NAOFUMI'S POV:~
From what I can see, alna was too good to me. It's suspicion.
It's not like I don't trust her. But I hope I knew a little more about her. If she's this skilled, I would've heard about her in my previous life.
Well, there are also some other possibilities.
But for now, I'm not interested in knowing that.
When it comes to raphtalia, I would've gone to save her on my first day in this world. But I was not powerful enough to do that.
Most of the people in this country hates shield hero, which is why there are possibilities that I might get suppressed.
The person who used to torture raphtalia was a noble. He must have at least 100 Soldiers at disposal. Even if I'm the shield hero, I just can't handle that much.
Which is why I'm taking her help. She is strong, she can handle several soldiers at once.
The thing that I'm scared about is, what if she betrayed me in the middle of the process. It'll be quite troublesome.
Even if she went on the opposite side, I have many ways to tackle the situation.
In the worst case scenario, I'll have to reveal my wildcard.
In my previous life, I learned several magic spells. At least a thousand. It seems that our intellect also increases as we level up.
The main thing is, I remember almost every single spell. Even if she betrayed me, there's no way I'll lose.
I can also teleport anytime from there and Alna doesn't know about that.
My first move would be to reach raphtalia. If situation became disadvantageous I will take raphtalia and Rifana and teleport from there.
Last time when we reached there, Rifana was already dead, I hope that won't happen again.
Thinking that I should level up too, I started going in the forest to hunt monsters.
"Where are you going?" Alna asked, turning her head towards me, her long yellow hair catching the dying light.
"Since I'm free," I said, gesturing vaguely towards the deepening shadows of the forest, "I thought that I should level up a bit."
She stretched languidly, a soft sigh escaping her. "Fine, but I'm too tired. Can you give me a massage?" The request hung in the air, seemingly innocent, yet my internal alarm bells gave a tiny, wary chime. Massage? What kind of adventurer asks a near-stranger they just beat up for a massage?
"Sorry," I replied, keeping my tone flat. "I don't know how to." Which was, of course, a lie. Years of needing to soothe Raphtalia and Filo's sore muscles from training, not to mention my own aches from tanking hits, had made me surprisingly competent. But that was my family. This was... Alna. Highly skilled, level 42, mysteriously kind stranger who slept in trees and carried expensive potions. Nope. Not touching that with a ten-foot pole.
"Okay fine," she said, sounding only mildly disappointed. She turned back to the cooking pot simmering over the fire.
She did seem genuinely tired, though. The long ride, even for someone at level 42, was bound to take a toll. Potions could fix physical injury, but fatigue was different. And if she was going to be my temporary express train to Level-Up-Ville, I needed her operating at full capacity.
I had just the thing. I reached into my newly acquired small medicine shield – thanks, absorption! – and pulled out one of the three Nourishing Beverages I'd made. Quality: fair to excellent. Effective for fatigue. Quickly nourishes the person who drinks it. Also, apparently, tastes like goblin socks steeped in regret.
I walked over to where she was kneeling, stirring the pot. Her back was still to me.
"Alna."
"Yeah?" she responded, not turning.
"Open your mouth."
She froze mid-stir. "What?" Her voice was laced with surprise, and she finally turned, her eyes wide, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Oh, for crying out loud. Don't read into it.
"Huh," I clarified, resisting the urge to sigh. "I have some nourishing beverages. It will remove your fatigue."
The tension seemed to drain out of her instantly, replaced by something... else. Her eyes lit up with a childlike eagerness that was utterly baffling coming from someone who could apparently wipe the floor with three Cardinal Heroes simultaneously. "Oh, okay. Aaaaaaaaaah." She tilted her head back and opened her mouth wide, looking for all the world like a baby bird waiting for a worm.
Is she seriously trying to act cute? What's the angle here? Despite my internal skepticism, the sight was… unexpected. I quickly poured the contents of the small bottle into her waiting mouth. It was less pouring, more dumping. Gotta get it over with.
She swallowed, her expression shifting rapidly from anticipation to shock, then to pure disgust. "Gwehh," she gagged slightly, her face scrunching up. "It's so bitter. You should've gave me a warning."
Yeah, told you it tasted bad. I just shrugged.
She pouted for a moment, rubbing her tongue, but then the look of fatigue seemed to visibly lessen. She blinked rapidly, a spark returning to her eyes. "Huh. It really works! Thanks, Naofumi."
"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled. "Now that you're not about to collapse, let's get some leveling in before it gets too late."
She sprang up, suddenly full of energy. "Alright! Lead the way, Shield Hero!"
