation Ability while usefully came with sever limitations, not only did it had a forty-eight hours cooldown, but he could only register three places at any given time .
Its like those teleportation skills MMORPG's have at the beginning, a free teleport but with sever limitations, and a pretty big cooldown… Ryou theorized, it had been a common mechanic across a lot of games, however normally as one leveled up he would unlock better, and more complex transportation systems, so maybe the same applied in this world…
With those thoughts, Ryou went on his way back, he had everything he needed from this village anyway.
The following morning Ryou was. for the second time since arriving in Melromarc, forcefully awaken from his slumber by shouting, and loud knocks on his door.
"Yuusha-sama, Yuusha-sama, come quickly, it's terrible!" The voice that he recognized as the old man that had hired him shouted in panic. Ryou quickly made his way towards the door, before opening it.
"What's wrong?" The old man had sweat running down his head, and was slightly wheezing.
"Its...Its Lord Almond's daughter! She has been kidnapped!" The old man exclaimed, still with his hands on his knees.
"What?!" Ryou exclaimed, eyes narrowing in anger. There had been no doubt in his mind who was behind the event, all evidenced that he had collected the day prior, pointed towards the scummy lord, from Gentlewood's Village.
"It's terrible, Lord Almond tried to stop those monsters from taking his daughter, but they overpowered him, and now even our Lord as been hurt." That was enough to spring Ryou into action. Going back inside, he put on his armor before ordering.
"Take me to him!"
Is this pure coincidence, or there's something more going on here..? Ryou questioned making his way out of the Inn.
Unlike what Ryou had expected, Lord Almond didn't live in a mansion or a palace like most nobles. His family house was a farm, a big farm, and at the sight Ryou's respect for the man went up a notch. He was someone who understood hard work alright if the house was off any indication.
Entering what looked like a living room, completely made of wood, with a fireplace, and a average dining table, Ryou made his way to a couch where a man, who he was sure was Lord Almond lay.
The man was had brown hair, with yellow greenish eyes, on his abdomen was a rag, that had in times been white, however now it was mostly stained in red. The man was gritting his teeth, but took in the new arrival.
"Who are you?" The man asked voice strained from the pain, and Ryou opened his inventory taking out an health potion.
"Never mind that now, here drink this, it should help a little at least…" Ryou offered, extending the potion into Almond's reach. The man, took one suspicious look at the bottle, before looking at the old man who nodded. Reaching he grabbed it, and drank it in one gulp, grimacing only a little at the horrible flavor. Almost immediately the wound closed, and it became apparent it hadn't hit anything vital.
The man look shocked for a moment before his face became dead serious.
"Thank you" Ryou nodded slightly before stating.
"I heard your daughter was kidnapped…" The man inclined his head clenching his teeth, before exclaiming.
"Yes, she was… I tried to stop them, but they were too many..." Almond trailed off, then he turned his eyes towards the old farmer.
"Round up everyone in the village, were going to look for my daughter, organize in search parties I want no rock left unchecked in the forest!" He ordered, and the old man contrary to what his age might indicate, vanished out of the room in a blink of an eye.
Almond proceed to move towards the table his fist slamming on it a moment later." Dammit! If only I hadn't gone so many times against Aultcray, I would still have his ear, and could ask for reinforcements to help search!" The Noble almost roared.
"Maybe I can help with that..." Ryou offered, and Almond turned to look at him.
"You?! I'm thankful for your assistance, but unless you can convince his Majesty to lend us his knights, I don't see how you can help..." Ryou held a sigh. At the rate he had been sighing now a days, he would have grey hairs before long.
"Right... I haven't introduced myself, I'm Ryou Takuma, and I am the Yumi no Yuusha." Ryou stated with a slight grimace, stating his official title still left a bad taste in his mouth. Almond's eyes widened considerably after hearing the introduction.
"One of the Four Legendary Heroes? What is one such as you doing here?" The Noble questioned.
"I was hired to deal with your 'misfortune', and this also seems to fit the bill…" Ryou responded with a shrug.
"Who hired you, because I sure didn't…"
"That farmer did… Why?" Confusion clear on his face, and voice. The village was in a bad state, what was so surprising about hiring a hero?
"You heroes must be running charity these days… Never mind that, Yuusha-sama, I beg you, please help me find my daughter! If its you then Aultcray will surely hear you." The man implored, and it was fantastic the way most people would sing a different tune the moment they knew who he was.
"I was already going to speak with him. I'm pretty sure the one who ordered the kidnapping of your daughter is the same person behind all the misfortune that as fallen on your village." After that statement Almond's eyes almost burst in flames, a snarl formed on his face.
"Who?!" Finally, Ryou revealed his suspicions.
"The Lord of Gentlewood's village." Almond's face took on a look of surprise before it turned red.
"That Slime!" He spat before continuing, "I should have known! He already asked for Rishia once before, and now he even went as far as to kidnapped her?! If he so much as touches a hair on her head, I'll slaughter him." Almond's threatened fists white with rage.
However Ryou came to a very, very sudden stop, freezing completely while his brain processed that statement.
