You walked out of the shop you just visited, holding a pouch of coins as you walked into the alleyway you left Naofumi and Raphtalia at. Naofumi was looking at shield stuff while Raphtalia looked intently at a ball some kids were playing with across the street. Her tail was lightly wagging as she watched them.

"You want a ball like that?" You asked, prompting an eep from her. She turned around swiftly, shaking her head.

"No! I don't wanna ball! Not at all!" She spoke, determined. You looked behind her at Naofumi, who nodded towards her tail, which was wagging, side to side. She wanted a ball. Before you could pry further, a loud rumbling echoed through the alley. You looked at Raphtalia, who looked at Naofumi guiltily.

"That was me. Let's get some grub." He admitted.

He lead the way, eventually choosing a neat-looking place, which he looked inside. Raphtalia was going to follow, before noticing a sign, hesitating.

"Something wrong, Raphtalia?" You asked. She timidly pointed towards the sign, which read 'No DemiHumans'.

"I'm... I'm not allowed in here." She admitted. You scoffed, reaching out to grab her hand. She looked shocked at the motion, but went with it, holding your hand as you entered, behind the shield hero.

"Welc- oh." The person acting as waiter had an enthusiastic greeting, but it ended as soon as he saw you and Naofumi. You both took a seat, you seating Raphtalia beside you.

"Who's that demihuman...?"

"Is that a slave...?"

"With the shield hero...?" You knit your brows at the whispers, before taking your order.

"Give me your cheapest lunch set, along with..." you looked around the place, to see a kid happily wasting a small meal.

"Whatever that kid's having." Raphtalia gasped in shock as the waiter nodded, walking away to get the food. After a few minutes, the two meals arrived. You paid the waiter, before giving Raphtalia her plate, to her absolute shock, and pushing the other plate towards Naofumi, who took it without question.

"Sir..." Raphtalia looked at you, her eyes close to watering.

"What, you don't want it?" You asked. Raphtalia stubbornly shook her head.

"N-no! I don't!" Her tail was shaking again as you gave her a warm smile, that she couldn't see, because of your mouth being covered.

"It's not a big deal if you eat. Just go ahead." You told her. She looked down, biting her lip.

"But... my previous masters always... hated it when I was happy... or looked like I was having fun..." You sighed, shaking your head.

"I'm not your old master, am I?" Raphtalia looked at you as you asked the question.

"We need you, Naofumi needs you." You told her.

"Naofumi can't fight right now. He needs us to help him fight, and as much as I hate to say it, I'm not about to take on an army by myself." You told her. As she looked at you in wonder, before you motioned to her plate.

"Eat up. You've got a lot of growing to do." You told her. She nodded, the glimmer in her eyes fading as she looked at the food, then back at you.

"Are... are you sure?" She asked. You smiled at her, at her supposed innocence.

"Yes, I am. Just eat up." You told her. She grabbed a handful of rice with her bare hands, shoving it into her mouth as you watched.

I remember, as a hunter, I had no training. I died over and over, and some of the other hunter knew it. They knew I could come back, mainly.... Djura, was it? It's been so long, so many millennia. What did he say to me that one time he gunned me down?

I... I think it was 'You're a hunter that dreams, right? Then come back, and I will grant you another death.' At least, something along those lines. My only teachers were experience and death. I tried killing so many things, so many people, only to be cut down by Gehrman so many times, only once again to get my ass handed to me by Flora...

You looked at Raphtalia as she looked up at you, chewing her food.

"It's good! Really good!" She told you, almost tearing up from joy.

...I don't want her to experience that. This scourge is necessary, as the queen's repayment for me arriving here. I did that because I wanted a challenge, because I wanted entertainment. Instead....

You ruffled Raphtalia's hair, shocking her for a moment.

I think I found myself.

Raphtalia seemed to choke on some of her food for a moment, before forcing it down with some water. You patted her back as she picked up the fork instead.

"Good idea. Eat slower, savor the taste." You suggested. Raphtalia nodded as she ate, using her fork.

Naofumi watched you two, as he picked at his food.

Y/n L/n. His name appears on my UI, with his health, but his level's completely blank. No number, no letter, nothing. What more.... He squinted as you turned away from Raphtalia, looking up at the ceiling.

Ever since he joined my party, he hasn't been hit once. Not by a monster, not by a human, no one. Almost like he has a flawless reaction. He's simply too watchful to hit. His hp hasn't depleted at all. Naofumi looked under your health bar, which held a darker red meter, where MP was usually held.

