blessed with a hero's heart

Chapter 14: Humble Lesson

Magnus: I apologize for this overly long delay, but I nearly died in October to a severe case of ketoacidosis, and the recovery time afterwards was really awful, but I'm back with this story. I'll do my best to keep updating, but I can no longer promise a stable schedule.
Disclaimer: I never intended for this experiment to be this successful, but now that it is, I feel obligated to increase the quality of the writing.
Edit: This chapter was Beta'ed by Vandebz.
Chapter 14
A humble lesson
Yunyun watched the situation unfold before her, trying really hard to understand what was happening, and why it was happening in the first place.
"Liza, take these guys to the surface." Izuku commanded, earning a grunt and a firm nod from the albino Gator-Girl, "They are free now, and Lean must be worried sick for them."
As the daughter of the village's chief, Yunyun knew that going overboard was the trademark of the Crimson Demon tribe. Either by exaggerating mannerisms, or using the flashiest and strongest spells available, they had to leave a strong impression wherever they went. But what Megumin's boyfriend intended to do…
"Megumin, Yunyun!" Izuku called, sounding serious and cool, like a true heroic leader, "I need you two to draw a sacrificial magic circle. Make sure it will not take anything living or souls!"
"YES!" Both Crimson Demons replied, scrambling to do as commanded.
Reincarnation was a weird spell, unique to Arch-Druids, and officially considered as undesirable for the common adventurer. The spell used twice the amount of mana compared to the more acceptable resurrection, randomly selecting a new race and sometimes gender for the target. The mana cost also increased according to the time the target had been dead, making the idea of resurrecting an ancient Lich ludicrous.
"Bring all the hoard from our treasure chamber. To the last coin!" Keel commanded to his minions, earning cheers from the six wights at his command, and the horde of zombies and skeletons following suit, "TODAY WE'LL BE FREE!"
Izuku had countered Yunyun's worries by mentioning an option that most spellcasters had at their disposal. The sacrificial magic circle allowed the sacrifice of material resources in order to power up spells. However, no sane spellcaster used it because the monetary cost was considered wasteful; this necessity was theorized by some academies as the cost in money seemed to be related to the perceived value of the spell.
"Megumin…" Yunyun called in a hushed tone as she kept working on the magic circle, "There is no way this would work!"
As an accomplished Arch-Wizard who had spent most of her time studying magic and its principles, she knew that the mana conversion ratio was unbearable. The best outcome recorded demonstrated that the coin used was twice the cost of the mana potions that would have been used to perform the spell.
"Of course this shouldn't work." Megumin replied with a smile, not stopping for a moment, "Just like his Genesic World Tree, or my Big Bang."
Yunyun nearly recoiled at what she perceived as mockery, or sarcasm. She had no idea of what this Genesic World Tree was, but Megumin's Big Bang was a super destructive spell that no one could claim to know how it worked. Even the idea of knowing the intricacies behind the blocks of reality seemed too otherworldly to not be part of some forbidden knowledge that actually existed!
"But we are talking about Izuku, my boyfriend." Megumin continued, throwing a smug grin towards her fellow Arch-Wizard, "At the very least, this will work as intended. Although this will most likely surpass expectations."
Meanwhile…
Outside the dungeon, three guys finally reunited with their last party member. Lean had been worried out of her mind, her imagination getting the best of her by conjuring images of the three idiots she called friends being cursed, drained of all blood, and/or being stripped of their flesh. Seeing them alive and well was better than a healing potion.
"YOU IDIOTS!" Lean screamed as her conflicted emotions failed to settle between her aching heart and her overactive imagination, "I WAS WORRIED BEYOND REASON!"
As the boys descended into a flurry of apologies, and even sharing with her their well-earned reward, a certain pink-haired Ranger couldn't help but sigh at the scene.
Even this unremarkable girl was having far more success than her.
"I don't get it…" Aela muttered to herself, still practicing her aim with her light crossbow, "What did I do wrong? Or was it my clothes?"
Taking a moment to look at her clothes, she nearly chuckled. She'd forgotten that she had changed her outfit just a day ago. Izuku had called her miniskirt impractical, and instead suggested a new outfit. Aela's fear of being nearly stripped was shut down when he had provided the clothes.
Khaki shorts, green tunic, leather boots and bracers.
For the Ranger, it was probably the tamest outfit she could wear. It was almost the opposite of what Kyouya had chosen for her…
And it felt comfortable, while giving her a sense of safety, as nothing private was in any danger of being shown to the world. To make things even more depressing, after dressing in a more sensible way, she was finally being taken more seriously in the Guild.
"Chika wants to be by Master's side…" The whispery voice of the Black Harpy returned the attention of the Ranger to the present, with a pronounced shiver running down her spine.
Horrible voice aside, Aela could now understand why the Arch Druid kept the harpy. She was loyal to a fault, obedient too. Not to mention useful, as she was capable of distracting opponents in combat, and able to deliver messages and small packages if needed. She was pretty to look at… after you managed to pass over the talons and feathers.
The Gator-Girl was on a different level though.
For a brute slave, she was surprisingly tame, to the point of making her doubt all the rumors and warnings about Liza's race. She was of course dumber than her Lizardfolk cousins, but her unbelievable strength and obsessive devotion made up for all that. She had, after all, successfully escorted the adventurers back to their party member, and managed to clearly deliver Izuku's message.