We ventured a short distance from the camp. The forest felt different at night – darker, the rustling leaves sounding more ominous. I kept my shield ready, scanning the tree line. I expected the usual routine: one, maybe two weak monsters at a time, slowly chipping away at their health while Alna did the real work.
Then, the bush rustled. Not one monster. Not two.
A wild Usapil appeared!
A wild Porcupine appeared!
A giant frog appeared!
My eyes widened slightly. Okay, that was more than anticipated. Three different low-to-mid level monsters appearing simultaneously? Maybe the forest was more active at night than I remembered. The Usapil hopped towards me with its floppy ears, the porcupine bristled its quills, and the giant frog croaked menacingly, its long tongue flicking out.
"I didn't expected that three would appear on the same time," I muttered, already calculating the best way to position myself to draw aggro while keeping Alna safe. "Looks like we're going to get busy for a while."
Alna, however, just smirked, tightening the grip on her katana. "You worry about these guys?"
Before I could even brace myself, she was a blur.
Schwing! The Usapil was cleanly bisected, dissolving into light.
Thwack! She dodged the porcupine's quills with impossible speed and delivered a single, precise strike. It popped like a balloon.
Slash! The giant frog didn't even get its tongue back.
Three monsters, gone in maybe three seconds. Just like that.
My peripheral vision pulsed.
Level up!
Level up!
Level up!
You are now level 8
It felt like my body was buzzing. Holy hell, that's fast! Three levels from three monsters. If this kept up...
Level up!
Level up!
You are now level 10
Another wave of experience washed over me. My stats screen updated. Ten! Double my starting level in mere minutes!
Level up!
You are now level 11
This is insane. This was the power of being in a high-level party member's vicinity, amplified by the hero correction effect. This wasn't leveling; this was soaring.
Some rustling in the distance. More monsters. My shield pinged, detecting them. They charged forward, eager for a fight... until they seemed to spot Alna, standing calmly amidst the dissipating light of their fallen comrades, her katana slightly lowered but radiating an aura of sheer, overwhelming capability. They screeched, turned tail, and ran.
Alna just chuckled. "Cowards." She didn't pursue the fleeing ones, but seemed to sense others lurking nearby. She dashed off into the trees, her katana flashing intermittently in the moonlight. Sounds of combat echoed briefly, followed by those satisfying level-up notifications.
Level up!
You are now level 12
Level up!
You are now level 13
Level up!
You are now level 14
Whoa, hold on! I was leveling up faster than I could process it. While incredible for increasing my stats, this rapid progression went against my immediate strategic needs. I needed to unlock specific shields and skills, and many of those required absorbing materials from low-level monsters. If Alna annihilated everything instantly, I wouldn't get the absorptions I needed. Plus, maintaining a seemingly low level could be tactically advantageous later.
"Wait!" I shouted, jogging after her. "Alna! I think this much is enough!"
She reappeared from behind a large oak, her expression one of eager readiness, almost disappointment. "Really?"
"Yeah," I confirmed. "I want to maintain my low level... relatively."
She tilted her head, curiosity replacing her combat readiness. "But why? Wouldn't you want to get stronger faster?"
"I have my own reasons," I said, using the classic cryptic hero line. It wasn't entirely a lie. My reasons involved strategic deception, resource management, and not wanting to accidentally absorb a rare high-level monster core before I had unlocked the prerequisite shields.
She studied my face for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she shrugged, sheathing her sword with that same crisp sound from earlier. "Alright, if that's what you want."
Just like that, the whirlwind of rapid leveling stopped. We turned and headed back towards our surprisingly intact campsite, the fire still crackling cheerfully. She was undeniably powerful, undeniably helpful, and undeniably... suspicious. But for three days, she was my express train. And I intended to ride it straight to where I needed to be.
"Looks like the food is ready. You wanna eat?" Alna's voice broke the silence, pulling me out of my musings about her dubious backstory. The aroma wafting from the makeshift camp kitchen – essentially a firepit and a few expertly arranged stones – was genuinely enticing.
"Yeah." My stomach, having spent the last few hours absorbing materials and then getting dragged into Alna's monster-slaying frenzy, readily agreed.
She had kept all the cooking tools and utensils in the expansion bag, pulling them out like a magician with a seemingly bottomless hat. I wish I had an expansion bag too! Imagine the possibilities – storing rare shield materials, emergency potions, maybe even a portable blacksmith setup. But no, the Shield Hero gets basic clothes and a grudge. Expansion bags were apparently too high-tier for my starting loadout. Figures.
