Buckle your seatbelts! Keep your hands and feet inside the cart at all times! We're expecting a few bumps on the road today, but we shouldn't be writing anything too lewd. Remember, this is a cute, innocent little story. Nothing lewd going on over here. Right RLT- wait, no, NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH AMBER AND MOTOYASU?! AH! MY EYEEEEEEES… (long silence)...

RLTygurr: I've done nothing wrong and Allen is framing me. (Allen is Meanie confirmed).

Dang it RLT. I really hope we don't have to raise it to M because of this...

Enjoy the cuteness!

Chapter Fourteen: Definitely a PG Chapter

It was a strange day.

First, Naofumi and Raphtalia woke up in the back of the wagon instead of at the campsite. The wagon was moving through the forest at a very quick speed. It was almost like it was going faster than the public transportation back in his world.

Right after waking up, Uncle Bald Guy checked him and Raphtalia over. Wanting to make sure they were okay for some reason. They felt fine though. They weren't sure what Uncle Bald Guy was so flustered about, and he wouldn't say why either.

To top it off, Ren and Motoyasu weren't talking a lot, if at all. Ren looked to be brooding in the back of the wagon, facing away from Naofumi and the others (so cool!). And Moto was looking all googly-eyed at Amber.

…

Oh yeah, and Amber was speaking too. It wasn't her usual 'gwah' sound. She was actually saying words and everything.

"Wow! The upgrades you made make pulling this wagon so much easier, Moto!" Amber said happily. "Thank you!"

It was definitely a strange day.

"Anything for you, my darling angel!" Motoyasu had stars in his eyes. It was definitely a little creepy, in the same way that Mr. Aultcray and other adults looked sometimes. What happened to him while Naofumi was asleep? Had his big bro hit his head or something?

Or worse, was he going through - *GASP* - PUBERTY!?

Naofumi heard horror stories about that. Apparently boys started acting really weird when that happened, and he never wanted it to happen to him. Raphtalia says that he's weird enough.

Amber giggled. "Awwww, you're too kind Moto!" Wait, did she seriously like that?! GROSS! What happened while they were asleep?! Had the real Amber been abducted by this imposter!? Was the real cute and non-talkative Amber gwahing pitifully in a ditch somewhere, needing his help!?

"What did you do to the real Amber?!" Naofumi yelled at the Filolial. "Tell me or I'll have your head!" It would have sounded a lot cooler and more threatening if it wasn't coming from less than five feet of innocent adorableness.

"I am the real Amber, though," Amber said, cocking her head confusedly.

"You most definitely are." Motoyasu still had stars in his eyes. Why was he acting so strange? Had he been abducted too?!

"You too, Moto!? Were you all abducted by aliens and replaced with these fakes in an elaborate scheme to steal my brains for your experiments!?" Naofumi cried.

Everyone looked at him in shock and amazement.

...

After a few seconds of silence, Naofumi's eyes roamed the group of slack-jawed people. Minus Ren and Wyndia. "Uh...What?" He asked.

Uncle Bald Guy finally cleared his throat. "Oh uh, I was just surprised you knew words like 'elaborate' and 'experiments'."

"Hey! I know smart people words!"

The man waved him off. "Yeah, sure you do. I hate to break it to ya squirt, but that's them alright." Uncle Bald Guy leaned back against the cloth covering.

Naofumi pouted. "Oh yeah? Prove it then!" He yelled at Amber. Part of him could believe that was the real Moto. But it couldn't believe she was the real Amber!

"How should I prove it?" Amber asked curiously.

"I, uh, I don't know! Tell me something only Amber would know!" Naofumi said, pointing a finger at the filolial. Gripping the wagon with one wing, she raised the other wing to her beak as she thought for a few moments.

"You've been sneaking me your meals the last few days and eating what's in your Shield."

…

Uncle Bald Guy glared down at the suddenly pale kid. "And why would he do that?" He asked with a dangerous edge on his tone.

Naofumi chuckled innocently. "Because I wanted to share your amazing food?"

"You mean you were hiding some of the castle leftovers from me?" Raphtalia asked sadly. Her ears drooped. "I thought you said there weren't any left..."

"No, I mean, not really, I mean, there isn't any left now, um-" Naofumi was trying to find the right words to say.

"If I remember correctly, you said Uncle Bald Guy's cooking has tasted really bland lately," Amber said. "So you wanted to dump it off on me so you could eat some real food."

...

Erhard glared harshly at the kid, who sweatdropped. Okay, this was definitely Amber. He'd been so careful using his new skill to see in the dark at night to sneak these tasteless scraps to her. No one else would know about that.

He'd have to be more careful in the future.

"Bland, huh?! Was my cooking bland before too?!" Erhard honestly looked betrayed.

"No, your food was really good before!" Naofumi quickly reassured. "It's just... not been so good lately?" He offered.

Uncle Bald Guy huffed. "I'M COOKING WITHOUT AN OVEN OR A STOVETOP! WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING?! FIVE STARS?!"

"Well, I guess I was expecting something like the dinner I cooked-" Naofumi was saying.

"YOU HAVE THAT DANG CHEATING SHIELD TO HELP WITH THAT! GIVE ME A BREAK YOU RUNT!"

"I'M NOT A RUNT! AND IT'S NOT CHEATING!" Naofumi yelled.

I do help make your cooking taste better. So he has a point.

"You stay out of this, stupid shield!" Naofumi yelled at the Shield. It gave him a small zap in response. By now, the group was used to Naofumi's periodic arguments with his Shield. They didn't bat an eye as he cried out in pain.

"A runt is someone that is small or undersized, correct?" Amber asked.

"Yes." Uncle Bald Guy said.

"Then you are indeed a runt, little Naofumi," Amber said sweetly.

"NO I'M NOT!" Naofumi yelled angrily.

"But you're a cute runt!"

"Ahhh! You're so smart my lovely angel! Already knowing such words!" Motoyasu said happily. Why did he still have stars in his eyes? Was Moto sick? Was it contagious, like chickenpox?

"Also, I really enjoyed Uncle Bald Guy's cooking. So thank you for the scraps at night." Amber said happily.

Erhard smirked. "Ha! At least someone appreciates my cooking!"

Naofumi pouted and sat back against the cloth covering on his side of the wagon with his arms crossed. It looked really cute and adorable to be honest. Erhard couldn't help but laugh harder at him, which only made him pout more and turn away with a huff.

Freaking adults. Freaking Amber. One day, he'd grow up and show them he wasn't a measly runt! Yeah, he'd be the tallest guy around! And he'd have a full head of spiky hair too! He'd show them all!

...

"Nao… Naofumi…"

Naofumi looked beside him. Raphtalia didn't look very good again. "You okay, Raphtalia?" He asked worriedly.

