Chapter 32. Braving into a New World: Back to the Beginning
A great pillar shined with an almost searing blue light for a few moments before dissipating. The moment the teleport had run its course, light rain fell on him, leaving Ryou with a sense of deja vu so great that he turned to look back at the base of the incline they had landed, almost unconsciously.
His eyes surveyed the area and trees beyond it, half expecting a great wolf to burst from the woods, and in a few seconds, he found himself releasing a breath realizing how silly he was being.
Even if I know I can kill one by slapping it hard enough I guess my subconscious still hasn't caught up…
"Onii-shama it's raining…" Quartz pointed out with a frown, as she tried to protect her hair from getting wet with her bag.
With a side glance, the Bow Hero opened his inventory and pulled out three cloaks from it.
"Is that Castle Town?" Rifana asked, with a hand over her eyes, as she squinted to see the Capital.
"Yeah, that's Castle Town alright," Ryou answered as he handled a cloak to Quartz.
"I thought we would teleport in town, but instead we landed in the middle of a forest and have to walk in the rain…" The small Demi-human complained lightly.
Finishing helping Quartz with her cloak to make sure her more distinct features were hidden, Ryou frowned lightly. "My teleport skill lands us where I registered it. What would you think would happen if a giant pillar of light came crashing down in the middle of the capital?"
"Haa, they might think they were under attack?" She ventured.
"Exactly, especially since my Teleporting ability is different from the other heroes and a lot flashier, besides a little rain won't kill us," Ryou said, walking to the small girl before handing her a cloak," Here put this on, and make sure you pull the hood up and keep your tail hidden…"
The girl pulled the hood over her head, nodding lightly, knowing that it would be better if she didn't advertise the fact she was a demi-human. With that done she once more pulled her bag over her shoulder with some effort.
Seeing the girl struggling with her bag reminded Ryou that they were going to be on the road for a good while, and there was a limit to how much they could carry, even with his inventory.
Once more I guess I'll be taking a page out of your book, Naofumi… He concluded before his eyes fell on the smallest member of his party for a moment.
I wonder if she will have a problem with a carriage? The Bow Hero mused before shaking his head, that would be a problem for later.
"Come on let's go…" He ordered, making his way down the incline, his party following behind.
"Fuee… Ryou aren't you going to put on a cloak?" Rishia asked, her eyes almost shining from under her hood.
His lips twitched down before he turned to face ahead, "No… You know I have a bad relationship with cloaks in general…"
"How does that work?" Rifana asked, coming up from the side, peeking at him.
Ryou raised his head slightly, his gaze unfocused, "I almost got killed by one once upon a time…"
"Huh?" Rifana's face went through a few expressions before stopping in incredulously as she blinked at the Hero.
Rishia's hand came forth to try and stop the small giggle as she recalled the story behind Ryou's hatred towards cloaks in general, and that he was somewhat exaggerating the facts.
"Never mind that, weren't you complaining about the rain a moment ago?" He interjected, breaking the demi-human out of her thoughts involving the Bow Hero fighting with a cloak.
"Right, let's get out of this rain!" With those words, the girl hurried her pace towards town.
By the time the Castle gates came into view, the light drizzle had changed into a full-blown downpour, but not even that made Ryou hasten his steps. In his past life, he would admit he had been quite the delicate flower as far as colds were involved, so much that a couple of drops of rain in his head would be enough he would get one, guaranteed. Now that he was a hero he no longer had to worry about it, so he decided to take his time.
He had sent Rishia, and the rest of his party to Erhard's Shop in order for them to escape the rain, promising he would meet them later, there was, after all, something the Bow Hero needed to do.
His eyebrow went up as he saw a line of guards, almost double the usual amount lined up in front of the gates, with a multitude of carriages parked everywhere.
From how fancy those carriages are, they belong to nobles… Is there some kind of party going on? Ryou questioned himself, as he reached the gate, and immediately his mood turned sour as he saw a familiar face under the archway of the gate, protected from the rain unlike the rest of the guards, yet looking far from satisfied.
The man's face also turned sour, as if he had swallowed a lemon when he caught sight of Ryou.
"Guh… Yumi-no Yuusha…" The captain of the guard almost hissed.
Coming to a stop a few meters in front of the captain, Ryou eyed the man for a few seconds with a less than friendly stare, even as the rain picked up strength before making his intentions clear, "I'm here to see the King."
