To stylo1: I apologize for my grammar errors. My phone sometimes changes the words that I put down automatically without me even noticing it. I'll try to fix my mistakes in future updates.

To Starwing1995: Thanks for the suggestion but doing so will make this world a bit TOO game like. The "Rising of the Shield Hero Universe" is heavily game like as it is.

To TxT: Don't worry. There's still an entire month's worth of story time before the lemon chapter comes up. So I still have time to build up Anna's relationship with Eugeo. As for their going to be a threesome, I have some ideas that I can do that might somewhat satisfy everyone. Even those who aren't supportive of the idea.

To renextronex: I know that Sword Skills don't exist in the "Rising of the Shield Hero Universe" and I know there should be more effort when it comes to actually using a Sword Skill. But I just decided to write it this way to make things easier for me. If you don't like how I do things, then your free to leave and find another better story to read. Try the stories of my favorite author "Parcasious" for example. Glad that you liked the twist I did at the duel between Naofumi and Motoyasu.

RESULTS OF VOTING POLLS:

1.) Emilya gets Liaris Freese?

Yes - 12

No - 0

2.) Two victims of Myne

Tohka - 2

Yoshino - 3

Yamai - 4

Kurumi - 4

Orugami - 1

Mukuro - 1

Kotori - 1

3.) Anna's steamy night with Eugeo

Just Anna night - 10

Threesome - 10

RESULTS OF VOTING POLLS

1.) In a completely one sided poll that makes it seem like it doesn't even need it, Emilya will get the Liaris Freese.

2.) A bit of a confusing turn here as I didn't really thought this poll through, but as it shows... Yamai and Kurumi will be the victims of Myne. Yamai being a spearwoman while Kurumi remains using her signature guns. Guns are already being made in the country of Faubrey but weren't given much details in the Season 1 anime.

3.) In a completely unprecedented result for me, this one ends in a draw. Votes coming from both the reviews and PMs. So to be fair on both sides, I will do a bit of both options. Alice will somewhat be a part of Anna's steamy night with Eugeo, BUT would refrain from transforming to her human form.

FOR ALL READERS WHO DON'T KNOW: Since Rino was never given an official appearance in the anime and manga, I decided to use the appearance of another character from another anime. The appearance that I chose for Rino is Miku Izayoi from the Date A Live anime. So Miku is already out of the voting choices.

583 Reviews, 712 Favorites, 854 Follows

It goes without saying that things became quite hectic for the Shield Hero's party as soon as they were awakened by the morning light. Mostly because of the sudden disappearance of the filolial queen, followed by the equally abrupt appearance of a cute, little, blond girl, waking up from her slumber on Naofumi's lap.

"Good morning daddy." Guinevere said in a soft sweet voice while adorably rubbing her eyes to wipe some of her sleepiness away, "I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat."

While Naofumi and Raphtalia remained relatively calm as they knew that something like this would happen eventually, (although the Shielder did feel uncomfortable to be referred as a father) Rino couldn't help but freak out a little at this unexpected development.

"So you mean to tell me that this...!" Rino pointed at the blanket covered blonde who was too busy eating her breakfast to pay attention to anything else, "Angel winged little girl is actually the Guinevere that we all come to know and love for the passed couple of days! How is that even possible?!"

"Don't ask us, we're just as clueless of the details as you are." Naofumi answered while rubbing his still ringing ears. Rino must have some really well developed lungs and vocal chords since very few people can scream that loud with so high of a pitch, "The only reason why we're not freaking out as you are is because this happened to Eugeo's filolial too."

"Huh, Sir Eugeo has a filolial that can transform too?" Rino said in surprise, a bit more calmly this time.

"That is correct Rino." Raphtalia replied before adding, "Although, we didn't expect this to happen so soon."

"Yeah. And only now did I realized that we didn't bother to ask Eugeo where he got the magic clothing that Arthur was wearing." Naofumi sighed in exasperation.

'I guess we have no choice then. As soon as you and the girls finish eating your breakfast, we'll have to return to Castle Town to get little Ginny some appropriate clothing. A respectable young lady like her shouldn't be seen in such inappropriate, or lack there of, attire.' Mash-senpai said, pretty much finalizing his train of thought.

'Will do.' Naofumi silently nodded in agreement as he urged the others to eat their breakfast a little more faster. All the while, the little ball of feathery sunshine remained oblivious to the other's discussions. Focusing entirely on her food as she is already asking for seconds.

Naofumi had half a mind to contact his fellow Cardinal Hero by using his communication Ability but decided not to. Thinking that it's still a little bit too soon for Eugeo to be openly interacting with him at the off chance that he's being watched by spies. The miraculous events that occurred in Trash King's party still haven't thoroughly spread to the rest of the common folk. So the Shielder decided to forego contacting the Sword Hero with his Orb Shield for a little while longer.

Shortly after breakfast, the party quickly packed up their small campsite as they plan to journey back to Castle town. Unfortunately for Naofumi, the journey back to Castle town became several times more awkward as the innocent and still very much clueless Guinevere blurted out something completely unexpected.

Well... not completely unexpected. But surprising all the same.

"Daddy... where's mommy?" Guinevere asked while tilting her head slightly to the side in such a cute manner.

This innocent question led to Rino discovering that, just like Eugeo the Sword Hero, Naofumi has also succeeded in awakening the spirit of his Legendary Weapon. And judging by the descriptions that Rino heard from Guinevere about what the Shield Spirit looked like, the spearwoman is quite certain that the filolial in human skin has already imprinted in her mind on who her parents are. Her father being Naofumi and her mother being the angel winged woman that is currently living within the Legendary Shield.

These unexpected chain of events compelled Naofumi to order Rino to stay silent about what she just discovered. Thankful as the Shielder might be for the voluptuous woman's assistances during the passed few days, he still haven't learned to fully trust Rino.

As for the situation between the two parental figures, Mash took upon herself to pull Guinevere and Naofumi inside her mindscape so they can discuss the situation more properly.

Long story short...

while Mash is willing to take up the position as the mother figure to the little filolial, Naofumi felt a bit reluctant to accept his position as father. However, seeing the tearful puppy dog eyes that Guinevere was aiming at him pretty much pierced through all his resistance of being her father figure.

There's not much Naofumi can do anyway, as a filolial's parental imprinting is so deeply ingrained in their psychology. Same as their instincts in happily pulling carriages, it's nearly impossible for a filolial to change their perception regarding the first two individuals that they imprinted with right after hatching.

The Senpai-Kohai pair could only sigh in awkward acceptance as they inadvertently become parents to little Ginny. Said filolial girl was more than just ecstatic to hug her mommy and daddy in a three way group hug before she was sent out of her mommy's mindscape.

As soon as Guinevere got out of the mindscape, the two Shielders made it perfectly clear that they wouldn't be pursuing anything romantic with one another. Mash-senpai even going so far as to add that she already has a man waiting for her in the Throne of Heroes that she mentioned that she originated from.

Needless to say, the rest of the Shield group's time while traveling back to Castle town was spent in awkward silence.

