Chapter 3
We finished eating breakfast and were waiting in anticipation for the king's summons. It was only natural to give us a little spare time in the morning. We were all hungry after watching the demonstration.
After that, we'd all gone to breakfast. Now, fed and somewhat more awake, and excited, we were waiting for the king's next summons.
Finally, when the sun was high in the sky, probably around ten o'clock, the king called for us. We could hardly contain ourselves and hurried to the audience chamber, our hearts dancing in our chests.
"The Heroes enter."
The doors to the audience chamber swung open to reveal a group of twelve strangers, all dressed as though they were about to embark on an adventure of their own.
There were knights among them.
The king certainly knew how to show his support.
We all bowed to the king and settled in to listen to his proposal. Nihilux floated just a few steps slightly behind us, hands in his hoodie pockets as usual
"As we discussed yesterday, I have called for others to assist you in your journey. Apparently, my call did not go unheeded."
If there were three assistants provided to each of us, that would be great.
"Now then, gathered adventurers, please choose the Legendary Hero with whom you will travel with."
Wait, so THEY got to choose?
That came as a shock to all of us. Though when I thought about it, it only made sense. We all came from another world, so what did we know about our journey? Better to let the experienced citizens make the decision.
The five of us lined up.
I glanced over at Nihilux, who had drifted down to stand properly beside me.
His face was as blank as ever. I wondered if he was nervous about this.
The gathered adventurers shuffled over in our direction and formed little clumps before their intended partners.
Five people stood before Ren.
Four people stood before Motoyasu.
Three people stood before Itsuki.
Zero before Nihilux.
And before me? Yeah….zero.
"But sir!" I called to the king. How could this be? It was so unfair!
The king was unnerved by my protest. He spoke, "I did not anticipate anything like this."
I noticed the king's gaze shift briefly to Nihilux, then back to his advisor. His expression... was that annoyance?
He looked like he'd expected at least someone to choose Nihilux after that display this morning.
"He's not very popular, is he?" The minister sighed, as if there was nothing he could do about it. The king, for his part, seemed disinterested in me specifically, but I could see him frowning as he looked at the empty space in front of Nihilux.
The men in robes were whispering something to the king, and they all seemed to laugh. But why?
"So, there are rumours?"
"What is it?" Motoyasu asked. He wore a strange expression.
The situation was so unfair. I couldn't make sense of it. It was like being in elementary school, when we'd split into teams. I guess I was the last one picked? How could they do this to me, here, in a completely new world?
"It seems that people are whispering around the castle. They are saying that among the four Heroes, the Shield Hero does not know very much about our world."
"What?!"
"The legends say that the four summoned Heroes will have an understanding of our land. People are wondering if you will truly be able to fulfil the conditions set out in the legends."
Motoyasu poked me in the side with his elbow.
"I guess someone was eavesdropping on us last night."
He meant our conversation about games. They were leaving me on my own because I hadn't heard of a game?! Besides, what kind of a legend was this, anyway? I might not know much about their kingdom, but I was still the Shield Hero! For whatever reason...
According to the other guys, I was stuck with the most useless class... but this wasn't a game to begin with!
"Ren! You can't even use five people! Let's share!"
The adventurers standing around Ren (and men among them) all suddenly huddled behind him, quaking in their boots. They were behaving like terrified little sheep.
Ren looked annoyed, and scratched his head, perplexed. Then he said, "I'm more of a loner, myself. So if you can't cut it, I'm leaving you behind."
He said it relatively forcefully, but none of the people behind him showed any signs of moving.
"Motoyasu! What do you think of this? Isn't it horrible?!"
"Well..."
By the way, I'd like to point out that there was not a single man among the adventurers with Motoyasu.
It looked like he was setting up a brothel or something.
"Well I don't want to be biased here... but uh..."
Itsuki looked a little confused but seemed to be saying that he couldn't exactly refuse the help that he'd been offered.
All the adventurers gathered around Motoyasu were women. I guess he really did have a way with them. It was like some kind of involuntary attraction.
"I suppose it would be fair to split them evenly, with each of us getting three. But then again, it's not gentlemanly to deny them once they've made their decision." What Itsuki said sounded fair enough, and everyone in the room nodded along.
"You mean I need to go it alone?"
I was stuck with a shield! THEY were the ones who said it was the worst class! If I don't have a party to travel with, how was I supposed to get stronger?
I glanced at Nihilux. He didn't look bothered at all. Did he expect this outcome from the start? Or maybe he just didn't care?
Damnit, I should have asked him to join me before like the others. I should ask hi--.
"Sir, if it please you, I could serve with the Shield Hero." One of the women with Motoyasu raised her hand to volunteer.
"Hm? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
She was cute, and had shoulder-length red hair.
Her face was pretty, too. She was relatively tall, just a little shorter than me.
"Are there any others among you that would throw your lot in with Mr. Naofumi?"
...No one moved a muscle. The king sighed heavily.
He looked at Nihilux again, and I could see the irritation flash across his face for just a moment. After that demonstration this morning, the king had clearly expected someone to volunteer for Nihilux's party.
But the adventurers wouldn't even look in his direction.
"I suppose there is no way around it," the king said, his tone clipped. "Mr. Naofumi, you'll have to recruit others to accompany you while you are traveling. Each month, I will supply all of you with the necessary funds for your journey, though in compensation for today's events, Naofumi's first payment will be higher than the others."
