Dust was everywhere… With his ears still ringing and coughing Ryou could hardly see anything in front of him, besides pieces of burning debris that had fallen.
Finally raising himself, he took a look at the demi-human besides him. Raphtalia also came to a standing position looking around, hands still covering her ears with tears at the corner of her eyes.
"You okay?" She didn't looked hurt in any way, however she continued to look from side to side as if she hadn't heard him.
With a frown he grabbed her shoulder turning her in his direction.
"Raphtalia, are you okay?" She tilted her head looking confused, and then she answered.
"Can't hear you Ryou-sama!" She shouted right in his face and he immediately let her go startled with wide eyes, before it registered that she was still covering her ears.
Right she has heightened hearing sense, that explosion was probably murder to her ears…
"Raphtalia!" Over the ringing Ryou heard the voice of his fellow Hero who was making his way towards them. Ryou frowned taking a look around trying to find is own partner.
"Rishia!" Ryou shouted over the crackling fire. She had been the one furthest away from the explosion, and yet…
"Fuee… H-Here Ryou-s-sama…" Ryou turned around and there she was, face smudged with ash and dust, probably looking just like his, but overall she was okay if out of breath.
"You alright?" She seemed about to drop, and on cue just as she was about to answer him, her legs buckled. Thankfully her body didn't meet the ground, Ryou had been there to catch her, even if an hiss came out at the movement.
It's kind of ironic that the archer is always screwing up his arm... It wasn't broken or anything, just really sensitive to harsh movements.
"I'm j-just really tired." Rishia muttered against his chest. Ryou couldn't blame her, not only had this been her first real battle, she had also been throwing magic around everywhere.
Well I tried to keep my expectations real, but she really when above and beyond…
He surveyed the area where the Chimera, was supposed to be, and he found the creature or what was left of it, burned almost recognition. Two of it's legs were missing and one of the heads - the lizard one was half carbonized.
Turning his head away from the unpleasant sight, Ryou eyes found themselves looking at the top of the green haired girl's head still resting against him. A small smile formed in his face, she wasn't making any attempt to move from her current position, although there were definitely better resting places around.
"Come on, you can rest for a little while." Ryou urge her, and although she released a sound of disagreement much to Ryou's amusement, she let herself be guided.
Even if the Bow Hero still had some fight in him, they could take a breather for a couple of minutes, the Chimera had scared everything in the village away.
It was when they had almost reach what was left of a wall that Ryou felt a now familiar prickling sensation on the back of his neck.
Magic..! Eyes turning upwards he saw multiple fireballs like mortars making their way into the sky, converging on a single spot, before exploding and causing fire to rain down on the village
"Get down!" Ryou screamed before pushing Rishia against the wall, covering her with his body.
Countless fireballs hit the village, setting most of what was still standing on fire. Ryou gritted his teeth as a few fireballs hit him in the back, a burning sensation blooming were they hit, even if the damage was negligible, mostly thanks to his new armor.
Motherfuckers, even with us here?! Finally the rain of fire stopped, and he heard laughter from somewhere, sending his already dwindling patience flying completely off the window.
He raised himself, quite intent on giving those little shits a piece of mind, before a whimper reached his ears. Looking down Rishia was leaning half on the ground half against the wall clutching her arm, face in a grimace. In her arm behind partly burned cloth a nasty burn was visible. The worst of glares possible developed in Ryou's face. It was one thing to target Naofumi, he wouldn't even feel any damage, even if it was wrong. It was another thing altogether to hurt someone in his party, and very much his responsibility.
She released her arm, before spreading her palm over the wound, an action that Ryou stopped by grabbing her wrist completely ignoring the commotion behind him for the moment.
"Stop, you used to much magic already…", Grabbing a potion from his inventory he pried it open, and brought it to the girl's mouth. Rishia only gave a slight twitch at the flavor, an orange glow covered her arm for a few moments before disappearing leaving only flawless skin behind.
"W-what was that magic?" Rishia questioned, and now that she was healed Ryou raised himself snarling.
"A mistake, someone's about to pay for!" Turning around to look at the commotion he saw Raphtalia, her sword locked with some other knight, and behind him another armored man with a mustache, looking far to pleased with himself, a smug smile on his face.
Fucking bastard! The smile on the Knight's face made the Bow Hero see red, and he marched in their direction.
"Stop it Raphtalia its not worth it." Naofumi ordered before the situation turned worse, however his voice hardly reached Ryou.
The smug knight, turned to look at Ryou who was approaching him in stride, not noticing the hero's clenched fists, or the hostility oozing from his body. The other knight however got the message, because he backed away.
"Yuusha-sama, my apologies we were unaware you, Gah!" Wham… the sound of flesh being hit echoed around them. The knight's head snapped back from the blow and his body followed suit, he hit the ground on his back, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
There was a surprised yell from behind him, but Ryou ignored it.
"Fuee! Ryou-sama!"
Taking another step towards the downed knight, Ryou lowered himself before grabbing the man's collar and pulling him right into his snarling face.
"Listen here you piece of shit, that stunt you just pulled not only did it hit both me, and my party member, but caused more damage then the wave itself…" The man's face went completely pale, eyes wide in fear at the fury etched in the hero's face.
Ryou shook the man's collar before continuing."... a knight's duty is to protect the people, a knight that has forsaken that duty, as no right wielding a sword!" He finished with a pointed glare towards the other knight that had locked swords with Raphtalia. The man looked down with a conflicted expression.
Ryou returned his glare to the offender once more. "If you pull another stunt like this ever again, the only weapon you will be wielding for the rest of your life will be a toilet brush, and remember that unlike the Tate no Yuusha, I can make good on my threats, got it?" The man nodded frantically.
Ryou released the man letting him fall back on the ground when a loud hum echoed around them. Turning his head upwards he saw the sky returning to normal. Both the cloud, and the redness faded like they were never there to begin with, signaling the end of the wave.
Guess those idiots finally wrapped things up, but it's not over yet… Ryou rationalized, before clapping his hands loudly twice to get everyone's attention.
"Okay listen up! Everyone here who isn't a brain dead idiot, form squads, and go scout the village and its surroundings! Just because the wave is over doesn't mean the monsters are gone!" The knights, and guards just looked at each other with uncertainty.
Sending a glare he raised his voice, "Are all of you volunteering for a lifetime of toilet duty too? Get going!" That got them moving, hastily forming groups, and setting out towards the four corners of the village. Moving the glare to the downed knight, he shoved the man with his foot.
"Get out there, and do your goddamn job asshole!" The leader of the knights, crawled away a few meters before rising himself stumbling, and going on its way.
Watching dispassionately as the knights went to act on his orders, Ryou took a deep breath, before turning around.
"What?" He asked, his voice coming out slightly more aggressive than intended. Both Raphtalia and Rishia appeared scandalized at what they had witnessed, Naofumi looked slightly surprised, though his lips were turned slightly upwards, almost forming a smirk.