The man released another grunt, "Guh… His highness is busy preparing a royal banquet, so you will have to come back later."
If it was by choice I wouldn't put one foot inside the Castle, but this might be my only chance to get information about his vassal weapon before things take a turn for the worse…
"No can do, I'm going to be away from the capital for a while, so I have to see him now…" Ryou finished as he stepped forward.
In an instant, the captain raised his hand and swords were drawn as some of the guards came forward and formed a semi-circle around him, though the vast majority stood in place their expression mimicking that of Ryou's.
What the actual fuck?! His mouth almost dropped open at the brazen attitude of the guards.
"His Majesty's orders were clear! He is not to be disturbed, especially not by a second rate fake Yuusha like you!" The man hissed, bringing his sword in front of himself in a defensive posture.
Second Rate?! The words ran in Ryou's head until they clicked, then he was moving before anyone, even himself rationalized why exactly those words touched him so.
An instant later a hand clapped over the sword's handle preventing it from moving, and the Captain's eyes widened slightly in shock, as a snarling face came to a stop inches from his.
"You have a really short memory, don't you... How about I remind you just how much of a second rate I am?" Ryou snarled in the captain's face, the anger in the hero's voice preventing the guards from moving both from the tone and from the shock of seeing how fast he had crossed the distance.
The man tried to free his sword, his face going red due to the effort but to no avail.
"You…" The man growled as he kept pulling his sword, "...You think just because you have some measure of power that you can do whatever you want in our country?!"
"That's the pot calling the kettle you freaking hypocrite!" Ryou growled back, as he tightened his grip on the handle, "Also let me remind you, that you assholes were the ones who brought me here to save your stupid world while you sit on your ass, so I think I'm at least entitled to some liberties."
"Hah!" The captain was still able to smirk through the effort, "You?! Saving our world?! Don't lie you fake Yuusha! We know all about it! While the Ken-no Yuusha-sama, and the Yari-no Yuusha-sama are dedicated to the betterment of our country, you're up there in no man's land playing around with your green-haired who..! Gah!" The captain didn't finish his words, has his world turned upside down, courtesy of having his feet kicked from under him, not a second later an ungodly force hit him in the stomach sending him flying through the gate and tumbling out into the rain as he crashed against the hard stone.
Opening his eyes the captain coughed as he tried to raise himself but stopped when he felt a shiver running through his body as the air around them grew colder, and he watched the Bow Hero standing above him glaring darkly. The man felt a second much bigger shiver when the young hero's eyes appeared to shine with a red glow, something truly malevolent crossing through them for a brief moment.
"Trash like you telling me I'm a second rate Hero is hilarious, but it's one thing to insult me, however, when you pull those that are closest to me into it, that's a line I won't allow anyone to cross…" Ryou hissed as lightning erupted from his fist and he gave a deliberate slow step closer to the man, "You said that the others are working for the betterment of this country right? Then maybe I should follow their example, and start making this world a better place…" He finished as he gave another step, completely ignoring the black shadows that had begun creeping and eating away at the corner of his sight.
The man crawled back, his legs scraping against the wet stone as he tried to get away from the horrible, and suffocating feeling that surrounded the young man who seemed much more like an apparition than a holy hero.
"At his level, a single good hit is far more than enough…" A distorted voice echoed in Ryou's mind, and the Bow Hero grinned, finding himself agreeing with the voice as he reared his lightning encased fist back.
"What is the meaning of this?!" A voice echoed above the falling rain, one that had the Bow Hero clenching his teeth as he lowered his fist.
"O-Our Holiness!" One of the guards stuttered.
Ryou turned to look back, and he saw a multitude standing behind him under the rain cloaked in cleric outfits, yet his glare was focused on one person in particular.
That man… Ryou growled in his mind as he eyed the Pope.
"I ask once more what is the meaning of this?" Balmus asked, with a frown.
"The Yumi-no Yuusha has gone insane and is trying to force his way into the castle!" The captain all but shrieked from behind Ryou.
The Pope's eyes moved to the Bow Hero for a moment, before they fell on the captain once more, his frown deepening, "Yumi-no Yuusha-sama is one of the Legendary Heroes protecting this world or have you forgotten?" The Pope's voice was soft yet stern. "They have free reign to meet with his highness whenever they wish. To go against them is to go against the will of God."
