Naofumi couldn't help but start when, from one moment to the next, the peaceful meadow was gone and they were standing on rocky ground. Even if you knew it was coming, being abruptly teleported was just very confusing. The sky here was blood-red, ominous swirls of purple, blue, and green hanging in the air—like clouds—some distance away, black dots dropping out of them, a devastating rain of Monsters.

"That forest," Raphtalia said. "Riyute is in that direction."

Lucetta... "Yes." The village seemed to be right in the middle of the area of the Wave. Just his luck...

A blue glow suddenly filled the air, an orb shooting toward the sky behind them its origin. Kuro turned around. The other three Heroes and their parties stood there.

Naofumi's heart skipped a beat and his chest filled with warmth when he saw his fiancée. She was looking as perfect as always, standing with her arms outstretched toward the sky. She lowered them, and her eyes fell onto him. A delighted smile flickered across her face before she schooled her features, looking stern and serious.

No one was paying him any attention yet, so he sent her a smile in return and winked, then he called, "Hey! Itsuki, Ren, Motoyasu! What do we do?"

The other Heroes, engaged in conversation by themselves, faced him.

"Naofumi," Itsuki said. "We have to find and defeat the Boss. Then the Wave will stop."

"Alright—"

Motoyasu suddenly broke out laughing, pointing. "What... what is that bird? Hahahaha. Really, Naofumi? Couldn't you find something better—"

"Motoyasu!" Malty snapped. "This is not the time for jokes. Control yourself!"

"S-sorry." Motoyasu nervously rubbed the back of his head, yet kept sending Kuro belittling glances, shaking with silent chuckles. What a fool.

Raphtalia was leaning forward on Kuro's back so that she was practically hidden from the other Heroes, apparently taking his former instruction to avoid attention still very seriously.

"Will you guys quit standing around and move already?" Ren shook his head. "Whatever. Follow me." He turned around and jogged away, his party following along.

Itsuki and Motoyasu made to follow as well.

"Wait!" Naofumi called.

Ren shot him a frown but didn't stop. The other two Heroes listened.

"What is it, Naofumi?" Itsuki asked.

"There's a town beyond that forest." Naofumi jerked with his head in the direction. "Shouldn't we help them?"

"The knights will take care of that," Motoyasu said nonchalantly. "Come on, Myne. Let's go."

"I don't see any knights," Naofumi said. "Or are they already at the village?"

Malty shot Motoyasu an irritated look when he tried to put a hand on her shoulder before looking back at Naofumi. "I've summoned the castle knights. They'll be here shortly."

So the knights didn't get teleported to the Wave? Couldn't the other Heroes have invited them into their parties? "Do you guys need my help with the Boss?"

"Well, not really," Itsuki admitted.

"Of course not!" Motoyasu boasted. "What could a Shielder do, anyway? Come on, let's just go..."

Prevent you from getting hit. But if you'd rather die, be my guest. Though if you let something happen to my fiancée, I'll kill you. Naofumi nodded. "Okay. I'll go to the village and defend them until the knights arrive. You guys clear the Boss. Let's not waste any more time!"

"See you at the feast!" Itsuki called and turned away.

Malty didn't look very happy with his decision, mouth half-open in protest. The pink-haired girl from her party tapped her shoulder and said something. Naofumi shot her a last longing look before ordering Kuro to move, and they were off.

"I hope Lucetta, Pete, and Annette are alright," Raphtalia said as they dashed through the forest at break-neck speed.

"They'll be fine." Naofumi reached for one of her gloved hands, squeezing it lightly. It seemed to calm her down a little. He was rather annoyed at how chaotic the Wave was being handled. Once he was part of the royal family, there'd be some changes.

It wasn't ideal, but perhaps him helping the village would help his reputation. It was just a shame that it had to be Riyute; he was already pretty popular there, and he'd rather the Wave hit somewhere else than where he actually knew people, even cared about some.

Riyute came into view. It was already under attack, monsters everywhere. Naofumi cursed. The sky was filled with monsters that looked like gigantic flying insects of about Kuro's size, some of them already carrying villagers off into the sky. Humanoid monsters—skeletons, some with weapons and armors—kept falling from the sky and streamed into the village.

One of them crashed into the ground in front of them, and Kuro obliterated it with a single kick, barely losing any momentum. Raphtalia unsheathed her sword.

"To Lucetta's house first," Naofumi commanded.

