[A/N: I already got 2 requests for me to literally spell out who's POV the story is being told from, so I decided to give it a go. Let me know if you gentlebeings prefer it this way or the old way.]
Chapter 6
~ Naofumi's POV ~
Just as Sakura-san promised, she has been taking me out on exciting dates every single night. Exciting dates with the beautiful young wife, such a wonderful thing has the scent of the forbidden... not. Basically, she just drags me off to harder and harder killing fields every night. She's been leveling up all day while I only get to do so at night, so our level difference does nothing but increase, and of course, she wants to go to tougher and tougher places in order to maximize her exp gain.
The soft, kind and gentle Sakura-san from my heart has completely disappeared after seeing her shadow elementals non-stop slaughter swarms, packs and flocks of monsters while she snipes at those who try to flee or approach. Well, she's sharing from her own loot with me, and I'm not slob enough to just hang back and leech exp, so I've been moving into melee as well, but honestly, I feel the most useful when I get to get in the way of something that was heading towards her. Well, I'm the shield hero, after all.
"Sakura-san..." ~ I call to her while retrieving all of the [Poison Wolf Claws] from my shield's inventory.
I've figured out how to have the shield dismantle the monsters after they've been stored inside it. This way, we're unlocking, mastering and upgrading a lot more weapons that if we just absorbed the entire monster all at once.
"Yes, Naofumi-san?"
"Another group of people approached me today."
"Hm."
I'm talking about people offering to be my companions. Well, thanks to that bitch, the entire kingdom thinks I'm a rapist, so the only types to approach me are criminals that think they can scam or abuse me without worries. It's not as if the guards will hurry to help me or take my word over theirs, no matter what.
"Well, they were peculiar, I guess?" ~ I finished mastering the [Poison Wolf Claw] shield, and held the pile for her to absorb in turn.
"Oh, its a different poison effect...?" ~ I guess she is looking at her status screen.
"Yes, it was three people and, well... I got the impression they were hiding something different from the scammers that have been trying to get close to me. They were very polite, and just... gave a different feeling, you know? I was hoping you could... you know."
"You want me to listen to their thoughts as you talk with them, correct?" ~ Sakura-san's shooting posture is quite beautiful. Or rather, should I say she gives off a 'dashing' impression when she's aiming? She's testing her new bow on some of the monsters fighting some dozen feet away.
I nodded. Well, I think this is an acceptable level of wariness. After all, it isn't paranoia when they are really trying to get you, and both the country and the church really is trying to get me, not to mention the aforementioned criminals and scammers. Heck, I bet there's hero-wannabes who just want to teach the rapist a lesson, mixed in with the scum.
"I assume you made an appointment?" ~ She asks while absorbing the [Poison Wolf]'s poison glands I laid on the grass for her. ~ "Oh? The bow is different from the last one..."
"Silver Horseshoe tavern in the early morning, close to the castle town's south gate." ~ I confirm her expectations.
"Would you prefer if I was there and helped you ask some questions, or do you want to do that much by yourself?"
When she says it like that, it really sounds like she wants me to be the one asking the questions, right?
"I will talk to them by myself. Afterwards, please tell me your impressions." ~ I reply.
"Very well."
~ Sakura's POV ~
Well, just as Naofumi-san asked, I'm having breakfast in a nearby table while he talks to the people who wanted to meet with him.
"Thank you for meeting with us, master Naofumi." ~ The man and his companions were already waiting for Naofumi-san, so they stand up to greet him in a rather formal way. ~ "From your far left, you have Aslhan, master duelist of the Shusaku, then Mira, our current oracle of wind, then Lin, our youngest sister. This unworthy me is known as Werner, and it has been forced unto me to lead the Shusaku race in Siltvelt, a country twice removed from Melromarc, if you were to head to the north west. I regret that having to cross three frontiers and two countries is our only meager excuse for having come for you so long after your summoning to this world. Please accept our humblest apology!"
All four of them bow deep enough to have their backs parallel to the ground, then wait for Naofumi-san's permission before straightening up. Ah, this could be a problem, since we need the king and the church to think Naofumi is at his wit's end...