"Ryou-sama, you shouldn't threaten people, even if its justified, much less resort to violence like that." Ryou's jaw drooped at the lecture.
"Fuee.. S-She's right Ryou-sama, h-hitting a knight like that i-is…" Rishia trailed off, trying to come up with something to describe it but failing.
Ryou was actually trying to rationalize how was he the one in the wrong in all of this.
"Okay… First of all Raphtalia, you went at him with the intent of cutting him down! How is that any different?" He asked, and she met his stare before responding.
"But you are a Hero! You shouldn't act like that! Besides its fine if it's me, I'm just…" She looked down at that. Her reasoning left a little to be desired in his mind but he understood her feelings.
"A demi-human?" Ryou asked softly and she nodded, her eyes still on the ground.
With a sigh Ryou rubbed his forehead, "And how is that any different from me? I'm also just human…" She looked up at that, meeting his eyes once more.
"But you are one of the Legendary Heroes!" There was something in her tone, like that fact answered everything.
"Then let me ask you… What exactly are the Legendary heroes?" Tilting her head at the question, she put her hand on the handle of her sword before replying.
"The Legendary Heroes, are the great heroes who have and will fight to defend this world from the calamities." She explained like she was reading it from a textbook, and it was probably the case. Ryou finally understood where she was coming from, and apparently so had Naofumi who made its way towards them.
"Raphtalia, your view about the Heroes is inherently wrong, even more so if your comparing us to the ones of legend." Naofumi commented stopping right in front of the girl.
Ryou found himself agreeing with his fellow hero, noticing that Rishia had also come closer. "Naofumi's right. This goes for the both of you. Your expectations of us are based on legends from the past. However your forgetting that we, are not those heroes... Before this we were only normal humans, far less remarkable then the both of you..." Ryou explained and Naofumi picked up after him.
"That's right, I never asked for any of this, and given the chance I would gladly go back to my world in a instant,.." The poor demi-human girl looked stricken hearing that, Ryou did felt a little pity at the look but continued nonetheless.
"Raphtalia... Rishia... Your making us out to be saints, but at the end of the day we are only human, and we come with all the faults that humans have. I for one am full of faults, but you know what? I'm fine with that, I don't want to be a saint, and I never proclaimed myself to be a hero, I'm just some guy with an overpowered bow trying to survive." Those words finally seemed to have some impact in them at least. At the end of the day that had been his goal from the start, to just survive. Going back to his own world might be impossible, but even if that was the case he wanted to make the most out of this second chance at life, however he had never asked to be pulled into a war, or to shoulder the burdens of being a hero.
Ryou crossed his arms looking at his partner since there was still another thing to acknowledge.
"And second of all, Rishia that bastard had it coming, he launched the attack fully knowing that there were people here, and in case you have forgotten you go hurt by the attack." Ryou pointed to her arm, where while the skin showed no damage, her vest was still burned.
Rishia shook her head. "B-But it wasn't that serious, and to get angry for the sake of someone like me-" She trailed off eyes on the ground, and Ryou felt himself getting angry but for different reasons.
"What's this 'for someone like me' crap? Aren't you a member of my party? Aren't you my companion?" Ryou asked grabbing her shoulders, both the action and his serious tone forcing the girl to look at him.
"The moment you joined my party you became my responsibility, and as such, anyone that tries to screw with my party members as to answer to me, no matter who it is. Got it?" Although she looked like she was going to cry there was a smile on her face as she nodded
Letting her go the bow hero finally relented, "Although I'll acknowledge I could have probably handled that better…"
A snort came from Naofumi, "Well I was surprised I though you only hit defenseless people, although I won't deny I took some pleasure in seeing that." His face definitely showed as much. Raphtalia threw an exasperated look in her master's direction but held her tongue.
"Defenseless my ass…." Ryou muttered before raising his voice "…And I'm glad my moment of violence fueled your amusement… You really have a nasty personality don't you Naofumi…" Throwing a sideways glance at the shield hero he saw him scoff.
"I'm not the one who almost knocked out the captain of the Knights, and then threaten to demote him to toilet duty for life, was I?" The question was laced with a bit of sarcasm.
Touche… With a shrug Ryou answered.
"I only commented that you had a nasty personality, I don't remember saying mine was any better though." Raphtalia introduced her palm to her forehead at the interaction, Rishia just smiled, and Naofumi had the best deadpan expression he had ever seen in a person.
After the guards had cleaned up the village and the surrounding area, most had left for the castle. The villagers had returned to the village, or what was left of it.
Although they had been victorious even with the sudden appearance of what he could only guess was a second wave boss, the mood around Lute Village was a somber one.
The village was mostly wasted, what little of the buildings that had survived the initial invasion, and the Chimera, had been burned to the ground thanks to the mages that came with the knights.
Not only that, but their victory had come with another price. Three miners, and a teenager - those were the casualties. If one was to take in consideration the area that had been affected by the wave, those would be pretty good numbers. But Ryou couldn't stop the feeling of empathy when he saw the old woman crying at the shallow grave that had been dug for her grandson.
There was no way they could have save those poor souls, they had perish even before Naofumi had reached the village.
For all his talk about only caring about survival, now looking at the desolation before him along with the somber, and grieving mood that hover over Lute village, Ryou couldn't help but to feel a small sense of failure even if it hadn't been his responsibility. Dusk had settled in, and it was hard to believe they had been fighting for almost a full day.
"Ryou-sama, I finished healing the villagers who needed it…" Rishia, said, coming from behind. She at least look a little better now, especially after resting,
"I see, good work." Sending her a small, grateful smile, before reaching into his inventory, and pulling a MP potion.
"Here drink it, at least it will help recover your magic." Rishia, took the potion with far more enthusiasm then she did with the health potion, apparently MP potions actually tasted pretty good in comparison.
"Hey Ryou, what the hell was that?" Naofumi asked coming up in their direction, Raphtalia trailing behind. The girl's eyes had a little red on them, signs of crying, but appeared in good spirits, so there was probably nothing to worry about.
"What was what?" With a raised eyebrow, Ryou asked the Shield Hero who pointed in his direction before explaining.
"That thing you did, you just pulled a potion out of your status window…", Ryou released a small, "ah" sound.
Right, as far as I remember, there wasn't an inventory in the original story… Ryou remembered. Of course the Shield Hero would be interest in it.
"It's the Inventory, like the one in RPG's, don't you have one?" Ryou asked, and Naofumi opened his own status windows searching high and low before frowning.
"No, there's nothing like that here…" Ryou peered at the Shield Hero status window, and sure enough, the menu for the inventory was missing.
Weird… Is it unique to me..? Ryou considered also frowning. That made no sense, after all most abilities were available to every hero as long as they believed them to be real. That had been the conclusion that Naofumi from the original story had reached.
That's right! Shit, I completely forgot about the other upgrade systems..! Ryou almost slapped himself, with everything that had been going on he had completely forgotten about it, and made mental note to interrogate Motoyasu and Ren about them.