Alna took out plates – actual ceramic plates, not just leaves or something – and served generous portions of whatever delicious-smelling stew she'd whipped up. She started eating without praying. Praying is a custom in this world too, usually before meals or major undertakings. But maybe after losing her family, as she claimed, Alna must have stopped praying. If I were in her place, having gone through what I have, I probably would have done the same. Who was there to pray to? Certainly not the smug-faced king or the 'heroes' who couldn't tell the difference between a hero and a trash heap.
I also started eating without praying. Didn't see the point. The taste was the only deity I acknowledged at this moment. And wow.
"How is it?" she asked after a moment, her eyes on my face, looking genuinely curious.
"It's good! Did you learn cooking from a professional?" The words came out unbidden, a rare, genuine compliment escaping my guarded facade. The stew was rich, flavorful, and had actual tender chunks of meat. It wasn't just 'edible camp food'; it was legitimately delicious.
A faint smile touched her lips. "Are you flattering me?"
"Think what you want." I wasn't. I literally never flattered anyone unless it was some kind of elaborate, long-con strategy. This was pure, unadulterated appreciation for not having to eat tree bark and dried berries for dinner.
"By the way, you are very lucky that you are eating food made by me. I never cook for others." She stated this with a slight air of importance, tilting her chin up just a fraction.
"Then why me?" I genuinely wanted to know. Was it part of her 'get into the hero party' plan? A weird form of payment for the bet? Or was there something else?
She didn't say anything immediately, just took another bite of her stew, her expression becoming unreadable. Classic. Just when I thought I might get a straight answer about her motives, she clammed up.
"Now I'm going to sleep." She announced abruptly, finishing her food with efficient speed.
From the magical expansion bag, she produced... a sleeping bag. Not a rough blanket or a pile of hay, but a proper, padded sleeping bag. Of course.
"Sorry but I have only one. It has space for two people but what if you couldn't suppress your libido?" She said, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes, a clear attempt at mocking or maybe just teasing.
My brain processed the statement. Libido? Me? The guy who was literally just starting to feel human again after a week of being treated like garbage? The guy whose primary goal was to get back the only people who ever trusted him? The guy whose last romantic encounter involved a literal backstabbing? Yeah, that guy's libido was currently in a coma, possibly buried under a mountain of cynicism.
"Don't worry. I will sleep on the grass just fine." I said, my voice flat, already mentally preparing for a slightly uncomfortable night on the ground. It wasn't the worst thing I'd slept on.
She started pondering, tapping a finger against her chin. Her initial teasing expression softened into something... considering. "You can sleep in this with me if you want."
Okay, here it comes. The catch.
"But there is one condition," she continued, her voice dropping slightly. "My shoulders are hurting a lot so you will have to give me a shoulder massage." She finished, a hint of playful anticipation in her eyes.
She waited for a second, and then added, her voice a little softer, perhaps hoping it would sway me, "Or should I say, please give me a shoulder massage."
Even though she was helping me so much, even if her strength was a huge boon for leveling, I had no interest in being friendly with her, not in that way. Any kind of physical intimacy, even something as innocuous as a massage, felt like crossing a line I wasn't ready to cross with anyone, let alone someone I suspected had ulterior motives. Myne's betrayal had cauterized that part of me. Trust wasn't given; it was earned over months, years, through shared hardships and unwavering loyalty. Alna was a level 42 mercenary I'd known for less than 24 hours.
I can't do this, sorry!" The words were straightforward, perhaps even blunt, but they were honest. I declined straightforwardly, without hesitation or softening.
Her smile faltered, replaced by a look of mild hurt and confusion. "Hey Naofumi, do you hate me?" She asked, her voice small.
"Of course not. Why do you think that?" I asked, genuinely bewildered by the sudden leap to 'hate'. I didn't hate her; I just didn't trust her. Big difference. Also, I was focusing on survival and reaching my goals, not on managing the emotional state of a temporary party member.
"Doesn't matter what I do, you always treat me coldly." The complaint was delivered with a slight pout, like a child who hadn't gotten their way. "It's not like tha-" I started to deny it, but got interrupted.
"It is! You talk to everyone just fine. Other heroes, villagers, even that jeweler, you talked to everyone nicely." She was right, technically. My interactions with others were transactional – gather info, buy goods, state intentions. They didn't involve potential emotional entanglement or past trauma. With Alna, there was... potential. Potential for help, potential for betrayal, potential for complication. And complications were bad.
"It's just your imagination." I settled on a dismissive response, the easiest way out. "Anyway, why does it matter to you? You just have to stay in my party for three days and follow my orders." I said, my voice firm, aiming to cut through the emotional fog and bring us back to the terms of the bet. I needed the boundaries to be clear. Loud and clear.
