Erhard was not in a good mood this morning. One of the first things he heard after he woke up for the day was news of how the shield hero raped a female adventurer. Suffice to say the blacksmith was both disgusted and angered. He swore that the next time he saw the shield hero again he would deck him in the face.

That was before the trial was broadcasted for everyone to see. He and everyone within the city saw how the shield hero and his group scared the king out of his throne, before pointing out the many holes within the first princess's testimony. Practically tearing it to shreds.

Just when the blacksmith was Just about convinced the kid was innocent, The video evidence the shield hero's group showed pretty much sealed the deal. Any anger and disgust Erhard felt toward the shield hero were now directed toward the first princess.

He and everyone else in the city were also concerned about the idea of the whole world declaring war on Melromarc. At first, he and everyone else were just so excited as well as relieved that the cardinal heroes were summoned to protect the people of Melromarc from the Waves, that such an idea didn't even cross anyone's mind. But now, not only did people have to worry about the waves but also war as well, especially with kingdoms such as Faubrey and Silvelt.

"Can you believe the first princess would do such a thing?"

"I'm not so surprised considering she has done this kind of thing before, but to try to do that to the shield hero and his companions…"

"Yeah, it's a good thing The queen gave the title of crown princess to her other daughter."

"I agree, I shudder at what it would be like under Malty's rule."

"The king's no better as he allowed his grudge against the previous shield hero to try and wrongly convict him, as well as attempting to execute his companions for simply defending him."

"I swear the king must be losing his mind."

"I'll say, what was he thinking in summoning all four heroes into Melromarc? Does he want the whole world to declare war on us!?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if Silvelt wanted to declare war on us right now for what that idiotic king tried to do. I hope queen Mirelira can convince the other nations to not attack us."

"The spear hero also seems to be just as gullible as the king as well."

Yeah because of that, the populace's overall opinion of the king lowered drastically. The only ones Erhard was certain that bought into that sham of a trial would be the fanatics of the Three Heroes Church. Then again those guys would claim the shield hero assaulted someone if he so much grazed them.

He let out a sigh as he looked across the streets of the city from the front of his shop, hoping to catch a certain group before they left the city. It wasn't long until he saw who he was looking for. The other people on the streets noticed them as well and kept a respectful distance from the group, all the while giving sympathetic looks towards them.

The shield hero and his two female companions walked down the street, each wearing visible frowns on their faces. Erhard couldn't really blame them at all, considering what happened, and what could have happened if the king had his way.

"Hey, you kids!" Erhard called out to the group, causing the three of them to look at the blacksmith with a curious expression. Erhard simply nodded to his shop. The shield hero and his companions looked at the blacksmith for a moment, as if gauging him. He can't blame them for not trusting him immediately, considering what happened. They then looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation before the shield hero shrugged his shoulders, looked at Erhard, and nodded his head. With that, the three followed the blacksmith into his shop.


"I got to say, you guys sure gave everyone a surprised this morning," Erhard said with his arms crossed. His words earning confused looks for the three individuals he invited into his shop.

"What do you mean Erhard-san," Nanoha asked curiously.

"I'm talking about how you all pretty much stood up to the king and called him and the princess out," He explained.

"How do you know about all that, we only just left the castle," the blond asked.

"The "trial" was broadcasted live for everyone in the city to see," Erhard stated with an amused smirk on his face, "got to say you kids sure did put on quite the show tearing up the princess accusation and proving your innocence."

The shield hero let out a light chuckle.

"Wow, that must have really backfired on the king didn't it," Ben said, slightly amused, "though I thought he would have word claiming I was a rapist spread around town around the time of the trial."

"Oh, he did, in fact, pretty much everyone woke up to the knights' announcement of the princess' accusation of you, except for the part that she was the princess of course."

"Of course they did," Fate muttered in anger.

"Honestly, It disgusts me that bastard of a king and that bitch would try to paint Ben-Kun as a rapist and sell me and Fate-chan into slavery, just because Ben-Kun was chosen to wield the shield," Nanoha exclaimed in barley contained fury, as she emitted pink aura, "It took everything I had to not cast a starlight-breaker right on top of them!"

"I don't blame you cuz, but again we all know that just outright attacking the king and princess like that isn't going to help us," Ben explained as he reasoned with the girl, "Especially if we accidentally destroy the castle, if not the city, in the process."

Erhard wasn't going to ask, he didn't want to ask. As crazy as it sounded, he couldn't help but feel that the shield kid's statement wasn't an exaggeration, especially with the amount of mana the girl was emitting right now.

The girl in question took a deep breath and the pink aura died down

"I know Ben-Kun, it's just what they tried to do really infuriates me to no end," Nanoha said as she lowered her arms to her side, "especially when that horrible woman called you a "pathetic loser" and called Fate-chan a "Whore"! If anyone was that it would be that rotten princess!"

