Sorry for the long wait. Lately, I've just been a little demotivated to write for Shield Hero...

When Naofumi and Raphtalia entered the repurposed throne room, the feast was already in full swing, people in fine clothing mingling about with knights, Church members, servants, and adventurers. Most were standing, carrying glasses and snacks in their hands. Some were sitting at the long wooden tables lining the sides of the hall. Loud chattering was filling the tall room, laughter sounding here and there. A group of musicians was standing to the side and playing a cheerful tune on string instruments and flutes; a man was singing.

No one turned to look at him. There was no announcement of his arrival. It was the exact opposite of the last time he'd been here. But it made sense, Naofumi supposed. He was an unwanted guest. Perhaps it was tradition or obligation that dictated his presence here, but the king—lounging on his throne at the end of the hall and in conversation with some of his subjects sitting below—would clearly prefer Naofumi not be there at all. He was a tolerated evil, just like he was in this country—their religion's nemesis, only summoned because of necessity, because better the devil you knew than the Siltvelts' devil.

"Such waste," Raphtalia commented, still hanging on his arm. She blushed and ducked her head when he turned to her. "Apologies, Mr. Naofumi. I'm talking without thinking."

"It's alright. You can be honest with me. And you're right, of course. This is wasteful." The hall, aside from its already impressive build with large colorful windows, paintings on the ceiling and walls, and rugs covering the polished stone floor here and there, had been decorated even more, not to mention the copious amount of food that filled the tables.

Her gloved hands relaxed against his arm. "I just..." She shook her head. "It's nothing."

She was probably thinking about her destroyed home or Riyute, of all the Demi-humans that lived enslaved or in poverty, hungering. And while he empathized, he also understood the necessity of this. Of showing strength. Of status.

Naofumi patted her hand. "Wastefulness aside, we're here now, and I think we've earned ourselves some luxury. Especially you, after working so hard every day and your performance during the Wave."

She blushed, smiling shyly. Her stomach growled, causing her blush to deepen and Naofumi to chuckle.

"Go ahead. Indulge in the wastefulness. Eat all the food you can before it goes to waste in some fat noble's belly. I need to discuss something with the other Heroes. We'll meet up in a bit, okay? I wouldn't want to ruin the party quite yet." He smirked and shot her a wink.

"Part of your plan?"

"Yes. Go indulge. I'll get you when it's time."

"Okay, Mr. Naofumi." She smiled and let go of him, retreating into the crowd in the direction of one of the food tables.

Naofumi continued onward, aiming for the end of the hall where the King sat. He hadn't spotted Malty and the other Heroes yet, but they probably were somewhere near that spot, near the important people. Or rather, they were the important people.

Chimera Lion Shield. The majestic, golden lion head took shape on his Shield. He had no intention to hide.

Even though he hadn't been announced, more and more attention shifted onto him. People whispered, pointing and gesturing discreetly, making room for him when he passed. The singer of the musicians momentarily forgot the lyrics as he gaped at Naofumi. Perhaps they had expected him to look like the criminal he'd been when he'd left the throne room the last time. They definitely hadn't expected him to walk with his head held high, a confident smile on his face, and a majestic Shield on his arm, clad in a fine if intimidating armor and wearing an impressive, clean cloak—his engagement present. He might as well be mistaken for the King if it weren't for his lack of a crown.

"Naofumi!"

Naofumi heaved an inwardly sigh at Motoyasu's loud exclamation. Clearly, the word subtlety didn't exist in his diction. This could be a funeral, and the guy wouldn't care, not having any respect for NPCs that weren't women he could hit on.

Motoyasu stomped up to him, looking enraged, perhaps already half-drunk. Ren and Itsuki followed behind, wearing equally irritated expressions.

Naofumi smiled. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"What's up?! The nerve!" Motoyasu yelled. "First you steal our stuff, then you're making a no-show, and now you're coming late and on top of that act as if you don't have a care in the world. You sick bastard!"

Itsuki had a disapproving expression on his face as he stared at Naofumi. "Yeah, I'd really like an explanation for this, Iwatani."

Back to Iwatani, huh? Naofumi noted with amusement.

"What they said," Ren said, arms crossed, eyes on the Chimera Lion Shield, clearly envious and bitter. Perhaps he'd realized how Naofumi had tricked him in the inn some three weeks ago?

"Alright, alright." Naofumi held up his hands in a disarming gesture. "Let's talk. But there's no need to make a scene out of it and ruin the party for everyone else, right guys?"

They clearly had other opinions, talking all at once, Motoyasu, as always, being the loudest. It was too late anyway. A crowd was already gathering around them.

Naofumi ignored them. He only had eyes for his fiancée. She stood near her father's throne, surrounded by her usual posse of girls, all their attention on Naofumi now. As always, she looked incredible and powerful in her—his—armor, standing with arms crossed, a smile on her face that widened as their gazes met. She discretely lifted one hand and waved at him with her delicate fingers. The little gesture was enough to send his heart racing and blood surging downward.

