If youre feeling out of it, you could rest at the inn, you know .

Kuu

Yuzuha, curled in a ball on Shins shoulder, expressed that she was okay, so he just lightly patted her on the head .

Since their battle with the demons that attempted to sacrifice the Holy Woman Hermie, Yuzuha would sometimes lean on his shoulders, maybe because she was not feeling too well .

Your companion does not seem to be feeling well .

Shes saying shes OK, though . It doesnt look like she has a fever either, so Ill just keep an eye on her for now .

Leaving Hermie to Wilhelms care, Shin and Schnee had gone to meet Berett at Balmels Golden Company, as they needed a ship to return to Sigurd .

Many of the ships leaving Balmels port headed towards the northern part of the continent (Est) . Travel by land would take too much time, so they decided to head by sea to a port town near Sigurd and then reach the city by land .

Using the dragons to travel by air was a last resort, so the party would not use them this time .

So, how are the arrangements for the ship going?

At Schnees question, Berett lowered his head apologetically .

I would love to help you, but unfortunately our guilds ships are all out . There is, however, one ship heading towards Est . It will stop by another port for supplies on the way there, but it will certainly allow you to reach your destination faster than waiting for one of our ships . What do you say?

It was a ship that carried both trade goods and people . A relatively high social status was required to board it, but with Beretts introduction the party would have been able to board it easily .

Using Tsuki no Hokoras introduction or revealing our members identity would have been troublesome, so this really helps .

An introduction letter from Tsuki no Hokora would have been more than enough proof of status . Using Hermies name too would have probably made it easy to board the ship . But both methods would have created trouble down the line, so they wanted to avoid them as much as possible .

An introduction letter from Berett, Golden Company deputy manager, had the same worth, but saying that they were business partners made it easier to use in their situation .

Having an A-rank adventurer (Wilhelm) and a Church knight (Konig) with them, saying that they planned to do item transactions would make their travel more believable .

The ships departure is scheduled for tomorrow, would that be alright?

Yes, we dont have a lot of time to waste, so thats perfect .

I will contact you later about the current available cabins .

I would prefer a private one . There are some members that wouldnt like their faces to be seen .

Understood . Please wait a while .

Berett opened a drawer and began to write quickly on a piece of paper . He then inserted it into an envelope marked with the Golden Companys logo and sealed it with wax .

Please show this to the captain . I will let them know .

Thank you, and sorry for the trouble .

It is a joy and an honor for me to be of help to High Humans . Do not worry .

Beretts smiling expression as he bowed was honest and pure . There wasnt the single trace of malice within it .

Shin thanked the man again and left the Golden Company .

While Shins entourage was at the Golden Company, Tiera, Filma and Shibaid were buying foodstuffs and items . Kagerou, as usual, stayed within Tieras shadow .

Filma, who had awoken after a 500-year long sleep, was excited to see the streets hustle and bustle .

As expected of a town based on trade, theres so many people here . They also look pretty happy too, its a relief to see .

A relief?

Filmas words caused Tieras puzzled question . After a chuckle, Filma answered .

I only remember until the era of reconstruction after the natural disasters . At the time, even a small earthquake was enough to send everyone into a panic .

There was no sorrow in Filmas tone .

As the generations changed, they probably forgot about what happened then . But the present was born on the efforts of many people . Now and then, people are much more resilient than one would expect .

Shibaid, who was accompanying them to prevent Filma from going too wild, commented with a smile .

Not finding any words to say, Tiera kept quiet .

Yes, I feel that clearly . Anyway, that was nice of you to leave Shin and Schnee by themselves, Shibaid . Youve become more perceptive, havent you?

To be precise, theres someone else with them . But I didnt do it for a particular reason . I just made the decision that letting you go unattended was far more dangerous .

And what would you mean by that?

Im speaking from past experience . Try to think about it and youll understand .

Shibaid was looking at Filma with half-opened eyes, clearly showing his disbelief at her last question .

Dont treat me like a troublemaker now . Well, Ive gone a little overboard sometimes in the past, Ill admit .

Maybe because she recalled what Shibaid was talking about, Filma avoided looking directly at him .

Come on, both of you, thats enough . Since were out in town and all, why dont we check out the stores?