"Y...Yes, sir!"
It seemed like a fair resolution.
If no one wanted to work with me voluntarily, I would have to find people to help me.
The king turned his attention to Nihilux. "As for you, young Nihilux, as we discussed this morning after your demonstration, you will receive additional funds for this initial payment to help you establish yourself. Consider it the kingdom's investment in your potential."
Blue text shimmered in the air.
Understood. Thank you.
The king looked confused and turned to us four, RIGHT Nihiux text is in English not this world's language.
Motoyasu quickly explained what he said.
The king nodded curtly, though he still looked displeased about the whole situation.
"Now then, Heroes, I have set aside these funds for you. Please accept them."
Attendants placed envelopes in front of each of us.
I could hear something heavy and metallic rattling inside the packages. A peek inside revealed a rather large money pouch.
"I have set aside 800 pieces of silver for the Sword, Spear, and Bow Heroes, and 1000 pieces for Mr. Naofumi in compensation for today's events." The king paused, and another attendant approached Nihilux with a noticeably larger envelope. "For young Nihilux, 1,300 pieces of silver. Please take these funds and begin your journey."
"Yes sir!" We all answered in unison.
Each of us made our obligatory bow of gratitude before backing out of the audience chamber. Once we were all out of the room, we made our introductions.
"Um, so it's nice to meet you, Mr. Shield Hero. My name is Myne Suphia."
"Pleasure."
She didn't seem to be very shy, and she spoke without reservation.
I believe in taking care of your friends. Especially considering that, according to everyone I'd met so far, I had been dealt a losing hand. On top of it all, Myne was a girl, and I was the Shield Hero. It would be up to me to protect her.
I glanced over at Nihilux, who was already walking away from the group.
Behind me I could here Motoyasu say that he wished that Nihilux joined him.
"Very well then, let's get going, shall we? Ms. Myne."
She smiled and nodded before following me out of the room.
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.
.
.
There was a drawbridge strung between the castle and the town. Crossing it, I got my first real view of the town.
Granted, I'd gotten a little glimpse of it from the window last night, but standing there now, in the middle of it all, I really started to feel like I'd come to a different world.
The cobblestone streets were lined with stone buildings, many of which were furnished with wooden signs. There were delicious smells wafting from many directions at once.
"What should we do?"
"I think it would be wise to try and get some better equipment and armor."
"Good idea. With all the money the king gave us, we should be able to get some real quality stuff."
The only equipment I had was a shield, so procuring a weapon was of paramount importance. Without one, I wouldn't stand a chance against any monsters. I wouldn't even be much use to my teammates without one. Regardless, the other heroes all had weapons that would level up with them. If I didn't hit the ground running, they'd overtake me in no time.
Considering all they'd gone through to summon me here, it didn't seem right to slack off. And besides, even if I was stuck with a weak class, Myne had still teamed up with me. I needed to do what I could, for her sake.
"Well, I know a good store if you're ready to go."
"I am."
"Great."
Weapons are important, but all you really need are friends. Myne led me down a path to the weapon store she knew. Ahe was skipping as she walked.
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.
.
We were almost at the shop when I noticed someone floating a few feet off the ground near the entrance.
Nihilux.
He was... waiting there. Staring at nothing in particular.
"Oh," Myne said, slowing down. "It's that weird guy from the throne room."
I frowned at that. "He's not weird. Just... shy."
"He doesn't even talk normally," she pointed out. "Just makes those glowing letters appear. I can't even read them—they're in some strange language."
Right. English. The Legendary Weapons translated everything for us, but Nihilux's text stayed in English. Which meant anyone from this world couldn't read it.
As we got closer, Nihilux drifted down until his feet touched the cobblestone street. Blue text appeared in the air.
Naofumi. Can we talk for a moment?
"Sure," I said. "What's up?"
Myne glanced between us, looking a bit lost. She couldn't read what he'd written.
"He wants to talk," I explained to her.
She sighed. "Well, I'll wait inside then. No point standing around if I can't even follow the conversation." She headed into the weapon shop without waiting for a response.
Once she was gone, I turned back to Nihilux. "So what did you want to talk about?"
More text appeared.
I've decided to join your party. At least until the first Wave.
I blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
Yes.
"But... why?" I asked. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd be glad to have you. But you saw what happened back there. No one wanted to join me because I'm the Shield Hero. The 'weakest' class, remember? You could join any of the other heroes and probably have an easier time."
The text faded, and new words appeared.
I don't care what class you are.
"Then why me specifically?"
Because you helped me yesterday. In the throne room. When I couldn't speak.
I remembered. He'd reached out to me telepathically, asking for help with his introduction. I'd covered for him when he stumbled.
"That was nothing," I said.
He didn't reply to that, just waited for my answer.
"At least until the first Wave, you said?"
Yes. After that, we'll see. But for now, this works.
I nodded. "Fair enough. Welcome to the party, I guess."
The text faded, and new words appeared.
Can you send me a party invite?
"A party invite?" I blinked. "Oh, right. The status system."
I pulled up my status menu and navigated through the options. There was a party management section straightforward. I selected "Invite to Party" and focused on Nihilux.
A notification appeared in front of him, visible as a faint shimmer. He must have accepted it, because a moment later, my party list updated.
Party Members:
Naofumi Iwatani (Leader)Nihilux
Wait.