"P-please take a seat!" ~ Naofumi-san gestures towards their empty chairs. ~ "I said I'd agree to listen to you, so please feel free to talk as you please. Ah, did you have breakfast already?"
Naofumi gestures for the waitress to approach, and asks for a simple breakfast. Everyone in the Siltvelt delegation (self proclaimed) quickly asks for the same. For some reason, they look really accomplished right now...
"Master Naofumi, please accept these war funds." ~ Werner-san places a bag on the table and slides it towards Naofumi-san while everyone hold their heads low.
"Eh? But..."
""""Please!"""" - All four of them beg together, and Naofumi-san reaches forth and stores the bag in his shield's [inventory].
Now they are giving off an strangely familiar feeling... ah, its the same feeling you'd get after offering some coins at a shrine, isn't it? A somewhat happy, somewhat hopeful feeling for the future.
'Master Naofumi seems to have accepted our offering without incident.' ~ This is basically what all of them are thinking right now. Congratulations, Naofumi-san, you seem to have been enshrined, somehow.
Oh, he's looking at his status screen, and his eyes just went plate-sized. I guess it was a lot of money?
"This much...!?" ~ he looks at Werner, they (self proclaimed) leader.
"Please accept my humblest apologies, Master Naofumi, but we left on a rush so this was as much as we could gather on such short notice..."
"No, no, that's not it at all. I was surprised because it was so much."
"Not at all!" ~ Lin-san... ah, should I think of her as Lin-chan? Werner-san did say she was his youngest sister.
Until further evidence to the contrary is offered, you are now [Lin-chan], congratulations!
Lin-chan grabs the edge of the table with both hands and pulls herself slightly higher. It makes me think she is used to being much smaller, so I'm starting to wonder just how old she really is. Ah, she realised she didn't have to in order to be seen? Or rather, that even if she did so, all she would accomplish would be to look down on Naofumi-san, so she sat on the chair again.
"Master Naofumi was summoned to save the world, so it only makes sense that all nations should offer their complete support!" ~ She declares, and tenses her lips - "Honestly, anything less borders on suicide. Do they lack any self-preservation instinct?"
"Lin, calm down." ~ Werner lays his hand atop his sister's head, and gently messes with her dark hair.
By the way, Werner-san's hair is thin and bright red, Aslhan-san's hair is red with blue bands and seems quite thick, Mira-san has very light, very thin aquamarine hair, and Lin-chan has thin and long, jet black hair.
"I-i'm sorry, master Naofumi." ~ She apologises softly enough for it to be a whisper.
"Well, she's not wrong." ~ Says the tall red and blue haired man... Aslhan-san, right? ~ "It just goes to show how backwards the rule in these lands are. Playing petty politics while the world literally comes to an end around them."
As the waitress comes back, the aquamarine-haired 'oracle of wind' gets up and takes the plate from her, then places it in front of Naofumi-san while bowing her head... right, its completely like an offering, isn't it?
"Thank you." ~ Naofumi-san thanks her while reaching for the tableware.
By the way, the second plate went to Werner-san.
"Did you come all this way to deliver this money?"
"It was the least of it, master Naofumi. We have come to pick you up." ~ Werner is the one doing most of the talk. Well, he said he was their leader and the others do indeed seem to defer to him.
The redheaded ...siltvelite? Siltvelian? Their leader explains how Melromarc is indeed enemy territory for Naofumi-san, while their native Siltvelt is a country that 'exists to support the Shield Hero.' If Naofumi goes back with them, he can rest assured that he will have the country's full support, including the best possible party members, troop support within the country, mercenary support abroad, rare materials, and anything else he feels important in his fight against the waves. At the very least, they'd like for him to go and sync with their Dragon's Hourglass. Well, that much should be obvious, since that's the only way the heroes will be summoned to fight the waves when they happen.
As for Werner-san's thoughts... he's dead serious. He's sincerely angry for the treatment Melromarc has shown to Naofumi-san, and wants him to go back so he can take his 'rightful place' as the demihumans... oh.