What more, he doesn't have MP. The only thing close to it I can find from what I find by looking at his stats is something called Arcane. Other than that, his stats seem completely normal, with the exception of his level. He stared at you as Raphtalia finished eating.

Who the hell are you, Y/n L/n?

With a shout of effort, Raphtalia swiftly cut through another balloon, flinching when the blood hit her face, before wiping it away herself. She had gotten over small amounts of blood, like from a beastly balloon popping.

"Well done! It seems this level of monster's already a walk in the park for you." You praised her, making her give you a bright smile.

"Sir Naofumi, how do you think we should continue teaching her?" You asked Naofumi.

"We're going deeper into the forest, if balloons are too easy for her." Naofumi told you. Unlike you or Raphtalia, Naofumi hadn't changed with the addition of your slave. His voice was just as cold and hard with her as he was towards strangers. However, he did trust her.

You ventured into the forest, to see it relatively nice. No blood, no obvious signs of the scourge....

Deep, scratchy breathing resounded from one of the bushes as it began to shake. Naofumi narrowed his eyes, as a horrifically deformed rabbit dragged itself out of the bushes.

It carried itself using a single clawed leg, its two tiny back feet being dragged along. It's eyes were unnaturally large, with one of them hanging out the socket. It's teeth were stained with splotches of red, with its back teeth being sharping to a point.

Raphtalia whimpered, stepping back as its eyes landed on her(not literally), and it began crawling at a fast pace, before using its hand to launch itself through the air at her. She tried to take cover, before Naofumi stepped in front of her, blocking the beast with his shield. It fell to the ground, where you stepped on its head, holding it down as it struggled.

"Alright Raphtalia. If you want to overcome your fear of blood, you have to kill this beast!" You told her. She shook in her boots, brandishing her knife as she shivered.

"Come on! Stab it!" You urged her. She stepped at as the bunny let out a growl, it's hanging eye turning to look at her. She quivered at the sight of the beast, as you sighed.

"Raphtalia, if you wont fight...." Raphtalia closed her eyes, opening them again to notice her vision blurring. She wasn't sure if it was a stone path or you with the rabbit. Behind her, a voice brushed past her ear.

"I won't be able to train you." Raphtalia closed her eyes, blinking out tears as a feminine voice spoke behind you.

"If your heart wavers, young hunter, trust in the Great One. He will always show you the way through." Raphtalia let out a shout as she rushed to the rabbit. You lifted your foot as she plunged the knife in its head, lifting it and bringing it down again, and again. Eventually, she stopped, her hands quivering, covered in blood.

"Blood... still scares me..." she admitted, slowly standing, holding the knife weakly.

"But I will fight alongside you! So please, don't cast me aside!" She pleaded. You paused for a moment, before looking at Naofumi. He looked at you, before you both smiled, looking at her.

"I got you so you could help us fight the waves. Do that, and I will never force you away." You comforted her. Raphtalia smiled lightly as the statement, as Naofumi continued onward.

The rabbit Raphtalia killed was too infected to be worth a damn. You had to manually head out and kill another one, this one not as beastly, before gutting it, and preparing it to eat.

Raphtalia held her rabbit leg, her eyes sparkling as she dug into it.

"It'sh sho gewd!" She shouted with her mouth full, going for another bite before you covered her mouth.

"Chew and swallow what you have in your mouth first. If you want to say something after that, say it. Then, you can take another bite." You instructed her. She nodded, swallowing her bite.

"It's so delicious, Master!" She told you, leaning into your side. You patted her cheek as she took another bite, only to almost spit it out on a cough.

"You're still coughing..." Naofumi noted. Raphtalia started to panic as he reached into his bag, taking out another vial of medicine.

"Make sure you drink it all this time." You told her. She nodded, taking the vial. With a cringe, she drank it, before slamming down the empty vial, with a gulp. She gasped for air as you rubbed her head.

"That's a good girl. Now, finish your meal and go to sleep. I've got stuff to do while you guys sleep." Raphtalia nodded, continuing to eat. Naofumi looked at you curiously, before getting to his own food.

"Make sure you don't ditch me overnight." He told you. You shook your head, getting up.

"I would never. Not when we're all going through the same stuff." With that, you walked into the woods, looking for the right materials to work with.