"B-But our orders are to not allow anyone to bother his Majesty while he prepares the banquet in your honor!" The Captain exclaimed from his place on the ground.
The Pope shook his head lightly, as a small smile appeared in his face, "Those orders obviously do not apply to our honorable Yuushas; everyone knows that. If this is an attempt at trying to get some measure of revenge, I advise you to go repent…"
The man's face paled even more, and his mouth tried to formulate words to defend himself yet they refused to come out.
"Come Yuusha-sama…" The Pope turned towards Ryou, as he extended his hand, "I as the envoy of God shall personally escort you to his Majesty as a token of apology for this situation."
Ryou clenched his teeth, unable to rationalize anything the man had said as fog filled most of his mind, but something still clicked as his eyes went to the Pope's extended hand.
"...especially not by a second rate fake Yuusha like you!"
Fake Yuusha… The ones who came up with that title were the church… It was him!
Bascus eyes widened slightly, as a red glow took over the hero's eyes.
What are those eyes, and this feeling of malevolence that surrounds him? The Pope questioned himself with a hint of apprehension, his arm falling to the side.
"He doesn't have the replica with him right now, and only a few followers, a couple of shots and you can end it here before everything escalates…" The distorted voice whispered entrancingly in the corner of his mind, and with it the rest of his vision was swallowed by darkness, leaving only black shadows…
Shadows that were mocking him…
Shadows that were taunting him...
Shadows that threatened to take what was his away from him…
Rishia…
Quartz…
Rifana…
They belong to me, and I won't let you hurt them you piece of shit! Ryou roared into the dark void that had swallowed his mind.
On the outside, all those present, from the clerics to the guards took a step back, as everything from below the Bow Hero's elbow caught on fire, the jewel on his wrist band changing from a soft yellow to an unholy red glow. Even Balmus took a step back as the Bow Hero's head snapped upwards, pupilless glowing red eyes meeting his, as a malevolent grin appeared in Ryou's face.
"Come forth... Bow of…"
"Ryou-sama!"
A voice pierced the veil of darkness, interrupting the Bow Hero's command, as his eyes fell on the newest shadow that appeared similar to all the others, however, there was a sense of familiarity with the witch's hat the shadow was wearing, one that cracked the darkness just slightly enough for him to see a worried face looking at his person.
Is that..?
"Rino…" He murmured, his voice sounding far from his normal tone in his ears.
"You colossal idiot! This is neither the time or place for you to do this so get a fucking grip!" Another voice that sounded much more like his own echoed in his mind, and almost instantly the darkness disappeared, along with the flames.
Ryou didn't realize he was falling until his knees hit the cold and wet stone, followed by both his hands as a tremendous wave of weakness hit him, one that let him panting for breath as his wide unfocused eyes watched the drops of rain falling from his hair and onto the ground.
"W-What just happened..?" He murmured.
"Are you alright Ryou-sama?"
Turning to look at the side, he saw Rino crouched near him, her face etched in worry, with a few traces of apprehension.
"Rino... What jus…" He trailed off as his eyes caught the jewel on his wrist flashing with a red glow, before returning to its normal color.
Did I… Did I almost?! The Bow Hero understood then what had almost happened, and he found himself horrified at the prospect. Shaking and taking far too much effort he raised himself to a standing position. It was then that he took note of the crowd around him that was whispering, and sending fearful glances at his person.
I have to get away from here! In a panic he gave a few shaky steps before something caught his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks.
"Ryou-sama what's wrong?" Rino questioned worriedly, from her place near him.
"Don't… Don't touch me!" Ryou shouted, snapping his arm away, a movement that almost sent the petite girl to the ground.
By the time Rino righted herself, she could only watch as the Bow Hero almost stumbled away, slowly disappearing into the rain.
Ryou-sama… The girl clapped her hands in front of herself, as she looked into the distance. Try as she might she couldn't understand what had happened. She couldn't connect the kind and gentle hero that had helped her, with whatever had been standing there. There had been a horrible feeling of pure hatred mixed with something equally evil she couldn't identify, but she knew one thing, whatever had taken over the young man in those moments didn't felt human, and it had scared Ryou far more than it had scared everyone else.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she gave a small jump when a hand fell on her shoulder.
"Easy there Rino-chan. What got you so spooked?"
Turning to look at the owner of the hand, she had to raise her head, to look into the confused eyes of the Spear Hero.