They'd finally reached the village, speeding past houses. Villagers—mostly men—were engaging the Wave monsters with whatever they had at hand: sticks, pitchforks, scythes, some with spears or even swords. But their efforts looked useless, death cries echoing through the red-tinged air. Kuro destroyed some skeletons as they passed by them and maneuvered so that Raphtalia could strike with her sword, but they didn't stop. Naofumi cast an Air Strike Shield to save a child from being carried away by a gigantic wasp and a Shield Prison to shield a man from the axe of a large, armored skeleton and used the rope Shield to yank someone out of the way.

They arrived at Lucetta's house.

"Clear the area," Naofumi instructed. "I'll make sure Lucetta and her family are all right."

"Yes, Mr. Naofumi!" Raphtalia jumped down and engaged in battle. She sliced through the monsters with ease, twirling and twisting her sword around in fluid motions, her cloak billowing behind her. The moment Naofumi dismounted, Kuro joined her in battle. The Filolial was batting the monsters away with his claws as if they were pesky insects, no trouble at all.

Naofumi went for the door of Lucetta's house. It was locked. He banged a fist against the wood. "Lucetta! Hello? Lucetta! It's me, Naofumi, the Shield Hero! Lucetta!"

"Naofumi?" a faint voice called from within.

They were probably the safest inside the house. Should he try to evacuate the village? That seemed idiotic. It wasn't safer outside the village; the monsters were attracted to the people, not the buildings. And the knights would head to the village; moving away from them was counterproductive. No, it was probably best to just clear the monsters while everyone that wasn't fighting barricaded themselves in their homes. This wasn't a game, after all; buildings didn't just catch fire only because monsters attacked.

There was the sound of heavy furniture being moved inside the house, then the door opened. Lucetta rushed outside and enveloped Naofumi in a hug. "Thank God, you came."

"Of course. Are you alright?" He spotted Annette standing in the doorway, too scared to go outside.

Lucetta didn't look alright, eyes red from crying. She shook her head. "N-no. I'm fine, but Pete... I don't know where he is! Please, you have to save him! I wanted to look for him, but the men told me to stay inside. Please, Naofumi!"

"Shh. Calm down." He wiped some tears out of her face and rubbed her arms. "I'll find him. Okay? I'll find him."

Lucetta nodded frantically, her braid swishing about.

"You should go back inside. It's not safe—"

"No! I'm staying with you. Please..."

Naofumi sighed. "Okay. Stay close."

Lucetta darted back to the door "Annette, sweety. Come here. Stay close to Mom. It'll be fine." She grabbed her daughter by the hand, then stepped behind Naofumi.

The area around Lucetta's house was clear of living monsters, bones and giant insect carcasses littering the ground. Kuro and Raphtalia were fighting some distance away, the Filolial zipping through the air to strike down flying monsters. A group of people had started to gather in this monster-free zone. Calls of "Naofumi" and "Shield Hero" echoed through the air.

"Listen up everyone!" Naofumi yelled. "Stay close to me. Don't engage the monsters unless you have to. Keep them at range with your weapons if you can. Try to gather everyone here!"

Calls of affirmation sounded, and they did as told.

A group of armored skeletons approached, and Naofumi met them head-on. They weren't particularly strong, their attacks not physically harming Naofumi even when they hit his arms, bouncing off harmlessly. Still, even the weakest attacks made his HP bar blink, indicating that he'd taken damage. Barely any damage—he was still near 99%—but damage nonetheless.

The villagers tried to support him, poking at the monsters with pitchforks and spears, but it did little to diminish their numbers, and Naofumi was getting swamped up in a sea of monsters he could do nothing against—and they nothing against him.

A cry—Raphtalia—sounded. There was a flash of silver, then a group of armored skeletons next to him suddenly collapsed, cut in half. "Mr. Naofumi!"

"I'm fine. Just kill them!"

Screaming and face contorted in pain, Raphtalia threw herself at the monsters. Her hood was down, her long hair twirling through the air along with her cloak as she spun around herself and dashed, cutting down monsters left and right. Tears of pain were streaming down her cheeks, reflecting the red sky. She looked beautiful. Awesome.

"Have you seen Pete?" Naofumi asked, blocking the hits of some skeletons. "Lucetta says he's missing."

"No, I'll look for him." She'd cleared all monsters around them and was about to dash off when—

"Hey! Let me down, Kuro! Down, you dumb bird!"

