Being forced to trade her armor for rags, the Daughter of a Lord that was sworn in as the Queen's Right Hand, Eclair Seaetto, stared at the wall of her six-by-six feet wide cell. The air was damp, it was hard to breathe. She was in a place where sunlight did not reach. A place where nightmares roamed and suffering transpired for crimes one did or did not commit. Unfairness and unruly, this place was none other than the dungeon.
A soft shiver escaped Eclair's lips as she looked to the ceiling for solace that never came. Destined to become a Knight, given the duty to protect the Demi-Human people of her territory, she had everything stripped from her. Her father was murdered, killed during the first wave and her territory was pillaged by Slavers as well as her country's own Soldiers. In the end, she was just another heretic by word of the Church of the Three Heroes.
"No matter how many times you look at the ceiling, you're never going to find the salvation you are looking for," Echoed the voice of the big burly man in the cell beside hers, draped in shadows.
She was sure this man was here for heinous crimes against the people, but one could never truly tell. Though since he was covered in the shadows of darkness, she couldn't quite make out his features other than his bulging muscles.
"I did not work so hard only for my life's work to be stripped from me... To be told I wasn't worthy of Knighthood..." The woman grimaced as she shifted on the lonely wooden bench that creaked weakly from her uncomfortable movements.
"Who knows," Laughed the man, "Maybe your precious Shield Demon will rescue you."
"He isn't a Demon! The Shield Hero is just like the others!" Eclair defended the man who her father would've looked up to if he were still alive.
"Hah, whatever you say little lady. Not much it'll do to say that here!" The man was amused, if anything he was only striking up a conversation just because he could. "I heard from the wardens while you were asleep, that the King and the First Princess summoned the Heroes," a small smirk formed over his lips, "All four of them."
"All... Four of them?" Eclair rested the back of her head solemnly against the stone wall of the dungeon. Her eyes traveling back up to the ceiling once more as she thought of the ramifications of doing such a thing. How many people were going to die if all the Heroes only fought in one country?
"Yeah... And the Shield De... Shield Hero is ignorant of the world compared to the other Heroes. Apparently the Spear Hero stands up for him," he said leaning forward with his hands clasped together, irons keep him from leaving his bench. "I suppose that's good for our country. He's going to need all the support he can get."
Narrowing her eyes forward, Eclair planted her gaze upon him once more, "Who even are you?"
"I'm just a friend, Seaetto-dono. Just a friend..." The shadowed figure leaned back into his own wall, she could feel his gaze creeping over her.
Eclair scoffed at the idea of this man being her friend, as she had no idea who he was. To her, all he could possibly be is some inmate looking for company, or a mysterious ally. She saw him as the former, a lonely existence trapped because of his own mistakes.
"You're not the only one who had lost people in the First Wave, girl." His voice sent chills down her spine as it had become rough, but it wasn't as if he was threatening her life. "I will kill the men... The men who took my girls with my own bare hands. Then, then I will find them."
"You're from my father's land, aren't you...?" Eclair narrowed her gaze.
"I was married to a demi-woman, you see," his uneasy smile could be felt through the darkness that hid his face. "A woman who was far more than I deserved." Even unseen, his feelings of dread washed over those around him, "She was killed during the First Wave; all I have left is my little girls."
"You have my condolences," Eclair lowered her head as her mind went back to how she failed to stop the slavers. So many innocents were forcefully relocated and some even placed into slavery.
"It is the Church of the Three Heroes fault. If the Queen was still here... We wouldn't be locked away in these cages..." Sniffling the man leaned forward as he stared at the barred door of his cell, his bald head and shaggy goatee visible. He had dark patches under his eyes and bloodshot eyes, he didn't look all that good health was despite his build.
As her eyes trailed down from his face, her gaze rested upon the blooded rag, stained by puss, that was wrapped around his left leg. Due to the dampness of the dungeon, she could hardly smell the existent hint of infection in the wound.
"When the Queen returns," Eclair said in a low voice, "we will have a chance to prove our innocence. Then we'll be free to get justice, to save our home, and our people."
"And if she doesn't return?" Skeptically the man looked to the Knight who was across from him, "Or if she is on the side of the King? Why else would she let this man run rampant?"
"The Queen would never do such a thing," Eclair defended valiantly, "She is the true ruler of this Kingdom. The King, after summoning all of the Heroes, has betrayed the world with his actions."