Though with how they acted with Naofumi, I doubt they will cough up the information easily even if it is me…
Looking at Naofumi again, who appeared to be searching the help menu, he realized the problem. Looking down he picked a random piece of rubble from the ground.
"Naofumi, here try putting this inside your status window." Ryou handed the piece of rubble to Naofumi who looked at it with curiosity, before grabbing, and shoving it through the status window.
"It doesn't work…" He commented impatiently, rotating the piece of rubble in his hand.
"Try it again, but imagine that you have like…" He thought of the best way to explain his portable inventory, "...Like a cube with a white void inside, beyond the status window, like your own portable dimension or something like that…" Ryou finished sounding slightly apologetic at the end. That was the best way he could put it.
The Shield Hero closed his eyes, probably trying to picture what Ryou had explained, before extending his hand into the window. This time instead of going through, it disappeared into the status window, much to Raphtalia's horror.
"Naofumi-sama your hand!" She screeched, making the mentioned hero open his eyes. Immediately after the menu for the inventory appeared, along with a small window, from the help menu, explaining its usage.
"It worked!" Ignoring the Demi-human, Naofumi focused on the new interface that appeared.
Turning around, and motioning Rishia to follow, Ryou threw a few final words at his fellow hero. "All the information you need should be on the help menu now, and the rest you can figure it out for yourself."
Ryou took a few steps with Rishia trailing behind before Naofumi's voice cut through, "Ryou.. Why are you…" He stopped, face looking conflicted, and Ryou turned around to hear what he had to say.
What's up with him now..?
"Tate no Yuusha-sama, and Yumi no Yuusha-sama." Both Ryou, and Naofumi turned their heads to find a great part of Lute villagers lined up, behind the village leader.
"We thank you both, from the bottom of our hearts, without your intervention we would all certainly perished." The people were now bowing to them, the gratefulness in their voice seemed truly sincere.
"Thank your lucky stars, or whatever god you worship, not me…" Naofumi stated turning around, and Ryou couldn't help but to agree with those words. He had come to Lute village, but his main reason for it was not to save it, mostly he had come because he owed Naofumi one, and because it had been the most rational move. Not only did he trusted Naofumi more then he trusted the others, both Naofumi, and Raphtalia flavored melee combat, on the other hand he and Rishia favored ranged style combat, they simply complimented themselves.
Honestly saving the village mostly came as a consequence of it, it's nothing to be thankful about, at least as far as I'm concerned…
"No, both of you saved this village, that's the truth…" Another village with a bandanna or cloth tied to his head stated.
Ryou shook his head stepping forward, deciding to vocalize his own thoughts on the matter, "Don't thank me either, the only reason I came here, was because I owed this one." Ryou stated pointing his thumb behind him towards Naofumi, "Had it not been for that, I would have most likely joined the other heroes in battle. Saving the village only happen as a happy coincidence nothing more." Taking a peek at the corner of his vision, he saw Rishia with a small frown on her face.
If people started to thank him, than that would make his already enormous burden even bigger. Was it cowardly? Yes…, But if people started to see him as a hero even more then they already did, they would push the responsibility of keeping them alive unto him even more, and Ryou wanted no part in that. He would only be responsible for the lives of those in his party, that would be it.
"Can you truly say that when you shared your healing items with us, protect us with your arrows, and sent that young woman to help evacuate our families." Ryou took a step back, even if he clenched his teeth and balled his fist.
Who the hell would want to see innocent people die in front of them, that has nothing to do with saving the village or being a hero, it's what anyone would do. He thought, though the words failed him. And he couldn't exactly express that the reason he had ordered Rishia to help evacuate the villagers, had been because that took her out of the front line. For all the progress she had done, and although she had played a major part in fighting the boss, she still made mistakes, one week was hardly enough time to get her mentally ready to fight the wave, the evacuation had come as very convenient excuse nothing more.
"We will never forget your actions here." Ryou looked sideways. With another bow they went on their way,
Feeling a pull on his sleeve he turned to find Rishia, looking at him, still with the same small frown. "R-Ryou-sama, why are you so against accepting your actions here? Even if your initial intention wasn't to save the village, you still h-helped save it… "
He turned his head again, looking at the ground," That's because…" Ryou trailed off, not knowing what to say. How could he explain to her that he didn't want to shoulder that responsibility. That he didn't want people shoving anymore stuff on him, especially with everything that was still to come.
"That's because..?" Rishia had maneuvered herself, so she was peering into his face. Even if Ryou was making an effort to avoid looking at her, he still saw those lime colored eyes, watching him curiously, waiting for an answer.
"That's because…" He trailed off again, feeling both his face, and ears get warmer, although if it was embarrassment or anger he didn't know.
"Bah! Stop asking hard questions right after the wave Rishia!" Finally reaching his limits, Ryou threw his arms into the air, and turned around before marching away
"I'm going to see if those incompetents didn't screw up on finishing the monsters!"
Rishia for her part watched the hero walk away, her frown turning into an expression slight distress,"Fuee! Did I asked something hard? I didn't meant too!"
A hand fell on her shoulder, and she turned to find Raphtalia shaking her head even if there was a small smile on her face. "Don't worry Rishia-chan , I have to deal with one of those too. I think it's just a man's thing, or maybe its a hero thing..?" Raphtalia, seemed to ponder on that for a moment before engaging the girl in a conversation.
What's with this invisible division, I'm sensing here… Thought Naofumi watching the scene from further away, a blank look on his face before turning to look in the direction of his fellow hero. His eyes caught Ryou's back, and he couldn't help the conflict that emerged from inside.
Why Ryou..?
Taking another deep breath, Ryou kicked a stone in his path.
The pressure, the desolation, and the weariness of fighting the entire day had reach the boiling point. He had blown up at his partner and he felt like shit about it too.
Great way to be a dick Ryou, and to show your different than Itsuki… He chastised mentally, kicking another rock.
Rishia had been nothing but supportive of him, and tried her hardest to live up to his expectations. Expectations she had all but surpassed.
Sure he didn't like to be put on the spot without any idea how to respond, and adding to that came the fact that she had been intruding very much into his own personal space. But that still didn't excuse his actions…
He would also never admit that having her looking at him like that, had also made him quite embarrassed, especially since Rishia was quite attractive, not in the same way as Malty. Rishia possessed a more down to earth beauty.
Shaking his head at the direction his thoughts had taken him, he had no time to be entertaining such things with what was coming. Ryou surveyed his limited field of view. Night was almost upon them, so light was becoming a scarce resource. It was time to return to the village.
The knights had at least done a good job cleaning up. After an hour Ryou had only come across four Inter-Dimensional Wasps, that had put up almost no fight at all.
Absorbing the wasp stinger had unlocked yet another bow with an interesting passive ability.
[Inter-Dimensional Wasp Bow - +5 Agility, Projectile Speed Bonus (Small)]
The ability projectile speed apparently increased the speed of his arrows, making them faster.