"Wait, wait, wait! Run that by me again? What's your daughter's name?" Almond calmed himself before replying.
"Rishia, Rishia Ivyred… Why?" Ryou covered his eyes with his palms.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" He screamed at the ceiling, and to the sky's above in frustration.
Rishia had been the clumsy, green haired, shy girl on Itsuki's party. Some stuff that Ryou couldn't remember happened, and she had been kicked out because of it, she then went on to join Naofumi's party.
Why?! What are the fucking odds that I, happen to come across the same situation as Itsuki without even trying!
Ryou screamed again in frustration, because now his hand had been forced! He couldn't leave the poor girl by herself. He had access to the teleportation ability, however being the dumb ass that he was, he had forgotten to register Castle Town, the most important place, as a teleportation location. So now instead of two to three days counting the cooldown on his teleport, it would take at least seven to come back with reinforcements. That wasn't a problem before, the village would endure until he came back, even if it was after the wave... But with this? Who knew what such a scumbag would do to Rishia in that amount off time.
If he's been interested in her for so long, then I know what he might do, and he deserves a new hole in his head for it…
"Shit…" Ryou muttered finally calming down. He would be forced to take action, no doubt about it.
"What's wrong Ryou-sama, do you know my daughter?" Rishia's father asked, and Ryou remembered he wasn't the only one in the room.
"No, that's not it, I just remembered, it will take me almost seven, maybe eight days to return with reinforcements, and we can't wait that long… Who knows what he will do to your daughter in the meantime..." And if possible the man became even angrier then before, although now there was a small touch of desperation in his voice.
"Can't you use your authority as a hero to bring him down?!" Ryou had to stop himself from cursing in frustration.
"I probably could if I had something more to pin on him... But right now the only thing that, I have is that he is a corrupt bastard, he might not even bat an eye at that, a lot of nobles are... If I went to Aultcray with that the King would certainly move, if nothing else just to appease me but it will take too long…" Ryou ended, cursing his own luck, he would try to bluff his way, but it would probably come down to a fight. He couldn't leave a kind-hearted girl like Rishia to her fate. Ryou didn't knew Rishia personally, that much was obvious, but he had known of her. There was something there, he wouldn't use the word 'bond', because she had been nothing more then an image on a screen. In this world though, she was a living, and breathing human being, his feelings towards the girl were more or less the same as with Raphtalia.
"That god damned swine! The only reason he has this much power is because of the accursed wave! Bastard using that fear to keep people under his heel!" Almond lamented.
"Right… This all started after the first wave hit, but that happened on the other side of the country so what's the connection here?" Ryou questioned, because that had made no sense to him.
"It wasn't really the wave itself, but the idea or concept of it. People... Civilians, and low-lives are terrorized by the idea of the wave, and after the first one hit, it became a very real fear. Being a noble gave that slime the upper hand, and he convinced people that if the calamity came, he could save them by calling on the heroes. Some didn't believe him, but the fear was too real to discount the possibility of it being true. With that power, he bought himself even more power, the crooks wont betray him for the sake of that protection, and the civilians hardly raise against him for the same reason.
Well that's a twisted way of using fear but it actually might make my life a little bit easier... I can try to bullshit my way out of fighting the bodyguards at least... Ryou considered, however that still left the noble himself. No matter if he was one of the legendary heroes or not,Ryou wouldn't pick a fight with Malty at this stage, she could probably run circles around him, despise being a princess... Even Melty could probably floor him if given the chance, so Nobles could still be a problem...
"Is that bastard any strong..? Physically or with magic?" Ryou need to know what exactly he was getting into...
"That midget? He isn't strong at all! That's the reason he as been hiring thugs, he probably knows how to wave a sword around but that's it..." Almond commented, and Ryou almost felt relieved hearing that.
So if I get pass the bodyguards, I should be in the clear… However I might not even have to take them on... However his train of thought was interrupted by Almond
"That bastard going about it in such a way... He has no right ruling using such tactics! That slime is really profiting quite well from people's fears." Almond finished with a hint of disgust.
That last part brought another memory to the surface…
Flashback
"Indeed, but before I take my leave…" she paused, and turned her head in his direction before continuing, "Here's a little piece of interesting trivia, although his Majesty might be making some very questionable decisions as of late, he's still the King of Melromarc, that fact hasn't changed... He will never stand for people who profit from the fear, and devastation brought about by the waves... He might have turned a blind eye to it in the past, especially if it helped in his crusade, but he won't risk angering my mistress anymore than he already did, on that front at least." She finished, and Ryou could only stand there confused.
"That…" he begun "…is completely random information, how the hell is that even useful?" The only thing he could gather from that statement, was that the maid pretty much confirmed who her mistress was, if even the king threaded lightly around her.
"Just something to keep in mind, I'm sure this little piece of knowledge will be useful to you in the future. Well until next time Yuusha-sama, and don't die out there... You are my favorite after all." And the accursed woman actually had the nerve to send him a flying kiss before disappearing.
After she left, Ryou couldn't help but to mutter, "What was the actual point in all of that..?"