Erhard was just about to eat a delicious sandwich for his late breakfast when he saw the Shield Hero and his party entering his shop.

"Welcome back Shield boy." the kind Blacksmith said in happy greetings, "Sorry but the armor you commissioned to me is not finished yet. You should come back after 5 more days."

"Thanks for the update but no, that's not why we're here."

The blacksmith then noticed the newest addition of said Hero's group. As standing in front of his recently replaced table counter is a cute, little blonde girl clad with nothing more than a simple cloak.

"Come on." Erhard spoke in a playful manner, "Don't come here to show off every time you get a new slave."

"Guess again." Naofumi replied with a deadpanned expression, clearly unamused with the bald man's joke.

"Another female companion? Are you following the Sword boy's example by any chance? Building your very own harem?" Erhard said with a humorous grin.

"Don't be ridiculous! Of course not!" the Shielder loudly exclaimed in clear objection while Raphtalia and Rino silently blushed in embarrassment. The blond girl in question, on the other hand, simply had her eyes focused on the man's sandwich.

"Hey daddy" the little girl said, greatly surprising the Blacksmith upon hearing how she referred to Naofumi, "Couldn't I have just a little snack?"

"Daddy?" Erhard repeated the girl's words in confusion before noticing the subtle similarities this girl had to a certain Sword Hero's mount, "Wait sec. Is this little girl a shape shifting filolial by any chance?"

"She's exactly that Mr. Erhard." Raphtalia confirmed in surprise at the man's educated guess.

"If you already knew about that." Rino spoke in continuation, "then does that mean Sir Eugeo passed through your shop shortly after his own filolial morphed into his human form?"

"Mmhhmm." Erhard nodded in confirmation as he broke off half of his sandwich and handed it over to the hungry filolial, "Here you go little lady."

"Thank you so much mister." Guinevere happily accepted the food in gratitude before morphing into her full filolial form in a burst of smoke. Ripping the cloak that she was wearing to shreds in the process.

"Time to dig in." the filolial cheered as she proceeded to devour the gifted sandwich with a single gulp of her large beak. Mash couldn't help but feel a tiny bit embarrassed when she saw the girl's complete lack of tact and table manners. Then again, it shouldn't be much of a surprise as Guinevere is literally just 4 days old.

This fact unknowingly prompted the Shield Spirit to come into a decision. That she would try to instill some proper manners and social etiquette into her foster daughter as soon as she's able to. As the transformed Guinevere poked around the shop on things that caught her interest, Naofumi and the other two girls discussed the situation with Erhard as he ate the other half of his sandwich.

"So let me guess... (*munch*)" the Blacksmith said before pausing to take a bite of his remaining sandwich and swallowing before speaking again, "You guys need some magic clothing for your filolial queen to wear. Clothes that can transform alongside its wearer, am I right?"

The trio simply nodded.

"Then you guys should go ask the dressmaker to make one for her too." Erhard instructed, "It's the same place Arthur got his transforming clothes a couple of weeks ago."

After receiving a spare dress for Guinevere to wear, the Shielder and his party thanked the kind man for his help. Promising to come back a few days later to receive Rino's new armor and to do more business with him in future meetings.

"Oh my god she's cute..! Isn't she just the cutest little angel!" The female dressmaker gushed over Guinevere's extreme cuteness as soon she saw the girl entering her establishment.

"Good morning miss." Naofumi spoke up as to get the woman's attention before she gets even more distracted, "I heard that you made some transforming clothes for one of my colleague's. So we were hoping if you could do the same for Guinevere there."

Taking a moment to recollect herself, the dressmaker faced the Shielder with the same giddy smile, "If by colleague, you mean the Legendary Sword Hero, then yes sir Shield Hero. I did create the transforming clothes that the adorable yet dashing Arthur is wearing."

"Arthur?" Guinevere asked in the background but quickly dismissed it as unimportant information. At least for the moment.

"If that's the case, can you do the same for our new friend here?" Rino said as she fondly petted the little girl's head.

"Of course I can." the bespectacled woman beamed with pride before mentioning, "But just like your colleague, you didn't bring any magic thread now did you."

"Magic thread?"

"Mmhmm. One of the requirements for making transforming clothes is thread created from the wearers own mana. Otherwise, the transformation enchantments won't work." the woman explained before directing them to the nearest magic shop where the kind witch worked in for them to weave the thread.

"If you give me the magic thread... I promise that I'll make you... the cutest outfit that you will EVER SEE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!" the woman's proudly declared with her eyes sparkling in glee at the prospect of dressing up the adorable little girl.

Naofumi and the two ladies simply agreed in silence before exiting the shop to get to their next destination. But unknown to the Shield Hero's party, Mash decided to add her own opinions regarding Guinevere's future outfit. Mentally whispering into the dressmaker's head to make the dress fitting for a young queen yet still practical for combat.

Granted, the woman freaked out a little because of the unknown voice in her head, but quickly assumed that it was just her fashion sense talking. Compelling her to start thinking of ideas and designs for her next big masterpiece.

Unfortunately, lady luck is once again not in Naofumi's favor as he and his party were met with some problems when they arrived at the Magic shop.

"Magic thread huh." the elderly witch smiled apologetically as she explained the situation and gestured towards her spinning wheel, "You certainly could weave them here but unfortunately, right now isn't a good time. Your fellow hero, Sir Eugeo, ended up using the last of my magic gemstone's energy when his own filolial was being commissioned some transformation clothes also."

"Is it expensive?" Naofumi asked as he still got some excess money to spend before he would have to start his traveling merchant business to earn some income, "Cause we just might have just enough funds to purchase one if it's not too insanely expensive."

"It IS a bit on the expensive side. But the bigger problem is the fact that this particular type of gemstone is quite difficult to find." the old lady answered.

"What can we do about it." Raphtalia asked.

"I'm afraid that there's not much that I can do." the elderly magic user said before adding, "You see, I had a suspicion that you will eventually be needing some magic thread from me ever since I saw that young lady over there carrying a monster egg a few days prior. So I've already talked to some people and a few of my contacts about procuring a new gemstone as quickly as possible in preparation for your return. However, it still might take a little bit longer."

"Oh well... no outfit for a while." Naofumi sighed in slight irritation. That is, until Guinevere stepped in front of him so she can peek over the old woman's counter.

"Whoa..! What does this thing do?" The little blonde queen cheerfully asked as she stared at the witch's crystal ball.

"This crystal ball measures one's magic affinity. So why don't we measure your affinity." The witch happily offered as she held her hands above the orb. Finding the girl's positive and bubbly demeanor to be quite endearing.

Unsurprisingly, Guinevere is revealed to have the same powerful Wind affinity as a certain filolial king who came to the shop a few weeks earlier. Somewhat indicating that the Wind element is by far the norm for a filolial to have just as fire is the norm for purebred dragons like Gaelion. With Guinevere's enchanted clothes out of their reach for the time being, the Shield Hero and his party said their farewells and left the Capital city once again.

As Guinevere happily pulled her carriage to their next destination, Raphtalia and Rino took turns in steering her for every few minutes.

