Author's Note: So, lesson learned: Don't overpromise on things when real life stuff could potentially come up that takes up an idiotic amount of time.

But, hey, if anyone is still reading this, good news: I'm back and I'll be trying to keep writing until at the very, very least the first wave ends. This chapter was already halfway done before my... hiatus... so there's that.
I just don't want you all to expect much and be disappointed considering my track record of not bothering to spend a few hours a month on a relatively simple fanfic.

Now, onto story-relevant stuff:

A lot of you have asked for a party member, and there are... several... on the way. That is to say, not in this chapter. But perhaps sooner than you expect.

I do appreciate all of the kind words, but I also very much appreciate anyone pointing out things that clash with canon or simply don't make sense in the shield hero universe. It has been years since I watched the anime or read the novel, after all. Though I might not be able to correct some of them.

Compliments help keep me motivated, but keep in mind that criticism also helps me improve my writing so action scenes and emotional moments don't feel disappointing.

As usual, sorry for the wait, there are simply more important things I had to give my attention to during 2020 and the current year of the apocalypse, as cheap and lame as it may sound. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Chapter 7 - Escort Job

A tall, sinister tower on the horizon comes into view from the dark night, surrounded by seemingly endless plains, a thick fog covering most of the ground.

Inside its' deepest chambers, a dim, golden hue reaches out into her mind, as if begging to be found.

An ear-ringing noise gradually gets louder, until...

...

Thunk

Sumiko falls off her bed.

Ow...

Clutching the back of her head, she slowly stands up.

The hell was that? A dream?

Odd. Very odd.

To be fair I was complaining about not having any dreams not that long ago. Guess this keeps it interesting.

Right, what was I gonna do today? Bounty Board? No, wait... I got gunpowder yesterday, along with a gun that can use proper bullets... I should go check in with Rena to see how much lead I can get for those. Yeah, I'll do that.

Donning her hat, she steps out of her room and heads outside towards the weapons shop.

A bell rings above the door in response to Sumiko entering the shop.

Rena: "Mornin' "

Sumiko: "Good morning."

Rena: "What brings you here this early?"

Sumiko: "Early? What time is it?"

Rena: "The sun came up pretty much just now."

Sumiko: "Yeah, I had a... nightmare, I think? But anyway, how much for... let's say... four lead bars?"

Rena: "40 silvers'll do."

Along with the gunpowder, things are going to turn expensive real fast, huh? Guess I should really try to use the stronger ammunition for when I actually need it.

Sumiko: "Deal."

Resource acquired: Lead (60)

Right, now to turn some of it into bullets for my new rifle... I'll use up only about half. I wanna save some in case I unlock some other gun.

Using up the small amount of gunpowder she bought yesterday, she ends up with a grand total of 30 bullets, spending half of the lead.

Huh, the resource costs for crafting with gunpowder seem to be a bit lower than lead. That's a relief.

Rena: "Heard you cleared a bounty on your first day here. Nice work."

Sumiko: "Eh, it was alright. Gotta earn money somehow if I'm gonna be spending most of it on ammunition anyway."

Rena: "Yeah, makes sense I guess. Must suck not being able to use a sword or something every once in a while, huh?"

Sumiko: "That's pretty much the problem. Well, at least I found what I was looking for to make much stronger ammunition over at Hok's place."

Rena: "You actually went there after all? Damn. Well, happy to hear he had something useful. What was it?"

Well, since you asked...

Sumiko: "Some really explosive grey powder, I'm not sure exactly how it works but... I think basically there's a casing, usually made of brass, with a hollow back and lead projectile at the front, and once the back, which is filled with this powder, is ignited, it launches the front projectile out at really stupid speeds."

I'm no gun nut, I just played shooters 24/7. Old western ones with cowboys included. But that's the gist of what a rimfire bullet is, right? I think?

Which reminds me, boy am I lucky to not need brass to make these things. Keeping track of several metals along with gunpowder is going to be a headache.

Rena: "Oooh, that sounds great! Yeah, that powder stuff is dangerous. I once bought some off the guy myself. Mind if I take a look at it?"

