The Rising of the Scythe Hero

It took a long, tedious explanation to convince Naofumi I had no clue what happened to Night or why she suddenly turned human. I couldn't exactly tell him the truth. I mean, what was I supposed to say? That I knew the full growth cycle of a filolial raised by a Hero because this entire world is the plot of a novel I once read? Yeah, no thanks.

So, I gave him the basics of Night's "growth" and wrapped up the topic, sending Naofumi off to the grateful villagers he'd saved from the ridiculous taxes and the tyranny of a certain red-haired witch. Judging by the look in his eyes, though, he wasn't about to let the matter drop. And he kept throwing suspicious glances at his own filolial.

While Naofumi dealt with inheriting a wagon and a new "quest" from the village elder, I decided to spend more time with my bird.

"What am I gonna do with you, miracle?" I muttered, crouching down in front of her.

And no, the question wasn't meant in any weird way. At least, not yet… Ahem.

"Hm?" She tilted her head, puzzled.

Canon showed that eventually she'd instinctively learn everything a filolial queen could — magic, shifting forms, even using chi, which barely anyone in this world knew about. I only knew a little more myself. To really study that, I'd need to track down some old lady. But when and where Naofumi met her in the original story… I couldn't for the life of me remember. So for now, I had to either gamble on luck or wait for Naofumi to find her.

Back to Night. Sure, she could learn everything on her own eventually, but if I could speed up that process…

While the proud new wagon owner, gifted by the village elder, dashed off to the forest for firewood (thanks to said elder… what a guy), I worked with Night.

Explaining "something I don't fully understand" wasn't likely to succeed. So I started simple.

"Reinforce your body with mana, Night. Channel it into every strike. Manipulate it, direct it, shape it. Make it part of you." I instructed, dodging her little punches in human form.

In her filolial form, her attacks were primitive — just charge fast and hit hard. Not much to train there, though it still needed some attention. But her human form? That deserved serious effort. And not for… other reasons!

Also, she really needed proper clothes… Wearing my cloak constantly wasn't practical. That could wait, though.

What deserved my full focus was my filolial. The speed at which Night learned was insane. Just a few hours of sparring with me, and she'd grasped the basics. After that, it was all practice and experience. And I couldn't help but wonder…

Was it her absurd talent? Or the fact she had someone to guide and spar with, drilling everything on the spot? No denying her talent, of course. But I was curious about my own influence on her progress.

"Something wrong, Master? Did I mess up?" Night tugged on my cloak, noticing my thoughtful expression.

"No. You're doing great." I smiled. Night, of course, remained completely expressionless. "I was thinking about myself. About whether I'm useful as your teacher."

Night tilted her head, confused.

"Oh. I'm not sure, but it feels like I just know what to do. But Master's explanations make it easier." She paused, pondering. "And I don't care if you're useful or not. I like being near Master." She added, staring at me with those calm, unwavering eyes.

"Oof, stop it, you're making me blush. But thanks." For the first time since arriving in this world, I genuinely smiled. "It's nice to hear things like that."

It made me wonder… Why were filolials raised by Heroes so attached to them? Was it because we're the first beings they see? Do they instinctively see us as family? Or was it some hidden setting from the legendary weapon? Honestly… maybe it's better not to know.

So that's how most of my day went. Training Night, chatting with her here and there. I still had to help shape her as a person — not just teach her to fight, but teach her morals, too. At least, the version of morality I believed in.

She learned fast. Sometimes, we disagreed. But every time, Night listened to my perspective, calmly accepted it, and seemed to adopt it as her own.

It was… unsettling. The girl wasn't just loyal — she was completely devoted to me. Zero doubt that I could be wrong. It was flattering… but also a little concerning.

By evening, Night had mastered her first spell — "Speed Reducing". As the name implied, it slowed down whoever it hit. It belonged to the Darkness magic school, focused on debuffs and negative effects. Fitting, honestly.

But Night claimed that wasn't all. She felt like there was more she could do. Sure, we could've gone to that lady who helped me figure out my aptitudes, but… why bother? Night would figure it out eventually. Maybe a bit later, but still.

Her combat skills had also skyrocketed. By my estimate, they were around level two or three of my Scythe Mastery. Except for Night, it was all hand-to-hand. And despite all my punching practice, I still didn't have a Hand-to-Hand skill.

The only lingering issue? Her weapon.

The canon claws used by Filo didn't appeal to me. Night didn't care what weapon she used. Dilemma… I even considered giving her a scythe. I mean, come on — a loli with a scythe? Pretty badass, at least in my eyes. But I shelved the idea for now. Still had time to decide.

That evening, Naofumi returned with a barely-alive Raftalia. And no, she wasn't hurt. Turns out, she got horrifically motion-sick from riding in Filo's wagon.

I wasn't exaggerating. She looked awful — pale, weak, dazed, barely able to walk straight. Which was… problematic, considering their lifestyle. Most of their time would be spent in that wagon. Her being incapacitated could get dangerous.

Back in my old world, I'd dealt with motion sickness. The possibilities in this world could offer a cure. I just needed time to work on it. I liked Raftalia — sweet, pure, hopelessly naive. Hard not to like that.

But back to the group in general. Naofumi looked especially worried. And their third member, the bird named Filo, looked… different from when they left. And I had a feeling that's exactly why the Shield Guy was so stressed.

"Nott." Naofumi came straight to me when they returned. "Filo changed again… and I'm starting to get worried." His eyes flicked to Night beside me. "I'm not even sure we bought regular filolials. I need answers."

"And how do you plan to get them? Pretty sure not even the First Thousand knows about birds that turn into humans." I smirked at him.

"Yeah, but the guy who sold us those eggs definitely knows. And I intend to find out. The direct way."

Which is how our merry little group set off for Melromarc. I'd considered just teleporting us straight to the Dragon Hourglass — I'd hit level 50 ages ago and fed the necessary sand to my scythe, unlocking Teleport Scythe — but Naofumi refused. No point leaving the wagon behind, apparently. After his trip to the capital, he wanted to hit the road immediately.

The village elder gave Naofumi a merchant license — allowed him to trade freely and skip city entry taxes. There were other details, but I couldn't be bothered. I had zero interest in becoming a merchant.

So, after a night in Ryute Village, we headed for Melromarc. Still about 40 days left till the next Wave, so plenty of time. Especially for me. With my growth rate, wasting a little time resting wasn't a big deal. And I considered anything not tied to leveling up as "rest".

I had errands in Melromarc too. Top of the list — visiting a magic shop to buy special fabric that would let Night shift between filolial and human forms without shredding her clothes.

But before we left… an interesting incident occurred.

"Hm? What's up?" I asked Night when she suddenly froze mid-step.

"I… I'm not sure. That wagon… looks so… inviting?"

She paused constantly, struggling to find the words, staring strangely at the wagon Filo was already hitched to.

Filo, by the way, proudly raised her birdy head when she spotted Night, practically radiating, "Hah! Eat your heart out!"

"You… wanted to pull the wagon too?" Weird emotions snuck into my voice that I couldn't define.

"I… don't think so. Then I couldn't stay close to Master. That's more important. I can carry you myself."

"…Have I mentioned you're adorable?"

"Yes." Night nodded simply.

"Well, let me say it again. You're adorable, Night!"

All the while, I could practically feel Naofumi's jealous stare.

"Why are they so different?!" I heard his desperate whisper.

Heh. Eat your heart out, Shield Guy. My Night is perfect!