Chapter 31.

Adrian had absorbed all the books, threads and maps into his item storage so carrying them wasn't a problem but it was undeniable that this deviation had been very time consuming while they were on a time-critical task.

As they approached the location from which he would use Dash to get them over the wall one at a time he spoke to Raphtalia, "I'm sorry about the delay. I hadn't realized how long it would take."

He disliked apologizing but his desire to get access to magic to empower his party and himself could lead to her friend dying. A miscalculation or not an apology was the least of what she deserved. Even if Adrian personally believed that it was the best possible move for them given that they would not be able to risk entering any town after assaulting Rabier's domain.

Raphtalia looked surprised but then shook her head, "It was only three hours it's fine."

Adrian looked her in the eye and decided that the truth would be the best, no matter how cruel, and said, "We don't know what condition your friend is in. These three hours could mean everything to her." he sighed here, "I just wanted to have some more options in case my hunters come after us again."

It was the truth and Adrian hated the fact that it was the truth. He was scared of those invisible stalkers. They might have been watching him from his very first day here, they were certainly watching him from the moment he had left the city with Raphtalia but he doubted that they had suddenly decided to track him right at that moment. Rather, that was when he had first gotten a hint about them. He didn't know who they served or what their goals were and even now he was torn about his actions regarding them.

They were spies and potential assassins. That was something he did not doubt about. If it wasn't for his absurd growth those three would have been good enough to kill him with ease. Had it not been for the absurd strength he had gained in Dragon Territory he would have died if he fought them. But did that justify his killing them when all they had done was observe him? It was possible that they would have done nothing if he hadn't initiated the conflict.

It was honestly shameful that he was so willing to throw away his morality just because it was convenient and because he was scared. His father would have been ashamed of him, no, his father might very well have arrested him, he had committed murder after all. A moment later he felt like laughing at the thought. He was being really stupid. Trying to apply the morality of his world to this pathetic, broken world.

She looked at him, almost spoke but hesitated before mustering up her courage and asking, " who were those people? Why were they after you?"

Adrian took a deep breath and said, "Let's get back on the move. It's something I should have told all three of you about before. "

Raphtalia nodded and Isis who had been listening in on their conversation from behind the two of them nodded to herself as well. Trystan was just feeling happy that since they were away from the crowds Adrian had given the boy permission to remove the cloak covering his wings. Honestly, it was a bit of a risk but Blindsight confirmed that there was no one around here and Trystan had done very well today. A small reward like this was the least of what he deserved.

Adrian took his party over the short walls using Dash, easily getting past the guards who could not even perceive him. The only hitch being that Raphtalia was a little embarrassed about being carried by him now that she was a teenager. But this let them bypass the guards at the gates and all the potential watchers that would be looking into who entered the towns should have a little bit more trouble. It was far from foolproof but he would take any advantage no matter how trivial.

Trystan immediately transformed into his Filolial form and they used him to build up some distance before they switched over to using the wooden carrier disc. It was the same version as the one they had used in the forest but painted a deep blue on the underside and ensuring that the indents for the projected swords covered them completely so that there was no glint of metal or light from a glowing magical sword.

Once they were far away and his Blindsight had been used to verify that they were not being followed. Adrian double-checked to ensure that they were moving in the right direction before turning to his party members who were all staring at him curiously. Even Trystan was interested after Isis told him about his conversation with Raphtalia.

"All right before I start we need to get some facts established." he said, "What do you know about the Legendary Heroes or Cardinal Heroes?"

Adrian was pretty sure that Trystan and Isis didn't know anything but after considering all the things that they did know he didn't want to just assume.

In this case, however, they just looked a little confused, Raphtalia, on the other hand, looked stunned.

"You're the Sword Hero," she said, in the tones of a realization.

Isis looked between Raphtalia and Adrian before she said in a slightly irritated tone, "What's a sword hero?"

Adrian smiled at her and started to explain, "There is a phenomenon called the Waves of Calamity. It happens every few centuries and it releases a huge horde of monsters. This happens again and again until they are stopped somehow. The heroes are tools to stop the waves. And there are four Heroes. The Shield, Bow, Spear and of course, the Sword Hero." He changed his sword form as he said his last statement.