He begrudgingly tore his eyes off her, focusing back on Motoyasu, who'd just finished another loud exclamation. "Sorry. You were saying, Motoyasu?" Naofumi smiled, enjoying their irritation.

Being in power was fun.

Eyes closed, Raphtalia let out a little moan as she swallowed the ingredients of yet another skewer with grilled meat and vegetables. She replaced the bare skewer onto the table, careful not to stain her expensive white gloves. Just thinking about the money her outfit was worth made her blush and fight with the urge to giggle.

Tail wiggling, she skipped toward the next thing that caught her eyes, dodging around a pair of robed humans that were engrossed in conversation. Perhaps the food wasn't quite as good as Naofumi's, but the cornucopia—Lucetta had taught her that word—of food was mouth-watering and kept the feeling of excitement thrumming in her tummy. There were things Raphtalia had never seen or heard of before. Vegetables and types of meat too expensive to end up in a rural village like Lurolona. Not that she had any doubt that Mom could have cooked—

Raphtalia smiled and did a little twirl as she snatched a drink off the platter of a servant that was walking by. She brought the flute to her lips and took a sip...and immediately grimaced at the taste. It was an adult drink. Not that she wasn't an adult and wasn't allowed to have it, but she should remain a clear head.

"Make no mistake, Raphtalia. Perhaps this is a feast, but it's also a battle, just a different kind. Be on your guard." She nodded. I won't disappoint you again, Mr. Naofumi.

She placed the flute onto one of the food tables and skipped toward another servant, this one carrying drinks the color of orange and in similar but round-shaped glasses. She deftly took one of them and downed it in one go, relishing the fruity taste as it washed away the residues of the unpleasant alcohol. The servant, a well-groomed, young man with neat clothing, had paused and was regarding her funnily.

Do even human servants have Demi slaves? Does he beat them up? Smiling, she used his confusion to put the empty glass back and snatch a second one, then she skipped away, sipping.

It was an odd feeling to wear a dress. To feel the air brushing against her legs. But it was also freeing...and made her feel beautiful. Her face heated up when she recalled how Naofumi had looked at her earlier. She wasn't blind toward the stares and leers she received from the other guests, specifically the ones aimed at her breasts.

Silly humans, she thought, eating some cheese and grapes, don't they see the Slave Crest? Don't they know that there's only one man I belong to? She stood a little straighter, proudly displaying the Slave Crest, warmth pulsating in her chest at the thought of Naofumi. Where was he? Standing on tiptoes, Raphtalia looked around the hall. He wasn't hard to miss. Standing near the end of the hall where the King lounged, Naofumi was surrounded by a small but growing crowd. In front of him stood the three other Legendary Heroes, arguing about something. It looked heated, but the words were drowned out by the chatter, laughter, and clinking of cutlery all around her.

Raphtalia tensed, hand twitching to draw her dagger and rush over there. She should be standing next to him, protect him. She should do something. Anything. Her gaze, in the process of looking for any threats, came to a halt on probably the biggest threat in the room. Her. Red hair, fine armor, standing next to the King. The Princess. The sole reason for Naofumi's bad reputation... probably for any of his problems in general. She looked like the kind of person who rejoiced in tormenting Demis and anyone below her...just because she could. Yes, Raphtalia would enjoy slicing her throat. Naofumi would love her for sure, if she did.

No killing. She hummed in displeasure. No attention. I can't save anyone if I'm in prison or dead. Begrudgingly, she forced her attention back on the food, doing as Naofumi had ordered. He'd told her to indulge and feast, so she would do that, even if she thought that most of the nobles' silly dresses would look better in red. Naofumi had said he'd collect her when he needed her for his plan. She knew better than to mistrust him.

Mind set, Raphtalia set down her drink, snatched a fork, and speared a delicious-looking piece of meat. She hissed as an armored hand suddenly closed around her right wrist, pain shooting up her arm, making her skin prickle and burn. The fork fell back onto the silver platter, the clattering lost in the noise of the feast. She whirled around. Her free hand shot toward her back, intent on drawing her parrying dagger, only grasped air, and was already half-way up toward drawing the dagger in her bun before she remembered herself.

Blinking tears out of her eyes, she relaxed her posture, removed the scowl from her face, and fully faced the attacker with a smile.

"What is a filthy Demi doing here? Masquerading as a noblewoman and stealing food?" the gigantic man asked, still grasping her wrist. He was wearing an armor not unlike that of a knight, his breath reeked of alcohol, and his mustached face was set in a scowl beneath his helmet. He'd look better with two dagger handles extending from his eyes. "Who did you kill to get those clothes, huh?"

It was difficult to smile when gritting one's teeth in pain. Raphtalia managed regardless, having had enough practice, though she was unable to stop her tail from standing straight, bristling.

