As they ate, Ichigo stopped abruptly, his spoon halfway to his mouth. A sudden realization struck him like lightning, making his eyes widen slightly.
Wait a minute… Naofumi has never asked about the exact date of the next Calamity Wave, Ichigo thought, feeling a sudden tightness in his chest. In the original story, he either found out or saw clues, but here we didn't see the soldiers outside gathering or anything like that. He doesn't even know that the Hourglass of the Age of Dragons exists in the cathedral of the Three Heroes Church, or exactly how much time we have left! If I don't tell him, the Wave will catch us completely off guard. I have to do something, and it has to be right now.
Ichigo swallowed the bite in his mouth and placed his spoon back on the plate with a sharp click, drawing the attention of his two companions.
"Hey, by the way... did you notice there were a lot more guards and soldiers patrolling the city than usual?" Ichigo asked, resting his elbows on the table and looking directly at Naofumi.
Naofumi chewed slowly and glanced at him indifferently. "I didn't pay any attention. With this shitty kingdom, they're probably just looking for someone else to ruin or increasing security for those other three idiots."
"I don't think it's just that," Raphtalia interjected, lowering her fork and looking at Ichigo curiously. "Do you know anything, Ichigo-niisan?"
"Let's just say I've been hearing whispers among the merchants and adventurers in the street," Ichigo said, lowering his voice to lend a serious tone to the conversation. "Naofumi, do you have any idea how much time we have left before the next Calamity Wave hits?" Naofumi frowned, letting his arms fall to his sides. "No. No one bothers to give me any information here, and the Waves just happen. All I know is that we have to train as fast as we can."
"There's a precise way to know," Ichigo revealed, leaning a little closer to the table. "In the city's main cathedral, the one belonging to the Church of the Three Heroes, there's an ancient artifact called the Hourglass of the Age of Dragons. That thing doesn't measure normal hours; it measures the exact time remaining until the next Wave appears. The sand falls grain by grain, and when it's completely empty, the Wave begins."
Naofumi was silent for a second, processing the information. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, but also with a clear sense of urgency.
"A clock that marks the arrival of the Wave..." Naofumi murmured, clenching his fists on the table. "If that thing exists in the cathedral, it means the entire kingdom knows exactly when the attack is going to happen, except for us."
"Exactly," Ichigo confirmed firmly. "That's why there's so much troop movement. The Church keeps that clock under surveillance day and night. If we go there, we can see with our own eyes how much real time we have left to prepare, equip ourselves, and move resources to the village."
Raphtalia looked at Naofumi with concern. "Naofumi-sama... if the Church controls that place, will it be safe for you to go?"
Knowing how brazen the Three Heroes Church are, going there is like walking into the lion's den, Ichigo thought to himself, but Naofumi absolutely needs to see that clock to plan for our survival.
Naofumi let out an icy snort, standing up after placing some coins on the table to pay for the meal. "I don't care if it's safe or not. I'm not going into battle blindly while everyone else is withholding information. As soon as we finish eating, we'll head straight to that cathedral."
Ichigo nodded emphatically and, with a confident smile, exclaimed:
"Well said, Naofumi! And if anyone tries to bother you, my dear General, I'll slice them up."
Naofumi and Raphtalia initially took it as a joke, offering slight smiles. However, their expressions changed drastically and froze in their tracks when they saw Ichigo, with complete seriousness, already take out his lightweight metal yo-yos and meticulously sharpen their edges with a whetstone, producing a sharp, metallic sound.
Noticing the sudden silence and the fixed gaze of his two companions, Ichigo looked up, blinked slowly, and said matter-of-factly:
"What?"
Naofumi sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose at Ichigo's carefree attitude.
"Listen carefully, Ichigo. You're not going to slice anyone, no matter what happens or what they tell us inside. The last thing we need is to give them a real reason to arrest or pursue us. We're going in, checking the time, and leaving quietly," Naofumi stated firmly.
Ichigo put away his yo-yos with a soft chuckle and raised his hands in surrender.
"Understood, understood, General. Zero slices for today, I promise."