Erhard raised an eyebrow to that, "You mean you heard the rumors about her?"

"You mean that she used this accusation on other people before, then yeah we know," Ben said darkly, the frown on his, Nanoha's, and Fate's face deepening.

Actually, Erhard was mostly referring to how the princess liked to sleep with multiple men, but he guessed that was still relevant.

"I still can't believe that she is capable of getting away with such atrocities," Fate said in disgust.

Erhard let out a sigh as he scratched his head, "Yeah the princess often accuses others of assaulting her whenever the Queen is too busy with her duties."

Erhard lowered his arm and looked directly toward the shield hero, "Though there is one thing I want to be certain of kid, do you mean it?"

Ben looked at the blacksmith in confusion.

"What you said back during the trial, about how you didn't care about the king slandering your name and that you're still going to help people," Erhard clarified, "did you really mean it?"

"Of course I did," Ben said without hesitation, "I really don't care what that jerk wants to do to my name, I only care about helping other people."

Erhard let out a chuckle.

"You're something else kid," he said with a smile, "Most would have just called it quits if they were in your shoes."

"Eh, we're kind of use to being wrongly accused," Ben remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. Erhard raised an eyebrow in curiosity but didn't say anything, "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know any good places to level up?"

"There's a mining town called lute not too far from here, that's a good place to start."

Fate pulled out a map of the country and presented it out to him, Erhard pointed to where he knew Lute village was. The group thanked him.

"Are you guys going to be hanging around in Melromarc?" The blacksmith asked in curiosity.

"To be honest, Yeah," Ben said as he scratched the back of his head, "don't get me wrong, we can easily travel to another country even if the king tries to stop us, however, we don't know if the other nations are any better at the moment, and there's the whole political issue going on right now. We're not certain whether or not a war would break out if we just left right now."

"More importantly, we're pretty certain that we're going to be needed here to make sure things don't get worse," Fate spoke up, "and given what the king tried to do as well as Motoyasu being wrapped around his daughter's finger…"

"You three are worried that the King and first princess are going to abuse the fact the queen is absent and make a mess of things, as well as more or less use the spear hero to do their bidding, is that right?" Erhard asked, more or less understanding what the girl was talking about, to which she nodded.

"Right, we need to stay and keep an eye on them to make sure they don't cause any issues for the kingdom's people."

"Welp all I can say is good luck out there you kids," Erhard said with a smile, "also I'm more than happy to provide my service, and I know a few people around here that would also be just as happy as well.

"Thanks man," Ben said with a smile as he shook the blacksmith's hand, followed up by both Nanoha and Fate. Erhard couldn't help but notice that all three of them each had a strong grip.

"It's no problem," the blacksmith said with a smile as the three exited his shop, "and you be careful out there alright!"

In all honesty, Erhard didn't need to say that, nor did those three need luck. He saw the look in their eyes, while they were angry at what happened, they haven't wavered in the least. In fact, they had the kind of eyes he would only see in veteran adventures. The kind of eyes that you only get from experience. They were going to be just fine, no matter what this world threw at them.


One of the first things Ren did after leaving that kangaroo trial was head toward the Inn where Ben and his party, as well as Motoyasu, stayed last night. He went from guest to guest around the inn, as well as the people who worked there, and asked questions about last night.

Sure enough, everything they said pretty much supports Ben's group's defense.

...

Pun not intended.

No one else saw Ben drinking any alcohol last night and even the people who worked at the inn even said Ben didn't order any either. Not only that, many of the people who stayed at the inn last night didn't hear anything that would indicate a struggle that Malty's testimony would suggest. Only a few people said they heard crying followed by angry yelling through the walls, but it only came from Motoyasu's room.

He didn't really need to do this in all honesty. What Ben and his friends showed back at the castle was more than enough proof of the shield hero's innocence, but at the same time, it didn't hurt to confirm.

And it wasn't a waste of time either as he was asking the people around the Inn, he learned a little more about the nation. For one thing, human slavery is illegal, enslaving demi-humans on the other hand is legal. In fact, the church of the three heroes encourages the practice of the latter. Something that disgusted Ren completely. Though he should have suspected this considering the church's strong belief in human supremacy.

The Queen was apparently trying her best to end slavery altogether within the country, but it wasn't easy due to the number of nobles as well as the church itself blocking her progress as much as possible.

Though there was one piece of information that once again shocked the sword hero.

"I'll be honest I was very doubtful about the accusation against the shield hero when I learned that it was the princess who claimed he raped her," a heavyweight adventurer, who wielded a sword as large as he was tall, said as he drank his beer.

"What do you mean?" Ren frowned in confusion as well as curiosity.

"Mainly due to the fact that the princess is highly known to be a conniving liar, as well as the fact that she pulled this stunt numerous times before."

