—3rd Person POV, Earlier—
Waking up as the sunlight filtered through the curtains, Naofumi was awakened by the soothing breathing of his companions. As usual, the two of them had slipped into his bed sometime during the night and were sleeping peacefully on both sides of him. Feeling Senko’s tail brushing against his face, he opened his eyes to see her sleeping with her back to him.
‘I swear…’, he thought as he scooted back to get out of bed, ‘We got a room with two beds, and for some reason, we only use one of them. Maybe…maybe I should just get a room with a bigger bed, I am tired of waking up to fur in my mouth.’
As he scooted back, a pair of soft mounds pressed against his back. Stopping dead in his tracks, Naofumi was puzzled as to whose they were as the only one with breasts in his party was right in front of him. Thinking that Malty might have snuck in to frame him, his rage boiled over as he quickly rolled over and threw the sheets off the woman.
“Damn it Malty, we have told you several…WHAT IN THE HECK!?”, he shrieked seeing someone he didn’t recognize in the bed, “Who are you?!”
Opening her eyes, the woman in front of him sat up with a sleepy expression. Letting out a yawn with a stretch, she bid him a good morning as she started to wake up.
“Good Morning Naofumi-sama.”, Raphtalia said with a smile, “Is there something wrong…I swear I didn’t wet the bed again!”
“Ra…Raphtalia, what the heck happened to you!?”, Noafumi gasped realizing who she was by the way she referred to him, “Why…why did your appearance change?!”
Blinking several times with confusion, Raphtalia looked down and realized that she was now a mature woman. Discovering that her clothing had torn due to her rapid growth, she let out a squeak and yanked the sheets over her body with a bright red face. Awakened by all the commotion, Senko sat up and looked over at Raphtalia in disbelief.
‘This girl!’, Senko thought looking at Raphtalia’s chest and then at her own, ‘She leaped past me in one night! This throws a wrench in my seduction plans!’
“Senko, do you know what is going on here?”, Naofumi asked, “Is this something that happens to Demihumans that I wasn’t aware of? I could have used a little warning…”
“I…I think the sudden increase in her level and one of your Shields is the cause of this.”, Senko stated remembering a legend about the Shield Hero’s power, “I can’t be certain, but that is the only possibility that I can think of right now.”
Searching through the buffs he had on his various shields, he found one that increased the maturity of people in his party based on the experience they earned. Naofumi and Senko hadn’t changed since they were already completely mature while Raphatial went from a child to an adult overnight. Sharing the news with the two of them, he apologized for not checking the buffs more thoroughly. Promising to keep tabs on things moving forward, he didn’t want to have any further surprises like this anymore.
“So then it is true…”, Senko sighed in defeat.
“Something wrong?”, Naofumi asked with a concerned look, “Is there a side effect that I should be concerned about?”
“No, this is just an unexpected turn of events. Anyways we need to get Raphtalia new armor and clothing before we go to the Church.”, Senko told them, “She can’t fight with her old equipment anymore, and our order will need to be changed with the Armorer.”
Realizing that they had a lot more to do now before the Wave started, Senko got dressed and ran out to get Raphtalia the proper clothing she needed. Coming back twenty minutes later with a few outfits and undergarments for Raphtalia, she ended up having to explain how to use a bra to Raphtalia as she never used one before. Stepping out of the room when Raphtalia started trying on the outfits, Naofumi went down to get a table and order breakfast for everyone.
Coming down from the room as the food came out of the kitchen, Naofumi was surprised at how cute Raphtalia was. As a few thoughts crept into his mind, Naofumi was quick to push them aside as he remembered that she was still a child mentally. Pushing his male thoughts aside, he complimented the two women as they took their seats.
“You have a good taste in clothing Senko, Raphtalia looks very cute.”, Naofumi praised Senko.
“Thank you Naofumi.”, Senko said with a smile.
“Yes, thank you!”, Raphtalia agreed with a beaming smile.
Digging into their food while it was hot, they got halfway through breakfast before Raphtalia asked a question.
“So we are going to the Armorers and then the Church after breakfast?”, Raphtalia questioned making sure she understood the plans.
“That’s the plan…assuming the Church lets us in.”, Naofumi stated, “They hate the Shield Hero and Demihumans so they will probably give us some trouble. With Kessler gone for today, we won’t have him here to bash some skulls in.”