"Answer me, girl." He tightened his grip.

It hurt, like an iron shackle digging into her skin. Pain flashed up her arm, across her shoulders, and down her back, like the stinging hit of a whip. She winced and closed her eyes. She inhaled sharply.

I'm not a prisoner. I could kill him if I wanted. I'm not a prisoner. I'm in control...

She tore her eyes open and balled her left hand into a fist to stop it from shaking. "You're hurting me," she said calmly. "Let go, please."

The gigantic human grimaced. "It's hurting my eyes to look at you. But someone has to do it. So, I'll ask one last time: What is a filthy Demi like you doing here?"

Raphtalia wanted to throw it right back at him, to tell him that she'd only ask him one more time to remove his hand before she would remove it. But she remembered Naofumi's words of how she shouldn't threaten people. "I'm here because I've been invited. I'm a Hero's companion, you see."

"Bah! As if any real Hero would bother with a weakling like you, not to mention a damn Demi—"

"Perhaps you should ask my Master why he bought me, then!" Raphtalia hissed. "Now let go, human!"

He didn't. His grip only tightened, and she had to close her eyes and focus on her breathing for a moment to steady herself. Shouldn't have said that, she thought, stupid pain.

"Apologies," Raphtalia said, smiling and trying to hide the agony and hatred from her face. "But my Master gave me an order, and you're stopping me from fulfilling it. So kindly let go, please."

He leaned closer. "And who would that be? Your Master?"

"The Shield Hero, Mr. Naofumi," she said proudly, head raised to glare at the human.

His expression darkened, a sort of angry growl escaping him, and Raphtalia knew that she should have lied.

"Alright alright," Naofumi said, smiling, gesturing with his arms that they should calm down, not at all parading around the Chimera Lion Shield. "So you're saying that it was wrong from me to send my party to help you with the Boss?"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

Motoyasu and Ren looked at Itsuki with betrayal. They broke into a heated discussion among themselves.

Naofumi glimpsed at Malty, sharing intense eye-contact for a moment. She was obviously laughing, though she had a hand in front of her mouth to discreetly hide her amusement. The other girls from her party seemed equally amused. Except for the small girl with the witch's hat, who looked more embarrassed than anything.

"I... I," Itsuki said. "I mean, it was alright for him to help, but he shouldn't have taken the materials. That's what this is about, right guys?"

"Of course!"

"Yes!"

"So... why are we arguing again?"

Motoyasu shrugged, and they refocused on Naofumi.

"So," Naofumi said. "It was alright for me to send my party members to help, but they shouldn't have taken the materials? Is that why you're so upset?" It was hard to keep the gigantic grin from showing on his face.

"Yes!" Motoyasu and Itsuki said, exasperated.

"Yeah." Ren scowled, arms crossed.

"But... why?" Naofumi asked.

"Why?! Because they were our materials! You..."

Naofumi ignored Motoyasu's little outburst and looked at his fiancée again, unable to prevent his lips from twitching into a smile at the face she was making. Perhaps people were noticing how he kept shooting glimpses at her. But what did it matter? Of course, he was looking at her. As far as they knew, he either hated her for being betrayed and unrightfully judged, or he had raped her and was looking to do it again. No one could have any idea about the real reason. And even if they did, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"I don't understand," Naofumi said, frowning at the idiot Heroes. "Why do you say that the materials belong to you? They're mine, are they not?"

"You stole them!" Motyoasu exclaimed, the other two giving their confirmation about that fact.

"But my party members killed the Boss. That means the materials belong to me, no? That's how it works, right?" He was enjoying this way too much, he knew. But he didn't care. He loved this. How everyone was looking at him, though they were still unable to truly see him. How Malty was staring at him with those eyes full of amusement, admiration, and hunger. And how the Heroes were too self-absorbed and idiotic to notice how he was playing dumb. They actually believed him.

Sweet sweet revenge. Soon, he'd enjoy the look on the King's face when he announced that he'd be his future son-in-law.

Motoyasu had finished his lengthy explanation about why the materials had belonged to them and how Naofumi had only stolen the kill. "At the very least you should have waited. There were four heads, so we could have shared evenly!"

The other two nodded in agreement.

"Oh," Naofumi said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that." He chuckled, scratching his head in a nervous gesture. "You know I'm not so good with all this gaming stuff like you are. If I'd known, I would have instructed my party not to take the materials."

Ren and Motoyasu looked skeptical, but Itsuki was frowning. "You're right," the Bow Hero said, "I should have told you about that when you asked me for help. Though it was such a basic concept that I'd assumed you knew..."

"He asked you for help?" Motoyasu demanded. "When?"

"Some weeks ago," Ren answered. "You know, when Itsuki and I were arguing about the best route to level? Yeah, that's when."

"Huh? I don't remember that."

Ren sighed in annoyance.

"Perhaps you should pay less attention to your party members," Itsuki said, "then you'd not miss such obvious stuff. And drink less."