Interestingly enough the restrictions on experience gain were removed during the wave, meaning that he had actually increased his own level by four even fighting alongside Naofumi.
Coming back to the village he had been 'ambushed' by a knight, that had invited him to a celebration feast to commemorate their victory against the wave the following day.
Honestly Ryou had hardly any interest in the celebration, the only reason he would be going, would be the reward and the opportunity to hound Motoyasu, and Ren for their upgrade system. He needed them, he needed every advantage he could get. He also had to look for a third party member eventually, one that could focus in melee.
Confirming that he would indeed be present in the festivities, Ryou made his way towards one of the villagers asking for where his partner was.
Along the way he had caught sight of Raphtalia in the distance near a tent. The Demi-human girl also saw him, especially with the look she had shot him, hands going for her hips. It was the look that any kid would recognize, the disappointed look a mother would throw when her child when he did something stupid. Ryou would also never admit that his own shoulders had dropped just a fraction at the sight, although he was starting to see how Raphtalia had handle Naofumi so easily. She was developing into an headstrong young woman, one that was not afraid to call bullshit when she saw it.
They had lay down some provisionally tents for the heroes own usage. Approaching the one meant for him, Ryou spotted Rishia sitting on an improvised bench made from a trunk, alone. Her figure illuminated by the embers of the campfire in front of her. Coming closer he saw she looked lost in her own world, with a bowl with some sort of stew in her hand.
She didn't notice him, even when Ryou came into touching distance. Peering at her very much like she had done a couple of hours ago he addressed her.
"Do you have room for one more?" The Bow Hero asked softly, but she had still been startled, her bowl almost flying from her hand if not for his own reflexes, and the fact that he had been expecting it.
"R-Ryou-sama, I'm sorry I didn't see you…" She exclaimed, grabbing the bowl tightly, and giving him space to sit down.
Ryou waved off her worries, and took her moving to the side as a sign to sit down. "Don't worry about it, although you were pretty deep in thought…" She look down at her bowl, her eyes fixed on the still slightly steaming content.
"J-just thinking about the wave…" Ryou hummed at that, his eyes focusing on the fire.
The wood crackled sending small embers into the air.
"You know Rishia… Before coming here I was nothing special, just some guy going through life without any direction…" Ryou begun, eyes settled in the fire, but his mind far, far way. "... Had a crappy job that let me live reasonably well, a few hobbies that were my sole motivation besides my little sister, but she lived with my uncle and aunt, so I didn't saw her that much…"
Rishia had raised her eyes to look at the young man next to her, listening with full attention.
"Never did anything remotely important in my life, and was content to keep it that way. Well until a accident happen, and I was summoned here…" Ryou stated, raising his eyes to look at the the sky, watching the stars. They were far more visible in this world, but he couldn't identify any of the constellations present.
"A-an accident?" Rishia inquired her face turning into a worried frown.
A small humorless smile appeared in his face, "Yeah, got hit by a truck I think… Imagine a metal carriage, but far larger and coming much faster…" He could actually see the rest of the galaxy, or maybe it was just an arm. He wondered if maybe it was also called milk way, or maybe it didn't even had a name.
"Fuee… T-that probably h-hurt a lot…" Rishia commented softly, bringing out a small chuckle from Ryou that left her slightly confused.
"Not really, I didn't feel anything… Although I'm pretty sure, I died in that moment…" His eyes came to rest upon the fire again, there was something melancholic about it, although he had never gone camping before.
"Died?!" It came out like a shriek, and she had almost bolted upright. Ryou took notice of her reaction before nodding.
"Yup, at the speed It appeared to be coming back then, I'm pretty sure surviving would be almost impossible… Not sure if the legendary bow, saved me right before I passed away, or revived me…" Now more calm, she clapped her hands together, an action he now knew meant nothing in particular, just a small habit of hers.
"It a-almost sound like a m-miracle… B-but its a l-legendary weapon so i-its possible…" Her eyes also looked into the fire, and Ryou noted she was definitely sitting closer now.
"After that, I woke up in an empty black void, couldn't feel a thing, only me and my thoughts." Another deep breath, another crackle in the fire, " Maybe I was there five minutes, maybe five months… Honestly I couldn't tell you…What I can tell you Rishia, its that when I was there, alone, I looked back at everything I did in my life, and I hated what I saw…" Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly at the less than pleasant memories.
"The what ifs, the regrets, every bad decision came to me in that moment, and I couldn't help but to think what a waste it had been…" Taking a peek at the girl, she was sending him a look he couldn't describe. Was it sadness? Pity? Empathy? He really couldn't pinpoint the emotions on it.
"How lonely, and painful it must have been, Ryou-sama.." She whispered, and he nodded as an afterthought. It had been lonely, the realization that he had been truly alone. It had also been a painful realization that he had wasted his life doing nothing.
"But you know... At that moment I wished I had a second chance, that I could do it all over again." He chuckle again, and faced the green haired girl, taking in her features. Now bathed in the dim light, her hair almost had the same color as her eyes.
"I got my second chance, although I would never in a million years think it would be as a Legendary Hero. This second chance came with a price, if I wanted to live I would have to fight tooth and nail for it…" the girl looked down at hearing his words, but he called her name, and she met his gaze once more.
"Rishia... What I want to say is, that I'm sorry that I acted like that back there, and for blowing up like that, you didn't deserve it at all… But I never asked for this fight, I never asked for any of these responsibilities, nor do I want them. I know this might influence how you view me… I know it must sound selfish but I just want to survive, and get to live my life, whether it's here in this world, or back in my own…" Ryou finished with a grimace. He never wanted to destroy her image of the heroes, but he just wasn't one, no matter what other people said about it.
Rishia for her part, shook her head, and brought her hands to her chest, a small smile in her face. "Ryou-sama… Even if everyone disagrees that you are a hero… Even if you Ryou-sama, don't think of yourself as one, I will still think of you has one, that won't change." Her voice was hardly a whisper, yet it carried the strength of her belief in it.
Ryou's eyebrows disappeared behind his hair, mouth dropping open. He had just told her he didn't want to be a hero, that he didn't want the responsibility that would come with it. That at the end of the day he was both selfish and a coward, and yet…
"How can you say that?! I have never done anything heroic, and I just basically told you that my desire is to live, that's it! How can you still call me a hero after that?!" He hadn't intent on his voice to come out has strong has it had.
Rishia didn't even flinch at the outburst, and continue with her small smile before nodding. "Yes I will still call you a Hero, because Ryou-sama is not selfish, if anything he his a kind person. He could have left me, and my family when things got hard, yet he still came to save me. Me… A complete stranger, not only that, but you also made everything better in the village, and saved another without asking for anything in return. Sure Ryou-sama as his faults. I probably added to the pressure, by putting my own selfish, and unreasonable expectations on top of you and I apologize for that... But even with those faults you're actions are not those of a selfish person… Those are the actions of a strong and kind person, one that I can't help but to admire and follow…" She finished still with the same small smile present, her eyes shining in the fire.