Meanwhile, the Senpai-kohai pair discussed about their plans for the near future...

'I guess it would still be a while before we can get our precious Ginny some permanent clothes.' Mash muttered to Naofumi through their shared link. Said Kohai kept himself busy by organizing some of the supplies that were gifted to him along with the carriage. Sending a portion of it in his [Item Storage] while leaving the rest as they were for easier distribution later.

"Yeah, but in the meantime, we should concentrate on growing stronger while earning some money on the side. Thanks to Guinevere, traveling between settlements and exploring new areas should be much faster and easier now.' Naofumi answered before closing his Stacia Window, having completed his task.

"Daddy look..." Guinevere chirped out in concern as she noticed a weary old man a few meters ahead of them. The poor fellow running as fast as his aged body is able to despite his clear exhaustion, "There's someone up ahead that seems to need help."

"Is something wrong sir?" Raphtalia politely asked as she pulled the carriage to a stop right next to the old man who was gasping for breath. "Do you perhaps need a lift?" Rino added.

"Y-Yes please!" the man blurted out in urgency as soon as he recovered some of his composure, "I need to get this medicine to my village as quickly as possible. It's the one just passed the mountain. Please, I beg of you!"

Not really seeing any harm of helping a person in need, Naofumi agreed to give the man a ride back to his home village with him receiving 1 silver as payment. After detaching Guinevere from the carriage for faster travel, the young filolial ran at full speed for the desired destination. Raphtalia and Rino couldn't help but laugh when they heard the hilarious screaming of the additional passenger while they were left behind to guard their belongings.

The Shield Hero's journey for the man's home didn't take too long as they fast approached the region's checkpoint gates.

"Halt! Stop!" the current guard hollered when he saw the approaching avian mount and its two passengers, "You have to pay the toll!"

Naofumi's immediate reply to the guard is simply throwing his merchant's pass right at him as Guinevere jumped over said guard and the entrance gates while yelling in return, "I'll pick that up on the way back!"

The guard was left slightly dumbfounded as he looked at the trader's pass that he just caught. Assuming that the green clad man is a part time merchant and adventurer.

By the time Naofumi arrived at the man's home, the sun is already starting to sink in the horizon. Here he found out that the medicine that was being delivered is for the man's terribly sick mother. And that is putting her condition lightly. Especially after Naofumi's {Appraisal Skill} informed him that the elderly woman's HP is a hairbreadth away from reaching the critical red zone.

And much to Mash's joy and approval, Naofumi took it upon himself to help the poor old woman before said Shield Spirit could suggest for him to do just that.

"Why don't you go and prepare some warm water." Naofumi said as he discretely prepared his {Potion Enhancement} Skill in his Stacia Hud, "I'll give the medicine to your mother."

"But I-"

"Relax, it's just a little trick I picked up that can improve a medicine's potency." Naofumi answering in a misleading way that would confuse the man on what he actually meant. The man simply nodded before handing over the medicine to him.

After taking a moment to use {Potion Enhancement} , the Shielder then helped the old woman drink the medicine. But much to his surprise, Mash decided to give her aid as well...

''Even though you still have a long way to go before you can use all of my powers, I can at least help with your ability to heal others.'

With his senpai's words, the green gem of the Legendary Shield shimmered with a golden light for a brief moment. Before Naofumi could properly respond at the phenomenon, the old woman's body was also enveloped with that same golden aura before disappearing as quickly as it came. And much to the Shielder's shock, not only did the medicine cured the old woman's sickness, but it also seemed to have de-aged the recipient for a good couple of years!

'Not that I didn't appreciate the help Mash-senpai, but what was that just now?!' Naofumi exclaimed both in confusion and excitement of gaining a new power up.

'It's small portion of my power as Shield Hero.' Mash answered with pride before adding in a more apologetic tone, 'But don't get too excited though. Just like what I said before, you still have a long way to go before you can use all of my powers. This is by far the only skill that you can inherit from me at the moment.'

'Even so, it's still a big leap forward as far as I'm concerned. Thanks a lot Mash-senpai.' Naofumi said in gratitude before returning to reality as the man came back with the warm water that he asked for.

"Thank you so much." the old woman said with a much clearer and vigorous voice. Much more than what you would expect from someone her age.

"Mother?" the man exclaimed in disbelief, "The medicine... it's helping already?"

"Yes, the pain went away in an instant. Not only that, but my body feels so much lighter than I have ever felt it in years!" the woman gleefully confirmed to her son before facing Naofumi again, "Thank you good sir."

The Shielder graciously accepted her gratitude before exiting the house.

"Umm, exactly... what kind of magic spell did you use just now?" the man couldn't help but ask in curiosity as he definitely noticed the more youthful visage of her mother compared to how she was before being cured.

"Trust me, it's better and safer that you don't know." Naofumi said in a dismissive manner, "But now that that's done..."

"Oh here!" The man said as he handed over the payment that he promised, "These should be worth at least 1 silver."

The Shielder inspected the bag's contents and found it filled with some carrots, onions, potatoes and a few pieces of preserved meat.

"Yeah, these will do just fine." Naofumi said in satisfaction before climbing aboard Guinevere's back, "See you later then."

"Safe travels to you." the man waved in farewell as the filolial mount and its rider left his garden.

For the next couple of days that followed, the Shield Hero and his party traveled to the many small villages that is scattered throughout Melromarc.

Whenever the group set up shop in any village, Naofumi would assign Raphtalia and Rino to act as the sales ladies. Being the attractive young women that they are, they unsurprisingly have a much higher success rate at bringing in more customers to purchase their products.

There were also some rare cases where a family or two would specifically ask Naofumi for help in curing a sick love one each time they stop to spend the night in a village. When asked about that, the people replied that word has been going around about his so called spell that enhances a medicine's effectiveness. Which of course brought in more money for him as the Shield Hero started to make a name for himself without him even knowing or meaning to.

As for Guinevere, by Mash-senpai's very eager insistence, she volunteered to educate the young filolial queen on proper manners and social etiquette. Pulling the little girl into her mindscape for every free time they had throughout the day and a little bit before sleeping. The Shield Spirit being strangely determined to teach the avian shape shifter on how to be a respectable lady.

Obviously, the young filolial refused these lessons at first but eventually agreed to go with it as the young girl didn't want to disappoint her mommy. Although the little blond still had her relapses, she gradually started to apply Mash-senpai's etiquette lessons to heart. Showing some manner of control in her eating habits and on how she should act when in the presence of specific people.

She even started singing a few songs that her mommy taught her on occasion to help attract more customers for daddy while wearing her temporary pink dress in her humanoid form.

It was during their free times on the roads or when in their rented inn rooms that Naofumi started his reading lessons with Rino in earnest. The Shielder may not have been a honorary student in his home world, but he has proven himself to be a fast learner. Managing to pick up the basics of this world's literature. Allowing him to read and write a few phrases and sentences, admittedly, in a much slower pace. Now all he needs is practice.