Just Nihilux?
"Oh crap," I muttered. "I completely forgot to invite Myne."
I could see Nihilux's mouth twitch slightly. Like he was trying not to smile.
You should probably do that.
"Yeah, yeah." I quickly sent another party invite, this time directed at Myne inside the shop. A full minute later, she accepted, and her name appeared on the list.
Party Members:
Naofumi Iwatani (Leader)Myne SophiaNihilux
"There. All set."
Good. I'll meet you at the main city gate in an hour.
I frowned. "An hour? Don't you want to come in and look at some weapons first? We're already here."
No. There are some other shops I want to visit first.
"What kind of shops?"
The text faded without answering. Nihilux just turned and started walking away.
"Hey, wait—" I started, but he was already gone, disappearing into the crowd moving through the street.
I stood there for a moment, staring after him.
At least I had a new party now. That was something.
I turned and headed into the weapon shop.
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I walked away from the weapon shop, navigating through the crowded streets.
An hour. That should be enough time. Plus, I doubt Naofumi would need more than that to buy a few things for himself.
I had a specific destination in mind.
Last night, during my escapade tour of the city, I'd stumbled across a bookshop tucked away in one of the quieter districts.
The owner had still been awake when I'd floated past the window, an old lady with grey hair tied back in a neat bun, reading by candlelight.
I couldn't read and write this world's language.
That was going to be a massive issue. So I want to fix that as soon as I can. Learning a new language is not an easy task by any means. But since I am stuck here in this world, I don't really have much choice.
Plus, I could speak and write 3 languages back in my world. And one thing I know from experience is that frequent practice matters very much in learning a new language.
If I start learning early, I am sure I can become at least somewhat fluent atleast enough to communicate in a month. After that's its just a matter of getting better overtime.
So I'd gone inside.
The old lady, Mrs Lina, had introduced herself and had been surprised to see a customer so late. Even more surprised when I'd used telepathy to communicate directly, explaining my situation.
She'd been... kind about it. I had messed with people a few times by speaking directly to their minds. Usually they get surprised and then excited, a few times also mad about it.
She looked at me for a few moments with wide eyes.
"I have something that might work for you," she'd said eventually. "A primer I put together years ago for teaching children how to read and write. But it's more than just the basics. I've added my own notes throughout. Grammar explanations, common phrases, pronunciation tips. It should help someone learning from scratch."
She'd promised to have it ready for me today.
I turned down a familiar street, recognising the buildings from last night.
Or at least, I thought I recognised them.
I kept walking, but nothing looked quite right. I might be lost. I know its around here somewhere.
Damn it.
Where was that bookshop?
I stopped in the middle of the street, people flowing around me. My default psychic perception had a range of about twenty meters. Useful for immediate surroundings, but not enough to map out an entire district.
I needed more range.
I closed my eyes and focused, pushing my perception outward. Not just sensing the area around me, but actively trying to build a mental image of everything within a larger radius.
Fifty meters.
Seventy.
I could feel the Mental strain building, like stretching a muscle I'd never properly used before. But I kept pushing. In a way, it reminded me of going to the gym for the very first time.
Your muscles break down and start rebuilding themselves stronger after a good day's workout.
I felt a faint headache coming.
Eighty meters.
Ninety.
The mental map was forming in my head buildings, streets, I couldn't really map individual people but I could probably do that with practice. The layout of the district spreads out around me in three dimensions.
One hundred meters.
There.
I could sense it now. The bookshop. Two streets over.
And then..
Ping.
A notification flashed across my vision.
New Skill Acquired: Psychic Mapping
I opened my eyes, letting the expanded perception fade back to its normal range. The mental strain eased immediately.
Huh.
So that's how it worked in this world.
Push your abilities hard enough, use them in new ways, and the system rewards you with a skill.
I need to perform what I am trying to do on my own…..or something close enough to it atleast.
I wonder if it works the same with the other 4. Then again, Motoyasu was talking about getting new skills with new weapons unlocked, so maybe not.
Good to know.
I started walking again, this time heading in the right direction.
Two streets over. Just like the map in my head had shown me.
I turned the corner and spotted the familiar wooden sign.
There.
I pushed the door open, and a small bell chimed above my head.
Mrs Lina looked up from behind the counter, her face brightening when she saw me.
"Ah! The young man returns," she said warmly. "I was wondering if you'd actually come back."
I gave a small nod and stepped further inside.
The shop smelled like old paper and dust. Shelves lined every wall, packed tight with books of all sizes. Some looked new. Most didn't.
Mrs Lina reached under the counter and pulled out a small, leather-bound book. She set it down gently, patting the cover. It was quite small compared to normal books, barely the size of my hand.
"Here we are. My personal teaching primer. I've included everything I could think of letters, basic words, sentence structure, and even some common idioms. My notes are in the margins wherever I thought extra explanation might help."
I stepped closer and opened the book.
"I make books like these to help with noble children who are still learning to read and write."
The pages were filled with neat handwriting. Each section was clearly labelled. This is good, with this I could begin learning.
It was perfect.
I looked up at Mrs Lina and reached out with my telepathy.
{How much miss?}
She blinked at the mental contact, then smiled. "For you? Twenty silver pieces. It's not a rare book or anything fancy, but it's got a lot of work in it. So it's a bit expensive."
Twenty silvers. That was nothing compared to what the king had given me.