Ryou couldn't respond to that, completely lost for words at the heartfelt speech. Nobody had ever said something like that to him. Back then he had sprung into action, leaving Rishia to her fate hadn't even crossed his mind in the slightest. His reasoning back then had been that although he didn't knew her, he knew of her. She wasn't a picture on his screen anymore, she was a living human being, one that needed his help, and he had went to help her.
Looking at her in a completely new light, Ryou took a seat, and lowered his head. Then a chuckle came out a little strangled.
"That's really unfair Rishia, I can't win against a speech like that… How am I suppose to answer to that…" He muttered, and she shook her head shifting closer to him, and turned to look at the fire her smile still present. Both continued to look at the small bonfire, with small smiles on their faces in silence, but there was no need for anymore words, their feelings had been conveyed.
…Come what may, I'll follow you…
…Thank you, Rishia...
Come what may, I'll follow you…
…Thank you, Rishia...
The first thing Ryou noticed after waking up, was that it was too bright even with his eyes closed, the second was that it was way too hot.
One eye opening, he focused it on the ceiling, a cream color fabric that did little to filter the sun light.
Opening his second eye, everything from the day before came to him. From the wave, to talking with everyone, and his own confession to Rishia.
Rising the upper part of his body he stretch his arms over his head, feeling everything in his body creak in protest, whether it was from the fight or from sleeping on the floor he didn't know.
What he did know for certain was that he definitely felt a little lighter, talking with Rishia about what had happen to him definitely helped.
Turning his head to the side he saw the girl in question, still very much asleep. Her green hair no longer in braids, covered most of the backpack they were using for pillows along with her face. He took a minute to admire how long her hair was. Green was obviously not a normal hair color at all, especially that tone. In his old world if people colored their hair green, it would normally be a more vivacious color. Rishia's hair color was more along the lines of a pine tree, yet for an uncommon hair color it looked strangely normal.
Ryou did also wonder however, between the hair all over her face, and the sleeping bag covering her up to what looked like her nose, how the hell could she sleep when he could hardly breathe with how hot it was inside.
Maybe her hair disperses heat..? He wondered before releasing a snort, because the first thing that had popped in his head was a stegosaurus of all things. His mind went to very weird places when he was sleepy, such as comparing his party member to a dinosaur...
Although... The stegosaurus while herbivores, and mostly peaceful, were not harmless in anyway shape or form.
An apt description... He allowed, while passing a hand over his forehead to clean the sweat accumulating there. After a small session of twister he made it to the entrance on the other side without awaking his friend. Ryou decided against waking the girl, she was not a hero after all, and that made a difference in the time it took to recover, and Rishia more than deserved her rest.
Stepping outside Ryou squinted his eyes at the sudden brightness, apparently the tent filtered the sunlight more than he thought. It was already close to mid-day judging from the sun's position so that meant he had slept for over twelve hours. Then again he had been awake before dawn, and spent most of the previous day fighting.
Taking a look behind him he wondered if leaving Rishia would be prudent, before snorting in amusement at his own thoughts. No matter how defenseless she looked, she was strong, he had to remind himself that this was a girl that could shoot rockets from her hands, nobody here would be stupid enough to mess with her.
After walking through Lute Village, Ryou could see that the mood of the villagers was definitely better now, more smiles and far more energy in there bodies as they went around doing various tasks.
He did caught sight of Naofumi, and Ryou couldn't help but to lean against a wall, watching a guard pestering the Shield Hero, and a small chuckle erupted from his mouth at the look of annoyance he had on his face.
"Ryou-sama." He turned to look at the familiar voice, just as Raphtalia reached his side caring a basket of bread.
"Yo." He greeted with a wave of his hand, and the demi-human took a look around.
"Where's Rishia-chan, Ryou-sama?" She asked confused.
"Sleeping like a rock most likely…" Raphtalia nodded accepting it, then she remembered something an sent him a pointed look, not a bad one, but not really friendly either, however he interrupted her knowing exactly what was on her mind.
"Don't give me that… I already apologized, I was the one in the wrong, I know…" He grumbled in annoyance, that look she sent him made him feel like he was in trouble, even though he was much older then her.
If this keeps going, its not just Naofumi, but all of us will be dancing to her tune…
The demi human pulled the basket against her chest, before releasing an huff."You and Naofumi-sama, your like long lost brothers sometimes…"
"Like hell we are!", He snarled before pointing a finger in her direction. "And what about you?! You used to be so small and cute! I miss those days. Now a days while your still cute your turning into one of those middle age house wives that do nothing but harp at people." He threw out, although it was mostly in jest.
"M-Middle-age w-wife!" It was pretty adorable to see her splutter and try do deny it, her face gaining a pink hue and her tail ruffling.
With a chuckle he decided to stop her before she had a nervous breakdown,"I'm just messing with you. Honestly I'm glad that you turned this way, you look much more lively then before…" He confessed. Her eyes widened, before looking slightly down a small smile blooming in her face.
"It's all thanks to Naofumi-sama…"
Releasing a sigh Ryou, couldn't really disagree with it, "Guess that even under that nasty personality of his, he has a heart…"
"Naofumi-sama isn't a bad person, even those rumors are not…" She jumped to defend her master but Ryou raised his hand to stop her.
"I know that from first hand experience you don't have to defend him in front of me of all people Raphtalia. After all neither of us would be having this conversation if that wasn't the case…" He explained, and her eyes widened once more at the memory, before smiling in his direction.
Ryou turned around crossing his arms, and closing his eyes briefly before adding, "Though If you ever mention this to him, I will forever deny it until my last breath…"
That reward him with a small laugh, and a shake of her head, "Honestly you two…"
Then Ryou's expression went a little more serious, as another far memory reached the forefront of his mind, one that had been plaguing him since the wave ended, "Raphtalia… Listen, even if he doesn't come out and says it, your important to him, I know that much about Naofumi. After everything that happened, your the person he trusts the most, or rather the only one he trusts in this world… Going forward things will be even harder, before they get better… So keep watching over him... He will need you more then ever during those times, especially since that idiot attracts more trouble to himself then a flame attracts moths."
The demi-human looked confused at his statement even if her face gained a little more color, but nodded with determination nonetheless, "I'm Naofumi-sama's sword, no matter where he goes, or what he as to face I will follow him, and face it by his side!"
That brought a smile to Ryou's face who nodded back, before turning to walk away since Naofumi had finished his talk with the guard, and was coming in their direction, "Make sure you do… There's only so much I can do on my end…" The last part came out as a whisper, but the words still reached her ears.
I don't know if it will happened like it did originally, nor am I sure if I should intervene in that or not…On one side things had ended in an higher note in canon with Naofumi getting much closer to Raphtalia, and mellowing out a bit, on the other hand the Shield Hero had went through a very shitty moment, and another painfully experience.