That reminded her of the impossibility of the situation. Her new party leader was dealing with Keel the Lich.
"How does someone deal with a Lich?" Aela muttered to herself again.
It wasn't a fight. Liza had been clear on her report.
Peacefully dealing with a Lich? Had it been any other party leader, it would made her laugh. Kyouya would have destroyed the abomination in an instant… although… a Lich willing to parley was something new to her. Would Kyouya attack someone willing to talk?
BAD-DUM!
All thoughts were interrupted by the tremor that traveled beneath her feet. Or maybe… it was something gentler, like a heartbeat. Looking around, Aela finally noticed that the other party had already left, and Darkness seemed a little bit restless. The demi-humans seemed perfectly calm though.
BAD-DUM!
The second tremor was slightly stronger, and was accompanied by a sudden surge of mana. It was a very large concentration of it.
Back inside the dungeon…
Yunyun knew that the Arch Druid wasn't normal from the get-go, but this was pushing even the normalcy of the Crimson Demon clan.
Megumin was grinning like a madwoman, clearly enjoying the sight before them.
A mountain of gold coins, jewels and even magic items was piled inside the sacrificial magic circle. The objective was to return a Lich to life, which in turn would end the foul necromancy that bound his servants to this world. It was a mountain of gold, probably enough to buy her entire village, and the services of all her clan. Just looking at it hurt her, and she was meant to stay still and watch it disappear?
TAP-TAP!
Izuku tapped his staff against the stone floor. The sound reverberated through the narrow hallways, echoing far into the depths of the underground structure.
"Oh, Wheel of Death and Rebirth. Hear my voice, listen to my plea."
Izuku intoned. His staff, made of Iron Bark, topped with three beautiful jet-black long feathers, was waved gently in smooth circles above his head. The mana in the room was activated, and everyone, living or undead, could feel the resonance.
"Life must end for life to begin again, but these souls still have roles to play in this time."
Yunyun immediately caught that something was wrong. The spell was meant for a single target, and yet, Izuku had talked in plural. Megumin's smug grin only startled the other Crimson Demon more.
"Let them pass through the cleansing cycle of death, let them retain themselves on rebirth."
The sacrificial circle activated, and the gold coins were quickly turning into pure mana, fueling the altered spell. Yunyun noticed that Izuku NEVER turned to look at the vanishing piles of gold, in fact, he didn't show any level of concern for the amount of riches being destroyed.
"Let go of your old life, sins and shackles! Start anew! REINCARNATION!"
Emerald light bathed the room and filled the hallways with ease, blinding everyone for a minute. When Megumin and Yunyun recovered their sight, they were witnesses to one of the most unbelievable images they had laid eyes upon.
Keel and his wights were gone.
"Wh-what happened?" A gruff voice sounded, it belonged to a male Dwarf.
"Are we… really alive?" A female Dwarf spoke now.
"It seems so." A female Halfling took her turn to speak.
"But why?!" A male Halfling countered.
"Why am I now a woman?!" A Human woman shouted in distress.
"Lucky you…" A Human man added in sarcasm, taking a troubled look at his body, seemingly wishing to be of a different gender.
The six wights had been reincarnated. But that wasn't the most impressive feat.
"Keel?" A gorgeous female Elf, with golden hair signaling her heritage of a High-Elf, spoke, "Is that you?"
Her sweet voice, coupled by being cradled by who could only be Keel himself, made the situation look like a scene taken from a love novel. Speaking of Keel…
"My beloved?" A rather handsome male Dark Elf asked back, his brown skin sharply contrasted with his silver hair, "My… dear Sasha?"
"My love!" Sasha yelled as she embraced Keel, "I couldn't stand watching you suffer here while I was at the gates of heaven. Seeing those scoundrels attack you brought me to madness!"
Keel couldn't answer, or say more. Having his beloved in his arms, even if she was in a different body, even if her voice was not the same, it was too much. The once powerful Lich was crying his heart out; not only was he free of the curse of undeath, he had been given a chance to enjoy life with the one he loved the most.
Yunyun couldn't fully process the events happening before her very eyes.
An Arch Druid would obviously reincarnate someone recently dead. Only the leaders of the circles could claim to be able to reincarnate someone who has been dead for a year. Her party leader reincarnated seven ancient undead people, and a woman who had been dead for just as long… with a single casting.
What was he then?
"IZUKU!"
Megumin's sudden scream earned everyone's attention. Izuku had collapsed, and the petite Arch Wizard was doing her best to help him.
"Take him to the bed!" Keel immediately commanded, "And be careful, that young man is more worthy than a Hero!"
The six now reincarnated lieutenants obeyed without hesitation, even when they were no longer under any sort of compulsion to obey.
About two hours later…
"I'm fine…" Izuku bemoaned, still laying in the old bed, "Really… I only need something to eat…"
All his good berries had dried up, rendering them unusable. Running out of mana was far more debilitating than the Arch Druid thought possible. He really wondered how Megumin got used to such a horrible feeling.
"Food! Food!" Chika barely managed to keep her voice to a whisper, making all the newly reincarnated people flinch, "Good thing we had some food packaged!"
A satchel with random things, mostly dried food, was soon passed to Liza, who almost tore it apart so her dear Master could get the food as soon as possible.
