Church of Holy Saint.

After resolving Arlo's family problem, Runa and Shizuku invited for lunch with them. Now, Shizuku is helping Arlo preparing for lunch, while Runa and Saqilla are thumb wrestling on the dining table.

"Still, thank you very much."

"No, I did nothing. Please say it to her."

Arlo says his gratitude to Shizuku, but Shizuku answered so while looking at Runa. Shizuku looked around the dining room, the room is neat and clean, but one thing catches her eyes was a big painting on the wall.

"Is that you, Arlo-san?"

"Mm?" Arlo looked at the same direction as Shizuku, at where the painting was. "Yeah, that's me and Saqilla mother."

"She's a beautiful person."

"Right? She was such a waste for someone like me."

The girl beside Arlo on the painting looked like Saqilla, it was Saqilla adult version. The girl's using a pure white wedding dress which blend in her white nourished skin and she held a beautiful bouquet on her hand. Behind them, there is a pair of a church door.

"I bet Shizuku-san will become a good wife someday."

"Will I?"

Shizuku smiled wryly while looking at Runa, thinking about her duty as one hero and any other things. There's no guarantee if she's still alive. And the other thing was her chest somewhat tightened when she was with Runa. But she shook her head "There's no way," she thought to herself.

"Well, Saqilla and Haruna-san please help us bring this."

"Aye desu." Saqilla smiled while raising her hand.

"Is it done?"

"Yeah."

Shizuku asked Haruna and Saqilla to arrange the plate on the table. The dining room's filled with a delicious scent since a while ago that made Runa hungry.

"I've been thinking could it be but... is this Japanese food?"

".. Japa-nise? ah, Shizuku-san made that one."

".... Miso soup, Tamagoyaki,..." Runa looking at the food while gulping.

"I know how you feel but still. It's such a shame that there's no rice."

"... Nani? There's no rice?"

All this time at the kingdom castle, all the food they ate was western style. That's why Shizuku and Haruna feel nostalgic after looking at the Japanese style meal.

"As expected, I am still weak."

"Wh- what's with you suddenly?"

"I have to learn my projection language even more if I do so maybe I could have created rice."

"What!? Are you saying your skill is capable of such things?"

"Tch, I hate to say it but yes."

"All right, from now on I will help you with your training."

".... eh?"

"Don't give me that! I miss rice you know! I want rice! please make some!"

".. Sh-Shizuku's yelling."

First time seeing Shizuku yell, Runa had a startled expression on her face. But then, Shizuku sighed and sat down on the chair.

"Why Shizuku-nee and Haruna-nee so fired up dad?"

".. Sorry my daughter, even your father doesn't understand." He replied to his daughter first, "Well, let's eat." to break the awkward situation.

"How about Bodyguards-san?"

Arlo asked the two bodyguards of Runa and Shizuku, but they shook their head in response. After confirming the bodyguards responses Runa and Shizuku clap their hand and say their obligation.

"Thanks for the food." 2x

Saqilla looked at the two and imitate what they do just now. With her bright pure smile, she claps her hand that's holding a spoon and said.

"Thanks for the food."

Looking at his daughter, Arlo's smiling. Next, she takes his eyes to Runa and moves his mouth.

"Haruna-san, thank you very much for the things you've done."

"Mm? Ahh, it's nothing."

"No, no... There's no way 30 golds are nothing. I'll return it someday."

"It's okay. You don't need to,"

"But, there's no way that can be true, 30 golds are more than enough to life for the whole life,"

"I-is that so?" Runa paused for a moment while thinking. "Then, just think of that you owe me one. Someday I'll come to ask for your help, and you need to help me."

"If you said so."

After coming to a deal, Runa continue her meal. It was an enjoyable Japanese meal after a long time of western meal.

"Still, how come you have that much debt to that kind of suspicious person?"

"Well, it happened all the time, because I was a single parent I don't have enough money just from this store. So, well I borrowed money from someone that happened to be someone from you could say the darkness of this nation." He paused for a moment, "But thanks to you the problem settled."

"Darkness? What do you mean?"

"Ah, it was…"

"*Cough, sorry."

"Geez, please eat slowly."

"Sorry. This miso soup is real delicious. You're the one who made this right, Shizuku?"

"Mm, That's right."

"Please teach me how to cook!"

"Eh?"

So they peacefully have lunch until time was already past noon.

*

Day already turned to night, Shizuku and Runa are inside the library together.

"Today, why did you stop me when I ask about the darkness?"

"That bodyguards, why do you think they gave us such things? and that useless maid too."

All this time Runa had been asking this to herself, why the kingdom… no, the church assign personal maid to each of the heroes. Even though royalty doesn't receive such treatment, there must be some kind of secret behind.

"Why?"

"I think they're assigned to us so they can keep us under watch anytime."

"Why do you think so?"

"Well, is there any need for us the heroes need any bodyguards?"

"To protect us right?"

"From what? is there any need to protect someone nameless?"

"Come to think of it…" Shizuku touched her chin while thinking.

"Yeah, even though our personal information still a national secret. Isn't it gonna made us out stood out even more?"

"What if there's something else that targeted us?"

"Even if there's something, I didn't think they can do something in the middle of town."

"I see, you protected them 'huh?"

"Protect? who?"

"Saqilla and her father.."

"…"

Runa keep silent as she repeatedly uses projection. This is what she does to train her projection, she feels like her skill raises in each try. She makes the thing she touched instantly; she trained the writing speed because speed are the most essential things for this skill. Runa always put her status plate on the desk while she trains. She always do this so she can monitor if there is any new skill from the projection.

So she keeps on touching everything inside the library, then she found a dagger. It was a jet-black dagger with 45cm length, and it released a dark aura around the dagger. Feeling curious, Runa touched it and use her appraisal.

<Dagger of Shadow: Lost artifact, someone made it in the ancient time, the era where god still walking on the land. The legendary synergist in the world made the dagger with legendary ore that was called the strongest ore in the world. >

"Artifact? in a place like this?"

Out of curious, she used her read to dig the information even further. There is a lot of description but there are one part that catch her interest. It was the dagger ability to conceal one presence and shadow manipulation. Her body was trembling, it was trembling from excitement, her instinct said this ability will be useful in near future. So in order of gaining the ability she names it.

"Projection: On!"

Without any delay she proceeds to the ability writing, she opened the write page while copying the data she got from the read. Still, it took time for her to complete the project. Thought she already made a simple thing such as a sword, lance, and any normal weapon easily, but her skill lacking, because it needed a long time to duplicate or copying something complicated like Artifact, magic, and skill.

On the middle of the process, she realized one thing. "Come to think of it, sometimes the appraisal activate without any need for me to came into contact with the object." so she planned to do an experiment on her appraisal skill later.

"Fuuu."

Runa sighed after writing 2 sheets of skill, it took 30 minutes for her to complete it. So after that she used the skill to test it out.

"Stealth."

She said it, but she herself feels no change at all. So she walks outside to test it out, but... she forgot that it's already night. She looked around in confusion and noticing that the main building of a Church of Holy Saint are nearby. She smiled as she thinks of crazy things.

"There must be something wrong with me. It's not like me to think of something like this."

She had a fearless smile as she walks to the church slowly. If it fails, she'll just do something with some words. Once he enters the building, it had a solemn atmosphere as always; she looked around for a while until someone walks from inside. It was Deu who's walking with his staff, he sat on the chair and not long after that a familiar woman to Runa appeared. The girl had a green hair and using a maid clothes, it was Runa personal maid.

"Deu-sama, I am sorry for making you wait."