To GenShepard: I'm happy that you enjoyed it. As for when Eugeo uses his disguise. I would say that if he's referred as Kirito, then he's in his Hakuko persona, if he's referred as Eugeo, then he's in his normal human self.
To Creus: Thanks for the compliments and thanks for the correction regarding the Danmachi reference.
To drmcgraw186: Really glad that the fighting scenes is received well. I found it really hard to describe the normally fast paced fight scenes that show up in an anime.
To Dcraus: Thanks for your votes and as for what you said about Eugeo informing Naofumi about the other Waves, he already did that during their second day at the mindscape.
To GrandmasterCastiel: Happy to see that you appreciate my story, thank you. Also, thanks for informing me about the additional info about Danmachi.
To Kensei-1085: You got that right, Eugeo isn't going to be happy with his fellow Hero's messes. As for Naofumi learning Enhance Armament, you will see it in the very near future.
To KiritoIRL: I really appreciate your kind words and I hope you continue to enjoy my work even though it has its flaws. Also looking forward to seeing more of your works.
To BladeBlaze: Once again, thanks a lot for the Wave Boss idea. Yes, there have been a few changes but I tried stay true to your suggestion. Still thinking if Eugeo can afford to fight Siltvelt's Wave since all the conspiracies against Naofumi will be happening by that point in time. As for Free's transformation, I read in the internet that a rare few Dragonewts in the "Rising of the Shield Hero Universe" can transform to full beast form. Free is still not able to this though, and can only achieve a "Partial Beast Form".
RESULT OF VOTING POLLS:
1.) Filo's Name
Remain as Filo - 7
Change to Guinevere - 20
2.) Dual-wielding Eugeo
Yes - 16
No - 5
3.) Loli Shirou's name
Emilya Von Einzbern - 16
Shirouko Emiya - 2
RESULTS OF VOTING POLLS:
1.) With a huge lead in votes, Filo will now be renamed as Guinevere. Ginny will be her endearing nickname from people that she will eventually grow close to. Like a certain Filolial King that she will meet in the very near future.
2.) Eugeo will learn Dual-Wielding at the Season 2 of the anime.
3.) Loli Shirou will be named as Emilya Von Einzbern.
NEW VOTING POLLS AT THE BOTTOM!!!
548 Reviews, 655 Favorites, 800 Follows
A SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY READERS: If I may, I wish to recommend an SAO Fanfic that I found to be a really good read. Especially to those who wanted to give some more depth on Asuna's complicated relationship with her mother. The story's name is SAO: Mother's Reconciliation by KiritoIRL. It's sort of like a deleted story arc that takes place between SAO II and the SAO: Ordinal Scale Movie. Shortly after Yuuki died in Asuna's arms in ALO. I hope you all give it a try because it was such a nice way to resolve Asuna's family issues. Something that was not explored in a deeper level in the anime.
APOLOGIES: I'm exceedingly sorry that I wasn't able to keep my promise of having a faster update. The newest RPG Mobile game "Genshin Impact" came out and I got a tiny bit addicted because of how awesome the game is. It may not be a full-fledged MMORPG game, but it's VERY VERY close to being one. It's also the perfect place for me to get some source material that I can use for this Fanfic given the game like nature of the "Rising of the Shield Hero" universe. Give the game a try for you to understand... if your smartphones are good enough that is. I heard that it becomes laggy if your device is low tech.
Anyway, as a way to make up for my blunder, this update is much longer than my normal length of chapters. I hope you all enjoy it.
Around 9 days ago... on Naofumi's side
After storming out of the Trash King's throne room, Naofumi wasted no time in exiting the castle. Going straight for the local Slave Trader's tent, with Raphtalia and his new slave Rino in tow. Said slave remained submissive and noticeably stiff as she followed her future Master's lead. Her gaze not really focusing on anything aside from simply walking.
As the Shield Hero's party walked the streets of Castle Town, Naofumi and Raphtalia couldn't help but notice the subtle difference in the town's overall atmosphere. The events that occurred during his Duel with the Spear Hero along with everything that happened afterwards is now starting to create ripples.
The harsh whisperings and piercing looks that Naofumi's grown used to receive from the common folk has reduced. Now being replaced with much more neutral questions and curious glances. While Naofumi's expression remained absolutely neutral, Raphtalia couldn't help but smile at this new development.
Upon arriving at the Slave Trader's tent, the trio were immediately met by Beloukas at the tent's entrance.
"I had a strong suspicion that you will be doing business with me today. Especially after what happened last night." Beloukas gleefully said with signature creepy grin. The Trader's eyes lingered heavily on Rino's and Raphtalia's developing curves and growing assets, causing both girls to shiver and unconsciously trying to hide themselves behind Naofumi for protection. "So how can I be of service to you again, oh great Shield Hero."
'This guy gives me the creeps.' Mash-senpai commented with a shaky voice, the Legendary Shield quivering as if in fright in response to the Shield Spirit's emotions. Surprising Naofumi greatly that even his battle hardened Senpai felt disturbed by Beloukas' presence.
Resisting the urge to punch the man's face for sexually assaulting the two girls with his lecherous eyes, Naofumi quickly got down to business.
"If you have already heard about my Duel last night, then you probably already know about the prize that I won." Taking a step to the side, Naofumi pushed Rino to step forward, causing the girl even more discomfort, "I just need you to transfer her Slave Crest Ownership to me, since I refused to accept the Trash King's offer in doing it back in the castle."
"I see..." the Slave Trader said with a rub of his chin as he gave Rino another perverted once-over before turning around, "Just give me a moment to get my tools."
A few minutes later, Rino hissed in pain while gripping her spear tightly as the Slave Trader finished applying the Slavery ink. Enduring not only the embarrassment of her bountiful breast being seen by two despicable men, but also the unspeakable fear of her possibly getting reduced to a glorified sexdoll! Rino's renewed Slave Crest crackled with excess energy for a few seconds before settling down, signifying her new ownership and servitude under the so called rapist Shield Hero.
The Stacia Hud automatically alerted Naofumi about the new addition to his party list...
Naofumi Iwatani - Level 34
Raphtalia - Level 35
Rino Izayoi - Level 18
And just like before, back when he first met and purchased Raphtalia a few weeks prior, a Stacia Window displaying the settings of the Slave Crest appears in front of Naofumi's vision.
However, unlike Raphtalia who started out as an innocent 10 year old child before physically aging due to her Demi-Human nature. Rino is the genuine article... a young, beautiful and alluring woman.
'Just like the Bitch Princess...' Naofumi growled to himself before making his final decision waving his hand in the Stacia Window to adjust its settings to his preference.
'Kohai!' Mash exclaimed in protest once she saw the adjustments that Naofumi made on Rino's Slave Crest. While her Kohai thankfully didn't go so far as to activate the Self destruct function, much to Mash's relief. Naofumi still decided to crank the [Violation Damage] up to Level 5 and allowed the [Distance Restrictions] to stay in effect. Although he did set the [Distance Restrictions] to be at its maximum allowable range so she wouldn't accidentally electrocute herself by mistake for simply walking to far from her master.