He genuinely thinks of Naofumi-san as his god. Should I say 'this could be bad' or should I say 'this is really bad' instead? Well, if he does go with them, he's pretty much guaranteed to get that harem he's been dreaming of. But religious zealots are scary, you know?
'Naofumi-san... please be careful.' ~ I warn him through the mindlink.
'So they were too good to be true, after all.'
'No, they are, if anything, holding back a lot. Everything they said is their genuine feelings, its just... they worship the Hero of the Shield, Naofumi-san. They genuinely think of you as God, and want to treat you as such.'
'E~eh?'
'While we probably should sync up with every Dragon's Hourglass, just keep in mind that religion drives people to do scary things, alright?'
'Yes, thank you Sakura-san.'
"Master Naofumi, please come with us." ~ Mira-san looks at him while holding her hands together under the table. In context, she's literally praying to her deity right now, isn't she?
'Naofumi-san, that's your priestess, aren't you glad? Your harem dreams are about to come true.'
'Sakura-san...'
'How nice, she has already decided to beg for your permission to please. So that's what being a god is like.'
Oh, his face is tomato red. Well, if I read him right, Naofumi-san is probably the type that has lots of dreams but little experience. I think I remember reading somewhere that japanese men are having their first time late into their thirties nowadays(1), though I guess it may be different in Naofumi-san's timeline. Anyway, I think Werner-san made a mistake trying to dangle girls as bait in front of Naofumi-san. Well, it would have been a completely different story if Naofumi-san had been summoned in Siltvelt, though. I'm sure he would already have a harem to make Motoyasu's seem perfectly reasonable and modest, but after experiencing a couple of scares and hard knocks, he's not a kid anymore.
'Mira-san's mouth looks so soft and sexy...'
WHACK!
My head, the table.
'NAOFUMI-SAN!'
~ Naofumi's POV ~
"I will go to Siltvelt, Werner-san. Just not to stay."
"But... but..."
"I plan on visiting every Dragon's Hourglass. The waves are happening all over the world, after all. What Melromarc did trying to hog all the heroes was wrong, but it would be just as wrong for me to stay in Siltvelt to the detriment of everywhere else."
Ah, Mira-san's adoring gaze hurts in odd ways. So this is what having fans feels like. Scary.
"I will visit every Dragon's Hourglass as soon as possible. The funds you have provided me with are already plenty helpful, Werner-san. Thank you."
"In that case, at least keep Mira, Aslhan and Lin with you as your attendants..."
"If I am right, both Mira-san and Aslhan-san have important duties in your country, don't they? I am unsure on when a Wave of Calamity will hit Siltvelt, but if it happens before I have attuned to your Dragon's Hourglass, they will be needed there, am I right?"
"...yes. What about Lin? This isn't just my brotherly pride talking when I tell you, she is extremely talented as a warrior." ~ Werner-san smiles gently as he looks at his little sister ~ "Besides, at least one member of the shusaku should stay with you. She can act as your messenger, and deliver small packages quickly over long distances."
"Hm? How so?"
"Well, its because we shusaku have vestigial wings, master Naofumi. We can use them to achieve rather high speeds. That is how we crossed 3 frontiers in a little under a week."
'...that sounds really useful.'
'Indeed, Naofumi-san.' ~ Replies Sakura-san.~ 'Just remember you are her literal god if you decide to keep her.'
"Wetner-san, I am not overly familiar with this world's common sense. What would you recommend I do with the warfunds you have provided?"
"Here in Melromarc? You can't really trust the local mercenaries. I will hire a trustworthy band in Siltvelt and send them to you as soon as possible to help you fight the waves. Honestly, I think you should invest in Magic Orbs to increase your offensive and supportive skills, as well as slaves. Of course, slaves wouldn't be necessary if you could wait a little under two weeks for us to go back to Siltvelt, choose excellent party members, and send them to you, but you will probably need more people in the meanwhile..."
"Slaves. So slavery is legal in this world? What a disgusting custom."
