"It is done!"
Was what Zadkiel had declared when she called Roko into her office early the next morning. The thing that was done being...a large traveling backpack she had prepared with all sorts of items and essentials inside.
"...And this is..." Roko yawned.
"A special backpack I've prepared for your next trip! That being said, what's actually done is the special prison I made for the grimoire you'll be transporting. For safety reasons, I won't tell you where in this backpack it is but I'm sure you'll figure it out by the time you get there. Until then, I did actually enchant this backpack so it's actually quite bigger on the inside than the outside and I've stuffed plenty of useful supplies-"
"Can I get a messenger bag instead?"
"You..." Zadkiel stopped, her enthusiasm cut down rather heartlessly, "You want a messenger bag instead?"
"I just like them more than backpacks." Roko shrugged.
…
And so a day later, Zadkiel called Roko back into her office with a brand new messenger bag.
"It's got slightly less items but it's still bigger on the inside than the outside." Zadkiel nodded, "...Is what I would've said if I hadn't found a way to incorporate even more room into this small bag than before! You see-"
"The contents of the bag changes depending on which side of my body it is slung?"
"I..." Zadkiel looked dumbfounded, "How'd you-"
"You know what my spells do." Roko replied simply, "Anyway, where's the item that controls all this? Oh, this belt buckle? Nice, let's take stock."
Zadkiel continued to watch as Roko unraveled her secrets, placing the belt buckle over his own belt. Then standing up to sling the bag across his chest so it rested on the right side of his hip before opening it up and rummaging around,
"Okay...mostly camping items. Cool, cool. Now let's change sides."
Shifting the strap over his head and moving the bag over to his left side, Roko began rummaging around again.
"Exploratory items. Interesting, some investigative items too. Now to check if..."
Roko moved the bag to behind his back and reached inside.
"Oho, even the back is a different pocket. These are...weapons? Hm, this really is bigger on the inside. How'd you fit an entire broadsword in here?"
"It's not just bigger on the inside." Zadkiel said proudly, "It also attaches itself to the back of your belt while it is behind you so that it doesn't get in the way.
"I can see that." Roko remarked, "A thoughtful gift for once."
"Hehe. See? Wasn't all that work worth it?"
"I feel like I worked at a company for free for five years and all I get is a brand name purse."
"..."
"..."
"...I still got the backpack if you want it."
"Who am I going to give it to?"
"So who wants a new bag?" Roko sighed as he held up the backpack to the princesses.
Corissa looked around at Momo, Helena and Kaguya who just stared at the bag silently, not stepping up to claim it for themselves. So she slowly raised her hand up instead,
"I guess I can use it to store more food." Corissa smiled, "If nobody else minds."
"We all knew it was going to you." Helena nodded.
"I-It didn't have to!" Corissa yelped, "Do you want it?!"
"My current luggage holds all I really need." Helena smirked, "Don't even know what I'd add even if I had more room."
"Seriously, we've been traveling for so long, it would be stupid to not already have a bag that holds everything you need already." Kaguya added.
"And if we're getting more room, it would make the most sense to store food in it." Momo agreed, "That way we can have even better meals!"
"Assuming it can refrigerate food." Kaguya nodded.
"It's bigger on the inside and stores objects in a non-entrophic zone so anything you put inside should come out the same as when you placed it inside no matter how much time has passed outside." Roko explained, tossing the backpack to Corissa.
"Wow, really?" Helena raised an eyebrow, "That sounds handy."
"It's only really useful for food." Roko sighed, "If you put something in it that needs to breathe, it will suffocate."
"Oh there's stuff already in here!" Corissa said as she rummaged around inside the backpack.
"Yeah, Zadkiel said she did fill it with stuff already." Roko shrugged, "Guess she didn't bother emptying the old backpack to fill mine again."
"So which one has the grimoire?" Kaguya asked.
"Mine I assume."
"Reasonable assumption."
"Hey, what's this?"
Corissa pulled out of her backpack a small stick with a grooved branch sticking out of it.
"That's a spear thrower or atlatl." Roko explained, "You put the base of the spear on the branch and it makes it easier to throw the spear. I guess Zadkiel didn't remove the weapons either."
"That's okay, I'll just get rid of them to make space for food and utensils." Corissa nodded, handing the weapon over to Roko.
"I guess Varis doesn't really need a new weapon does he?" Helena smirked, "Now that I think about it, does Varis use a named sword?"
"Not that I'm aware of." Corissa blinked as she pulled a mace out from the backpack.
"Isn't that interesting?" Helena hummed, "If only someone could learn from that."
