Yari no Yuusha no Yarinaoshi (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Fitoria-tan 

“The intruders had demi-human informants?” 
That was what we’d found out from our Siltvelt contacts the following day. The emissary had an apologetic tone as he explained the situation to us. It appeared that the Church of the Three Heroes wasn’t our only enemy. Éclair had a mystified look on her face. 
“Didn’t you say security had been increased?” she asked. 
“And besides, I thought the demi-humans were our allies. Why would they do that?” Father continued. 
“Well, it seems there are some demi-humans with ties to Shieldfreeden who don’t want to see Siltvelt take you in. And they’re acting accordingly,” the emissary replied. 
“Hmm, it’s true the Shield Hero is revered among the demi-humans. I knew that his presence alone had the potential to trigger fighting, but still . . .” said Éclair. 
“It feels like practically the whole world is after me,” Father whispered. 
He hung his head in dismay. Now that he mentioned it, it did kind of seem that way. In Melromarc, he was considered the god of a hostile country. And in Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden, he was a potential source of conflict between the demi-humans. It wasn’t a very good situation to be in. 
“Worry not, Father. I, Motoyasu, shall destroy all of your enemies! Even if that means destroying the whole world, I say!” 
“Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks. But I think destroying the whole world might be going a bit too far,” he replied. 
“Mr. Iwatani, these are complex diplomatic issues. Please don’t let it get you down,” said Éclair. 
“I’ll protect you no matter what, Naofumi!” Sakura added. 
“Thank you, Eclair and Sakura.” 
Sakura was comforting Father. How heartwarming! It moved me to tears, I say! 
“So does that mean there will be fewer Melromarc assassins now, but Shieldfreeden assassins are going to start coming after me instead?” Father asked. 
“I’m pretty sure that, officially, Shieldfreeden proclaims freedom and equality for both humans and demi-humans alike,” Éclair said. 
She was scratching her head and had a troubled expression on her face. My memories about Shieldfreeden were hazy. I couldn’t remember whether they were an enemy or an ally. Not to mention, I’d only been concerned with the filolials, so I left all of that business up to Father. All I could do was just follow whatever orders Father gave me, I say! 
“I guess there are diplomatic issues like this in every world, aren’t there?” Father said. 
“The Father in the future would go out of his way to cause trouble for the opposition. We should go to Siltvelt, I say!” 
“Mr. Kitamura, I’m pretty sure you could have worded that better,” Éclair said. 
“Well, I don’t plan on just staying quiet and letting them kill me. If they’re going to ask for a fight, then I guess I’ll just have to give them one,” Father announced. 
I could hear a sense of resolve in Father’s voice. But . . . 
“I wonder if it would have actually been better if I’d never been summoned here,” he said. 
“What does that mean?” I asked. 
“I mean, think about it. People have been after me since the day I was summoned. Based on what you said, I originally got framed and ended up losing my way, right?” 
There was a warmth to Father’s expression, and yet it seemed to be filled with incredible sorrow. 
“Mr. Iwatani . . .” Éclair began. 
“Even in the relatively short time span of our journey so far, we’ve gotten caught up in numerous struggles. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard people jeering at us. So I can’t help but think . . . Maybe none of this mess would have happened if I hadn’t been summoned . . .” he went on. 
“That’s a mistake, Father! If it weren’t for you, I would have never met Filo-tan! I’m confident I would have died a fool, without ever having learned the truth, I say!” 
That was an indisputable fact! If it hadn’t been for Father, I would have most likely remained a cocky fool, chasing pig booty and selfishly running amok in this world. I would have died without ever showing even a hint of improvement. 
I couldn’t remember how I’d died in the initial timeline. But I did remember this: it was Filo-tan and Father who had taught me what true love was, I say! There was a gravity to love now that had not existed before I came to this world. I could say that with confidence! 
It was true that this world had tested Father repeatedly — far more than it had ever tested me. And that was exactly why I wanted to help him out. 
“It is the ones who are trying to kill you who are in the wrong. None of this is your fault, I say!” 
“Motoyasu . . .” he started to say. 