Summoning her new dart rifle (which looks more like a hunting rifle really), Sumiko pulls back the bolt and pulls out the round to showcase it to Rena.

I didn't attempt to reload it before, but... now that the way this thing works has basically just imprinted itself into my head... bolt action, huh? In that case it's definitely faster to reload by several seconds, even if it's still single-shot. Handy.

Rena: "Huh... This gives me an idea... Hey, you mind coming back tomorrow for something?"

Sumiko: "Sure thing. I'll go see what money I can make for today."

Rena: "Alright, good luck!"

Sumiko: "Cheers."

Heading outside, Sumiko goes back to the tavern to order breakfast and look through the bounty board once again.

(In the tavern)

Bartender: "Looking for a job again?"

Sumiko: "Mmhmm."

Bartender: "So soon?"

Sumiko: "Well, what can I say, Money is money."

This time, no local bounties interest her at all. So instead, she decides to browse through some of the other jobs that require travelling for extended periods of time.

A lot of them vary between a day to... about a week. Naturally, the longer ones pay much more, but she doesn't have the time for that.

I need something quick, difficulty isn't really much of a concern for me. Mostly.

Let's see... escorting a trader for a trip to castle town and back? Sounds... simple enough. Pay is good as well. But I'm probably not going to get much exp out of it...

...Wait, why do they need an escort anyway? I took the trip earlier and was just fine.

Sumiko: "Hey, bartender-"

Bartender: "Name's Lloyd by the way, forgot to mention earlier."

Sumiko: "Right, Lloyd, question: why are there suddenly escort requests back to Castle Town? I took the trip earlier and was just fine, wasn't I? not to mention the numerous people I saw coming in and out of town?"

Lloyd: "Yeah, It's the Scorn. You know the large forest between us and castle town? They did a few hits on passing caravans there very recently, and people have been on guard since news of it spread."

Sumiko: "...Scorn?"

What kind of name is that?

Lloyd: "Uh huh, large bandit group that's murdering and pillaging anyone coming through their turf. Lowest of the low, scum of the highest breed. Even this town doesn't tolerate them."

Sumiko: "I see... And the authorities or... Melromarc in general just lets them roam about?"

Lloyd: "They didn't really gather much attention before, since only a select few folk in this town even knew of them until recent events. I reckon they'll get a bounty posted about 'em soon enough, though. Plenty of people want to see them killed after recent hits. Especially the family members of the... Victims."

Guess there are trash human beings aside from the manipulators in the church after all. Figures.

Eh... might as well do this then. I May be able to pick some of them off if they decide to jump us. A bit of "justice" wouldn't hurt once in a while.

Sumiko: "I'll take the escort job. Where do I go?"

Lloyd: "Just by the town entrance, caravan should be obvious enough. You've proved yourself capable enough with the first one if you ask me, so this shouldn't be much of a problem for you."

As Lloyd is talking, Sumiko has already magically registered herself with the bounty.

Sumiko: "Uh huh. See you later then."

Lloyd: "Good luck."

(Back outside)

Near the entrance gates, a single wagon is parked, covered with a large cloth. There is a... mildly obese tall man standing beside it, wearing a top hat and an elegant-looking coat, his eyes seemingly closed in a friendly-looking manner.

This... must be the guy. Don't see any other wagons.

Sumiko calls out to him.

Sumiko: "Hey, you the one who needed an escort?"

Trader: "Yes, yes indeed! Oh am I glad that someone responded to my request, there is no way I could miss this sale!"

He shakes her hand with both of his palms.

This guy's a bit sketchy. Then again, considering where we are right now that's not really saying much, so it's not a concern. is it?

Sumiko: "Right. Pleased to meet you. So... when do we head off?"

Trader: "Oh, we can head off right now if you're ready. The sooner we reach our destination, the sooner we can return!"

Sumiko: "...And the sooner I can get paid."

Trader: "I see you go straight to business. I like that. Well then, if you're ready, let's go. The horses are probably bored of just sitting still."

Sumiko: "Yeah yeah, I'll be fine. Just worry about yourself. Or don't, since I'll keep any danger off your behind anyway."