Kuro was sprinting toward them. And he was carrying Pete, the boy hanging by his shirt from Kuro's beak, trying to hit the Filolial with a wooden sword.

"Good job, Kuro." Naofumi grasped the boy from Kuro's clutches, set him down on the ground, and shoved him back to the other villagers. He nodded for Kuro and Raphtalia to depart again.

"Pete!" Lucetta was already there, engulfing her son in a hug. "I was so worried! How—"

"Mom! Let go, I have to help the others."

"You'll do no such thing, young man!"

"But everyone else is still fighting! I can't just—"

"You're too young. Now be silent and protect your sister!"

Raphtalia and Kuro were fighting some distance away again, each in a different direction, and Naofumi was drawing the attention of every monster approaching the steadily growing group of people. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best he could do. It was in the hands of the other Heroes to make the Wave end as fast as possible. He could only endure.

Where are those damn knights? They sure did take their time.

Kuro had just returned carrying more people toward the group and Raphtalia had just decimated another batch of monsters Naofumi had accumulated when the sky suddenly lit up.

Is it over? Naofumi thought, looking up. No, the sky was still red, the colorful swirls still present and dropping monsters. But there was a white light in the air, as if a dozen lances of pure light were sticking in the sky. And they were falling.

"Kuro! Raphtalia! Come here!" Naofumi cast an Air Strike Shield above them and a Shield Prison around Lucetta and her family. "Kuro, transform!" With a naked boy huddled inside his cloak, Raphtalia pressed against him, and an Air Strike Shield above them, he braced himself with his Shield toward the sky.

The villagers cried out in fright as the light lances descended upon them, unable to hide. The light lances stuck the ground, some piercing the villagers. None penetrated the Air Strike Shield. After a moment of panic, voices of relief filled the air. Apparently, no one had actually been harmed. Except for the monsters that laid defeated on the ground, thuds sounding in the distance as flying monsters hit the earth.

"You can transform back, Kuro."

"What happened?" someone asked.

"It's the knights. The knights have arrived!"

True enough, figures appeared in the distance, flooding the village in a strict formation. Not all of them were wearing armor, though. There were robed figures among them, being flanked by knights with swords and shields, some with spears and other polearms. The robed men and women held their hands clasped, chanting, shooting light lances through the air that pierced the monsters of the Wave. Screeches of skeletons and giant monster insects could be heard all around the village, accompanied by the relieved cries and cheers from the villagers.

"Everyone, follow me!" Naofumi called. "Get to the knights!" He grabbed Raphtalia before she could dash off again and pulled her hood over her head. "Stay close. Don't let them see your tail."

"Yes, Mr. Naofumi."

He wasn't about to take any chances. Who knew what level those guys were? They could easily kill her and then cover it up in the chaos. Fanatics were best not underestimated.

A knight riding on top of a sort of dragon came into view in front of the arriving group. "Come here, villagers of Riyute!" he called. "The knights have arrived. You're saved!" It was the same knight that had taken Naofumi captive on the day of the trial. He looked quite smug, a mustache in his face.

Naofumi, along with Kuro and Raphtalia, fell to the back of the group of villagers, guarding their rear and making sure that no monster attacked them from behind while they marched toward the knights.

That done and staying out of sight from the knights, he helped Raphatlia onto Kuro's back. "Raphtalia, Kuro, I want you to go to the other Heroes and help them with the Boss. Kill it if you can. Once the Wave is over, come back here if the knights are gone. If not, I'll meet up with you at the location where we got transported. Understood?"

Kuro nodded.

"What about you, Mr. Naofumi?"

"I'll stay here and help the knights. Don't worry about me. Now go."

"Yes, Mr. Naofumi."

Kuro dashed off. Once they left the cover of the buildings, a few light lances came dangerously close to them, but it was probably just a coincidence. Either way, Kuro was too fast and perceptive to be hit like that. And those spells seemed to only hurt the Wave monsters, anyway.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Shield Hero."

Naofumi looked up at the knight captain atop his dragon mount, who had spotted him, not that Naofumi had tried to hide.

"What are you doing here, Shield Hero? Why aren't you with the other Heroes?" There was a sneer on the man's mustached face.

"You came just in time!" Naofumi smiled. "The evacuation of the village is going well. What do you want me to do, sir?"

Taken aback by the reply, the man seemed to struggle for words, glaring at Naofumi. "Why you..." He swallowed, then grimaced, looking around the other men overhearing their conversation.

"Your orders, sir?"