“Besides, even if you hadn’t been summoned, Melromarc would have undoubtedly come up with another excuse to convince the other heroes to help them invade Siltvelt, I say!” 
“He’s probably right. It’s highly likely that they would have used the heroes as an excuse to start a holy war and invade Siltvelt,” said Éclair. 
She agreed with my assessment. She looked at Father with kindness in her eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. 
“The fault lies with the people of this world, who are trying to erase you for religious reasons, despite being right in the middle of the waves of destruction. Allow me to apologize on behalf of this world,” she continued. 
Éclair bowed her head to Father. Oh! Now that was a commendable attitude! Even if we were heroes, we were still human. We weren’t machines built to save the world. We were living, breathing beings. Father was a hero, but first and foremost he was a man. And I was the Love Hunter! I lived to please Father, I say! 
Besides, surely the world couldn’t be saved by cold, machinelike people. It needed people who were full of heart — people who were kind, honest, and who kept their word. I wasn’t there yet, but I was doing my best to fight for Father, Filo-tan, and the rest of the filolials, I say! 
“Thank you, Eclair. Yeah, I guess you’re right. Our role as heroes is to fight to save the world from those destructive waves,” Father admitted. 
“Yes, that’s why you and Mr. Kitamura were called to this world. Making a religious issue out of that is wrong. So right now, let’s prioritize getting you to Siltvelt safely.” 
“Yeah. Alright, I guess we should head out, then.” 
I asked the filolials to pull the carriage, and we resumed our journey to Siltvelt. 

“Smooth” was probably the best way to describe how our journey had gone after that. Dealing with assassins had become a breeze, thanks to Father’s improved defenses. Every now and then some group would try to cast large-scale ceremonial magic on us, while we were on the road, but I would just nullify it with Liberation Absorb. Then we would defeat the attackers, round them up, and turn them in at the nearest town. 
Eventually, even the assassins realized just how strong we heroes were and their attacks grew infrequent. The more reckless attempts had come to an end. 
“Kweh!” 
I caught sight of some wild filolials. I leaned out of the carriage and gazed at them. Wild filolials had a certain carefree air and a raw attractiveness that domesticated filolials lacked. More than anything, wild filolials had a tendency to value sticking together. There was a magnificence about that cohesiveness that touched me deeply. It was hard to put into words. 
“Motoyasu! You don’t need to look at them! Look at us instead!” Yuki snapped. 
“Ha! Ha! Ha! I treasure all filolials equally, I say!” 
“You really do like filolials, don’t you? But why not treat Yuki and the others at least a little bit special?” Father asked. 
“Filolials are all equally special, I say!” 
“But wouldn’t that make none of them special?” 
“Boo . . .” said Sakura. 
“It’s no use. Mr. Kitamura clearly doesn’t understand,” Éclair interjected. 
Had I said something strange? 
“Hm? What do you think about those filolials, Naofumi?” Sakura asked. 
“What do I think about them? Nothing in particular, really. It’s just interesting to finally see some wild filolials is all.” 
“Oh really?” 
Sakura and Father sure did get along well. 
“Gweh?!” 
Oh? The filolials had taken off running and disappeared. I had a feeling I’d seen filolials respond like that before. Maybe it was just my imagination. 
“Aww, they ran away,” said Father. 
“That’s wild filolials for you. There are a number of different species, but none of them are very aggressive,” Éclair replied. 
“Really? Oh yeah, Motoyasu did mention that filolials wouldn’t end up looking like his filolials unless a hero raised them, didn’t he?” 
“I did, indeed!” 
“Mr. Kitamura’s filolials look completely different. And they can even take on human forms. It’s just one surprise after another with them. But it makes sense that being raised by a hero is what makes that possible,” said Éclair. 
“Did past heroes not raise any filolials, then? It seems like there would be records of something like that,” said Father. 
“Oh yes, there are countless stories. If we’re talking about a hero raising a powerful monster, the Seven Star Whip Hero is a well-known example,” she replied. 
Hmm . . . I felt like I was on the verge of recalling a nasty memory. Just hearing the word “whip” put me in an unpleasant mood, I say! I had a feeling something tragic had happened, but I couldn’t remember. Regardless, it wouldn’t hurt to be wary of this whip business. 