End of Flashback
"That might just be it…" Ryou murmured, snapping his fingers. He had another thing to pin on the bastard, and with everything else Ryou might just be able to pull this off.
Right she said that, and it might just be one the key's that I need… Ryou thought, before reaching another conclusion…
She gave me that piece of complete random information, and stated that it might come in use, and now it actually came be one of the key's towards solving this problem…Not only that but the timing of the kidnapping… Its just coincidence after coincidence… That Manipulative bitch…
Ryou didn't knew how the woman had pulled it off, but it was too big of a coincidence. The Shadow Maid, had somehow pulled enough strings, in such a way, that made this entire scenario possible, and had left him with one of the keys to solve it.
After I'm done with this I'm going to have some words with that old man… And next time I meet that witch, I'm going to strangle some answers out of her..!
It wasn't even because of the situation itself, he would help Rishia either way... The problem was he had been played in order to do something for the Shadow Maid, and without his consent or knowledge. If there was one thing Ryou hated it was people who tried to manipulate him.
But that comes later… Since so many people like to stick that stupid title on me, I might as well start doing something Heroic, and as cliche as it is, saving a damsel in distress definitely fits the bill….
But that comes later… Since so many people like to stick that stupid title on me, I might as well start doing something Heroic, and as cliche as it is, saving a damsel in distress definitely fits the bill….
Taking a deep breath Ryou analyzed his priorities... Saving Rishia came first and foremost, and since sneaking around Gentlewood Lord's mansion would be all but impossible, a direct confrontation would be the only the only way to make his plan work.
"Yuusha-sama have you thought of something?" Almond questioned hopefully.
"Yeah, you actually made me remember something that might help, with everything I have now, I might be able to save Rishia, and put that man out of commission," Ryou stated. His mind whirling with thoughts before articulating them.
"Here's the thing, I don't know if I can solve this with just my authority as hero, even with all the proof, I might not be able to bluff him into submission, however this is the best I could come up with." The whole Hero authority thing was in reality nothing more then an illusion of power - power that only existed in peoples minds. The question now was if Ryou could keep the illusion from shattering.
"Well let's hear this plan of yours Yuusha-sama…" Almond requested, and Ryou elaborated.
After the plan was explained Almond looked at the young hero in a new light.
"For someone so young you are quite shrewd Ryou-sama." Ryou shook his head after hearing the praise.
"That's not true, this plan as far to many what-ifs for my taste. Honestly its either hit or miss. If we had more time, I might have been able to come up with something better, but right now this is the only one I have." It would have to work because if it didn't both him, and Rishia would be in a lot of trouble.
"Is there anything, I can help with?" Almond asked almost as a plea. No doubt the man wanted to increase the chances of rescuing his daughter by any means possible.
Ryou took a minute to think about all the scenarios before nodding, "Yes there is. I want you to fortify the village, and arm the villagers. If the plan fails, I'll get your daughter out somehow but I doubt they will let us leave just like that. That scumbag might just decide to cut his losses, and come after us. If that happens we will come here, and you should be ready for a battle."
Ryou truly hoped it wouldn't come to that, but better to be ready for any scenario, even the worse case ones.
"Very well Yuusha-sama, I hate to be so powerless but I have no choice but to trust you with the safety of my daughter. I will get this village ready for battle, and we will fight if it comes down to it," Almond declared determined, pressing his fist against his chest.
"Hopefully it won't come to that…" Ryou mumbled, moving towards the door.
"The best of luck! I will pray for your safe return, both yours, and my daughter's." Ryou turned his face towards the man, and nodded before going on his way.
After getting the carriage ready, Ryou went on his way towards Gentlewood Village again. Unfortunately the carriage driver was not the same old man that had hired him, he had been busy running around, however Ryou vowed he would get to the bottom of this situation later, one way or another.
The trip wouldn't take that long, but it gave Ryou some more time to think. Itsuki had been able to bring the lord down, but Ryou wasn't sure if the previous bow hero had done so this soon, the time line was already messed up and it would probably only get worse. Even still Itsuki had a party with him at the time, and Ryou would be going alone with only his wits, hopefully it would be enough, because if the plan didn't work…
If it turns into a battle… Someone is going to die… Ryou thought grimly. Killing monsters even if they bleed was one thing, killing humans however was a line he wasn't sure he could cross. Pass values ingrained into him since birth, made such a thing an unacceptable act. Nevertheless if it came down to a choice between himself, and them, Ryou would fight first, and deal with the consequences later.
Nobles are almost all the same, aren't they..? Ryou questioned internally observing the mansion before him, or a small palace he really couldn't tell.
Approaching the guards at the gate, they immediately frown at the sight of him.
"Halt! What do you think you are doing here boy?!" One of the two guards demanded, and as far as first impressions went, these people were certainly lacking in hospitality.
Pointing at himself Ryou answered, "Me? I'm the going to meet with the Lord, you will find that he wants to see me." The guard surveyed Ryou with his eyes, before turning to look at the other guard who just shrugged.