"Glad you think so..." Laughed the man as he lowered his head, resting his elbows on his knees as he slowly drifted into silence.
"What is your name?" Blinked the former Knight, but there was nothing. He said nothing and did nothing. She couldn't even see if his shoulders were moving, or if he was breathing anymore. A frown cursed her lips as she glanced aside in shame, only to hear the sound of snoring emitting from his cell. "Seriously...?"
Meanwhile, in the warden's office, the door leading in from the hall was shoved open after a brief jiggle of the knob. Three individuals came walking into the room, one of which being Takehide and the others being what remains of his party.
"This is the Castle dungeons?" Takehide's gaze tracked a mouse that had shot out from under a desk and into a hole in the wall. Compared to the lavish hallways, this place seemed the most unkempt, stacks of parchment appeared completely untouched.
"Yes, Takehide-sama," Elena said as she kept her hands folded behind her back as they ventured into the center of the room.
His eyes then narrowed on a crystal ball that sat on the table. "The warden seems to be out..." Unlike everything else in the room, that ball was the only seemingly magical object. It was likely a scrying tool like in the fantasy games he had played. What a bothersome device.
Rino giggled inwardly seeing his reaction to the ball. While he didn't get the wrong idea, she didn't think it was currently in use. The Mage then walked over to the knob a set of keys was hanging upon. "Carelessness?"
Without much hesitation, he strode across the room, picked up the cloth resting under a stack of parchments, and draped it over the crystal ball. He was at least hoping that such a quick action stopped anyone from watching through it if that was how it worked. The Hero then glanced side to side, there were three doorways. The one he came through, and then there were two others which lead to two different places.
"Hm..." Resting his gaze on the room that was partially open, he walked over to the door beside the desk. Pushing it the rest of the way until he could see inside, there were countless shelves of confiscated belongings. Armor, weapons, clothing. There were plenty of commoner-looking clothes, but there were some more noble-looking ones by the armor in the far back corner.
Taking a step back, he moved back over to the desk and narrowed his eyes on a book that laid open. It appeared to have a list of names on display, but he couldn't read them at all.
"Looks like you've found the roster," Elena said before narrowing her gaze on a particular name. "Seaetto?" Her eyes flickered over to the locked door leading further into the dungeons.
"Who's Seaetto?" Takehide looked to Elena curiously, seeing the troubled expression on her face. Opening his help menu, he started to scan through the information that was available. Based on what he was seeing, it was very similar to the guide from the game he never played.
There was an inventory that could hold an enormous amount of items and could be expanded upon should he go out of his way to collect the correct materials. The crafting of items from materials absorbed or taken into the spear could also be explored. This meant he could learn explicit recipes and manufacture them just by gathering the materials.
A small grin formed over his lips as he thought about the healing potion earlier. He could boost the entire herbal-based economy and crash it by mass-producing healing potions and the like.
Suddenly, as he used his inventory system, the pouch of silvers vanished and appeared on the screen he was looking over. It worked, revealing the entire total of coins that was in the bag.
His eyes then flickered over toward Rino, eyeing the books he had gotten, before being dragged right back to Elena as she spoke.
"Seaetto-dono is the Lord of the Seaetto Territory and the Queen's Right Hand... He was said to be dead following the first wave." Elena Haven was confused and that echoed in her voice.
"If he's dead, then it's likely to be a family member," Takehide shrugged lightly as he thought about the probable laws of succession. He even compared it to historical information from his past world, where Kings had locked away their own nobles, all in order to obtain their wealth and lands for themselves.
"A family member...?" Elena caressed her chin as she kept one hand at rest behind her back.
"Which key do you suppose will open the door?" Rino asked as she turned towards Takehide and Elena, "Takehide-sama, Elena-dono?"
"We probably shouldn't go in there without the warden, or someone might get the wrong idea." Takehide let out a slow and drawn out sigh, clearly not really wanting to follow his words. He then narrowed his gaze on the room containing all of the confiscated items again. "But I assume going through the confiscated goods won't hurt..."
Takehide made his way into the room, his eyes coursing over all of the materials that were there. After highlighting a few vials, he found there were some healing potions and holy water amongst the belongings. He walked over and grinned, placing two of the healing potions into his spear's inventory along with the single vial of pure holy water.
He then paused as he noticed another vial, one that was on a counter close to the door. It was black and strangely labeled. As his system highlighted the object, he quickly found that it was a Slave Seal potion.