After that explanation, the three set off for their destination, guided by Ichigo's directions through the bustling streets of the capital. Finally, they arrived at a wide plaza dominated by a truly imposing religious building.
Before them stood a majestic cathedral of light-colored stone and bright orange tiles. The most striking feature of its architecture was its three monumental towers, whose geometric and angular structures twisted toward the sky in sharp spires. The central tower, taller than the others, displayed a large emblem carved into its main facade, flanked by the other two towers on either side, atop a base filled with windows and intricately detailed arches.
Ichigo paused for a moment, observing the imposing facade, and raised his hand, pointing to the three spires from left to right.
"Sword, spear, and bow," Ichigo said, pausing to allow his two companions to contemplate the meaning of the structure. Then, he adopted a lower, more informative tone as he continued speaking. "I present to you the cathedral of the Church of the Three Heroes. The vast majority of Melromarc's nobility profess this religion, and sadly, they use it as the perfect excuse to marginalize and harm demi-humans, like our dear Raphtalia-chan here today."
Raphtalia looked at the cathedral with a hint of discomfort in her eyes, instinctively moving closer to Naofumi.
"However, the other half of the royal family wants to get rid of this church at all costs," Ichigo continued with a knowing look. "The problem is, they don't have a valid excuse to act against it, since this religion is too deeply ingrained in the very fabric of the kingdom. So, basically, everyone here is playing a very dirty game of politics."
Naofumi stared at the church's three spires, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched, feeling the disgust for this world's society rise again within him.
A religion that venerates three heroes and marginalizes the Shield Hero... this entire kingdom is rotten to the core, Naofumi thought bitterly.
"Enough history for now," Naofumi muttered, adjusting his green cloak. "Let's go inside and find that hourglass."
Once they crossed the heavy threshold, the air inside felt cool and thick, enveloped in the solemn silence of the high stone ceilings. Ichigo took the lead and walked purposefully toward one of the temple priestesses.
"Excuse me, we'd like to see the Hourglass of the Age of Dragons," Ichigo requested casually. He then opened his arms wide, gesturing dramatically to his companions. "I'm accompanied by none other than one of the Cardinal Heroes himself."
The priestess nodded silently and led them down a guarded corridor to the imposing relic. They ascended a few steps and stopped before the gigantic crystal clock supported by intricate golden structures shaped like dragons.
Naofumi approached the golden cord railing and projected the green gem from his shield toward the artifact. Immediately, a beam of light connected with the sphere, and a holographic interface appeared before his eyes, displaying a countdown timer: 20:12:48.
So… it indicates the time remaining until the next Wave… Naofumi thought, gritting his teeth.
"Is that really you, Naofumi?" a smug voice boomed behind him.
Naofumi and Raphtalia turned to find Motoyasu, accompanied by Malty and her group, as well as Ren and Itsuki. Motoyasu extended a condescending hand, eyeing Naofumi's equipment. "Hey, hey… Don't tell me you fight with gear at that level."
Raphtalia looked at the group, confused, and asked her master who they were. Naofumi, clenching his jaw, decided to turn around and walk away without answering, trying to ignore their annoyance.
It was then that Ichigo stepped forward, approaching Naofumi. Although he spoke in a low tone, his voice carried clearly enough in the silent chamber:
"Hey, Naofumi... who's the brainless, spineless kid?"
Motoyasu frowned, clenching his fist in indignation. "What did you say?! Learn to respect the Spear Hero, you piece of...!"
But before he could finish, Ichigo looked him up and down and let out a mocking laugh.
"There's no way you're the Spear Hero. It's obvious you don't even know the proper stance of a lancer," Ichigo added sarcastically.
Malty stepped forward, her eyes flashing with rage. "Insolent! How dare you insult Lord Motoyasu?! Guards, reprimand this...!" Ichigo crossed his arms, intervening dismissively before they could pursue Naofumi. "Naofumi has no need to waste his time listening to the babble of this pathetic wannabe hero. And if you want to deal with my friend, you'll have to get past me first."