"Yeah, I don't think so! Nobody told us to expect visits and, I doubt that Lord Gentlewood will want to meet with a kid like you." The guard crossed his arms at the end of that statement, frowning even deeper when Ryou coughed in his hand.
Gentlewood..! The village is named after him!? Irony, my lady, I saw what you did here! Ryou had to mask the snort that had come out, with very bad timing he might add, but he hadn't been able to help himself. After recollecting himself, he crossed his arms just like the guard.
"Well I'm sure that your Lord will make time to meet with the Yumi-no Yuusha right?" Ryou even punctuated that with a raised eyebrow.
Both guards turned flabbergasted at the announcement before the one that had been silent, spoke with incredulity, "You?! You are one of the Legendary Heroes?!" With a twist of his wrist, the Legendary bow materialized in his hand. The guards once again shared a silent look, then the one who had spoken before replied.
"Please follow me Yuusha-sama, I'll take you to Lord Gentlewood." The guard made a hand motion for him to follow, and Ryou did so keeping his bow unsealed.
They entered through the main hall after crossing a big lavish garden. Inside maids could be seen roaming around, some looked at him in curiosity but no comment was made on the new guest. It took Ryou two full minutes to realize they were taking the scenic route.
The other one probably went to inform his master of my arrival… This also worked in Ryou's favor. He would be able to get a basic layout of the mansion if things took a turn for the worse.
It was when he reached a intersection that led to a set of stairs that Ryou came to a curious if suspicious sight. Half way on the corridor that intersected with the one he was currently on, there was a door with two guards on each side. Ryou took a curious look, at the sight for a couple of seconds however the guard that was serving as guide interrupted his thoughts.
"This way Yuusha-sama." The man had a frown on his face, and was pointing towards the stairs. Ryou followed but the suspicious feeling remained.
Well aren't you in a hurry all of the sudden, and two thugs guarding a random door..?
There was a good chance Ryou had just come across the place where Rishia was being held captive, and as much as he wanted to get the poor girl out, he needed to play his cards right.
Climbing the stairs, he was escorted to a double set of doors. The guard stopped before knocking, it took a few moments before a wheezy voice came, through the other side.
"Come in." The guard opened the door and motioned Ryou to step inside. Ryou griped his bow slightly harder, before stepping inside.
Its show time…
The room most prominent colors were white and red, with all manners of decorations from monster skulls to emblems. Two red couches lay in front of a small glass table with a desk at the end of the room, behind it stood a tapestry also red with golden embroilment covering the entire far wall.
Ryou's eyes finally set on the figure seated on the couch, and right then he decided that fate was screwing with him yet again.
First his name and now this?! This guy looks just like the Gollum only chubbier! Ryou thought with equal measure of incredulity, and hilariously. The man look to be around fifty, small but probably weighing more than Ryou. His face pale with big blue eyes, a few grey hairs were still present in a mostly bald head, and sporting a pair of ears that would make him the perfect target for bullies in Ryou's old high school.
Pushing the amusing thoughts aside, and putting his head back into the game Ryou inclined his head in greeting, "Hello, you must be Lord Gentlewood, yes?"
The small noble, clapped his hands a pleasant smile forming on his face,"Yes, that's me and let me tell you this is a unexpected but marvelous surprise! To think that one of the Legendary Heroes would visit not only my town, but also my person, this is such an honor!" The man exclaimed joyously, and Ryou had to compare the man to the slave trader in Melromarc, or at least what he expected the man to act like.
"Indeed, and I have to say Lord Gentlewood, that your town certainly has a 'unique' flavor to it, as does your mansion." Ryou praised back. He also knew how to play that game, it was the same he played with Aultcray.
"I certainly hope so, I worked very hard to make it grow into what it is now, and of course to keep the peace, and stability." Ryou decided right there that among other qualities, Gentlewood loved to hear his own voice, and praise himself.
"The qualities of a true leader." Ryou allowed inclining his head. And with a wave of Gentlewood's hand he took a seat on the couch, however Ryou laid the bow in his lap, one hand just an inch away from the grip.
"Your praise, honors me Yuusha-sama! However, and excuse my curiosity, but what is the reason that brought you to our town?" The Noble questioned, his pudgy hands still clapped together.
"Well you see, I was requested to investigate the unfortunate events that have befallen on Lord Almond's Village, and I had to be sure it wasn't affecting your own village." The name had been thrown on purpose, and Ryou took note at the slight twitch on the man's smile when he heard the name, before his face turned bleak.
"Ahh yes…Truly a horrible set of unfortunate events as you say, we were spared as you can see, but alas that's not completely unexpected…" Gentlewood trailed off, and Ryou narrowed his eyes slightly hearing the statement.
"What do you mean not completely unexpected?" The man begun to tap his knuckles with the fingers on his other hand, before explaining.
"Lord Almond his a great man, truly a person worthy of respect, although some of his decisions are…" The noble paused for a moment before finishing," …questionable at best." Ryou's thoughts were running at a mile per hour trying to figure out what the point of this was, but he decided to bite the bait, that Gentlewood was leaving, and see were he was going.