Walking over to it, he plucked it off the counter and pursed his lips. Popping the cork, he poured a large portion of the fluid onto his Spear in order to see what would happen.
[ Slaver's Spear Unlocked ]
[ Slaver's Spear ]
[ Bonus Ability: Increased Growth(Small) for Contracted Slaves. ]
"Not exactly what I was expecting from a magical enslaving seal," Takehide clucked his tongue against the roof his mouth before sighing. Shifting his gaze about the room, he narrowed on a nearby spear that looked like a sword with a surprisingly long pole.
There was no time like the moment, as swift as the wind, he grasped the long shaft of the weapon. Half expecting a negative reaction, he watched as a new notification appeared.
[ Noble Swordstaff Unlocked! ]
[ Noble Swordstaff (Magic Iron) ]
[ Bonus Abilities: Increase in ATK +10, DEF +5. ]
[ Bonus Skills: Armor Pierce (Small), Greater Slash (Small) ]
"Now that is more like it..." Takehide snickered as he looked over the weapon before resting it back in place. He was rather enamored with the sudden jump in his stats from simply copying the item. His eyes wandered around the room, but he didn't find any other polearms with blades on them. Though there were plenty of other valuables and armaments that he likely couldn't use.
"Takehide-sama," Rino walked into the room as she spoke, "Someone's here."
Turning his head, Takehide looked to the man standing behind the Mage. "Hello there," he kept the head of his spear held up high. From what he could see, this was the warden. He was dressed in black attire and metallic grey armor, his face adorned by a greying mustache, and he wore an armored cap upon his head.
"Spear Hero-sama, I am Vendal, the Royal warden. Your party members have informed me you'd like to recruit from the Dungeon?" He had a polished and polite air about him, it wasn't just because he was speaking to a hero.
"Yes, that is correct," Takehide responded with a glimmer of compassion in his eyes.
"Right this way then, O'Hero." He gave a grand gesture towards the door before heading out into the main office to collect the keys to go to the holding cells.
Takehide raised a brow slightly as he looked to the book on the desk, finding that it had been closed by unknown means. "Will you be informing the King of this encounter?"
"No," Vendal responded as he looked to the Hero, raising a bushy brow at his question. "It only needs to be recorded in the roster that you unsurprisingly saw on my desk. If any questions arise, that is what those people look at."
"Ah," Takehide could see that the one known as Vendal didn't like the taste of the word King being used. It was likely he was a supporter of the Queen if he wasn't mistaken. No one thought to care about the warden, did they?
"Anything, in particular, you are looking for, Spear Hero-sama?"
"Please, call me Takehide," He scratched the back of his neck at being called by title.
"My apologies, Takehide-sama," Vendal sighed before plucking the keys from the hanger and unlocked the door leading into the holding cell area.
"I'm looking for warrior types, agile, durable, and strong," Takehide informed with a light smile across his lips, quite interested in finding out more about the Noble being held there.
"The majority of criminals are reset to level one," the warden looked to the man with a brow raised, "However there are plenty here with skills that could put down those greater than themselves..." Stepping forward, the older gentleman lead the trio into the dungeon, going down several steps before reaching a cobblestone foundation.
Following after the man, Takehide's sights were set forward. The place was dimly lit and the air was comparably damp to the office. It had the chance of doing a great number on the lungs if someone was continuously left in here without dry air. He could only imagine the sheer amount of bacteria that was generated in this place.
"Come to think of it, I thought you already had three party members, Takehide-sama," Vandal's voice could be heard echoing down the corridor lined with barred cells. "Do you really want to recruit people from the Dungeon? There are some heinous criminals down there..."
"One of my members left my group soon after due to a disagreement," Takehide informed the warden, "besides as a Hero I can recruit who I please."
"You... You're not wrong," An affectionate scoff escaped the old man's lips, but soon he seemed to sigh as his shoulders sulked in surrender. Leaving his hesitation behind, the warden led them into the dungeon, a torch in hand. "Can you be a bit more certain with the type of prisoner you're looking for?"
"Someone proficient with a sword and armor, to make up for the lost member," Takehide replied in kind. His tone was respectful and at the same time he didn't hold back on pressuring the warden.
"Takehide-sama, it smells in here..." Rino whimpered.
"We won't be in here long, Rino-chan," Takehide reached over and plucked her hat off of her head and placed it on top of his own. "That's more like it," the Spear Hero tittered to himself.