"It has its uses," ~ Explains Aslhan san ~ "such as allowing debtors to work out their debts, turn criminals into a net positive for society, and there's complicated exceptions where somebody has to sell themselves or their children in order to avoid starvation. Some great masters of their craft will only teach disciplies that have agreed to a limited-time slavery contract, since that is the easiest way to trust someone."
From what Aslhan-san explains, slave crests are a magical brand that imposes a [Contract] unto a person. Since the brand can cause intense pain or even death as penalties for a [Breach of Contract], and slaves are typically not told the exact limitations of their contracts, they have no choice but to be on their best behavior at all times. Lies, deceit and betrayal are basically impossible for an slave. At an strategic level, it also has two very important advantages, since an slave's master can always tell the slave's approximate location and general state of health, which makes them highly useful in a chaotic battlefield. For this reason, it isn't unheard of for knights to accept an slave brand upon coming into service under a country's royal family, for example.
Well, there's also an illegal slave market. While the contracts of legal slaves are typically carefully regulated by law, illegal slave contracts are an all-you-can-eat buffet of abuse. Illegal slavers will capture and brand basically anyone they can get their hands on, and ending up as an illegal slave is pretty much the worst possible fate a person can expect. In Melromarch, a human-centric country, most illegal slaves are typically demihumans, which adds an extra layer of racial hate to an already terrible situation.
"Since the Hero of the Shield is god to us demihumans, perhaps master Naofumi should consider purchasing some demihuman slaves? Even if only to free them and send them to Siltvelt." ~ Comments Lin-chan while holding her mug with both hands.
"Like an underground railway, is it?"
"An underground what...?"
"Oh, an organisation dedicated to freeing slaves and assiting in their escape."
"As expected of master Naofumi, you have some really noble ideas!" ~ She looks so pleased. I'm sorry Lin-san, but I'm not that great.
I basically decided to keep you already, but that's partly because you feel 'safe' and chivalrous. Compared to Mira-san, anyway... and partly because you are just so beautiful... I'm sorry.
After that, we continued to talk over breakfast, and then some cut, fried bread cubes as snacks. It seems the shusaku race are well-known for their high combat abilities. Lin-san, in fact, has trained as a clan warrior all of her life. With that, I ask them to wait for my final decision by lunch time since I want to have a long talk with Sakura-san about them, but I'm pretty much convinced at least Lin-san would be a good companion.
As for the rest of my morning... yeah, I'm going to bed. Sakura-san is a machine... ah, that would be so delightful in a different context. Emiya-san, you sure live an interesting life, don't you?
~O~
For some reason, Sakura-san couldn't hide her good mood when I told her I wanted Lin-san to stay with me. Honestly, I thought I was going to have to defend my choice but... well, I guess that's it. Shortly after our talk, I finally made it into my room's bed, and knew nothing else until shortly before lunch.
I opened the door to find one of the waitresses passing by with some cleaning tools, and asked her to bring me some hot water to wash myself, which she did in a prompt manner before reminding me that the room's rent was only until noon. Well, t was slightly past noon already, but since I planned to stay for another day at the very least, and the Siltvelt delegation just dumped 600 gold coins into my lap, I really had no issue paying her on the spot.
Ah, I miss showers and baths. Its a bit of a waste since I already paid for tonight, but since Lin-san will be joining me, I should... I mean, we should move to a better inn, one with an actual bath, preferably.
Once I was done washing myself, I descended to the common room for lunch (breakfast), to find Werner-san and company were already waiting in the same table as before. Seating in the same order... wait they didn't just sit there and wait for me to come back down, right?
Mira-san and Werner-san were talking to a rather bashful Lin-san while Aslhan-san sipped from a mug.
"Master Naofumi!" ~ Aslhan-san was the first to spot me, as he had kept his eyes on the stairs - "Please, join your humble servants!"
Ah, they stood up to wait for me to sit, again.
"Thank you for waiting." ~ I began ~ "I gave the matter some consideration, and decided it would be best of Lin-san consented to becoming my first party member."
"That's splendid, master Naofumi! I am sure my little sister will take good care of you!" ~ Werner-san, you are handing your precious imouto to an stranger, aren't you the least bit worried? Ah but he really thinks I'm some sort of divinity, so maybe he assumes in a chaste Buddha or something like that.