"Hey, I'll have you know, once I learn my sword style I'll be able to kick everyone's ass around here." Roland frowned.
"Is that so?" Helena scoffed, "Sounds like you don't even need named swords then if your sword style's doing all the work."
"Hey, it's the combination of things! A named sword and a sword style are both important."
"Oh yeah? Let's consult an expert. Momo?"
"I mean both ARE important." Momo grinned, "The sword style determines what kind of sword would be good for you and named swords have not just pedigree but better construction on average and sometimes come with special traits or abilities."
"You see?!" Roland declared triumphantly.
"Mmhm. And have you unlocked Specular's special trait yet?"
"It's Exspecular! And uh...just you wait til I get my sword style!"
"Riveting." Helena rolled her eyes, "And when will that happen?"
"When...I see an iaido sword style I like."
"Roko, any plans on visiting Momokami?"
"Nope."
"Well damn. By the way, when we leaving for this next trip?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow. You all can follow if you want."
"So standard procedure then." Kaguya chuckled.
"What's the itinerary like?" Helena asked excitedly.
"Ask Corissa." Roko sighed, "I'm going to go see if there really is nothing on the Hero that I can dig up."
"Still nothing so far?"
"Still nothing."
"You still think you can find something?"
"Got nothing better to do."
"We need to get you a hobby."
"I used to play video games."
"I don't know what those are."
"Exactly."
The next day started with Roko standing in the middle of Galia, their usual agreed to waiting spot before the journey began. And the noise of the busy town was as loud and cacophonous as ever.
"Roko! Prepare for trouble! For it is I, Seoul Ba-"
"Helena!" Roko called out, "Over here!"
"Hey Roko!" Helena grinned, "So I'm first huh?"
"You're always the first one."
"I'm just that excitable, I guess."
"Ahem. And make it double! For Uther Ba-"
"Kaguya!" Helena called, "Kaguya, over here!"
"Ah, good, I'm not last this time." Kaguya smiled as she walked over.
"Got that paperwork done early huh?"
"Zadiel waived the paperwork for me this time."
"AHEM. To protect the world from devastation! Anoter Ba-"
"Corissa! You're here already?!" Helena cried.
"I got here a bit earlier to do some last minute shopping." Corissa explained as she walked over, "Should be all prepared now!"
"To unite all people within our nation! I am Eiam Ba-"
"Momo! Am I glad you're here!" Roko called out desperately.
"What's going on?" Momo asked as she came over.
"Nothing. We're all here. Let's just go."
"BADGUY BANDITS! Blasting off at the speed of light! Surrender now, Roko, or prepare to fight our newest member, Somur Badguy!"
"Uuhhh, Roko?" Momo smirked, "I think someone's trying to get your attention."
"Momo. Amp, then blast them with lighting at full force." Roko replied.
"Wait, with THAT spell too?" Momo grinned, "You sure?"
"I refuse to acknowledge them." Roko replied shortly, "Get rid of them as quick as you can."
"Well, okay then. Amph. Lightning."
The Badguy bandits all cried out in pain as a giant bolt of lightning blasted them apart and scattered them across the city.
"There we go!" Momo smiled, "Problem solved!"
"I heard that h by the way." Roko scowled, "You went easy on them."
"Course I did. You didn't actually want me to raze them to the ground right?"
"…"
"Right?"
"Let's just get going." Roko scowled as he walked away.
The road ahead of them was long, longer than any trip before them. They were heading more inland than they had ever been before it seemed. But the weather was great and spirits were high and there was plenty they could talk about along the way. Such as,
"So who exactly are the Badguy Bandits?" Corissa asked innocently.
Roko let out a long, pained moan as the other girls snickered.
"S-Sorry!" Corissa yelped, "Is that like forbidden or something?!"
"Nah, it's fine." Helena smirked, "Let's see...your history with the Badguy Bandits would be...showing up at the end of our first encounters with them and beating Eiam for us."
"And then fighting them again when we finished our trip to Gran Reveria." Momo added.
"Right. No wonder you don't know anything about them!"
"So...what's their deal?" Corissa asked.
"Oh, Roko just ruined their bodyguard racketeering business near Galia."
"I didn't even do that." Roko scowled, "The one who exposed them was Kaguya technically."
"Oh yeah, I did do that." Kaguya nodded.
"Why do they hate Roko and not Kaguya then?" Corissa asked.
"I mean Roko did beat them several times and was infuriating about it." Helena nodded.
"Is that all it takes?!" Roko cried.
"I mean they also think you're our leader anyway." Momo giggled.
"Whatever." Roko sighed, "They're just idiotic junkyard dogs. Just ignore them."
"Ok." Corissa nodded.