I pulled out my coin pouch given by the king and counted out the payment, setting the coins on the counter.
Mrs. Lina scooped them up and tucked them into a drawer. Then she slid the book across to me.
"Take care of it," she said. "And come back if you have questions. I'm usually here."
{Thank you. I will.}
"And if you need any other books, be sure to visit my humble shop, sweety~~."
She gave me a kind nod, and I tucked the book under my arm.
One problem solved.
Now I just needed to find time to actually study it.
I glanced at the mental clock I'd been keeping track of.
Still had about forty minutes before I needed to meet Naofumi at the gate.
Well, I got plenty of time to get myself something sweet to eat.
The breakfast at the palace was great, but my taste had changed to liking sweeter things over the past few months back.
.
.
.
What followed was Nihilux going between many many shops in the market and buying many sweet things like Cookies, Candied fruit and whatnot.
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What followed was Nihilux going between many shops in the market and buy many sweet things like Cookies, Candied fruit,
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The weapon shop had been... frustrating.
I'd tried to equip a sword. The moment I gripped the handle, a shock ran through my arm like I'd grabbed a live wire. The sword flew out of my hand and clattered to the floor.
"What the hell?"
I tried again. Same result. Sharp pain, weapon drops.
Every single weapon in the shop that wasn't a shield rejected me.
So I couldn't attack. At all. I was stuck in pure defence.
At least I'd managed to buy some basic armour for myself.
At least Myne assured me that with her I should have to worry about attacking.
Myne had also picked out a basic magic iron sword for herself. She seemed excited about it, testing the weight of the blade with a few practice swings.
"This should work," she said, smiling. "Don't worry, Mr. Naofumi. I'll handle the attacking. You just focus on defense."
We left the shop and made our way through the city streets toward the main gate. The sun was still high in the sky, probably early afternoon by now.
"So where should we start?" Myne asked as we walked. "I heard there are some relatively safe hunting grounds near the capital. Good for beginners."
"That's the plan," I said. "We're meeting Nihilux at the gate first."
"Oh right, that weird guy." Myne made a face. "Do we really need him? I mean, you've got me now."
She said as she got close to him and hugged his arm.
"He's strong," I said flatly. "You saw his test this morning. And we need all the help we can get if I can't even hold a weapon."
She didn't argue with that.
The main gate came into view as we crossed through the market district. Lots of people moving in and out, merchants with carts, adventurers heading out for quests. He even saw a few people doing magic shows for children.
And there, leaning against the stone wall near the gate, was Nihilux.
He wasn't floating this time. Just standing normally, hands in his hoodie pockets like always. But what caught my attention was what he was eating.
A crepe.
He held it carefully in one hand, taking small bites while he waited. The crepe was rolled up neatly, filled with what looked like cream and fruit. It looked like there was also some sugar sprinkled on top of it.
Where the hell did he even get that? Is that where he went earlier?
"There he is," I said, nodding toward him.
Myne squinted. "Is he... eating?"
"Looks like it."
We walked over. Nihilux noticed us approaching and straightened up slightly, still chewing.
"You're early," I said.
He swallowed and blue text appeared in the air.
You're late. Been waiting fifteen minutes.
I blinked. "Wait, really?"
He nodded.
Damn. I'd lost track of time at the weapon shop.
"Sorry about that. Had some... issues with equipment."
Nihilux tilted his head slightly, curious.
"Turns out I can't use any weapon except the shield," I explained. "Tried to equip a sword and got shocked. System won't let me."
Yeah. You're the Shield Hero. That's how it works.
"You knew?"
Of course. It's obvious.
I felt my eye twitch. "Could've mentioned that earlier."
Why? You would've tried anyway.
...He had a point.
Myne stepped forward, crossing her arms. "So what's the plan? Are we just going to stand here all day?"
Nihilux took another bite of his crepe, chewing slowly before the text appeared again.
Balloon monsters. East of the city. Good for level 1s.
"Balloons?" I repeated.
Like the name says. They're balloons. With faces.
"That sounds ridiculous."
They are. But they're easy to kill and give decent starting exp.
Myne looked sceptical. "How do you know so much about this already? We just got here yesterday."
Nihilux didn't answer. He finished the last bite of his crepe and started walking toward the gate.
I exchanged a glance with Myne, then followed.
.
.
.
The walk east took about twenty minutes.
The city walls disappeared behind us as we moved through open fields. Grass, a few scattered trees, dirt paths worn down by travellers.
It was... peaceful, actually. To our south I could see a big river moving south.
"So," I said, breaking the silence. "Where'd you get the crepe?"
Nihilux glanced back at me.
Market stall. Near the South district.
"Was it good?"
Yes. Do you want one? I bought extra.
"Well, I am not really hungry, maybe later"
Myne rolled her eyes. "Does he always talk like this?"
"Pretty much, you'll get used to it", I said.
"How I can't read whatever it is that he writes." Well, can't argue with that.
We kept walking. Nihilux was a few steps ahead, seemingly unbothered by the lack of conversation.
After a while, he stopped.
Text appeared.
There.
I looked where he was pointing.
I could see several things moving in the grass.
And sure enough, from the grass shot out balloons. Floating about waist-high above the grass was a group of what could only be described as balloons with faces. Angry faces
Orange balloons. Round, inflated, with simple drawn-on expressions. They bobbed gently in the air, drifting aimlessly.