Trader: "Hehehe, I'm counting on you."

(Timeskip)

Several hours later, the wagon approaches the forest between Haxelt and Castle town.

Sumiko: "Sigh, So, you want me to sit out here and act intimidating or hide in the back until the bastards jump out?"

Trader: "Whichever you prefer, all that's important to me is that I remain safe along with the goods."

Sumiko: "Fair enough. I'll just keep sitting here then."

Several minutes pass in silence, with the only sound being from the wagon's wheels rolling through the dirt path.

...

You know, since I'm a hired bodyguard for this guy anyway, I wonder...

Sumiko: "Hope you don't mind me asking just to pass the time, but... what do you trade anyway?"

Trader: "Slaves."

...

Oh.

Sumiko: "I... Um, I see... Are they... Are they in the back?"

Slave trader: "Precisely."

Indeed, raising the cloth covering the inside of the wagon behind her and looking inside, there is a cage with several demihumans... sleeping.

They look, surprisingly, healthy.

I'm... having second thoughts on this gig. I didn't intend to aid a slave trader of all things.

Although it's a little too late to turn back now. I can't really blame anyone but myself here.

Sumiko: "How are they... sleeping through this?"

Slave trader: "Sedatives."

Right. Of course.

This goes against pretty much most of my morals... I mean, they look human enough, just with animal ears and tails.

Freeing them is the right thing to do, right?

But what will I even do if I decide to break them out? I can't let them stay with me, and I have not the faintest clue where to send them for safety or a better life.

Sumiko: "I'll be blunt, I... don't condone slavery, but... a job's a job."

Slave trader: "Heh. At least you are honest with yourself."

That's right... I... I can't do anything. So I'll just ignore it.

I'm not really some sort of stupid "Hero" anyway, so why does it matter.

Sumiko: "Say, how come they look so... maintained? Yeah, let's call it maintained."

Slave trader: "Hey now. barely anybody wants a malnourished, frail or traumatized slave. You have to treat them with all the necessities if you want to fetch a better price."

Huh, it's... actually slightly better conditions than I expected?

Assuming he's telling the truth anyway, which... he may as well be. All those demihumans back there look... pretty alright, actually.

Sumiko: "I see... well, that's a relief at least."

Slave trader: "It's certainly a better way to live than for most slaves, if it makes you feel any better. Can't sell a diseased child that gets panic attacks every night for any reasonable price after all, haha."

Not funny.

Slave trader: "...Though, how their new owners will treat them once they're sold, is entirely up to them."

Sumiko: "Sigh, I still can't believe this country would be this hateful towards demihumans."

Slave trader: "Hateful? Well, maybe some, but it's mostly because of the war some years back and generally terrible relations with Siltvelt, isn't it?"

Sumiko: "Siltvelt?"

Slave trader: "You don't know of it? Ah, figures. It's a country full of these demihumans."

Sumiko: "Oh... Yeah... Huh, I see how it is. That does make a little bit more sense now."

So both sides are still sour at each other due to a past war, it seems. At least that's what I'm getting from this.

Still doesn't justify literal slavery though if you ask me. But at least they have a... small reason to act this way.

A shitty one, but still a reason.

With the chat coming to an end, Sumiko sits in silence as she looks through the forested area surrounding them, attempting to spot any signs of danger or movement. The near silence helps her focus.

Before long, she notices several figures moving behind the trees.

Sumiko, whispering: "Hey, there's someone moving over there. I'll uh... go through the back, so they don't expect me."

Understanding the situation, the Slave trader nods.

Slave trader, a little louder than normal: "Absolutely. Go ahead and take a nap."

Was that really necessary? Isn't this suspicious in and of itself?

Sumiko goes inside the wagon and waits.

Not even a minute later, five thugs come out of the forest and block the road. With three at the front, two of them point crossbows at the trader. One of them wears a little more armor (If you can call leather and metal scraps armor) than the rest, and speaks up.

Scorn team leader: "Hey, you're passing through our turf here. You know what this means old man, your stuff is ours."