"M-my hat!" Rino hugged the two books from earlier close to her chest along with her staff, pouting as she had no free hand to take her hat back.
"From flirting to teasing," Elena sighed and shook her head as she palmed her face, "It's like I'm watching a drama in the theatre."
"I can take those books too," Takehide closed one eye as he reached over to take hold of the two books. She didn't resist as he took them from her arms that she had been cradling in. It appeared she wanted to be exceptionally careful with his belongings, which warmed his heart.
Placing them in his spear's inventory, he turned his gaze forward as he stepped into a puddle of rancid fluids.
"Spear Hero...? Is that the Spear Hero?" A voice sounded hushedly from their cell.
Takehide's eyes flickered over to a woman in ragged blouse and shorts that covered her torso and thighs. She had an agile physique and a muscular tone to her arms. It was clear she trained her body, though while she appeared deceptively experienced, she didn't seem all that strong due to her level reset.
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Hearing the snoring, his eyes also moved towards a man who was much larger than himself with bulking muscles and a bald head. He reminded him of some sort of monk as he lacked a shirt and only wore a pair of abused shorts. Though the one thing that came to his sights was his steadily lowering hitpoints.
"What is your name?" Takehide asked as he turned his attention towards the girl with pink hair and blue eyes. She was standing at the edge of her cell, her calloused fingers grasping at the bars.
"My name is Eclair Seaetto, Daughter of the late Lord to Seaetto." Though her eyes seemed pained, she wasn't going to beg for her freedom.
"Although she has been imprisoned for Treason and Desertion of her post, she is highly skilled." Vendal's gaze drew over to the Hero once more, "If you are going to take her, I suggest getting your hands on a polymorph potion. The Church has marked her as a heretic."
"Oh?" Takehide frowned hearing the last part.
"I can use magic to conceal her true appearance," Rino offered wit ha smile across her face, "Illusion Magic is actually one of my specialties."
"Is that your real appearance then?" Takehide asked as he turned his gaze to the shorter brunette with a brow raised. She looked rather cute without the hat that he was now wearing on his head. He was sure he could make her look even better by adding some accessories too.
"What makes you think it isn't?" Rino dragged her left foot side to side awkwardly as she clasped her hands in front of herself. She had gotten flushed in the face and a bit anxious all of a sudden, with her big green eyes she looked up to him. "It's my true face... Don't you like it...?"
"O-of course I like it," Takehide nearly fell over himself without even taking a step forward.
"You two should get a room already..." Elena pinched the bridge of her nose.
Eclair stood there similarly irritated, her brow twitching at the sight of the two flirting while she was still standing in a jail cell. If he was here to recruit, that meant she had no choice but to get a Slave Seal in order to go with him. Though she wasn't entirely aware of this, due to her not studying the history of her own country as she had chosen to train instead.
The old jail warden took in a deep inhalation of air before sighing out loud, "Young love is nice and all, but Takehide-sama. You have a limited time here," he gestured towards the two cells.
"I'd like to take the pink-haired woman here, and the bald man in the cell beside hers," he pointed towards the man with the puss oozing wound.
"I'll get a healing potion," Vendal stated, but before he could turn around he watched as the spear in the Hero's hand transformed into a blunted verdant green spear. His eyes then widened as a green burst of healing energy emitted from the tip, his arthritis ceasing to hurt as much. As he turned from the Hero, his eyes centered on the man sitting in the cell to find he was no longer snoring and his leg was healed completely.
"Hm... What was that...?" The groggy prisoner glanced up from where he was seated, his eyes narrowing on the pink-haired girl before fixing his eyes on Takehide. "The Spear...? Did he just heal me?" Witnessing the green blunted spear shift back into its bi-pronged form, his eyes widened.
Eclair was amazed by this, having never seen a spear cast such an ability similar to healing magic. "Takehide-sama, you are looking to take me out of here, are you not?"
"Yes," Takehide responded automatically as he stared through her now.
"I can train you in techniques that will fit your spear," Eclair spoke confidently despite being demoted, considering she had been told she was not worthy of Knighthood.
"As your decision is now final, Shall I go get the Slave Seal?" Vendal, the Warden, asked.
"What?" Eclair blinked hearing the Warden speak of getting the slave seal. She took a step back from the cell door, finding the fact that she wasn't going to be given a choice if she went with him. Her right to defy him would be revoked!