Raphtalia surprised Rino when she revealed herself to be quite proficient in reading and writing. Explaining to Naofumi later that, because of the still very much existent prejudice between races, it's actually very uncommon for a Demi-human to learn how to read and write in Melromarc. Which results to the two girls taking turns in educating their Master.

After getting a decent enough grasp in reading literature, Naofumi quickly read and learned all that he can from the Medicine Grimoire that was gifted to him. Not really knowing what to do with the Medicine Grimoire now that he didn't really need it anymore, Naofumi decided to absorb the piece of literature into his Legendary Shield.

Not really expecting anything significant but absorbing it anyway at the off chance that he might gets something useful.

[Book Shield Unlocked]

[Quality: Very Low - Base Defense: 5]

[Mastery: 0/30 - Resonance: 0%]

[Equip Bonus: Magic Power Up (Small)]

Level 5 Required

As it turns out, while the form itself is completely useless in combat and has nothing to do with crafting, this Shield form became the perfect disguise for him.

Although Naofumi's reputation among the populace is starting to change for the better. Thanks largely to the stunt that Eugeo pulled, the spread of information is still somewhat slow going. So the Shielder decided to hide his identity as a Hero. Making himself look like he's holding a book in his hand instead of the Legendary Shield strapped to his arm when doing his business deals with the common people.

At the 4th day of their business ventures, the Shield Hero and his party were approached by quite a successful businessman. Requesting the group to serve as his mode of transportation for the rest of the afternoon. He explained that he had a lot of business transactions to do on many locations that day and needed a fast and secure travel guide.

With the promise of a hefty payment for their services, Naofumi eventually agreed to serve as the jolly man's taxi for the rest of that day.

"I really can't believe that I'm riding with our Savior of the Heavenly Fowl." the merchant commented with great enthusiasm. His words only serving to confuse Naofumi and his party as they were clueless on what the businessman meant.

"Our Savior of the Heavenly Fowl?" the Shielder asked in genuine confusion on the unusual title.

"Ohh yeeesss. You have built quite the reputation." the merchant said cheerfully as he explained further, "In a carriage drawn by the god of domesticated birds, our savior travels and treats the sick."

Naofumi wasn't amused. In fact, he actually found the name to be quite the ridiculous moniker. But at the very least, this meant that his [Book Shield] disguise idea worked and none of his former customers and clients found out about his Shield Hero status.

'Look at the bright side.' Mash giggled as she found the title to be hilarious, 'The people are starting to recognize your work. Few it may be at the moment, it will eventually spread to the rest of the kingdom.'

'Well...' Naofumi groaned in his head as he felt a bit embarrassed with his senpai laughing at his unofficial moniker, 'can't really argue there.'

Meanwhile, having overheard her daddy's conversation with the somewhat chubby man, Guinevere was just about ready to speak up. That is, until she recalled her mommy's warnings about what might happen if too many people found out about her unique nature. So she decided to be a good daughter and stayed silent while focusing more of her attention to the far distance.

Which is the reason why her sharp eyes managed to see the impending danger.

"Guaaahhh!" Guinevere squawked in her normal animal sound to warn her parents and two aunts about the group of bandits that were gathering up ahead. Mentally preparing herself if this encounter would result in a fight.

Alerted by the filolial's call, Naofumi cuts his conversation with the merchant short as Rino and Raphtalia noticed the purpose of Guinevere's warning.

"There's a large gang that's blocking our path up ahead." Raphtalia informed in concern.

"From what I can tell, they are 12... no, 14 people." Rino said as she counted their numbers. Squinting her eyes as their carriage got closer to said gang.

"Whoa now!" one of the bandits hollered with a smirk, "You can stop right there!"

The Shielder's carriage did stop, but not because of the bandit's order, but more on because of their path being blocked by the other bandits.

"Now that's an odd bird you've got there stranger." sneered the dude with the bald head as he gave Guinevere a brief once over before glancing at the insides of the carriage, "We heard that an Accessory Seller is hitching a ride with you. Come on! We know you're in there!"

The chubby Accessory Seller whimpered in fear while flinching away from the bandit's view.

'I have to be more careful with choosing my clients...' Naofumi could only groan in his head as he can already tell where all of this is going to end.

'I apologize Kohai.' Mash mentally conveyed in an embarrassed tone as she immediately took action. Switching the Legendary Shield from its Book Shield form into its default Vibranium Shield form.

'For what?'

'I'm sorry that I didn't inform you sooner that bandit attacks are actually very common occurrences during this kind of time period.' Mash answered with an exasperated sigh as she finalized her Kohai's thought process, 'And If those lecherous looks are anything to go by, I can already tell where this is going to lead to.'

'Really?'

'Let's just say that I've had my own fair share of experience regarding unsavory men and leave it at that, Kohai.' Mash stated in such a rigidly cold tone that Naofumi couldn't help but feel a shudder shoot up his spine.

Shifting back to the real world...

"Just hand him over quietly and you'll get away with at least your lives intact." the scruffy blond bandit said before leering at the two beauties who sat at the carriage's driver seat, "That one's pretty hot for a Demi-human, and the other is even more boobalicious, hahaha...! Looks like we're going to have so much fun tonight!"

"Master Naofumi..." as one, the two ladies growled in disgust as their eyebrows twitched in anger.

"May I have permission to end his lineage?" Raphtalia asked with a very serious tone...

"Maybe a good old fashioned castration would do?" Rino added her statement with the very same tone.

With the two slave girls plus the mother and daughter pair all in agreement, Naofumi no longer bothered to oppose their feminine fury. Not that he wanted to anyways, being completely content to give these bandits hell, "Hold back on the castration idea. But other than that, go ahead and let loose."

"Don't even think about it. We got a Class Upgraded bodyguard who'll make hamburger out of you." the same scruffy blond bragged in a condescending manner as another bandit stepped forward with a somewhat confident sneer.

'Class Upgraded? There's something I haven't heard about. Senpai?' Naofumi thought to himself before asking his mentor.

'It's a way to increase an individual's Level Cap.' Mash sheepishly answered as a portion of her memories just got restored when she heard about. Which sort of upsets the senior Shielder as she once again couldn't help her Kohai as best as she could because of this world's memory blocking, 'Normally, this only becomes possible once a person reaches Level 40. Cardinal Heroes don't have this limitation though.'

'I see... I'll be sure to remember that once the others reach their Max Level.' Naofumi replies calmly, unaware of his senpai's turmoil, and inadvertently calms her down by saying, 'Not that their so-called Class Upgrades would do them much good.'

Naofumi's statement is actually very much sound as he himself had first hand experience on this. That the difference in Levels isn't exactly everything that decides a battle. Just as Naofumi was able to go toe to toe with Motoyasu despite the 10 Level gap, the same thing could be said with his three party members. Not only because of the Stat boosters that they have been receiving from his Legendary Shield, but also because of their higher combat capabilities.

"It'd sure be helpful if I can come up with some support magic right now though." the Shielder silently groaned about his current inability to use magic just yet. Which is quite understandable in a way as magic doesn't even exist in his homeworld.