"Are you saying that the events are Lord Almond's fault?" Ryou questioned, and the question carried a little bit more weight in it. The noble waved his hands trying to diffuse that line of thinking.
"No! No! At least not directly, but you see Yuusha-sama, Almond is not very favored among the rest of nobility. Like I said his decisions are questionable sometimes, and unfortunately it shows, ruling a village takes qualities that not everyone possesses…" The noble was laying breadcrumbs, and Ryou continued to play along although he was beginning to see where the man was going with this.
"Ah, so perhaps if another, wiser leader was chosen, then the village would become more stable, is that what you mean?" Ryou, inquired crossing his arms.
Gentlewood for his part, developed another smile, almost apologetic clapping his hands once again, "Well, I hate to badmouth my old friend Almond, but I must think of the people, and what's better for them."
So it wasn't only Rishia that you were after, it was the whole region... It wasn't a bad plan, if Ryou hadn't done his investigation prior, and if he was a brain dead idiot, although with the trend the other three were setting up it was easy to see how Gentlewood thought he could be easily manipulated. Naofumi had been played like a flute, Motoyasu would do everything requested of him as long as it came from a pretty face, and Ren was far more then willing to fall in line as long as he was allowed to do what he pleased. With those thoughts in mind Gentlewood planned to accuse Almond of incompetence, and use Ryou as a mean to get authority over the entire region. Not only would he get what he wanted, but he would also solidify his position when the unfortunate events stopped altogether. Rishia would most likely be reported dead, and since the word would come from such a competent leader nobody would question it.
What a piece of work this guy is. Wonder if he came with this plan mostly on the fly, or if someone tipped him off before hand… Well it really doesn't mater at this point…
"Yes maybe the solution to this problem would be a new leader. I see it now, and given your strong leadership, I should definitely mention you to our Majesty. Of course I understand if you decline, it would be much more work for you after all…" Ryou probed, and the Noble eyes widen before shaking his head.
"No, not at all! No amount of work is too great for the betterment of any village, and I would be honored to take on such a privilege! I'm sure his Highness will see it too when you bring it up to him." And Ryou hummed, before raising himself.
"I'm sure he will. I'm also sure that he will be over the moon when he finds out that one of his nobles is as corrupt, and vile has they come…" Ryou actually manage to throw the accusation out with no emotion besides sending the noble a pointed look.
The noble frowned, looking confused, and also raising himself, "I'm not sure what you mean, Yuusha-sama…"
Ryou finally smiled in his direction, but there was hardly any humor in it, "No? Allow me to elucidate you then. Let's start with a toll thirty times the crown's tax, or maybe bribing, and threatening merchants. Let's not forget the act of terrorizing a neighboring village, and while we are at it how about we add kidnapping to the list." With every accusation the Noble's face became angrier, and flushed until at last he was gritting his teeth.
"Baseless accusations with no proof! I expected better from you Yuusha-sama, and I am deeply offended by them!" The man actually sounded terribly offended, but that was probably do to the anger of having been discovered.
"Feel free to feel as offended as you want, but I have all the proof I will ever need. I just have to step outside, and ask the first merchant I find, they have quite the loose lips with the right incentive you see. I only need to grab one, teleport to Castle town, and be back with a few squadrons of Knights within the hour. Face it, you're finished Gentlewood." Ryou declared with a glare. The other man was sweating, but still managed to form a grin.
"I think you are overestimating yourself Yuusha-sama... Most nobles are corrupt, heck even Aultcray himself! How do you think he ascended to the throne? He won't even bat an eye at such accusation, and even if he does, the worse he will do is a slap on the wrist!" The final part was stated with fake confidence, something that made Ryou smile widely, finally ready to lay down all the cards.
"Yeah your right about that, but he would still imprison you just to satisfy me at the very least, I'm one of the Legendary Heroes after all. But unfortunately for you, your situation is far worse than that. Let me tell you exactly how much you fucked up in comparison to the other corrupt nobles. Right now the entire continent is in a state of cold war. Because of the appearance of the waves, tensions are higher than ever. So, what do you think will happen if it reaches the other countries that a noble in charge of a region under Melromarc's jurisdiction was, not only using the fear of the waves as means to control people, but also spreading false information about them..?"
Gentlewood was sweating rivers by now, but he still managed to talk even if his voice came out shakier then before. "Why would that even matter?!"
"Well it matters because, it will start a war… The situation is so fragile that such information will be more then enough to spark the powder keg. The King, you see, is quite aware of the current political situation. You said he won't care about the fact that you are corrupt... But what if your actions start a war? I can guarantee you right here, right now that your head won't be on your shoulders by the end of this day." Ryou stated with a glare towards the man, although his voice echoed with confidence, inside it was everything but.
Come on, take the bait…
"Well... That will only happen if the information makes it to his Highness..." The noble muttered, his eyes shifting towards the door.
Dammit..!
Ryou had the bow ready, and arrow pulled within a second, turning around he leveled it with the guard, that now had a sword in his hand, although the man seemed hesitant.