"I won't make you do anything that you won't want," Takehide's gaze rested upon her for a few seconds before looking to the warden, "As you will." With a gesture of his hand, he watched as the warden walked away from the group. He then walked over to stand between the two cells.
"My name is Orson," grumbled the man seated on the bench, seemingly glaring at the Spear Hero. "I won't tolerate being called Slave, you, or anything similar to that."
"I would never ask you to surrender your Identity," Takehide nodded to Orson. He seemed to be somewhat similar to a tank's build when looking at him from a game's perspective. Though he could be something much more.
"So now you say your name?" Eclair sighed as she looked to the man, then back towards Takehide, not necessarily wanting to surrender to his will.
"Now, tell me. When I release the two of you from this prison. What do you want to do? What are your goals?" Takehide asked as he glanced towards the entrance of the cell block, then back to the two of them, signifying a time limit on the answer.
"I need to find my family, my kids. My wife was killed in the first wave, and my children were taken by those bastard Knights!" Orson proclaimed, revealing that the Knights of the realm the villages belonged to, had raided their own people.
A sickening sensation came over Takehide learning a bit more of the happenings after the first wave that had decimated the Kingdom. "We will be traveling, so finding your children should they have been sold, will be something we can actively do when we're not leveling."
Orson nodded, knowing very well that he couldn't get anything done in his current state unless he was leveled up. "I will do anything to see my children again, Takehide-sama."
Nodding to Orson once more, Takehide rested his gaze upon the pink-haired woman who appeared pleasantly stunned by his honorable proposal.
"I would like to report to my Queen of the happenings that have occurred and ask for immediate action to be taken," Eclair lowered her head as she remembered the last moment she had with her father. "And I wish to put down those who were enslaving the people my father lorded over... I, however, do not want to be placed under a slave pact to achieve my ends..."
"Hunting them down will have to wait," Takehide gave her a sympathetic gaze, "The church will try to put you down if you're too active in that task. Or all of us if we were to make ourselves known." His eyes shifted towards the doorway once more as he saw the warden returning.
"I will try to reason with him, not to give you a Slave Seal, but I do have bonuses that will allow extra growth should you make a slave contract with me." Takehide summarily informed her and the rest of his crew without much hesitation, if anything he spoke quickly.
"Seriously?!" Rino squeaked as she immediately looked to him, her eyes wide as if internally musing on the idea of being his slave. Whilst it wasn't all that good of an impression if it were someone else, her opinion of him was relatively high. He also said he wasn't going to force them to do anything and that was relatively nice.
Elena ran a hand through her hair thinking of what could come of this, "Are you asking if all of us would be your slaves?" She was rather proper with this question, not fond of the idea, but at the same time rather fascinated.
"It's a choice for you all to make, for the most part," Takehide said just as the Warden returned to them. Turning to look to the Warden, he looked over the senior jailer, "Think you could circumvent the Slave Seal for the Noblewoman?"
"Er..." Vendal looked to Eclair who wasn't begging him, but she gave the impression that she was awaiting his answer on this. "As it seems, there isn't enough of the seal for two uses. I could get more..." The Old man narrowed his gaze on the Hero as if it was his fault, though he had no idea where the liquid had gone. "If you insist on taking her out of here as she is, I suppose I'll go along with it."
"Thank you," Takehide bobbed his head in an approving manner, "You are a man of virtue."
"I wouldn't go that far..." Uttered the man as he handed the Hero the tray which held the prepared Slave Seal potion, an ink bowl, and two brushes and a knife-like tool. The Warden then walked over to Orson's cell and unlocked the door.
Orson narrowed his gaze on the smaller male before dropping onto his knees.
Vendal then took the tray from the Hero and placed it on the bench as he further prepared the ink. "Takehide-sama, your hand please." He drew the knife from the tray, "I need some blood."
Nodding his head as he narrowed his gaze on the bowl that was partially filled, Takehide approached and offered his non-dominate hand.
Vendal grasped the Hero's wrist and held it over the bowl before pricking his finger. As the blood dripped into the black ink-like fluids, he releases the hero's hand and mixed it into the potion with the shorter brush. He then picked up the bowl and dipped the longer brush.
Eclair, still in her cell, watched from the sidelines as the Warden went ahead to paint the painful slave seal upon the male's chest.
"Ugh..." Purple electricity arched from the glowing sigil which was being drawn upon his chest. His lips contorting in pain, but rather than scream out loud he gritted his teeth as the seal was completed, "Nnnnnngh!"