"Motoyasu-sama…" She uttered almost breathlessly.
He gave her a small smile, before his head tilted slightly to the side, "So what happened? Everyone's in a fuss…"
Rino found some heat going to her cheeks against her will as the handsome Hero focused his attention on her before the reality of the situation crashed once more.
"Haa… Ryou-sama was here, but there was something wrong with him…" She trailed off.
Huh? Something wrong with Ryou? Motoyasu's smile disappeared from his face, as a more worried expression took over.
"What do you mean Rino-chan?" He asked as his other hand went for her shoulder.
"I…" She stopped as she bit her lip, "I'm not sure... But he didn't seem like himself."
"Didn't seem like himself?" Motoyasu wondered out loud.
"Yes, it almost seemed like he was poss…" Rino began but was interrupted by another voice that pierced through the sound of the falling rain.
"Motoyasu-sama, everything is ready!"
The Spear Hero sent a small smile towards Melromarc's Princess, "We will be right there!" He exclaimed over his shoulder.
Looking back towards Rino, neither saw the expression on Malty's face turn from pleasant into a glare as she watched the scene with nothing but contempt.
"He probably is just having a bad day, and this weather doesn't really help. I know you're worried, I'm too but we have a village to save." Motoyasu concluded before grabbing the petite mage's hand and guiding her to where the rest of his party was waiting.
Rino's expression turned conflicted, as she turned back to look one final time to where the Bow Hero had disappeared.
Ryou-sama…
"Your Holiness… Are you… Are you alright?" A sister asked, from his side, yet Balmus hardly paid any attention to the woman, completely focused on the road that led to the peasant area of Castle Town, the one where the Yuusha had disappeared.
Looking down he clenched his hand into a fist yet even that had not been enough to stop it from shaking.
Am I afraid? He wondered in disbelief.
Me? The one was chosen by God afraid of a small child?! Preposterous! Balmus roared in his mind trying to make the feeling subside.
"My holiness…" The sister tried once more, yet she quickly backpedaled as the head of the church focused a glare on her person.
"Can't you see I'm thinking, why are you bothering me so?" The usual pleasant tone in the man's voice had disappeared, replaced with one that almost brimmed with anger.
"I-Its just…" The woman stuttered under the man's glare, whose patience finally ran out.
"Out with it!" Balmus thundered making every one of his escorts lower his head.
It was a plain man taking pity on the woman who seemed about to wet herself that answered, "Balmus-sama the banquet is about to start, we shouldn't leave his Majesty waiting."
The Pope took a breath to calm himself, as he adjusted his glasses trying to regain his composure. As much as he hated it, he had to keep the pleasantries and entertain their foolish king at least until everything fell in place.
"No, we shouldn't." He allowed, his face going passive once more, as he turned and slowly made his way into the castle, the bishop following close behind.
"You seem rather shaken Balmus-sama." The Bishop murmured, as they moved inside the Castle and away from the rain.
"Nonsense, I was just caught off-guard that's all," He answered smoothly.
"We all were… I never thought that a fake Yuusha could exclude such an ominous presence."
Indeed… Balmus eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. While on the outside he was the complete image of normalcy, on the interior his mind was racing.
Where did that child obtain such an ominous power? The head of the Church didn't understand the change that had happened. While he knew that they were the real Yuusha's, and not fakes as some people were beginning to believe due to the information that was slowly spreading across the court, courtesy of his followers, none of the old surviving texts mentioned anything about the foolish Heroes possessing such a foul power.
That wasn't the only change he had sensed in the hero. During their first meeting, he noticed how defensive the young man had been, something that had prickled at the corner of his mind, but more importantly, the young man had been afraid of him. Balmus had almost laughed when he realized it. One of the heroes of legends, afraid of him? The thought had been almost as amusing, as it had been offensive.
However, in this new meeting, something had drastically changed in the Yuusha. He hadn't been afraid of him. No… More than the ominous, foul presence and power that had been slowly boiling inside the hero, there had been another feeling.
Bloodlust… The young man had been out for blood. First for the captain of the guard, and then the feeling had intensified itself to much greater heights when he had made his presence known.
For some reason, the Bow Hero hated him, and it made his suspicions even more prevalent. His suspicion that that wretched Mirelia was keeping a far closer eye to what was happening in her country then he previously thought.