Thats true too . We have the list of what we need, so lets wrap that up quickly .

Yes, yes

Filma welcomed Tieras proposal, while Shibaid gave a wry laugh . He didnt want to fight either, after all .

Filma quickly went to buy foodstuffs .

Tiera, are you good at picking the good from the bad here?

More or less . Ive been trained by master, after all . How about you, Filma?

I can cook if it gets down to it, but I make no promises about the taste . So, the choice of the groceries is up to you .

Shibaid wasnt one to be fussy about food either, so the only one among them who could tell the good groceries from the bad ones was Tiera .

The huge load of foodstuffs they bought was then carried by Shibaid .

We really bought a huge amountwill you be all right?

Tiera was worried about Shibaid carrying the large bag of groceries by himself, but Filma casually brushed away her concerns .

No need to worry, hes not the type of guy to buckle under this much weight .

No problem, I will place them in the item box as soon as we reach a place without people around .

Shibaid was in fact holding the bag without the least bit of difficulty .

By the way, Tiera, theres something I wanted to ask you

Yes, what is it?

Whats your reason for traveling with Shin?

Hmm, I have been wondering that too . And the divine beast you have with you is clearly superior to your abilities as a tamer, too .

Shibaid also joined in questioning Tiera .

Uhm, do I have to talk about that here?

On the contrary, this is the ideal situation to . Crowded places are the best to talk about secrets .

In a noisy and bustling street, as Filma said, it would be impossible to understand who was talking about what . Furthermore, neither Konig the Church knight nor Wilhelm the White Lion Lancer were around .

Shin and Schnee are close to me, thats why I want to know .

Both Filma and Shibaid served directly under Shin, thus they wondered why Tiera, who was not under Shins command, was part of the entourage .

Tiera understood that they didnt just ask her on a whim, and nodded seriously .

I understand . Everything started when my master, Schnee, saved me .

Tiera than explained briefly what happened until Shin removed her curse .

. I see . Its true that the Cursed Gift was usually removed in town before, so there was nothing else to do .

Indeed . I too have attempted to research it, but could not find anything .

Shin seemed to know about it, but both of you didnt?

Tiera was surprised to know that, Schnee included, no one knew how to acquire the skill of Purification .

I knew that Shin had learned it though . I helped looking for the items needed to learn it, but the last part was done by Shin alone, so I dont know the details . It wasnt a skill used often to begin with, so it was enough for only Shin to learn it . I think its similar for the other people we know too .

Thats right . That time, even if you did not learn it yourself you could have curses removed easily in the cities now called Sacred Places . It was not something to spend effort to learn .

What can I sayits incredible .

The existence of cities where cursed people could freely enter and leave and easily be purified was something Tiera was not able to imagine .

Shibaid and Filma, who knew how the world changed after the Dusk of the Majesty, understood Tieras surprise .

By the way, Tiera, what do you think about Shin?

Eh?

Tiera couldnt help but voice her surprise at the sudden question .

I mean, you thought you wouldnt ever leave that shop and he pops out of nowhere and dispels your curse without a single explanation . I honestly doubt that you arent the least bit interested in him, with all that happened .

Filma spoke with confidence and a strange gleam in her eyes . She couldnt help pointing it out .

It wouldnt be exaggerated to call him a prince who saved the damsel just as she was about to give into despair, right?

Well, umof course I am thankful! But, er, you know it! Shin has master with him!

Polygamy is the norm in this world, isnt it? Elves dont seem to like that too much though . But do you really feel only gratitude for him?

Ahum .

Tiera couldnt find the words to answer Filmas dead serious look . But her floundering for words without denying the allegations was an answer in itself .

Filma . Its not proper to poke about in peoples love affairs .

I know, and Ill stop now . But Tiera, let me say just one thing .

Y-Yes .

Filma wasnt grinning anymore now, and talked with a very serious tone .

Its better to make your feelings clear . If you do after you feel regret, its too late .

!!!

Tiera found herself swallow her breath, feeling that Filma had seen right through her .

Im sorry . I know this is none of my business .

no, honestly speaking, I cant find the answer yet myself .

Tiera spoke with a small, wry laugh .

