The next day, we showed up at the Weapon Shop.
"Oh, if it isn't little An!"
"Did the order come in?"
"You bet! Been done for ages."
The old man disappeared behind the counter and came back carrying a suit of armor.
It was rough-looking, almost savage—yet there was something undeniably primal and rugged about it. The collar was lined with Usapill fur processed to look like soft wool, and a metal plate covered the chest. The joints that couldn't be protected with metal were connected with Yamara leather. When I reached inside, I found the Yamara leather was doubled up, with Pikupiku feathers packed between the layers.
"...I have to wear this?"
I didn't know what to say. It was the kind of armor a bandit boss would wear.
"Barbarian Armor" was a fitting name—if I put it on, I'd look like some thug from the end of the world.
"What's wrong, little An?"
"I mean... it looks incredibly evil, doesn't it?"
"What are you going on about now, little An?"
Hmm?
Was he suggesting I was already pitch-black villain material?
Sure, I wouldn't pick and choose my methods when it came to earning money, but this was taking it a bit far.
"I'm sure it'll look great on you, Naofumi."
"...Raphtalia."
She was really getting assertive these days.
"Just try it on, would you?"
"Mm... I'd rather not, but since you went to the trouble of making it..."
I ducked into the shop's changing room and got dressed.
...I was so shocked I couldn't even speak. The armor fit like a glove—despite nobody ever having measured me.
I guess that's what you get from a Weapon Shop owner who'd been handling arms and armor his whole life. He must have determined my size by eye.
I stepped out of the changing room to model the armor for the old man and Raphtalia.
"Hmm... your face itself isn't savage, but that glare of yours really brings out the brute in you."
"Huh? Are you saying my eyes are scary?"
"Little An, maybe 'looks like he's seen some hard times' is more accurate."
What the hell was he even talking about.
"You look great, Naofumi! Really cool!"
Raphtalia chirped with a smile.
I glared daggers at her.
If she got any more smug, maybe it was time to put her in her... place.
...She actually meant it. What kind of environment did this kid grow up in?
Oh, right—Raphtalia was a Demi-human. Maybe her sense of aesthetics was just different from mine.
I checked my status, and sure enough, the defense was on par with a Chainmail Vest. Actually, a little higher.
When I looked at the old man, he threw me a wink. I figured that counted as a bonus enchantment.
"Thanks... I guess."
Honestly, this wasn't really my style, but if it meant being prepared for the Wave, I'd just have to live with it.
That's how I talked myself into it.
"Now, what should we do next?"
"Come to think of it, the mood in the Castle Town has been pretty tense."
"Probably because the Wave's getting close. But where and when does it actually hit?"
"Hm? Didn't anyone teach you about that?"
"Teach me about what?"
The fact that the Weapon Shop owner knew more than me... Typical. The kingdom's disaster preparedness was a joke. I grumbled inwardly but listened to what the old man had to say.
"There's a clock tower managed by the kingdom—you can see it if you head toward the plaza, right?"
"Actually, yeah, there is a big building like that at the edge of the Castle Town."
"That's where the Dragon's Hourglass is. Apparently, when the sand runs out, the Heroes get teleported—along with their party—to wherever the Wave of Calamity is about to hit."
"I see..."
That information was probably something that worthless king or those crappy fellow Heroes should have taught me.
"If you don't know the time, why not go take a look?"
"Yeah... you're right."
Not knowing when or where I'd be teleported was a problem even for me.
Better to check it out for peace of mind.
"Alright then, I'm heading out."
"Take care!"
"Thanks for everything."
I bowed to the old man, and we headed for the clock tower.
The tower stood on one of the higher points in the Castle Town. The closer you got, the more massive it appeared.
It was a dome-shaped building with the look of a church, with the clock tower rising above it.
Entry seemed to be free—people were coming and going through open gates.
A woman in a nun's habit at what looked like a reception desk gave me a suspicious look the moment she spotted me. She probably recognized my face.
"You're the Shield Hero, aren't you?"
"Yeah. Figured I'd come check on the situation since the deadline's coming up."
"This way, please."
She led me to an enormous hourglass installed right in the center of the church.
A truly colossal thing—at least seven meters tall just from end to end.
It was decorated with ornate engravings, giving it an almost sacred appearance.
...Something was off. My spine tingled.
Just looking at it sent a strange sensation racing through my body, like some deep instinct was being prodded.
The sand was... red.
I fixed my gaze on the grains cascading down with a soft whisper.
Even I could tell it wouldn't be long before the last grain fell.
A sharp ping rang out from my shield, and a beam of light shot from the shield into the gemstone at the center of the Dragon's Hourglass.
A clock appeared in the corner of my vision.
20:12
After a moment, the number ticked down from 12 to 11.
So that was how I'd be able to read the exact time. I'd have to coordinate my movements accordingly.
But... twenty hours didn't leave me much room. The best I could manage today was gathering herbs in the plains, at most.
I'd need to stock up on Recovery Medicine too.
"Hm? Isn't that Naofumi over there?"
That voice. The last one I wanted to hear came drifting over from deeper inside the building.
I looked. Strolling toward me with a whole entourage of women was Motoyasu—the Spear Hero.
I hated this. Every fiber of my being wanted to beat him to a pulp right then and there, but I held myself back through sheer willpower.
"So you came to prepare for the Wave too?"
His eyes were insufferably sleazy. He gave me a once-over, top to bottom, with a contemptuous gaze.
"What's with you, still fighting in that level of gear?"
Excuse me?
Who did he think was responsible for that? It was him and that worthless woman standing behind him.