'What?' Ren stiffens at that, his frown deepening, "You mean she accused other people of raping her before?"

"Yup, many times in fact. From nobles who supported equal rights for demi-human to various merchants, and even that one guy who was running an orphanage. She accused so many people that many started to doubt she ever been raped in the first place," the adventure leaned closer to the sword hero, and in a whisper, said, "and from what I heard she still keeps on flirting with random men."

"And what happened to them?" Ren asked grimly, he had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to be an answer he was going to like.

"Well rape is one of the most severe crimes there is in this country and most other countries," The adventurer explained grimly as he returned to his normal posture, "and in Melromarc, the punishment for that is death."

Ren clenched his hands into fists in anger. He knew that woman was a lying bitch, but he didn't think she was a serial killer. Though considering that she wanted to sell Nanoha and Fate into slavery, he shouldn't be so surprised. It still angered him.

If it wasn't for the fact that Ben was the shield hero, he would have been executed had the trial went the way the king and princess wanted.

"Didn't the Queen do anything about it?"

"That I don't really know the answer to," the adventure admitted, "All I do know is that whenever the first princess accuses someone of rape, it's her father that always acts as judge. My guess is that the queen is too busy with other stuff at those moments to do anything until it's too late."

"I see," Ren simply said as he frowned, "thanks for the info."

"No problem sword hero," the adventurer replied as he took another sip of his drink, "though I don't know what the king and first princess are thinking pulling a stunt like this, there's no way the queen is going to be happy with them when she returns, and it's not like she's going to be gone forever."

"What do you think she's going to do?"

The adventurer simply shrugged his shoulders, "Beats me, all I know is Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially if said woman is both a wife and a mother."

Ren sweatdropped a bit as well as cringed. He hasn't met the queen yet, but he does recall the times when his own mother was angry. Considering what the queen's husband and daughter did, the queen would no doubt be many times angrier than his own mother has ever had been. Things are not going to be pretty when she comes back. The sword hero almost felt pity for the two. Almost being the keyword, especially where Malty was concerned.

Seriously, what were those idiots thinking?


Pope Balmus was...disappointed, for a lack of a better word. The shield devil evaded justice by proving his "innocence" at the trial this morning.

There was also the manner of the shield devil's speech. Not only did the devil claim that the king's attempt to show everyone his true nature didn't really bother him, but he also claimed he would "protect" everyone. Both humans, and those disgusting Demi-humans. His speech caused a number of the masses to start to doubt the church's teachings regarding the shield.

The pope sent out priests to remind everyone of the devil's nature, that he was simply trying to trick them into lowering their guard before he unleashes his unholy horde. However only the most faithful truly believed their words.

The Pope let out a sigh as he looked down toward the failures before him. They hung their heads in both shame and fear.

"I instructed you to remove the two individuals that came here with the shield devil, as doing so would take away any aid he would have," the Pope pauses for a moment as he let his word sink in, "Now due to you failing to accomplish this task the both of those women were able to come to the devil's defense, and a woman's testimony is taken very seriously in this country. As such, many within the kingdom believe the shield devil is innocent."

'It also doesn't help that the first princess is widely known to be a conniving liar,' the pope thought to himself before continuing, "Even if the trial went as it should have and showed everyone the shield's true heinous nature, he would still have them to aid him in gaining strength."

"I am sorry your holiness," the commander who was at the trial cried out, as he knelt before the pope, "I tried to apprehend them this morning, but when I arrived at the shield devil's room, no one wa-"

"It's alright my child, I understand perfectly that it wasn't your fault they eluded you," Balmus interrupted the commander, raising his hand in reassurance. The commander looked up in surprise and confusion, to which the pope smiled before continuing, "If the video they presented in the trial was of any indication, the three of them likely knew you would arrive the moment Malty came to the spear hero. They no doubt vacated the area and snuck into the castle hours before you were even ordered to arrest them."

The commander let out a sigh of relief, apparently glad that it wasn't his fault for what happened, and that he wouldn't be punished for it. The pope then turned his attention toward the three shadows who also knelt down in front of him.

"You three on the other hand don't share such an excuse," the pope stated his smile fading, and his voice causing them to flinch.

"We apologize, your holiness, we tried to eliminate the two women but they proved too much for us," one of the shadows said.

"Explain," Balmus simply ordered.

"I shadowed the blond woman, waiting for a perfect opportunity to strike, such a moment presented itself when she walked into a secluded alley," one shadow explained," However before I could even eliminate her, she disappeared from my sight. The next thing I knew she was behind me, holding a bardiche to my throat."

The pope couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. After all, not just anyone could get a drop on a shadow. He nodded for the shadow to continue their story.