"Master… eat…" Liza said as she, as gently as she could, placed a piece of dried meat into Izuku's mouth, "Master… better…"
Megumin, Keel and his beloved couldn't help but chuckle at the scene of clumsy love. It took a few minutes for everyone to notice that the reincarnated High Elf was naked, and a couple more for a proper dress to be found and given to her. Yunyun was still trying to hopelessly comprehend what had happened.
"It shouldn't be possible…" Yunyun muttered in a corner, occasionally stealing glances at Izuku, "Not only did he modify the spell, he actually managed to use the sacrificial circle without breaking concentration…"
As she watched the Arch Druid continue to freely interact with the demi-humans, and the recently reincarnated, Yunyun began to allow her heritage to take over her thoughts. Among all the crazy delusions, above all the over-the-top ideologies among her people, one train of thought remained as their anchor to sanity.
What if… someone proved to be even more outlandish than them?
"So." Megumin's voice broke through Yunyun's rampaging thoughts, "How are we going to explain all of this to the Guild?"
There weren't enough theatrics in the entire Crimson Demon clan to answer that question.
Guild Hall, well into the afternoon…
Luna was at the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Not only was she running out of time to come up with a plan to convince Izuku and his party to not leave town, but now she was dealing with the aftermath of an unsanctioned rescue operation. Even if it had been successful.
"Seriously!" Dust was, again, shouting out his ally's praises, "Izuku swooped in like a Hero of legend!"
Usually, Luna would expect laughter at the remark, but the situation had been so serious that most adventurers and Guild staff were still reeling.
"You can say it twice!" Keith seconded while their other companion was already unconscious after drinking himself into oblivion, "And just like that he solved everything without any kind of struggle!"
Lean had been ordering food to their table nonstop. The poor girl had been the most distressed about the whole ordeal, and the guys were treating her to anything and everything she wished for the trouble.
Luna, as a veteran, knew all too well what the girl had expected to go through to get the required help. And yet, Izuku had demanded nothing.
"Hey, Luna." One of the waitresses called to the busty Guild attendant, "If you really want him to never leave, why don't you marry him?"
Luna turned a deep shade of red, and promptly began to sputter.
She found the Arch Druid cute, true, but he was younger, and a Druid. She, as a city girl, had no way to endure the kind of life the boy would surely lead. And the petite Crimson Demon had a way of glaring at other women… not to mention the slaves…
The doors suddenly opening got everyone's attention. To be honest, it had been happening since Lean's party returned, with everyone expecting Izuku and company entering safe and sound. This time, it actually happened.
"Can you please stop it?" Izuku asked as he entered the building, followed closely by quite a large entourage, "I'm not a god, demi-god or saint; I'm not even a Hero yet!"
"But what you did is nothing short of a divine miracle!" Darkness shouted as she kept up with Izuku's pace, her eyes lit with sparkles, "Not even an Arch Priest could do something remotely close to that!"
Since meeting him at the exit of the dungeon, and learning of what had happened, Darkness just couldn't stop her enthusiasm. Now Izuku was everything she wanted to follow. A man with a heart and soul so pure that he was the spitting image of an angel, a will so strong it bent the laws of magic, and a disposition so heavenly she was astonished he didn't have wings.
She was willing to stop wishing he started abusing her if that meant having her saint to protect.
"Being a god, or even a demi-god…" Yunyun muttered, as she had been doing though the entire trek to the Guild Hall, much to Izuku's increasing embarrassment, "Yes! That would explain his ludicrous power!"
"Please…" Izuku begged once more, just reaching his usual table, plopping down in hopes of finding some sort of respite, "Stop…"
"You have to admit that their point is hard to argue thanks to your tendency to overdo things." Megumin said with a smug grin on her face, sitting purposefully close to her boyfriend.
Yunyun had been showing increasing signs of interest in Izuku, to the point of Megumin catching her muttering something about taking him to the clan's village. She was still a noble among the clan, so it stood to reason that she would like to entice him into becoming the next clan leader, with everything implied by that. Megumin really didn't like that idea one bit.
"Be thankful you were allowed to walk from the city gates onward." Megumin finished, making Izuku shudder at the embarrassing memory.
Liza had carried him like a princess since the moment it was decided they were going to walk to the city, and didn't allow him to stand on his own feet until he ordered so with a firm voice… a few meters before the actual gates.
It actually pained Izuku to know that the Gator-girl had been really sad after he gave the order. Although most didn't notice due to how her face didn't change at all, just her tail drooping a little bit being the only sign of her mood.
"Angel or just a man with a heart of gold, it doesn't change that we owe you for all eternity." Keel interjected, but didn't sit down with the group, "My dear friend, what you kept from the small remnant of my treasure is just too little as a way of thanks. If you ever need help of any kind, do not hesitate to come to me."
Most of Keel's immense treasure was gone, leaving him with little more than two hundred million eris in gold, and some magic items and jewelry to his group's names. From this, Izuku only took the beak of a Cockatrice as his payment, and only because Keel himself insisted on him taking something, even if only as a token of friendship.
"Thanks, but for now you should get used to your new life." Izuku replied with a warm smile, especially while taking a glance at Keel's linked hand with his beloved, "You have a lot to live for now."
"Yes, of course." Keel replied with a smile that most would never see in a Dark Elf, "We'll see you later, friend. Now we need to register to get our identification cards."