'It's just a safety precaution Mash-senpai!' Naofumi replied with a heavy sigh as he knew that the Shield Spirit wouldn't be too happy about his decision. But it needs to be done, 'I simply don't trust this woman yet. Although my {Appraisal Skill} regards her as a Lawfully Neutral person. Even the most kind hearted of people can sometimes do the cruelest of acts if they are pushed to the point of desperation. And I think freeing oneself from a contract as ironclad as this world's Slave Crest definitely fits the bill.'
Mash stayed silent for a few moments to think about it before conceding with an exasperated sigh, but with one condition, 'Just promise me this Kohai. When the time ever comes that Rino proves herself worthy of your trust, promise me that you will remove her shackles. The same way that you did with Raphtalia.'
'That... is acceptable.' Naofumi sighed also, but this time, in relief, 'Thanks a lot for being so understanding with me, Mash-senpai.'
'Anytime Kohai.' Mash replied with a cheerful giggle.
Returning back to reality, Naofumi gave his newly recruited slave a firm look. Making a pretty intimidating expression without him even meaning to.
"Rino."
"Y-Yes!" Rino actually squeaked as she did her best to be in her best behavior. Meeting her Master's gaze while trying to stop her shaking and remain steady.
"I will say this plain and simple. I don't trust you, and I'm not sure when I will ever learn to fully trust you despite that Slave Crest engraved on your chest. And I'm pretty sure that the feeling is mutual. But at the very least, I will promise you this... as long as you help in fighting against the Waves of Catastrophe, I will make sure that you come out of each battle alive despite any danger that comes our way. Am I understood?!"
"Y-Yes Master! I understand Master!" Rino replied with a startled yelp, hugging her spear while doing so. But for some unexplainable reason, the fear that dwelled inside Rino's heart concerning her new life as a slave has been reduced by small margin.
At the background, Raphtalia could only smile as she watched how her Master handled the situation with their new party member. While the Slave Crest ensures absolute compliance upon the Spearwoman, it could still cause an unpleasant team dynamic to work with. Especially if the woman in question tries to do something that will put their Master's life at risks for the slim chance that his death means her freedom.
Unfortunately, the fledgling moment that the Master and Slave pair were sharing got abruptly broken when Beloukas decided to speak his mind about a totally different topic.
Inspecting Rino and then Raphtalia with analyzing gazes, as if measuring the quality and potential cost of a certain product. Which, if you think about, is most likely the case since that is precisely what Beloukas does for a living!
"I am amazed..." the morally questionable man said in awe as he finished his pricing analysis upon the two girls, "You've helped this scrawny bag of bones grow so much in such a short span of time. You can get 50 for her and the Spearwoman in a 2-in-1 package if they were virgins."
" "But I am a virgin!" " the Slave duo loudly exclaimed in sync for the offensive indignation to their pride and self respect as women.
Beloukas didn't even flinch from the screams that he received from the two Slave girls. He simply continued his business calculations with a humorous tune, "85 gold pieces then! It could even grow into a 100 if you manage to bed train them properly."
That did it!
Seeing Raphtalia, and even Rino, quivering in fear at the thought being trained to become sex slaves...it really pissed the Shield Hero off. And despite Mash-senpai's kind and gentle nature, even she felt more than just displeased to how casual Beloukas was able to label the young girls like two pieces of meat!
Mash wasted no time in morphing the Legendary Shield into the [Two-headed Black Dog Shield]. The two heads reanimated to life with their salivating mouths now hovering over the Slave Trader's face.
"Never speak or even mention about that offer to me, ever again." Naofumi snarled alongside the two dog heads. Both heads even going so far as to give each of the Slave Trader's cheeks a slobbery lick. As if they were checking on how edible Beloukas is for them to eat.
For the very first time, the Slave Trader displayed a great deal of fear in his face. Stumbling backwards by a few steps to get away from the growling heads while frantically answering, "U-Understood Sir Shield Hero! I give you my word that I will refrain from ever mentioning anymore of this!"
Rino and Raphtalia relaxed upon hearing that, the Spearwoman even more so. Which is quite understandable if you think about it. Because unlike Raphtalia, who already developed a tremendous amount of trust and respect for the so-called disgraced Shield Hero, Rino still doesn't know anything about said Hero. All she had to go on are the vicious rumors that she overheard from the Church, the common citizens and from Sir Motoyasu himself.
So after the Kouhai-Senpai pair received some measure of satisfaction in breaking the bespectacled man's composure... they allowed the Legendary Shield to revert to its default Vibranium shield form.
"As long as we are both in agreement." Naofumi muttered out before turning his head to the side, looking at anything to distract himself with from the Slave Traders morally twisted offers. There, at a nearby table, is an open briefcase filled with a whole bunch of what he assumed to be monster eggs displayed for sale.
"What are those?" the Shielder asked in a slightly calmer tone as he curiously pointed the open briefcase.
"Oh that!" Beloukas blurted out before replying in a more polite tone, determined to get back at the Shield Hero's good graces, "This is a monster egg lottery. For a 100 silvers, I guarantee you at least a filolial. You'll win a monster chick that will double in value if you take care of it properly."
"A filolial?" Naofumi whispered to himself before looking at Raphtalia as he recalled something, "Does he mean like Arthur, the giant bird thing that Eugeo raised?"
"That's exactly it Master Naofumi." Raphtalia said with a smile before adding, "Although Arthur does look very different compared to the standard filolial that I'm familiar with."
"Ah yes, the Sword Hero did got a filolial egg from me some time ago. But if you take the lottery and hit the Jackpot...! You win a dragon! And may I remind you, that beast is worth 20 gold pieces!" Beloukas proudly declared with a few wild gestures of his hands.
"Is it like a gacha game?" Naofumi couldn't help but ask with a chuckle, despite knowing that no one in this world would understand the terminology.
"What's a gacha game?" Rino and Raphtalia asked in tandem, understandably confused with the unfamiliar word or phrase.
"Nothing... just forget I said it." Naofumi replied as he dismissed the subject as unimportant.
"Sooo... would you like to give it a shot? Act now and I'll give you a package deal sir, for that and the Slave Crest." the Slave Trader's glasses shined with enthusiasm as he appealed to the Shielder to take his business offer.
Taking a moment to recall recent events, the Shielder can clearly remember just how useful Arthur was to Eugeo during the battle for Lute Village. Not only giving a fast transportation but also providing combat support for Eugeo's and Naofumi's party. So it was no surprise that Naofumi felt that getting himself a combat mount of his own would be a worthwhile endeavor.
Although he also remembered the fact that whatever creature he ends up hatching, also has the potential of developing a human transformation just like Arthur did. Therefore, he needs to be prepared when that particular event comes to pass.