"And why should I follow your orders?" Alna's voice was sharp, cutting through the settling twilight air. The embers of the campfire glowed, reflecting the sudden tension on her face.
This matter is getting out of hand. I sighed internally. Hadn't I made the terms clear? "Because I won the duel against you. That was the bet, remember? Besides," I continued, trying to inject some reason into the absurdity, "I'm not asking you to do this for free. If you help me for the agreed-upon time, I will pay you after the completion of three days. How about 300 silver coins? That would be enough, right?" It was a ridiculously high amount for three days of work, but I needed her strength, now.
Alna's eyes widened, not in greed, but in offense. "Do you think I'm that cheap?!"
"Look!" I threw my hands up in exasperation. Talking was becoming a physical effort. "I'm not buying you, I'm just buying your 3 days of time, and that much would be more than enough for that." Why was this so difficult? It was a transaction, pure and simple!
"Why are you treating me like a tool?" Her voice cracked slightly. "If you want to keep that attitude then I'm leaving your party!" She stood up abruptly, kicking a stray twig into the fire.
Fine. Be like that. My stubborn side flared. "Alright," I said flatly, standing up too. "I'll go alone. Just tell me where you got this horse from, I'll return it after coming back."
"Don't you dare touch my horse!" she practically shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Go to the town by walking and find a new horse yourself."
After saying that, she spun on her heel, grabbed her sleeping bag, and dramatically burrowed inside it, facing away from me.
She really knows how to take advantage of the situations. A cold wave of reality washed over me. If I didn't make up with her now, it would take me at least 4 days to reach the nearest town on foot. Even if I somehow found a decent horse in a day (unlikely given my reputation, however unearned in this timeline), it would still take me at least another 7 days to reach Seyaette without her buffing the horse. I didn't have the mana pool or the Shield skills yet to keep buffing a horse myself constantly.
Fine, I'll apologize to her. The words tasted like ash. But I'm a dog who bites after getting hit, I'll definitely take revenge from her for making me feel this miserable. Just two more days of this weird, forced proximity after tonight. I could endure three more days.
I walked over to where she was sulking, the only sound the crackling fire and her slightly shaky breathing from inside the bag.
Tap* Tap* I poked the sleeping bag gently. "Hey, Alna?"
A muffled voice came from within. "Don't touch me."
"Why are you overreact— wait, are you crying?" The bag seemed to be trembling slightly.
"I'm not!" The denial was immediate and watery.
Now I understood. Even though her body looked like it belonged to someone older, she was still only sixteen years old. Children are mostly attention seekers in that age, needing validation and proof that they're valued. I had to pay attention to this thing. Ugh. Social navigation wasn't in my Shield Hero skill tree.
With another internal sigh that threatened to deflate my Leaf Shield, I unzipped my side of the sleeping bag (the one she'd offered for two, the cheek!) and slid in beside her.
"Hey, I'm sorry okay?" I kept my voice low, hoping the darkness and the fabric would make it less excruciatingly awkward.
She didn't turn around, but her voice was full of hurt. "I did so much for you. You told me to bring a horse, I did that instantly. You didn't tell me why you wanted to go there, I didn't ask. You said you don't know how to massage, I believed you. When you said you wanted to level up, I went to help you... no matter what I did, you never appreciated it." A full-blown sob wracked her shoulders under the fabric.
Okay, maybe I had been a bit of an insensitive clod. Years of being kicked down by this world had made me forget how to interact normally, let alone show appreciation. Especially to someone who was helping me when everyone else had abandoned me. Even if she had her own motives, she was still helping.
"I'm sorry Alna," I said, genuinely this time, or at least doing my best imitation of genuine. "I was too dumb. I... I haven't been around people much recently. I'll never do that again." It felt like I was reading lines from a script I'd never rehearsed, but it seemed to be working.
Hesitantly, I reached out and awkwardly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her head was buried against my chest. It felt... weird. Like holding a very upset, vaguely prickly hedgehog.
She sniffled, her voice still muffled. "Even now, you are being kind because you need me, not because you have sympathy towards me."
Huh, just two more days. My internal cynic muttered. I'll just have to endure three more days of this. But as she spoke, her point landed. She wasn't wrong. It was easier to treat people as tools or obstacles than to acknowledge their feelings.
"Alna," I tried again, tightening my awkward hug slightly. "Even though I didn't say it directly, I appreciated everything you did for me. Getting the horse, helping me level... it was just so embarrassing to say it face to face." That much was actually true. My social skills had atrophied into dust. Complimenting someone felt like trying to lift a mountain with my pinky finger.