Though not a second later, another screen appeared within his sights. It was something akin to Slave Contract Management which allowed him to control the conditions of the pact. There were a number of contingencies he could choose from, and he was forced to choose at least one, or the seal couldn't work. The only reasonable one seemed to keep him from lying without punishment, so he check-marked that choice in order to meet the requisite.
Watching the tall man pant, information appeared before the Spear Hero.
[ Orson of Lurolona Lv.1 has formed a Slave contract with the Spear Hero. ]
"There, it has been completed," The Warden announced as he placed the brush down onto the tray before stepping out of the jail cell. Fiddling with the keys, he approached Eclair's door and stuck the brass key in and twisted it aside. With a heart-fulfilled click, the cell door creaked open and he stepped aside. "Collect yourselves and meet me back in the office area. Make yourselves quick," Vendal reminded them of their limited time window, before walking back towards the office area.
Walking over to the empty vial, Takehide picked it up off of the tray before looking to Orson who was already on his feet. "Are you feeling any better?" The Hero gestured towards his leg.
Orson nodded, "Thanks to your Spear, I won't be dying before I see my children again."
Grinning at this, he walked out of the cell with the vial in hand and knelt down over the foul-smelling liquid settled on the cobblestone floor that acted as a foundation to the prison. Without a second thought, he scooped stuff up with the bottle before standing up and pouring it onto the red gem of his weapon.
[ Noxious Spear Unlocked! ]
[ Noxious Spear ]
[ Bonus Abilities: Poison Target, Enhanced Bleed(locked), Infect Wound(locked), Slow Healing(locked). ]
"Quite interesting..." Takehide liked the idea of using something that would give him an edge against his enemies. Especially the poisons that could incapacitate them or stop them from effectively fighting back.
"Let's go," Eclair threw a hand in the air, gesturing for them to follow her out.
Takehide and the rest of the party just looked to the woman, cocking their brows. As they looked at one another a few seconds later, they simply shrugged. Without another thought, they followed her towards the exit of the cell block.
As they entered the office once more, they were greeted by a counter of belongings that weren't necessarily theirs. A brown mantle and rugged set of armor situated next to a woman's armored dress and a pair of pants along with some boots.
"These aren't mine..." Eclair said as she separated herself from the party, looking over the items. "Though..." Her eyes moved towards Takehide with a thankful smile across her lips, "I suppose it wouldn't be a good idea to wear my armor."
"You can reclaim it," the Warden commented, "When the Queen returns and your name is cleared." With that he simply sat down at his desk before peering over at the crystal ball, raising a brow. "Huh, I don't remember covering that," a small chuckle left his lips.
"Must've forgotten," Takehide winked lightly.
Eclair collected her things and went into the room that held all the confiscated items and closed the door behind her. What she was doing spoke for itself as the sound of clothes dropping to the floor could be heard.
Orson, on the other hand, proceeded to put on thick half-plate armor that covered his torso and his shoulders. He had baggy blue pants tucked into some well-worn boots. Once he was fully prepared, the large man appeared garnered the impression of an adventurer from looks alone. He then proceeded to grasp the Swordstaff that had been laid out on the counter as well, bringing it to his side.
"So that was yours?" Takehide grinned as the man nodded in response. Transforming his staff into the same Noble Swordstaff, he chuckled, "Looks like we match."
Orson's brows raised causing wrinkles to form over his glossy forehead. "No kidding..."
Rino and Elena Haven snickered at the older male's response to their leader's antics.
"Anyways," Takehide looked to Rino, "If you can get that Disguise magic going, I'll call you Rin-tan from now on."
"Oh, oka–," as if something had broke she froze for a few seconds before her face was assaulted by a zillion flaming suns. Burning red as she blushed, "Wait, what!?"
Elena covered her mouth as she kept herself from laughing at the promise of nicknaming her colleague. Though that was hardly enough to sate the power of her laughter as her other hand held onto her abdomen as she hunched forward. She was laughing far too hard and she couldn't stop. Personally she thought it was hilarious, but at the same time, she felt a slight tinge of jealousy there.
"Ugh! Why are you teasing me so?" Rino held the sides of her head as there was no way she could get rid of the blush that was overriding her face.
"Because you're adorable," Takehide placed her hat back upon her head and she immediately tugged down the front edge of her hat to hide her face.
Elena's laughter gradually came to a stop as she straightened herself out. She breathed out shallowly as her mind registered Takehide's eyes that have been set on the girl with lesser status. "And what about me?"