Motoyasu looked affronted.

Naofumi chuckled. "And just for the record, I didn't instruct my party members to take the materials or anything. That's just our routine of how we usually work, and I guess they didn't see anything different in this situation. I'll make sure to tell them so that this doesn't happen again."

"That'd be appreciated, Naofumi," Itsuki said.

"Sorry again," Naofumi said. "But I guess it's done now. I absorbed it all, and I don't think there's a way to reverse it, is there?"

They shook their heads.

"Well—"

There was a sudden, deafening crash, as if one of the long tables had collapsed. Women let out shrieks of surprise. Glasses shattered. Metal serving plates and cutlery clattered loudly against the stone floor. For a moment it was chaos, people uttering loud exclamations and demands of what was going on, some even cursing or throwing insults.

Then it fell silent as everyone's attention shifted onto what had caused the disturbance. A table had collapsed. Or rather, it had been broken in half. And the cause of it appeared to be a man, who was lying in-between the two broken parts. He was quite gigantic and wore heavy plate armor, making it not hard to imagine how his weight had caused the table to break clean in half. The food that hadn't fallen off had accumulated around him, almost burying him in a small mountain of food, cutlery mixed in here and there.

A few more seconds went by, then the chatter broke out again, people speculating what had happened. Some seemed affronted by it, others laughed. Some said how the knights had no discipline. A few knights approached and dragged the collapsed man out of the food covering him. Then they hefted him up and dragged him away. He seemed unconscious but alive. Had he collapsed from too much alcohol or was there more to it? Naofumi didn't see Raphtalia anywhere.

He shrugged and turned back to the other Heroes. "Hey, Itsuki, isn't that guy from your party?"

Itsuki nodded his head, the embarrassment clear on his face.

"Shield Hero."

Naofumi had to actively control his face to not smile stupidly as he turned toward his fiancée. She'd used the distraction to approach, standing so close that he could take her in his arms if he took a large step toward her. So tempting... He yearned to feel the softness of her body in his embrace.

"I've been wondering," Malty said, arms crossed, staring intensely at him with played hatred and a confident if condescending smirk on her face. "Why didn't you accompany your party to fight the Chimera?"

"Hmm well..." Naofumi took a steadying breath. Fuck, she looked so stunning. The desire to draw her into his arms—to feel her skin against his, to embrace her, to kiss her in front of everyone—was insurmountable. He was already hard. Could he get away with casting a Shield Prison to steal a quick kiss?

He shook his head, fighting with his desire. It wouldn't do to do anything foolish. All the attention was on him now. Especially the three girls standing behind Malty were staring at him with scrutiny—and perhaps suspicion—in their gaze.

Naofumi cleared his throat. "You're aware of the restrictions of the Legendary Weapons, aren't you, Princess?"

She frowned, arms crossed. "That you can't use any weapons aside from those of similar form to your Legendary Weapon?"

"No. I mean, that is correct, of course, but..." He swallowed, momentarily transfixed by the way she was lightly thrumming her delicate fingers against her bracers and by how cute the confusion on her face looked. "I was talking about the restrictions that we Heroes can't form parties and level up together."

"Oh." She stopped her thrumming. A look of understanding dawned upon her, and the hunger and lust—love?—in her gaze increased. "So your party members managed to get the full experience for the kill. Experience, which would have gone to waste otherwise because the other Heroes had been too close to each other." It was just a fact and unavoidable, but she managed to sound as if she was berating the other Heroes nonetheless. "Impressive."

Naofumi had to refrain from groaning out loud, her sexy voice making his heart race and cock twitch.

Ren was staring inquisitively at him now and looked like he was about to speak up, but Malty beat him to it. "That Chimera was quite tough and must have given a lot of experience. I hope you'll be able to make good use of that and continue to do your best in the defense of Melromarc. Your companions seemed already quite strong. What level are they now?"

Naofumi looked around, studying the people that had gathered around them. Though some seemed to be conversing among themselves, they were clearly all listening. Last time, he'd downplayed his abilities, even pretended that he was without a party. But after Kuro and Raphtalia had made their public debut, trying to deny their strength was impossible and would make him look like a fool and liar.

"My party members managed to achieve level 40 from killing the Boss," Naofumi said, enjoying the looks of surprise on the other Heroes' faces, and especially loving Malty's smile.

Chatter broke out around them. Some called him a liar, and he was sure to have heard the word "cheater" from Ren or Motoyasu's direction.

"Level 40?" Malty said, an eyebrow raised. "Have you already decided on which classes you'll want them to continue?"

This got a few laughs and giggles from the other guests, as if the notion that the Shield Hero's party would be allowed to perform a Class Upgrade was ridiculous. Nothing I haven't expected.

"No," Naofumi said. "I guess I'll have to decide once I get there."

