The origins of those footsteps were 3 people in dark cloaks but something was strange and it wasn't that they were wearing dark cloaks no it was that on top of those cloaks you could see animal ears poking through them
'Demi-Humans?' Naofumi thought seeing the cloaked people grow closer before they stopped at his table and kneeled the one in the middle of the group which seemed to have cat ears spoke first
"Us three are envoys of the nation of Siltvelt, Shield Goddess, and came here to see if you want to take your place as the rightful ruler of Siltvelt"
"..."
"..."
Naofumi was struck silent trying to decipher what was said as there was a lot to unpack
'Envoys makes sense that would be something but can I believe them?... Then there was the other thing Shield Goddess? That is a new one what is that about? do they think I am sort of god or are they just 3 insane people? The final thing they said seemed to help prove that thought calling me the rightful ruler of a nation I haven't even heard till today were these people insane or are they trying to pull a joke?' Naofumi thought this body's ears flat against this body's head
'First thing's first best to see if they're the truth'
"Do you have something that would confirm that your envoys of this Siltvelt place?"
"Of course, my lady" the middle one spoke then all three of them reached into their cloaks and pulled out a piece of metal around the size of their hands with multiple scribbles chiseled in it
'That just looks nonsense but so does all the signs in this world so that is just their writing system'
"and, if you don't believe this we will do anything to prove that we are, my lady" what Naofumi has now dubbed as the leader said
Naofumi gave a swift nod
'So they are probably legitimate, but then what of the other things they said?'
"You called me Shield Goddess, what is that about?"
"Why that is who you are, or would you prefer to be called something else, my lady?"
"No, I don't really care I just want to know why you are calling me it"
'Well I do but I need info more than anything'
"Why you are our Goddessqueen all of Siltvelt worships you, so much that whenever you are summoned that we put you on the throne" The Leader spoke with a happy tone
'I see maybe something my predecessor did?'
"So, my lady will you join us?" The Leader asked
'It sounds like a nice deal to become a ruler of a nation I get the easy life, an entire nation to support me, but….I feel like there could be many negatives to that like I don't even know how to rule and...' Naofumi's eyes enlarged as memories of his time in school and university came to him
'I am in a European-medieval-like time period and…oh no'
'Political marriages, Pure bloodlines, Many Heirs and much more
'That's even a big if that the monarch is even a real monarch and not just a puppet one which doesn't seem that likely as they called me a Goddessqueen but still no I am not having any of that, that might of sounded even more tempting if I was in my body but I am not in my body' Noafumi lightly shuddered as he thought
"I am sorry but no thanks I don't wish to do that" Naofumi said as politely as possible
'And that's all not including if this people were just lunatics'
"Oh, well if you wish we can still head to Siltvelt" The leader spoke with a saddened tone
"No, thanks I would prefer to stay here"
"Understand, you of course are welcome anytime at Siltvelt" the leader spoke then looked up at me
"..."
"..."
"Oh! You are excused"
With that, the three grown adults who were bowing before a child and a baby Filoal left the inn
-Time Skip-
After the Envoy incident, nothing else really happened Naofumi learned that if you keep a shield out for long enough you can keep the equip effect but besides that, not much really happened though some other envoys came by saying they were from the nation of Shieldfreeden but Naofumi refused to go with them but besides that nothing really changed in his schedule well there was a…. Small change and its name was Sakura she had grown quite a bit since Naofumi first got her instead of looking like a fat chick she now looked very much like a pink ostrich...
"Alright, Sakura I am gonna try ridding you okay?" Naofumi tells her as he slowly reached up to pat her side that was another thing Naofumi had not grown an inch since he got to this world even though he was now level 14 he was somewhat envious that Sakura had grown so much since he got her, but he tried not let that change anything as after all Sakura was the only… person that he could comfortably call a friend she did many things for him which he was thankful for
"Pia" she softly chirped and bent its large legs so the short Naofumi could hop onto her back
"Thank you" He softly told her
"Pia"
Naofumi then tightly grabbed Sakura beautiful pink feathers
"Alright first test of riding a filolial… GO!" he yelled at top of this body's little lungs and with that, the large pink ostrich-like creature ran at full speed
"Urgh" suddenly Naofumi felt incredibly dizzy like the entire world was spinning around him
"S-sto- Urgh" Naofumi started to pat Sakura as a way to tell her to stop but Sakura seemed not to notice her master's plea
"Pl-Pl-URGH!" Naofumi could feel vomit rise as the dizziness got worse it got so bad that Naofumi let go of Sakura to grab his stomach which with nothing to keep him grounded to the ridiculously fast bird made him fall off the bird sending him flying "URHG!- Oh- go-" before Naofumi could continue his breakfast decided to take a vacation out his stomach as he reached the grass
Sakura noticing the lack of the small weight on her stopped and behind her to see her mistress huddled together as their breakfast vacated their stomach
"Kya!" Sakura cried out as she rushed over to Naofumi
"Pia?" she quietly chirped as she pressed her beak into Naofumi stomach
"I am al-Urgh" Naofumi nonexistent breakfast by now was once again left
The bird looked at Naofumi with a mix of terror and sadness as Naofumi couldn't keep anything in his stomach
Finally after some time later Naofumi had finished excavated everything in his stomach
"Hey, why are you looking like that?" Naofumi asked getting up looking like a total mess
All the bird did was look at the grass below her
"Hey it's okay I wasn't hurt okay?" Naofumi said patting Sakura's head
"Kya" Sakura moved her head to point at the pile of vomit that Naofumi had made at the forest ground
"That was nothing, okay just another thing I have to deal with, nothing that was your fault c'mon let's go level up or something okay, hey if you want we can even try to sleep out here?" Naofumi said with a voice as soft as he could though there was still a little bit of harshness in his voice but it was not directed towards Sakura it was to… him
Sakura turned towards Naofumi and bend her head down to meet Naofumi's face
"Kya?"
"Yes I am sure I am okay I didn't take any damage my defense is ridiculously high I highly dought anything in this area could damage me Naofumi said with a small smirk
"Pia!" seemingly shaken out her worry Sakura cried out before she started to rub her head against Naofumi
"H-Hey S-Stop if you keep doing that I have clean you too!" Naofumi cried out giggles some erupted from his mouth than without warning
*POOF*
The Pink ostrich was no longer stood there instead it was a large pink owl-like creature
"Uh did I hit my head harder than I thought?" Naofumi Joked as he looked at the giant pink owl before him
"Uh, The slave trader didn't say anything about this… maybe your special?" Naofumi said aloud trying to figure out what happened
"Well, I guess we have to go see him huh?" Naofumi said straining this neck looking at Sakura
"Pia!" Sakura then lightly pecked at Naofumi
"Ah, before that I guess we need to clean off, huh," Naofumi said a smile appeared on his face