I guess I can only wait and see, maybe by some miracle Aultcray, and Malty will grow a conscience and not pull anything this time… Though even he knew that was just wishful thinking on his part.
It took a while to find the village leader, but he finally found the man in the main square, where they had fought most of the wave. Ryou's eyes locked on where a giant pile of monsters were being piled by some villagers. He definitely had to absorb some of those, the Chimera most of all. As a boss monster the beast would definitely unlock interesting new bows.
But right now food comes first… Ryou decided, and on cue his stomach protested at the lack of sustenance inside.
Making his way towards the man, Ryou raised a hand in greeting. "Good morning."
The man had a small smile on his face, and returned the greeting with a shallow bow. "Good morning Yuusha-sama. Is there something you require?"
Ryou rubbed his head a little,"Yeah I kinda know this is bad timing, but is there anything to eat around here?"
The old leader seemed amused if anything else, with the corner of his lip rising even higher, "There most certainly is, most of our food was stored in underground basements, we have already cleaned most of the rubble and have access to it. Besides his highness is sending a convoy with all matters of resources, food included."
How gracious of him… Must be in a good mood with the victory over the wave… No matter how antagonistic his thoughts about Aultcray seemed, Ryou had already come to the conclusion that the man was definitely not a people's sympathizer.
"Well show me what you got, I'm in dire need of breakfast…" The old man motioned for Ryou to follow him, and they were off.
"Fuee! R-Ryou-sama, these are delicious!" After that she proceeded to take another bite of the fluffy but strange dish.
Ryou just chuckled at how excited she was, especially at something simple like pancakes, before putting another piece in his mouth flavoring the familiar taste.
After following the village leader, Ryou had find out that most of the stock, were dairy products, so after a little thinking he decided to do something different but easy.
Henceforth came pancakes, Rishia had awoken to the smell, curious about what he had been making. After a little pestering, Ryou had explained the basics behind it, and the mage of the party had been waiting with anticipation.
Now seeing her reaction, Ryou realized that he had made a good call, though it was hard to find someone who truly disliked pancakes.
"You can pour honey on them if you want, I like mine simple though…" Her eyes seemed to sparkle at that, before reaching for the bottle, and pouring. Ryou's eyes almost popped out of his face at the ungodly amount of honey she had put on top of the pancakes.
Jesus, I have a sweet tooth, but that's pushing it to the limit..! He thought in disbelief, eyeing the glittering layer of honey over her pancakes. She put down the bottle, and began to devour the fluffy, and more than drowned on honey breakfast . Her face turned into one of pure bliss as she ate them, one hand rising to her cheek, while she munched voicing her approval.
"Fuee! This is too good, I'm in heaven!", She murmured. Shaking his head in both amusement at her reaction, Ryou ate the last piece before setting his plate down.
"After this we are going to the village square, I want to see what kind of bows I can unlock from the monsters of the wave, and them we are going back to Castle Town." She finished munching, before putting her hand in front of her mouth tilting her head slightly
"I thought we were staying here for a few days..." Shaking his head, Ryou laid his chin on his hand before replying.
"By me we would, but we were invited for a celebration at the Castle for beating the wave, and unfortunately I have something to discuss with the other heroes not to mention the reward" He finished with a sigh, and raised an eyebrow when a small giggle was heard.
"What?" She shook her head, still laughing lightly before replying.
"You really don't want to go, do you Ryou-sama?"
Releasing an huff, his eyes dropped slightly before responding. "No, I really don't, but I have to.I really don't want to deal with stuck up nobles, and the other Heroes."
"R-Ryou-sama, I-I'm a noble too, and Naofumi-sama isn't that bad, e-even if he is a little s-scary…" She protested, prompting a snort from the Bow wielder.
"Your are one of the few exceptions Rishia, also your right Naofumi isn't that bad... That asshole is even worse, and the only thing scary about him is that nightmare inducing ugly mug of his."
"R-Ryou-sama!" She scold, or tried to at least., but her lip twitched and covered her mouth again with her hand, face turning around to hide her silent laugh, even if her shoulders gave her away.
So prim and proper, but not so pure if you can laugh at these jokes are you Rishia…
After breakfast, and cleaning up Ryou made his way towards the square once again, intent on gathering the materials.
Starting with the zombies he quickly absorbed the rotting meat, covering his nose with his armor, the stench almost unbearable. The window of his bows tree appearing with it.
[Inter-Dimensional Zombie Bow - Equipment Bonus - +3 Attack, Decay Resistance bonus (small)]
A quick look at the help menu, reward him with the explanation of what Decay Resistance was. It apparently helped conserve perishable items, on him and on his inventory.
That's cool and useful this away I can keep food with me longer, this will definitely help on longer trips… Ryou concluded. The attack bonus was also a good addition, even if the all around stats paled in comparison with his Great Fanged Bow.
Moving towards one of the giant zombies, he quickly repeated the process.
[Inter-Dimensional Giant Zombie Bow - Equipment Bonus - +5 Attack, Decay Resistance bonus (Medium)]
Ryou decided to compared the two, and although the stats were definitely better, they were still inferior to his main weapon. Only good for the mastery bonus, not that he had been expecting anything else.
The main event came from the Chimera that two men were in the process of breaking apart.
Good thing there's no children to see this… Ryou added in his mind, and although he had gotten use to it, the sight still made his stomach feel a little queasy. The villagers had separated the four heads of the Chimera, one that hardly counted as a head anymore. The rest of the monster was currently being break apart into small pieces, apparently the meat was both good to feed the animals and would fetch a pretty penny on the market.
Taking a look at the heads, he was in the process of choosing two to absorb, the other two he would leave for Naofumi, it would only be fair after all.
The process of choosing which ones had been hard. He already knew what absorbing the snake head would amount Lion's head had been the main one, and that probably made it the strongest. However the lizard one, or what was left of it, might also have been that of a dragon, and that had sealed the deal. The second one had been tougher but he eventually chose the goat out of sheer curiosity
Picking up the mutilated and burned head he placed it on his bow watching it shine with a soft yellow glow, and with a now very familiar sensation the head was absorbed, and a new window appeared.
[Chimeric Dragon Bow - Equipment Bonus - +10 Attack, Fire Resistance bonus (Small), Fire Shot - Special Effect - Fire Damage Bonus (Small)]
Jackpot..! Ryou felt his lip twitching upwards at the sight. Not only did his new bow grant him a new skill, it actually empowered that same skill, not even counting the rest of the bonuses.
Take a look at those juicy stats… The tab displayed a pretty big increase if equipped, on all of his stats even defense.
The new skill was self explanatory for anyone that had played video games, however Ryou would definitely try it out soon. There was nothing better then adding a little fire to things if needed. Besides with the bonus towards fire attacks, he wondered how strong the skill was.
Finally grabbing the goat head, Ryou repeated the process, curiosity on his mind to what would come from such an item.