Slave trader: "Oh? Is that how it works?"

One of the thugs pointing a crossbow at the trader also speaks up.

Scorn bandit: "Yeah! Your money! Valuables! The crap you have in your wagon!"

Other Scorn bandit: "...How about that girl in the back? hehehe."

Scorn team leader: "Just walk away, and we might consider letting you go unharmed."

Slave trader: "Now now, can't we come to an agreement? Surely you-"

As the slave trader tries to buy time, Sumiko slightly raises the cover of the back side and peeks out. The two other bandits are standing there, one with a crossbow and one with an axe, visibly bored.

Alright, time to try out that poison.

Summoning her dart rifle loaded with a poison dart, she aims it carefully at the crossbow-wielding one's neck, and pulls the trigger.

The sound of it firing is barely even heard by Sumiko herself, and is comparable to a blowpipe more than a gun.

Now, how fast does it take effect?

The dart hits its' mark, and before the bandit even realizes what stung him in the neck he suddenly feels dizzy and, only a few seconds later, collapses on the ground.

...

Holy shit! It's nearly instant?!

Is that because of my already high offensive stats?

Maybe it's just because it's against a weak human?

Scorn bandit w/sword: "What the hell?"

Well, in that case...

The second bandit turns to face his collapsed friend, and before he can walk over to check what is going on he is hit in the back of the neck with another poison dart. He collapses shortly after, dead.

Now for the rest of them.

Quietly exiting the wagon from the back, she switches to her flintlock pistol and peeks around the corner.

Right, so three more, one's with actual armor.

I doubt darts can pierce that, and I'm not confident enough in my aiming skills to hit his exposed parts, so I'll have to go loud.

Back at the front, the bandits are getting annoyed at the prolonged conversation.

Scorn team leader: "We don't care if you have connections that can benefit us in the long run, we want your cart and valuables right now! Don't you understand this, fatman?"

Slave trader: "Oh, I very much do. But think of all the extra valuables you'll get when I introduce you to-"

BANG

The bandits jump at the sudden loud sound, while several birds also fly out of the trees and away from the scene.

Scorn bandit: "The fuck was tha-"

Two of them jump, anyway.

As the remaining crossbow bandits turn to look at their armored colleague, they discover he is a corpse on the ground with a gaping hole in his head.

They shiver in fear, their legs shaking.

Scorn bandit: "W-Who's there?! Show yourself you cowa-"

BANG

A second one drops dead on the ground, another gaping hole in his head.

The last bandit drops his crossbow at this sight, and before he can do anything else, he is grabbed from behind.

Sumiko: "Now you listen to me, piece of shit."

Scorn bandit: "W-What do you want?!"

Sumiko: "Oh, what do I want? Well, for starters, go and tell aaall of your precious friends that they shouldn't mess with people passing through here, otherwise they'll end up like your former friends over there on the ground. Understand?"

Scorn bandit: "I... I-"

Feeling cold metal press against the side of his head, he shivers in fear even more.

Sumiko: "Understand?"

Scorn bandit: "Yes! Yes, I understand! I'll tell them, just let me go!"

Taking out a spare dagger he had on his side, Sumiko tosses it on the ground and pushes him forward, her gun still pointing at him.

Sumiko: "Go on. Get out of my goddamn sight before I change my mind."

Scorn bandit: "A-Alright alright!"

He hurries off into the forest, nearly tripping.

Well, hopefully the idiots will take the hint that they're going to get themselves killed if they keep doing this.

Sumiko's thoughts are interrupted by loud clapping.

Slave trader: "Splendid work! Absolutely splendid!"

Sumiko: "Yeah, sorry I had to leave you talking with them for a second."

Slave trader: "Oh, I didn't mind. The element of surprise is really... magnificent in this type of situation, don't you think?"

Sumiko: "You could say that."

Slave trader: "Well, hop on, we still have a trip ahead of us."

(Timeskip)

At about midday, they finally arrive to Castle town. The caravan comes to a stop next to a back alley.

Slave trader: "Feel free to do whatever you wish for a little while as I finish my business."