"I see," Malty said. "As it happens, my party"—she gestured to the three girls standing behind her—"also got to level 40 right before the Wave, though we haven't been near enough Castle Town to perform the upgrade then. You and your party should come along when we visit the Dragon Hourglass tomorrow, so that I may instruct you on which classes would be the best for the defense of Melromarc."

This got a few exclamations of surprise and gasps from the crowd. The King, still sitting on his throne but close enough to follow the conversation, was frowning. Naofumi's heart was racing, warmth filling his chest. This was bold, but he guessed that Malty could always play it off, saying that she'd suggest the worst classes for his companions. Some of the nobles were laughing discreetly, as if they expected Malty's words to be an empty promise—only giving him false hope so that she could laugh in his face once they were at the Dragon Hourglass and he got denied any upgrades. No, he knew that she meant it and that she would ensure he was allowed to upgrade the classes of his party members.

He bowed his head in deference, heart palpitating. "I'd be honored, Princess." He discreetly wiped his sweaty hands on his cloak, wishing he could run them through Malty's hair instead...and draw her into a deep kiss.

"Myne, you—"

Malty shot Motoyasu a sharp glare before smiling again, and the idiot clamped his mouth shut. "Yes, Motoyasu?"

"N-nothing."

"Good." She turned back to Naofumi. "I'll expect you in the courtyard at noon. There are rooms prepared for you in the castle." She marginally tilted her head to the side. "You will be staying in the castle tonight, will you?"

"Of course, Princess." The intensity in her gaze told him that she expected him to not only stay in the castle—but in her room. He gave a small nod, and her lips twitched into a satisfied smile. He doubted he'd get any sleep tonight, and he'd make sure to pleasure her in any way she desired. It was in wise foreknowledge that she'd put the time of their meeting at noon.

Malty turned away but halted after taking two steps. "Oh, and Shield Hero? I've been meaning to ask: How did the defense of that village go? Riyute was it called, was it not?"

"Well, it could have been better. If the knights had arrived—"

"The knights have eradicated the Wave spawn in Riyute without a problem," a loud voice boasted. "There were barely any casualties among the villagers, and my troops are in this moment helping with restoring order there." It was the knight captain with the mustache. Without his helmet, he looked a little moronic.

"And the Shield Hero?" Malty asked innocently. "Was his presence of any help?"

"Help? Bah! He did more harm than good! The defense of the people is the knights' duty! Which, I must say, we performed excellently. The Shield Hero shouldn't have left the other Heroes alone to face off against the Chimera! A coward, I say!"

Voices of agreement sounded everywhere. Some even had the audacity to applaud. Naofumi snorted. During the little disturbance, no one but him had seen the expression of triumph on Malty's face.

"Is that so?" she asked, a sheepish frown on her face. "I would have hoped his assistance had a bigger impact. After all, it was I who ordered him to help out that village until the knights' arrival." She bit her lower lip. "I didn't make a wrong decision, did I?"

The noise around them abruptly died down. The captain looked as if he'd just choked on a drink.

Malty had said the words so convincingly that it took even Naofumi a moment to recall that it was a lie—that she had done no such thing. Had anyone else noticed? Motoyasu looked on with an expression as stupid as ever. Itsuki was looking at the knight captain with disapproval. The pink-haired girl and the tall girl with the rapier were sharing a meaningful look behind Malty's back.

"Ahem well," the captain said, red-faced. "I-I..."

"You did well to send the Shield Hero, Your Highness," a new voice sounded. People turned and made room for the speaker to walk into the little circle that had built around them. It was the knight vice-captain Naofumi had worked together with during the Wave. The horizontal scar was prominent across his face, finger-length brown hair in disarray after wearing a helmet for so long. He nodded toward Naofumi—who returned the nod—before focusing back on Malty. "When we arrived at Riyute, the Shield Hero had already managed to evacuate most of the villagers and organize an orderly retreat. I'm confident his actions saved many lives."

This got a few gasps and exclamations of astonishment and surprise from the crowd.

"After taking the gathered villagers into our protection, the captain then put the Shield Hero under my command, and we continued to evacuate the last villagers that had barricaded themselves in their homes," the vice-captain continued. "We worked efficiently and without any problems. The Shield Hero's skills had been invaluable and saved more than one life." He gave Malty and the King a respectful bow and took a step back, apparently done with his report.

"Yes, well... that is correct," the captain said, "ahem, well done, Princess. If you'll excuse me. There's something that requires my attention." He turned around and awkwardly pushed away through the crowd.

Naofumi chuckled, and he wasn't the only one.

Malty stared after the knight captain for a few more seconds before turning back. The vice-captain was still there, eyes on her. So that was how it was? Now that she was taking a more active role in the defense of Merlromarc, he was suddenly interested? Well, he was a little too late to make up his mind now. No one rejected her and got a second chance. He held no usage for her anymore, anyway, no matter how handsome he was.