The captain jerked his head to the side. "Go with the vice-captain and look for survivors."

"Yes, sir!" Naofumi nodded and dashed off, chuckling.

Malty sagged over in exhaustion after another spell left her hands, missing, of course. This was going on for way too long now. Her mana reserves were slowly nearing their end, making her drowsy. She wanted to close her eyes and to fall into her Naofumi's waiting arms, letting him hold and kiss her. She could almost taste his familiar scent on her tongue as she imagined it.

With an annoyed sigh, she pushed herself upward. The other girls of her party were equally exhausted. Well, except Elena, of course, who just stood next to them with a hand on her rapier, "guarding" them, smiling boredly.

The three Heroes were busy battling the boss monster. Although battling was probably an overstatement. They mostly threw ranged elemental abilities at it and, very rarely, went in melee range to actually strike it. Most of the time, they were dodging, dancing in and out of range of the three heads and the tail of the Chimera. Of course, she had no problem with the Bow Hero staying on range, but the other two seemed strangely committed to their way of fighting, and Malty's complaints had fallen on deaf ears.

This would be so much easier if my Naofumi would be around. He could simply block the Chimera's attacks while the others committed completely. Of course, everything would be much better if my Naofumi would be around. Why did he have to go and defend that stupid village?

Well, at least they were slowly winning, the Life of the Chimera at about a third. The thing was surprisingly quick for its size, and the girls' magic attacks went missing more often than not.

Malty withdrew a mana potion from her pouch and drank it, an invigorating feeling spreading through her. Movement drew her attention. She paused. Lowering the potion bottle, she squinted her eyes and eventually identified its source as her Naofumi's Filolial racing toward the boss monster. She smiled. Then she frowned when her fiancé was nowhere to be seen, a cloaked figure with a sword drawn riding on the black Filolial's back.

The Filolial was scarily fast. In a matter of seconds, it had reached the Chimera, then it jumped. The figure on the bird's back jumped off, its sword flashing silver before it got buried inside the Chimera's body. The Filolial struck the heads of the Chimera, dragging its talon across. The creature shrieked, roared, and hissed from all four mouths, blood spewing. Then it collapsed, dead. The sky started to light up, the swirls slowly withdrawing.

"Nngh." Malty choaked on the remains of her potion. Had those two just killed the thing with a single attack when the combined strength of the Heroes and their parties had taken so long to get it to this point? Her Naofumi hadn't been joking when he'd said that one of his slaves could kick Motoyasu's ass.

"W-what," Motoyasu intelligently exclaimed. "Hey! That's that bastard Naofumi's bird! What?!"

"What is this cheat?" Ren demanded. "That attack was way too strong."

Itsuki was frowning, looking around for the owner of the bird and its rider.

Malty wiped her mouth with an arm, hiding her smile. She half-suspected her Naofumi to suddenly appear from behind and hug and kiss her, but when she turned around, he wasn't there, of course. A shame; he probably could have gotten away with it, everyone's attention on their two surprise saviors.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"What's this? Stop!"

Itsuki was drawing his bow.

What were the idiots so upset about? Oh, the cloaked figure had just cut off all heads of the Chimera, and the Filolial was in the process of swallowing the snake tail. The dragon, goat, and lion heads were already gone. How gigantic was that bird's belly? Lastly, it ripped out a good chunk of meat—a leg from the looks of it—and held onto that with its beak.

"Hey! You can't just eat that!" Motoyasu yelled. "Damn bird! I needed that weapon-unlock for my build!" He and Ren looked like they wanted to attack, nearing the Chimera corpse and Naofumi's slaves, weapons at the ready.

The cloaked figure had sheathed her sword and jumped onto the Filolial's bird's back in a clearly routined way, then they dashed off. The elemental attack Ren had sent their way missed by a long shot, as did Motoyasu's thrown Spear and Itsuki's arrow. The two slaves had vanished inside the nearby forest as fast as they'd appeared.

The other Heroes chased after them, yelling in outrage, then gave up at the edge of the forest. Malty giggled. A brief moment of panic flickered through her, but then she noticed that the other girls were equally amused, hiding their giggles and laughter behind hands, some with more decorum than others.

"The Shield Hero sure doesn't pull any punches," Lesty said.

"I wonder how strong he really is when his party member can do this." Elena was frowning. "He's doing a lot better than you'd think."

"Only because he has someone to properly motivate him," Rino said in an awed tone, staring at Malty. Then she giggled. "Or to kick his ass should he not live up to her expectations."