Sumiko: "Yup. I'll leave you to it, I'll be back in a bit."

Out of the back alley comes out a short, creepy-looking man wearing a ringmaster's tuxedo, glasses and a top hat. He begins talking with the Slave trader.

Sumiko can't hear what they're talking about since she's already starting to walk away, only briefly turning around and quickly turning back to look for a tavern once slaves start coming out of the wagon.

Ugh, I need a drink to forget that I ever assisted with slave trafficking.

Heading inside one of the local taverns, she orders a beer and some food. The meal goes by uninterrupted, and nobody generally seems to recognize her. Most of the gossip seems to, still, be about the Shield Hero being a sex offender rather than some woman pretending to be a hero for free money from the king.

God, they still believe in Naofumi's accusations? What a joke. You're all a joke.

Finishing her beer, she exits the tavern and looks around.

Hmm, I just remembered. Since I still have some time, I should probably check out a shop that sells herbs. Three poison darts won't last me long, and it's pretty much the only silent weapon I have... that isn't a literal nerf gun.

It doesn't take long for her to find a shop that displays various plants and herbs at the front. Heading inside, she greets the shopkeeper, who is a skinny old man with his grey hair tied in a ponytail, along with earrings that resemble... small wooden planks, for some reason.

Sumiko: "Greetings, does this place sell herbs?"

Shopkeeper: "Yes, but also medicine if you're looking for ready-to-use things."

Sumiko: "Just herbs would be fine."

The Shopkeeper takes out a basket of leaf-shaped herbs, and places them on the counter.

Shopkeeper: "Two silvers for the whole thing."

That's pretty cheap. Guess poison darts are gonna be my go-to for when I'm low on money.

Sumiko: "I'll take it."

Resource acquired: Leaf herb (15)

That's 15 darts, should be good for a while.

Guess that's about everything I wanted to do in here, time to go back to the wagon.

Sumiko walks back to the wagon and spots the Slave trader packing up.

Sumiko: "Hey, you done yet?"

The Slave trader shows off a sizeable bag of coins in response, and his expression shifts to a mildly creepy smile.

Slave trader: "That I am."

Sumiko: "...Let's just go already."

Slave trader: "With pleasure."

(Timeskip)

The journey back to Haxelt went by without any unusual occurrences. Whether it's because the bandits learned their lesson or they were just lucky remains to be seen.

The caravan stops by the Slave trader's little shop.

Slave trader: "Well, we're here. It was a pleasure to have you by my side for this short trip. I to split the pay between at least two people, but, you've done well and I earned quite the profit from this sale, so, I'm feeling generous. Here is your payment."

He hands Sumiko two gold coins and 30 silvers.

Sumiko: "Uh huh, thanks. See you around then."

Sumiko turns to walk away after a bounty well done.

Slave trader: "Wait wait!"

Sumiko: "...What now?"

Slave trader: "Before you go, you should know that due to our temporary partnership today, I am willing to give you a discount!"

Sumiko: "Sorry, I'm not interested in buying... people."

Slave trader: "That much I already gathered, but! You may be interested to know that you can gain a companion in other forms from my services."

...

...What does he mean?

Sumiko: "...Like?"

Slave trader: "Are you aware of what a Monster Egg Lottery is?"

A what now?

Wait... if this world is based on MMO-like systems...Right, I guess it makes sense for there to be a pet system as well. Hmm...

Sumiko: "...No, but go on."

Slave trader: "Only 100 silvers for an egg. Depending on which egg you pick, different creatures will hatch from it! Filolials, or even Dragons if you get the rare one! Either way, raising even a Filolial will double its' price if you do it properly!"

Dragons?! Like, the actual thing?! Wait... what's a Filolial?

Sumiko: "Filolial?"

Slave trader: "Birds that pull carriages. You can ride on them too. Surely you've seen some?"

Now that he mentions it, I have seen a couple in Castle Town. Is this... the ""official"" way to get them?

Sumiko: "I have."

Slave trader: "Well, if you wish to test your luck, feel free! As I said before, I'm even willing to give you a discount just this one time, so it's 90 silvers instead!"