Yes... It all makes sense now… The Pope concluded. For what reason would the Bow Hero have to be wary of him and out for his blood?
None… Not unless he was tipped off… The spies he had in the Queen's Shadow's had informed him that their captain had taken a shine at the Bow Hero. No doubt Mirellia had already spread her sweet honey all over the Hero through her Shadows and had informed him of her suspicions towards their esteemed church.
She truly lives up to her title of Melromarc Vixen… Miles away, with the leaders of every country breathing down her neck, and she can still turn one of the Yuusha's into her lap dog… The Pope shook his head, as he waved at some nobles, yet his mind was still on the problem at hand.
From what his spies had informed him, the Queen was slowly but surely finding some common ground with the rest of the world leaders, and if left unchecked she would resolve the issue sooner rather than later, and then she would return home.
We can't have that happening, not before I solidify my power. He had to find a way to keep the Queen tied and away from Melromarc for longer. If she were allowed to return, she would not only solidify her position but would probably take the Shield Demon as well as the other heroes into her bosom, making them all but untouchable.
That cannot be allowed to happen… He had tried to coerce the three heroes into his side, but it had already become quite clear that the Bow Hero had no wish of following the righteous path that was laid before him, and if the rumors were true it appeared that neither did the Sword Hero.
To reject my will is the same as to reject the will of God, and the price for such a sin must be paid in full… He acknowledged in his mind, putting on a benevolent smile as he waved towards Idol Rabier, one of the few that knew what true order in this world should look like, and worked tirelessly to try and achieve it as he lay down heavenly punishment on those despicable demi-humans.
Out of the three heroes, there was only one that seemed to be more than happy to follow the path they were supposed to, and that was the princess's lap dog.
Although he couldn't even defeat that Demon and said demon can't even go on the offensive, that makes him mostly worthless… With that in mind, there was still room for improvement, and as long as he was under the princess's thumb, and she was under his, he would leave the Spear Hero be.
I suppose we must hasten our plans, still, I need to find a way to tie Mirellia until then… He finished before his eyes narrowed as an image of red pupilless eyes appeared in his mind.
...especially if we ended up summoning two Demons under the guise of Yuushas instead of just one…
Releasing an annoyed sigh, the huge man laid his chin on his hand, as his eyes moved to take in the intruders that had come into his store. The green-haired one, the only one that he had been introduced to, kept looking at him with a small smile, her hands clapped in front of herself, almost everything in her screaming innocence… The keyword being almost. If Erhard was any other man, he would have missed the small traces of shadows in her eyes. It wasn't just that, but the way she now carried herself had changed slightly, no longer hunching, while still looking meek, her shoulders stood straight like those of a warrior.
Leave it to the Bow Kid to make this kind of change happen, already I saw the change in the little one that follows the Shield Kid like a puppy, and now this lass is also looking like a warrior, and I reckon that spring has come for her too…
Erhard released another annoyed sigh, "Seriously... Back in my adventurers days things never went this smoothly for me, these kids sure have it nice."
"Fuee… Erhard-sama, you were an adventurer?" Rishia asked.
The blacksmith's chin almost hit the counter, "Hey now, none of that honorific's business, Erhard is just fine." He waved his hand, before coughing into his fist, "That being said… I know that the kid isn't one to do it, but this time it seriously seemed like he sent you guys here to brag!"
"Brag?" Rishia tilted her head in confusion. Ryou hardly ever bragged, if anything he was quite down to earth.
"Never mind… So who are these little ladies anyway, and where the heck is that rotten kid? Leaving you kids to walk alone especially in this weather, who does that..."
"Hehe… Right! This here is Quartz-chan." She announced pointing to the small white-haired girl, who looked at the Blacksmith with curiosity.
"...and this here is Rifana-chan…" Rishia pointed to the demi-human, who pulled her hood lower to hide her face but still raised a hand slightly in a greeting.
"I see…" Erhard murmured as his eyes fell on the golden-eyed girl, having a pretty good idea why she was making such an effort to hide her head.
"Fuee… As for Ryou, he went to the Castle to talk with his Majesty."
"Fair enough, and so he sent you here to hide from the rain is that it?" He asked, and grumbled as the girl noted.
Why is it that nowadays everyone thinks my store is some sort of Inn… Erhard thought annoyed. Not only that, the two heroes that showed patronage to his store, only seemed to come accompanied by cute girls too.