Malty smiled at the girls, her heart beating with love for her Naofumi. She couldn't wait for the feast and see him wearing her cloak. Perhaps she'd even manage to dance with him. Daring, but it would be worth it.

Naofumi had a gigantic smile on his face as he skimmed through his skill tree, inspecting the new Shields he'd unlocked, both from the various monsters of the Wave he'd absorbed and from what Kuro had just vomited onto the ground. The Filolial stood to the side, looking a little ill after the disgusting display. Raphtalia was petting him in comfort, not letting on whether it hurt her. Her appearance was more orderly again, her hood up, tail hidden beneath her armor's cloak.

Most knights had left the village a while ago. Naofumi had done what the knight captain had ordered him to do and had helped to look for survivors that hadn't made it to the knights yet. With success. The vice-captain with the scar across his face hadn't been half-bad, not portraying any prejudice as they'd worked together.

The captain had seemed so confused with Naofumi's servile behavior that, in the end, he'd simply ignored him. After ordering Naofumi to attend the feast, he'd left with most of the knights.

A few had stayed behind to take stock of the damage. Robed women were walking through the streets, carrying a sort of clipboard on which they were jotting down notes. Knights were helping the villagers carry away the dead and dispose of the monster corpses.

"Great job, Kuro. Great job! You get as much food as you want for a week! As many treats as you want!"

"Thanks, Mr. Naofumi," Kuro croaked, "But I don't think I'll eat something for a while."

Naofumi laughed, switching back and forth between the Chimera Viper Shield, the Chimera Lion Shield, the Chimera Dragon Shield, and the Chimera Goat Shield. They looked like their names would suggest, all carrying motives of their animals, which were always golden. The background color of the Shields resembled their animals: green for the snake; black for the dragon; dark red for the goat; the color of a lion's fur for the lion.

The Chimer Viper Shield had a symmetrical shape—looking like a mix of a cross and a rhombus, with round edges—and two intertwining golden snakes that vaguely resembled two heart shapes.

The Chimera Goat Shield was roughly triangular-shaped, two curved horns extending up above the shield from the golden goat face. Naofumi had to laugh when he realized that the goat face had its tongue sticking out.

The Chimera Lion Shield looked the most majestic, with the color of the Shield greatly going along with that of the golden-maned lion head, its maw slightly agape as if it was about to roar. The Shield was the shape of a Heater Shield—like the basic form of his Shield, only larger. It was a common design for shields in fantasy games.

And the Chimera Dragon Shield... The Chimera Dragon Shield was the most badass, with its black background color that had scales painted onto, burning eyes that seemed to be staring right into your soul, and menacing curved horns that extended from the big golden dragon head, its scales highlighted by black lines. It seemed to practically radiate power, and Naofumi thought to sometime see smoke emitting from its nostrils and a fire burning inside its maw. The Shield was the shape of a Scutum—a rectangular shield that was lightly curved toward him on the sides. It looked very sturdy and awesome and had the best Defense rating to support that image, as well as the most badass ability: Dragon's Claim. He couldn't wait to test it, though he was a little apprehensive, his HUD offering no hints as to what it would do. Same as the abilities of the other Chimera Shields—Lion's Roar, Goat's Bleat, and Snake's Bite—they were Special Effects and could only be used while the corresponding Shields were equipped.

He'd also unlocked the basic Shields of the Chimera Series, giving some very solid stat boosts and, as always the winner, another improvement to his cooking skills. There was a single Shield for which he wasn't a high enough level yet. It had to be powerful...

Naofumi couldn't wait to see the faces of the other Heroes when they realized that he'd stolen their materials from right under their noses. And the best thing yet: Since Naofumi hadn't been close-by, the EXP restriction of the Legendary Weapons hadn't triggered, and Raphtalia and Kuro had gotten the full EXP for the kill. They were now both LVL 40, a beautiful star hovering next to the number.

All in all, a spectacular outcome. He was almost giddy with excitement. It was a good thing that Malty wasn't around, for he wasn't sure he could control himself and not just pick her up in his arms and kiss her and gush all about his success.

"That is a scary smile on your face, Naofumi."

He looked up, spotting Lucetta walking toward him, holding her two children by the hands. Her eyes were still puffy from all the crying, but now she was smiling as well. She let go of her children's hands to enveloped Naofumi in a tight hug, which he returned.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice full of emotion. "Thank you so much for saving us. For saving Pete."