Malty sniffed and turned back to her Naofumi. Immediately, her mind clouded with desire. Much more handsome. And completely mine. Her chest ached as she stared into his eyes. She wanted to close the distance between them and let herself fall into his arms. Perhaps she should just do that.

The chatter around them was now full of speculations about her Naofumi. Some were doubtful, but there were also a few voices of support. Now that he was bettering his view among the nobility, what would stop her from simply announcing their engagement? She could easily play off the whole rape thing, saying that she'd been drunk and misinterpreted it or something along those lines. No one would dream of putting a Slave Crest on her chest, after all. And Papa? Well, she doubted he would dare to speak up in such a public fashion. Either way, she was of age, and he was only the King. And after the seed of doubt she'd planted in his mind a few weeks ago, it was certainly possible he'd simply support their union.

Heart racing, her smile brightened. I'll do it! she thought, perhaps a little hysterically. Come here, my Naofumi! She took a step forward.

It wasn't like she needed to defeat the Church. They had been there for a long time and not made a move against the Melromarc family. They could continue like that for a while longer. For now, she was only the Princess, anyway. It wasn't like they would or could do anything against them. It was as Naofumi had said: the Church needed her to get to power, but she didn't need them. And Mother? She'd have no choice but to support their marriage, lest she risk alienating the Shield Hero. And once they were officially united, it would only be a question of time before Malty regained her rightful position. They'd be unstoppable, the most glorious and perfect pair to ever rule Melromarc, and eventually, the whole world. Yes, she could already picture—

Malty halted, gasping. Just a few more steps and she would have reached her Naofumi. But what was that? That... that thing that had the audacity to interrupt Malty's grand moment. And how dare it touch my Naofumi?! She glared with all her might at the white-gloved fingers on her Naofumi's arm, then at the disgusting ears atop the thing's head, her hands twitching to draw her sword and strike this abomination down for its grave insult.

"Mr. Naofumi?" it said.

He turned toward it with a frown. "Raphtalia? What—"

"How dare you," Malty hissed. "Get out of my sight, servant girl!"

It turned toward her with a scowl. Naofumi as well, though his expression softened after a moment. "Raphtalia," he said in a warning tone toward the thing.

"Apologies, Mr. Naofumi." Its posture relaxed. It leaned toward Naofumi and whispered something in his ear.

He smiled and shook his head in amusement. Then he reached with a hand toward the thing—as if to caress its cheek or to draw it into a kiss—but halted, as if realizing that he was in public, looking sheepish.

Malty didn't get any air. Her eyes were comically wide, glaring. How? What? She was hyperventilating. The enthusiasm from just moments before was gone, replaced by a hollowness in her chest, and her heart had stopped beating, pierced and shattered into a thousand pieces by an invisible dagger of betrayal.

With the way the Princess was looking at her, there was no doubt that Raphtalia's earlier assumptions had been completely accurate. No, not accurate; she'd miscalculated just how rotten this woman was. The hatred reflected in those emerald eyes was nothing Raphtalia had ever witnessed: like a sea of poison and hotly burning green fire she wanted to unleash on the world to eradicate all that wasn't human.

Raphtalia glared right back. No smiles and fake pleasantries would appease this evil woman. Her tail was ramrod straight, body tense and ready to attack. She saw all the angles of attack before her eyes, all the way she could strike down the Princess. Perhaps she would manage to dart through the crowd after slicing her throat, jump across the table in front of her, dodge the knights near the throne, and kill the King as well before they put her down. It would be worth it. Satisfactory... Momentarily. But would it change anything? Probably not.

Raphtalia kept a tight grip on Naofumi's arm to prevent herself from acting upon her thoughts, feeling the tenseness of his muscles. She'd just barely managed to reach him before the Princess. Whatever nefarious plans she had in mind, Raphtalia wouldn't let her. She'd gladly draw the ire of the Princess onto herself if it meant distracting her from Naofumi.

The Princess's scowl vanished, and she was all smiles again, but Raphtalia could still see the burning hatred underneath. "Nao— Shield Hero. What is the meaning of this?" Her gaze momentarily flickered toward Raphtalia in disgust before focusing back on Naofumi, intense and angry.

"This is Raphtalia," he said. "She's one of my party members. She's been invaluable in the defense of Riyute and helping me level, and she's been the one to strike down the Chimera."

The Princess's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Truly? How...disappointing. And here I was trying to help you out. But it seems you've been deceiving me, Shield Hero." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was almost comically silent, everyone's attention on them. Raphtalia noted that the King had risen from his throne, standing among the silent crowd. That would make things easier.

When the Princess opened her eyes, her expression was one of played disappointment mixed with contempt. "I believed you, you know? Last week, when you apologized to me, I truly believed you, believed that you'd meant it, that you'd changed. But I should have known that your words had been nothing but lies!"

A few gasps ran through the tall room. Next to her, Naofumi seemed to be gritting his teeth. Raphtalia couldn't quite discern the look in his eyes as he stared down the Princess.