She shook her head. "No… Can I… lay on your lap please?" She asked. "That might… help…" Her cheeks turned red. Her tail wagged nervously behind her.

Naofumi was quick to realize what was happening! Raphtalia must have a fever too as well as motion sickness! "Sure. I won't mind at all!" Naofumi said happily and innocently. Changing his shield to the Pillow Shield and moving it over his lap.

Raphtalia immediately leaned over and rested her head on it. He started petting her head and floofing her ears to help the smol girl get her mind off the road and her fever. She smiled, and relaxed. Her tail wagging happily against the cloth covering behind her. Though her face was still red.

If he tried floofing her tail in front of everyone now, she might explode from embarrassment. Oh no, she hoped no one else realized she was faking it. The medicine and Motoyasu's upgrades to the wagon made the bumps in the road barely noticeable. But she'd wanted to rest on his lap, so she acted like she was queasy to get it.

It was cuteness and genius at its finest.

The others in the wagon awed at the sight. Except for Ren, who was still coolly facing the road behind them. He looked so calm and cool, not looking at them at all. Naofumi sometimes wondered what it'd be like to look into his mind. What cool thoughts must run through that head of his?

'NO! I CAN NEVER UNSEE THAT! I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AMBER THE SAME WAY EVER AGAIN! STUPID HORMONES! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO STRIKE NOW! CAN'T THEY ALL JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND STOP LOOKING AT ME SO JUDGMENTALLY!? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'

And thus, the man's silent cry for help fell on deaf (and unaware) ears yet again.

The rest of the ride went by in relative peace. Naofumi dozed for a little while, hands resting on Raphtalia's head. And before the sun had set, he awoke to the sound of the wagon rattling through the streets of the Capital.

"Amber, stop there," Erhard said, pointing at a spot.

"Okay!" She parked the wagon. Nearby people gave her strange looks as the heroes exited. One, what kind of creature was she? Two, why was she transporting the Cardinal Heroes? And three, did she just speak?

Naofumi looked out the front curiously. Raphtalia's head poked out next to his. Both of the smol kids rubbed at their eyes, trying to get rid of their grogginess so they could see where they were at.

"Ahhh, you've returned earlier than expected! But I'm glad to see you arrived safely!" They were inside the castle courtyard. They really had made good time. Aultcray's lead advisor was approaching the wagon. He bowed respectively. "Was your quest a success?" He asked curiously.

Ren jumped out the back of the wagon. "Sort of. There were some… lies in regards to the dragon." Ren said. He approached the lead advisor and gave him a brief summary of what happened calmly and coolly while everyone else got out of the wagon.

As he talked, he did not face the Filolial Queen, nor the Hero fawning over her wagon. Polishing and cleaning it after the long day's ride. And no, his butt did not feel sore from sitting all day. He was just fine. Thank you very much.

When Ren had finished, the advisor put a hand to his chin in thought. "I see. Oh dear, that explains why members of the guild were thrown in prison this morning. I wanted to contact his Majesty about the matter, but he's still over in Siltvelt ironing out the details for this new alliance of ours."

"Huh. So that old man still isn't around." Erhard muttered to himself. "Tell me, smart guy. Do you have any idea what that is, or what we should do?" He jabbed a finger at Amber, who was humming along with Motoyasu as they polished the side of the wagon together.

The advisor's eyes widened. "Great Scott! Is that a Filolial Queen?!"

"Yeah. At least, I think that's what she is? Is Amber a Filolial Queen?" Naofumi turned to Raphtalia and asked.

"I think so?" The smol girl shrugged, unsure herself.

"Gaelion literally told us yesterday," Erhard said, wanting to facepalm. Kids these days have the attention span of a rock. Scratch that, they have less of an attention span than a rock.

At least rocks stay where you leave them and don't wander off on their own.

"He did? I must have been too busy petting him." Naofumi said, cocking his head to the side curiously.

"Me too." Raphtalia also cocked her head to the side like Naofumi.

Cute.

"Traitors!" Amber yelled at them indignantly. "Who wants to pet a scaly freak like him instead of soft feathers like mine!?"

"That's my dad you're talking about!" Wyndia shouted. "Show some respect, bird!"

"Make me, scale girl!"

"Oh my, and she speaks too." The advisor said in surprise as the two females shouted every insult they could imagine without dipping into obscenities.

There were kids around, after all.

"She does a lot more than talk" Erhard groaned.

"I'm sorry. Besides the name, I don't know much about them. Her Majesty Queen Mirellia would know better than me about Filolial Queens." The lead advisor said. "If you'll excuse me, the other advisors and I finally have a valid reason to inform the guild about why some of their members were arrested." The advisor turned around and walked back towards the castle.

Erhard groaned. Of course, the man wouldn't know much about Filolial Queens… Oh well, at least she hadn't transformed yet-

"Thanks so much for helping me, Moto!" A poof of light shone behind them, and Erhard turned around. His jaw hit the ground in shock.

"What was that-" Naofumi started to turn around, curious about the bright light. But Uncle Bald Guy slapped a hand over Naofumi's eyes. He also did the same to Raphtalia before she could turn around. "Hey, what's this?! What am I not being allowed to see?!"

The stars in Motoyasu's eyes were bigger than before. Amber was in human form again. Even better, she was hugging him tightly in happiness. Her head rested snugly against his neck. Her chest was smooshed against his chest plate. And she giggled when he stroked her soft wings.

He could die happy. Very happy indeed. There was no problem with doing this in the castle courtyard, where everyone and anyone could see them. Absolutely no problem whatsoever.

"Sir Motoyasu!"

A very angry, indignant Meanie appeared out of nowhere. She looked as mean and cranky as ever as she stomped her way over towards the man. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you!? How could you leave me behind with all those horrible, mean girls (referring to Motoyasu's harem)?! How could you-"

...

She stopped in shock as she finally realized who Motoyasu was hugging. And that said person was not clothed. Her jaw moved, trying to form words, but it was unable to.

"Hmmm, who is this Moto? She doesn't seem very happy to see you." Amber asked curiously.

"Who am I?! WHO AM I?! WHO THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU A-" Myne was finally able to start yelling again.

"Oh, she's just Myne! No one special compared to you, my darling angel. She's just a princess." Motoyasu said, giving Amber a flirtatious wink. She giggled in response.

Naofumi wanted to barf. If he's lucky, maybe he could barf on Meanie. Too bad Uncle Bald Guy's hand was in the way of his eyes, so his aim wouldn't be that good.

"No… no way…" Meanie looked incredibly shocked. There was no way this could be happening. Did Motoyasu… no longer love her?

"I can't see a thing. I want to see what's happening!" Naofumi whined.

"I want to see!" Raphtalia whined in complaint. Whatever was happening, it sounded like Meanie was in for a bad time!

"No! Would someone please give her a cloak or something?" Erhard grumbled to Ren's party members. Just like that morning, about all of them were trying to look anywhere except the naked Filolial.