"She began to ask me questions, however, I refused to answer any of them. I was then restrained in magic bindings, similar to what happened to the spear hero, and the woman removed my mask. She then began searching me, no doubt for any clues as to who I am and my connections, and then confiscated all of the equipment that I had," the shadow then clenched one of their hands into a fist, "that wretch even had the audacity to take away my three heroes rosary!"

The pope saw the shadow shake in obvious rage, not only in failing their task but also in shame in having been discovered and unable to prevent their rosary from being taken away.

"And what happened after that?"

"I do not know, I heard electricity and then blacked out."

"I see," Balmus said simply, before looking toward another shadow.

"My experience was very much similar to that of my comrade's, I also shadowed the other woman into a secluded ally. I was about to cut her down when she fired a bolt of pink mana in my general vicinity, before ordering me to reveal myself. Naturally, I tried to flee, but as I was escaping another bolt of mana struck me and I collapsed out into the open. Before I could try to escape again, my limbs were bound in pink mana rings. She then removed my mask and pointed a strange staff in my face before attempting to interrogate me. I kept my silence, but just like my comrade, she also searched me and confiscated all of my belongings, including my rosary. My world was then engulfed in pink before I lost consciousness."

Balmus could easily see both shadows were frustrated and ashamed, their pride ruthlessly crushed by the shield devil's companions.

"And what of the shadow that was assigned to the shield hero," the pope asked.

"We do not know, though if he is as observant as his companions, the shield devil no doubt discovered them. After which they were probably killed, either by the shield devil himself, or the queen's own shadows."

The Pope let out a thought full hum to that. It's would not be so much of a surprise that the queen's own shadows were also keeping an eye on the heroes as well. He also figured that the only reason why the two other shadows were still alive might be because the queen's shadows didn't observe them for whatever reason.

"And what of last night, did none of you try to eliminate them within the inn?"

"I tried to enter their room last night, but like the door, the window was locked," the last shadow spoke up, "I managed to use magic to unlock the latches, however as I snuck through the window…"

The shadow paused and seemed to squirm uncomfortably, something the pope easily noticed.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Y-yes your holiness, there is," the shadow admitted, "the moment I entered the room I must have passed out."

The shadow then clenched their head and trembled, "I then had the vilest dream where I mingled with those disgusting demi-humans in Silvelt. I even went as far as to tell them the secrets I knew, every secret I knew, AND ALL WITH A CHEERFUL SMILE ON MY FACE!"

Everyone in the room was shocked by what the shadow said, and was even taken aback when the shadow slammed their head down on the floor and began to sob. It was quite a pitiful sight to witness, and the implications revealed disturbed everyone.

"I-if it wasn't for th-the fact that I wa-was restrained in magical bindings, I would have sli-slit my own throat the moment I wok-woke up," the shadow explained between sobs.

Pope Balmus frowned in thought. What the shadow described was very strange. It could be the result of some kind of magic, but a spell like that would take time to learn. Much longer than the time the heroes were here for. After all, the individuals summoned were more often than not just regular people in their previous worlds. Though considering the shield devil's companions' abilities shown at the trial this morning, as well as the fact that both of them were able to detect the shadows, it could be possible that the shield devil's group wasn't average.

"You've done well in telling the truth my child," Balmus said with a smile, causing the shadow to look up towards him, "However, I'm afraid that you have proven to be weak-minded in allowing yourself to fall victim to something such as this, and have become...an inconvenience."

"I understand your holiness," the shadow said calmly as they looked down in shame before another shadow came up and silently slit their throat.

He thought about what he learned. The shield devil's group has proven to be significantly stronger as well as more clever than he thought. How much more he had no idea, and considering that they were able to detect, as well capture, the church's shadows he doubts that he'll be able to learn more about their capabilities so easily.

"So what do we do now, your holiness," one of his devotees asked.

"For now we continue as planned," the pope said, "while we don't know how powerful the devil and his companions are, we can put efforts into ensuring that he's is not strong enough to survive the next wave."

"But what if he does survive?"

"Then we ensure that our glorious heroes are strong enough to be able to fulfill their destiny and deliver righteous justice down upon the vile devil once and for all!"

Yes even if the vile shield devil has proven to be more of a challenge than he hoped, it won't change anything. The devil the demi-humans worship would be slain, Melromarc and Melromarc alone would be defended by the waves thanks to the three heroes, and once all was said and done the world will be as it rightfully should be, with him at the top.


Queen Mirelia was not in a good mood. It started when the nation of Faubley tried to summon one of the heroes, only for nothing to happen. Then reports came in stating that all four heroes were summoned in Melromarc.

Suffice to say, the leaders of the other nations were furious, and some even went as far as to accuse her of trying to steal all the heroes for herself. She couldn't blame them, she herself was just as furious as well, and just as confused.