“Then I guess there might be a lot of monsters that exhibit special patterns of development when raised by heroes,” Father said. 
“Look how chaotic things have become with just a few filolials. I can’t handle any more excitement than this,” Éclair exclaimed. 
“Haha, it’s tough on you since you’re the one teaching them proper manners,” Father replied. 
“You talk like it’s just me, but you’re having a heck of a time preparing their meals, are you not?” 
“Hahaha, I guess you’re right.” 
The mood was delightfully mellow, I say! The Siltvelt emissaries joined in the conversation and seemed to be enjoying themselves too. 
And then it happened. It was the following night. We were outside camping, and suddenly what looked like firefly lights began to dance all around us. I could hear the squawking of filolials from far away in the distance. 
“Wh-what’s that?” Father asked. 
“What’s going on?” Éclair echoed. 
“They say that they’re coming to us,” Yuki answered. 
“What?! Are you telling me there are filolial assassins too?!” Éclair asked. 
“That’s not it, I say!” 
Éclair and Father tightened their guard as our surroundings began to change. But I suddenly remembered what was happening. 
There was only one filolial aside from Filo-tan that had ever truly caught my eye, and she would be coming to us shortly. It was all coming back to me, I say! A huge filolial had appeared once when I was street racing with Crim, Marine, and Midori. Her sublime image would forever be burnt into my brain. It was just unfortunate that, before I knew it, she had disappeared. 
A horde of filolials gathered around us, squawking. 
“Do you know something about this, Mr. Kitamura? What’s going to happen?” asked Éclair. 
“A huge filolial is coming, I say!” 
“Huh? Could you start from the beginning and explain in a bit more detail?” 
“The second-most attractive filolial, after Filo-tan, is coming, I say!” 
“It’s no use. Mr. Iwatani, I can’t have a conversation with Mr. Kitamura.” 
“Yeah, I know. Sakura, can you tell us what these filolials surrounding us are saying?” 
“Umm . . . They were saying they’re all coming.” 
“And a huge filolial is coming too? Could that be the legendary queen of the filolials?” asked Éclair. 
Her eyes were darting to and fro as she observed our surroundings. 
“They’re not going to attack us or eat us, right?” Father asked. 
“Filolials are omnivores. The fact that we can’t deny that possibility is distressing,” Éclair replied. 

“Keep him away!” 
I could hear the huge filolial’s voice! Where was she?! It was pitch dark. I couldn’t see a thing, I say! 
“Get ahold of yourself, Motoyasu!” Father shouted. 
This feeling . . . As I began to gather my bearings, I realized that I was blindfolded and Father had me in a full nelson. 
“Motoyasu! You’re way stronger than me, so I’m going to be in trouble if you lose control!” 
Father seemed upset. It brought back good memories. 
“That’s strange. Why are you restraining me, Father?” 
“You pounced on that filolial as soon as she appeared! You latched on to her and screamed, ‘It’s the huge filolial!’” 
“Well, that sure is embarrassing. But resisting such an urge is impossible, I say!” 
Father sighed. I could sense the presence of the filolials around me and their scent tickled my nose. I was getting excited! 
“Why am I wearing a blindfold, Father?” 
“You don’t remember? You regained your composure after we first put it on you, but almost immediately after that you leapt right back onto the huge . . . the legendary filolial.” 
“Sheesh . . . Please show some self-restraint, Mr. Kitamura!” Éclair interjected. 
“I think we should be okay now, Fitoria,” said Father. 
“That was so scary. There’s something wrong with the new holy heroes,” she said. 
“I can hear the huge filolial speaking! That’s right. Her name was Fitoria-tan, wasn’t it?!” I said aloud. 
I heard footsteps scampering away off into the distance. I remembered Filo-tan talking about a filolial named Fitoria-tan once. 
“I wish I could say you were wrong. Anyway, I have a good hold on him now so please relax,” Father told her. 
“Fine. Either way, it doesn’t change what I’m here to do,” she said. 
After that, the huge filolial—the angel named Fitoria-tan—went on to ask Father about everything that had happened. 