"Why does someone need a cloak, Uncle Bald Guy?" Naofumi whined.

"None of your business, runt!"

Ren was facing away, doing a squat with his arms covering his head. 'AHHHHHHH! WHY IS SHE DOING IT AGAIN!? I DON'T WANT MY INNOCENCE RUINED ANYMORE THAN IT ALREADY IS! I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO BE JEALOUS OF MOTOYASU OR JEALOUS OF NAOFUMI FOR NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON!'

"Sir Motoyasu! You can't be serious! Why is that, that-" Meanie struggled to find a word. "THOT?! Hanging off your arm-"

"Too bad you're already in Naofumi's party. I wish I could have you in mine instead since we won't be together all the time this way." Motoyasu said to Amber. "Do you see what I have to put up with every day?"

"Yes, I feel really bad for you Moto. I just met her and she seems to yell quite often." Amber agreed.

Myne looked more shocked. Incredibly so. Motoyasu was so kind and loyal before… what happened to him?! What happened to her Motoyasu!? Was it because of that lying, rotten, no-good little piece of *beep* that her Motoyasu was gone!?... Wait, did her mind just censor a word because the little *beep* was nearby?! DID IT JUST DO IT AGAIN?! WAS SHE GOING INSANE?!

WAS THE SHIELD BRAINWASHING HER FOR REAL!? THAT WAS HER BACKUP PLAN, BUT SHE NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS REAL!

"Wah! WAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Meanie ran from the group. Crying like a little cry baby. Her precious Sir Motoyasu gave more attention to another thot more than her, the real future Queen! And her mind was keeping her from cussing around the little brat too because of his devil-like powers! It was soooooo unfair!

"... So, what's her deal?" Wyndia asked. "I just met her and I already don't like her."

"Stay cool...just stay cool...Everything is fine." Ren mumbled to himself, quietly enough that Naofumi couldn't hear him. Ren was still in a squat position, facing away from everyone. It was a good thing Erhard was still covering the squirming kids' eyes. That high level was really helping him out.

"Sir Ren, that is not a proper position for a hero such as yourself. Stop being such a fool and stand up properly." Wyndia said.

"I'm not being a fool!" Ren indignantly stood and faced Wyndia. However, he saw Motoyasu and Amber out of the corner of his eyes, and his face burned with embarrassment. "I mean, um, uh, oh-"

'WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN TO MEEEEEE!?'

"I'm only giving them privacy is all!"

Wyndia rolled her eyes. A knight finally ran toward them with the requested cloak. The man's face was a bright red as he handed it to Amber, who looked at it curiously as he ran away. "What is this for, Moto?" She asked.

"Oh, well um…" Motoyasu finally had the decency to turn bright red and look away embarrassedly. Maybe Meanie's appearance had kickstarted his brain again? "Normally, it's not appropriate for women to be naked in public…" He whispered.

"Huh…" Amber looked around. And that was when she finally noticed that almost every male and a few females were looking away. Naofumi and Raphtalia's eyes were still being covered by Uncle Bald Guy. And both of them were struggling against his grip to see what was going on.

"Oh, oh my!" Amber finally realized that this was, in fact, not an acceptable social norm. Uncle Bald Guy had also made it very explicit that she should never be naked around his kids. She'd wondered why that morning, but now it was painfully obvious. She blushed a fierce red as, for the first time, she experienced embarrassment. "I'm sorry! I'm so, terribly sorry!" She covered herself with the cloak, trying to achieve some sense of decency after her prolonged exposure.

"Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no this won't do." She said, looking down at herself. The cloak was far too big on her and hard to hold up. "Maybe if I try this." She disappeared in a poof of light and reappeared in her Filolial Queen form. The cloak, however, was ripped by the transformation.

"Oh, too big, maybe this-" She turned back into a human. For her credit. The tattered remains did cover the essentials. But she looked like a mess.

"... oops." Amber hung her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rip it." Why was she being such a klutz now?

Erhard sighed. "I guess this isn't going to be such a simple fix."

"What's not a simple fix?! I want to see!" Naofumi complained. Why did Uncle Bald Guy have to be so strong?! He strained to try and move the hand out of the way, but nothing worked. The blacksmith was still, as of yet, stronger than his stronk smol hands.

"I want to see too!" Raphtalia whined. It sounded like Meanie had been there, and that she ran away crying. Why did she have to miss all the good stuff?!

"Come on. I think I know someone who can help her with proper attire." Erhard said. Aultcray wasn't there anyway. So there was no point in trying to ask for his help. Yet it was also pretty late in the evening. That person's place might be closed now.

Ugh...

"Help who out? Why won't anyone tell me what's happening?!" Naofumi whined again.

"Because you don't have to know, brat! Trust me. It's better off that way." Uncle Bald Guy said, still covering both kids' eyes as he led them away.

"Boo! I want to see!" Naofumi complained.

Even though she couldn't see, Raphtalia managed to pat his head in sympathy.

"AHHHHHHHH!" A surprised scream came from the castle. It sounded like it had come from Meanie. It only made Raphtalia wish that she could see again.

"Come on, Amber. Let's see what Erhard's idea is!" Motoyasu said, leading Amber by the wing.

"Make sure Sunset Overdrive stays safe!" Amber called back to the knights in the area. Many of them still looked very uncomfortable.

"Sunset Overdrive?..." One knight asked quietly to the knight beside him.

"Don't ask. Just roll with it and the King will probably give you a raise within weeks."

...

"You get paid?"

The soldier looked at his friend with one eyebrow raised. "You don't?"

"I *beep*ing better get paid after putting up with this crap."

"You guys go on ahead. I'll just-" Ren didn't have the courage to follow. Screw learning any of the little kid's secrets to getting stronk. A naked woman was too much for him to handle. But Wyndia grabbed him by the arm anyway.

"It's no big deal to accidentally see someone naked. Just don't get weird about it." She gave the advice dryly to Ren.

"Oh, um, okay," Ren said quietly. He didn't trust his voice very much at that moment for some reason. Why was he suddenly feeling even more embarrassed now? He chalked it up to being because he'd never seen a naked woman before. Yeah, that had to be it.

Not outside of a computer screen, anyway.

Meanwhile, somewhere inside the castle.

"CAN'T I HAVE ONE PLACE TO CRY IN PEACE?!" Meanie yelled, her hair sopping wet. The latest water bucket trap laid on the ground beside her. She'd only wanted to run into a random room to vent out her frustration on some random person. But unfortunately, there were still a few of Naofumi and Raphtalia's patented 'illusion traps' hidden on random doorways in the large castle. They'd really gone to town with these things. And for some reason, she was the only one discovering them.

Her life was so UNFAIR!