" "As source of thy power I order thee..." "

Unlike his two party members.

" "Decipher the laws of nature..." "

" "and consume me utterly in a magic haze-/and envelope my spear in a blade of water-" "

" "Hide Mirage!/Faust Aqua Slash!" "

Much to the bandit gang's surprise, Raphtalia turned herself invisible while an adequate layer of water envelopes itself around the sharp end of Rino's spear. Guinevere didn't speak up, as a testament to her applying her mommy's etiquette lessons, but instead charged at the closest bandit with a flurry of powerful kicks.

"AAAGGGHH!!!"

The battle was over before it even began as the three females absolutely annihilated the group of felons. The Shielder didn't even need to lift a finger as the bandit's were then swiftly defeated. Tying them up with several pieces of spare rope before dropping them on the ground. A majority of the bandits sporting a few scratches and bruises while almost all of their weapons were destroyed by Rino's water enhanced spear slashes.

After a short interrogation, the acting leader of the bandit gang quickly confessed about their reasons of attack. Saying that some other trader told them to mug the more successful businessman that was riding in the Shield Hero's carriage.

"So one of my own sold me out hmm..." the chubby Merchant could only sigh in partial depression as he absorbed the fact that one of his people metaphorically sent him to the wolves. And quite possibly, into his own demise.

Although a certain issue arised when it was time to decide on what to do with the gang of robbers. The Accessory Merchant explained that criminal cases like these were normally handed over to the castle guards. The knights will then step in to handle the rest of the work of law enforcement from there. The only problem is...

"Hey you! You're the Shield Hero aren't ya? Kinda obvious since you have no weapons and only that useless shield." the bandit leader openly mocked as he and the rest of his partners in crime admitted that they will spin a false story out of this incident if they were handed over to the authorities. Not only allowing them to be released scott free by the Trash King's orders, but will also start another smearing campaign to Naofumi's name. Claiming that the so-called evil Shield Hero assaulted an innocent group of adventurers.

"I guess I have no choice..." the Shielder groaned in frustration before he started smirking a somewhat sinister grin, "Guinevere, why don't we go and hunt ourselves some ingredients for me to cook dinner while we leave our two ladies here to enact their own brand of punishment to these felons. Raphtalia and Rino, I give you two full permission to torture and castrate each and everyone of these bandits from their precious manhoods."

"WWHHAAAT?!"

The sight of both girls preparing their blades to do just as Naofumi told them to has scared the bandits shitless. Especially when they saw the extremely dark and creepy look on Rino's once angelic face. The Spearwoman having shown to be quite eager to deliver some righteous feminine fury on these bandits who threatened to rape her and her Demi-human friend.

In the bandit leader's panic of keeping their most vulnerable part of their anatomy intact, they hastily agreed to Naofumi's demand to hand over all of their stuff. Both Raphtalia and Mash felt a tiny bit put off by Naofumi's decision of robbing this bandits but eventually relented. Mash explaining to Raphtalia with her telepathy that they are also indirectly preventing these crooks from continuing their crimes as they now lack the supplies they need for them to keep doing so.

Rino, on the other hand, has shown to be much more supportive of her Master's course of action. More actively helping the Shield Hero in loading the bandits' stuff inside their carriage while Raphtalia stood aside with the chubby merchant discussing about this course of action.

"If I may say, Sir Hero is the shining example of the true trader's spirit." the Accessory seller commented with enthusiasm as he approved of Naofumi's shrewd way of thinking, "Something lacking in our youth today."

"Looks more like intimidation." Raphtalia replied weakly as she knew that there's no point in trying convince her Master to do otherwise.

"Hey, how about the two of you do a little less chatting and a little more working." Naofumi said as he handed over a box of mid-tier HP potions to Rino, the girl placing it neatly with the rest of their newly obtained goods. Naofumi then he focused his stern gaze on the man partially responsible for this afternoon's debacle, "And while we're on the subject pal, how do you figure your gonna compensate me for the pack of trouble you caused me on this trip?"

"I can offer you all the knowledge and connections that I possess." the trader cheerfully replied without missing a beat as he made his offer to the Hero who earned his respect, "It is at your command."

"Knowledge and connections?"

"Yeeesss... I have taken a great liking to you Sir Hero."

'You'd be surprised on just how much information the business world can provide, Kohai. Especially if you know where to look for them.' Mash comments with a nostalgic giggle as she recalled her previous adventures with her own senpai throughout human history.

With the added encouragement of Naofumi's Senior shield user, he decided to take the merchant up on his offer.

That night, the Accessory seller took it upon himself to teach Naofumi how to Craft gemstones and imbue them with mana. Accidentally helping the Shield Hero in overcoming the mental barrier that he unconsciously had with his dormant magic potential.

After breakfast at the very next morning, the Accessory seller invited Naofumi to join him in a meeting with the other major members of the underground Trader's Guild. It's what you could call a secret society that's hidden among the big business folks. Dealing with the trade of information and equal exchange of each other's products. Its because of this need for secrecy that Naofumi ordered Raphtalia and Rino, along with a reluctant Guinevere, to do some of their sales lady duties in the nearby market place.

It was during his intermingling with potential business partners that Naofumi inadvertently got himself his very own spot in the Trader's grapevine. This how the Senpai-kohai Shield users heard the rumors regarding the other Heroes.

'Apparently, Motoyasu saved a famine stricken village to the southwest by introducing a legendary crop. I bet that royal pain in the butt came up with the idea.'

'Considering how stupid he is, there's very little doubt about that.' Mash agreed with a sigh before adding her speculation, 'Although it is possible that he chose this Heroic act specifically as an attempt to awaken his own Spirit partner.'

'Oh yeah... Alice did called him the Hero of Terraria, the Goddess of the Earth.' Naofumi replied in realization, 'Although I have my doubts if his act of heroism really worked in awakening his Spear Spirit.'

'I thought so too. As Heroic his act might be, the act needed must be genuine and from the heart. Like how you were willing to put your life on the line to save Raphtalia. In the eyes of the world, she's nothing but a lowly slave girl. Yet you didn't care and fought anyway.'

'I guess you're right about that one. As for information regarding Itsuki the Bow Hero, it's all over the place. Some said his training up in the mountains... and some say that he went into a dungeon in a quest for treasure. There was even some tall tales of him joining another country's revolution.'

'Not really surprised there.' Mash comments nonchalantly, confusing Naofumi in the process.

Seeing her slightly confused kohai, Mash explained to him in better detail, 'If you think about it carefully, Heroes of the Bow do have a long history of being comprised of chivalrous outlaws or heroic vigilantes. So to hear that the current Bow Hero is doing something of this nature is kind off expected. Compared to the Spear Hero, I think Itsuki has a better chance of awakening his Bow Spirit.'

'If you put it that way, that does kinda make sense.' Naofumi reluctantly admitted in acknowledgement before finally hearing something new about his favored Hero of the three.

'Eugeo's apparently moving southeast on a quest to get the rarest and most precious metals in the country. Most likely to strengthen his Legendary Sword and maybe to upgrade his party's gear. I even heard a rumor that he took down a dragon.'

