Chapter 75.

"How is it?" asked Adrian.

Trystan was too busy devouring their food to answer verbally but Adrian found himself smiling at his lack of response. He had enjoyed the food a great deal. Now he had to make the same for three hundred others.

Dozens of projected swords in the shape of knives cut into steamed whole vegetables. Within a fraction of a second dozen of large slabs of meat with swords skewered through them were cooked to near perfection. Simultaneously, herbs were sprinkled all over the sizzling dragon flesh to complement the oils.

It was complex and required multitasking on a level that no ordinary human could manage but compared to shooting thousands of swords it was easy. Plus, he'd had a lot of practice cooking for the people back in Melromarc. His swords were excellent for producing high-quality objects but even with the enhancements it had obtained producing enough food for thousands was a little difficult. He could use his sword for the three hundred he had with him but he liked cooking. The focus it required wasn't stressful but it was enough to throw most thoughts away.

"Can I have more?" asked Trystan. He was in his large Filolial form to eat faster.

Adrian tapped the bird on his beak and said, "No. Not until I've finished making the appetizers and the main course for everyone else."

Trystan pouted. He transformed into his human form with a flare of mana and then observed the many levitating knives with rapt attention. He wasn't the only one.

The open-air kitchen they were in was in the centre of the buildings where most of the former slaves were located. He knew that they could all see him and most importantly smell the food. It had already drawn out some of them and the children, in particular, looked excited and reluctant. Trystan bursting into his space to take a bite had encouraged them...until the boy had transformed into a bird. That had been enough to spook them but he knew that soon hunger and curiosity would overwhelm fear. He had to get everything ready by then.

"Have you gotten in touch with Fitoria yet?" he asked.

Trystan tore his eyes away from the roasting dragon breast and looked at him in confusion before, "Yeah!" he said after a moment's pause, "she said that she's coming here."

Adrian frowned. He had informed Trystan of Malty and her abilities. Interfering with his weapon. Draining the Cane to make a spatial distortion and somehow interacting with the Hourglasses to speed up the Waves. So it made sense that she'd care but he had imagined that she'd tell him some limited information and order him to deal with it.

"Do you know why she isn't simply telling you?" he asked, his thoughts slowly listing increasingly negative options. Was this something that gave her more reasons to kill him?

Trystan's giggled and is worries took a backseat at the mischevious smile. "She could taste the food," he said, breaking into laughter, "but it didn't fill her up at all!"

Adrian instantly understood what had happened. Fitoria had said that she could share senses with Isis and Trystan before. For some reason, he had never really considered taste to be one of those shared senses but it was logical. He winced at the irritation of eating delicious things and not having hunger sated. Not only would that make other food worse if it wasn't as tasty it would also call upon a fierce hunger. He should have been irritated at Trystan potentially angering Fitoria or worried about the limits of her sense sharing. Instead, he felt amused as he realized that this might have been one of the few things that had managed to affect her in hundreds of years.

Yet…"Couldn't she have cut off her connection?" he asked.

Trystan looked at him as if his words were absurd, "Your food is awesome." he said plainly as if Fitoria couldn't make things that were just as good using her weapon. Adrian knew that his food was tasty because of the multiple, stacked upgrades he had received from various sword forms. It was logical to think that Fitoria had even more upgrades than he did...unless the Vassal Weapons were incapable of such things.

It was an interesting thought.

A distant, suppressed sonic boom interrupted his thoughts.

Fitoria's carriage was directly above his little town. A single glance with all his sensory skills active confirmed that it was her and another let him see the superheated air that surrounded her vehicle and the massive amount of power she had used to get here. Seconds after her arrival the carriage in its aerial form shrunk into its base form and then vanished altogether leaving a girl floating in thin air.

She looked a great deal like Isis. The similarities were a bitter sight.

It took her no time at all to move downwards. A skill like his Dash had her standing next to Trystan in mere moments.

"Sword Hero," she said. Her tone was distant and formal.

"Fitoria," he said with a nod, noting that the people who had been sneaking looks at his cooking were watching warily, a quick check ensured that none of them was a concern, "Is something the matter?"

She hesitated. Surrounded by the aroma of the food she glanced at them quickly enough that the slight movements of her head felt like a strange stop motion picture even with his senses. Still, he received the message. A floating skewer of dragon meat which was prepared and had been about to be cut into more reasonable pieces found itself floating towards her.

"Take a seat," he said, pointing at the benches he had created at the same time as his kitchen as her eyes locked onto the massive slab, "and enjoy your meal. We can talk later."

She shook her head, "Tell me about this person who drained the Hourglasses." she said, "the damage they have done is...horrible."

Adrian felt his whole body shiver a little at her tone. The irritation was obvious but it was the worry he could hear that scared him. He couldn't imagine anything that could make Fitoria worry. He quickly obeyed and relayed the events of his battle. It took him a minute and he had gotten started on a simple desert as he spoke. Trystan ate all the while, disregarding the tension utterly, and people started to gather and mutter around them.