By the time they arrived at the tailor's shop, it was already closed for the night. So Erhard booked several rooms at the nearby inn. One for him and the kids, two for Ren and his party (one for the guys, and one for the girls), and one for Motoyasu. Amber got a stall in the back. She wanted to sleep with Moto or the kids, but there was no way in hell Erhard was allowing that to happen.

Someone had to be the adult here, and it sure as heck wasn't going to be the hormonal college student with an angel complex. And until she had clothes she could wear, he would not trust her to be alone around the kids. Lest she accidentally transformed in front of them and ruined their eyes for life.

Naofumi had good dreams that night, interrupted only by the whimpering of the smol girl sleeping next to him. Luckily, all it took was some gentle tail floofing and her sleep became peaceful again, allowing him to sleep again in peace.

The next day eventually arrived with chirping birds and warm sunlight. After a hearty breakfast on the bottom floor, Ren's male party members went hunting monsters outside the Capital. And the rest of the group arrived at the tailor's shop.

"Hey there! How can I help you all?" The woman asked with an earnest smile. She had sandy blonde hair tied back in a bun and round glasses framing her face. She seemed nice enough.

Motoyasu pointed at Amber with a slight blush. "We, uh, need some clothes for her." The filolial in question cocked her head to the side as the tailor hummed.

"Clothes for a filolial? She's much larger than any I've seen before, but...Why clothes on a bird?" She asked. At that, Amber giggled.

"One moment, ma'am. Uncle Bald Guy-"

"I told you not to call me that!" It was okay for his kids to do that. But Amber was, so far, not his kid.

The bird ignored the blacksmith's outburst. "Could you hold up a sheet or something for me?"

Erhard grumbled and did so, holding it to block the other's field of vision. "What are we not being allowed to see this time?" Naofumi asked.

"Nothing important." Uncle Bald Guy answered.

He was keeping stuff from them again! "BOO!"

The tailor's mouth hung open from the filolial speaking, and it fell completely to the floor as Amber transformed in a burst of light into a beautiful woman. "W-woah! Talk about unexpected! This is amazing! I've never seen anything like it before!" The tailor started flicking around Amber in excitement.

If Ren and Motoyasu could see it, they would have sworn the tailor was a girl otaku. A rare breed indeed. "Wow! How old are you?! Are there more like you?! Are they naturally this big?! Wow, your hair is so smooth!"

Erhard turned his face away. Motoyasu at least had the decency to stay behind the sheet for now. Amber did her best to answer, but the girl was getting her flustered pretty quickly with all the intrusive questions.

"Hey, there's a reason we came here. Can you get on with it?" Erhard was getting uncomfortable holding up the sheet. And it looked like Naofumi was getting antsier. He was really, really curious about what was going on with his monster.

"So you need clothes that can transform with you, is that right?"

"Yeah, that would be nice. The two kids with me are too young to see me like this." Amber said.

"See you like what?! What am I not being allowed to see!?" Naofumi tried to move the sheet out of the way, and Erhard tried to keep him from getting through.

"Stop that! Give the- whoa!" Erhard lost his grip on the sheet. Fortunately, Amber transformed back into her Filolial form right before it lowered to Naofumi and Raphtalia's eyes. Preserving the kids' innocence.

'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!' Unfortunately, she hadn't transformed quickly enough for Ren. He was now hiding behind a clothes stand, shivering in fright. His innocence had been ruined even more.

"Oh, for goodness sake," Wyndia grumbled as she worked on trying to extract the socially awkward Sword Hero from his hiding place. "Get back out here."

"You can't make me," Ren whispered fiercely back. "I won't let you."

"This is ridiculous." This was supposed to be the guy who defeated her father in battle. Wyndia was not impressed. Maybe her Father was getting weak from old age?

Oh yeah, and Motoyasu stood nearby. He had stars in his eyes again from seeing his angel before she transformed back to a Filolial.

The tailor's attention was brought to the two children, who were wondering what had been hidden from them since Amber was still a Filolial. However, before they could do anything, she appeared in front of them, screaming in excitement. She had finally noticed them.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH! You two are just the CUTEST! JUST LOOK AT THESE CUTE, PUDGY CHEEKS!" The tailor squeezed Naofumi's cheeks, catching the young boy extremely off guard.

"AH! SAVE ME RAPHTALIA!" Naofumi screamed in terror.

"*Gasp* And look at her! I've never seen such a little cutie in my LIFE!" The tailor moved up close, like, CREEPY close to admire Raphtalia. The smol girl got so freaked out that she dove under Naofumi's cloak. Gripping tightly to his legs.

Once more, her shaking tail poked out from under the cloak at the action. Bristling like a porcupine's needles. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! THAT'S SO ADORABLE I'M GONNA DIE!" The tailor looked on cloud nine at the adorable display as she spun and swooned. Even though it was being caused by how much she was scaring the two kids. "Do you two want new clothes too!? I'll make anything you want! Anything anything ANYTHING!"

The others there got unnerved by her excitement. Was this the reason why they hardly saw any girl otakus?

"Uncle Bald Guy… help us…" Naofumi muttered in fear. He was wishing he could hide under his cloak too, like Raphtalia.

"I suppose they could both do with a little wardrobe change now and then. I swear I spoil you two way too much." He mumbled the last part. Though he was having to hold back chuckles.

"Wha-"

The tailor clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Oh, you two are going to look fabulous fabulous FAB-UL-OOOOOUS when I'm done with you! You may look good in all that armor, but what about when you're not wearing it? I bet I could come up with the perfect outfit for both of you!"

"NO! Uncle Bald Guy!" Naofumi looked up at him in complaint. He'd only known this woman for five minutes and he suddenly didn't want to be near her for five YEARS!

Raphtalia was shaking under his cloak! There was no way he'd allow her to be near such a person!

"Just don't go overboard. We don't have that kind of budget." Erhard grunted. They were under the crown now, but there was a limit to how much he'd spoil the kid Hero.

"BOO!" This had to be child abuse! Or neglect! Whatever it was that Uncle Bald Guy could be accused of!

"I wouldn't mind grabbing a thing or two while we're here," Tersia said, sharing a look with Ren's other female companion.

"Yeah, I could do with a few...things," Farrie responded with a light dusting of red on her cheeks. Erhard facepalmed.

"Keep it PG with the kids around, you two."

"Okayyyyyy..." They moaned, before taking off into a section of the store in the back.

"Excuse me, but we were looking for something that would transform with me?" Amber indignantly brought the tailor's attention back to her.

"Oh, of course!" The tailor got up, straightening out her dress. It was like she'd never had a freak-out. "All I'd need is some magic thread and I could have an outfit done for you within an hour!"

"... Magic... thread?" The filolial cocked her head to the side curiously.

"It's basically thread made from your mana! I know the magic shop lady down the street has a crystal that should let you make it. I'll just need your measurements first so I can get to work on a design! And I can also give you an outfit to wear in the meantime as long as you promise not to tear it!"