"Please entrust yourself to me!" ~ Lin-san declared in a very serious, slightly manly way.
"Ah... then, I will be in your care...?"
They all seem happy about this, so I guess its fine.
"You mentioned magic orbs." ~ I addressed Werner-san. ~ "Could you please give me a few more details?"
"Of course, master Naofumi!"
As he explains it, you can use magic orbs to instantly learn magic, though they are somewhat pricey if you try to use them to learn more than a handful of spells. He recommends I buy the few I may feel the strongest about, then learn the magic alphabet from books in order to begin learning magic on my own. Since Lin-san can use several minor spells, she will act as my magic tutor.
Hm~ private lessons with Lin-san. Staying up till late by the fireside, our body heat flowing back and forth as she leans back into my chest and reads from the large grimoire in my hands... no, I'm sorry, I will take my lessons seriously.
As a test, I asked for a few of their feathers and hair to feed my shield with, which led to unlocking the Companion Series up to tier III, as well as the Air Charge Series up to tier III. Sadly, it doesn't let me fly, but it does allow me to 'run through the air' over increasingly long distances. Of course, we left the castle town to test it because well, who wouldn't want to?
"It sounds similar to our racial ability." ~ Aslhan-san explained while removing his cloak to reveal a frankly heroic figure.
His chest was broad enough for two or three adults to sit on. At first, I thought he had some sort of traditional vestment on his shoulders, as there was a tiny mantle of colourful and bright red and blue feathers matching his hair on them, but then they lifted and unceremoniously stretched back behind him like tiny cupid wings.
Yes, they are very colorful. Yes, they remind me of a friend's parakeet but... the manly, burly Aslhan san with cupid wings is such an odd sight to see...
"We can dash at great speeds thanks to our wings pushing us forth, even up into the sky." ~ He began to explain ~ "But they're not large enough to hold us in the air after the initial burst of speed, so we have to be careful to finish our charge on the ground, or fall. If master Naofumi's shield works similarly, you should try it at ground height until you get used to it."
"Sounds reasonable, thank you Aslhan-san."
"Allow me to demonstrate." ~ He gestured for Lin-san to move a short distance away.
"Yes~" ~ She nodded and stepped a few meters to the side while removing her own cloak.
As expected from a female warrior, she has an impressive figure. Not too tall, but slim and curvy in all the right ways. I think you could call her 'tight' rather than muscular, plus, they're torpedo-shaped, you know? They're torpedo shaped and seem to be gravity-defying... Ah, but she's from a tribe of bird demihumans, so maybe they're literal flight bags... just how soft would that make them out to be? I can't even imagine...
I was still pondering useless things when Aslhan-san's right foot tapped on the ground, and the distance between him and the spot on the ground behind Lin-san seemed to dissapear. His short sword was pointed at the small of her back before I could even blink.
"Well, this is a short dash." ~ He explained. ~ "Lin, move further away."
"Yes, teacher."
Oh, so they are master and student. That seems to make sense. By the way, while Lin-san is wearing a very light armour set that wouldn't look out of place on a Dr gon Quest game's dancer, what little armor she has seems to be in high quality materials, with wide hip protectors over a microskirt and loincloth, and what I think a fashion-sensitive person would call an 'armoured bolero jacket', with small pauldrons and reinforced plates down the entire length of her arms.
As for Aslhan san, he's wearing a matching armour set. I'm serious, the guy somehow manages to make it look manly as balls. I guess you could say his skirt has an egyptian feel to it. He looks like an ancient warrior out of a museum. Neither of them is wearing any showy jewelry, though. I guess such things would be superfluous for people that have given themselves to the warrior's life.
Since the distance was about ten times longer this time, I actually managed to just barely notice the blur that was Aslhan-san as he dashed towards Lin-san's side. I say notice, not see, the different is important. He was just that fast.
"Since this is your first time, try moving over a short distance first, master Naofumi!" ~ He called from where he was standing by Lin-san's side.
Alright, seems reasonable enough.
