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

8: Dull Celebration

  Music echoed through the halls of the castle. Food lay before you, in heaping platters.

  So much was lost to the wave, but so much more was saved by the heroes. Praise to the heroes.

  Naofumi sat against a window, being antisocial as he looked around the party hall, you leaning against a wall nearby, with a glass of red wine. You had decided to tone it down for the occasion, watching the king address Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren.

"Splendidly done, brave heroes!" He started.

Bullshit

"Tonight we hold a banquet in your honor! Enjoy yourselves to the fullest!" He raised a glass to the unenthusiastic three, who weakly cheered. Motoyasu's armor was still bent up, and Ren sported several bandages, covering arcane burns. Itsuki was unscathed, but kept to himself, while his party mates, most of whom were still recovering with the exception of one, who had to be put down. In fact, the only ones in a good mood were the nobles around them, Raphtalia, and you.

"I hear casualties for this wave were in the high double digits..." one Noble spoke, sipping his wine.

"Yeah, but it was mostly knights and fighters. Civilian casualties were in the single digits." Another corrected.

"You're right. It's taking a lot out of them, but the heroes are fighting as bravely as ever!" One shouted out, almost drunk.

Bullshit

The head knight that ditched Naofumi now sported a sling, which didn't stop him from bragging.

"I held my ground against a massive beast, and fought with pride as a royal knight!"

Bullshit

You saw Motoyasu speaking with some lady, before his attention was caught by Raphtalia, walking past with a plate and cup. He tried approaching her, but was quickly stopped by Myne, to your amusement.

Let's take a moment to talk about the bitch. Myne was probably the only one to come out of the wave not only unharmed, but unscathed, both in body and mind. This meant either she had high end healers take perfect care of her, or she dipped the moment something big happened. Honestly, both options are valid.

You watched Myne whisper something in Motoyasu's ear, as a Raphtalia approached Naofumi first. They had a small chat, before Raphtalia turned to you instead, approaching with a plate of various foods.

"Hey Y/n~Sama! You should try the food! It's heavenly!" She urged you, shoving the plate in your face. You sighed, taking a small piece of lemon cake, placing it in your mouth. It did taste really good.

"It does taste quite nice." You admitted. Raphtalia nodded, smiling.

"That's the first time I've seen you eat." She stated. You nodded, sipping your wine.

"What of it? Just because I don't eat a lot doesn't mean I don't eat." You told her. She nodded, handing you a napkin with a larger slice of lemon cake on it, which you took.

"I'm going to see if Naofumi~Sama will eat anything." She told you. You nodded.

"Go on ahead. If anything happens, I'm right here." You told her. She nodded, giving you the childish you loved to see. You watched her head back to Naofumi, pulling down your hat.

To you, Raphtalia was many things. At first, she was just a poor, beaten child. As she learned to slay, she became an apprentice, learning how to hunt beasts, instead of simply killing monsters. Then, during that time in the cave, she became more like a daughter to you. Now, she was grown up, more extroverted than ever, and trying to get you two to open up.