She sounded slightly annoyed when she replied. “Can I assume you intend to fight against the waves, then?” 
“Yeah. Fighting between the humans has caused us a lot of trouble, but I plan to do what I can to overcome the waves. I’d like to work together with Ren and Itsuki eventually too. Motoyasu is an oddball, but he’ll definitely be joining me in the fight,” Father told her. 
“Okay, good. On to the next piece of business, then. I want to fight the filolials that were raised by a hero,” she announced. 
“Huh? Why?” 
“I’d like to know how strong they are. The battles against the waves will be formidable. If they can show me that they are strong, I will give them a fitting reward.” 
“Ah, so you want them to prove their strength. Mr. Kitamura, you said you remembered something about this. Do you know what she’s talking about?” Éclair asked. 
“I believe Father did mention this in the future. By proving themselves to Fitoria-tan, they will earn the right to succeed her, I say!” 
“So something like a ceremony to pass the torch on to the next generation?” 
Exactly. When it came to filolials, Fitoria-tan was the filolial. In the world of filolials, she stood at the top. If Filo-tan, Yuki, and Sakura were filolial queens in their own right, then she was the one true queen. But gaining the recognition of Fitoria-tan wasn’t only about rank. 
“At the same time, they will also gain the ability to undergo a special class-up, I say!” 
“What? That means they would have the potential to be even more powerful. Giving it a go doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me,” said Éclair. 
“Why does the Spear Hero know so much?” Fitoria-tan asked. 
“Well because, apparently, Motoyasu was summoned in a different timeline and came here from the future,” Father replied. 
“The Timepiece of the Dragon . . .” Fitoria-tan whispered. 
“Does that ring a bell?” 
“It was far too long ago, so it’s hard for me to recall the details. But I do remember that a time will come when the Spear Hero must make a very important decision. If nothing else, please remember that,” she explained. 
“And remember that, I shall!” I announced. 
“Are you taking this seriously? It sounds like something really important. I wonder if you really understand that,” said Father. 
“More importantly, please remove my blindfold, Father. I would like to embrace Fitoria-tan at once, I say!” 
“. . .” 
Oh? I heard Fitoria-tan’s footsteps once again, as she retreated even further off into the distance. 
“Umm, sorry about this, Motoyasu,” said Father. 
Oh? Father covered my ears with his hands. Oh well. I would just have to focus on picking up the little bit of sound that I could still hear! 
“Thank you for restraining Mr. Kitamura. If you hadn’t, Ms. Fitoria would have fled. Yuki, Kou, and Sakura, it sounds like accepting the duel isn’t such a bad idea. What do you think?” Éclair asked them. 
“If becoming stronger will earn Motoyasu’s approval, then I’ll do my best!” said Yuki. 
“That sounds fun! I’ll do my best too!” said Kou. 
“I’m happy with just being able to protect everyone,” Sakura said. 
“Well, you can’t protect everyone if you’re not strong, can you? All you have to do is prove that you are able. Do your best!” Father replied. 
“Okaaaay!” Sakura shouted. 
It sounded like Father had convinced Sakura to participate. But I couldn’t see anything! I had the urge to toss all sense of reason to the wind and dive straight at Fitoria-tan, I say! 
“?!” 
I heard the sound of feathers ruffling. 
“Did you do something, Motoyasu? Fitoria looks really grossed out,” said Father. 
“I want to dive at her, I say!” 
“To think your intent alone could make her feathers stand on end . . . You’re a bona fide freak, Mr. Kitamura,” Éclair told me. 
“I want to hurry up and go home,” said Fitoria-tan. 
I’d heard that line before, I say! Filo-tan used to say something like that all the time! Fitoria-tan’s home was that place, right? Yes, it was the filolial sanctuary, I say! 
“Alright, I assume you’ll take turns. How about starting with Yuki, then?” Father suggested. 
“Understood,” said Yuki. 
I couldn’t really hear what happened after that. After a few moments, I heard what sounded like the air vibrating. The noise repeated several times. I had the urge to look, but I resisted since Father had told me to do so. It felt like I had been waiting forever, but I persevered. And then, around the same time I grew sleepy and started to nod off, I suddenly heard voices again. 