"I almost forgave you, almost trusted you. And this is how you repay me? By bringing her to the King's feast? Have you no shame? When have you bought her, hm?! Since when does she fulfill your every order and need? Answer me, Shield Hero. Since when?!"

Raphtalia wanted to laugh at the audacity of the Princess to wipe fake tears out of her eyes. As if anyone would believe her played concern when she'd been glaring death at Raphtalia only moments before. Not that Raphtalia had any time for laughing. Following the Princess's angry shout, life had returned to the hall, people exclaiming their outrage, hurling insults at Naofumi. The loudest among them were the Heroes.

"Is this true, Iwatani?! Is this girl your slave and forced to fight for you?"

"I knew it! You damn bastard!" the Spear Hero yelled, looking as if he was about to attack.

Raphtalia had lightened her grip on Naofumi's arm and shifted her feet into a defensive stance, ready to attack at a moment's notice, her eyes warily darting back and forth among the people that surrounded them. There was no escape route. No one attacked yet, but the knights already had their hands on their swords. Raphtalia internally cursed, wishing she was clad in her armor with weapons strapped to her hips. The thin material of her graceful shoes and the smooth stone of the floor were a bad combination for a fight.

"What's the matter?" Naofumi said loudly, making the noise die down. "So what if I have a slave and have her help me fight? What's the problem? All in the defense of glorious Melromarc, isn't that right, Princess?"

"Naofumi, you—"

"What? Motoyasu? Slavery is legal in this country. If anything, you should be mad at the King for allowing it. I bet nearly every noble attending this feast owns at least a few of them. Why, there are slaves serving in the castle this very moment!"

"That... that doesn't matter!" the Spear Hero insisted, glaring "Just because someone else does it doesn't make it right! As Heroes from another world, we have to apply our own morals and—"

"Wrong!"

"—try to... What?"

"You're wrong," Naofumi said firmly. He took a step toward the Spear Hero, and Raphtalia followed. "It isn't our place to question the workings of this world and its people. We're here to defeat the Waves! Nothing more, nothing less. So what if they have slaves? I couldn't care less! I bet there are good reasons for why it is the way it is!"

He's only saying what they want to hear, Raphtalia thought. He does care.

Naofumi crossed his arms. "We're like guests in this world. We should be respectful toward the people who summoned us and their customs."

The Princess smiled, then her eyes flickered toward Raphtalia, anger alighting anew.

"This is ridiculous!" Motoyasu said. "Right, guys? Ren, Itsuki? You agree with me, don't you?"

The Bow Hero was frowning. "I mean—"

"The Shield Hero is correct," The Princess announced in her sickening, condescending voice. "Slavery is legal in this country. But Motoyasu speaks truth. The Heroes should act their namesake: heroic and virtuous. Not like you, Shield Hero. Forcing yourself onto an innocent girl? Despicable! Disgusting!"

Raphtalia returned the look of utter loathing the Princess sent her way. "Lies!" she called. "Mr. Naofumi would never do what you're insinuating! He's a kind man and a true Hero! He never forced me to do anything I didn't want to—"

"Seize her!" the King ordered.

The nobles took cautious steps back; knights closed in on her, drawing swords.

I'll not be silenced! Raphtalia let go of Naofumi's arm and ducked beneath the arms intent to grab her. Before the knights could react, she'd moved behind one of them and had drawn her dagger, pressing it against the man's throat.

"Don't come closer!" she hissed, glaring while she blinked away tears of pain. Her hands were on fire where they gripped her dagger and held the knight in place. The other knights backed off, looking uncertainly toward the King, awaiting orders, building a sort of ring around them.

"Release him!" the King's voice sounded above the chaos of everyone talking at once.

Blood pounding in her ears, pain flaring across her body, chest rising and falling rapidly, a cacophony of voices clashing against her, Raphtalia looked around frantically, unsure what to do.

Suddenly, a loud roar like that of some horrifying monster pierced the air, drowning out the assaulting voices. "EVERYONE CALM THE FUCK DOWN!"

The room fell silent, and all the attention shifted onto Naofumi. He looked thunderous. Raphtalia had never seen him so angry. An involuntary whimper escaped her, hoping that she wasn't the cause or target of it.

"Is this how you treat your guests?" Naofumi glared at the Princess, then the King. "First you throw around baseless accusations, and then you try to apprehend and silence us before we have a chance to speak?" He shook his head. "I don't know why I have expected more."

"You'll order your slave to release my knight this instant!" The King was glaring, though there was also something else in his gaze. Fear.

A feeling of triumph pulsated in Raphtalia's chest. Her captive made a pathetic sound, and the corners of her mouth twitched into a grin, distorted by her grimace of pain.

"Shield Hero..." the King said, almost a growl. "You will—"

"No! I'll tell Raphtalia to release him once she's been allowed to speak."