'Now that's another common trait found among Sword Heroes.' Mash commented once again as memories of her time fighting alongside thr great heroes of old filtered into her mind, 'Sword Heroes are known to have a long and complicated history with dragons. A few of them having some dragon blood in their veins, like King Arthur... while others are like Siegried, who are famously known as dragon slayers.'

'That might be true. But I wonder why Eugeo would do a feat as grand as that.' Naofumi said in thought as he remembered his fellow Hero's personality, 'Eugeo already has his Sword Spirit unlocked, so he doesn't technically need to do something over the top Heroism like the other two Heroes did. And he doesn't seem to be the type of person to crave the people's attention like a glory hog.'

'If I had to take a guess Kohai, Eugeo was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.'

'That... is a possibility.'

Naofumi soon shifted his focus on more business related matters. Making a few conversations and connections here and there for possible suppliers of specific products while sking around about villages who might be in need of his services. And as luck would have it, the Shielder also overheard something about a nearby mining village where he might get the magic gemstone that he needed for Guinevere's clothes.

A couple of hours soon passed and the Trader's Guild gathering soon came to an end. But before Naofumi and his sponsor went on their separate ways, the chubby merchant decided to give him a parting gift. The gift being an official deed that serves as proof of Naofumi's membership to the Merchant Guild. Something that made Naofumi quite happy as this deed will be a tremendous help for his future business deals.

After reuniting with his party and eating a brief lunch, the group of four quickly made their way to the mining village. It was here where they were informed by the mining chief on where they can find the magic gemstone that they need.

At the late morning of the next day...

"What surprises me is how you managed to find that gemstone mine so quickly." the elderly witch from Castle town said in admiration as she and the Shield Hero's party are now on their way to the magic gemstone mine.

The old lady having volunteered to join the Shield Hero when she was informed about his success in finding the mine's location.

"Well, it's not all that simple actually. It's in a rather unsavory location." Naofumi replied with a more cautious tone as he pondered over the warnings that the mining chief told him the day before.

"Master Naofumi, we're here." Rino announced as their carriage approaches the gemstone mining site.

'These ruins are surprisingly well intact.' Mash commented as her kohai and company were greeted with the still vivid remains of a temple. The architectural designs being quite reminiscent with the ancient temples of Rome.

"A long time ago, this temple was once a notoriously evil alchemist's base of operations." the old witch inquired as she and the Shield Hero's party entered the partially hidden tunnel right next to the temple, "Strange though, I've never heard about a tunnel being here."

"According to the mining chief, nobody's dared to approach this place ever since monsters started nesting here." Naofumi informed as Rino grabbed two spare pieces of wood to create two standard torches to serve as light.

'You should also be weary of booby traps kohai.' Mash added in alarm, 'Alchemist are known to be an infamously secretive and conservative bunch. So chances are very high that this place also has traps that might be dangerous.'

'Roger that. Thanks for the heads up Mash-senpai.' Naofumi replied before turning his attention back to his companions.

"If this evil alchemist is as notorious as you claim to be, then chances are high that we not only have to worry about monster attacks, but from possible booby traps as well. Keep your eyes peeled." the Shielder warned. The others quickly acknowledged his concerns and kept their guard up as they walked down the dark pathway.

Eventually, the group soon encountered an already opened treasure chest with a slab of stone right next to it.

"It's empty?" Raphtalia said in confusion as she thought that outsiders would have kept their distance from this place because of the possible dangers within.

"That's too bad." Rino sighed a bit in disappointment at fact that someone else beat them to it.

"Oh look, ancient writing." the elderly witch beamed as she noticed the surprisingly readable encryptions on the rock surface. Reading them aloud for the others to understand its message.

"We fervently pray that this seed never makes it out of this tunnel. It is a horribly twisted manifestation of our wish that nobody would feel the pangs of hunger ever again in this world."

"Looks like some bandits may have already released it." Naofumi theorized briefly before urging everyone to keep moving. Leaving the empty chest behind, they continued their journey in a linked passageway that Guinevere pointed out to them.

After a few minutes of walking in the surprisingly trap free tunnels, they soon encountered a sizable monster footprint that definitely spells bad news. But just as the group were about trek deeper into the alchemist's caves, a gust of wind came out of nowhere and extinguished the torches that Naofumi and Rino were holding.

And that's when the false voices came...

Naofumi heard Raphtalia say that she plans to both literally and figuratively stab him in the back once the Shielder's guard is down during this side trip.

Raphtalia heard Naofumi say that he will abandon her without a second if the situation suites him.

Rino heard that Naofumi plans to tie her up and rape her brains out once they find a suitable dark room somewhere here to do the deed. Then he would sell her broken and defiled body to the highest bidder at the nearest slave auction.

Guinevere is by far the one who's affected the worst as she heard the fake voices of her mommy and daddy saying that they never loved her. That her parental figures wouldn't think twice to abandon her and sell her away in favor of a dragon mount. At this, she began to slightly whimper and cry as her positive attitude began to fade away with fear and trepidation taking its place.

"Don't let the voices mislead you!" the old witch exclaimed as she recognized the trap that they just sprung upon themselves.

'She's right everyone! Don't be afraid, none of the awful things you heard just now are real!' Mash said in firm assurance to everyone in her Kohai's party with her telepathy. Rapidly browsing through all the Shield forms that her Kohai had unlocked so far as she looked for at least one shield that might help them in their predicament.

Upon hearing Mash's assurance, Naofumi and the girls were able to calm themselves down, even for only a little bit. The old witch also gave her support as she explained the nature of the monster trap that they have just stepped in

"The monster were trying to provoke you. They do it by saying the last things you want to hear and the last voices you want saying them."

'How nasty is that.' werethe collective thoughts of everyone as they continued to resist hearing the false voices of the people they trusted.

'I found it kohai!' Mash-senpai exclaimed in Naofumi's head as she automatically morphed the Legendary Shield into the [Multipurpose Orb Shield] , 'Tell everyone to close their eyes!'

'Right!'

As the others heeded the Shielder's warning and shut their eyes closed, the Legendary Shield released an incredibly bright light. Effectively blinding all of the trap monsters and halting the fake voices that they were hearing.

"It worked! The voices stopped!" Raphtalia said in relief.

"And now let's make sure it stays that way. As source of thy power I order thee, decipher the laws of nature and protect us from mental assaults. Fast Anti-Mind right now!" the old witch casted her spell.

A bright, yet not so blinding, light enveloped the group as a semi-physical barrier formed around the group. Protecting them from any further psychological attacks from the monsters. As the bat like monsters flew all over the narrow pathway in disoriented abandon, Guinevere stepped in with righteous rage in her eyes.

"How dare you make me hear those terrible things with mommy and daddy's voices!" the filolial screeched in anger before furiously flapping her wings. Blowing all of the bat like monsters away and slamming them at the nearby wall. Killing all of them quite easily with that one attack.