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.
"They look harmless."
One of the balloons suddenly shot forward. Just a burst of speed straight at Nihilux. Damn, these things are faster than they look.
He didn't even flinch.
The ground beneath the balloon erupted. A sharp spike of stone shot up, piercing straight through the balloon's centre.
Pop.
The balloon burst with a loud bang, leaving behind a small scrap of orange rubber-like material that drifted to the ground.
A notification flashed across my vision.
+3 EXP
I blinked. "Three exp? For one balloon?"
Then I remembered I added Nihilux and Myne to my party, that must be it.
"Wait, so every time one of us kills something, we all—"
Yes.
Huh. That was pretty convenient.
Nihilux turned to face me and Myne.
You two start fighting. I'll move further out but stay close. If you need help, shout.
"Wait, you're leaving?" I asked, sounding nervous.
Just giving you space to practice.
Before I could argue, he started walking away, heading toward a cluster of balloons about thirty meters off.
I looked at Myne. She looked at me.
"Guess it's just us then," I said.
She tightened her grip on her sword. "Right. Let's do this."
Two balloons floated toward us, bobbing lazily in the air. At first then they suddenly increated there speed and rushed towards me.
I raised my shield and stepped forward.
"I'll block. You attack."
+3 EXP +3 EXP +3 EXP +3 EXP
Guess he is also getting busy, well, time for me to work hard as well. Here they come.
.
.
.
We stayed in the fields until the sun started to slant downwards in the sky, fighting any Orange Balloons we came across, and also discovering some Yellow Balloons further out.
But I was struggling.
The first few balloons hadn't been so bad. I'd block with my shield, Myne would attack, and everything worked fine.
But then I tried fighting one on my own.
Five minutes.
It took me five whole minutes of punching an Orange Balloon with my bare fists before it finally popped.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
I heard a persistent beep, and saw that my experience meter now read: +3 EXP.
Three experience points. For five minutes of work.
Meanwhile, I'd watched Ren earlier in the day cut down three balloons with a single swing of his sword.
One hit. Three kills.
And I was over here punching balloons like some kind of street brawler.
"Nice job, Hero," Myne said, but something about her tone felt... off. Like she was trying to be encouraging, but couldn't quite hide her pity.
I wanted to keep going. To prove I could do this.
But the reality was sinking in fast.
I couldn't attack. Not effectively, anyway.
My fists did almost nothing. My shield absorbed damage perfectly, but it dealt none.
I was just... a wall.
A durable, completely useless wall.
"If we pressed on a little further, we'd encounter some stronger monsters," Myne said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "But we'd better head back if we want to be in the castle by dark."
"Well, I kind of wanted to fight a little bit more..."
Considering I wasn't taking any damage, and defending against the balloons was so easy, I wanted to keep going. Maybe if I kept at it, I'd figure out some way.
"Let's head back early today," Myne suggested. "Use the extra time to revisit the weapon shop. If I get some new equipment now, we could go that much further tomorrow."
"I guess you're right."
I checked my status screen one more time before we left.
Level: 7
I blinked.
Wait. Seven?
I'd only killed a handful of balloons myself. Maybe four or five at most. Myne had killed more than that, but not by much.
How was I already at level 7?
Then it hit me.
Party experience.
Every time Nihilux killed something, we all got the exp.
I looked over at him. He was standing about thirty meters away, casually crushing another balloon with a flick of his wrist.
+3 EXP
How many had he killed while we were focused on our own fights?
A lot, apparently.
Nihilux walked over.
Agreed. You could use better gear.
"What about you?" I asked. "Don't you need equipment?"
He shook his head.
I'm fine. I plan to buy, but I haven't decided what to buy yet.
Right. Because he could just crush things with his mind.
We started the walk back to Castle Town.
.
.
.
Evening drew near as we reentered the town. We decided to have another look at the weapon shop.
"Well, if it isn't my little Shield-Buddy," Erhard called out as we entered. "The other Heroes stopped by too, you know."
I guess the shop really was famous.
The owner approached us, beaming from ear to ear.
"Yup. Hey, do you know of a place that would buy this off of us?"
I showed him the loot from the Orange Balloons, and he responded by thrusting his finger towards the door.
"There's a shop set up for buying loot just down the road. I'm sure they'd buy it off you."
"Thanks."
"Sure. So why else did you decide to stop by?"
"Oh, well I thought I'd get some equipment for Myne, my travel companion."
I looked over to her as I spoke. She was closely inspecting various weapons around the store.
"How's your budget looking?"
I still had 880 pieces of silver. I wasn't sure how much of it I should use.
"What do you think, Myne?"
"..."
She was deep in thought, comparing pieces of equipment.
It was like she couldn't even hear me speaking to her. I had no idea what hotels went for around here, but it seemed like I'd better set aside at least a month's worth of lodging.
"Well, as for your friend there. Of course, it's true that you'll be stronger with better equipment..."
"Right."
It looked like there wasn't much I could do to increase my own attack power, so I had better focus my resources on buying Myne's equipment.
"You might fix the prices on me, so let's talk them out right now."
"Ahaha, this is a tenacious little Hero!"
"80% off!"
"That's crazy. 20% up!"
"You're raising it?! 79%"
"You haven't even seen the products yet, you fool!"
"Whatever, 90% off!"
"Give me a break, 21% up!"