"If I were you, I would think very carefully about this big guy, do you really want to side with this lying piece of shit…" Ryou warned inclining his head towards the noble "...or with one of the only people between this world and the wave, remember when it comes, an it will, I might be the one saving your ass…" The guard eyes darted between the two a few times before closing them briefly. Letting a huff he stashed his sword in the scabbard, and stepped back towards the door.
"What are you doing! I payed you, I gave you protection in this town and this is how you repay me?!" Gentlewood screamed in outrage. However the bodyguard send him a crooked grin.
"Sorry boss, but you don't get to survive long in this business if you don't know when to pick the winning side, and right now you aren't it." The man finished with a what-can-you.-do shurg.
And that, as they say, is Game Over… Ryou thought victorious.
"You ungrateful piece of...Eekk!" Gentlewood shrieked the moment an arrow passed right next to his ear, and fell down on his rear, eyes wide opened in fear.
"That's quite enough Lord Gentlewood! Now here's how this is going to go. You are going to get off your ass, get on that desk and write an official document, where you surrender everything that you own including ownership of this village to Lord Almond. After that your going to leave this place, keep your head low, never show your face again, and maybe just maybe at the end of this day you will still get to keep it above your shoulders." Ryou ordered.
"I cant! I'll be ruined!" The old noble pleaded in desperation, inciting Ryou to take a step in his direction slowly.
"Well then, its off to see the King with you, lets see what happens then…" Ryou took another step, and the noble scrambled backwards until he hit the table.
"No, not that! Anything but that! I'll do it, I'll do it!" The man screamed in panic, and if it didn't broke his theater Ryou would have sign in relief.
"Well on with it then, and make sure its authentic, I don't want to have to track you down." Ryou warned. The man crawled hastily around his desk, climbed on his chair, and begun to rake through his desk and drawers.
The bow hero turned his head slightly towards the bodyguard, a small smile on his face. "Hey mate, you mind doing me a favor?" The bodyguard also looked nervous, and seemed hesitant.
"Yes?" Ryou took another look at Gentlewood who had begun to scribe on a fancy parchment, before his eyes returned towards the Bodyguard.
"Can you go get Lord Almond's daughter for me? I'm pretty sure you know where she is. Bring her here, and be gentle with the lady." The Man hesitated for a second before agreeing, and leaving the room.
Ryou focused on the noble then, the man was shaking and sweating probably not used to being the one on the other side of a gun.
All in all, this actually worked, I was sure it wouldn't, it was mostly bluff after bluff…
After a couple of minutes the door opened and Ryou looked in its direction. Coming through was a girl, but the color of her hair immediately gave her away. Green hair tied into two braids, she was a few centimeters short of his own height. Her clothing was rather plain with a green colored sleeveless dress, along with a cream colored shirt, and with what might be leggings under the dress. If Ryou didn't know before hand of her lineage he would have ruled her as a normal civilian. Although it was her eyes that held most of his attention, they were a beautiful lime tone, that shined far more then her father's, although they were both tinged with a slight redness and puffy, adding to that was the fact that she still had tears running down her face, and it became easy to see, that she had been crying her soul out. However besides that, she looked more or less alright so that seemed to be a good sign.
Putting on what he hoped was a reassuring smile, eyes softening slightly he addressed the girl.
"Hi, you're Rishia right?" Shaking slightly, she nodded.
"Okay, name's Ryou Takuma, and I'm here on your father's behalf to liberate you. I just have to finish cleaning up this mess and I'll take you to him. okay?" Rishia raised her head after she heard the proclamation, even if there was a trace of disbelief in her face.
"Fuee…. R-really?" She asked sniffling very lightly.
"Yeah, you don't have to worry anymore, your safe now." Ryou assured, and the green haired girl started crying again, but Ryou could almost bet this time it was from relief.
After Gentlewood, finished writing the document, Ryou picked it up, and looking at it he remembered something.
Right, I can't read squat of what's written in here much less confirm if it's even legitimate… Ryou thought face scrunching up. before his eyes fell on the new guest in the room.
She is also a noble, and is pretty smart has far as I can remember...
"Hey Rishia, can you check to see if this is a legitimate document?" Ryou asked, and the girl gave a small jump at being addressed, before grabbing the document hesitantly. cleaning her eyes with her sleeve, she began surveying the document after a moment her face morphed into disbelief.
"T-This is… this is a document passing all of Lord Gentlewood's possessions to father, i-including lordship over Gentlewood Village…" Rishia exclaimed amazed, holding the parchment with shaking hands.
"Is it authentic?" Ryou inquired, and the girl nodded half minded.
"Good, then let's get out of here." Ryou exclaimed, before pulling another arrow and pointing at the Noble, making Rishia gasp, and the Old noble blanch.
"You, move it!" The order was punctuated with a head tilt towards the door, and the noble quickly followed it, Ryou trailing behind both him, and the Bodyguard, with Rishia two steps behind the Bow Hero.
After walking for a minute Ryou realized that the entire mansion was now free of thugs, only the maids remained. He spared the bodyguard a small look, as realization hit him.