With that, Keel and his group went to the counter, so they could properly start their new lives.
At the counter, Luna had been visibly relieved to see Izuku in good health. The arrival of unknown people wasn't that big of a deal, even when they seemed friendly with the Arch Druid. It was easy to imagine Izuku being kind to them, thus earning their friendship.
"We would like to register." Keel politely requested, putting the best and gentlest smile he could muster, "After that, I would like to apprise and sell some magic items before browsing through homes available for sale."
"Of course!" Luna replied, slightly taken aback by the smile of the Dark Elf.
Everything seemed normal at first. Hundreds of years old? Elves lived much longer. Already a Necromancer? Necromancy may be illegal inside of towns and at hallowed ground, but the class was not, besides, Dark Elf. The massive numbers on his stats could have brought attention, but since he was Izuku's friend, it seemed to fit.
Then she looked at the name…
"YOU ARE KEEL THE LICH?!"
Luna's scream forced every adventurer to turn their heads to the counter.
Izuku knew there could be issues, but hearing Luna scream, in terror no less, was too much. As he and Megumin made their way to the counter to lend some aid, Yunyun and Aela watched as a couple of priests hurriedly walked out of the building, with Darkness darting after them immediately.
"Former Lich, actually." Keel attempted to pacify the startled woman, finding little success, "I was waiting for a high level priest to purify me, but instead I found a wonderful friend who was able to reincarnate me and my friends."
"You mean… Izuku?" Luna asked, although the mere idea of successfully using reincarnation on an undead was so outlandish it couldn't be anyone else, "Does this mean… your dungeon is safe?"
One of Luna's worries was that, if Keel was a Lich, and real, it would mean that the dungeon would have to be quarantined until the main branch of the Guild properly ranked its difficulty, meaning one less way to earn money and complete quests. With the Lich removed, and somehow convinced into becoming an adventurer himself, there would be no need of a quarantine, meaning that business would remain as usual, meaning that Izuku managed to provide a greater service to the city of beginners.
The idea of seducing him was definitely becoming more appealing.
"But of course! Although it no longer is mine." Keel replied while hugging the beautiful High Elf by his side, curiously enough, she seemed to bask on the contact, instead of being bothered by it, "The place got cleaned, so you can rest assured there are no more undead there, or any need to delve into those ruins."
Luna blinked in confusion. She had a bad feeling about that answer.
"Well…" Luna nervously continued as she handed the adventurer's card to Keel, "At least the respawning chests are still there…"
Keel's dungeon, with the respawning chests, was one of the selling points of the city as a place for beginners. She had to make sure whatever Keel had enchanted them with remained there.
"What respawning chests?" Keel asked in honest confusion.
Izuku had reached the counter by now, just in time to see Luna going ghostly pale.
"The respawning chests of your dungeon!" Luna was trying to remain calm, with no success at all, "Every year the chests would renew their treasure; it's the best feature of that dungeon. There is no way you can be Keel and not know about that!"
Keel looked even more confused, although he quickly recovered, as he finally pieced together what the woman was talking about.
"Ah, right. The chests." Keel's words brought a sigh of relief to the busty attendant, just for his next words to deliver a fatal blow, "I had my minions fill them every now and then. I had to keep luring adventurers if I wanted to find a priest powerful enough to purify me."
Izuku facepalmed. Magic, as an everyday feature of this world, made for an excellent explanation for any mysterious phenomena. People found that chests inside a dungeon replenished after some time? They immediately chalked it up to magic, never thinking that someone could manually do so instead. It was stupid… along with the alarming lack of common sense.
"So…" Luna's voice took a haunted tone, "The chests…"
"They won't be refilled. There is no need for me to lure any more adventurers there." Keel revealed, earning gasps from many adventurers that loved to make a quick cash grab on the first floor of the dungeon, "So, I decided to take what little remains from my treasure to enjoy this new life with my wife and friends. Hence why I asked for a home to purchase."
Luna wanted to scream.
One of the main appeals of the city was gone. Granted, there was still plenty to do around the city, and there was no shortage of quests. But the main reason for many to stay, one of the once steady sources of income, was gone. The priests were going to…
"There they are!" A sudden shout interrupted the conversation and registration process, "There is the foul necromancer. Arrest him!"
Everyone turned at the gates to see a group of priests, now accompanied by a group of guards.
"Is it true… mister?" One of the guards, an old man that looked like a retired adventurer, asked as he took a firm step forward, "Are you really a necromancer?"
"Yes, I am." Keel replied before the silence could become tense, "I'm pretty certain being one is not a crime though."
The priests looked insulted by the remark. Izuku could tell that they were part of the Eris faith, as their iconography was quite obvious.
"It isn't sir." The guard quickly shot back, maintaining his authority, while conveying that he was just doing his job, "But you must understand that such a dangerous class makes other people nervous, hence why I must request that you show me your adventurer card, so I can make sure there are no crimes to your name."
Keel happily complied, knowing very well that there was no way for him to have committed a crime. Izuku had made sure to purify his soul during his reincarnation, meaning that any past sin had been forgiven. However, most religious adventurers were rather quick to voice their opinion.
"Being a necromancer should be a crime by default."
"Even Aqua's followers wouldn't mingle with such unclean things."
"Ugh! The stench of undeath is so awful!"