“I can do the job plenty well myself.”, Senko assured him with a smirk, “I won’t let them deny you access to the Dragon Hourglass.”
Shoveling the rest of their meal down, the three of them headed for the Armorer immediately. Catching him just as he was opening the shop for the day, the tradesman was taken aback by Raphtalia’s sudden physical changes. Asking them how this happened, as he’d never seen such a drastic change before, Senko told him that it was a Tanuki thing instead of telling him about Naofumi’s power.
“Ah I see, never met one before so I didn’t know.”, the owner said.
“Yeah…I didn’t realize till this morning either.”, Naofumi admitted, “We need to change our order a bit to accommodate her.”
“Sure not a problem, let me have my wife take her measurements.”, the owner stated as he called out for his wife.
Coming out of the back, he explained the situation to her and asked for her help. Agreeing to take the measurements, she whipped out a measurement tool and quickly sized Raphtalia. Writing down the measurements for him, he unconsciously let out a whistle.
“Well all be, you are one lucky man kid.”, the owner chuckled, “If I had a human girl with these measurements I’d-”
Feeling his wife staring daggers at the back of his head, he realized he fucked up.
“Go on…what would you do?”, she inquired cracking her knuckles.
“Nothing, I am a married man.”, he said with a worried look.
“Uh huh, you best remember that your spoke for.”, she huffed as she went back into their home, “You are getting nothing for breakfast today!”
Hanging his head, he let out a sigh and accepted his punishment. Telling Naofumi that the change order would add another day onto the work order, Naofumi agreed to the changes. Asking for some used armor for Raphtalia, he requested that it be in good condition as they would be fighting later today. Pulling some off the shelf that fit her, she tried it on and confirmed it would work.
“Good luck kid, you’ll definitely need it.”, the Armorer said accepting the payment amount.
Giving him a confused look, Naofumi didn’t realize what he was meaning. Taking it to be about the fight today, he thanked the owner before walking out of the store. Heading straight over to the Church, Naofumi couldn’t help but feel someone was watching them as they drew near the building. Looking around them, he saw people glaring at them with disdain clearly displayed on their faces.
‘Jeez…I guess it was good we stayed away from over here.’, he thought leaning towards Senko, “Do not harm anyone unless I tell you to. I don’t want any problems with the City Guard today with Kessler away.”
“Understood.”, Senko replied keeping a close eye on their surroundings.
Walking up the steps to the Church, Naofumi was surprised at how similar it looked to the Christian Churches he was familiar with in Japan. Admiring the architecture for a few moments, they continued towards the entrance. Spotting two Paladins guarding the entrance to the Church, neither of them moved to stop them till they were right at the entrance. Swinging their Halberds down to block their path, Raphtalia almost ran into them on accident.
“By order of the High Priest, you are not permitted inside the Church at this time. If you have need of the Dragon Hourglass, submit a formal request for review.”, the Paladin on the right said.
“The King told me I could use the Hourglass it’s the Kingdom’s property, not the Three Heroes Church.”, Naofumi refuted, “There is a Wave happening this morning, and my party needs to be ready to fight.”
Continuing to bar their path, Naofumi considered forcing his way in as he was confident they held the advantage here. Hearing heavy footfalls behind them, Naofumi glanced back to see a large patrol of City Guards walking past a few yards away. Knowing they would likely use this against him if he pressed the Paladins, Naofumi resigned himself to using the formal method.
“Where do we submit the request…”, he begrudgingly asked.
“Through the Castle.”, the Paladin replied pointing to the Royal Castle.
“I see…I will wait for Kessler to get back then.”, Naofumi mumbled as he turned to leave.
Seeing the Shield Heroes party being turned away, the lieutenant leading the large group stopped his men and marched them toward the Church. Having received orders from his commander to ensure that the Shield Hero was treated the same as the other three, he knew what he needed to do.
“Excuse me, why are you turning the Shield Hero away?”, the lieutenant questioned, “The Crown has given their blessing for the Shield Hero to use the Hourglass, please grant him access immediately.”
“By order of the High Priest, the Shield Hero is barred from entering without requesting access in advanced.”, the Paladin on the left stated.
“The King has made it clear he is to receive the same treatment as the other Heroes, and they don’t need to submit a request. Remove your blockade immediately!”, the lieutenant ordered in a firm tone.
