The Replacement of the Sword Hero

Chapter Twenty: Filolials

"Catch her!"
"It's not fair. -Hic-. You were trying to sleep with him!"
"Atla!"
I woke up to a chaotic scene in my brightly lit room. "Urgh." I screwed my eyes shut as the light and noise assaulted my eyes and ears. "Oof!" Something landed on my stomach, knocking the wind out of me.
"Got her!" I heard Zaifa's voice shout triumphantly as he stood next to my bed. I squinted up at him as he held Atla aloft by her nightshirt. However his celebration was premature as she wriggled out of the nightshirt and dropped back onto my bed again.
"Don't undress her!"
"I'm sleeping with Mr. Wilkinson tonight! -Hic-."
"Absolutely not!" Eclair declared, snatching Atla up and grabbing the nightshirt from Zaifa. "It is improper for an unmarried man and woman to share a bed."
"But then what were you trying to do with Mr. Wilkinson tonight? -Hic-. Besides, I'm going to marry him."
"Over my dead body!" Shouted Fohl.
"Don't be so dramatic, Brother. -Hic-."
"This is your fault, Fohl." I groaned as I sat up. "You shouldn't have let Atla drink that stuff."
Wait, why is Fohl tied up like that? I looked in puzzlement at Fohl who was worming his way through the door like a caterpillar whilst tied up in a blanket.
Atla struggled in Eclair's grip as the nightshirt was forcibly put back on. "I've already become a stronger fighter than Brother! -Hic-. Now I just need to defeat Eclair and nothing will stand in my way!"
Eclair looked like she was about to refute this statement but Zaifa stepped in first.
"Young lady, you are disturbing Mr. Wilkinson's rest." He said bluntly. "Besides, whilst you marrying the Sword Hero would be the best thing for everyone, if you threaten his chastity against his wishes then you will have to get through me too. And you are far too young to defeat me yet."

"But didn't she slip past you and then outrun you all the way here?" Fohl asked from the floor.
"Ahem, that was simply because she took me by surprise whilst I was sleeping." Zaifa said as he tucked Atla under one arm and slung Fohl, blanket and all over his other shoulder. Eclair ushered them out the door and then closed it behind them. I remained sat in bed clutching my head. I could feel a headache coming on.
"Would you like some water, Sword Hero?" Eclair offered.
"Yes please." I gratefully accepted the jug of water and drank from it. Eclair put it on the bedside table once I was done and then reached to turn the lamp off. The room was plunged into darkness and a moment later I felt the bed shift as Eclair lay down next to me.
"I thought you said it was improper for an unmarried man and woman to share a bed?"
Eclair only sighed and murmured something sleepily, pulling the bed covers towards her.
I resigned myself to my fate, got out of bed and spread a blanket out on the floor.

The next morning, I was awoken by Eclair, leaning out of bed and looking down at me on the floor, prodding me awake. "Good morning, how's the hangover?" She asked brightly.
I groaned wordlessly and reached up for the water jug on the bedside table. It was empty. I switched to the Crystal Powder Sword. "First Water!" I summoned some water with magic and let it fill the jug. It was cool and refreshing and quenched my thirst, taking the edge off my hangover. I shouldn't drink like that again. I'm not one who can hold their alcohol well to start with. I wonder how Atla is doing this morning?

"Urgh. Mr. Wilkinson. I feel like I'm going to die. Can you carry me?" Atla sidled up to me when we left the room and tried to cling to me.
"Fohl, this is entirely your fault. Look what you've done to Atla." I berated him. "Carry your sister until she is feeling better."
"Yes, Mr. Wilkinson." Fohl said. For once he didn't argue back.
"Actually, I feel better now." Atla said and scampered away down the stairs. Seriously, this kid.
"Where is Zaifa?" Eclair asked, looking around for him.
"He told us to wait for you while he went to speak to somebody." Answered Fohl.

We walked outside, into the courtyard of the inn, and there we found Zaifa surrounded by a group of men dressed in black, like ninjas. Zaifa towered over them in his own black cloak, holding one of the group in the air with one hand as he read from a roll or parchment in his other hand. After a few seconds, he put the ninja down and handed them the scroll back, to the visible relief of the rest of the group. The ninjas quickly dashed away as if they were afraid of him and only then did Zaifa turn to face us.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"I noticed some suspicious people had arrived at the inn so I questioned them." Zaifa replied. "As it turns out they aren't here for us, they are on their way to Riyute village to deliver a message from the queen."
Ah. I remember who these guys were now, they were probably the queen's shadows. They showed up in the original story to intervene in a dispute between Naofumi and Motoyasu over the village of Riyute. I wonder if that will still happen in this timeline.