If I didn't know any better I would almost believe those crazy rumors… The blacksmith complained as something shiny caught his eye from under Rishia's cloak.
"Hey, is that a new armor you have under there?" He questioned as he straightened himself.
Rishia looked down, and indeed her mithril armor was peeking from under her cloak. Raising her arm, the cloak followed, showing the blue-tinted armor to the Blacksmith, who whistled in appreciation.
"Would you look at that, you're wearing some fancy armor if I say so myself." He complimented, as he came around the counter to get a better look.
"Y-Yes, this is my Mithril Armor."
"I can see that. Mithril is one level above Magic Steel, so it's better than pretty much anything that I have for sale currently, and the craftsmanship is pretty good too. Where did you get that one?"
"Fuee… Ryou made it, he had a few blacksmithing lessons." Rishia explained.
Made it himself?! A few blacksmithing lessons?! What is it with these kids?! First, they are surrounded by cute girls, then they can craft items that would take years upon years of practice in a few weeks? I feel like I'm losing something here… Erhard complained in his head but was interrupted when the door to his shop opened once more.
Everyone's eyes fell on the shadow, that was dripping water everywhere, with eyes hidden from view, as it closed the door behind him and leaned against it.
"Fuuee! Ryou what's wrong?!" Rishia exclaimed as she quickly made her way next to the Bow Hero, before releasing a gasp as he raised his head.
"Kid, you look like you've seen a ghost," Erhard commented as he took in the young man's appearance.
Besides being soaked to the bone, the Bow Hero looked pale as a sheet, yet his eyes focused solely on the blacksmith.
"Erhard… Where can I buy a carriage?" The Bow Hero asked, his voice hardly above a whisper but conveying a level of seriousness completely unlike his normal tone.
The Blacksmith frowned, but answered nonetheless, "At the Stables, they sell them there, it's right next to the West Gate... But why do you need a carriage all of a sudden?"
"Because we are leaving Castle Town right now," Ryou announced as he dislodged himself from the door.
"Already? But I wanted to see more of Castle Town…" Rifana complained in a murmur, looking down.
"Seriously kid? You disappear for this long, then come back, just to leave in a hurry?" Erhard questioned slightly annoyed, as he rubbed the back of his head, "Almost seems like you're running away from someone…"
"Ohh he is… He royally fucked up this time and now he's trying to run from himself, as stupid as it sounds…" A voice echoed from inside Ryou's mind, making him grit his teeth.
"Shut up! This happened because you gave me shitty information, to begin with!" Ryou roared back in his mind.
"How so?" The voice asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"You said you guys were putting a lid on it! I never thought the Curse Series would creep on me like that!"
"If I remember correctly we also told you that just because we could shut it down, to not take it as any measure of control! Just because we are actively stopping it from exploding didn't mean that you could lower your guard! We also told you to not underestimate them, and to not compare yourself to Naofumi's case! This? All of this is your own goddamn fault, and you have no one to blame but yourself!" The voice raged back making Ryou wince visibly.
"The both of you might want to stop this unproductive debate, your party is already looking at you like you grew a second head, and I'm pretty sure Quartz can hear us…" Another voice interject, one that Ryou could identify as Pride, yet the moment the message registered, Ryou snapped back to reality just in time to see Quartz jumping slightly as if startled.
"Shit!" Ryou cursed, ignoring the chuckles that ran through his mind.
"Onii-shama, why are there three of you?"Quartz asked her eyes wide as saucers.
"Three of him? What do you mean?" Rifana asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked towards the Bow Hero.
"Never mind that,! We have other things to worry about right now!" Ryou declared putting an end to the conversation for the time being.
"Yeah… Like the fact that if the Pope wasn't already suspicious of you, now you can bet he will be on our ass like a bloodhound…"
His hand came to rub his face, already feeling the mother of all headaches forming, "Look…" Ryou started, taking a moment to recollect himself, "...something happened, and we need to leave like right now, I can explain later!"
"Fuee… D-Did you get into a fight with his Majesty?" Rishia asked worriedly.
"Worse I would say…"
"Later Rishia,.." Ryou growled out, before taking a breath and opening his inventory. Hand reaching forward he pulled a pouch from it and threw it towards Erhard who caught it.