Izuku really wanted to call out the stupidity of these people. Keel was never an evil person, as his motivation to rebel against the monarch of his era was born out of love. Even his minions were turned into undead by their own volition!
He had to rein in his anger though. Just as being a necromancer was not a crime, voicing discomfort was also their right.
"Well, everything seems to be in order, mister…" The guard took a long moment to read the name a couple of times, "Keel…"
There was a moment of tense silence.
"Just like the name of the dungeon…" The guard stated as he returned the card, he decided he wasn't being paid enough to prod any deeper, "How coincidental."
As the guard left the Hall, still followed by a couple of priests demanding Keel to be put to the axe, Luna kept sinking in despair. Reporting this was going to be a nightmare…
"Isn't this a good thing?" Izuku asked aloud, knowing well in his heart he didn't do anything wrong, that he just helped people in need, "Now that there is no more danger of undead escaping the dungeon and no need to pay the services of the church. This means that those resources can be directed elsewhere."
Luna perked up at that. While the treasure chests were no longer a thing, the need to pay the church for maintaining the seals was gone too. The adventurer lure would have to be replaced though. Maybe hunting snow sprites could become a thing, if Izuku could be convinced to join the hunt to deal with the Winter Shogun.
"How can that be a good thing, you idiot?!"
One of the priests started to yell, surprising Izuku with how upset they sounded.
"How dare you take away from us our source of income!"
Izuku had forgotten that both churches were seeing this problem as a business. Milking money from the city for a job that should have been their sacred duty, not a protection racket.
"The Guild should punish you for this travesty!"
Izuku had to nearly bite his tongue. He really wanted to yell back, to ask if he was supposed to let others suffer so this corruption could continue unchecked. Then he remembered that a Hero's job was to save people, not to make a conflict bigger; he'd saved the adventurers, who were currently cowering down on their table, obviously wishing this attention didn't turn to them. He had stopped a powerful Lich from making more undead minions, preventing a possible catastrophe on a city that was now making him look like a villain.
"He should be marked for this!"
A Hero's reward came from knowing they did good, with fame and wealth being a mere second thought.
"We should lynch him!"
Izuku barely had time to react, grabbing Liza's hand to prevent her from murdering everyone in the hall. He really was thankful for her obedience, as he knew very well that he lacked the physical power to even slow her down. Chika still looked at him with an expression that was asking permission to sink her claws into the priests.
"Izuku didn't do anything wrong!" Luna finally shouted, silencing everyone in the hall, "His actions may have been outside a normal quest, outside the sanction of the Guild, but he didn't break any laws, or harmed anyone. He saved a group of fellow adventurers, and even redeemed a once believed to be a powerful Lich!"
"He harmed our pockets!"
A lone priestess shouted at the back of the Hall.
"I'm sure you'll soon find another way to demand our money." Luna replied with venom in her voice. Her cold glare was well received by the young Arch Druid and his party, even Aela found herself surprised at this action, for even Kyouya had to bend to the whims of the church, and barely, if ever, was backed by members of the Guild to this degree.
"The adventurer Izuku, and his party members, will face no penalty from the Adventurer's Guild." Luna said with finality, then, she turned to look intently at the young Druid, "However, they will be advised to not act so rashly in the future. Quests are sanctioned for a reason, and jumping blindly into such situations could easily lead to more trouble than what they solve."
Keel chuckled at this turnout. Happy to at least find one person with a modicum of common sense. Izuku smiled at the busty attendant, nodding in acceptance, and knowing in his heart that there was no way he would comply if people were in danger again.
"If you won't penalize his vandalism…" The voice of an elderly man resounded, "Then we will do so."
The gathered people parted ways to show the figure of an elderly man clad in ceremonial robes.
"I'm sorry! I tried to stop him… to explain…" Darkness was now standing by Izuku's side, she looked utterly distressed, "I'm sorry…"
"For once, I agree with you, old geezer." A woman added. She was dressed in ceremonial robes too, but hers looked more exotic, fit more for the owner of a brothel and not for a religious leader, "Our poor followers are going to suffer now that we cannot get any money from maintaining the seals of that dungeon. How do you intend to make up for it? The Goddess Aqua may be forgiving, but if you make her children suffer, you can expect justice to rain down upon your head."
Izuku found it very hard to not let go of Liza's hand. He was looking at the leaders of the local churches of Eris and Aqua, and he really wanted to have a word with them.
"I OPPOSE!" Darkness suddenly shouted, surprising Izuku, as he never expected her to go against her church.
"Izuku has not only done nothing wrong, none of his actions have gone against Eris' teachings." Darkness elaborated, unknowingly gaining a lot of appreciation from the green-haired teen, "Nay! His actions are all our goddess would want each and every one of us to do!"
Upon opening her heart, Darkness found really hard to stop. While Izuku was the exact opposite of who she considered her soulmate, someone willing to indulge in carnal pleasures and give her all the pain and humiliation she so desired, he was the embodiment of what a saint was.
"Izuku is a kindhearted man. Someone willing to help those in need, to heal the sick and the injured without seeking repayment. To protect the weak, to bring hope, even when no one asks him to do so." Darkness' voice had taken a tone that was just as serious as it was devoted, "A man like him cannot be denounced as evil. A man like him deserves nothing short of being called a Saint!"