I aimed for an spot of empty grass in front of me and... nothing happened. Eh? Silly me, I should have actively tried to run, right? I'm not Sakura-san, I can't just teleport around. Alright then let's try again...
As I run forth, I can feel the gazes of the Siltvelt delegation on me. Yup, I just ran forth at a normal speed, alright!? Just normal! I mean, ever since arriving into this world I've grown more and more fit so I am confident I could probably outrun gold medallists back on Earth, but it was just a normal dash, you know? The skill doesn't seems to have activated.
Aslhan-san and Lin-san are walking over with curious expressions.
"If it is an attack, you may need a target before it works." ~ Mira-san chirps in from the side.
Nice save, Mira-san! Also, nice body! Yup, once she took her cloak off, she was wearing a light, thin white silk gown-like robe that failed beautifully at hiding her amazing figure under its almost clear materials. Also, I am starting to think there's something to that flying sack theory, too...
Well, Lin-san gives off a dashing and slightly dangerous vibe thanks to her black wings, while Mira-san gives off a very greek-myth vibe. It feels as if she's the type to walk around protected by 12 gold saints, you know?
Anyway, right, it may be something like a shield bash. How could would that be? Hella cool, that's how cool that would be!
"Aslhan-san, I think Mira-san may be on to something. Would you mind if I tried to charge at you?"
"By all means, please go ahead, master Naofumi. Just let me move over towards the side first..."
With that, I gave it another try and... nothing happened. I ran a few steps before stopping. Nothing had activated as I ran towards the smiling, arms crossed Aslhan san. Well, in a sense, its a bit of a relief that nothing activated as I ran towards the manly looking gold saint of Taurus, you know?
"Well, master Naofumi is the Hero of the Shield, who exists to protect the world. Thinking it is an offensive skill may be, in itself, the wrong way to look at it." ~ Offered Werner-san
Well, he's not wrong... he's not wrong but... I was really hoping for an actual, offensive skill, for a change. I mean, thanks to Sakura-san now I have unlocked the Sword, Lance and Crossbow shield series up to tier III but... they still only let me use normal attacks and don't have any flash offensive powers, you know? In the end, I asked Aslhan-san and Lin-san to have a spar so I could try defending one of them with the Air Charge shield and... yup, I basically teleported in front of Aslhan-san to block his spear as he was attacking Lin-san, having moved her back slightly first... I mean, its obviously cool and useful. It really is, I just...
wanted an actual offensive skill, you know?
I wonder if I could change the name of the series? I think 'Castling' would be a better fit.
[Rename Charge Shield as Castling? Y/N]
'Oh? I guess Sakura-san is right again, I should try interacting with my legendary weapon more often.'
I choose Yes, and could see the name of the shield series change. Well, even if I sound like this, I actually do have Shield Bash, and a lot of counterattack-type shields, so its not like I have ZERO attack power...
"Oh!" ~ Lin-san smiles and nods ~ "As expected of master Naofumi!"
Well, in short, I move the chosen ally backwards a couple of feet, and move in to take the blow instead of them. It could be really useful if I use it to set up one of the shields that posses counterattack skills, too.
We kept practising for a while, but Werner-san and company had to return to their country, so we said our farewells and I promised to send word with Lin-san if I happened to need any more funds or help. Also, they promised to send materials to the blacksmith's shop in town, since I definitively didn't trust the king any further than I could throw him, and wouldn't want them sending stuff to the castle, while the weapons' shop clerk ojii-san had always behaved in an honourable manner.
"Should we acquire a new armour for you, Lin-san? I have the shield, so my gear is pretty much taken care of."
"I do not require any new gear at this time, master Naofumi." ~ She replied promptly. ~ "Instead, why don't we visit the local magic shop? I will require some basic teaching supplies for your lessons."
Well, that made a lot of sense, so we made our way to the magic shop. The old lady in charge was … well, not exactly hostile, but I can't blame her for the curt treatment since she thinks I'm a rapist. Really, that bitch and the king... the trash king.
I had my elements and magical affinities checked and... Wind, Recovery, and Support. Lin seems quite impressed, saying that we have the same elements... so between the two of us, we don't have a single attack spell. By the way, most of her spells are about mobility, support, and healing.