"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Amber said happily.

"Follow me into the back room!"

Amber followed the tailor towards the back of the shop. Motoyasu and Naofumi immediately moved to follow. Naofumi wanted to see why his monster needed to he measured, but Uncle Bald Guy grabbed both of them by the scruff of their collars.

"Hey! What's the big idea, Uncle Bald Guy!?" Naofumi cried.

"Yeah, what he said!" Motoyasu cried indignantly. The stars in his eyes disappeared.

The blacksmith sighed. "You, don't be a perv. And you, you're too young to be seeing that kind of stuff."

"Wha!? I'm ten, thank you very much! Almost eleven!" Naofumi crossed his arms and pouted. Raphtalia patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. "I think I'm more than old enough to see my monster get measured!"

"Nope. Neither of you are allowed to see this. No runts allowed!" Erhard said with finality.

"Come on, what are you hiding from me now? Why does Amber need any of this...magic-y stuff anyway?" Naofumi whined.

"Nothing. Amber only needs magic thread or the clothes will rip when she transforms." Erhard answered.

Wait, Amber could transform?! What could she transform into?! Was she capable of transforming into a fire-breathing dragon?! But why would a dragon need clothes? That only made him more curious! "Now go to the waiting room with Sir Ren and wait." Uncle Bald Guy said. Wyndia had finally managed to extract him from behind the clothes stand. She'd only had to point out what he was trying to hide behind, and he almost had another freakout. Her already low opinion was dropping ever lower.

"Lame...Totally not cool. Next thing you know we'll be sitting here for an hour before they're done." Naofumi dragged his feet over to Ren, Raphtalia close behind him.

The boy was unnaturally wise for his age. Perhaps Aultcray was rubbing off on him?

Ren was secretly giving Erhard the most thankful face he could muster. The blacksmith gave him an easy way out that hid the fact that he didn't want to be around naked Amber. That man was truly a bro. Ren was also lucky. Naofumi hadn't paid any attention to him at all in the last few minutes. Nor did he notice that Ren had been trying to hide behind a 'bra' stand.

It was no wonder he extracted himself so quickly after Wyndia pointed it out. He swore his cheeks were still red from embarrassment. How was Naofumi not noticing this?! WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY NOTICE HIS PLEAS FOR HELP?!

"I guess I'll watch over the kids too," Wyndia said boredly. Unlike the other female party members, she wasn't very excited about shopping for clothes.

"Sure, I'll help with that as well…" Motoyasu said.

The two kids followed Ren and Wyndia, but then Naofumi grabbed Raphtalia's hand and led her sideways behind a rack of clothes. "Naofumi, what are we doing?" Raphtalia whispered.

"We're seeing what Uncle Bald Guy is trying to hide from us." He whispered back. "I have to figure out if Amber is transforming into a dragon behind our backs."

"Won't we get in trouble though?" Raphtalia whispered curiously.

"No way. Uncle Bald Guy thinks he's scary enough for us to do what he says all the time, but he's not. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"

… "If you say so…" Raphtalia whispered unsurely.

The two peeked around the corner of the clothes rack, ready to find out what was being hidden from them, only to see a pair of large legs in the way. Their eyes traveled upwards until they were met by Uncle Bald Guy's stern expression.

"Um… heh, heh." Naofumi nervously chuckled.

"Busted," Raphtalia whispered.

"I believe I made myself crystal clear. No 'runts' are allowed past this point." Uncle Bald Guy said.

"I'm no runt!" Naofumi said angrily.

Erhard didn't budge. He instead hovered his hand a foot over Naofumi's head. "You must be this tall to enter."

...

Boo! It was just like those stupid roller coaster rules back at home! He could never ride on any of the fun ones because of it! Stupid rules!

"I want to see!" Naofumi tried to jump past Erhard in desperation, but the Blacksmith easily grabbed him mid-flight.

"Excuse me while I escort the runts out," Erhard said back to Amber and the tailor, who was about to go into the back room.

"Let me go! I want to see! I have to find out what's going on!" Naofumi whined, struggling to free himself from Erhard's grip. Raphtalia said nothing and followed behind them like a smol lost puppy.

"See you soon, Naofumi, Raphtalia!" Amber waved as she was escorted into the backroom by the excited tailor.

Erhard carried Naofumi to the waiting room and set him on a seat opposite Wyndia and Ren. He then pointed a stern finger down at him. "Stay."

Naofumi huffed. "I'm not a dog!"

Raphtalia sat next to him and head patted the boy sympathetically.

Uncle Bald Guy sighed. "I have no idea what to do with you sometimes, kid..." His eyes widened, looking around the room again. "No!" He turned around and left the room. "Motoyasu! Don't you dare!"

The man screamed in terror at the high leveled blacksmith's reappearance. And he bolted away from the dressing room across the store. "You'll never take me alive!"

Naofumi pouted as he rested his head on his hands. The sounds of stuff crashing around sounded outside. "It's so unfair. He isn't letting us do anything fun today."

"Do you have to be so rude to the one that raises you?" Wyndia asked.

"It's not my fault! He's the one refusing to not tell me what's going on!" Naofumi said childishly.

"Have you stopped to wonder why he's not telling you?"

"Well, no, not really, but that's not important! I want to see-" Naofumi tried to whine again.

"Actually, it is important. I can tell he cares a lot for you two. And from what I've seen, he wants what's best for you. The way you're acting now to him is very childish and immature, and not at all hero-like." Wyndia said flatly.

"... Well, I can't help that I'm an immature child!" The way Naofumi proudly owned up to it worried Ren in more ways than one.

Wyndia scowled. "Hey, brat, you should be feeling guilty about it! Not proud!"

"I'll always be proud of myself, Dog Lady!"

"My name's not Dog Lady! It's Wyndia, you runt!"

"How many times do I have to say it! I'm not a runt-!"

One last loud crash resounded outside, and then Erhard burst into the room again. He was dragging Motoyasu behind him by the ear. "Ow ow! Okay, I get it! Just stop pulling- EEK!" Erhard threw the grown man into a chair in the corner.

"Sit there!... um... You're on time-out until further notice!" With that, Erhard went out the door and slammed it shut to stand guard outside.

"Thank you too, jerk!"

Erhard wasn't sure what was more ironic. That he was essentially babysitting the Three Heroes. Or that he was having to treat the oldest one like a child since he was acting like a child. In the presence of a literal child. Motoyasu had even trashed a lot of the store in his efforts to escape Erhard, like any child throwing a tantrum.

Oh, the irony… he got to work cleaning everything up before the tailor came back outside. Ignoring Farrie and Tersia, who was looking at woman's underwear.

"Hey, Naofumi. How about we don't try and start an argument here." Ren calmly suggested. Seeing that Naofumi and Wyndia were still glaring at each other.