'Well, why the hell not... I always did enjoy raising pets or beast familiars in all the video games that I used to play. Not to mention the fact that I have always been good with animals back in my homeworld.'
A few minutes later, the recently made party of three walked out of the Slave tent with Rino carrying a monster egg incubator in her arms. And of course, with Mash-senpai's reminder, Naofumi also made sure to ask for all the maps Beloukas has in his possession. Absorbing all of them and receiving the [Navigation Shield] with the very same {Map Projection} Skill that would become extremely useful in the near future.
"Ummm... Master?" Rino nervously spoke up to get the Shield Hero's attention as they walked the streets of Castle Town.
"Yeah?" the Shielder responded with a simple sideways glance.
"I know that it's not my place to voice my worries to you since I am your slave but... are you sure you can handle taking care of this filolial?" Rino asked in a slightly nervous manner before managing to scourge up some of her courage and explained her concerns, "I heard from the other adventurers from the Adventurer's Guild that raising a filolial is no easy task as they are known to have extremely ravenous appetites. So taking care of one without a reliable source of income will undoubtedly lead us to eventually going bankrupt."
The trio paused in their strides as the Shield Hero stopped for a second to ponder about this future predicament. Naofumi wasn't that surprised to hear about the existence of an Adventurer's Guild. While this world is definitely not a game, it still has numerous game like mechanics that follows the typical MMORPG tropes.
For a moment, Naofumi considered the thought of checking this so-called Adventurer's Guild out. Perhaps accepting a number of Quests that he and his party could accomplish in exchange for reward money and maybe some rare items. Unfortunately, Mash-senpai had to remind him that it's highly possible that the Fake King had already taken steps to make sure that the Guild would deny the Shield Hero any of their services.
With that potential solution down the drain, Naofumi and Mash had to think of other ways to earn money for their everyday needs.
'From what I can tell, this world's time period seems to be very similar to the late middle ages. A point in human history where the delivery and distribution of food and medicine from one place to another is still considered to be inconsistent and inefficient.' Mash explained in surprisingly accurate detail before finally suggesting, 'Perhaps we can consider a traveling merchant business? It's by far the best solution that I can think of since we are going to be traveling around a lot in our path to get stronger. As we travel, we can easily pass through the more remote settlements with much needed merchandise. Thus hitting 2 birds with 1 stone.'
'That is true, I think one of my history professors mentioned something about that. Yeah... that idea just might work. Great job Mash-senpai.' Naofumi concluded their discussion with a more positive note as Mash-senpai giggled in thanks before returning to reality.
Turning his head to properly face his newest slave, Naofumi finally replied, albeit with a humorously devious manner, "You don't need to worry about that. As long as you work that body of yours hard and earn your keep, we should be able to make enough money for our daily expenses."
"M-My body?!" Rino stammered in a panic. Taking a step backwards while using the egg incubator as a shield to block Naofumi's view of her chest.
"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia exclaimed in anger. Although the emotion that the Demi-Raccoon felt leaned more on slight jealousy mixed with annoyance instead of a full blown feminine fury. She knew the Shielder well enough to understand when he's serious and when he's just joking.
"Relax, I was just kidding." Naofumi admitted with a playful chuckle, dismissively waving his right hand to calm the two girls down before continuing his stride. Prompting the two girls to follow him once they were able to collect themselves.
Continuing their casual walk, the trio eventually reached the Apothecary Shop that Naofumi favored. This is largely because of the owners fair treatment towards said Hero. He refrained from overpricing the Shield Hero's purchases and giving said Hero with the right payment whenever he brings back rare herbs and medicinal plants from the forest.
The old man who runs the place happily welcomes the trio inside once he recognized Naofumi entering the door.
"Ahh, Sir Shield Hero. I was hoping you would come by before you leave town." the man said before pulling out two books from underneath his counter.
Apparently, Naofumi and Eugeo ended up saving all of the potioneer's relatives while they were battling against the Wave in Lute Village. So as a token of his and his family's gratitude, they decided to gift each of the two Heroes an Advanced Medicinal Grimoire. Thus helping the Shield and Sword Heroes to learn how to make more effective potions and antidotes for themselves on their own.
"Thanks, but I still can't read this world's language." Naofumi said as he opened one of the the books and tried, and failed to read its contents.
"By the way, I heard that you and the Sword Hero seemed to be in good terms now. I was hoping you can hand over the other gremoire to him the next time you two cross paths. He never returned for more of my services after the first time, so I'm uncertain if I can deliver this gift to him myself."
"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll make sure that he gets it the next time I see him." Naofumi answered with a reassuring nod.
The potioneer smiled in thanks before informing the trio about the old lady from the nearby magic shop. Saying that the woman also wanted to give the two Heroes a reward for saving her grandchild from the Wave. Prompting the Shield Hero and his party to finish their businesses before heading straight to the mentioned Magic shop.
There, Naofumi finally learned what his own magical affinity is. Them being Healing and Support magic, a rare combination for this world's standards. Funny thing about his {Appraisal Skill} is that it doesn't activate when he tried to scan himself, only working when used on others. And just like what the {Appraisal Skill} already informed him, Raphtalia has Dark and Light while Rino has Water, Earth and Wind.
Afterwards, the elderly witch presented a red-colored Magic Grimoire and offered it to the Shielder...
"I'm not so sure if we can afford to buy a Magic Grimoire though." Naofumi said with uncertainty. He may technically have the money to spend now, but with a ravenous monster that's bound to hatch from its egg very soon... his expenses will most likely skyrocket.
"Oh, it's a gift as thanks for helping my grandchild." the old witch replied with a smile. Waving the Shielder's financial concerns aside before mentioning how she would have liked to give him a crystal ball also.
Explaining that using one would allow a person to learn a Magic Spell in an instant. Unfortunately, she was all out of stock as the Royal Court has already purchased all of the reserved crystal balls in town. Saying that the crystal balls were all gifted to the Cardinal Heroes to help them on their respective journeys.
This piece of news caused both Naofumi and even Mash-senpai a great deal of irritation for once again being singled out by this rotten country. No doubt because of a certain, power abusing Trash/Fake King and his posse of corrupted aristocrats pulling strings in the background. That is, until he remembered something...
'Oh, so that's where Eugeo got that Crystal Orb that he gifted to me.'
Rino, who had been silent the entire time, couldn't help but feel both sorry and disillusioned regarding the Shield Hero's plight. Sorry in the fact that he's constantly being beaten down by the people in power, while also feeling very disillusioned by how different the Shield Hero is compared to the ugly picture Sir Motoyasu and everyone else painted him to be.
Returning to reality, the elderly witch explains to the group in detail that learning to do magic with a grimoire is much more rewarding in the long run. Explaining that the expensive crystal ball method only works once... but if you learned magic using the old fashioned way, you can theoretically learn as many spells as you want. The old woman even gave the Shield Hero genuine words of encouragement for him to work hard before adding...