Before she left Melromarc, she left her right-hand man and close friend, Lord Seaetto, in charge of the kingdom while she met with the other nations' leaders. She trusted the man and considered him to be a close friend. He was one of the very few advocates that shared her belief in ensuring equal rights for demi-humans and helped considerably in that regard. He even went as far as to create independent villages for demi-humans to live in. So Mirelia found it very hard to believe that he would do such a thing.

Which probably meant something happened to him, and if that was the case then no doubt her husband Aultcray was now running the kingdom. Even then she still found it hard to believe her own husband could betray her like that, but that still didn't mean he couldn't be manipulated. That was the reason why she didn't entrust the kingdom to him in the first place. While Aultcray used to be a wise man and an excellent tactician in the past, he became a shadow of his former self. When their daughter Malty came around, Aultcray completely spoiled her rotten, giving her anything she wanted and letting her get away with just about anything she did. This in turn resulted in Malty becoming nothing more than a spoiled brat, and thus why Mirelia name Melty is heir to the throne.

Even to this day, Aultcray does whatever Malty asks of him, so it's highly likely that she manipulated him into summoning all four of the heroes. But if Malty was the culprit, the question is why. What did she hope to gain from this?

Mirelia let out a sigh, there was no point in speculating at the moment. At least not without more information on the situation.

"You're majesty, I have information for you to hear I dare say," a voice said softly from outside the window behind the queen.

'Ah, perfect timing,' the queen thought to herself.

"Tell me, is it true? Were all four of the Cardinal heroes summoned in Melromarc?" the queen asked without turning toward the shadow.

"Unfortunately yes your majesty, princess Malty convinced your husband into summoning all four of them with the aid of the three heroes church I dare say."

"Three heroes church, for what reason," Mirelia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're not sure your majesty, we witnessed her talking with one of their members before the summoning. About what, we're not sure I dare say."

The queen found that strange. While Malty shares the church's racist views regarding demi-humans, she still wasn't a religious type. In fact, Malty even showed dislike toward the church, especially toward the pope. So why is she now mingling with them? For whatever reason, she doubted it was good.

"And what of Lord Seaetto, I doubt he would allow something like this to happen?" Mirelia asked, but she already knew the answer.

"He died during the first wave trying to defend Lurolona village, though we have reasons to believe that the three heroes church was responsible for his death I dare say," the Shadow explained. Mirelia pressed her lips together into a thin line, upset at the loss of both a close friend and powerful ally.

"The village was however relatively intact by the time the wave was over with surprisingly little death," the shadow continued, the news bringing a pleasant surprise to the queen, but that didn't last very long, "However, your husband authorized for it to be deconstructed I dare say."

"He did what?" Mirelia asked in a dangerously low tone. She knew Aultcray hated demi-humans with a passion, but she didn't imagine that he would go against her and attempt to undo her hard work.

"He ordered the knights and nobles to tear down Lurolona village, which many were apparently excited for. Though thankfully they were repelled and chased out of the lands by a small band of individuals I dare say."

Mirelia was once again pleasantly surprised, as well as curious.

"Really now, that's a relief," Mirelia said, calming down a bit. She was glad that the people of Lurolona village were protected, but for how long she truly didn't know. She'll have to send a letter to Aultcray demanding he leave all of the demi-human villages alone and hope he listens, "do you know who these individuals are?"

"No, we don't I dare say," the shadow admitted, "What we can say for certain is that their clothing resembles that what the heroes usually wear when they're summoned I dare say. We also have reason to believe that they were the ones who put an end to the wave I dare say."

"Interesting," the queen thought out loud before deciding to address another issue, "How about the shield hero, I hope my husband has been treating him as an equal among the three other heroes?"

Aultcray better be. He's done enough to jeopardize things with his stupidity. The last thing anybody needed was for him to make things worse than they already are, and mistreating one of the heroes meant to protect the world all because of a grudge against the previous shield hero would not be helpful in the least.

"I'm afraid not your majesty, at first the king tolerated the shield hero at most, however on the second day after the heroes were summoned the king attempted to falsely charge the shield hero with the crime of raping princess Malty I dare say," the shadow explained, "Even after the shield hero and his companions presented the holes within princess Malty's testimony, as well as shown video-graphic evidence, the king still refused to proclaim the shield hero innocent. He even wanted to have the shield hero's companions executed for simply defending him. The shield hero did not take too kindly to that I dare say."

Mirelia was unable to resist having one of her brows twitch in irritation. Of all the times for Malty to pull one of her disgusting stunts, and on the shield hero no less. As well as Aultcray, why couldn't he just use his common sense instead of foolishly convicting one of the heroes the world needs? Don't those two realize just how severe the consequences of their actions are? How close the whole world is in going to war against Melormarc? It was only by means of her bluffing, as well as a bit of persuasion, that managed to prevent that very thing from happening. When she returns, she'll…

Mirelia took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Now wasn't the time to get angry. For now, she needed to continue listening to what else the shadow had to say, and from there think of some way to salvage this mess.