"You're not supposed to raise it! 100% off!"
"Like I'd give it to you for free!" he snorted. "Fine, 5% off."
"That's it? 92%..."
We argued like that for a little while before Myne came over with a cute piece of armor and an expensive, gold-inlaid sword.
"Hero, I think these will be sufficient."
"What do you think, old man? 60% off."
"I'll give you a deal, 480 pieces of silver. And that's at 59%"
Before Myne decided on what she wanted, we were actually able to haggle a good arrangement for ourselves. But all we had left was 400 pieces of silver.
Would it be enough?
"Myne, think you could downgrade a bit? I don't know how much things cost around here, but I need money to survive on."
"It will be fine, Hero. With my new equipment, I can make back the money with relative ease. Battle loot will cover it."
She batted her eyelashes and leaned her breasts against my arm.
It really must be a different world, and what a ROYAL summons it was.
I'd never been popular with girls before, and now look at this girl pressing up against me!
She might be right.
"Well, I guess..."
400 pieces of silver. Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki all had at least three people with them, so their expenses were sure to be that much higher.
Besides, 400 pieces of silver was plenty to live on for a month.
"Fine then, old man. You've got yourself a deal."
"Thanks boy. You seem like quite the Hero already."
"Ahaha. What can I say? I enjoy business."
Whenever I played online games, I was pretty good at making money. I'd always try to buy things as cheaply as possible at auctions and then resell them for profit. Haggling was easy for me. It came naturally.
"Thank you, Hero."
Myne looked thrilled. She kissed my hand.
Things just kept getting better and better. Tomorrow was sure to be a great adventure.
Myne changed into her new equipment, and the both of us made for an inn.
Nihilux had been waiting outside the weapon shop the whole time.
We followed him to a nearby inn.
.
.
.
30 bronze for one person, per night.
"We'll need two rooms," said Myne.
"Isn't one room enough?"
"But..."
Myne seemed to be playing a waiting game.
Uh... fine.
"Two rooms, please."
Nihilux stepped up to the counter after us. He held up one finger to the innkeeper, then pointed at himself.
The innkeeper nodded. "One room, sir?"
Nihilux nodded back and placed the coins down.
"Very well then, if you will."
The innkeeper showed us to our rooms, wringing her hands the whole time. I kept our budget in my head the whole time, and we ate dinner in an attached restaurant. Meals were not included, and dinner for one cost us 5 bronze.
The three of us sat at a corner table. I'd unrolled a map I'd bought on our way back, studying the geography of the area.
"Just to confirm, the fields we hunted in today were... right here?"
I'd unrolled a map on the table that I'd bought on our way back to town. The map had a lot of information about the geography of the area. Sure, I could have just asked Ren or Motoyasu, but considering how they'd acted earlier, they probably would not have told me much. If it meant getting ahead, it seemed like there was nothing they wouldn't do. Since I knew so little about the place, I had to do what I could to avoid being led into a powerful monster's lair.
To that end, I unfurled the map.
"Yes, that's where we were."
"Based on what the other heroes said, once we leave the fields, we enter the forest, right? Is that the next training ground?"
The map was really helping me get an idea of the geography of the place.
Basically, the castle stood in the centre and was surrounded by fields. There were roads leading to the woods, the mountains, and another road that led to a river, and another that led to a remote village.
The map was small, though, so I wasn't able to make out much about the neighbouring villages.
I couldn't see what lay on the other side of the forest, but if I didn't try to pick an appropriate path to stronger monsters, we'd never level up.
"Well, you can't see it on this map, but I was thinking of heading to a village on the other side of the forest. It's called Lute."
"You don't say..."
"On the outskirts of town, there's a dungeon suited to beginners."
"A dungeon..."
This whole thing was like a dream! Online games normally just started off with hunting monsters and leveling up. But a dungeon!
"We might not make much money there, but it would be a great place to level up."
"I see."
"I have new equipment. While we will depend on your defence, it should not be too difficult for us."
"Awesome. I'll consider it."
Nihilux was sitting across from us already, studying the menu. Or at least, looking at it. I doubted he could read it any better than I could.
When the server came over, he pointed at something near the top of the menu.
The server raised an eyebrow. "That's our roasted pheasant with herb sauce, sir. It's... quite expensive."
Nihilux nodded. Like the price was completely irrelevant.
I glanced at the menu. The pheasant was 40 bronze.
Myne and I had ordered the standard meal. 5 bronze each.
I stared at him.
I stared at him.
He looked back at me, then looked away.
I started eating my food slowly.
The pheasant arrived maybe ten minutes later. Golden brown, herb-crusted, smelling incredible. The server set it down in front of Nihilux with both hands.
Myne stared at it.
Then she looked at her own plate.
Then back at the pheasant.
She leaned toward Nihilux, tilting her head just slightly, voice soft and warm. "That looks absolutely incredible. What did you order?"
Nihilux cut into his food without looking up.
"I've always wanted to try pheasant," she tried again, this time with a small smile. "It smells amazing."
Myne's smile held, but her eyes shifted slightly. She repositioned, leaning her elbow on the table, chin resting on her hand, getting just a little closer.
"You know, you're quite impressive. What you did with those balloons today was really something."
Nihilux finally looked up.
Right at her.
Then he looked back down at his plate and kept eating like she hadn't said anything at all.
I saw something flicker across Myne's face. Not like mild disbelief that it hadn't worked.