"It's alright. That's what the Heroes are for."

Lucetta leaned back in his arms, grinning. "If you ever...you know...you know where to find me." She was eyeing his lips with obvious intent.

Naofumi chuckled. "No kissing if you value your life," he warned.

She pouted, then she went for his cheek instead, pressing a long and loud smacking kiss there. "Thank you again, brave Hero."

"Mooom! You can't marry the Shield Hero," Pete complained.

She giggled, facing her kids. Pete was making a disgusted face, but Annette was smiling. "Why not?" Lucetta asked, stepping next to Naofumi and laying her head on his armored shoulder. He played along, putting an arm around her waist.

"Ewww." Pete grimaced. "You... you can't!"

Naofumi laughed along with his pretend wife.

"Don't worry, Pete. Mom isn't marrying anyone. We're just joking around."

"Doesn't look like joking to me," Pete insisted. "Acting all lovey-dovey and making kissy faces."

Lucetta shot Naofumi a look that said that she wouldn't mind removing the acting part, then stepped toward her son, kneeling in front of him. "I was just thanking him. You know, a man and a woman can kiss without it being anything romantic. Like when I kiss you good night."

"But that's different!"

"Exactly. And this is different as well." As if wanting to demonstrate, she pressed a set of overexaggerated kisses on Pete's face.

"Ew! Stop! Mom, stop!" He struggled in her embrace, trying to shield his face with his arms.

She didn't stop, giggling. Annette giggled along happily.

"So embarrassing..."

"You should be embarrassed, young man. Running off like that and worrying me and your sister was very irresponsible. I'm still mad at you."

"Sorry..."

Naofumi smiled as the family shared a group hug. It was good that they could laugh after such traumatic events. Perhaps the sadness and grief would come eventually, but for the moment, they were just glad to have not lost a family member, even if many other villagers couldn't say the same. Naofumi wouldn't lose any sleep because of it; he'd done the best he could and had saved those he'd care if they died.

Arms suddenly closed around Naofumi. It was Raphtalia, hugging him from behind, hooded head resting against his back. "Everything alright?" he asked.

She hummed, nodding against him.

He put his hands onto her gloved ones on his chest. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt badly?"

"It's fine; I can barely feel it anymore...after such a long time. I'm just glad we managed to save all those people. You were right, Mr. Naofumi. I can save others."

"You did well, Raphtalia. Very well. Be proud of yourself."

She sniveled, nodding.

"We should go. We don't want to be late for the feast."

"Okay."

They were in the process of saying their goodbyes when Lucetta suddenly demanded they wait a moment and dashed off. She approached one of the robed women who were jotting down notes. The two argued for a moment, the robed woman shooting suspicious glances at Naofumi, but eventually, Lucetta seemed to win the argument. The robed woman handed over her writing utensils to Lucetta, and after furiously scribbling down something, she returned to Naofumi, waving a folded piece of paper in her hand.

He accepted it—a letter, apparently—when Lucetta shoved it into his hands.

"Give this Raphael, please," she said. "I wouldn't want him to worry."

"Sure."

"Thank you." Lucetta gave him another peck on the cheek. "Come back soon."

"I'm planning to." Naofumi smiled, then teased, "It's hard to stay away with such good cooking."

"Always the charmer." She shook her head.

They said their goodbyes and left the village, riding on Kuro. It would still be a few hours until the sun started to set. With the Wave creating a sort of unnatural red night in the middle of the day, it was confusing to suddenly feel the sun on his skin again—like coming out of the cinema after watching a movie during the day.

Before they reached the city gates, Naofumi made them stop. "Kuro, there'll be a feast in the castle this evening. I and Raphtalia will go there. Do you want to come as well? You'd have to be in your human form, but there'll be lots of food."

The Filolial tilted his head. "No, thank you, Mr. Naofumi. I don't feel like eating today. And anything not cooked by you is subpar anyway."

Naofumi chuckled, petting him. "Alright. Then you can either spend the time at Beloukas's tent or remain here, outside the city."

"I think I'd like to remain outside...where the air is fresh."

"Okay. Make sure to meet up with us in the morning." Naofumi dismounted and helped Raphtalia down. "I don't think I need to tell you not to get in trouble."

"Of course not, Mr. Naofumi."

Raphtalia hugged Kuro goodbye.

Naofumi would not have taken Kuro with him to the feast anyway, but it was always better to make people think that things were their choice, even when they weren't.