Drawn in by the argument going on between the City Guard and the Paladins, a crowd of people started to form. Restating his orders to the Paladins again, he reminded them that the King’s orders were absolute.
“By refusing the Crown’s decree, you are committing treason which is punishable by death!”, the lieutenant said as he and his men drew their blades, “Stand down immediately and let them pass, any further resistance will result in your arrests.”
Hearing footsteps approaching from inside the Church, nearly a dozen Knights showed up to aid the Paladins. Sizing up each other, the two groups weighed their options carefully as neither side wanted to start the conflict. Realizing that Kessler’s actions had garnered him the protection of the Crown, Naofumi no longer saw any reason to back down. Turning back to the Knights and Paladins, he was ready to make his move.
‘If worse comes to worst, Kessler can help me deal with them tomorrow. Maybe he will knock some sense into them too’, Naofumi decided, “If you won’t let us in to prepare for the Wave, you leave me no choice…Shield Bash!”
Slamming his shield into the Knights with a minimal amount of force, he was shocked to see them fly backward into the building. Crashing into marble pillars and furniture, the Knights were momentarily rendered incapable of fighting. Seizing the opportunity, Naofumi used Shield Prison to prevent the Paladins from blocking his path allowing the City Guard and him to pass. Arresting the Knights while they were unable to resist, the lieutenant told the Shield Hero to proceed while more City Guard came to secure the prisoners.
Thanking him for his assistance, Naofumi and his party rushed into the Church to locate the Dragon Hourglass. Spotting the Hourglass in the center of the Church, the group ran over to it before more Knights could show up. Unsure how to perform the Class Up, Naofumi placed his hand on the Hourglass hoping something would happen. Seeing a countdown timer appear on his HUD when his hand touched it, he saw that they had thirty seconds before the Wave started.
“Damn it…we are too late.”, Naofumi said, “The Wave starts in thirty seconds, we will have to come back afterward to Class Up.”
“This means that we will not garner any experience from this Wave.”, Senko sighed, “Well at least we know we have access to this place now.”
“Yeah…let’s see just how bad this Wave thing is.”, Naofumi stated as the timer hit zero, “Let’s do this!”
—3rd Person POV, Earlier—
Waking up as the sunlight filtered through the curtains, Naofumi was awakened by the soothing breathing of his companions. As usual, the two of them had slipped into his bed sometime during the night and were sleeping peacefully on both sides of him. Feeling Senko’s tail brushing against his face, he opened his eyes to see her sleeping with her back to him.
‘I swear…’, he thought as he scooted back to get out of bed, ‘We got a room with two beds, and for some reason, we only use one of them. Maybe…maybe I should just get a room with a bigger bed, I am tired of waking up to fur in my mouth.’
As he scooted back, a pair of soft mounds pressed against his back. Stopping dead in his tracks, Naofumi was puzzled as to whose they were as the only one with breasts in his party was right in front of him. Thinking that Malty might have snuck in to frame him, his rage boiled over as he quickly rolled over and threw the sheets off the woman.
“Damn it Malty, we have told you several…WHAT IN THE HECK!?”, he shrieked seeing someone he didn’t recognize in the bed, “Who are you?!”
Opening her eyes, the woman in front of him sat up with a sleepy expression. Letting out a yawn with a stretch, she bid him a good morning as she started to wake up.
“Good Morning Naofumi-sama.”, Raphtalia said with a smile, “Is there something wrong…I swear I didn’t wet the bed again!”
“Ra…Raphtalia, what the heck happened to you!?”, Noafumi gasped realizing who she was by the way she referred to him, “Why…why did your appearance change?!”
Blinking several times with confusion, Raphtalia looked down and realized that she was now a mature woman. Discovering that her clothing had torn due to her rapid growth, she let out a squeak and yanked the sheets over her body with a bright red face. Awakened by all the commotion, Senko sat up and looked over at Raphtalia in disbelief.
‘This girl!’, Senko thought looking at Raphtalia’s chest and then at her own, ‘She leaped past me in one night! This throws a wrench in my seduction plans!’
“Senko, do you know what is going on here?”, Naofumi asked, “Is this something that happens to Demihumans that I wasn’t aware of? I could have used a little warning…”
“I…I think the sudden increase in her level and one of your Shields is the cause of this.”, Senko stated remembering a legend about the Shield Hero’s power, “I can’t be certain, but that is the only possibility that I can think of right now.”