Filma was looking at her with a kind smile .

(I wonder what Shins answer will be, then . )

That was what Shibaid was thinking, apart from the two women .

First, weve secured a means of transport .

Shins entourage, back from the Golden Company, explained to the others about the ship to Sigurd .

Not only Tiera, Filma and Shibaid, but also Hermie and Wilhelm, who had stayed back at the inn, plus Milt, who had gone out with Konig, were listening .

When will we depart?

Konig asked .

Tomorrow morning, in the ship called the Mediel . How were things on your end?

I contacted the Church . As I said before, they should come meet us at the town called Leshelle .

Konig nodded to Shins inquiry .

Most members of the group coming to meet them, however, would be heading to the Summit Faction base .

The group, composed of Chosen Ones, was made to subdue the base in one fell swoop . It was a strategy possible only because Shins party had defeated the more powerful demons .

Aw, I wanted to go with Shin too

Didnt you say that you would pay for the trouble you caused? Youll have to work hard volunteering for a while .

Milts complaints were quickly shut down by Shin .

Even if she had been manipulated, it was a fact that she had kidnapped Hermie . For this reason, it was decided that Milt would serve the Church for a period . Starting, of course, from this base capture mission .

Well, is there anything else that needs to be said? If not, we have an early start tomorrow, so lets go rest .

As no one had anything in particular to add, all members proceeded to their assigned rooms .

The room division was Shin with Yuzuha and Shibaid, Schnee and Filma, Konig and Wilhelm, Tiera with Milt and Hermie .

The bright and cheerful Milt had become good friends with Tiera and Hermie and could also act as bodyguard, so she was put in the same room . Kagerou was, as always, in Tieras shadow too, so the fighting power was more than sufficient .

Anyway Yuzuha, youre still sick?

Kuu

Monsters get sick too, huh . Its not a status ailment, so I really have no idea what it could be

Shibaid was worried too, but Yuzuha kept mentally signaling that she was all right .

Shin told her again to let him know if her condition got worse and went to sleep .

The next day, Shins eyes opened earlier than expected . The reason was a weight of unknown origins on his right arm .

I think this happened beforeYuzuha, is that you?

After confirming the situation with Analyze, Shin looked at the young girl sleeping next to him .

She was Yuzuha, transformed in human form . But her appearance was not the small girl mode Shin knew .

She looked like she could be in her early teens . Her height was around 150 cemels, and her body now showed budding feminine curves . Her silver hair, stretched until her waist, sparkled in the sunlight coming in through the window .

Her ears and tail were the same as before .

Your feeling sick was because of this, then .

Shin pulled out the arm that Yuzuha was hugging and, with his free hand, laid a blanket over her . As he did so, Yuzuha slowly opened her eyes .

. where?

Staring at where Shins arm used to be, Yuzuhas hands fumbled around in the now empty space . Maybe because she wasnt fully awake yet, she hadnt noticed that Shin had just slightly moved away .

Her expression was just like a lost child looking for her parents .

As she clumsily propped her body up, the blanket over her fell down, revealing her naked figure .

Mornings in Balmel are slightly cold . Shin picked up the fallen blanket and wrapped Yuzuha with it .

. here .

Yuzuha didnt even glance at the blanket; with a mumble, she laid her head on Shins lap and quickly slipped into slumber . Her expression was one of simple bliss .

Wait, youre going back to sleep!?

It would be a problem to just leave her like that, so Shin wanted her to put some clothes on first of all . Previously she had turned in fox mode with clothes on, and when she had turned into a small girl again she had them still on, but for some reason it didnt happen this time .

Yuzuhas clothes were on the ground next to her, in card form, so there was no need to pull them out .

Tell me whats going on, first .

Hm?

Your looks, I mean . Is it because your power returned?

Yes . Im still not used to it, so this is my limit for now .

According to Yuzuha, she had been feeling sick because alongside the recovery of her powers, a lot of new knowledge returned to her too . A large quantity of memories had returned to her as well, so her head felt overloaded .

Her powers apparently returned to 60% of their original state; if she got used to her newly recovered strength and more memories returned, her appearance would also grow some more .

Is that also the reason why your expression is so stiff?