Adrian winced internally as he saw Raphtalia shrink as he mentioned the waves but continued, it would be good for the girl if she spoke to him about it, better than suppressing it, "Around ten days ago I was summoned in the capital of this country so that I would fight the waves on their behalf...unfortunately my Summoners were scum who just wanted a pawn. They wanted to use me and that's why I left them behind. I'm guessing that the three people who followed us were spies or assassins."

It was a simplified story but he'd fill them in on the details later.

"You're want to go and fight the waves. That's why you're training," said Raphtalia, looking at him with some kind of awe. The wave of anger that it induced caught him by surprise.

Adrian snorted, "I am training because I'm being forced to fight the waves," he said bitterly before even thinking about it. Then he winced, he doubted that's what a girl orphaned by the waves wanted to hear from a bloody Hero but honestly he didn't regret it much. If there was one impression he didn't want her to have it was that he was some type of fucking hero.

Raphtalia looked surprised but it was Trystan who spoke next, "Who's forcing you big brother?" he asked, clearly angry.

Adrian felt his fury diminish at his words and the implicit support, "It's not a particular person just a part of being summoned" he lied, he didn't want them trying to fight Fitoria, there was another name for something like that, Suicide by Bird God.

"We'll be fighting these Waves in the future." noted Isis, "are the monsters strong?"

Adrian frowned at the line of questioning, he had intended for them to fight but…"It's up to you both if you want to fight Isis. You are not obligated to do anything regarding them, I'm the one stuck with it. If you two want to help me there are other ways as well."

He didn't know much about the waves at all. The thought of his children fighting an endless Wave of monsters was genuinely sickening. Adrian didn't know when his thoughts had gone fromI want them to support me in a fight to I don't want to drag them into the frontlines of an apocalypse but at this point, he didn't want them to fight in a wave even if they were powerful.

"But you'll be fighting," she pointed out, wrecking his ideas with ease, "we'll fight if you fight," she said firmly and Trystan nodded along with her even pounding his hand into the opposite palm.

He sighed and wondered how to convince these two not to be idiots...and what he needed to do if they were going to be stubborn. Adrian knew what it was like to wish to protect a parent. He would not deny them their choice even if it made him feel ill to even consider the idea.

"I still don't know much about the wave," he admitted, "once I find out more we can revisit this," given their mutinous looks he was pretty sure that they would not be changing their minds until they faced a wave. Adrian swallowed his fears and decided that they would be prepared enough that their survival was a guarantee.

"I...I know about the waves ," said Raphtalia, she was shaking," My village was destroyed in the previous one."

Adrian looked at Trystan and flicked his head towards Raphtalia who was looking at the cloth covering the floor of the disc rather than their eyes. The filolial got the hint and jumped towards the demi-human and hugged her.

She blinked in surprise but relaxed into it then the whole story poured out of her like the dam holding it back had been shattered.

How she had been playing with her friends when the sky turned red and the monsters started falling from the sky. The bravery her parents had shown in fighting the monsters...until they had been overwhelmed and had sacrificed themselves for her and how she had promised to be happy and help the village until some people destroyed it and she was enslaved.

She was crying almost the whole time and by the time her story ended Trystan was crying with her while Isis was furious. Adrian found himself getting more and more enraged as well even as Raphtalia started to calm down and eventually nodded off cuddling with Trystan and Isis.

The three of them slept, it was nice to see how peaceful they looked, but Adrian felt an uncomfortable weight settling on him, he had not even considered fighting the waves as a priority. Hell, the only reason he was planning for them was to avoid Fitoria or Melromrac coming after him with all their power.

Even with having Raphtalia in his party he had never considered the very real cost that the most powerless part of the population suffered. They had never wronged him...even if they probably wouldn't bother helping him.

As he moved across the sky towards the man who had tortured his charge Adrian started to plan out how he would defeat the waves rather than just survive them for the first time since he had arrived in this world.