She sat back, abandoning that angle entirely, and sighed quietly. "It must be nice. Being given so much money to start with."
She wasn't even looking at anyone when she said it. Just poking at her food
I felt a small pang of guilt. Which was ridiculous, because it wasn't my fault. But still.
"I mean... the king did give him more than us," I said, mostly to myself.
"1300 silver," Myne said sadly. "We got 1000 between the two of us. It's fine. It's just how it is."
I looked at my own stew. Then at her stew. Then at the pheasant.
"Well... I mean if you really wanted to try it, maybe we could—"
I did the mental math immediately.
40 bronze. I had roughly 399 silver left. I could afford it.
But I'd just spent almost everything on Myne's equipment. And we still needed lodging for however long it took to reach the first Wave. And food every day until then. And supplies.
I must have gone quiet for too long because Myne looked up at me.
"No, no, it's okay Mr. Naofumi. Really. You've already done so much for me today." She smiled, small and gracious. "I don't want to be a burden."
That settled it.
"It's not… you're not a burden. You're my party member."
"It's fine, really."
It was not fine. That smile was not a fine smile. That was absolutely a not fine smile.
"I'll figure something out," I muttered, turning to think.
Nihilux had stopped eating.
I noticed him looking at Myne. Then at me. Then back at Myne.
He set his fork down.
Caught the server's attention with a single raised hand.
The server came over.
Nihilux pointed at Myne. Then pointed at his own plate. Then pointed at me. Then pointed at his plate again.
The server blinked. "Two more pheasants, sir?"
Nihilux nodded
Then he picked up the menu from the edge of the table, stood up, and held up one finger.
Back in a minute.
Then he walked off toward the back of the restaurant.
Myne watched him go, then immediately looked at me with wide eyes. "Did he just...?"
"Looks like it," I said.
"He's surprisingly—"
"Don't."
"...sweet and useful to have around."
A beat of silence.
I stared at my plate.
"I said don't."
"I'm just saying."
"I heard you."
"He didn't have to do that."
"I know."
"Myne."
"What?"
"Eat your stew."
He came back a few minutes later and sat back down without explanation, setting the menu back where he'd found it.
Our pheasants arrived shortly after. Myne immediately looked ten times happier with the evening.
I had to admit, it was good. Really good. Tender, herb-crusted, nothing at all like the stew I'd been resigned to.
We were about halfway through the meal when the server returned and set a bottle of wine down next to Nihilux's elbow.
The bottle has some expensive looking label and dark, rich-looking wine inside, with a proper wax-sealed cork.
Myne's eyes went straight to it.
"Oh." Genuine this time. "That's the Aldermore red. That's one of the best bottles they carry here."
Nihilux opened it without ceremony and poured himself a glass.
Myne looked at the bottle. Then at him. Then she just reached over and poured a glass for herself.
Then, before I could say anything, she poured one for me too.
I stared at my glass.
"I have to say," I said, looking at him "you seem to have a rich palate"
Nihilux considered that for a moment.
My power makes it nearly impossible to get drunk. My body burns through it too fast. So, thetaste is all I get out of it.
I blinked. "Wait, seriously? You can't get drunk at all?"
He nodded.
That was somehow both impressive and deeply sad at the same time.
"Wait, So how old are you anywa—"
"Mr Naofumi." Myne appeared at my elbow, holding out my glass with one hand. "You really should try it. Just one sip."
"No thanks. I really don't like alcohol."
"But it's not like ordinary wine, it's—"
"No thanks."
"Just one sip, it would be a shame to—"
The scrape of metal against wood cut her off.
I looked over.
Nihilux had raised his fork. Just slightly. The tines pointed in Myne's direction, held in a way that wasn't quite threatening but wasn't friendly either.
His eyes were fixed on her.
The message was clear: Stop.
Myne froze mid-sentence, staring at him.
The tension at the table spiked.
"Whoa, hey," I said quickly, raising my hands. "It's fine. I already said I don't want to drink. Let's just drop it, okay?"
Nihilux lowered the fork slowly, going back to his meal.
Myne looked flustered. "I... I was just trying to be friendly."
"I know," I said. "But I really don't want any. It's fine."
"Oh... All right then."
She looked upset as she retracted my glass of wine.
An awkward silence settled over the table.
I cleared my throat. "At least we were able to get a plan together for tomorrow. Let's get to bed early tonight."
"Sure. See you tomorrow."
We finished eating. Soon, we all headed to our rooms.
I headed to my room, exhausted.
.
.
.
I remembered my chainmail. I'd have to take it off if I wanted to get any sleep.
I slipped out of it and flung it over the back of a chair.
"..."
I then put my money pouch on the bedside table.
400 pieces of silver... and we had to pay up-front for the rooms, leaving me with just over 399 pieces. I felt a little anxious about my finances, but I suppose that had always been my way.
Just like a typical Japanese person going travelling, I took 30 silver pieces and hid them on the backside of my shield. That settled my anxiety, if only just a little.
It had been a busy day.
Now I knew how it felt to battle and defeat a monster. I'd felt it yesterday as well, but I really was in another world.
I was so excited. It was hard to calm down.
The curtain was rising on a new, shining adventure. I might be a little behind the others, but there was a path just for me. I had no specific goal in mind. I could do whatever I wanted.