[Chimeric Goat Bow - Equipment Bonus - +5 Attack, +5 Defense, Knock-back Resistance Bonus (Small), Ramming Shot - Special Effect - Knock-back Effect Bonus (Small)]
He couldn't really help the small laugh that escaped him, already having a pretty good idea of what this 'Ramming Shot' would be about. The Stats were mostly on par with the other Chimeric Bow. However if the skill did what he thought it did, it would definitely be a good addition to his arsenal, he needed some variety on his skills.
Finishing absorbing some other parts of the Chimera, Ryou decided to go back to Rishia. His partner had asked to check on the wounded once more before leaving. While there were no critical patients among them, Ryou couldn't deny the request. She had been the one to heal them in the first place, and probably wanted to make sure every one of them was alright, she was that kind of person after all.
The trip to Castle Town had been mostly peaceful...
Mostly…
On the way, the Bow Hero decided to hunt for a few targets. He needed to check out how strong his new bows were, and how the two new skills worked. So him and Rishia had taken a small scenic route. Unfortunately, the forest was mostly deserted, the monsters had left the area no doubt because of the wave. Even monsters on this world, knew better then to stay around and taking into consideration what he saw during the wave - how the Chimera had not differentiate between them and the rest of the monsters it was reasonable of them to leave.
It had taken him almost three hours to find a target. Between two trees, half hidden in a bush, was a sole Usapil.
At the sight, Ryou narrowed his eyes, before calling upon his new bow.
"Chimeric Dragon Bow." He whispered softly, unfortunately even that had alerted the monster, no doubt his height sense of hearing helping detect them. With a screech the rabbit like creature jumped in their direction.
"Flame Shot!" Ryou shouted, and watched as an arrow made completely of flames came from the bow. He could feel the heat, almost uncomfortable, but it didn't burn. The arrow head was actually much larger than his normal arrows, releasing small streams of flames from it. Taking aim, in an instant the target was lock down and Ryou released the arrow.
With a swooshing sound, the arrow went flying hitting the small critter in the air, piercing it, and continuing into the distance leaving only a carbonized corpse behind. After a few moments the sound of a roaring flame echoed through the trees.
He grinned at the sight. The skill certainly packed a punch, and the bow was pretty cool looking too. Almost completely green covered with what looked like scales, along with small white protrusions similar to bone spikes.
"Fuee.. Ryou-sama..." The green haired girl called out, and Ryou released a small grunt in acknowledgment while most of his attention was still on his new bow.
"T-The fire is s-spreading, and its s-summer..." There was a worried tone in her voice, that made Ryou turn his attention towards the fire in question.
"So it is…" He commented, watching from the corner of his vision as the flames slowly spread towards the trees.
"I-I'm going to put it out b-before it gets any worse!" Her voice now held a little more than worry, and she dashed in it's direction already reciting the incantation for a water spell.
"Please do…" Ryou murmured going back to check on his new magnificent bow.
It took a few minutes, and more than a half dozen water spells to extinguish the flames, but Rishia managed to advert disaster.
"Oh look there's another Rabbit thing!" Ryou commented at the sight, excited to use his other skill.
With a worried look, Rishia decided to intervene, "Ryou-sama please don't start anymore forest fires…"
Turning around to look at the girl, Ryou narrowed his eyes slightly before responding, "What do you take me for? There's only one pyromaniac in this party, and it certainly isn't me…"
"Fuee!" Rishia looked positively scandalized at the insinuation, but before she could say anything, Ryou interrupted her.
"Don't you 'Fuee' me, I know for a fact that you have an entire arsenal of offensive spells from all elements, yet the one you use the most just happens to be a fire one… Curious isn't it?" He stated in a matter of fact tone.
The green girl just gaped before trying to explain herself, "T-That's because it's my most powerful spell..! Ryou-sama!" She finished shouting finger pointing towards something behind the Bow Hero.
A screech came from behind him, and Ryou side stepped the attack, before lashing out with his hand grabbing the Usapil by its ears.
"You shut up, this as nothing to do with you!" He hissed, giving a few shakes to the squirming creature, before returning his attention to the green haired girl.
"So your most powerful spell just happens to be a fire one, what a coincidence..." Ryou commented sarcastically.
Eyes shifting between the Hero and the monster, Rishia was confused on where to focus her attention, "R-Ryou-sama the Usapil!"
Narrowing his eyes just a little bit more, Ryou continued, "Don't change the subject Rishia."
That broke Rishia out of her indecision and she also ignored the Usapil while answering. "I-It is a coincidence! I-It just happened to be like that! I'm not a p-pyromaniac!"
"Yes you are! Even if that was a coincidence you can't hide the fact that every time you use your Faust Flame Blast, you have a smile on your face! Face it, out of the two of us you are the one who loves fire and explosions the most!" Ryou finished, using a finger from the hand that was grabbing the creature's ears, to point at the girl. The poor critter, still struggling to get out of his grip.
"Fueee! I don't smile I'm sure of it! A-A-And I c-certainly am not the one who loves e-explosions the most! L-Let's not forget the fact that the moment N-Naofumi-sama mentioned explosives, you were t-the one smiling!" The girl shot back at him, and he had to stop the smile from forming, maintaining a stern face, then shrugging nonchalantly Ryou was quick to explain himself.
" You will be hard pressed to find a man that doesn't enjoy the prospect of big explosions. You on the other hand enjoy all types of explosions, especially if they involve lots of fire."
Her face turned slightly red, and she stomped on the ground, then what came out of her mouth was almost but not quite a shout , "Fueee! I do not!"
Ryou simply waved the Usapil in her direction as if waving her off, "Yeah, yeah, all I'm hearing is pure denial…" Before turning around, and launching the creature into the distance.
Since he had his back towards her, Rishia completely missed the small smile that appeared on his face.
This is definitely becoming a thing... Ryou vowed,deciding that this would be his new hobby - Messing with Rishia. It would probably help the normally soft-spoken girl develop a back bone, and it was also pretty funny to boot.
Besides she needs to learn when to stand her ground, especially with what is coming... He rationalized, getting ready to deal with the monster.
"Chimeric Goat Bow!" His second new bow, materialized in his hand. This one seemed mostly covered in dark brown leather, and where once were the wing ornaments at the end, now were curved horns.
"Ramming Shot!" A pure white arrow materialized from the jewel, and Ryou took aim at the Usapil who was once again making his way towards him, no doubt plotting its revenge.
...Swoshhh…
...Bammm!
Ryou took a second to understand what he had just witnessed. before his face twitched and a strange pitch sound escaped him. It didn't take long for him to lose it.
"Hahahahahahahhahah!" Doubling over he slap his knee in mirth, as roars of laughter escaped him.
In his old world, this would most likely be considered animal cruelty, but he couldn't help himself. The arrow failed to deliver any damage, what it did however, was create a shock wave that launched the rabbit like creature into the air at insane speeds past the trees, before disappearing in the sky, like villains in cartoons. The sight had been so hilarious that he had lost it completely.