Just as he was about to say something, the door to the item room swung open and Eclair came stepping out in her new attire. Looking over herself, she sighed softly, wistfully thinking of taking a bath the moment she came across one. "Mage, are you ready to cast the spell?"
"My name is Rino," The Green Mage asserted as she lowered her hands from her face, her face still burdened by a bright red heat she had no control over. With her staff in one hand, she approached the pink-haired woman and tilted it towards her as she went to activate her magic. "As the source of thy power, I order thee," she continued to recite the rest of her spell, "I have read and deciphered a law of nature. Disguise my Target!"
As the incantation came to an end, a burst of golden magical energy enveloped the failed Knight. Her pink hair turned black, her skin became paler, her nose gained a sharper form, and her chin more angular. One of the most notable changes, however, were her eyes that turned a dark violet-blue. Eclair's face hadn't been the only thing to change, as her attire temporarily changed into a plain padded jacket, pants, and boots. She looked like nothing like she had before and now emitted the air of an adventurer.
"That was... Impressive to say the least," Takehide chuckled as he really did not expect such a thing to happen. She was definitely using illusion magic as she had said she would, "Rin-tan."
Rino's face got a bit hotter as he actually called her by the silly nickname.
Eclair sighed as she examined the illusion that had taken place over her person. "Is that actually appropriate behavior befitting a hero...?"
"Probably not," Takehide shrugged, "We only live..." he paused as he thought about his words that he was going to share. If he had finished, Takehide was sure he was about to lie, as this was technically his second chance at life after a death at the hands of another.
"Once?" Elena raised a brow, "If she gets a nickname, we should all get one."
"I'll pass," Orson rolled his eyes at the girl's claim.
"Hmhm. Okay, Ore-kun. How does Ella-chan sound?" Takehide asked as he crossed his arms after he placed his spear onto his back under the crossbelt that went from his shoulder to his waist.
"Tch, I thought I said pass!" Orson grunted.
Letting her arms fall to her sides, Elena rested one of her palms against the grip of her rapier's hilt. "Good enough," a soft smile formed over her lips as she felt her sense of ego increase.
Rino sucked on the side of her cheek watching as this went on, feeling uncomfortable now.
"Well, I suppose we can go to the church now before setting out to level up," his eyes fixated on Eclair, "Are you partying up?" He asked curiously, only for her name and status to appear on the management screen that appeared in the left-hand corner of his vision. Eclair Seaetto, Level One.
"I'm coming," Eclair narrowed her eyes on the male just as the rest of them all grouped up behind him, following them out of the office area.
As he did so, he opened the help menu that he had in the right-hand corner of his vision. Information pertaining to more of the functions of the weapon were found here.
Though as he was reading about the inventory, monster drops, and other strengthening methods pertaining to his weapon, he felt something his shoulder hit against something hard. Coming to a stop, he closed the screen and glanced over to see a petite form standing not too far away from him. It was a woman in a blue dress, who wore her brunette bangs over her eyes.
"Ah, sorry my friend, I wasn't looking where I was going," Takehide was the first to speak.
"Beware, if you go too far out in the open, they will notice. So watch where you're going degozaru," the woman said a tad rudely before grasping the corners of her skirt and stomping off.
Takehide frowned at the words that were given to him. They had been spoken so quietly and harmoniously, it almost made his tongue feel too bitter to speak with. "That was unexpected..." He mumbled under his breath as he thought back to the Shadow from before, and then towards the book he had seen. If he gets too close to Naofumi, would that put him at risk? His eyes traced over to his party members, and an even deeper frown appeared across his lips. 'Does the threat possibly extend to my party? Would the Church actually kill the Heroes over this? Doesn't the salvation of the world mean anything to them?' The purposeful death of the Heroes had the potential to end the world. A cold chill filled him at the thought that he was going to die again.
Rino padded on up next to him, looking up at his sour expression. He made it too clear to her that he was bothered, without even saying a word. "What did she say? Are you alright?"
"To watch where I was going," Takehide found himself lying as he placed a hand on the top of her head, crushing the pointed top of her hat. He didn't know who was watching, or who was listening. "It... might be a risk, if I were to take you to the church," his eyes shifted to Eclair.
"I understand," Eclair nodded her head, though she didn't seem all that submissive to the idea.
From there they trailed after him out of the castle and towards the direction of the church.