Anyway, I bought an orb for First Guard and First Heal, plus what amounts to a book on 'magic for dummies' for Lin-san to use as teaching materials, then left.
"Master Naofumi. Are we going to face monsters now?"
"Ah... no, I usually spend my evenings crafting medicines, then go out to fight monsters at night together with the Heroine of the Bow."
"Eh?" ~ Lin-san leans her head towards the left ~ "But shouldn't the legendary weapons keep away from each other?"
"That's true, ideally, but its not as if we have to do so. Its just recommended."
I explained to Lin-san about the World's Blessing, and she indicated that she understood.
"In that case, should we get started to rescuing some demihuman slaves?"
"...that, is not a bad idea. I can't say I am exactly thrilled about the idea of enabling an slave trader, though..."
"But... people may need your help."
'Bad things happen to good people, too,' was it?
"Alright, Lin-san. Let's go take a look."
We talked about it on our way there and decided to start by those most desperately In need of help. That is to say, children, followed by women, followed by any demihumans the slavers may have 'in stock'.
~ Sakura's POV ~
Ah. It looks like I can breathe easy at last. Naofumi-san will be alright. Thanks God.
Well, I'll talk with him tonight about going our separate ways, though I still plan on checking on him from time to time, just in case. Also, slaves, is it? Don't worry Naofumi-san, whatever you pay, this beautiful young wife will make sure ends in good hands, you know?
If I'm being honest, I'd like to just swallow the entire shop and spit the slaves back out somewhere safe, but those Slavery Crests seem really complicated and I'm not at all sure I could deal with them. I don't want the slaves to die because there was something like a kill switch included on it. Come think about it, Naofumi-san is planning on helping the illegal demihuman slaves escape to Siltvelt to begin with, so as long as I'm ransacking the slaver's vaults regularly enough to keep them eager to please their soon-to-be best customer, it should be fine. Also, let's start making a point of seeing who else is buying from them, and of course, who their suppliers are.
Those guys, I don't need to spit back out, right?
To be honest, as I follow Naofumi-san and Lin-chan as they ask around and make their way to the slaver's stockade, I have to do a double take. Simply put, I wasn't expecting them to operate so... brazenly. I guess I was expecting some sort of shady warehouse with a metal door and thugs at the door, not a... circus tent? I know these tents have an specific name, but I can't remember it right now(3).
Ugh, I already want to have this guy dissapear. I don't think hubby will object too hard if he finds out I made an slave-trading cartoon villain of a man go away, right?
This place reeks of misery. And yes, I know what misery smells like.
I can see that both Naofumi-san and Lin-chan are repulsed by the man and his business, but they came here for a reason. Hm, the slavers actually had a child to sell, its a good thing Naofumi-san could get to her but... I can tell she's been abused. All the signs are there.
Well, looks like I will be trackiong down whoever used to be that child's 'owner' tonight.
Once the magic tirual is concluded and Naofumi-san leaves with the child, I follow the slaver to his office, see him hide the money in a little vault, and write down about … something. I guess its a business logbook? I need to learn this world's written language, and fast.
It would be suspicious if I took the money right after the demihumans idol, the Hero of the Shield, visited, so I'll come back tomorrow night. For now, I'll go to the castle and try to get someone to teach me to read and write in the local language before meeting with Naofumi-san tonight.
~O~
1 – Yes, really. More like their early 40s, actually. Google it up.
2 – Japanese has gender-based pronouns. I'm taking advantage of this being a fanfic for a japanese WN and having Lin use the manly form of 'I'. We all know gender-confused characters are an staple of Rise of the Shield Hero, with Kiel and … can't remember the name of Motoyasu's poisonous trap right now. It just tickles my funny bone, either way.
3 – Marquee tent, or just a big top for the uncultured swines.
Does anyone know of an online resource with a comprehensive list of the spells in Raise of the Shield Hero? I've only been able to find references here and there.
Originally this chapter had Lin's sheet, but the site butchered the formatting so badly I decided to cut it out and just try not to lose it on my HD.