She raised her head from my chest, her eyes red-rimmed but surprisingly bright in the faint firelight. She looked... incredibly endearing with tear tracks on her cheeks and that slightly miffed expression.
"Why did you turn your eyes away?" she asked, pouting just a little.
I felt my face heat up slightly. This wasn't part of the plan. "I can't help it," I mumbled, looking pointedly at the top of her head. "You are so cute right now that I might end up falling for you if I keep looking at your face."
Her eyes widened slightly, and a deep blush bloomed across her cheeks, spreading down her neck. She blinked rapidly, looking flustered but also... pleased?
"I can't do anything about it if I'm cute," she said, her voice suddenly sounding far less tearful and far more... smugly adorable. "You have to control yourself."
Is this a roleplay? My brain screamed. I'm getting out of here. My cynical self was ready to bail, but my physical form seemed rooted to the spot, still awkwardly hugging her.
Trying to distract myself (and maybe her), my gaze fell on her ears. They seemed... pointed? Huh, her ears are a bit weird. Curiosity overriding caution, I reached out and gently touched the tip of one.
"Don't touch it!" she yelped, recoiling slightly.
Just when I touched one of her ears, it twitched violently, changing shape from slightly pointed human-like ears to unmistakably, undeniably cat-like ears. They were covered in soft fur, and flicked back against her head defensively.
So she's a demi-human!
"Wow, they're so soft." My fingers, apparently operating independently of my brain which was currently screaming Demi-human!, traced the edge of that suddenly prominent, velvety cat-like ear. It twitched under my touch, almost like a real animal. It wasn't just the fur; the whole shape was different. It just... popped out. Like a furry, embarrassing secret she'd been hiding under her human-shaped ear.
"Don't touch them, aahh." She let out a strange noise, a high-pitched squeak that was decidedly not human, followed by a little moan. Her body stiffened in my arms, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps against my chest.
Okay, that was... unexpected. "Are they ticklish?" I asked, because apparently my curiosity trumped my sense of self-preservation. And maybe a tiny, morbid part of me found her reaction hilarious. Like poking a cat's belly button. Probably shouldn't do that to a level 42 demi-human with potential anger issues, but here we are.
I kept touching them. Gently, experimentally. Just running a finger pad along the base, up to the tip. She squirmed, letting out more of those weird little sounds. "H-haa... S-stop... Naofumi..." Her voice was tight, strained. She started breathing heavily, her whole body radiating heat.
Right, this was definitely not just ticklish. This was... something else. Was this a shield unlock condition? 'Molest Demi-Human Ear Shield'? Probably not. Reluctantly, because honestly, her reaction was fascinatingly baffling, I stopped. Her body relaxed slightly, but she was still breathing like she'd just run a marathon.
Suddenly, she hugged me tightly, burying her face against my chest and squeezing the air out of my lungs. "Hehe, sorry I won't do it again, just let me go." I said, trying to pry her arms off. My face was probably bright red. This was beyond awkward.
"Stupid Naofumi." Her voice was muffled against my clothes, but it had a new, slightly dangerous purr to it. "You made quite a biiiiiiig mistake."
My internal alarm bells, which had momentarily quieted, started ringing again, this time accompanied by flashing red lights and klaxons. "What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely bewildered and suddenly very, very wary. Her earlier frustration seemed to have melted away, replaced by... something else entirely. Something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
"We demi-humans get aroused if our ears are tickled." She lifted her head, her eyes glinting mischievously in the dim light filtering into the sleeping bag. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted, and that cute, slightly predatory grin was back. "Haah," she sighed dramatically, though her eyes were sharp and focused. "I just can't control this urge. Now I'm going to punish you, I hope you'll enjoy it."
Enjoy it?! Was she insane?! This wasn't in the game manual! My meta-knowledge was failing me! This was a rogue element! A boss mechanic I didn't account for!
Before I could fully process the horror of her words, she started searching for my pant's zip. Panic flared. My shield did not have a 'Ward Off Lewd Demi-Human' skill! I grabbed her hand, my level 14 strength pitted against her level 42 'aroused' demi-human strength. Unsurprisingly, hers was much more than mine. She swatted my hand away with surprising ease.
Suddenly, she leaned down and... licked my neck!
A jolt went through me. It was warm, wet, and utterly, horrifyingly unexpected.
Someone save me! Was this part of the bet? Was 'temporarily enslaved' secretly code for 'subject to embarrassing demi-human instincts'? Ren! Motoyasu! Itsuki! Myne! (Okay, maybe not Myne). Anyone! Get me out of this sleeping bag before my dignity becomes another casualty of this ridiculous world!