"Well then, is everyone okay?" the old witch asked in worry. After all, average Adventurers who went through that kind of trap for the first time were usually traumatized by the experience.

They all answered that they're fine, if perhaps only feeling a little bit shaken. As everyone recuperated and re-lighting their torches, Naofumi went to pick up one of the [Voice Gengar] corpses and dropped it into his shield. Absorbing it and getting...

[Voice Gengar Shield (Bat Form) Unlocked]

[Quality: Low - Base Defense: 27]

[Mastery: 0/45 - Resonance: 0%]

[Equip Bonus: Sound Wave Endurance (Small)]

[Exclusive Ability: Megaphone]

Level 17 Required

'I don't see how that's going to come in handy.' Naofumi comments as he read the details of his newly acquired shield.

'Me neither.' Mash voiced out her agreement before adding, 'But who knows, it just might be useful in the right circumstances.'

Afterabsorbing a few more bat corpses to fully master the [Voice Gengar Shield] , Naofumi called out to everyone that it's time for them to keep going. But before doing so...

"Hey daddy" a slightly fidgeting Guinevere approached before asking with misty and fearful eyes, "You wouldn't go and abandon or sell me away will you?"

Naofumi blinked in brief confusion before quickly realizing what his daughter-figure heard from the evil voices.

'Oh Ginny.' the Senpai-kohai pair thought at the same time as the Shielder wrapped his arms around the filolial's feathered neck in assurance.

'We will never ever abandon or sell you away.' the two parental figures said in unison, 'You're our child after all.'

Guinevere stayed silent, but soon gave out a soft whimper of relief while leaning her head against her daddy for a few moments before separating. When Naofumi noticed Raphtalia and Rino looking at him in amusement, the Shielder looked away in slight embarrassment before speaking up.

"I don't know what you two heard from those evil voices, but just know that I won't be abandoning any of you. That's a promise that I vow to keep."

The two young woman nodded as a weight that they didn't know existed were removed from their chest. So after the assurance, all of them went back to journeying deeper into Alchemist's caves. Surprisingly, no more traps showed up and the group soon arrived at the mining area where a huge amount of gem deposits littered all over the walls and ceilings.ok

There was just one little problem... the magic gem mine has a monster for a guard dog. A creature with a tiger like body with a lion's mane and slithering viper for a tail.

"That's a Nue." the elderly witch said as she identified the creature standing guard over the gem stones, "It's a bit on the smaller side but still dangerous."

"This could be rough." Naofumi muttered as he assessed his options.

After using his [Appraisal Skill] , he found out that the beast in front of them is Level 35. Although the Level Gap between them and and the beast is to their advantage...

Largely thanks to the Level grinding that they have been doing in between villages, mostly letting Rino and Guinevere get more kills so the two can get more EXP...

Naofumi Iwatani - Level 36

Raphtalia - Level 37

Rino Izayoi - Level 28

Guinevere - Level 23

The fact still remains that the Nue is somewhat similar to the Chimera Wave Boss. Causing a reasonable measure of unease to the Shield Hero.

Unfortunately, either the girls were so motivated to fight... or they were simply eager to finish this expedition so they can get out of here. The Shield Hero's three female companions charged at the now awakened Nue with no plan or strategy whatsoever.

"Let's go!"

"No wait!" Naofumi's calls for them to come back were either ignored or his voice got drowned out by the Nue's roars as the female trio fought said monster.

"Cover for us, please." the Shielder requested to the elderly witch before charging forward to join the battle.

" "Rage Spike!/Piercing Javelin!" "

Raphtalia dashed forward as her sword shines a yellow light before performing a speedy 1-Hit piercing strike while Rino's spear glowed a bright crimson before throwing it at the Nue. Unfortunately, both Weapon Skills missed their mark as the Nue managed to dodge both attacks. Giving Raphtalia a not so powerful kick to knock her to the ground before lunging towards the now weaponless Rino.

"Aaaahh!!!"

Guinevere pushed Rino to safety as she performed a heavy drop kick at the Nue's head... but missed its intended target yet again. The creature annoyingly dodging the blow. But on the bright side, with the Nue so distracted by the girls, the beast failed to notice the old witch who just finished her spell chanting

"Zweit Fire Blast!"

"ROAR!" the creature wailed in pain as it's entire body got engulfed in flames. But despite the powerful spell, the monster's skin is thick enough for it to survive the attack.

With clear lust for vengeance in its wild eyes, the Nue tried to lunge towards the old mage...

CLANG!!!

but got its path obstructed by Naofumi who blocked the monster's sharp claws. The Shielder grunting in effort as his arms shook at the weight behind the Nue's vicious swipes.

Bzzzt!

'Kohai, use Shield Counter! Quick!'

'R-Right!' Naofumi stuttered in brief confusion. Having originally planned to pin the monster down for the others to attack it, he still hesitantly obeyed his senpai's order.

"Shield Counter!"

A green light quickly enveloped the Legendary Shield before releasing an energy wave, successfully pushing the Nue backwards. Seeing the chance to strike, Guinevere also dished out her own attack with one powerful kick to force the Nue away at a much safer distance...

GAAZZZZAAAPP!!!

just as the mixed up creature discharged a massive Area-of-Effect lightning attack. Silently explaining to Naofumi why Mash and Ginny were so worried and determined to push the Nue away at a safer distance.

"That was close." the Shielder sighed in relief as he barely escaped from getting electrocuted, "We need to avoid that lightning at all cost, but how are we going to attack it?"

Fortunately, the Nue seems to be taking a few seconds to catch its breath as using that lightning attack probably used up a sizable amount of its strength. As Naofumi pondered with Mash on possible solutions, Raphtalia decided to give her invisibility spell a try and attempted to sneak up on the Nue. Sadly, her attempt ended in failure as the monster noticed her presence and had its snake tail to attack. Forcing the Demi-Raccoon to retreat before she could even get close enough to get an attack in.

"How could it see her from behind." Naofumi asked out loud as Rino managed to rejoin him after just retrieving her spear.

"Well, it didn't see her, it heard her." Guinevere answered as she observed the creature that they're up against.

"That's right." Rino confirmed, "My father once told me that Nue's have terrible eyesight but have extremely sensitive hearing."

"Sensitive hearing huh..."

'In that case...'

' 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking Senpai/Kohai.' '

Without missing a beat, the Legendary Shield quickly transforms into the [Voice Gengar Shield] . The shield looking more like a megaphone with bat wings attached on both sides.

"Rino!" Naofumi called out as he positioned his arm with the attached shield in front of said Spearwoman while using his free hand to cover his left ear, "Yell into this thing as loudly as you can! Everyone, cover your ears!"

"R-Right!" Rino responded in a slight fluster but quickly obeyed, just as the others covered their respective ears with their hands. Though on Guinevere's case, her feathered wings.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

As Rino screamed at the top of her lungs, the [Voice Gengar Shield] did its job and amplified the volume several times over. Rino's scream becoming so loud that it successfully ruptured the Nue's eardrums and caused them to burst in a bloody mess. Leaving the monster stunned and completely vulnerable to attack.