"By the way, if it's not too much of a bother, can you hand this other grimoire to the Sword Hero the next time you two meet?" the witch said as she pulled out another Magic Grimoire, a blue-colored one, from underneath her counter before explaining, "The Sword Hero already purchased a Beginner's Grimoire the first time he passed through my shop. So it seems only natural that his gift from me be an Intermediate's Grimoire. And seeing that you two are now in good terms, I'm quite sure he wouldn't mind sharing this with you once your done with the Beginner's version."
"I'll make sure that he gets it. Thank you so much." Naofumi nodded with genuine appreciation before pausing in surprise. As this is the very first time he ever uttered a sincere thank you towards anyone in this world aside from Raphtalia.
'Your good deeds are starting to be recognized Kohai.' Mash says with pride and optimism in her voice, 'I'm sure the rest of the Queendom will eventually see you as the true Hero you are in due time.'
Naofumi nodded his head as his lips quirked upwards over these unexpected chain of events. Mash-senpai's optimism being a bit infectious as he couldn't help but support her opinion. The Shielder then placed his newly acquired gifts inside his [Item Storage] before saying his goodbyes. Thanking the kind Witch once more before exiting her shop.
The final destination on his list before leaving Castle Town is Erhard's Blacksmith Shop.
While it's true that Naofumi no longer has a reason to purchase any sort of weapon from Erhard, especially now that he has an entire room's worth of weapons stored inside his inventory. He still needs to commission a full set of armor for his newest member, Rino.
"Hey boss man! I'm here to make some business!" Naofumi called out for the kind Blacksmith as he and his party entered the shop.
"Well hello to you too Shield boy." Erhard said with a welcoming smile as he exited his storage room. The man's expression becoming slightly more serious though when his eyes zoomed in on the Shield Hero's, admittedly beautiful, addition to his party.
"So what's the story this time?" Erhard asked patiently while crossing his muscular arms, "Cause I have been hearing some pretty crazy stuff coming from all over the place since this very early morning. Care to explain what really happened?"
Upon hearing the Blacksmith's words, the Shielder couldn't help but smile. As the large man is once again willing to hear his side of the story instead of jumping into conclusions and blindly believing the lies of the trash royalty. With that, Naofumi, Raphtalia and even Rino spoke up in retelling the mind blowing events that transpired the night before. Although Naofumi did decided to keep the truth about Alice and Mash to himself.
After all, the less people who knew about it, the better the chances that Eugeo's story would eventually take hold. Becoming facts in the public eye and possibly start to counteract the ridiculous beliefs of the Three Heroes Church. Especially after Alice did a really good performance in chastising the Trash King, Bitch Princess, the Church and everyone else who were supporting them.
Needless to say, Erhard felt more than just shell-shocked when the trio finished their tale.
"Oh man... That must have been one hell of a night." the Blacksmith said in amazement while scratching his head. Pondering in his mind about everything that he missed before taking a look at Naofumi's newest addition to his party. Fortunately for Rino's peace of mind, the once-over is strictly professional as Erhard simply focused on Rino's equipment
"Let me take a guess. You want to commission a new set of better equipment for this young lady here, right?"
"Exactly that." Naofumi confirmed with a nod as he opened his Shield's inventory. Shocking Rino greatly, as she honestly didn't expect her new master to spend any money on her so soon.
"I still have some leftover materials from my last dungeon expedition along with a few monster parts that I no longer need. You should be able to fashion something out of them." The Shield Hero then waves his fingertips at the seemingly empty air...
(*Thud. Clang! Clutter. Chink! Rattle.*)
before a respectful amount of crystals, metal chunks and monster hides all materialized out of the Legendary Shield. Surprising Erhard as he blinked in astonishment. Despite already knowing how Cardinal Heroes have abilities that set them apart from normal adventurers, he still can't help but be amazed at some of what they can do.
"A pretty neat trick you got there." Erhard said with a playful grin before going into his business talk.
With the amount of materials now at his disposal, Erhard said that he should be able to construct a high quality armor for Rino. When asked about the girl's preferences, Naofumi cuts in before Rino could answer. Firmly instructing Erhard to make the armor as defensive as possible while not reducing the wearers speed and reaction time. Informing Erhard that he doesn't really care on how Rino would look like once she wears his creation.
The new slave felt slightly annoyed at this as she still wanted her armor to look pretty while still being an effective defense. Then again, her current paper thin armor probably didn't help her case, even if she tried to speak up about it.
When Erhard asked about also forging some stronger weapons for the two girls, Naofumi simply replied to him that he already has that covered. Claiming that he recently acquired a number of weapons from an unexpected source, purposely excluding the details on where he got them. All the while wording his answer in a way that would cause Erhard to assume that he got the weapons from some dungeon instead of him stealing them from the Trash King's armory.
"I should be able to get it done in 10 days. Maybe a bit sooner if I don't get distracted with other custom orders." Erhard said to the party of three as the Shielder handed over a money pouch filled with 500 silvers. The Blacksmith deciding to give the Shield Hero a 50% discount. Largely because said hero has already provided him almost all the materials that he would ever need for the job.
"Thanks, we'll make sure to be back when it's almost done." the Shielder replied with an appreciative smile...
before it shifted into a more mischievous one as his hand quickly grabbed a high quality shield that was being displayed at a nearby wall, "But before we go..."
(*Crink*)
"...I want to try this new trick that I just picked up."
A few moments later, a Stacia window appears in Naofumi's vision...
[Weapon Copy: Aquarion Turtle Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Uncommon - Base Defense: 120]
[Mastery: 0/160 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Aqua Shield - Lv. 0]
[Extra Equip Bonus: 20 DEF, Water Resistance Up (Medium), Swimming Skill Up (Medium)]
Level 35 Required
"What do you mean by- what the HELL!" Erhard's confusion instantly turns into an angry indignation as he witnessed the Legendary Shield transforming into an exact duplicate of the shield that Naofumi just grabbed. The shield in question now having a blueish, turtle like appearance with the signature green gem at its center. Signifying its water based affinity with its outer edges being more wave like in frames.
"Looks like the trick works great." Naofumi said with a chuckle as he reads the unlocked shield's unexpectedly impressive skill set.
"It works great my ass! You keep that up and you'll completely run me out of business!" the bald Blacksmith exclaimed in irritation.
"But you do have to admit, that's a really amazing trick for the Cardinal Heroes to have." Raphtalia nervously commented in a vein attempt to calm the offended Erhard down... although it's met with little success.
"That's not amazing! It's called forgery...! or theft!" the Blacksmith fiercely bellowed in disagreement. That is, until he understood the woman's words and realized what it meant! "Are you telling me, that as long as it matches with the Legendary Weapon you have, you Heroes can copy all the weapons that you want?!"