They entered the city and made a brief stop at Erhard's shop to ask whether there was any news—from Malty, which there was none—then progressed to the apothecary to deliver Lucetta's letter. It was heartwarming seeing the aged man tear up at the written words—a reminder that they were genuinely good people around in this world. Naofumi got Raphael to examine Raphtalia's curse wounds—which were now covering her whole hands and reached up to about half of her upper arms—but the man couldn't tell them anything new, not that Naofumi had expected. Next, they made a brief stop in a bathhouse to freshen up, Naofumi reapplied Raphtalia's bandages, and they were off to their last stop before the feast: The crazy tailor woman's shop.

"Aaahhh," the woman squealed as they entered, smiling like a predator who'd just caught sight of its prey in its den. "I was wondering when you'd show up again, Shield Hero. And just barely in time for the feast! Come on in, come on in. I have just the right dress for your lovely companion and a wonderful cloak for you and— Wait, where is that little adorable girl with the beautiful shiny black hair and crimson eyes." She righted her glasses, squinting.

"Kuro's not here," Naofumi said. "It's just us two."

The young woman gasped. "But I had prepared the most adorable dress for her... ever made!" Her voice got smaller and more squeaky as she talked until it was just a horrified gasp as if she'd just been told the world was about to end.

Yes, clearly insane. Naofumi cleared his throat. "Raphtalia first. Show me the dress you prepared for her." He nodded when the woman did as told. It was a sleeveless dress of a dark red color that went well with both Raphtalia's eyes and hair color. It looked perfect for what he had in mind. "Looks good. She'll need something to cover her hands and arms. Long gloves of sorts. Raphtalia, perhaps it's best if you undress and have the tailor have a look to let her evaluate what is the best fit."

"Okay." Blushing, Raphtalia began to slip out of her armor.

"N-not here!" Now it was Naofumi's turn to get a little flustered. Did she always have to take everything so literally?

"I know." Raphtalia was grinning widely, red eyes dancing with amusement before they focused on the tailor. "Where can I change?"

Dumbfounded, Naofumi stared after her as the woman led her into a separate room. Had Raphtalia just...teased him? He shook himself out of his stupor and used the time while he waited to change cloaks, making sure that his armor was impeccably clean before he let Malty's gift anywhere near it.

The tailor woman slipped out of the room after some time, apparently in an effort to fetch something for Raphtalia. She paused when her hazel eyes fell onto Naofumi. "That cloak..."

He grinned.

The woman came over and inspected it more closely. She was quite insistent with her hands as she felt the fabric, especially the fluffy white part around his throat, going even so far as to smell it. Crazy woman...

"Aha!" she exclaimed, theatrically righting her glasses and raising a finger, "I knew it! I knew the design looked familiar, but with those stitches, there's no doubt about it. It's one of...hers."

"Who?"

"You know who. That evil woman, the bane of my existence, the figure of my nightmares, my nemesis... Madame Aldona!"

Naofumi stared. "Who?"

The woman squinted at him. "That's quite bold of you, young man, to come into my shop wearing one of hers. If I didn't know any better I'd think it an insult. Well, what do you have to say in your defense, Shield Hero?" Suddenly, there was a needle in her hand. It flashed in the light, then she was holding it to his throat. "I'd choose my words carefully, if I were you..."

Naofumi blinked, relaxed. "Aehmm... It was a gift?"

"Hmm..." She squinted, scrunching up her little nose. "That answer is...acceptable." She withdrew her needle. "Of course, you can't be blamed for your gift giver's lack of taste. Though if I were you, I'd reconsider the company I keep."

Naofumi chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome." She pushed her glasses up her nose, pacing. "Now where was I? Oh yes, Madame Aldona. You'd best avoid that shop if you know what's good for you. I'll tell you, it won't be long until her name is dust in the wind, only whispering of old maids huddled around a hearth chattering about her less than ideal sewing technique. Simply...gone. Puff! And everyone will know who is the greatest tailor in Castle Town. Why, in all of Melromarc! Yes, they will! And it'll be none other than yours truly! The one and only Miss—"

Naofumi cleared his throat.

Stuck in a triumphant pose with her needle aimed toward the ceiling, the woman blushed and turned to Naofumi, brushing a strand of dark blonde hair behind her ear. "Ahem. I've been monologuing again, haven't I?"

He nodded.

"Terribly sorry about that. Where was I?"