Opening the pouch the Blacksmith's eyes widened slightly at the content, "Kid… What do you need that's worth ten gold coins?"
"A service."
"What kind of service is worth ten gold coins?" Erhard asked suspicion evident on his face.
Ryou looked at the Blacksmith for a moment. This had been the reason why he had come to Erhard in the first place, and what after had happened he would definitely need every advantage he could get.
"I want you to lend me every bow you have in stock."
"About goddamn time…"
"Huh?"
After leaving Erhard's store, the party had quickly made their way into the stables where Ryou had purchased a simple wooden carriage, nothing too complex, just enough to keep them somewhat protected from the rain and to allow them to carry more loot that they would surely find.
A few minutes later they were cruising through the landscape, as Quartz pulled the carriage somewhat against her will, but it couldn't be helped. Ryou had to get as far away from Castle Town as possible, for more reasons than one.
Looking back from his place at the front of the carriage, he looked inside to see both Rifana and Rishia who seemed to be mulling over something in silence, though the Bow Hero had a pretty good idea what was running through their minds.
Looking towards the front, he realized that light was becoming a scarce resource as the clouds slowly became darker, illuminated only by flashes of light in the distance. Even if Quartz had an amazing night vision, it would be dangerous for them to travel during the night, especially since they were about to hit a mountain range, and it was still raining.
"Quartz, we will stop for the night as soon as we find a good place to rest. Okay?" Ryou shouted as he blinked his eyes to get rid of the excess of water.
The dragon turned her head slightly to look at him and bobbed it in agreement before focusing on the path ahead.
There were advantages to having a dragon pulling a carriage instead of filorials. One of those advantages was that all fauna that might have entertained the idea of attacking them, quickly scurried away at the sight of Quartz, and the slightly braver monsters only lasted until she roared.
Eventually, Quartz was able to find a good-sized clearing somewhat away from the main road and protected by a pair of giant trees. After stopping for the night, the dragon quickly reverted back to human form, and after an interesting appliance of fire magic, she was dry and was snuggling in her sleeping bag besides Rishia and Rifana.
Sending them one last look, Ryou jumped from his position and landed soundlessly on the wet ground, before beginning a small trek through the trees, as his mind went to the events that had led him to run away from Castle Town.
Try as he might, he couldn't figure out what had truly set off his curse, and why it had swallowed him so fast. A simple insult from the Captain of the Guard had been enough for him to decide to murder the man.
No matter how much of a piece of shit he is, that's no excuse… Ryou thought mournfully. However, that hadn't been what had spooked the Bow Hero so much. What truly had frightened him, had been how susceptible he had been to it along with how he had decided that murder was a reasonable course of action for such a small thing and the fact that he never even realized what was happening until after it was over.
Seriously Ryou did you expect a pop-up window saying you were being possessed or something? He thought with a humorless snort.
The situation had escalated even more with the appearance of the Pope, the one person Ryou wanted to stay away from and the one he had almost started a fight with.
"He didn't have his pretty little toy with him, so in hindsight, you could have totally taken him, the problem would have been the massive casualties that would result from it, especially since you were right by the Castle that was full to the brim with guests." Supplied Pride from the corner of his mind and Ryou nodded to himself half-mindedly, as he clenched his fist.
If Rino had been only a few moments later… Ryou tried to stop his train of thought there, making a small note to seriously apologize to the petite mage that had all but stopped him from creating a catastrophe of massive proportions.
How many innocent people would have perished at his own hand before being subdued, and that was working under the assumption that he could even be stopped at all.
"Doubtful, unless Aultcray got his ass off his throne to stop you, and that is if his strength is equal to that of Glass, something that we can all agree isn't very likely. The most likely scenario is that we would have pulled the plug on you, but that would take time, and during that time..." Pride let the statement hang in the air.
Ryou's thoughts went back to the beginning and he once more questioned the thing that was eating away at him.
"How exactly did this happen? There were plenty of other times that I have gotten angry and it never escalated, but it only took an insult from that guy for me to want to kill him…"
There was a moment of silence, and Ryou could almost picture his counterpart rubbing his chin before he answered.
"True… But how many times have you gotten truly angry after our last meeting? None, that how many. This was the first time that you have gotten pissed off after consciously knowing you had awakened your Curse Series…"
"How is that even relevant? Me knowing about it I mean?" Ryou asked out loud, as he leaned his head back, feeling the droplets as they hit his face.