I was suddenly very sleepy. I could hear the sounds of revelry coming from the restaurant. Some people, they sounded almost like Motoyasu and Itsuki, were talking down the hall. I thought I saw them walk by my doorway. I wonder if they were staying here too?
I reached out and extinguished my lamp. It was still a little early, but I wanted to get some rest...
Rattle, rattle.
Hmmm? What was that? People yelling at the bar?
Snore.
Snore.
Snore.
Whisper, whisper... Something was pulling at my clothes.
"Heh, heh, men are fools. So easily tricked... Can't wait until tomorrow."
Who was that? Was it... a dream?
"Hm?"
.
.
.
It was so cold...
The sun was on my face, telling me it was morning already. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, still very groggy. I rose from bed and went to the window. I guess I'd slept later than I'd intended. The sun was already high in the sky.
It must have been somewhere around nine.
"What?"
I suddenly realised I was only wearing my underclothes. Had I slipped out of my clothes in the night?
Whatever.
I looked out on the town. People were running around in the streets, bustling about just like any other day. There were merchants selling their wares, shops cooking up breakfasts, and horse-drawn carriages clattering down the road. It really felt like a dream.
This new world was so wonderful.
I noticed different kinds of carriages on the streets. There were big birds, like ostriches. They looked just like chocobos, you know, from THAT game. It seemed like horses denoted a higher class than the birds. And I even saw some carriages being pulled by cows.
"I'd better get some food in my belly and be off."
I looked around for my clothes. I looked through the bedding.
...That's odd, I couldn't find them.
The chainmail I'd placed on the chair... It was gone too.
And my money pouch was gone too! Even my original clothing that I'd set aside was gone!
"What the..."
Could it be true?! Had I been robbed? Who would steal from a sleeping person?!
This inn... couldn't they take some basic security measures?!
Anyway, I'd better find Myne. And Nihilux. And quick.
Slam! I flung open the door and ran to Myne's room, which was next to mine. I banged heavily on her door.
"Myne! It's terrible! Our money and equipment has been..."
Bang, bang, bang!
No matter how hard I knocked, no sounds came from within.
I tried Nihilux's room next, a few doors down. Same thing. Nothing.
Where were they?
I heard footsteps approaching quickly. I turned. Castle knights were running up to me. They were a veritable light in the darkness. I would tell them about the robbery and enlist their aid in finding the thief!
Besides, what kind of an idiot would steal from a hero?
"You're knights from the castle, aren't you? Please, listen to me for a second!"
I turned to them and begged for their attention.
Myne, Nihilux, come on out already. This situation is getting worse by the second!
"You are the Shield Hero, yes?"
"Well, yes, but..."
What the hell? They sounded oddly aggressive.
"The king has summoned you. You will come with us."
"He's summoned me? Okay, whatever. But before that, I've been robbed! We need to catch the..."
"You WILL come with us. NOW."
One of them grabbed my collar and pulled me forcefully.
"That HURTS! Listen to me!"
But they held my arms tightly and pulled me along with them.
I was basically in my underwear. There was no dignity in this! Why was I being treated this way?
"Myne! Nihilux! Please hurry!"
But the knights would not listen.
The carriages I'd seen before were apparently prepared to bring me back to the castle.
And so, without ever understanding why, I came to be seen as a criminal by the town.
.
.
.
They dragged me down the street, and soon enough, we arrived at the gate to the castle. At least they gave me a basic shirt and pants to wear. The knights kept their spears trained on me as they led me to the audience chamber.
The king and his retainer were there, both looking very grave.
And then...
"Myne!"
Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki, and the rest of their parties were also there. When I called out to her, Myne ran behind Motoyasu and made dagger eyes at me from behind his back.
"What the hell, Myne?"
Everyone was glaring at me like I was some sort of criminal.
"You mean you really don't remember?"
Motoyasu stepped forward and interrogated me.
What were they talking about?
"What do you mean? Remember what... HEY!"
Motoyasu was wearing my chainmail.
"So it was you... you thief!"
"Who's a thief? I didn't know you were such a scoundrel!"
"A scoundrel? What are you talking about?"
With my outburst, I realised that the audience chambers were beginning to feel rather like a courtroom.
"We will now hear the charges against the Shield Hero."
"Charges? But... but I!"
"Sob... sob... The Shield Hero drank too much, and he came bursting into my room. Then he... He held me down, and..."
"What?"
"He held me down and said, 'The night is still young, Baby.' Then he started to rip my clothes off..."
Myne was sniveling behind Motoyasu, and she pointed a shaky finger in my direction as she spoke. "I screamed as loud as I could and ran from the room. That's when I found Mr. Motoyasu, and he saved me."
"Huh?"
What was she talking about?
I... I didn't...I didn't drink at all last night.
This couldn't be real.
Where the hell is Nihilux, he knows I didn't drink at ALL.
Why is HE not here.
==============================
Author's Notes~~
Man, this ended up being longer than i first imagined. but its not really that different from the in the anime.
Either way i am going to pick up the pace a little bit.
i surprised myself with how fast i finished this chapter.
Next chapter will be either the king or Nihiux POV. i have a draft just got to work out the dialogue, since i am bad at writing conversations.
many time i have a idea of where i want to take the story, but writing dialogue between character's that's where most of time is spent.
Anyways till next time.
Comments make the author happy and motivate him to write more. q(≧▽≦q)
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Comment it and let me know.