He spoke carefully of Malty and their battle. Her ability to interfere with the weapons and level herself up and most importantly her ability to create that dimensional portal.

"...I think that something was controlling or possessing her and had a lot of limits," he said finally, "it doesn't make sense otherwise. She had access to all four of us immediately after our summoning. If she just wanted us contained or killed that would have been the best time."

Fitoria nodded once he was done. She was seated on a small bench with a large stack of plates in front of her having consumed massive portions. Trystan was busy eating as well. Adrian turned to the boy.

"Tell everyone that dinner is ready," he said and called the people who had been staring the whole time forward, "Eat." he commanded indicating the meals which had been plated already and were kept on the tables, "and then serve everyone else once they arrive."

"Yes Sword Hero," they said, and quickly dived into their meals.

"Let's go elsewhere," he said to Fitoria. The girl sent one last look at her empty plates but complied.

Adrian used Dash to move upwards. Fitoria followed him with ease. Within seconds they were high above his city the cold winds flaring around them. It was quite loud and very cold but neither of them was bothered by such petty things.

"This has not happened before," she said without preamble, looking deeply worried, "1346 years and fourteen generations of Heroes and this has never happened before. The Hourglasses should be passive. It is the Heroes who are meant to be active..."

Adrian's surprise was not a small thing. Fitoria's attention was on her thoughts. He doubted that she had even realized that she had been speaking. He filed away the fact that she remembered most things perfectly. It wasn't a very big surprise but it showed him both her strength and her weakness.

She shook off her distracted state moments later. "Sword Hero," she said, starting to leave "I need to check on the Hourglasses. Continue fighting the Waves."

"Wait," he said, and paused after she glared at him, "What about the Cane? Do you know what is wrong with it? How I can help it recover?"

She frowned and stared at his sword. An instant after that she had her hand placed on it. Adrian suppressed his reflex. Attacking her was pointless. Seconds later he had proof that his decision was correct.

Cane Recovery Enhanced. EXP Donation Received.

Adrian stared at the notification and then at Fitoria.

"You're draining your experience to boost the recovery?" he asked, frowning at the thought. He felt realization stir. In his mana sight, he could often guess the level of a person based on their levels thanks to his ability to literally see the cumulative experience. It was likely that she could somehow wield this to boost the recovery...and probably do more. A costly ability for most but for something like Fitoria who was probably hundreds of levels higher than him it was nothing.

Fitoria nodded, "You will need to continue doing this." she said, "The Cane will need days to recover fully."

"How?" he asked, "I can't manipulate experience."

"You can," she said, her look becoming intense, "Try and it will work. Sword Hero you need to fight the Waves. Promise me."

"I made the promise before and I plan to keep it as long as you help me with finding Isis and the Shield Hero," he said, finding himself unnerved by this strangely concerned version. Fitoria had never been very concerned about anything. Not even Naofumi vanishing had been a concern.

Fitoria dismissed his worries with a wave of her hand, "Isis can make her way back to this world," she said with a smile, her voice confident, "she has a Vassal Weapon now."

Adrian felt his fury spike. For a moment he just stared at her. He boosted his perception to have more time to calm down. It took him a long second to calm down. She had known that Isis was absolutely safe. Then, relief filled him. Isis was safe and had a way back home even if he failed. That was better news that he had received. The news he would not have learned off without her. Malice or not, her words were helpful.

"Is she well?" he asked and got a surprisingly sympathetic look. Adrian honestly couldn't tell how much of her emotions were true.

"I cannot reach her fully," admitted Fitoria, while summoning her carriage, "but from what I can tell she is okay. Her level is a little low but she is alive."

"Thank you," he said, anger annihilated. She nodded and then entered her carriage. Adrian paused uncertainly on what to say. Realizing with a shock that Fiotira was socially idiotic. She had not hidden the information as much as been uncertain on how to say it.

"Fitoria," he called, the girl poked her head out the door she had just entered, "You're welcome here for a meal at any time. Just tell Trystan."

Fitoria looked blindsided and Adrian realized that he had never actually meant any thanks he had given her until now. He didn't trust her and never would. Not when she was so reluctant to power him up or speak the truth to him. It was why Adrian hadn't mentioned Takt or the fact that he had exceeded the level 100 barrier for normal people. If Adrian was to meaningfully oppose Vitoria one day he would need an advantage and if there was one thing he had realized it was that she was alone.

She nodded and then vanished with a portal skill. Adrian looked to the shining moon high up in the sky and smiled. All other thoughts had been removed from his mind.

Isis was safe.

He had to get to her before that changed.

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this is the last chapter updated on Aug 16, 2021. there is no notification of this story being abandoned. so I don't know if it will have any new chapter. I will be sure to update if a new chapter got released. this story left a bad taste in my mouth by being incomplete. I would like to know what you guys think about this story so do comment or review however you like it. I will be back with another awesome story who knows if I decided to write my own. until then have fun reading.

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