Searching through the buffs he had on his various shields, he found one that increased the maturity of people in his party based on the experience they earned. Naofumi and Senko hadn’t changed since they were already completely mature while Raphatial went from a child to an adult overnight. Sharing the news with the two of them, he apologized for not checking the buffs more thoroughly. Promising to keep tabs on things moving forward, he didn’t want to have any further surprises like this anymore.
“So then it is true…”, Senko sighed in defeat.
“Something wrong?”, Naofumi asked with a concerned look, “Is there a side effect that I should be concerned about?”
“No, this is just an unexpected turn of events. Anyways we need to get Raphtalia new armor and clothing before we go to the Church.”, Senko told them, “She can’t fight with her old equipment anymore, and our order will need to be changed with the Armorer.”
Realizing that they had a lot more to do now before the Wave started, Senko got dressed and ran out to get Raphtalia the proper clothing she needed. Coming back twenty minutes later with a few outfits and undergarments for Raphtalia, she ended up having to explain how to use a bra to Raphtalia as she never used one before. Stepping out of the room when Raphtalia started trying on the outfits, Naofumi went down to get a table and order breakfast for everyone.
Coming down from the room as the food came out of the kitchen, Naofumi was surprised at how cute Raphtalia was. As a few thoughts crept into his mind, Naofumi was quick to push them aside as he remembered that she was still a child mentally. Pushing his male thoughts aside, he complimented the two women as they took their seats.
“You have a good taste in clothing Senko, Raphtalia looks very cute.”, Naofumi praised Senko.
“Thank you Naofumi.”, Senko said with a smile.
“Yes, thank you!”, Raphtalia agreed with a beaming smile.
Digging into their food while it was hot, they got halfway through breakfast before Raphtalia asked a question.
“So we are going to the Armorers and then the Church after breakfast?”, Raphtalia questioned making sure she understood the plans.
“That’s the plan…assuming the Church lets us in.”, Naofumi stated, “They hate the Shield Hero and Demihumans so they will probably give us some trouble. With Kessler gone for today, we won’t have him here to bash some skulls in.”
“I can do the job plenty well myself.”, Senko assured him with a smirk, “I won’t let them deny you access to the Dragon Hourglass.”
Shoveling the rest of their meal down, the three of them headed for the Armorer immediately. Catching him just as he was opening the shop for the day, the tradesman was taken aback by Raphtalia’s sudden physical changes. Asking them how this happened, as he’d never seen such a drastic change before, Senko told him that it was a Tanuki thing instead of telling him about Naofumi’s power.
“Ah I see, never met one before so I didn’t know.”, the owner said.
“Yeah…I didn’t realize till this morning either.”, Naofumi admitted, “We need to change our order a bit to accommodate her.”
“Sure not a problem, let me have my wife take her measurements.”, the owner stated as he called out for his wife.
Coming out of the back, he explained the situation to her and asked for her help. Agreeing to take the measurements, she whipped out a measurement tool and quickly sized Raphtalia. Writing down the measurements for him, he unconsciously let out a whistle.
“Well all be, you are one lucky man kid.”, the owner chuckled, “If I had a human girl with these measurements I’d-”
Feeling his wife staring daggers at the back of his head, he realized he fucked up.
“Go on…what would you do?”, she inquired cracking her knuckles.
“Nothing, I am a married man.”, he said with a worried look.
“Uh huh, you best remember that your spoke for.”, she huffed as she went back into their home, “You are getting nothing for breakfast today!”
Hanging his head, he let out a sigh and accepted his punishment. Telling Naofumi that the change order would add another day onto the work order, Naofumi agreed to the changes. Asking for some used armor for Raphtalia, he requested that it be in good condition as they would be fighting later today. Pulling some off the shelf that fit her, she tried it on and confirmed it would work.
“Good luck kid, you’ll definitely need it.”, the Armorer said accepting the payment amount.
Giving him a confused look, Naofumi didn’t realize what he was meaning. Taking it to be about the fight today, he thanked the owner before walking out of the store. Heading straight over to the Church, Naofumi couldn’t help but feel someone was watching them as they drew near the building. Looking around them, he saw people glaring at them with disdain clearly displayed on their faces.