"Hehehe... I'm afraid so Mister Erhard." Rino laughed nervously as she took two steps backward. Recalling the few observations that she had made concerning the Spear Hero, "Even though I've only been in Sir Motoyasu's party for a week, I still noticed that he had a peculiar habit. Whenever he encounters a new spear, whether in blacksmith shops or in dungeons, he would always spare a few seconds holding them before going on his merry way."
The normally gentle giant took a breath, before not so gently slamming his fist on the wooden counter that he was leaning on.
"Those thieving little brats!"
The punch was hard enough to cause the counter to splinter in half while also making the entire room shake in the process, "The Spear and Bow Heroes both came into my shop... during the day of summoning... and did exactly what you just said without buying a single thing! Don't they know about a blacksmith's pride and joy?!"
'That was a really shameful move on the Spear and Bow Heroes parts. They really shouldn't have done that.' Mash-senpai commented in disappointment on how badly the two acted on people who were simply trying to earn an honest living. Naofumi stayed silent as he couldn't really deny his Senpai's words.
As Erhard took a deep breaths to simmer himself down, Naofumi finally said something to help calm him further, "Don't worry so much. Eugeo made me promise to not abuse the Weapon Copy function. So I'm willing to pay a portion of the cost of each shield that I copy from your shop. Is that good enough for you?"
Erhard still felt some annoyance over such an agreement, but begrudgingly went along with Naofumi's offer. Although he did still felt cheated as he watched the Shield Hero browsing over his stock. Much to the relief of his blood pressure, the Shielder only copied 4 other shields that have elemental attributes of fire, earth, air and dark. Leaving the rest of his merchandise alone before paying a mere 25% of the shield's prices that he Weapon Copied. .
When Erhard asked Naofumi regarding Eugeo, the Shielder is quick to confirm to the bald man that the Sword Hero never cheated on him. Saying that the blue swordsman was to noble to do such an act and even vowed to only use Weapon Copy on swords that he purchased himself or those that he discovers on his journeys.
The party of three then said their goodbyes, as they exited the shop afterwards.
And now, with no more businesses left to handle in Castle Town, the trio quickly left the city behind. Only stopping for a short rest once they gained a fair distance away from the capital's city fields.
"I knew I had to learn this world's language eventually. But after all the rush leveling and preparations we had to do for the Wave, it completely slipped my mind." Naofumi muttered out loud as he attempted to use his Appraisal Skill to translate the Magic Grimoire but nothing happened, "I really can't read it... I wish there was some kind of skill that will translate books for me."
Raphtalia was about to volunteer herself to help him learn the language and magic alongside her but...
"I could teach you two if you want master."
she was beaten to the punch by Rino. Much to Raphtalia's annoyance as she childishly puffed her cheeks in a pout with Rino inadvertently stealing her chance of some private time with her Master. Unknown to the two, the Spearwoman is simply determined to prove her usefulness so Naofumi wouldn't have a reason to sell her away. After all, she knew fully well what kind of fate awaits her if she ever troubled the Shield Hero enough and got resolded to become someone else's slave.
Despite how she witnessed the Shield Hero's surprisingly compassionate side throughout the day, it still wasn't enough to erase years worth of cultural conditioning and prejudice that the Three Heroes Church have instilled within her.
Clueless about Rino's inner turmoil...
"Since you seem to be a well educated young woman and the next Wave isn't due for another month, I think I would take you up on that offer."
Naofumi said as he accepted her offer of tutelage without much issue, standing up from the tree he was leaning against. Although Naofumi still doesn't have much trust in Rino, even with the Slave Crest engraved between her chest, he decided to give the girl a chance. It's not like she can do much in sabotaging his lingual education anyway.
"But before we go, I have something for both of you. Just a little something to increase your overall attack power." The Shielder said as he decided to give the two girls their much awaited weapon upgrades.
Opening his [Item Storage] once again, he selected two particular weapons that aligned well with the two girls of his party. With a click of his finger, a bluish gray spear decorated with cobalt accents materialized in front of Rino, while a blackish red sword with vermilion designs materialized in front of Raphtalia. Both ladies barely managing to catch their respective weapons before they fell into the ground.
"The spear is called the [Crescent Pike Polearm] while the sword is named [Black Aqila Sword]. They should serve you two well since they match up with your respective affinities quite well."
"Thanks a lot Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia happily accepted her gift with a hint of childish enthusiasm as she gave her new sword a few practice swings. Since Raphtalia wasn't around when Naofumi showcased the stolen weapons to Eugeo, she never discovered about their existence until now.
Meanwhile...
"Y-Yes! T-Thank you so much for your gift, Master Naofumi." Rino conveyed her gratitude a bit shakily as she didn't expect her Master to gift her with anything. Especially since she haven't even started her language lessons yet.
But when Raphtalia asked Naofumi about where the two high-grade weapons came from, he said that he simply picked them up from somewhere when no one was looking. Causing the female duo to feel slightly worried for any possible repercussions that they might face in the future.
Choosing to ignore the girls' worries as Trash King probably thinks that he still can't touch any sort of weapon, Naofumi simply told them, "Just focus on getting used to your new weapons as we make our way back to Lute Village. Then tomorrow after breakfast, we can go out and grind some levels."
" "Sure thing! / Understood!" " the two girls replied in chorus.
Fortunately, their short journey back to the site of the previous Wave remained relatively uneventful. So the two girls were able to practice with their new weapons in relative peace.
At the first light of the very next day, the egg hatched into what Rino correctly identifies as a female Filolial. Both Raphtalia and Rino were absolutely enamored with the adorable little hatchling. Especially when the little scamp jumped up and decided that the top of Naofumi's head would be the perfect place for her to roost.
Even Mash wasn't immune to the newborn's cuteness as she let out an ear piercing squeal within the mindscape. Even causing Naofumi a migraine because of the ringing in his physical and internal ears. The successor of Sir Galahad might be a tiny bit biased in her opinions of still regarding Fou as the cutest creature in the multiverse... but this newly hatched ball of feathery fluff definitely comes as a close 2nd!
Although the Shield Spirit had no way of knowing it, she inadvertently ended up repeating the very same actions that Alice have done. When she pulled her kohai and the little hatchling inside the mindscape, she unintentionally imprinted into the little ones young mind that the angel winged Mash is her mother. Especially when the little chick started nuzzling against her cheeks.
For the next 3 days that followed, Naofumi and his two girls alternated in caring for the filolial chick as they went on to the open fields to grind some Levels. Spoonfeeding the little birdy during each meal and carrying her on top of their shoulders or heads when they fight against some monsters.
Despite being foretold by Eugeo about how fast a monster can grow when under a Hero's care, Naofumi and Raphtalia were still left astonished at the filolial's growth rate. The two shields that the Shielder unlocked by absorbing the chick's eggshells and feathers also probably helped in speeding up the aging process. Then came the drastic increase in appetite that Rino warned him about. Which pretty much forced the Shielder to go out of his way to target Wolf and Bear type monsters so they can collect more meat to feed the still growing filolial.