Motoyasu was practically a different person compared to about a month ago. His equipment screamed high-level at first glance.
This wasn't iron anymore. He was clad in gleaming armor that looked like silver, underneath which he wore pristine, new-looking clothes of vivid green with expensive-looking enchantments. And as if that weren't enough, he'd layered a Chainmail Vest beneath his armor as well—like he was insisting that defense was everything.
His legendary spear was nothing like the cheap-looking one from our first meeting. It was now an ornate lance that looked like it would hurt just to look at, yet undeniably cool in design.
A lance... well, technically a spear.
"..."
Not even worth the effort of speaking.
I tried to ignore Motoyasu and make for the exit.
"What's wrong with you? Motoyasu is talking to you! Show some respect!"
My source of murderous rage—Motoyasu's companion—popped her head out from behind him.
I shot her a glare that could kill, but she just stuck her tongue out at me, mocking me as always.
This woman. Someday I was absolutely going to kill her.
"Naofumi? Who are these people...?"
Raphtalia tilted her head and pointed toward Motoyasu and his group.
"..."
Rather than answer, I chose to leave. I started to walk away.
Then I saw Itsuki and Ren come through the entrance, and stopped dead.
"Tch."
"Oh, Motoyasu and... Naofumi."
Itsuki clicked his tongue the moment he spotted me, wearing the expression he reserved for things he found distasteful, before composing himself and speaking up.
"..."
Ren approached coolly and silently. His equipment had clearly been upgraded significantly since the day they'd departed.
Each of them brought a gaggle of companions along.
The inside of the clock tower had gotten considerably more crowded in the blink of an eye.
4 + 12 + 1.
Four of us—the summoned Heroes. Twelve court-selected adventurers. And one Raphtalia.
Seventeen people packed in here. Of course it was going to feel suffocating.
"Um..."
"Who's that girl? She's super cute!"
Motoyasu pointed at Raphtalia and blathered.
Was this guy only interested if it was a girl? Any girl?
A Hero lusting after a little girl... this country was doomed.
And he swaggered up to Raphtalia with that pretentious attitude of his, introducing himself with exaggerated charm.
"Pleased to meet you, my lady. I am Kitamura Motoyasu, one of the four Heroes summoned from another world. I look forward to knowing you."
"A... a Hero, sir?"
Raphtalia's eyes darted nervously as she nodded.
"What is your name?"
"Well..."
Looking troubled, Raphtalia glanced at me, then shifted her gaze to Motoyasu.
"I-I'm Raphtalia. Nice to meet you."
She must have sensed my bad mood—she was clearly breaking into a cold sweat.
She probably wanted to go stand by Motoyasu instead of me.
Honestly, all I wanted was to get out of here, and these idiots were still trying to get a rise out of me?
"And what brings you here today, my lady? Why would someone as lovely as you be carrying such a violent-looking armor and sword?"
"Because I fight alongside Naofumi."
"Huh? Naofumi's?"
Motoyasu shot me a quizzical glare.
"...What?"
"Where'd you find such a cute girl?"
Motoyasu talked down to me from on high.
"You don't need to know."
"Here I thought you were going in alone... you're just riding on Raphtalia's kindness, aren't you?"
"Think whatever you want."
Talking to this trash, who trusted some otherworldly bitches over his fellow Hero companions—it was enough to make my blood boil.
I turned and headed toward one of the exits near Ren and Itsuki.
The two and their entourage parted to let me through.
"Let's meet again at the Wave."
"Don't be a burden."
I turned my back, enduring Itsuki's mechanical, by-the-book response and Ren's insufferably haughty Hero attitude, both of which only fueled my murderous urge.
When I glanced back, Raphtalia was scrambling to catch up with me, glancing around in bewilderment.
"Let's go."
"Y-yes! Naofumi!"
When I called out, she finally snapped back to herself and answered with renewed energy.
What a thoroughly unpleasant experience.
I finally left the clock tower behind and headed through the Castle Town toward the plains, simmering with irritation.
"N-Naofumi? What's wrong?"
"Nothing..."
"Um..."
"What?"
"Nothing..."
Raphtalia, sensing my foul mood, hung her head and followed behind me quietly.
...A Balloon had wandered over.
Raphtalia drew her sword.
"Ah, leave this one to me this time."
"But..."
"I said it's fine!"
When I barked at her, Raphtalia flinched and shrank back.
The Balloon was right in front of me now.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA!"
Damn it! DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!
I pummeled the Balloon in a fit of pent-up frustration, and it took the edge off just slightly.
I checked the remaining time displayed in the corner of my vision.
18:01
Eighteen more hours.
Something to do before then?
In the end, after that, there was nothing to do but wander the plains gathering herbs while hunting Balloons.
I collected what herbs I could, mixed them into Recovery Medicine, and prepared for the Wave.
That evening... while resting in our room at the inn, Raphtalia approached me with a guilty expression.
"Naofumi?"
"...What?"
"The people at the clock tower earlier—they were Heroes too, weren't they? The same as you."
"...Yeah."
She was reminding me of something I'd rather forget.
I'd only just managed to stop fuming about it.
"What exactly... happened between you?"
"I don't want to talk about it. If you really want to know, go to a tavern and ask around."
It didn't matter if I told her the truth—she wouldn't believe me anyway. Same went for Raphtalia.
But there was one crucial difference between Raphtalia and those other people: Raphtalia was my Slave.
If she disobeyed my orders, tried to run away, or refused me, the Curse would activate.
Raphtalia sensed that I wasn't about to say anything more, and she didn't press the matter.
I spent the rest of the night, right up until bedtime, mixing medicine to prepare for tomorrow.