Naofumi pouted, but he listened to Ren. Since Ren was the only cool one in this room.

Oh, and Raphtalia too. He couldn't forget she was cool too. He patted her on the head for trying her best to comfort him. She smiled happily, and her tail wagged behind her seat in happiness.

"Here, how about this. Let's distract ourselves with a topic." Motoyasu suggested. Oh yeah, he was cool too. Though he wasn't acting as cool lately, what with the weird way he was acting around Amber.

"Hmmm, okay. Do we want to talk about our favorite shows, or-" Naofumi was asking. He'd be totally down to talk all about AllFight… or was it AllMight? He couldn't remember very well. He'd been away from games, TV, and Manga for too long.

Oh no! This world was turning his short term memory against him! He was forgetting all his favorite Episodes of One Punch Dude! No, stupid brain! He put his hands over his head! He had to keep his mind from throwing out the moment AllFight used United States of Smash against his archnemesis AllForOne! He could never forgive himself if he forgot that moment of epicness!

He then gasped! That wasn't the name of AllFight's nemesis! Nor the name of AllFight's ultimate move! NO! HE WAS FORGETTING EVERYTHINGGGGGGG!

"So...what do you want to talk about Motoyasu?" Ren asked, leaning back in his chair with arms crossed.

The blond man tapped Naofumi on the shoulder. "I've been wondering something actually. How did you manage to get so strong? By the looks of it, your stats are through the roof and it doesn't even seem like you do a lot on your own."

Ren was inwardly surprised at how naturally Motoyasu brought it up. Outwardly, he nodded coolly in agreement. It was possible to nod coolly, right? He really hoped he wasn't making a fool of himself again. "He's right. Most of the time, you guys leave most of the fighting to Erhard. Yet you managed to block not only a strike from the Chimera Wave Boss but from a dragon too."

"So what gives, man!? What's your secret!?"

Naofumi shrugged. "I dunno."

"... What do you mean 'I dunno'!?"

The boy raised one eyebrow. "Seriously, I dunno. I just did what you guys told me to do, and we keep getting stronger and stronger because of it." He said.

…

"What exactly did you do?" Motoyasu asked.

"Well, I did the Smelting thingie and the Energy thingie."

"Smelting?" "Energy thingie?" Both of the men asked simultaneously, before looking at one another. "What the heck is he talking about?" They said in sync.

"Oh, I also absorbed some hair from Raphtalia. And I absorbed some of her blood too-"

"When did you do that?" Raphtalia asked curiously.

"When Erhard gave you that haircut. My shield's gem glowed by your hair, so I absorbed it. And when they were near your used bandages, it absorbed them too." Naofumi said. "It unlocked a couple of shields to make you stronger… is that a bad thing?"

"Oh, um…" Raphtalia looked away blushing. What Naofumi was saying in effect was that she was a part of his shield. She didn't know whether to feel flustered, embarrassed, or flattered.

Ren cleared his throat. "Anyway. I think he's probably talking about the power-up methods. Energy Transfer is the main way to make weapon forms stronger."

Motoyasu shook his head. "No no no! That's not right at all! Smelting is how you power up the weapon forms! Not some weird energy!"

"Seriously? Do we have to argue this again? It's all about mastering weapons, and-"

"No, it's about using them and making them stronger!"

The two started arguing with each other.

Naofumi and Raphtalia both looked between the two men as they squabbled. Wyndia looked at them with a deadpan expression, not understanding the topic and judging them harshly for their childishness.

"Umm, you guys?" Naofumi brought the attention back to himself. "Both of those power-up thingies work. I've used them both. They're even in my menu-"

"Quiet! We're having grown-up talk here!" Motoyasu said.

"Grown-up? You're acting like a child." Ren said.

"Oh yeah, chuuni boy! Well-"

"I said they all worked!" Naofumi shouted over them.

…

The two looked at Naofumi, who suddenly looked very shy. He swore he wasn't very confrontational before. But he couldn't stand the sight of his two bros fighting with each other. "I've been using both your guys' power up thingies… and Itsujerk's power up thingies too…" He admitted. "If that's wrong somehow…"

Raphtalia hugged him in comfort, and he sniffled.

HOLY HELL! WHAT WAS WRONG WITH BOTH OF THEM!? NAOFUMI WAS ABOUT TO CRY BECAUSE OF THEM! THE GUILT WAS CRUSHING THEM TO PIECES!

"No, no, it's okay, please don't cry." Motoyasu quickly comforted the smol boy.

"Um, you said something about them all working?" Ren tried to sound calm and aloof, but Naofumi sniffling was making him both cry and freak out on the inside. 'OH NO! I HURT THE KID WHO THINKS I'M COOL! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'

Naofumi sniffled again. "Yeah. Everything you guys talked about that first night appeared in my help guide… I've been trying to use it when I can to upgrade my shields…"

Motoyasu and Ren looked between each other, and then at Naofumi again. They both took a deep, humbling breath. "So let me get this straight. You're using my smelting method?"

"And you're simultaneously using my mastery energy method?" Ren asked.

"Well, not at the same time. But I've used them both, yeah." Naofumi switched to his Pillow Shield. "Your Smelting thingie makes this thing more floofy Moto." He admitted. "Your energy thingie also made it more floofy." Not only was it more floofy. But he'd also found it had a skill. It had probably been there since the day he unlocked it, but he never noticed until recently. Feather Cloud.

…

The two looked at each other, and then at Naofumi again. They weren't sure what was more unbelievable. That both their methods worked. Or that Naofumi had been using them on a Pillow Shield! Wasn't that supposed to be a weak shield?!

"I don't understand what's going on here. But whatever it is, it doesn't sound like the kid's lying." Wyndia said boredly. Looking off to the side. "So just believe he's telling the truth and stop with all this pointless arguing." She sounded very annoyed. The next time she saw her father, she was going to let him have it.

"Hmmm…" Motoyasu was still thinking to himself. But Ren examined the kid closely. The way he was floofing up his Pillow Shield (which he had to admit did look really floofy, fluffier than he remembered), he couldn't find it in him to not believe him. 'Somehow, he's using mine and Motoyasu's methods. Does that mean… Motoyasu's method actually works?'

It seemed ridiculous, but he actually believed the kid was right. At the thought, Ren's help guide updated. He opened it, and his jaw slackened in shock. "No… Way…"

"What is it, Ren?" Motoyasu asked.

Naofumi looked down at his shield curiously. "Odd, you just got even more floofy."

"He wasn't lying. I can use your methods now Motoyasu." He took some ore from his sword and then used it to upgrade one of his better swords. It worked. He then used his HUD to look at his overall stats. He started to smile widely. "My stats… they've all shot up. This is incredible."

"Wha… how is it working for you?!" Motoyasu asked incredulously.