"The shield heroes companions, are they alright?" she asked hopefully, the shield hero needed all the help he could get in order to get stronger and combat the waves.

"Yes, the king did not continue after the shield hero threatened his life."

"I see well, that's a relief to hear," the queen said with a small smile, "I'm also glad to hear that the shield hero has companions. From what you told me I would have expected Aultcray to try and prevent him from gaining any."

"Actually, your majesty, the companions the shield hero has are individuals who followed him from his original world I dare say," the Shadow explained.

This surprised the queen a bit, while it wasn't unheard of for multiple individuals being summoned alongside the intended heroes, it was still extremely rare. Rare enough that most wouldn't know it was possible unless they were deeply invested in the lore of the cardinal weapons like she is.

"Also, even if any of the adventurers the king brought in wanted to join the shield hero's party, they would have been turned down by the shield hero himself I dare say," the Shadow continued, "The shield hero's group did not trust the king, and instead decided to venture out by themselves. Princess Malty attempted to join his party but was also denied I dare say."

"How are you certain that the shield hero didn't trust the king?" the queen asked out of curiosity.

"He told me himself I dare say," the shadow admitted, causing the queen to raise her eyebrow in curiosity, "As I was observing him the day before the trial, the shield hero was able to detect both me, as well as a nearby shadow of the church, and demanded the both of us to reveal ourselves. He even made a point of throwing stones in our respected general vicinities. When the church's shadow attempted to flee, they were quickly restrained by his shield. I decided to cooperate with his demands, I dare say."

"That's quite impressive for the shield hero to detect you and the church's shadow," Mirelia said with a smirk, "did you discuss anything with the shield hero?"

"Yes your majesty we did, and he's willing to cooperate with you I dare say," the shadow stated, "However, he wants proof that he can trust you before then I dare say."

That was honestly the best news Mirelia heard all day. She was honestly worried the shield hero would be just as distrustful of her as he is with Aultcray, especially after what the king tried to do to him. While yes, the shield hero wanted insurance that he can trust her, it simply showed he was cautious. This was good considering there are many individuals both within Melromarc and outside of the country, even Siltvelt, who would want to take advantage of the heroes.

If she can earn the shield hero's trust, then it would make the manner of exposing the corruptive elements that were responsible for this whole mess significantly easier. Maybe even be able to disband that abhorrent cult if she was lucky. However for now…

"I believe one of the best ways for the shield hero to trust us is for you to become his slave," Mirelia suggested, confusing the shadow for a moment, "Once he sees that those imprinted with the slave crest are unable to lie or disobey their master, that could show we are trustworthy and help build trust between us. Especially with you as a means of communication between us."

"I understand your majesty I dare say," the shadow said, "but what if the shield hero decides to betray you? With the slave crest he could use me against you I dare say."

"As I said this would help build trust between us, by having you bound to him with the slave crest it would show him that I trust him," the queen explained, to which the shadow acknowledged.

While they weren't exactly keen on the idea, the shadow understood the necessity of it. The shield hero and his group didn't give their trust so easily. Understandable really, as they're in unfamiliar territory. It's especially important considering that they, by all accounts, are deep within enemy territory.

And considering what they witnessed so far of the shield hero and his companions' capabilities, they needed to earn his trust.

"And before I forget, but do you know of the shield hero's name?" the queen asked.

"The shield hero refers to himself as Ben Tennyson I dare say."

"Ben Tennyson," the queen repeated, getting a feel for the shield hero's name. Something in her gut told her that this man would prove to be very interesting.

"Is there anything else I should know?

"The shield hero's group appears to be under the impression that the king is hoping that your meetings with the other nations would be extended due to the current situation so as to delay your return I dare say."

"And thus giving him more time to rule," the Queen concluded. In all honesty, while she understood why the shield hero's group would think that, Mirelia knew for a fact Aultcray wouldn't intentionally do that for such a reason. Though while Aultcray wouldn't seek to ensure she was out of the picture as much as possible, it didn't mean there weren't those who would. Her daughter Malty being one example, as well as the Church of the Three Heroes. Malty would no doubt take advantage of Mirelia's absence to get away with things she normally wouldn't if the queen was around, and Aultcray wouldn't so much as bat an eye at it. The Church would no doubt try to use Aultcray's hatred of the demi-humans to further their own agendas, no doubt with the help of Malty.

However, that still doesn't excuse him for betraying her trust as he did, nor would she forgive any problems he causes in her absence, regardless or not if he was manipulated. Once she finishes her meetings with the other world leaders and returns to Melromarc, she is going to have a few words for her "beloved" family.