Izuku found himself blushing really hard at all that praise, doubly so as Megumin lightly elbowed him while Chika nodded at him, making it clear she agreed with all the things being said. Unfortunately, the religious groups didn't seem to agree.
"And yet, he is nothing but a heathen." The elder man rebuked, contempt written on his features, "How can he be a saint when he does not worship Eris?"
"Nor does he worship our lovely goddess Aqua." The woman added, showing a stare that told how little she thought of the Druid before her, "Perhaps he should tell us who he worships, then we could properly judge his actions then."
Izuku may have zero knowledge about religion in this world, but he was no fool. These people were baiting him into escalating things, so they could find a way to turn him into some sort of villain. Not that he deemed their groups as worthy of staying in good terms with in the first place.
"No one." Izuku plainly replied, surprising everyone in the Hall, "I don't see the goddesses coming down to help the people in need, nor their followers portraying kind and caring goddesses to the masses."
There were a lot of gasps. Most people found the words painful yet true. While Eris was portrayed as a benevolent goddess, her followers often showed strict procedures when delivering this kindness, leaving little but breadcrumbs for those who weren't part of the faith. The Axis cult was full of zealots and weirdoes, so there was little to argue there.
"To treat the sealing of undead as a business, to basically ransom the survival of the civilians, is nothing but shameful greed. If this is what your goddesses teach as being good, then I want no part in your religion." Izuku explained, making a certain thief girl flinch at her table, "Besides, I'm not a member of any of your churches, you cannot judge me."
"Of course we can judge you, silly boy." The woman replied, mockery filling her voice.
"The goddess Eris teaches us benevolence. So it falls upon me to dictate the price of your redemption." The elder man spoke, passing judgment, "First, you have to properly deal with that filthy creature that follows you, making sure she can't fly in Eris' blessed sky. Second, you are to donate one million eris to the church. Only then we'll open our services to you again. Until then, you can't enter our church, much less have your friends ask us to revive you."
If the man wanted Izuku to feel pressured to comply, he failed miserably.
Izuku found the requests idiotic, and the supposed reward underwhelming. He wasn't going to allow Chika to lose a single feather she wasn't willing to give anytime soon, much less hurting her in any way, shape or form.
"Eris surely is benevolent, no doubt the result of her church being well funded." The woman stated, not failing to show some envy in her voice, "The Axis church, however, feels the need to further punish this travesty, as our funding largely depended on keeping those seals working. So, we demand you part with ten million eris, and to grow one of those golden trees at our temple."
Izuku did the only thing he could do at the moment, the only action fit for this situation.
"So…" Izuku started, turning away from the zealots, and paying attention to more important people, "How is the registry going, Keel?"
All the priests in the room gasped again at the scene, their importance being completely ignored. Then snorts followed suit, as many adventurers found the scene amusing. They were worried, of course, as not having the backing of a church meant no revival if the worst happened. Then again, they were talking about fucking Izuku, the Arch Druid, slayer of Beldia, tamer of Gator-kin, and now, redeemer of Liches.
"Surprisingly well, my friend!" Keel happily replied, not only showing his adventurer card, but motioning his followers to do the same, "Despite the shock and distress, this professional lady surely knows how to keep working!"
Luna looked pale and conflicted. She obviously turned to auto-mode to work while her brain tried to deal with the horrendous situation unfolding before her.
"I got to be an alchemist!" Sasha happily added.
Izuku was happy for them, and that happiness gave him the required strength to keep Liza in check. Her scales had grown thicker, rougher. Her muscles, usually bulky and strong, had gotten steel-like. She was raging, and no one else had taken notice of the insanely dangerous situation.
One of the younger priestess decided that the Druid had been rude enough, and a slap was in order. Her first step was promptly blocked by Darkness, who had taken her shield into a defensive position. Megumin gripped her staff, and Chika tensed, ready to jump and sink her talons into the first one to attack her beloved Master. Aela was conflicted between jumping in to defend her party leader and feign ignorance, and Yunyun began to prepare the Light of Saber… there was no way she would miss a confrontation against the church!
"I'm looking for the Arch Druid, Izuku Midoriya!"
A voice, authoritative and feminine, suddenly filled the Guild Hall. It belonged to a beautiful woman clad in a blue official uniform and glasses. Her posture screamed official royal business, and the iconography she carried demanded respect.
"That's me." Izuku replied, tightening his grasp on Liza, who looked ready to start ripping off heads due to the amount of people insulting her Master, "Anything I can help you with?"
Internally, Izuku was screaming. Today had started good, even the sudden rescue mission ended up being more like meeting new friends! Then the city decided he was in the wrong for saving others. Now he was fighting the urge to just drop everything and live in the wilderness, with the added stress of the possibility of having to fight his way out.
"You have done enough already." The woman stated before she took a parchment out of her satchel, "For the service of slaying Beldia, general of the Devil King's army, and protecting the lives of Axel's citizens, His Majesty has declared that you, and those who aided you in this heroic feat, are to be rewarded the full bounty for this enemy of mankind. Eight hundred million eris. Additionally, you are to be exempt for having to pay road tolls so you may travel across the kingdom, free to continue your heroic crusade."
There was a pregnant silence as the woman made a dramatic pause to allow one of her escorts to hand over a platinum plate to a bewildered Izuku, who felt a little guilty for thinking that there were only ungrateful morons governing the kingdom. It even took him some time to finally understand that the platinum plate was like a bank note for the bounty he just earned. The golden stick that accompanied it, the size of a school pencil, was actually the proof of his right of passing.