By the end of their 2nd day, the feathered beast is large enough for Naofumi to ride on. Both girls end up having a pretty good laugh when said Hero was nearly thrown off his seat as the now larger Filolial went full speed ahead in her very first test run.
The next big surprise of their time in Level raising is the fact that Rino can also use Sword Skills, or rather, Spear Skills. Although the blue-head did later admitted that since she wasn't born from some renowned family like the Todous who practice and teach combat arts on a regular basis, she can only use two Spear Skills.
The first Spear Skill [Quick Thrust] is exactly as the name implies. A basic 1-hit forward Thrust ...
and the 2nd one is called [Piercing Javelin] , a heavy mid-range attack that involves the user throwing the spear at a single target. The obvious drawback being that Rino will remain weaponless until she manually reclaims her thrown spear. Which is why she uses it very sparingly.
With this new discovery, Naofumi asked Raphtalia and Rino to occasionally spar with each other so they can both benefit with their training. At this point in time, Rino is no longer that overly anxious when it concerns the Shield Hero. The teachings of the Three Heroes Church still lingers, but they are being shed little by little as she witnessed more of Naofumi's humanity.
By the 3rd day of their stay in Lute Village, the party of three were admiring the now fully grown Filolial.
"I can't believe she grew so much in just 2 days!" Raphtalia commented in amazement as the feathered creature swallowed down the last bite of her meal.
"No kidding! I already knew filolials have fast growth rates... but this is just ridiculous!" Rino added her piece as she also shared her astonishment.
"My growth boost skill probably helped a little. Right Guinevere." Naofumi said with a smirk as he observed his newly updated Stacia Hud...
Naofumi Iwatani - Level 35
Raphtalia - Level 36
Rino Izayoi - Level 22
Guinevere - Level 16
"Guoou!" The now named Filolial squawked happily in reply.
"You named her Guinevere?" Raphtalia asked at the very unique sounding name. "That's a... very interesting name."
"Does it have a hidden meaning perhaps?" Rino asked in turn as her curiosity has been peeked, "Longer names usually have some kind of meaning that describes a bit of the person being named."
"I guess you could say that." Naofumi replied with an amused chuckled. Remembering the absolute "REJECT!" that his senpai answered to him when he tried to name the feathered mount with the extremely uncreative name "Filo".
Mash-senpai passionately insisted that they name the young Filolial as "Guinevere" instead. Claiming that it would be the absolutely perfect match up with Eugeo's Filolial, Arthur as they will technically be regarded as King and Queen of their species. Naofumi actually found the thought to be a very intriguing idea, so he agreed with Mash-senpai's suggestion and named their newest party member as Guinevere without much issue. Perhaps calling her as Ginny as an endearing nickname.
"Guinevere is actually a Queen's name in my homeworld." Naofumi said as he explained even further, "Queen Guinevere is widely known as one of the most famous and beautiful wonan in my world's history, sitting alongside her husband, King Arthur."
"Oh..? Ooohhh! So you decided give her this name so she can be matched up with Sir Eugeo's Filolial. That's so romantic!" Raphtalia said with a squeal as her penchant for romantic stories resurfaced.
Meanwhile, Rino was left confused as to why the Demi-Raccoon would be so excited about hooking up two Filolials as mates. Sure, they might be of higher quality because they are both being raised by Cardinal Heroes. But there shouldn't be any reason to be so excited over it... right?
'That's not really why I named her that... but having our little Ginny befriending Arthur isn't such a bad idea either.' the Shield Spirit said with a giggle as she listened in to the undergoing conversations.
"(*Ahem*) Well... either way, she seems to really like it. So Guinevere it is then." Naofumi declared in finality as the feathered beast squawked in cheerful approval.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end...
"Hey look at that."
as the Shield Hero's peaceful days within the quiet town of Lute...
"Why are the knights here?"
came to a close...
with the arrival of a certain Idiot Spear Hero and his number one supporter who is none other than the rotten Bitch Princess herself!
"In light of his exploits during the last wave, the Spear Hero, Sir Motoyasu, has been appointed as ruling lord of this region." Myne proudly announced as she stood on top of a wooden platform with a scroll of royal decree held out for the gathered villagers to see. The Spear Hero in question is sitting right next to the platform on a dragon mount. Looking quite pleased with himself about receiving this so-called reward.
"To help the rebuilding efforts, we've decided to levie a toll..." Myne continued, "This toll would be, 50 silvers to enter the village and 50 to exit."
Unsurprisingly, the villagers were all very upset to hear this as paying such a toll day after day is practically impossible for a simple town like Lute. One random villager even commented that such high prices would even prevent them from getting enough food for the next day!
"Do you dare defy your Lord's orders?!" snapped Myne at the protesting villagers.
"You bet we do!"
Naofumi loudly declared as his voice stood out above the crowd to draw everyone's attention to his party.
"The Shield Hero, what are you still doing here?" the evil princess said with a bitter scowl as she swung her arm as if shooing them away, "This is Sir Motoyasu's domain now, so you have no right to question him. Actually, leave this instant you miserable criminal."
Naofumi growled in anger and was about to retort a reply but got held back by Rino who's pulling his shoulder. Whispering softly to him and Raphtalia, "Let me give this a try. Sir Motoyasu might listen to what I have to say."
Naofumi quickly saw the sound logic behind Rino's reasoning as Motoyasu would always be more willing to listen to a pretty girl. Add in the fact that Rino used to be in the Spear Hero's party. The Shielder and the Demi-Raccoon nodded in approval for her to go for it.
"Sir Motoyasu!" Rino called out in greetings as she stepped forward in-front of Naofumi.
"Oh Rino!" the idiotic Spear Hero replied with a surprisingly genuine smile as his incomplete {Appraisal Skill} informed him about the girl's increase in Levels, "I'm happy to see that you're doing well... despite unpleasant circumstances."
Rino's eyebrow twitched in silent irritation at the thinly veiled insult, but decided to simply ignore it, "I appreciate your concern Sir Spear Hero... but returning to the situation at hand. Do you have any idea how much it costs to spend a night at the inn here?"
"Huh... well actually," the Spear Hero sheepishly scratched his cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed at his lack of knowledge about monetary matters.
"1 silver a night with food included," the young woman explained with a firm and no nonsense attitude as she held her pointy finger, "Which means that you're basically charging these people to pay for a hundred nights just to enter and exit the village! It's practically impossible for these people to survive with such an unreasonable price tag!"
Hearing this from his former party member, Motoyasu truly felt concerned about his personal oversight. Overcharging the common folk into financial ruin is definitely not something a Hero like him should do! Especially if he ever wanted to awaken his very own angel-chan from within his Legendary Spear.
"Uhhh... Myne, is it possible for us to lower the price of the toll?" Motoyasu politely asked the bristling red-head. Angering the Bitch Princess even more as she furiously glared at the girl she discarded a couple of days prior.