"Whatever she has to say doesn't matter. As your slave, she can't speak out against you!"

"Funny," Naofumi scoffed, taking a step forward. "As far as I know, you use the Slave Crest to conduct your trials. To ensure that people can't lie. Quite the opposite of what you're accusing her of." He turned on the spot, looking out over the crowd, a smirk on his face.

The King was grounding his teeth.

"Naofumi!" The Spear Hero stepped forward. He held one discarded glove in his hand and threw it onto the ground before Naofumi. "Duel me!"

Naofumi turned toward him with a frown. "Why?"

The Spear Hero scowled, though when he spoke his voice was controlled. "If I win, you'll release her as your slave!" When Naofumi didn't answer, he continued, "I don't care what you or she or anyone else says. Slavery is wrong, and if you're forcing her to do anything against her will, I'll stop you! And if this is all just a misunderstanding, then she can rejoin your party once she's free, can't she?"

People whispered among themselves, clearly approving of the Spear Hero's actions.

"Surprisingly reasonable of you, Motoyasu," Naofumi commented. "And when I win? What do I get?"

"Then you get to be the sick bastard everyone thinks you to be."

"Hardly seems like a fair—"

"Outrageous!" the Princess called. She stepped out of the crowd, glaring at Naofumi. "You have the gall to come to this feast with your slave and threaten a knight, and now you want a reward for your actions? Despicable! What kind of Hero are you?"

Her hostage whimpered as Raphtalia involuntarily dug her dagger deeper into his skin. She was clutching it so hard, her hands were shaking from the pain. But it was nothing compared to the hatred she felt for that woman, drowning out any other thought. It's all her fault! All she wanted was to plunge her dagger into the unblemished skin on her throat. Raphtalia didn't hear the disparaging words as the Princess kept speaking, too busy envisioning cutting out her tongue, blood pounding in her ears.

"Shut up!" Raphtalia screamed. "I'm sick of your lies! Don't think I don't know what you did to Mr. Naofumi! Don't think I didn't see how you whispered to the Spear Hero and told him what to do. If you hate me that much, then stop hiding and fight me!" Breathing frantically, enraged voices assaulted her sensitive hearing.

"How dare you speak to my daughter like that!" the King yelled. "I'll—"

"You damn Demi whore!" The Princess took a step toward her, hand on her sword. "I'll gladly show you your place—"

"Malty! Raphtalia!" Naofumi snapped, stepping in-between them. "Stop it!" He ran a hand through his hair, heaving an irritated sigh, then addressed everyone in a loud voice, "I apologize for my slave. She's been afflicted by a curse and is in pain. It's making her confused and causing her to speak and act without thought. My sincerest apologies, Princess."

She scowled, huffed, and turned her head away, arms crossed.

"There's no need to let things get out of control. I'll accept your challenge, Motoyasu. We'll duel. But I have one condition." Naofumi held up a hand, forefinger, pointing at the ceiling. "I want—"

"Perhaps you should order your slave to finally release my knight before making any demands," the King said.

"If you promise to not attack us again?"

The King gave a grunt and a nod, then made a gesture, and the knights retreated a little further, sheathing their swords.

"Raphtalia, release the poor guy. Then come over here."

She obeyed, keeping her head lowered as she stepped up to him. Her tail was hanging slack, shame and guilt running through her body, cooling the burning pain on her arms and making her shudder.

"My condition is the following: If I win, you'll cure Raphtalia's curse."

"That... that's all?" the Spear Hero asked, surprise in his voice.

"That's all," Naofumi confirmed. "Raphtalia, show them your arms."

Keeping her head lowered, she discarded her expensive gloves, carelessly letting them drop to the floor. Then she unwrapped her bandages with shaky movements, not letting any pain show when the material grazed her skin while she unwound it, exposing her curse marks to the air. She ignored the gasps sounding all around her, fighting with the urge to cry. She'd failed him. She'd lost control and ruined Naofumi's plan.

But the Princess— she tried to argue but caught herself off, pressing her eyes shut. No, it was her own fault. She'd overreacted. She shouldn't have interfered without Naofumi ordering her to do so, no matter how panicked she'd been when she'd seen the Princess advance onto him with that scary smile on her face.

"You'll accept, right?" one of the Heroes spoke. "You'll meet Naofumi's demand, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, I don't see any reason to deny it. Very well, Shield Hero, I shall ensure your slave to be cured in the unlikely event of your victory."

Would he stand a chance against the Spear Hero? Her immediate thought was a resounding Yes, but how did one win a duel without attacking? She was surprised he'd even bothered to demand anything for his win. With how Raphtalia kept failing him, she wasn't sure why he bothered with her. Perhaps that guy she'd knocked out had been right about her, after all.

"The duel shall take place outside in the gardens! Everyone, get moving!"

Phew, this chapter was a pain to write. Managing so many people all at once can get really hard.