"I…" Izuku was at a loss, he had never been awarded anything in his life, and this felt like he expected to feel as if he had passed the UA entrance exam, one step closer to being a Hero, "Thank you."
"If you want to thank me, and His Majesty, then continue to serve the kingdom." The woman replied, giving a small smile toward the Arch Druid, and staring at the hand he was using to keep the Gator-girl in check, "If you can keep that brute calm, I'm sure that taking the heads of at least another two generals is within your capabilities."
Izuku had to bite back a curse. He hated being reminded of how these idiots saw Chika and Liza as little more than animals, which was ironic considering they were more human, smart and wiser than the vast majority of the morons living in this world.
"With that being out of the way." The woman declared, making it obvious that Izuku was free to go, "Luna, prepare the documentation for the closure of the temple to the goddess Aqua."
"WHAT?!"
Those belonging to the Axis cult shrieked at the news. Izuku was surprised too, but he decided that rewarding Liza for not killing anyone was more important now, just as hugging Megumin to find comfort… and petting Chika because she had been truly supportive.
For his part, Keel decided that he had heard enough talk about religion to last another hundred years, so, he took his people to an unoccupied table and ordered food, a lot of it, as if to sate hundreds of years of hunger. House hunting could wait a few more hours, maybe even days.
"Lady Senna… is this alright?" Luna was honestly confused, she saw the request for funding completed long enough ago for the tribute to reach the capital, "They requested funding, and the request was completed."
"The capital treasury has yet to receive the ten million eris they owe." Senna coldly stated, surprising everyone in the room… although for reasons different from what the agent thought, "We've already waited for ten years, but, if you have proof that the tax was sent already, I'll be willing to wait for confirmation."
Murmurs and whispers quickly rose around the hall. Senna caught some of them, and was unsurprised to learn that the head priest had requested far more than was needed, or that the worshipers thought said head priest had sent the money already.
"Here is the document of the completed request." Luna showed the document, but the agent didn't even glance at it.
"Then?" Senna spoke, her cold demeanor showing how she expected this to play out, "Where is the tribute?"
"We offered to keep it safe here, but the head priest insisted on keeping it inside the church, and deliver it himself." Luna knew very well how this was going to end, hence why she had prepared an ironclad defense, "We also offered to transport the money and goods, but that was refused too. The head priest insisted that he himself, with the aid of a select group of crusaders, would carry out the delivery."
Izuku didn't need a crystal ball to know what had happened. The head priest had run away with the money. He didn't found the strength to say 'told you so' though, he was mentally tired, physically exhausted, and the idea of cuddling with Megumin and his girls was getting too strong to be ignored. He was sure they needed the cuddles too.
"I see, the Guild is not at fault then." Senna replied with a cute voice, and then returned to her all-business mode, "Start the paperwork, the sooner we get this done with, the better."
As Luna began to fill out the reports and documentation required, the priests exploded in a myriad of voices. Those belonging to Eris openly mocked the misfortune of Aqua's followers, condemning them for having thieves leading them. The ones belonging to Aqua quickly began to plead for mercy. Senna didn't have any such thing in her heart though.
"Unless you show me the ten million eris owed, I'm closing the building by sunset." Senna stated, giving the cultists the cold shoulder.
She had reasons to be this cold though, and not only because she worshipped Eris. The only man she ever wanted to marry had been tricked by a shameless harlot from that cult, forcing him to enter said cult and marry the girl or have his honor tainted forever. She had made her personal mission to see those psychos isolated from honest people who wanted to live normal lives.
The cries for help didn't last long though.
"Hey… didn't that Druid just receive a lot of money?"
Izuku wished to be able to teleport. He really didn't want to be in the middle of this fiasco. He was willing to even not demand his money back if he could get away right now.
"Master Izuku!" The woman that had condemned him not ten minutes ago made a complete shift, showing a cute smile and sparkles in her eyes, "I know we started off on the wrong foot, but if…"
Izuku almost let go of Liza's hand. His mind had suddenly told him that these people would be much more worthy as fertilizer than as humans. That Liza wouldn't be a villain by taking off the heads of what amounted to leeches. But his heart reminded him that he wanted to be a Hero, and Heroes saved lives, not took them away. That Heroes only fought for peace, not for personal gain or for revenge.
Darkness intervening helped him to not slip in his anger.
"Stop!" Darkness demanded, stepping in the way of the Arch Priestess, blocking her path, "Are you really going to demand money from him?! After condemning him for doing what is right? Do you have no shame?!"
Most would agree that Aqua's followers didn't know shame, but then again, begging for money after talking so much shit was a new low.
"Darkness…" Izuku called to the blond Crusader, earning everyone's attention, "May I ask of you to deal with this? I'm tired of this stupidity, and I rather spend my time and money on those I love. That being said, join us at Wiz's shop after you finish with this. You also deserve some… appreciation."
Izuku gave a cute smile to the Crusader, who felt her heart skipping a beat. Maybe it wasn't too late for her?
"Of course, Izuku." Darkness replied in a rather dutiful way, really happy to be relied upon, "I'll make sure to deal with these people in the proper way."
With a final reassuring nod, Izuku, Megumin, Yunyun, Liza and Chika left the hall, leaving a confused Ranger to aid a now imposing looking Crusader.