Malty bolted upright as she felt a shiver go down her spine and her nude form was covered in a cold sweat.

"Are you alright Myne-chan?" Motoyasu asked, also naked, as he sat upon the bed he shared with the princess.

"O-of sir Motoyasu, ju-just a little cold is all," Malty said, with a dismissive wave of her hand. Trying her best to give the spear hero a charming smile. She didn't know why, but she was suddenly afraid. Of what, she didn't know.

Motoyasu frowned in concern. He can obviously tell the princess was scared, no doubt of that bastard Ben coming after her again. It had only been a few days since the trial after all. He's been doing his best to ensure she doesn't remember that awful night, and until now she seemed to be completely fine. Always giving him a bright smile, having fun with him, snuggling with him, as well as enjoying his cooking.

But now, here she is, shaking in obvious fear. Motoyasu clenched his fist in anger. He was going to make that bastard pay for what he's done. He'll make Ben Tennyson regret the day he was born. Not only that but he'll also save both Nanoha and Fate as well. He didn't even want to imagine what that bastard Ben was doing to them right now. But that was for the future, not now. Right now, Myne needed him to comfort her.

The spear hero placed a comforting hand on Malty's shoulder.

"It's okay Myne-chan, you don't have to worry," Motoyasu said with a reassuring smile, "As long as you're with me, I'll protect you from that Ben bastard."

Malty was confused as to who he was talking about. It took the first princess a moment to realize he was referring to the shield hero. She couldn't help but grow irritated at the memory of the trial, and how the shield hero and his whores humiliated her as well as ruined her fun.

She'll make them pay for what they have done. She was the first princess and the next queen of Melromarc damn it, she deserves complete and total respect. They were nothing more than mere commoners, they should be groveling at her feet. They'll soon learn their proper place, she'll personally see to that.

But for now…

"Oh thank you sir Motoyasu, I feel safe in your arms!" Malty exclaimed affectionately as she flung herself into the spear hero's embrace, "I know you'll keep me safe from that vile shield hero!"

Motoyasu couldn't help but smile enthusiastically as he held the princess in his arms.

"Yep, as long as I'm around I'll be sure to keep you safe from anything that would hurt you, especially that bastard," He said before he pumped his fist in the air, "Don't worry Myne-chan, I'll be sure to avenge you, and I'll also save both Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan!"

"The two women that defended the shield hero right?" Malty asked with one of her eyes twitching, "why bother sir Motoyasu? The both of them clearly chose to side with the shield hero, even after I revealed what he did. They even went as far as to hurt me."

Malty couldn't understand why he was so obsessed over those two bimbos, especially when he had her, the next queen of Melromarc.

Motoyausu then developed a serious expression on his face.

"I'm certain they didn't want to, that bastard Ben no doubt forced them to act like that," he declared with certainty in his voice.

Malty raised an eyebrow, not even remotely convinced by his explanation. Malty considered herself a good actor, but she knew for a fact she would not be able to remotely pull off the same kind of terrifying glare those women gave without meaning it completely. She doubted anyone could, no matter how good they truly were. Though she didn't say anything as the spear hero continued talking.

"After I save the both of them, they'll be grateful and more than happy to join our party," He proclaimed, the idea of the both of them joining irritating Malty to no end, "after which we can have all kinds of fun with each other, and I'm certain we'll become close friends, hehe!"

"R-right..." Malty smiled wryly, as a perverted smile grew on the spear hero's face. The spear hero had to be truly stupid if he truly thought those bimbos would be happy to be with him once he strikes down the shield hero. She wouldn't be surprised if they completely despise him for doing something like that.

Honestly, the princess found it hard to believe how stupid the spear hero was. Though frankly, she didn't really mind it all that much, it made manipulating him all the more easier. It didn't hurt that he was good-looking and just as good in the bed. Granted she sampled numerous men who were far better in bed than the spear hero, and many who were just as, if not more handsome. She will even admit that even the shield hero was better looking than the spear hero. Malty honestly would have liked having a fling with him before she accused him of raping her.

(AN: Braaaaahhhg! I feel both dirty and disgusted with myself for writing that.)

Malty suddenly became annoyed for some reason but didn't know why. It almost felt like numerous individuals emptied the contents of their stomachs and she was to blame for it. She shook the ridiculous thought from her head.

For all the spear hero was lacking though, he was still a useful puppet. A puppet that could not only help her in gaining both money and fame but also a one-way ticket to her rightful place on the throne. All she needed to do was help the spear hero get stronger and the waves should be nothing more than a mere cakewalk.

She smiles, yes in the end she'll get what she rightfully deserves, and she doesn't care how many people she'll trample on in order to achieve it. After all, she was the first princess, it was their duty to be used as stepping stones for her greatness.