"I, um… I think it's because I believed him when he told me your methods worked." Ren whispered to him.

"Really?" Motoyasu asked.

"Yeah, I mean, don't you believe him?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, of course, I mean, um…" Motoyasu stopped to think about it. He'd believed Naofumi on just about everything else before. He believed him about learning the language to learn stronger magic. He believed him when he wanted to befriend the dragon. He believed him on showing that one guy mercy. And on many other past occasions.

Would it really cost him that much to believe there were other ways to get stronger than what he knew about?

...

He decided to put his pride on the line and believe Naofumi was right about being able to use his methods and Ren's. And with that, his help guide also pinged. Being filled with information about Ren's methods. "HOLY S-" Motoyasu covered his mouth. His stats had all shot up, just like Ren's! THIS WAS AMAZING! ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! IT-

Both heroes looked at Naofumi at the same time. He was looking at his Shield weirdly. For some reason, his Pillow Shield's fluffiness had gone up even more than before. "You said Itsuki had power up methods too?" Motoyasu asked.

"Um, yeah?" Naofumi said.

"Tell us." The way both of them were looking at him again reminded Naofumi of the creepy way adults stared. They almost looked like predators closing in on their prey.

"Um… I can't really remember…" His Shield pulled up his help guide in his HUD and moved it directly over Itsuki's Strengthening Methods. Highlighting them in bright bold letters. He pouted at his Shield. He could have brought it up all by himself! "Um… I guess it goes like this." He did his best to explain. Itsuki mentioned finding rarer materials to make weapons from, as well as using items for enchantments and for increasing stats. Though it involved turning the items into energy. And a few other things, but Naofumi found it easier just reading those from the Help Guide.

When he'd finished sharing, his Shield's fluffiness went up to a whole new level! It was beyond floofy! It was unbelievably floofy! Raphtalia, curiously, pressed her head against it, and she sighed in happiness as her head sunk in. "It's like I'm resting against a cloud…" She sighed happily.

He rested his head next to hers. And his head sunk in next to hers. "So soft…"

"Whoa…" Motoyasu and Ren looked at their HUD's incredulously. Their stats were all boosted to ridiculous proportions! It was like they were twice their level! And they hadn't even used the new methods that required effort to use!

Oh, and if Naofumi checked his stats, he'd find his stats had all gone up too. But he was too busy enjoying his Pillow Shield's new fluffiness levels alongside Raphtalia to notice.

"So, um… what now?" Ren whispered to Motoyasu.

"Well, at least we know why he's so strong now…"

"Yeah, but what are we going to do now that we know his secrets?"

Both of them looked at the kid, then at each other. Both nodded simultaneously. They were going to stick to this smol kid and protecc him, no matter what. He had become like a little brother to them both. And they'd do their best to protecc him from any strong monster down the road!

"This is going to be difficult. We'll have to split up in order to level up effectively." Ren said. "If we have to be farther than a kilometer away, that could get inconvenient really quickly."

"And if we combine all our parties, we'll be too large to move in one wagon… I guess I'm going to have to tell the ladies I'm going solo permanently." Motoyasu said with a smirk. "The party will be too big otherwise." It wasn't like he used them in a fight either. He was more than used to grinding by himself.

Plus, he might not have been willing to part with a certain orange-haired angel...

"Heh. I knew you were sick of them."

"Yeah, especially that one red-head… what's her name again?"

"..." Ren wanted to make fun of Motoyasu for that. But he honestly couldn't put a name to that girl either. Besides the one Naofumi gave her. Hadn't Motoyasu said her name earlier? Huh, that must mean it wasn't very important if he'd already forgotten it. "Yeah. I was sick of Meanie too."

Naofumi and Raphtalia were still enjoying the fluffiness of his Shield when the door suddenly slammed open. "ALRIGHT! YOU TWO ARE UP FOR MEASUREMENTS NOW!" The tailor yelled with excitement. She held some measurement rope in her hands.

"Wha-" Raphtalia and Naofumi were both grabbed by the arms.

"We're going to have so much fun!"

"NO! SAVE US MOTO!"

Motoyasu and Ren both paled. As much as they wanted to protecc Naofumi, there was no way they were getting themselves close to the crazy tailor. So the two heroes watched as the children were dragged away helplessly. The tailor, for all her quirks, was unnaturally strong, and the kids couldn't break free.

Ten minutes later, they emerged from the back room. Eyes deadened and faces sunken. "Never again..." Naofumi groaned, dragging his feet.

"Too much... for one day..." Raphtalia passed out onto Naofumi's side. Luckily, he still had the Pillow Shield equipped. She had somewhere soft to sleep away the trauma of what had happened.

Erhard pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You kids, I swear." They were overreacting way too much about what had just happened. Even the Heroes looked scared for them. He looked at the tailor, who was practically bouncing on her heels as she walked out of the backroom behind the kids. "You said the magic shop owner has what we need to make the magic thread?"

"Yep! It takes a while to actually make the thread, but I can use that time to make the designs for these two!" She looked way too happy. Motoyasu and Ren concluded despite the rarity of the girl otaku breed, never to touch her with a ten-foot pole.

Naofumi groaned. Motoyasu and Ren patted his shoulders comfortingly. Why did Raphtalia have to be lucky enough to pass out?

"And me! Don't you dare forget about me!" Amber cried indignantly.

"Of course, and you as well!"

The blacksmith nodded. "Sounds good to me. As long as you have the outfits ready in the next few days."

"Days!? Psh, you underestimate me." The tailor looked genuinely offended. "I could have several sets of outfits for those two done within two hours."

"Really? Impressive."

"Oh no need to flatter me! If it's for cuties like those two, I could work without rest for days at a time!" The tailor put her hands on her hips and stood proudly.

"WHAT ABOUT ME!?" Amber yelled again.

"I can work on yours after I get your magic thread! It will be a glorious masterpiece for sure!" The Tailor spun in bliss. The Heroes didn't know if they were seeing things now, but it looked like the tailor had a background of a star-spangled banner and fireworks going off behind her in anticipation of what she'd make. It even sounded like she had her own national anthem playing in the background.

Scratch ten feet. They didn't want to be within ten miles of her. Could they leave yet?!

"U-um, we're going to buy these." Tersia and Farrie reappeared, hiding whatever they were purchasing behind their backs so the children couldn't see it. Erhard facepalmed.

"What happened to PG?" he growled. They sweatdropped.

"We-uh-well we have to buy them eventually! Adventuring can get super uncomfortable!" Tersia whined. "Besides, this one pair I found is just the cutest-!"

"DON'T PULL IT OUT AND SHOW ME!" Erhard yelled, covering Naofumi's eyes. As well as Raphtalia's, even though the smol girl was asleep. "Just buy it quickly so we can get out of here."

"Fine."

"Why do you keep on covering our eyes!?" Naofumi whined.