"Lady Senna." Darkness called the agent in a very formal way, one that the woman recognized as being part of the nobility.
"Lady Dustiness Ford." Senna greeted back, well aware of how much this Crusader ridiculously outranked her.
"I would like to report the theft of fifty million eris." Darkness stated, making Luna flinch, "These people took this money from my party, and since they didn't use it for the purpose they stated, it is within my rights to demand reparations."
Aqua's followers began to sweat, and Luna felt her heart starting to fail. The Guild had a strict policy of sacrificing the attendants that were involved whenever nobles demanded reparations, which means that she was in a very real danger of not only losing her job, being forced into indented servitude to pay such outrageous amount of money.
Then she remembered who she would be serving, and the dread decreased, dramatically so.
"Of course, Lady Dustiness Ford." Senna immediately agreed, a wicked smile adorning her features, "It will be an honor to ensure that these thieves get proper punishment for taking from a noble, and for fooling the Guild with their lies."
As Luna sighed in relief, thanking the earth spirits for allowing her to keep her job, she began to think in ways to ask Izuku to stay in town. An endeavor that seemed impossible now, because the church of Eris had decided to alienate who was the best adventurer this branch of the Guild ever had.
"This is why you don't bite the hand that feeds you." Keel said to his followers, who admittedly felt angry at the idiots that verbally attacked who they considered to be a saint… or a god visiting their world.
Magnus: This should be utterly unnecessary by now, but, be ready for some incoming huge deviations from canon. Also, I was made aware that Kyouya's followers now have official names, so, be sure to check the new poll to decide what to do with these names.
Omake – A Shattered Dream – For Henry B.
Wiz, the shopkeeper, was a beautiful woman, and one of the greatest attractions of the city of Axel. Her beautiful body, kindness, and bubbly attitude made her quite popular with novice and veteran adventurers alike. Many teenagers would enter her shop for the sole purpose of ogling her, and lesser nobles liked to visit her in order to find magic items fit to decorate their homes.
She was a woman with secrets though.
While everyone knew she was a klutz with no talent for business, only a select few knew she wasn't… human. Those who knew this startling truth were either her friends… or had a lot of interest in keeping such a secret safe.
"This is not what we agreed upon!" Wiz hissed at a full body-sized mirror, "Why did you allow Beldia to attack the city? A lot of innocents could have died!"
The ornate mirror was not showing her reflection. It was pitch black, sans a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at her.
"Beldia acted on his own." The figure on the other side replied, lacking any level of concern, "His actions alone do not break our contract."
Wiz wanted to scream. She had joined the Devil King not because she believed his ways were better, or because she shared his ideals. She'd joined in order to prevent deaths. As long as she kept powering the barrier surrounding his castle, he would not kill innocents. Now she learned that words could be twisted, and that she had been too naïve.
"Does this mean that as long it's not your hand doing the killing, it is alright?" Wiz asked through clenched teeth, allowing her temperament to show, a shadow of the Ice Witch of old, "Is this what it means to honor a pact in your eyes?"
If she could, she would defect from the forces of the Devil King and be done with it. But her situation was unique. Her phylactery was hidden in a location known only to the Devil King, meaning that she had to comply until killed in the line of duty. If she died, she would just die with no returning, the phylactery would break, and that would be it. But if she quit, the Devil King would surely break the phylactery, which would mean that her soul would be forfeit, and the curse she shouldered would kill her former friends. She was trapped.
"So says you, who withheld information about such a dangerous adventurer." The Devil King shot back, making Wiz flinch, "Did you really thought I wouldn't learn about this insanely powerful Arch Druid? How he destroyed one of my best Generals with ease? Or that you were aware of his existence long before this incident happened?"
Wiz started to break down. He was talking about Izuku.
She knew he was special the day she met him, but that was because his eyes shone with kindness, and his soul resonated so preciously. She never thought he would be so proficient in battle, and perhaps she really forgot to mention later on that he was able to easily defeat who was previously reported as a potential hero.
Now she hated herself even more. Because of her, Izuku was in the sights of the Devil King.
"Leave Izuku alone…" Wiz hissed, fully returning to her frightening persona of the Ice Witch.
Just as she still berated herself for her old party members being cursed all those years ago, she knew she would never forgive herself if Izuku was hurt because of her.
A dark chuckle echoed inside the shop. The Devil King seemed thoroughly amused.
"A powerful spell caster, who is an enemy of the goddesses, and loves demi-humans…" The Devil King had switched to a rather jolly attitude, "Oh my… perhaps I should invite him for a cup of tea, and maybe offer him my own daughter!"
Wiz had had enough. She didn't know if the Devil King was serious, or if he was just messing with her, but she knew that her previous sacrifice had been in vain.
"I'M DONE DEALING WITH YOU!"
CRASH!
Without a second thought, she broke the mirror, the artifact that connected her to the Devil King. If she weren't an undead, she would be shedding tears of grief. She couldn't betray the Devil King, at least not directly. Her only hope was to offer her life to Izuku, for if he killed her, the barrier would weaken, and her friends would be safe.
"WIZ!"
Izuku's voice filled the room as he entered the shop. Eyes full of determination, full of worry for her. Now the clumsy shopkeeper needed to find the courage and the proper time to reveal the truth to her precious friend.