Glimmering of Sword and Shield (Rising of the shield hero X Sword art online)

CHAPTER 4 : SHE IS THE ONLY ONE I HAVE

Each town, each place, each dungeon, each field I've been through it, but no sign of Raphtalia, Filo, and even Melty. Each place got its own unstable rumors about them, how can i find them if don't have any trusted lead?, but one thing I know for sure, I can't give up now, not before i meet them.

The atmostphere in yggdrasil town festival is very joyful, but not for Naofumi who can't relax and put down his guard for a bit. While everybody enjoying themselves in the festival, Naofumi wandering every building in order getting the reliable rumor from every people's mouth he encounter, unfortunately same as before, he's effort leads to no result.

Naofumi just spacing out in front of the medical store while staring into the sky. At this rate, I'll never find any leads, even Raphtalia and Filo got the slave mark, its useless I might be just hurt them.

" Oi Naofumi " a voice no other than Kirito is interrupting Naofumi's thought. " there you are "

Naofumi take a quick glance and greet Kirito " yo Kirito, so how about it? find any leads? "  

Kirito : " So uh...apparently, some adventurers have been with the girl that your looking for, and they said she is helping with every problems in this town" 

A slightly shocked Expression appears on Naofumi as he heard Kirito's statement " really?! Where are they?! take me to them! " 

Kirito : " O-okay..." 

* Adventurer's central office ; Later that night *

" so you guys are the one whose been with a teenage-racoon-girl this whole time huh? " a serious atmosphere could be shown by Naofumi's tone asking to guys who look like are warriors, he's appearing suddenly near a bunch of warriors.

" Huh?......what is it to you? " a slightly annoyed answer come out of the mouth who call themselves warriors

" quit the pleasantries, where is she now? " Naofumi still using his threatening tone 

" Hey what's with this guy?, he thinks he's a tough guy " the other warriors immediately surrounded Naofumi 

" Oi oi Naofumi, calm down alright, no need to get so emotional all of a sudden " Kirito interrupting some warriors staring straight into Naofumi's eyes

Unfortunately Naofumi don't even respond to kirito. " I'm the one who ask the question here, where is the teenage-racoon-girl whose with you this whole time? " 

Some warriors joke about Naofumi's question and start laughing " ahahha boy, asking about a teenage girl, what are you? a slave trader? or even a pervert " 

This make Naofumi's pride was trampled on and with a swift Naofumi grab one of the warriors arm and pinning it to his back.

" Aakkhh stop it!! " A pained warriors grunted

" Hey what's the deal man ?! " One of the warriors shocked when his friend's arm pinned by Naofumi

Kirito that witness this situation seems shocked " Na-Naofumi, don't you think you're a bit too harsh "

" I don't care if you lose an arm, or even maybe I break every limb of your body so you'll become an imp for the rest of your life and I'll even make you feel like its a bad thing being born in this world " Naofumi threaten to the rest of adventurers that surround him with a death glare.

" Hey leave him be, I'll tell you what you wanted okay? " said one the adventurers that frightened at Naofumi's  death glare

Hearing that, makes Naofumi slightly reduce his lock on the warrior's arm and finally let go of it. Threatening people has already been a routine by Naofumi when he still false charges by the king back then at melromarc, so he's getting used to it.

" Start explaining!, before I do something I wouldn't do " Naofumi still death glaring people around him 

" Alright, it all started when she appeared out of nowhere stopping a brawl on the street, she's not incapacitated them but to only to knock them down so the fight didn't continue and made a commotion. After what happen, she's starting getting liked by the people around here, aside from her beautiful faces-"

before even the warrior continuing his story, Naofumi staring him with a death glare because of the word 'beautiful faces' while say it with a pervert smirk

" U-uh oh....some people even call her a racoon goddess send by the god to make peace in this wretched world " a slightly afraid warrior continuing with explanation. " She's so kind to everyone she met in this town, she helped the people around solving their problems and give them a warm smile to comfort their feelings, even the childrens around here are attached to her, every time she helped the other she always said this 'this is what hero would do' " 

Hero huh ?  

Naofumi : " Enough with the mysteries, just tell me her whereabouts ?! "

When the swordssman is about continuing his explanation, his look turns gloomy all of sudden and hanging his head down. " Yesterday, she's facing with a noble dictator who always ask for taxes above their limit in this part of the town, when she went into the noble's house, she learn something that make her expression turn into someone who looks like she must get to a certain point, so we follow her considering she help us a lot. When we get to Ymir's forest we take a break for awhile to conserve our energy, then this fog appears out of nowhere, at first she ask us to stay vigilant, but suddenly i feel tired then I fall to sleep don't know anything happens after that. After a few hours passed, i woke up then I find my self alone in the forest without any of  my equipment, that's the last time i see her " 

I bet she got attack by something or someone, Raphtalia always can take care of her own even in a situation

Kirito : " Are there any clues about something on that forest? "

The swordsman : " Only a few that i know " 

Naofumi : " Say it ! " 

" There're an infamous place where only the thugs and bandits roaming around that forest, and sometimes an adventurers got mugged while passing through there " 

That's where I'm headed 

Without saying a word, Naofumi quickly stand up from his seat and start walking towards the exit

" thanks for the info " Kirito take a quick bow and quickly following Naofumi

the swordsman " Is it that important? this girl? " 

Naofumi stopped his movement for a second before opened up the door " She's the only one I have..."

* Outside of adventurers central office* 

Kirito : " Naofumi, you should at least thanked them " 

Naofumi continuing his step to the exit of Yggdrasil town, passing the still remaining festival in the town " you know where we headed right? " 

Kirito nodding in response to Naofumi " Of course, let me just inform the other and we're good to go " 

" Right..." Naofumi staring out into the sky when he thought of something terrible might happen to Raphtalia

Hang in there , Raphtalia 

TO BE CONTINUED