"Nows our chance!" Naofumi declared as he briefly massaged his still throbing right ear as it wasn't protected from the amplified scream. Shifting his shield into his favored [Vibranium Shield] , "Kill it! Now!"

Not needing to be told twice, everyone released a flurry of attacks...

"Zweit Fire Blast!"

"Vorpal Strike!"

"Quick Thrust!"

"Shield Cannon!"

Everyone fired there respective attacks at the Nue before finishing it off with one Guinevere's skull crushing kicks, the Nue falling back in a bloody mess. With the monster guardian out of the way, everyone finally relaxed their guard.

After scolding the three girls for their reckless behavior, Naofumi gave the three their respective orders. Raphtalia and Rino were ordered to collect as much gemstones as they can from the walls and ceilings. Guinevere, on the other hand, was told to look around if she could find anymore valuables that the alchemist has left behind. The elderly witch volunteering to help the young filolial as Ginny might not notice the more well hidden valuables.

With everyone busy, Naofumi went to work in absorbing all that he can from the Nue's corpse. He absorbed one of the gemstones at the off chance that he might get something useful. Receiving a few new shields that increases his resistance against lightning attacks along with 2 particular Shield that gives a rather weird but interesting abilities...

[Thunder Ear Shield Unlocked]

[Quality: Unique - Base Defense: 35]

[Mastery: 0/55 - Resonance: 0%]

[Equip Bonus: Lightning Resistance(Small)]

[Exclusive Ability: Hearing Amplification]

Level 27 Required

[Crystal Ore Shield Unlocked]

[Quality: Uncommon - Base Defense: 50]

[Mastery: 0/75 - Resonance: 0%]

[Equip Bonus: Fine Crafting 1]

Level 20 Required

Long story short, this expedition became quite the successful endeavor. Not only did they collected a large amount of excess gemstones, but Guinevere and the witch did actually found some valuables hidden among the clusters of gemstones. With a little seal breaking from the witch's part, they were able to get the materials sealed within.

Discovering several books about alchemy and magic that can potentially improve Naofumi's gem crafting by enhancing a gemstone's quality...

Several books with outdated maps and information that show where to find the rare herbs that can be used for alchemy...

And unexpectedly, a few scrolls that teaches spearmanship.

'That's a bit confusing.' Naofumi asked in confusion, 'Why would a so-called evil alchemist have several scrolls that teaches spearmanship?'

'I'm not a hundred percent sure, but it's possible that the evil alchemist used this spear style in conjunction with his/her magic staff. Alchemist are what you can call part time mages after all.' Mash speculated in accordance with her borrowed memories from Sir Galahad along with her own experiences in Chaldea, 'Mages in ancient times were all pretty much required to learn combat. As more often than not, many mages were forced to participate in conflicts and warfare. I know for a fact that the Great Wizard Merlin was an accomplished combatant with a sword and spear. He would switch between materializing a sword from his magic or using his staff as a make shift spear, depending on the situation he finds himself in while using his spells in conjunction.'

'Wow... I already knew that you are Sir Galahad's successor. But it's still pretty amazing to hear things about those great heroes of old.'

After thanking his senior Shielder for the explanation, Naofumi and his party quickly made their journey back to Castle town.

By the time the group arrived back in Castle town, the sun is already starting to set.

But despite everyone's exhaustion, Naofumi decided to push forward so no more time could be wasted. They all went straight to the kind witch's shop and had Guinevere start weaving the magic thread that she needed for her clothes. The Shielder also made sure to leave behind a pouch full of more gemstones to serve as payment for the elderly witch's help from the previous day.

The group then quickly handed over Guinevere's magic thread to the overly enthusiastic dress maker so she can finally start her so-called "next masterpiece". Telling them the orders would be ready by tomorrow morning. With nothing else to do, they all turned in for the night at a local Inn.

At the very next day, the group returned and Guinevere excitedly changed into her long awaited dress.

"Well, how do I look daddy? Alright?" Guinevere happily questioned as she stepped out of the changing room. The humanoid filolial now wearing a white sleeveless dress with golden star designs. It also had tail capes and bracers covering her thumbs with white stockings finished up with rather stylish female boots. Her hair being arranged in a partial twin tails with two flower hairclips holding them in place.

"You look absolutely terrific."

Naofumi smiled in satisfaction while holding his head steady. Largely because of the ear piercing squeals that Mash has inadvertently bombarded him with at the sight of Guinevere's cute yet elegant dress.

"Yay! Thank you daddy!" Guinevere cheered as she jumped up and gave the Shield Hero a big hug.

'You look absolutely adorable Ginny!'

'Thanks mommy!'

Raphtalia and Rino weren't much better as they both complemented and doted on how the design of the dress fitted the young filolial perfectly.

"She's darling!" the dressmaker exclaimed with great enthusiasm despite her disheveled hair and bags under her eyes, which indicates that she worked on the outfit all night, "I did my very best to bring out every last bit of Guinevere's angelic charm with a good dose of elegance and I think I did a hell of a job!"

Naofumi couldn't really do anything but agree with the woman at the quality of her masterwork and was more than willing to pay for it with a sizable tip for a job well done.

This entire quest regarding Guinevere's new clothes would have ended perfectly right then there...

if it wasn't for the one last parting gift that the dressmaker accidentally gave them when Guinevere asked a really awkward question... or rather, a series of questions.

"Hey Daddy, who's Arthur? I think heard you talk about someone named Arthur. But I wasn't paying attention so I never found out. Is he really my fiance? If he is, does that mean he will become my mate and have eggs with me someday?"

Needless to say, no one, not even Mash, wanted to answer the still very much innocent Guinevere's questions...

They all knew that the dressmaker never meant any harm. So they can't really punish her or anything! Which means, all they can do is curse the dressmaker for asking such awkward questions to innocent Guinevere and then leaving it to them to deal with the aftermath!

' ' ' 'THAT WOMAN!!!' ' ' '

NEW VOTING POLLS:

1.) I'm thinking about using one of the 3 villages that were messed up by the stooge Heroes in the anime to act as Rino's home village. This will act as the catalyst that will bring more character development for Rino and while also improving her relationship with Naofumi, Raphtalia and Guinevere.

- Motoyasu's plant mess in Lerno village

- Itsuki's revolution mess in the Northern territories

- Not a catastrophic clean up like what Ren did but more like helping Eugeo in fixing the monster ecosystem that was messed up by Gaelion's sudden departure.

2.) In the anime canon, Naofumi wasn't REALLY able to fix the damage that Itsuki made at the Northern Territories. All he was able to do is provide some food to the few refugees that managed to survive the chaos and escape with their lives.

So I ask all my readers, do you guys want me to write a story arc of Naofumi and Eugeo fixing the humongous mess that Itsuki made at the Northern territories?

- Yes

- No

3.) It goes without saying that Yamai and Kurumi would be released from slavery. But I'm still stuck in making a decision on when and where they will make their appearances.

So I ask, when and where do you readers want Yamai and Kurumi to make their appearance in the story?

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!