Moonrise(Rising Of The Shield Hero x Great One Male Reader)

20: A Slave's Lost Past

  "We get it, let's go!" Naofumi got up, grabbing his stuff as quickly as he could. As the others gathered their things, Raphtalia stood still, her ears wiggling for a brief moment.

"I can smell it." She noted.

"Yes. Let's hurry along. No fire is going to stall for us." You told her.

"Understood." The movement was brief, and you were soon on your way, Naofumi taking the lead, while you walked at the rear, making sure Melty stood in front of you.

  The fire served no purpose other than to attempt to smoke you all out of hiding again. Luckily, your escape from those burning woods was swift, allowing  the night to pass without harm coming towards anyone allied with you.

 
  Early the next morning, Naofumi donned his hood to better hide his face as he went into a town located near the bottom of the mountain to buy a map, quickly doing as he wanted before bailing just in time to avoid knights searching the area with wanted posters.

When he returned to the group, Filo was the first to greet him with a hug, as Raphtalia and Melty stood by you.

"Naofumi, how was it?" You asked. He took his hood off as he spoke.

"We should probably give up on reaching Siltvelt. Security near here is too tight for us to squeeze past. That means..." He paused for a moment, consulting his map.

"Is doing as that Shadow asked our only option?" He murmured.

"I apologize, did you meet with one of the queen's shadows while I was busying the other heroes?" You asked.

"Yes, and Naofumi was requested to meet with my mother, the queen." Melty explained.

"I see. In that case, I will also agree. Meeting The Queen is easily your best choice, Naofumi." You told the hero.

"Yeah, I guess... we're going to meet the queen." Naofumi announced. You smiled at him, nodding.

"Very well, Good Hero." You swore you saw him pause for a moment, glancing at you as you spoke, before you set off.

As you began to pass some noble's domain, Naofumi made the decision to stop for a moment, gazing out of the forest at some crop fields. Currently, groups of demihumans were working, plowing the fields.

"..." you stayed silent, observing the workers. They seemed to be in surprisingly good health, with clothes only dirtied by today's work. If they were slaves, then their master took exceedingly good care of them. If they were simply employed, then they were well off.

"There's a lot of demihumans in this region." Raphtalia noted. Melty nodded, looking towards the estate.

"Are we in.... I see!" You looked at the Princess.

"You see? Care to explain?" You asked.

"A Nobleman I know is in charge of this domain. He may be able to help us out!" Melty announced.

"I see..." You looked out again at the fields, where demihumans worked.

"Say, I know demihuman's have been enslaved, but the ones working here are in remarkably healthy condition. Would your nobleman friend happen to be the one in a dozen that truly cares for equality, and treats others well?" You asked. Melty nodded in response.

"There was a group that tried to mediate some peace in between both groups. The leader of the group was a wonderful man in charge of Seyaette, who sadly died in the first Wave. After that, the remaining members were scattered around distant domains at my father's orders." Melty explained. You nodded as Naofumi grumbled to himself.