He probably warned the others of what was going on, and they made a run for it… Guess there's still loyalty between thief's…
Reaching the Main door Ryou kicked the Noble out, before signaling towards the gate.
"Start running, and never come back, my threat still stands, pull something remotely nefarious again, and there's no country you can hide where I wont find you, got it? "
Gentlewood nodded rapidly before taking off sprinting as fast has his legs allowed him, which wasn't all that fast to begin with.
This might come back to bite me in the ass, but he is powerless now, and he'll be hunted down the moment I tell Aultcray about this, I'll clean my hands off of him now…
Ryou thought watching the men running. Eyes shifting he noticed the bodyguard was squirming a little in place.
"Listen... Since you were such a good sport, I'll let you leave. So get out of here." The bodyguard sent him a thankful grin, and turned to leave but stopped after a couple of steps.
"I'm sorry, but this is really bothering me. If you knew that the boss was corrupt from the start, why did you let the entire thing drag on, as you did?" Ryou eyed the bodyguard for a few moments, pondering whether to answer that or not, before deciding there was no harm in it.
"Because people's motivations are important, even for a piece of shit like him. For example I came here only knowing that he was after Rishia, but after that little theater, I found out he was actually after the whole region." Ryou confined in the bodyguard, who nodded in understanding.
"I see now, you are one of those scary plotting types…" A snort was heard, because the phrasing almost appeared to make Ryou the villain in the whole situation.
"Get out of here." The bodyguard took the Hero's advice, and bolted far faster then Gentlewood did.
Finally mostly alone Ryou allowed himself to relax slightly. He had achieved what he had set out to do, and that was saving the girl now standing behind him.
"Ready to return home?" Ryou asked, with a small lazy smile.
"Fuee! Yes, please…"
After arriving at Northern village, they had been greeted to a fortress, with villagers armed with everything from swords to pitch forks, thankfully there had been no need for it. The tearful meeting between Father and Daughter, had brought a soft smile to Ryou's face, along with another feeling he couldn't even begin to identify.
"Yuusha-sama, thank you! I don't know how I could ever repay you!" Almond exclaimed, bowing to Ryou, who looked, and felt embarrassed rubbing the back of his neck.
"Fuee! Yuusha-sama?" Rishia questioned, her eyes going wide.
"Yes?" Ryou questioned with a tilt of his head.
Rishia's eyes almost fell out with how wide they opened, her mouth forming a small 'o', before she snapped out of whatever was in her mind, waving her hands in front of her.
"Yuusha-sama, you are one of the Four legendary Heroes?" Ryou, tilted his head to the other side before nodding
"Something like that, yeah…" Face flushing she began to tap her fingers, before Almond decided to intervene.
"Rishia, this young man that saved you, is Ryou-sama, the Yumi no Yuusha!" Almond proclaimed.
Rishia for her part, still looked flushed, hands clasping in front of her, and stared at him in awe. Ryou couldn't help but to feel slightly nervous at how much worship was in those eyes.
What's up with that look she's giving me..? The Bow hero wondered if this was what it felt like to be under a spotlight, like a rock star or famous football player.
Reporting to Lord Almond, that he was now not only, hundreds of times wealthier, but also lord of two villages, was met with disbelief, although those doubts were mostly dispelled since he had the document to support it. There were still some fears concerning the King's reaction, though Ryou promised to soothe any waves that would arise from it, even if he hated the idea of having to meet with Aultcray, it was still a better alternative then finishing this in an half-assed manner, and having to live with the mortification of Naofumi cleaning up after him.
He had also been invited for dinner with the Ivyred's, as well as to spend the night, this took some persuading from Almond for Ryou to accept, however his wallet spoke higher in the end.
Dinner had been interesting to say the least. They had fleshed out some details about Almond's new duties along with the retelling of how he had brought Gentlewood down.
Ryou had also gotten to know Rishia a little better during the meal. Apparently the shy young woman, had studied in Faubley, and showed great proficiency in the magic department, unfortunately she eventually had to drop off school when her father's authority begun to shrink. Aultcray had chipped away their status as nobility, and almost outright cut ties with them because Almond had questioned some of the rules regarding Demi-humans. The bow hero had also questioned Rishia about her mother, noting her absence in all of this, and apparently the women was one of the Queens aids, and was out of the country with the Ruler who was no doubt trying to solve the mess her husband had made.
The following morning, Ryou had gotten out of bed early, intent on making his way back to Castle town has fast as possible, there was little time before the wave, and he wanted to make as much progress as possible.
Unfortunately, his hosts had once again extended the invitation to join them for breakfast, and he couldn't find a good excuse to avoid it, especially since Rishia among other qualities had a very good hand when it came to cooking, maybe even better then he did.
It was during said breakfast, that another bomb was dropped on his lap, one that would forever change his fate. Rishia had come down from her room a nervous wreck, for some reason he couldn't identify. She spent the entirety of the time fidgeting, eyes taking peeks at him every now and them, but refused to met his questioning gaze every time..
It wasn't until the end of the meal that Almond decided to put an end to it, after wiping his mouth.