Motoyasu, huffing with rage but trying to regain his composure, walked past Ichigo and attempted to take Raphtalia's hand with a gallant smile. "Nice to meet you, I'm the Spear Hero, Motoyasu Kitamura. You're quite lovely... Women as lovely as you shouldn't have to wield a sword. Don't worry, I'll protect you from this criminal."
Raphtalia took a step back, firmly pulling her hands away. "Excuse me! But it was I who chose to always fight by Lord Naofumi's side."
"Lord Naofumi?" Motoyasu exclaimed in surprise, moving dangerously close to Naofumi. "Don't you know that man is dangerous? Let's get out of here. Haven't you heard the terrible rumors about him?"
Before the situation could escalate, Ichigo abruptly stepped between them and gently pushed Raphtalia away from the blond boy.
"Raphtalia, golden rule: never talk to strangers who can't think with anything but their gut," Ichigo stated with absolute seriousness.
Raphtalia blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean, Ichigo-niisan?"
"I'll explain it to you when you're older," Ichigo replied as he turned to join Naofumi.
Seeing them walk away, Itsuki took a step forward, sighed disdainfully, and remarked, "We'll see each other at the Wave. I hope you're good for something, at least."
"Just don't get in our way," Ren added coldly, adjusting his sword on his back.
Naofumi clenched his fists, but before he could say anything, Ichigo stopped in his tracks. He spun around to stand next to Naofumi and Raphtalia, staring down the group of heroes with a mocking smile as he yelled at them at the top of his lungs,
"Learn the basics of swordsmanship and archery before you spout your nonsense, you damn rookies!"
"What did you say, you idiot?!" Motoyasu roared, stepping forward as his spear emitted a faint flash of power.
Ren narrowed his eyes in irritation, bringing his hand to the hilt of his sword. "Watch your words, redhead. You have no idea who you're talking to."
"That's an unacceptable lack of respect for the Chosen Heroes," Itsuki added, adjusting his gloves with obvious annoyance as his group whispered indignantly.
Ichigo let out a dry laugh, adjusting his load on his shoulder as he looked them up and down with a defiant smile.
"If you're the Chosen Heroes, then I should start preparing my last wishes in writing... This world is completely doomed," Ichigo said, shaking his head. "It seems the sacred weapons made a grave mistake in summoning you, because they only chose a bunch of second-rate people without an ounce of talent."
The words landed like a bombshell in the silent chamber. Motoyasu, beside himself with humiliation, gripped the shaft of his weapon and took a step forward with the clear intention of attacking him. Ren already had his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword, and Itsuki raised his hand toward his bow, his eyes blazing.
"I'll teach you a lesson for messing with us, you damned brat!" roared Motoyasu, raising his spear as a golden glow began to envelop the tip.
Before the spark of combat could ignite, several knights of the order and priestesses of the temple immediately stepped between the two sides. In turn, Motoyasu and Ren's own teammates rushed to grab their respective leaders' arms to restrain them.
"Lord Motoyasu, stop! Any kind of bloodshed or combat is strictly forbidden within the sacred cathedral!" warned one of the guards sternly, raising his halberd.
"Calm down, Motoyasu! It's not worth getting the church into trouble over a mere country bumpkin," Malty reprimanded him, firmly taking his arm to stop him before he committed sacrilege.
A few steps away, Itsuki's companion also grabbed his cloak, pleading with him to calm down while the priestesses reminded them of the solemnity of the place.
Ichigo observed the commotion without blinking, maintaining a relaxed posture with his hands calmly tucked in his pockets. Seeing that there would be no fight, he let out a mocking whistle, turned around without a scratch, and began to walk.
"Let's go, Naofumi, Raphtalia. It's all bark and no bite," Ichigo said with a chuckle.
Naofumi gave a faint, grim smile, feeling a strange satisfaction at witnessing the three heroes' pride being trampled. Without wasting any more time, he turned around next to Raphtalia, and the three walked shoulder to shoulder, leaving the commotion and hateful glares behind to emerge together, unharmed, into the afternoon light.
TO BE CONTINUED