"As with everything that surrounds your Legendary Weapon, it's a question of belief. Believing in something makes it stronger, and in this case, it became a double edge sword, because knowing and believing you have the Curse Series, also made them stronger, though that's only a small part of it…"
Closing his eyes, Ryou let himself be immersed in the feeling, as water ran down his body, almost cleansing it from something impure.
"So what's the big part then?"
"How did Naofumi reign in his own Curse?" His counterpart asked suddenly, making Ryou open his eyes briefly.
"Err… Fitoria put a lid on it if I recall correctly?" Ryou half-answered, half-asked.
"...And before that?"
Ryou scratched his head in thought, trying to recall how exactly Naofumi had more or less controlled his Wrath, a moment later an image appeared in his mind. One with a demi-human girl, very familiar to him, crouched with one knee on the ground, one hand over her breast where her heart lay, with a small smile on her face.
"If you still cannot believe my word, then place the seal on me once again, and allow me to become your sword once more, one that will follow you through fire and brimstone if needed."
Ryou's eyes widened slightly as the memory appeared, pushed to the front of his mind thanks to his counterpart.
"Every human needs a pillar of support... That pillar can be many things... A hobby, vacations, a vice, like smoking or drinking, or sometimes it can be something much more simple and yet complex, like a single person believing in you, and as unreal as it sounds, knowing what you know about Naofumi, you know that to him, she is worth more than any amount of money and became the small light of hope, and the pillar he needed…" Pride explained, almost softly.
"Is that really a thing?" Ryou whispered out loud. The thought of something like feelings, giving someone strength just sounded so cliché and straight out of fantasy in his mind, yet it was something that against all reason could be observed as far as Naofumi went, the same could be applied to the power of belief.
"Once more you're looking at this from the wrong angle. It's not about feelings like friendship or love giving you power, though you can't discount the possibility, but it has more to do with one countering the bad things that happen in life with the good. This is true everywhere where humans exist, and you know the consequences of not doing so personally don't you?"
Ryou did indeed know that as a fact. After his parents had died he had cut off all the connections he had, isolating himself in a cocoon where only sadness and hatred for the situation he lived existed. Eventually, it became too much, and he went out to restart his relationship with his sister, his only immediate living family, but by then a lot of damage had already been done.
"It's a balancing act… Humans that fail to do it tend to fall into despair, which sometimes leads to a worst-case scenario… In our old world, you only need to look at the suicide statistics to get a clue, in this one, however, you turn into a literal bomb that has the potential to take out everything around you, but in both worlds, there is one thing that remains true, and that is if one is swallowed by despair it might very well lead to a tragedy, that's all there is to it…"
That at least made sense in Ryou's mind, however, that still begged the question.
"Are you saying that I too need a pillar?"
Whatever answer Ryou had been expecting, it definitely wasn't the chuckle that echoed in his mind, making the Bow Hero narrow his eyes in aggravation.
"Did I say something amusing?" Ryou asked with a bit of heat.
"No, you just said something amazing that's all. It makes me wonder how it is that if at the base of it all we are essentially the same person, you always fail to grasp the simple, and obvious things even when they are literally in your face." There was no denying the amusement both in the voice and in the alien fog that permeated his mind.
"He is a goddamned idiot, that's what he is. At this point, I think when we were created we took every ounce of intelligence in that brain and left only idiocy behind…" Another similar voice snarked.
Ryou was about to address exactly how he felt about Wrath's opinion, but the sound of a twig crunching, had him turning around.
"Ryou…" The voice whispered as the person in question came from behind the tree.
Water continued to pour from the heavens down on the ground, as the person gave a few more steps, her once green hair, almost seemed black due to the lack of light, and with how drenched it was. Her fringe clinging to her forehead, as water ran down her face, passing through lips that were locked in a worried expression, before dripping from her chin.
"Rish…" Ryou found himself uttering her name, almost breathlessly. He couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly made his partner so alluring and breathtaking at that moment, but he found himself unable to look away from her eyes.
"That's right… You already have a pillar that supports you just like Naofumi, you had for a while now… In the absence of that pillar, the Curse Series rage forth, but it's also those pillars that allow a hero to reign them in... A Shield is nothing without his Sword, but the same can be said about both of you... "
"After all… What is Ryou Takuma, the Yumi-no Yuusha without his Partner…