A New Chance To Restart

Chapter 3 - The New Party

The throne room was in disarray.

Three of the Cardinal Heroes proudly stepped into the throne room; shoulder to shoulder, gleaming with anticipation. Excited not only to embark on their upcoming adventure, but also to meet their partners for the foreseeable future. It was exactly the atmosphere the all-so 'altruistic' King envisioned. There was just one problem.

They had arrived forty-five minutes ago; Naofumi nowhere in sight.

Where the bloody hell was that accursed shield!?

Aultcray growled at the turn of events.

One day in, and that demon had already caused him more anger than he could remember feeling in years.

He gripped his armrest until his knuckles turned white, perspiration building on his forehead. When that bastard shows up, he'll put him in his place. It shall be glorious-!

Suddenly the doors slammed open.

"Oh! Everyone's here already?" Naofumi gasped as if astounded by said discovery. The twinkle in his eye led them all to the contrary, however. "Well, I guess we should hurry inside. Eh, Raphtalia?"

"Ye-yes, Naofumi-sama!"

Those present stared as the Shield Hero nonchalantly walked into place beside the other heroes. An uncaring smirk on his face, and some unknown child trailing close behind.

"Naofumi," Motoyasu pointed at the girl behind him with a strange look on his face. "Who is that little cutie?"

Fatherly instincts began to well its way inside of Naofumi at the question. Feeling the girl shaking from the unwanted attention, he quickly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in close. Her small arms circled his waist as he raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"She's my party member. Raphtalia is her name and if you couldn't already tell she doesn't enjoy being stared at like that. So I would appreciate it if you wouldn't look at her in such a... derogatory manner." He glared around the room, warningly. "I'm sure you can all understand what I'm saying here, correct...?"

The nobility felt a wave of nausea wash over them from the man's sudden anger. No one wanted a 'dirty' demi-human in an area of such high-class but arguing seemed unwise. He was a hero, after all; it would be in their interest to stay on his good side. At least for the moment.

Unfortunately for them, their king wasn't as wise.

"Shield Hero!" Aultcray bellowed suddenly. "First you dare to show up to this meeting late. Then, you choose to pick up a party member against my orders!? Not only that, but it's a demi-human slave! How low can you possibly stoop?"

The other heroes exchanged disgusted looks at that admission.

"A slave!?" Itsuki exclaimed, looking enraged. "Such a deplorable act can't be considered justice! Not in our world, nor here!"

"Yeah, what he said!" Motoyasu suddenly turned to look Naofumi in the eye as a means of intimidation. Naofumi could confidently say it was one of the saddest things he'd ever borne witness to. "Plus, Raphtalia-chan is a cute little girl! You can't possibly enslave someone like her."

Ren just scoffed. "Pathetic. You figured no one would join you, so you enslaved a defenseless child."

Naofumi fought back a sigh. At the shit-eating grin, Trash was sending him, the senile old fart must have thought he one up'd him.

How wrong he was.

"Melromarc's citizenship laws: chapter 14, paragraph 6." Naofumi droned on with a bored expression on his face. "As decreed by the late Aultcray Melromarc XXXI, slavery is entirely legal and even encouraged within the higher echelons of society. This includes, but is not limited to: nobility, the King's personal gallantry, and the Cardinal Heroes."