Sumiko: "...I assume I still need to feed them and such, yes?"

Slave trader: "Yes, but surely your occupation will allow you to spare these small funds?"

...Hmm, it would be nice to have a filolial so I could travel whenever I want, wherever I want instead of using someone else's carriage.
On the other hand, a Dragon? That would up my fighting capabilities in an insane way. Plus it'd mean a companion to cover my behind that... isn't influenced by political garbage.
Even if it's a filolial, it might be able to fight if I acquire the necessary equipment for it.
Either way at least this form of a party member would be useful for the waves of catastrophe. It's getting closer every day.

I might as well try my luck, Since I'm good with money for now.

Sumiko: "I guess I wouldn't mind trying it just this once."

(Timeskip)

Sumiko is sitting in her room at the Lucky Boulder, staring at the egg she just bought. It's packaged neatly in a comfortable-looking small cushion.

Sigh, I sure hope this thing wasn't a waste of money.

I wonder what will hatch out of it? He did mention that it's a 50/50 split between dragon-like creatures and filolials in the selection. Naturally, not all dragons are the same size or strength.

Rena said to check in with her for something tomorrow. Gotta remember to do that....There's less than a week left until the first waves.
I'll need to keep preparing and levelling up as much as I can.

(Timeskip)

The next morning started well. Sumiko had a good sleep, and is currently getting ready for the day ahead.

I wonder what kind of job I'll do today. Huh, since when am I excited for what's to come in this world?
Maybe I can get used to this.

...

...What's that sound?

Looking over at the Monster Egg she purchased yesterday, she notices a few cracks loudly forming on it.

Sumiko: "Woah, this quickly?"

She watches the Egg patiently, wondering what's inside.
It doesn't take long until the little monster inside breaks out of the eggshell.

Inside is a tiny winged reptillian, red in color except for its' cream-colored belly. The eyes are a vibrant green.

Wooooah.

A Dragon.

HOLY SHIT IT'S A DRAGON

Although it does look a little like a charmander for some reason. But with... wings and no flame at the tail. Well, not really. I guess they just resemble baby dragons too or something.

I wonder how big it will get?

The tiny "Dragon" blinks twice at its new master, and flies into Sumiko for a hug.

...So
...Adorable!

(At the Slave trader)

Slave trader: "I'm afraid this is just a simple Drakeling."

Sigh, figures. Just my luck.

Sumiko: "Is that... bad?"

Slave trader: "Well, not necessarily. They still wield impressive fire magic and are loyal pets, but... they don't grow any more than... well... this."

Sumiko stares at the unimpressive-looking pet lizard flying about inside the shop.

The Drakeling seems to have taken a liking to Sumiko, as it's currently flying small figure 8's right above her.

Slave trader: "They have quite good reflexes, from what I know. It's also quite convenient that you do not need to teach them anything by yourself, as they learn flight and their fire abilities quite quickly on their own."

So I guess they're not all that bad, it's just that they start off at the peak of their abilities and cannot really improve much past that?
Either way this little guy should be somewhat useful in covering my back and just providing support fire. In a literal sense.

Sumiko: "Mmhmm, I suppose it's not a bad result all things considered."

Sumiko stares at the little Drakeling, which is now sitting on a table next to her.

Sumiko: "I suppose I should give you a name, huh?"

It blinks, then nods in response.

Slave trader: "I'm sure you will think of a worthy one."

Sumiko: "Can it even understand what I'm saying?"

Slave trader: "It should. Although it cannot speak human language itself."

Shit, I was always really bad with naming things... or living things.

Fuck, think... think...

Sumiko: "How does..."

The Drakeling awaits in anticipation.

Uuuuh... What's the first word that comes to mind and rolls off the tongue well...

Sumiko: "...Apel sound?"

It opens its mouth wide, flies a little off the table, does a backflip and falls back down.

Slave trader: "Heheh, it seems to really like it. I must say too, a very unique name. It sounds nice to the ear."

I guess I shouldn't mention that the first word that came to mind was actually just "Apple".

Sumiko: "...Apel it is."

First Party Member Acquired!