He never did get an answer.

The group left the tailor's shop. Most of them purchased at least one item, with the majority of it being an extra shirt or pair of undergarments. Tersia and Farrie both purchased something significantly more risque, obviously designed to be taken off by someone else in a bedroom.

Raphtalia slept on Uncle Bald Guy's shoulder peacefully. Naofumi walked away scarred for life. The tailor's eyes twinkled whenever she looked at them, and it was unnerving to say the absolute least.

At least they hadn't been scarred for life by something else.

It didn't take long to get to the magic shop. A bell jingled when they entered. The owner of the shop was a middle-aged woman in stereotypical witch's robes. She even had the pointy hat to complete the look. Naofumi recognized her as the witch that Aultcray had invited to the Castle to tell him and Raphtalia their magic affinities. It was a pleasant surprise to see her again, especially since he remembered her being super nice.

"What can I do for you today?" The witch asked after the pleasantries had been exchanged and Naofumi had wandered over to a bookshelf to peruse the titles.

Amber approached in her human form. She wore a normal, long plaid dress that went down past her knees. Her long orange hair splayed down her back. In an outfit like this, her slim and athletic figure was even more pronounced. In fact, she looked more like a valley girl than anything else. "I need to make some magic thread."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Transformations? That's a bit rare for a human."

Amber nodded with a smile. "I assure you, I am a Filolial that can transform into a human. The form helps when I need to pull the carriage around with my family's goods. But it would be nice to not rip my dress whenever I want to appear human for other things." Amber blushed slightly and smiled.

"Other awesome things." Motoyasu quipped.

Erhard slapped the young man on the back of the head. Being careful not to disturb the smol girl resting on his shoulder. "Bro, she's not even a week old." He muttered angrily.

"Does she look a week old to you?" Motoyasu whispered back angrily. But soft enough that Naofumi didn't hear as he pulled a book out. Him and Ren looked it over.

"Just behave, or I'll put you in timeout again."

"Okay okay! Jeez."

The shop's owner laughed heartily at them. "I'd be more than happy to let you use my crystal... Or I would be, if it hadn't broken recently." She motioned the three over to a spinning wheel. It had a small pedestal where something seemed to be missing.

Amber deflated. "Aw, really?"

"It's too bad. Those crystals are rare indeed. And with the Waves going on, I could be waiting as much as six weeks for the one I ordered to arrive." The witch said sadly.

"Hmmm…" Motoyasu thought it over. Six weeks was too long to not have this problem fixed. "Could you describe this crystal for me?" He asked.

The Witch gave Motoyasu a description. And after a moment of thinking, his face brightened with an idea. "I know a place with those crystals!"

"You, you do?" The witch looked surprised. They were supposed to be rare! Was this the power and knowledge of a Cardinal Hero?

"Yes! If I remember correctly, these crystals should be in a dungeon just outside Leruno." Motoyasu said.

"You mean the one made by the mad alchemist?" The witch said in shock.

"Yep, that's the one," Motoyasu said proudly. "Looks like I know where we're going next!" Motoyasu said to Ren.

"Oh joy…" Ren did his best to sound calm and aloof. But he was already freaking out on the inside again. WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?! IT WAS HARD ENOUGH BEING COOL AROUND NAOFUMI THESE LAST FEW DAYS?! WHAT WAS HE THINKING STICKING AROUND WITH HIM WHERE HE'D NEVER BE ALLOWED TO BE HIMSELF AGAIN! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The witch hummed in thought. It seemed the Hero was certain such a cave existed there. "If you bring me back a crystal about this big-" she held her fingers apart a short distance. "Then I'll allow you to make that thread for free."

Motoyasu thumped his chest. "Worry not, witch lady! We will return with a crystal so grand, it will never break again!" He gave her a bow of curtsy. "Amber, my darling angel, would you mind giving us a ride?" He asked.

The woman giggled. "Not at all! As long as I get to bring my carriage!"

"Ohhh you know I can't say no to you! Come on, let's go!"

Naofumi gagged at the display. Raphtalia would have too if she wasn't still asleep on Uncle Bald Guy's shoulder.

Were they going to have to get used to this now?

Probably.

The witch happily waved them off. And thus, the group rendezvous with Ren's male party members and began their heroic journey west to the village of Leruno. With Motoyasu, of course, removing every girl from his party.

It wasn't like he was ever going to see them again.

Author's Notes:

Allen Blaster: Well, what do you know. We managed to keep it mostly PG-rated this chapter. That's a pretty big miracle.

Also, yay! The two Heroes have decided to become Naofumi's bros! And Moto even decided to leave his harem behind! WOOHOO (Though tbh, most of them were pretty nice, besides Meanie)! Can't wait for the next chapter when the Heroes get to show off their newfound strength. Itsujerk is going to be one jealous boi.

RLTygurr: Oh hey, we did it. A week late (curse you, life struggles and writer's block!), but it turned out well in the end. Hopefully Motoyasu doesn't screw everyone over this time.

Hero Clips!

You Must Be This Tall

"I want to do it!"

"Sorry runt, you must be this tall to ride."

Naofumi and Raphtalia pouted up at Uncle Bald Guy, who held a hand a foot over their heads. In the wide-open meadow in front of them, Motoyasu was whooping with glee. Riding on Amber's back and having the time of his life.

"Boo! That's not fair! Why does Moto get to ride around on Amber and I don't!?"

"Because life's not fair. Get used to it kid."

Naofumi stood up straight. "Oh yeah! Well, I don't see any sign telling me I have to be that tall-"

Uncle Bald Guy pulled out a wood post from behind him and stuffed it into the ground next to them. It even had a wooden hand on it, pointing to a specific height on the post. A foot and a half over Naofumi's head. Writing on the hand said 'You must be this tall to ride.'

Raphtalia looked down in disappointment. There really was a sign telling them they had to be that tall to ride. It was just like Naofumi described from his world.

"Oh, what do you know, you're even shorter than I thought." Uncle Bald Guy said with a laugh.

Naofumi's face reached maximum poutiness. "Why did you even make that?!"

"So I could pull it out for situations like this!" Uncle Bald Guy roared with laughter. The Kid looked so damn adorable with that pout of his.

"YEAH! WELL, THAT SIGN CAN'T STOP ME BECAUSE I CAN'T READ!"

Uncle Bald Guy bonked him on the head. "Don't lie to me, shorty. You can read just fine!"

"You don't know that! Maybe I've just been faking it the whole time!"

"If you're that good at faking it, you should try faking being tall! It might work for ya!" Erhard barked with a loud laugh.

"BOO!" Raphtalia patted the boy sympathetically.

He'd show them one day. He'd show them all! He'd grow so tall, even Amber would look puny! Aha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Maybe it was a good thing he wasn't very tall.

Till Next Time

Allen