‘Jeez…I guess it was good we stayed away from over here.’, he thought leaning towards Senko, “Do not harm anyone unless I tell you to. I don’t want any problems with the City Guard today with Kessler away.”
“Understood.”, Senko replied keeping a close eye on their surroundings.
Walking up the steps to the Church, Naofumi was surprised at how similar it looked to the Christian Churches he was familiar with in Japan. Admiring the architecture for a few moments, they continued towards the entrance. Spotting two Paladins guarding the entrance to the Church, neither of them moved to stop them till they were right at the entrance. Swinging their Halberds down to block their path, Raphtalia almost ran into them on accident.
“By order of the High Priest, you are not permitted inside the Church at this time. If you have need of the Dragon Hourglass, submit a formal request for review.”, the Paladin on the right said.
“The King told me I could use the Hourglass it’s the Kingdom’s property, not the Three Heroes Church.”, Naofumi refuted, “There is a Wave happening this morning, and my party needs to be ready to fight.”
Continuing to bar their path, Naofumi considered forcing his way in as he was confident they held the advantage here. Hearing heavy footfalls behind them, Naofumi glanced back to see a large patrol of City Guards walking past a few yards away. Knowing they would likely use this against him if he pressed the Paladins, Naofumi resigned himself to using the formal method.
“Where do we submit the request…”, he begrudgingly asked.
“Through the Castle.”, the Paladin replied pointing to the Royal Castle.
“I see…I will wait for Kessler to get back then.”, Naofumi mumbled as he turned to leave.
Seeing the Shield Heroes party being turned away, the lieutenant leading the large group stopped his men and marched them toward the Church. Having received orders from his commander to ensure that the Shield Hero was treated the same as the other three, he knew what he needed to do.
“Excuse me, why are you turning the Shield Hero away?”, the lieutenant questioned, “The Crown has given their blessing for the Shield Hero to use the Hourglass, please grant him access immediately.”
“By order of the High Priest, the Shield Hero is barred from entering without requesting access in advanced.”, the Paladin on the left stated.
“The King has made it clear he is to receive the same treatment as the other Heroes, and they don’t need to submit a request. Remove your blockade immediately!”, the lieutenant ordered in a firm tone.
Drawn in by the argument going on between the City Guard and the Paladins, a crowd of people started to form. Restating his orders to the Paladins again, he reminded them that the King’s orders were absolute.
“By refusing the Crown’s decree, you are committing treason which is punishable by death!”, the lieutenant said as he and his men drew their blades, “Stand down immediately and let them pass, any further resistance will result in your arrests.”
Hearing footsteps approaching from inside the Church, nearly a dozen Knights showed up to aid the Paladins. Sizing up each other, the two groups weighed their options carefully as neither side wanted to start the conflict. Realizing that Kessler’s actions had garnered him the protection of the Crown, Naofumi no longer saw any reason to back down. Turning back to the Knights and Paladins, he was ready to make his move.
‘If worse comes to worst, Kessler can help me deal with them tomorrow. Maybe he will knock some sense into them too’, Naofumi decided, “If you won’t let us in to prepare for the Wave, you leave me no choice…Shield Bash!”
Slamming his shield into the Knights with a minimal amount of force, he was shocked to see them fly backward into the building. Crashing into marble pillars and furniture, the Knights were momentarily rendered incapable of fighting. Seizing the opportunity, Naofumi used Shield Prison to prevent the Paladins from blocking his path allowing the City Guard and him to pass. Arresting the Knights while they were unable to resist, the lieutenant told the Shield Hero to proceed while more City Guard came to secure the prisoners.
Thanking him for his assistance, Naofumi and his party rushed into the Church to locate the Dragon Hourglass. Spotting the Hourglass in the center of the Church, the group ran over to it before more Knights could show up. Unsure how to perform the Class Up, Naofumi placed his hand on the Hourglass hoping something would happen. Seeing a countdown timer appear on his HUD when his hand touched it, he saw that they had thirty seconds before the Wave started.
“Damn it…we are too late.”, Naofumi said, “The Wave starts in thirty seconds, we will have to come back afterward to Class Up.”
“This means that we will not garner any experience from this Wave.”, Senko sighed, “Well at least we know we have access to this place now.”
“Yeah…let’s see just how bad this Wave thing is.”, Naofumi stated as the timer hit zero, “Let’s do this!”