Out on the stone streets that made the flattened foundation of the town, it only took them several minutes to finally spot the three spires belonging to the Church of the Three Heroes. It only took a quick few more moments before they arrived in the outer courtyard leading in.
"What is with this architecture...?" Takehide wondered aloud, staring at the triangular makeup of the spire-like towers protruding from the cathedral-like facility. As his eyes drifted downward, he watched as a nun of some sort walked by holding an amulet matching the faith of the three heroes. A light sigh left his lips as the four of them then ventured forth.
A few more minutes and they were stepping into the main hall, stain glass windows decorating the back of the room only reachable by stairs that lead to an elevated platform. His eyes traced over the surrounding area, noting the semblance the place had to the Christian churches of old. Though mostly from Italian brochures he had gotten from a tourist in his past world.
"This place is almost uncanny..."
Hearing the sound of clapping echo throughout the room, his eyes jumped over to a man wearing a golden hat, white robes, and spectacles. It was the pope to the Church of the Three Heroes. "You are the first Hero to have arrived here to say such a thing," Biscas said almost proudly, "It is a pleasure to meet you... I am Biscas T. Balmus, the Pope of our state's Faith."
"Takehide Eno," the Spear Hero responded with a light friendly chuckle.
The Pope's gaze traveled over the hero before trailing over his party members. He knew of two of them, but it seemed the third one had changed? No matter, his spies hadn't seen or reported anything to him as of yet. The fourth was also a surprise, finding it amusing that the Hero still went out of his way to recruit more people to his party.
"Is there something I can help you with, O' Hero?" The Pope asked with a charismatic smile across his lips, one that so charming that it almost made Takehide want to puke at the sight of the old man.
"I am here to obtain more Holy Water, for my spear." He tapped the weapon against the floor harmlessly.
"Oh? For your spear you say...?" Biscas seemed elated that the man was interested in obtaining holy water for his Legendary Weapon. "May I ask why?"
Takehide's expression changed at the asking of this question, "I want to be prepared for whatever might come with the waves and my ventures in between."
"I will have one of my disciples prepare you some Holy water," He declared to the Spear Hero, before gesturing for them to accompany him. He then nodded to one of his disciples that were within the room to tell them to get the Holy Water. "As you've come here before the rest, I would like to show you the Dragon Hour Glass ahead of time," he said as he began to walk towards one of the many different passageways.
Taking after him didn't come with any problems. Takehide was partially expecting him to turn around and smite them or something, but none of that happened. Though he didn't show his anxiety, nor did he reveal his sense of relief. Soon they entered a large room with a consecrated enormous hourglass, roughly seven meters tall, with red sand.
His party, along with himself, stared at the object in awe as it was the first time they had seen it in person. As Takehide went to step forward, however, he was immediately connected to the sacred object. That was when a timer consecutively appeared in the upper edge of his vision, dictating when the first wave was going to appear.
"So, this is the Dragon Hourglass, huh?" Takehide parted his lips a bit, not searching for an answer to the rhetorical question. His help menu and his past world knowledge from the screenshots of the game already made sure he knew what it was. Though seeing it in person was quite different than looking at a two-dimensional image displayed upon a computer screen. There was one of these in each country, and in order to be teleported to the different waves, he needed to register to them.
"Pardon me, O' Hero." A woman of the cloth walked into the room and towards the platform where the hourglass was situated and where his party was standing. "I have the Holy Water."
Takehide turned to face the woman, seeing an item placed on a tray. His very sight appraised the object, revealing it to be a vial of Holy Water of the purest grade. Maneuvering his spear in one hand, he reached out with his other hand to grasp the bottle. Pouring the sanctified liquid onto the gem, he watched as the sphere absorbed the fluids. As the absorption was completed the Legendary Weapon gave a radiant glow that would even make the moon pale in comparison.
[ Holy Vanquisher Spear Unlocked! ]
[ Holy Vanquisher Spear ]
[ Bonus Abilities: Smite Evil, Cure Curse, Increased Damage to Undead, Holy Aura ]
"Will that be all?" Biscas asked as he stepped forward to observe the boy's weapon, but he didn't touch it even as he visually observed its shining appearance.
"Mhmm..." Takehide eyed the man for a few seconds before nodding, "We'll be going. We'll have to get grinding if we want to get to higher levels." Saying this, he closed one hand behind his back before shifting on his heel and progressing for the exit. "Though I may return for more Holy Water..."