Seeing this scene unfold, Naofumi felt oddly satisfied to see Motoyasu actually using some of his buried common sense to go against the Bitch Princess's wishes. It may have required a pretty face like Rino to do the talking, but it's progress nonetheless.
Unsurprisingly, as one villager after another began to denounce the decree more and more, Myne finally lost her composure.
"You dare complain about a royal decree!" Myne lashed out at the people before her as the so-called knights pointed their spears at the defenseless villagers.
"I suggest you all knock it off!" Naofumi angrily exclaimed as he and his party prepared for battle while Motoyasu is left confused about which side of the conflict should he support.
'Wait Kohai!' Mash finally spoke up after her noticeable silence. Having detected the movements of a small group of individuals who were keeping watch over them from the shadows since the Princess arrived with her corrupted entourage, 'There's a group of people coming here!'
With a gleefully sinister smirk, Malty raised her hand as she started to give the order of attack. That is, until a number of figures in black robes and silver masks covering their eyes and nose landed in front of her. For whatever reason, their mere presence here caused genuine fear to cross the princess's face.
"I trust you remember who we represent," said one of the figures who seemed to be a young woman judging by the sound of her voice.
"But why have you come?" Malty asked in trepidation with her voice shaking in both anger and worry.
"For you," said the woman as she handed over a scroll.
"Master Naofumi, who are they?" Raphtalia asked in confusion as they all watched the events before them unfold.
"I haven't a clue. But they're important, that's for sure." replied the Shield Hero before turning to his other party member, "What about you Rino? Do you have any idea on who those people are?"
Rino pondered for a few seconds before answering, "If I'm going to venture a guess, I would say that they're the High Queen's personal Shadows. Only they can be given the necessary authority to overwrite any decrees that are made by the King and Princess."
'I have some vague memories about just how troublesome politics could be. As more often than not, they succeed more in getting in the way instead of actually doing any help of getting things done.' Mash said as she correctly connected the dots, 'Which means, even though she's far away from her country, the Queen is still doing what she can to help you against her deranged husband and daughter.'
Naofumi remained silent as he still has trouble trusting any members of the Royal family because of the things Trash King and Bitch Princess have done to him so far. But at the very least, the Queen has made a positive first impression. Although Eugeo's parting words regarding the Queen's situation and circumstances also helped her case
"How could this be..." Myne bitterly cursed as she just finished reading the delivered scroll before pointing at Naofumi once again, "Shield Hero! Fight us for the right to rule this village!"
"Huh?!"
Long story short, Naofumi is once again being forced into a challenge that he cannot simply refuse.
'The Spear Hero may not be such a bad guy and has shown to have good moral compass. But it's obvious for everyone to see that he has absolutely no idea how to be a Lord of a region.' Mash told her piece of logic when Naofumi was on the verge of rejecting the challenge.
So Mash explained to him that rejecting said challenge would simply result of the ownership of Lute Village being passed over to a clueless and irresponsible Lord like Motoyasu.
And with Guinevere all fired up and having a glaring contest with Motoyasu's dragon mount, Naofumi was left with little room to turn away from the challenge.
The two heroes then set their mounts up at the outskirts of the village where a dirt pathway conveniently circled all the way around it. The village gate and the remaining fence were used as makeshift barriers to allow the people to watch without accidentally stepping onto the track.
Rino and Raphtalia stood outside the village gates watching as the Spear Hero approached the Shield Hero with a rather smug expression.
"That is so lame. So you copied Eugeo and bought yourself a bird thing, not a dragon. How can you possibly keep up with my dragon with that thing."
Unfortunately for him, Guinevere is a rather proud filolial queen to be. She certainly didn't take too kindly of being labeled as inferior to her natural reptilian rivals. So with a powerful skyward kick, the large bird nails him right at the nuts!
"Guaaahhh!!!"
The blow sent the Spear guy sailing high in the air before crash landing into a nearby haystack.
"Sir Motoyasu!" Myne exclaimed in horror as she went over to Motoyasu who was cradling his injured manhood, "Healing magic! Come quick!"
"Right away!"
"You cheaters!" Myne accused as she glared at Naofumi.
"Hey, it's his fault for getting too close." Naofumi deflected the accusation with a chuckle as he and everyone else who witnessed the entire fiasco shared a pretty good laugh.
"I've never seen Master Naofumi laugh so much before. It suits him." Raphtalia unknowingly said out loud, causing Rino to overhear her words. The blue-head couldn't help but agree as she finds Naofumi's laughter to be a refreshing sight.
After the healers were able to heal Motoyasu enough, both Heroes proceeded climbed on their respective mounts and prepared for the race to begin.
"The race would be 3 laps around the outskirts of the village," declared the village lord, "whoever reaches this gate first will be declared the winner."
"On your marks... GO!"
The two heroes dashed forward on their respective mounts with Naofumi taking an early lead. All that training and Level raising that Guinevere received while under the Shield Hero's care are all paying off. The Filolial's greater speed is even enough to cause a large dust cloud in her wake. Pelting some dirt and a few pebbles at Motoyasu's face.
"This is gonna be a piece of cake." Naofumi declared with growing confidence while Guinevere gleefully agreed.
But of course, since the Bitch Princess cannot be trusted whatsoever to fight fair, one of the knights that were on stand-by approached a portion of the race track. With a rather simple spell, a hole opens up in the ground right at the Shield Hero's path. Causing Guinevere to trip over and sending Naofumi to the ground, allowing the Spear Hero to take the lead.
Wasting no time, the Shielder quickly reclaims his seat and started running to regain lost ground. But unknown to everyone else but Naofumi himself, just as he and Guinevere passed by the village gates, Mash mentally linked up with Raphtalia and quickly conveyed to her about Myne's cheating. Prompting the Demi-Raccoon to pull Rino aside to help her in aiding their Master from the evil princess.
Back at the race track, Naofumi managed to regain the lead that he lost but was soon blindsided yet again. One of the other soldiers casted a spell that decreased Guinevere's speed. Giving the lead back to Motoyasu with the dragon even getting the chance to slap the filolial's face with its tail.
Provoked with instinctive rage, a massive dust cloud formed in Guinevere's wake as she ran with all her might. Breaking free from the {Speed down} spell through sheer willpower alone! Catching up with the Spear Hero yet again and regaining the lead they lost.
At the last lap of the race, another knight was just about to cast a {Fast Speed} spell on Motoyasu when suddenly...
WOOOSH!!! STAB!!!
A polearm that was glowing a red light flew through the air and barely missing the knight's head! Disrupting the man's concentration and canceling out the spell that he was trying to cast. Before he could fully recollect himself, a fist that's undoubtedly feminine, delivered a nasty left hook right the man's face. Successfully rendering the knight completely unconscious.