Kuu?

Yuzuha tilted her head to the side, puzzled by Shins question .

Excluding her blissful expression while sleeping, her facial expressions barely changed . It was a perfect poker face .

Shin checked Yuzuhas status again, finding that her level now exceeded 600 and her stats had increased exponentially too . Even judging from the numbers alone, she was now at Raid rank 3 strength .

I guess we should let Schnee and the others know . Can you go back to fox mode? Some people might be surprised that you grew bigger all of a sudden, so that would be better .

No problem .

Yuzuha answered positively and transformed right in front of Shin .

After confirming her transformation, Shin contacted Schnee via Mind Chat . He told Schnee, who was already awake, to call Filma too, while Shin himself woke up Shibaid .

Tiera was with Hermie, so he decided to tell her later .

Ooh, you really got stronger .

Filma was impressed after seeing Yuzuhas new level .

I suppose that her level will be 1000 eventually .

Schnee, her hand on her chin, was imagining Yuzuhas final form .

Having an Element Tail as an ally is a great asset .

As he had battled one before, Shibaid knew what a reliable companion she could be .

Nothings particularly different from before, so please treat her as you did until now .

Please .

After finishing talking, it was now time to prepare for departure .

Shin joined the others for breakfast on the ground floor . It was still a little early when they finished eating, but they decided to head to the harbor nonetheless .

Shin was walking next to Wilhelm .

Hermie seems to feel a little better, right .

So it seems . But why are you asking me?

Isnt it because you two stayed back at the inn? That she smiles like that now .

Hermie clearly looked in Wilhelms direction more often than before . It wasnt hard to think that something must have happened . Next to Hermie now walked Konig and Milt, as protection .

We just talked a little, I tell you nothing happened .

Looking at her tells me something else, though .

Whatever .

Shin felt that it wouldnt be good to pursue the matter further, so he dropped the topic . They kept walking, chatting casually, until they spotted the ships sails .

Probably because the time for departure was close, the port was full of bulky men carrying supplies inside the ships .

Its really packed! By the way, which one is our ship?

Milt asked while her eyes darted all around the port .

The largest one, over there . I confirmed it yesterday, so theres no mistake .

Shin pointed at one of the anchored ships . It was clearly larger than the others around it, looking like it could carry a large quantity of goods .

It looks like there are people on board already . Shall we go too?

We dont have anything else to do anyway, lets go .

Shin answered Tieras question and started to walk towards the ship . As the group drew closer, the crewmember in charge of the passengers check came up to them .

It was a large, muscular man, who looked like he could break in bodybuilding poses any second .

Do you plan to board the Mediel?

Yes .

Do you have the boarding pass or a letter of introduction?

The mans intimidating appearance hid a perfectly polite demeanor .

Representing the group, Shin handed the man the letter received from Berett . The man took the letter, opened it carefully and examined its contents .

yes, this will do . Welcome aboard the Mediel . Shall I guide you to your cabins?

Please .

Berett said to show the letter to the captain, but apparently the crewmembers already knew of them too .

The ships cabins reflected the overall size of the vessel; Shins request for a private cabin had been granted as well .

Following the muscular man, Shins party proceeded through the ship and finally arrived before a room protected by a sturdy-looking door .

The cabins were divided between men and women . Hermie was camouflaged, but they picked the farthest room from the entrance for her, to avoid others eyes as much as possible .

Guess Ill go see the ship .

Kuu .

Shin stood up and Yuzuha leapt on his shoulder with a small cry .

OK, lets go together .

Shin called Shibaid too, then went on a walk through the ship . They checked the ships interior structure, what was located where, while paying attention not to get in the way of the stockers .

After they checked most places they had access to, they heard the sound of a bell, the signal that the ship was about to depart . More time had passed than expected .

Just as Shin thought that it was time to return to their cabins, they heard a voice from beyond the corner .

Finally, my sisters sickness will be healed!!

Yes, I am sure Lady Haruna will be very happy too .

The owners of the voices could not be seen, but from their high pitch Shin assumed they belonged to a little girl and her female attendant . As the ship was very large, they had already seen several passengers accompanied by servants .

They were now close to the guest rooms and the surroundings were fairly quiet, so they could hear the conversation clearly .