“There was a foolish griffin king who’d been roaming the world and got himself killed by someone not far from here. All of the griffins have been gathering and they’re thirsty for revenge. The monsters in this area are on edge, so you heroes should be careful,” said Fitoria-tan. 
“Alright. Thanks for the advice. See you later,” Father replied. 
“Farewell,” she replied. 
After that, Father removed my blindfold. The filolials had already disappeared from the area. I looked around and noticed Yuki, Kou, and Sakura lying on the ground in an exhausted heap. 
“That was amazing,” Father said. 
“Yeah. Yuki and the others fought well, but that legendary filolial was just far too strong,” Éclair replied. 
“Yeah, and that same strong Fitoria had tried to flee, without looking back, when faced with Motoyasu. Just how strong is he?!” Father wondered. 
“Don’t say that. It makes me feel so insignificant,” Éclair said. 
I ran over to Yuki and the others to check on them. They each had a crest feather on the top of their head. Casting healing magic on them didn’t seem necessary. 
“Fitoria said she acknowledged all of them as potential successors. Apparently the one who improves the most and exhibits the noblest intentions will ultimately take her place,” Father explained. 
“Fitoria-tan!” 
“I thought you were in love with that Filo girl. It would be wrong to cheat on her,” said Father. 
“The two of them can’t be compared, I say! The Father from the future told me to feel free to get close to her.” 
“I encouraged you to cheat?!” 
“Mr. Iwatani, if you had to deal with Mr. Kitamura when he was in this state, blurting out something like that after a while wouldn’t be strange at all,” Éclair said. 
“Oh, yeah, I guess you’re right. I must have gotten annoyed and just told him to go for it.” 
“I, Motoyasu, intend to make all filolials equally happy, I say! I shall cheat on no one! Filo-tan is my number one! Fitoria-tan is my number two! And the rest of the filolials are my number three, I say!” 
“And that’s not cheating? Oh, whatever. Trying to reason with you is exhausting. Yuki, you’re going to need to work on improving your feminine charm if you want to get Mr. Kitamura’s attention,” Éclair told her. 
“I . . . will . . . Eclair.” 
Yuki’s legs wobbled as she stood up. She nodded at Éclair. 
“I sure am worn out, but that was a blast!” exclaimed Kou. 
He seemed energetic. Sakura was snoring. 
“Oh no . . . Sakura, you’re going to wake up sore if you sleep in that position,” Father said. 
He gently shook her awake. The experience had been unfortunate, but the end result had also been different than when Crim, Marine, Midori, and I had met the huge filolial. Yuki, Kou, and Sakura all had improved stats now. 
“Oh yeah. Hey, Motoyasu, Fitoria left this for you. She said it was a souvenir,” Father said. 
Father handed me one of the huge filolial’s crest feathers. Without hesitation, I took a big whiff. 
“Umm . . . That’s not what it’s for. It’s supposed to unlock the filolial series if you absorb it into your weapon,” he told me. 
“No way!” 
There was a way to unlock the whole filolial series! Father hadn’t told me about that in the future. But how awful! If I absorbed such a splendid piece of treasure into my spear, I might never have the chance to get my hands on another one like it. Of course, it might have been possible if the time loop reset again, but . . . There was no way I could absorb this feather into my spear, I say! 
“Are you not going to?” 
“I shall keep it as my treasure, I say!” 
I took another big whiff and then stuck the feather into the langet of my spear — between the shaft and the metal collar — as decoration. Now I could enjoy the feeling of fighting alongside Fitoria-tan, I say! 
The feather was a gift from Fitoria-tan. I was certain that it would protect me, Father, and everyone else! And besides, if Father had unlocked the filolial series, then there was no point in me using the feather to do the same. Yuki and the other filolials would receive the stat adjustments as members of his party. 
“Motoyasu . . . I know I keep saying this, but you really are something. That was clear today more than ever,” Father said. 
Éclair and the Siltvelt emissary nodded affirmatively. Had I done something strange? The way all three of them sighed together really stuck with me.