"Ryou-sama, Rishia has something she would like to ask you." The lord sent his daughter a pointed looked, one she responded like she had suffered the biggest of betrayals, face flushing pink, before she started stuttering like crazy while waving her hands vigorously.
"Rishia deep breaths, I can't understand word of what you're saying." Ryou almost begged kindly, because the girl looked like she was one step away from having a nervous breakdown.
"R-Ryou-sama, I-I would like to j-join your party!" She begun muttering, still stuttering but ended in a high pitch. Ryou for his part was floored with the request.
What? Sure originally Rishia had joined Itsuki's party, and later joined Naofumi's party. But the biggest question was the one he found stating.
"Why?" He was completely confused. Why would she want to join on what would soon turn to be a very real war, It made no sense to him.
"R-Ryou-sama, me. and the r-rest of my family owe you a d-debt we will n-never be able to r-repay. So even if i-im not strong, I want to b-be of use in any way I can!" She stuttered and was fidgeting, but there was something more in her eyes, they had resolution in them. Still Ryou was not having any of it.
"You don't owe me anything, I didn't save you expecting a reward, I did it because I wanted too. You have no idea what you're sacrificing with such a request. I'm happy, really I am, but I can't accept such a thing. The waves are terrible things, and I won't let you get subjected to that, not when you have both a choice, and your entire life ahead of you." Ryou stated completely serious. He didn't had a choice when it came to fighting, but Rishia did.
She looked down, clenching her hands tightly, before she met his eyes with her own, looking even more resolute now.
"B-but I do owe you! I owe you m-my life, and most likely my family's! Also I'm offering this of my own free will!" She exclaimed, beginning a battle of wills, with both staring at each other even if the girl was squirming slightly. Finally after a few moments they were interrupted by a polite cough.
"Ryou-sama, I understand where you are coming from, as a father I completely disavow this decision. However Rishia is my heir, and she's already old enough to make her own decisions in life. Having said that, as head of the Ivyred family, I couldn't be more proud if she were to join your party." Once again Ryou was floored. Even her father who had been so worried about her safety the day before was condoning this.
She as her entire future in front of her, and yet she wants to go fight a war? Thats insane! I know she's not weak, but still…
According to his memories, and observations, she was smart, very much so, being responsible for Naofumi's victory in the fourth wave. She also had amazing talent in magic. If Ryou was to be honest with himself, he was in dire need of a party member, that had been something on his mind since the battle with the wolves.
I was thinking of someone to take care of melee range, not magic. Although she can probably be considered support too, and with her talent and smarts, she could probably teach me how to use magic easily… But even so…
"Rishia, I'm going to tell you again, the waves aren't a game, even with the four legendary heroes we might not win, that's how bad they will be. I can throw comforting words around, like I'll protect you, or I'll look after you, but they will only amount to so much. I can't guarantee your safety, nor that you will return after everything is done." Ryou explained patiently, but with all the seriousness such a topic deserved, but to his surprise instead of backing down the girl in front of him smiled, a small sad smile.
"Ryou-sama, you said it yourself, the waves will be t-terrible, so there's no doubt they will e-eventually reach this village. If such a thing happens, t-then my fate will be the same either way...At least this w-way I can try to protect what little I can…" She declared in a soft tone but filled with conviction. Ryou could not find any fault in that kind of logic even if he wanted too.
This would change things yet again, because if he agree to it he wouldn't be kicking her out of the party, Ryou knew he had a crappy personality, but he wasn't that big of a douche, so she would never join Naofumi's party.
Although things were bound to change anyway, and she would be a very nice addition. No doubt she possessed amazing potential, everyone in Naofumi's party did...
This girl… He thought with exasperation resigning himself, after that heartfelt, and logical argument he had already come to a decision.
"Just so you know, I'm still against this, but since I have a feeling you won't back down I'll agree to it." Ryou finally relented, letting his head drop slightly, and his new party member let out a breath in relief.
"Fuee… It seems my lucky star finally shined through." She exclaimed.
Ryou raised his eyebrows. "Lucky star? What?"
It was Almond however that answered, after a snort,"You see Yuusha-sama, my daughter believes she carries misfortune with her wherever she goes, a idiotic notion if you ask me…" the noble commented with amusement.
Misfortune? Were completely screwed, aren't we..? Ryou contemplated with a little bit of apprehension while turning his head towards Rishia slowly, almost mechanically.
"Rishia, I seriously hope that's an exaggeration, because if it's true between your bad luck, and mine, this might be a disaster waiting to happen…" He lamented, and she looked horror stricken.
"Fuee! Ryou-sama forgive me! I'll try my very best not to let my bad luck be a burden to you!" She pledge in panic, waving her hands. Ryou just raised his hands apart in front of himself palms up, in a calm-down fashion now completely confused by her logic.
"Rishia that makes absolutely zero sense!"
She continued to apologize even with Ryou trying to calm her, and explain that she couldn't control things like luck or fate. Between them Almond just chortled…
I think these two will be just fine… You made the right choice Rishia, and by yourself too... As your father I couldn't be prouder of you...