To the Victor Gets Spoiled

“I can’t believe that dumb flimsy mushroom gave us this much trouble,” Kaito announced as everyone recovered from their hard-earned victory.

“We should’ve taken a break before approaching the boss so Evona and I wouldn’t have succumbed to the spores that fast.” Rina analyzed. “My bad, guys.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Khrom reassured Rina. “We just wanted to save everyone as soon as possible!”

“Yeah, this should’ve saved all the captives. Now we just need to get the relic,” Rina mentioned. “Wait, where is the relic? Shouldn’t it have appeared by now?”

“I think it’s over here!” Evona yelled from on top of the Nekana Tree’s core.

The rest of the group approached Evona and the tree’s core. Upon looking inside the crystal core, they could see something, likely to be the relic they are looking for.

“Uh… So how do we get it out without breaking the core?” Kaito asked.

“You’re Pickpocket skill should work,” Rina answered.

“I thought it could only work on adventurers’ inventories…” Kaito mentioned.

“And faraway items, not owned by a person,” Rina corrected Kaito. “You should really know how your skills work.”

Kaito was embarrassed by not knowing how the Pickpocket skill worked on two occasions. Moving on from his embarrassing display of knowledge, he used Pickpocket to obtain the relic.

“I wonder why the relic was trapped in the core?” Kaito wondered. “This won’t kill the whole tree, will it?”

As Kaito was worried about whether they had just killed the catfolk’s sacred Nekana Tree, a figure slowly dangled down behind the group from the ceiling.

“That relic is what made the Nekana Tree so large in the first place,” the figure clarified, getting the group’s attention. “It won’t die without it, but it is sure to shrink greatly.”

“Who, are you!?” Kaito asked in a sassy tone, but he interrupted his own question. “Wait a second, you’re that spider lady on the Bale Town statue!”

“Lady Kaede!” Evona stated her name in excitement.

“Yes, that is indeed who I am,” the lady, confirmed to be the Hero Knight’s ally, Kaede, responded.

“Is there a reason you’re way out here?” Rina asked.

“Indeed,” Kaede answered as she looked at what she wanted, “I’m here to retrieve that relic.”

“The relic?” Kaito questioned in shock, “But we just risked our lives to get this.”

Kaito was not willing to relinquish the relic they made their long journey for, especially because of how hard they worked for it.

“I suppose you did work hard for it,” Kaede said, alluding she witnessed their recent fight. “But here’s the thing. The Dragon Generals already have two of the four relics, so for us heroes to match them, I’m going to need that relic.”

Just as Rina was thinking about giving the relic to Kaede, as it would be safer, Kaede's mention of the Dragon Generals reminded Rina about the Giora ruin’s text. She remembered how the Dragon Generals are working towards obtaining all the relics, and more importantly, their benefactor’s accomplished allies, being untrustworthy. Although it was unlikely, there was a chance Kaede could be one of these people. Rina concluded that nobody could be trusted with the relic.

“I was gauging whether or not letting your group keep the relic to split the two other relics could be an option, but your display against that boss was unsightly,” Kaede mocked the group.

“Well, we’re the ones who obtained and earned the relic,” Rina mentions, as she now wants to reject Kaede’s wish. “As long as we keep the relic in our inventory, there’s nothing you can do.”

Kaito was shocked that Rina, of all people, came to his aid, as he mainly didn’t want to give it to her because he thought she was creepy. Though he snapped out of his shock when Rina mentioned the inventory, prompting Kaito to store the relic just as Rina said.

“I suppose you did earn it,” Kaede respected their effort. “Even if I did have the Pickpocket skill, stealing it would make me unsightly.”

“So… you’re going to let us keep it?” Kaito asked, thinking Kaede didn’t want to press the issue.

After a bit of thinking, Kaede responded, “Yeah…”

Just as the group eased their tension from realizing Kaede wouldn’t get aggressive, she altered her answer.

“But actually no.”

Before the group could reassume their defensive mindset, they were ensnared by Kaede’s webs. They were all captured by Kaede and dragged off to some mysterious place.