"I believe you wanted to fetch some piece of clothing for Raphtalia...who is waiting for you in that room?"

"Oh, of course! How could I forget?" With impressive speed, she picked out a few pieces of cloth from the various shelves that clattered the shop, then retreated back into the other room. Her head briefly peaked out of the door once more so that she could apologize once more—whispering for some reason—then Naofumi was alone again.

He shook his head. Perhaps he should visit this Madame Aldona in the future. Malty seemed to like that woman's work, and his fiancée had impeccable taste, after all.

When Raphtalia emerged from the changing room some time later, Naofumi had to do a double-take. She looked absolutely stunning. The top of the dark red sleeveless dress hugged her impressive figure quite nicely, and the bottom was made out of an airy round skirt that reached just shy of her knees, displaying her delicate yet powerful legs and giving her a childlike vibe. He imagined her spinning, the skirt flowing through the air around her like a tutu. In addition to her shoes, which reminded him of ballet shoes, and her hair, which was secured in a bun, she did look like a ballerina. A very sexy and very deadly ballerina. There was a dagger sticking inside her bun, after all, it's bronze color going well with the rest of her outfit. Gloves were covering her bandaged hands and arms, reaching up just shy of her shoulders. Probably made out of silk or this world's equivalent, they looked quite elegant, white like her shoes.

"How do I look, Mr. Naofumi?" Raphtalia said, blushing under his scrutiny.

"Perfect." He smiled.

She smiled back, some of her nervousness melting away. "Your cloak also looks very nice."

"Thanks". Naofumi faced the tailor. "How much do I owe you?"

"5 gold pieces."

He handed the money over to the widely grinning woman.

"5 gold pieces?! Mr. Naofumi! You... that's too exp—"

"Hey, no protesting. You deserve it." He chuckled. She probably thought that it was for her dress and his cloak combined. What would she do if she knew that it was just her dress? "And besides, it's for a good cause. It's all part of that plan to get you cured."

"Oh..." Raphtalia lowered her head.

Naofumi patted her head.

"My hair!" She squeaked, warding his hands off.

"Sorry. Still looks perfect. Shall we go?"

"Yes please."

Naofumi nodded the crazy woman goodbye, and they left. They made a brief stop at Erhard's shop to deposit their stuff, which the man allowed, not offering any protests, busy as he was showering Raphtalia in compliments.

Outside again, Naofumi offered Raphtalia his arm, and she put her gloved fingers there, smiling. The sun was beginning to set as they made their way to the castle. People were gawking at them. It probably wasn't every day they saw a Demi-human in such fine clothing walking through the streets. And they'd definitely never seen a Demi-human with a dagger sticking in her hair bun. Then again, it could also be the fact that the Chimera Dragon Shield he was currently mastering looked a tad intimidating with its towering black form and menacing golden dragon head.

"I'm sorry," Naofumi said. "I haven't even asked you whether you want to go to the feast at all."

"It's no problem. I want to go. And besides, it's part of your plan, right? I'd be stupid not to go."

"Right. Will you be alright, though? There'll probably be a lot of nobles in attendance."

Her grip on his arm briefly tightened. "I'll be fine. I won't let anyone intimidate me."

"Good." He grinned at her. "You are armed, after all."

"It's not a problem, right? Or is it too bold in the hair?"

"No no, it's fine. There'll be other armed people in attendance, so I doubt it'll be a problem. I think it's cute."

"Thanks. Hehe. I could always hide it elsewhere, just in case." She laughed nervously, then added more quietly, "It's not the only weapon I'm carrying, after all."

He laughed. "Good. It's always good to be prepared. Make no mistake, Raphtalia. Perhaps this is a feast, but it's also a battle, just a different kind. Be on your guard."

"Yes, Mr. Naofumi."

They passed the gates to the castle grounds. Naofumi nodded to the guards, who were a little confused, quite obviously staring at Raphtalia. The neckline of her dress wasn't very risqué, but it still offered a good hint at what lay beneath. Personally, Naofumi found the definition of the muscles on her shoulders much more impressive than her breasts, though they obviously had their charm. But what drew the most attention was definitely her Slave Crest, completely visible on her sternum.

He doubted anyone would miss that. And some idiot—Itsuki or Motoyasu, most likely—would probably be outraged and start a commotion.

Naofumi was counting on it.

Thanks again for everyone offering suggestions for the Chimera Shields. You'll very soon get to see them in action. ;)