"R-Ryou-sama, it really isn't that funny..." Rishia reproached, and Ryou turned towards her again, tears in his eyes.
"W-what are you talking about? That was hilarious!" Ryou explained, gasping for breath.
She sent him a disapproving look, one that made Ryou finally get a hold of himself..
"Fine, ruin my fun will you…" He murmured, low enough that she couldn't hear him.
"There's another one over there." Ryou stated, pointing into the distance.
"Ryou-sama, It hasn't noticed us yet, we can keep…" The girl tried to reason, stopping when it proved useless.
...Swoshhh…
...Bammm!
"Hahahahhahahahha, Oh gods! Hahahahahaha!" Ryou broke again, at the sight even when an indignant sound came from behind him.
"R-Ryou-sama!"
Mostly…
Passing the gates, Ryou walked with a very pleased smile on his face, at his side came Rishia, who while not looking at him, had a slightly disappointed pout in her face, one that he was very content to ignore
So what if he had sent two more Usapils, and three Balloons flying into the stratosphere, the sight had been hilarious every single time. It had been the most fun he had since unlocking his rapid shot. It just didn't get old.
Fun, and games aside he decided the first thing they were doing was getting a room on the Inn, he was in desperate need of a bath, a sentiment that Rishia echoed quite vocally. After that they would hit the Church of the Dragon Hourglass, he wanted the timer for the next wave, so he could start making plans.
Unfortunately for him, news of their victory over the wave had already reach every corner of the town, and if before everyone's eyes were on him, now they almost sparkled with admiration something that turned his mood slightly sour.
Thankfully the bath made wonders both for his body, and mood again. Nothing like hot water on his sore body, and feeling clean. Coming towards the bath mirror he did noted that his hair was getting a little too long. He intended on cutting it before being involuntarily summoned to Melromarc. It was reaching the base of his neck, and on the front it was slowly covering his eyes.
Not sure if I trust Rishia with a pair of scissors, but no doubt she will be much better than me at it…
Pondering on it for a moment he concluded that his hair could wait, before getting dressed, and setting on towards the church, after informing his partner to go meet him at the entrance when she was ready. Even if she was not familiar with Castle Town, the Church of the Dragon Hourglass was impossible to miss.
The Dragon Hourglass, was both an amazing and eerie sight. The colossal hourglass was made completely of gold, the metal twisting around it until it ended in two sculptures of dragons. The eerie part was the red gems that spun in the middle, they looked like eyes that were peering into his very being.
Coming closer, the jewel in his wrist bracelet activated, sending a beam of light into the hourglass, making it shine in a golden color.
So it truly is different from the original story, the Shadow Maid was not mistaken… Ryou thought, his eyes narrowing at the timer. It displayed the time until the next wave. Ninety three days, and eleven hours. Three months.
Ryou couldn't understand why it existed such a colossal difference. The time given to them had all but doubled if he wasn't mistaken. That along with the other subtle differences made his head spin with possibilities.
"Yuusha-sama, you still have not yet absorbed the sand from the hourglass have you?" The sister that had guide him to the hourglass asked.
"Huh?" His face etched in confusion. Absorbing the sand of the hourglass? He couldn't remember such a thing at all. Seeing his face the sister smiled lightly, before moving towards a table, and picking up something. Ryou watched has she came back with a golden flask in hand. The golden flask, was etched with red jewels, just like the hourglass.
She extended the flask towards him, and Ryou picked it up with curiosity.
"Inside is the sand of the hourglass, the other heroes have already pour it into their weapons, From what they said it granted them a useful ability." She finished, and Ryou opened the flask pouring sand into his hand. It felt and looked like regular sand, yet Ryou could bet it was anything but.
Useful ability, I don't remember Naofumi having such a thing, but then again I doubt that the Church of the Three Heroes would hand over such a thing to him… Before clenching his hand into a fist, and pouring the sand over the jewel.
[Dragon Era Bow - Equipment Bonus - Dimensional Piercing Shot - Requirement - Level Fifty]
The fuck? That sounds bad ass..! His eyebrows rose as he read the description of the skill. The Dimensional Piercing Arrow, apparently let him open a portal between locations to teleport, he could only have three designated locations, like the teleport ability he had since the beginning. However the cooldown of the skill was only one hour, against the two full days as it was for his ability.
This will make traveling a lot more convenient especially with such a small cooldown, although it will take a while before I can use it... Ryou thought with a smile, however the smile disappeared just has fast when he noticed that the sister was now bowing low. A shiver passed along his body, and a voice interrupted any further thinking.
"Well, well, the Yumi no Yuusha-sama, coming to visit our esteemed church… What an honor." The voice was deceptively friendly, however, Ryou could only think one thing.
Ohh fuck no… Turning around his suspicions were confirmed, and he came face to face with one of the two individuals he absolutely did not want to meet. Before him was the pope of the Church of the Three Heroes.
Swallowing Ryou took in the man that would undeniably become his enemy in the future, if there were any doubts before he had none now, every inch of his body was telling him to run, along with the hairs of his arm rising.
"I heard how you valiantly defended Lute Village, even putting an end to the reign of tyranny in the Northern Territories! It warms my heart that you take your job as a Yuusha seriously." The man's smile turned a little wider, and Ryou could only offer a small nod in acknowledgment, mind running at miles per hour on how to escape from the man's presence.
A moment that seemed like an eternity passed between them, before the smile turned into a frown, and the pope lowered his head slightly. "However I must offer my apologies in the name of the Church to you Yuusha-sama."
Ryou's eyes narrow at that, and he forced his fist to relax. "What do you mean?" Small miracle he had maintained his voice steady
"You see, Lord Gentlewood was a firm believer of our great church. Or at least we thought he was since we had no idea of the evil he was practicing… Though have no worries! God as already cast his judgment upon him!" The final part was added with a small smile, and Ryou felt his body go rigid.
Shit! That guy was a member of the church!? Ryou cursed mentally in slight panic. This had been exactly what he had hoped to avoid, and instead he had put himself right under the pope's eyes and exposed himself.
"I see… That's good news, now if you allow me I must get ready for the celebration!" His voice had come out slightly shaky, but Ryou needed to get out of the church, and away from the man, and fast!
"Of course, don't let me keep you. Go enjoy the celebration, you certainly earn it!" The pope allowed, and with a nod, Ryou made his retreat forcing himself to walk at a normal pace, but wanting to exit has fast as he reasonably could without making it look even more suspicious.
He was almost at the door when the voice of the Pope reached him once more. " And remember Yuusha-sama, God is always watching, and as you know now he will always punish anyone who fails to play their role accordingly… Always..." He had turned to look at the Pope but at the moment the man had said the last part, his friendly smile had turned into something else… Still a smile but there was no warm in it. Ryou could feel a coldness washing over his body, before turning towards the door, and crossing the boundary.
That was a warning, a very clear one no doubt about it... Ryou thought with dread. His intervention on the north had caused him to become a target, or at least someone to be weary about in the eyes of the pope, and his cult...