"Just how low is that shriveled up hag willing to go?" Rino couldn't help but ask the rhetorical question as the knight she just punched collapsed to the ground. Turning around, she went to retrieve her spear that got stabbed into a nearby tree before dashing away.
Meanwhile, at the final stretch of the makeshift race track, the other knight was about create additional holes to impede the Shield Hero's path. That is, until a sword pummel delivered a powerful blow at the knight's unguarded back.
CLANG!!!
The sword's pummel vibrated against the knight's metal helmet as the resulting collision robbed the man of his consciousness.
"Nobody messes with Master Naofumi and gets away with it unscathed." Raphtalia proudly declared before regrouping with Rino halfway through their journey back to the village gates.
Back at the two competing heroes, with no more magically inclined knights left to help Motoyasu, Naofumi was able to cross the finish line and win the race with no more unexpected issues. By the time Rino and Raphtalia made their way back to the village gates, the crowds were now cheering for Naofumi's victory.
"I suppose... I guess we won." Naofumi muttered happily to both Guinevere and Mash-senpai as they finally stopped moving.
'Indeed we did Kohai. You have done well.' Mash beamed in pride before adding, 'But make sure you thank your two girls for preventing the knights from doing any more cheating than what they already have.'
'Will do!' Naofumi replied in confirmation before severing his connection.
"Brilliantly done. Thanks to you, we can rest easy and focus on rebuilding the village." praised the village lord just as the Shield Hero dismounted from Guinevere's back
"If you want to thank someone, thank Guinevere here." Naofumi said as he patted his mount, who suddenly transformed into a much larger, more round version of Filolial. Basically, an identical appearance with Eugeo's filolial Arthur with only a slightly different shade of white feathers.
"You cheated!" Myne angrily accused as she stepped forward while being flanked by two guards, "You didn't tell us that your filolial was really this massive tub of lard I see."
"But it only transformed after the race was over." the elderly village lord nervously reasoned out to the black hearted princess.
"If anyone cheated, it was you guys," Naofumi angrily accused in return, "What about the hole that magically appeared in the race track? Or the speed reduction spell that got inflicted on us during the 2nd lap of the race."
"A hole, don't be ridiculous." Myne tried to play innocent but was instantly interrupted by the Shadows who unceremoniously dropped two unconscious knights in front for everyone to see.
"We saw these two imbeciles actively using their magic to interfere with the race by supporting the Spear Hero while impeding the Shield Hero. Thus, it is clear that the Spear Hero's party cheated."
"Well, we'll leave for now." Myne bitterly admitted her defeat before angrily pointing her finger at Naofumi, "But we'll be back, you can count on it."
"Remember... I let you win today," said Motoyasu to Naofumi as he came walking by, "But it won't happen next time."
The Shield Hero decided to stay silent about Motoyasu's false bravado. Because despite his stupidity, the Spear Hero has shown some potential to be a better person than what he is now. The only thing holding him back is his naivety and overly trusting nature anyone who has a pretty face. The two girls beside the Shielder simply called out their polite farewells to the still limping Spear Hero as he walked away.
When everything is all said and done, the reward that Naofumi received from the Village Lord is a brand new carriage which is filled with food supplies and a traveling merchant's pass. Explaining to him about the filolial's instinctive desire to pull carriages and how the merchant's pass would allow him to travel across Melromarc without having to worry about paying tolls.
Naofumi felt quite happy with the reward that he received and thanked the Village Lord about solving his problem concerning his lack of a carriage for Guinevere. Now, just like his fellow Cardinal Hero Eugeo, he can now be better prepared for the next Wave of Catastrophe.
Guinevere seemed overjoyed to be pulling something like the carriage and it was a much faster form of transportation than all of them walking. Though the real problem at the moment came from the other two passengers as both Raphtalia and Rino felt rather sick to their stomach. Although both girls had prior experience of riding on carriages before, they never had ride one for prolonged periods of time. Hence why they are both not taking this form of travel too well.
Interestingly enough, this unique form of shared suffering of their motion sickness actually helped the two girls bond closer with each other. Especially after they end up both losing their lunch as they threw up on the side of the road.
With the sun already sinking in the horizon, the Shielder quickly decided to make a small camp for the night and allowed the two girls to rest. All the while thanking them both for their support during his race by keeping the Bitch's knights from doing any more cheating.
As they all started to fall asleep beside the camp fire, Guinevere leaned over to rest her head on Naofumi's lap.
"Your feathers are stuffy as hell, do you realize that Ginny." the Shielder said to the filolial as he began to doze off. The last thing Naofumi could remember before he lost himself to his slumber is a feminine child like voice complaining about his last comment.
"Meanie!"
NEW VOTING POLLS:
1.) This will be my last question regarding my next project, so I hope you readers vote carefully as this will have a huge impact in its possible storyline.
I currently have half a brain in my head of giving Emilya the "Liaris Freese" Skill, the same one that Bell Cranel has.
Bell obtained this Skill shortly after he met and fell in love with Aiz Wallenstein due to his strong desire to become worthy of her affection. To be powerful enough to stand by her side as equals.
Shirou has a somewhat similar mindset in the Fate Stay Night universe where he wanted to stand by Arturia in battle. Striving hard to prove himself worthy of joining the Throne of Heroes so he can eventually reunite with her in Avalon.
So I think this is a good enough reason for Shirou, now known as Emilya, to obtain "Liaris Freese" after she receives the Falna from the God's/Goddess' Familia that she eventually joins. But rest assured, I won't be giving Emilya the "Argonaut" Skill. After all, I don't want to take away all of Bell's uniqueness.
Although, if Emilya does get "Liaris Freese", she will purposely suppress some of her feelings to somewhat slow down her growth rate. Perhaps achieving her Level 2 rank in 9 months (just 3 months ahead of Aiz's fastest Level Up record) instead of the month and a half that Bell had in the anime.
Even if her God/Goddess tries to keep this Skill a secret, (like what Hestia did for Bell) Emilya will still find out about it thanks to her mastery of her "Structural Grasping" spell.
So I now ask your votes, should I give Emilya the "Liaris Freese" Skill?
- Yes
- No
2.) I plan to bring 2 more Date A Live characters into this fanfic that will act as victims of Bitch Princess selling them to slavery. They won't be regular characters and will only appear occasionally, but they will still have a role to play in future chapters. Please vote, which 2 female characters do you readers want me to bring into the fold?
3.) I will admit that this is a perverted question and you don't have to vote if you don't want to.
I simply want to know what you readers would prefer. It's extremely obvious in the last chapter that Anna will have her turn with Eugeo the next time her body goes into heat. However, since Alice couldn't be separated from Eugeo for more than a few minutes due to the Legendary Sword's restrictions... do you readers want them to have a threesome at my next steamy lemon scene?
- Yes
- No
As always, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I'm open for compatible suggestions and any advice that you readers could give. As for those nasty Reviewers who loves to Insult us authors, please just leave us alone.
Stay safe from the Coronovirus and stay indoors as much as possible!