Shin assumed the little girl had obtained a precious medicine for her sister . Even a stranger like Shin could tell that the girls voice was brimming with joy .

It was really hard to find itaah!?

Eh . ?

The girl beyond the corner had suddenly cried, so Shin stopped moving . Before him stood the little girl, with a look of utter surprise on her face . She looked like she was in her early teens .

The girl was small in stature, around 140 cemels . Her flame-like bright red hair, extending until her waist, were her most striking feature . Her black, clear eyes looked straight at Shin .

Milady?

Behind the little girl appeared a young woman who, from her clothing, resembled a Samurai . She was wearing gauntlets and shin guards, black with patterns drawn in orange lines . On her shoulders she wore large protective plates called Osode, while her chest was protected by a relatively small breast plate .

Her height was probably close to 170 cemels . Her waist-length black hair was tied behind her head in a ponytail .

Do you have business with these gentlemen?

The woman looked towards Shin with eyes as deeply black as her hair . Her sharp look eloquently signaled how she did not only look tough .

No, its nothing . It appears I was a little too excited . I didnt catch their presence . My apologies, fellows . I didnt pay attention, kindly forget about this .

Er, yeah

After the womans question, the little girl apologized to Shin .

Even if his answer was vague, Shin was relieved to hear the girls words, because the womans eyes when looking at him appeared somewhat dangerous .

Ehm, so, I will take my leave .

Yes, a good trip to you .

Shin gave a slight nod and headed towards Schnees room .

As they arrived, they noticed everyone except 2 members were there .

Where are Hermie and Konig?

Hermie started feeling sick as soon as the ship started moving, so Konigs taking care of her .

Shins question was answered by Milt, who was drinking a glass of water . The horse carriage hadnt made her feel sick, but the ship apparently did .

She wasnt terribly sick, so she should be OK as long as she lies down .

Schnee added to Milts words .

Shin, you went looking around the ship, right? Anything caught your interest?

No, nothing in particular . There werent suspicious passengers either .

Thanks to the map function, Shin had also verified that there wasnt anyone hiding in places such as the ships hold . In the game era there was an event in which NPCs would hide there, to attack from within when the ship was attacked by pirates .

After briefly talking about the partys next plans, all members went on their separate business .

Shin headed towards the deck to see the scenery .

Ah, Im coming too .

Me too .

Milt and Tiera quickly followed after Shin . Yuzuha was perched on his shoulder as usual .

Shin had already visited the deck while inspecting the ship, but he had only checked the path which led to it and had not watched the scenery .

Coming on deck, you can feel the wind picked up .

It feels really nice .

Ah, theres something there!

Tiera, who was looking at the sea from the edge of the deck, had found something .

Shin and Milt went closer to the edge of the deck and looked in the direction Tiera was pointing to .

Oh, Hero Dolphins .

As colorful as usual, too .

What Tiera had spotted were Hero Dolphins, dolphin-type monsters .

Maybe they were inspired from certain superhero shows, because they always traveled in packs of 5 or 6; a red and blue one were always present, while the other colors were more varied, ranging between yellow, green, white, black or pink .

They were non-active monsters, a type that generally didnt attack unless provoked .

Oh, thats rare . Theres a gold one .

Wow, its true .

Milt pointed at a pack of Hero Dolphins, led by a red one and followed by a blue, white, black and gold one, all swimming parallel to the ship . It was really rare to witness a golden one .

Its shining much brighter than the others .

Its power should be about the same though .

If defeated, it could drop items slightly rarer than the others . It was said that if a player found one, their luck would increase .

Hm? Hey, Tiera, whats wrong?

Shin looked back at Tiera, to find her staring at the seawater .

Nothing, I just realized that now we arent touching the ground with our feet

Apparently it was her first time on a ship, so she felt slightly uneasy .

We wont sink unless something really big happens, so rest easy, I tell you .

A skill to increase resilience had been used on the ship, so even if charged by a large marine monster, it wouldnt sink easily .

I know that in my head, but I wont calm down until I get used to it, I guess .

It wasnt something that could change instantly .

After contemplating the scenery for a while, Shin and the others returned to their cabins .