"Enough of that for now sir Motoyasu," Malty said in a seductive tone, gaining the spear hero's attention, "let's just enjoy ourselves for the rest of the night."

"Of course Myne-chan," Motoyasu said eagerly.

(AN: once again Braaaaahhhg!)

Though try as Malty might, she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming for her.


Aultcray couldn't help but shiver as he was covered in a cold sweat. He didn't know why, but he was suddenly afraid. Of what, he didn't know.

"Is everything alright your majesty," one of the advisors asked in concern. The king just gave him a dismissive wave of his hand.

"It's merely a chill no doubt caused by a mere breeze, nothing to be concerned about."

"As you wish, your majesty."

"Now has there been any news about the knight unit sent to Lurolona village?" Aultcray asked.

"Yes there has been your majesty, though I regret to say that they were unable to...uh…"demolish" the village as you wished your majesty," the advisor said, slightly nervous.

A frown appeared on the king's face.

"What!?" the king exclaimed, causing the advisor to flinch, "for what reason were they unable to accomplish such a simple task?"

"From what I understand, the knights were fought off by certain individuals within the village," the advisor explained as calmly as he could in front of the king.

The frown on Aultcray's face deepened. He was not expecting anyone at the village to be able to drive back the large number of knights he sent, especially when the village was just under siege by the wave that occurred just shortly before. Even if there were a few high-leveled individuals within the village at the time, they would have been quickly overwhelmed by the many knights.

"Is there any indication who these individuals were?" Aultcray asked, he needed to know as much as possible about the potential threats to the kingdom he swore to protect.

"Not much, the reports in regards to the individuals were quite sporadic," the advisor admitted, "from what I understand the reports seem to describe the individuals having abilities similar to that of heroes."

Aultcray became concerned about that. He knew that none of the four cardinal heroes were responsible for this, not even the damnable shield, as they were summoned only a few days prior. There was no way they could have arrived at the village before the knights, and even then they weren't strong enough to fend off such a force yet. It's possible it could have been people who wielded some of the seven-star weapons such as his staff. However, he hasn't heard of any of the seven-star heroes arriving in Melromarc. It could be possible that they arrived in relative secrecy, he could understand why they would. It's also possible that new seven-star heroes were recently chosen within the kingdom and they were within the village at the time.

Aultcray let out a sigh. He needed more information if he was going to be able to handle this issue. If the individuals who drove back the knights truly were in possession of any of the seven-star weapons, it could prove to be problematic in the future. But there was also another thing Aultcray needed to know.

"Tell me, what are the casualties," Aultcray asked solemnly, one of his hands clenched into a fist. He needed to know how many good men would need to be buried. How many men Aultcray would need to avenge thanks to the hands of those dreaded demi-humans.

"A good majority of the knights suffer from relatively minor wounds and bruises, at worst, only a few are sporting a few broken bones but nothing that can't be healed," the advisor reported. Aultcray couldn't help but blink in surprise at that.

"And none of the knights were slain?" Aultcray asked incredulously.

"Yes, all of the knights are alive and well. Though one of the knights did require intense healing magic for...um…" the advisor coughed into his fist in discomfort, "his crotch. Though from what I read in the reports, this knight was displaying inappropriate behavior in regards to a female demi-human. So one can obviously speculate as to what happened."

'And that he deserved what was done to him,' the advisor thought to himself in disgust.

Aultcray groaned in disgust. How could anyone in their right mind find those repulsive demi-humans attractive in any way?

Still, this surprised him, he honestly thought these individuals would have killed some of the knights, especially if they were siding with the demi-humans.

"Send in another knight unit to join up with the ones we already sent out," Aultcray ordered before he paused, and pinched the tip of his beard between his index finger and thumb as he considered something, "Doesn't lord Rabier live relatively close to the village?"

"Yes he does your majesty," the advisor confirmed.

"Good, I would like for him, as well as a few of his own personal knights, to assist the knight units with their task if he can," Aultcray declared.

Idol Rabier used to be part of the military and helped in the war against Silvelt. He fought alongside Aultcray in many battles, and the king acknowledged his skills in combat despite his...obese appearance. It also didn't hurt that the man also shared Aultcray's distaste for those wretched demi-humans. He could help considerably in dealing with whatever issues that occurred within that village.

"Of course your majesty. But if you don't mind me speaking my thoughts, are you sure this is wise?" the advisor asked lightly, "I mean after all this is going against what her highness worked so hard to achieve."

Aultcray gave a light sigh as he glared at the advisor.

"I am her regent, as long as she is away, my orders are her orders as well," the king responded. The Advisor had forced himself from allowing one of his eyebrows to twitch in irritation. After all, he knew that Aultcray wasn't the queen's first pick for regent, for obvious reasons. He decided to keep his mouth shut about that fact as he didn't want to suffer the king's anger if he didn't have to, and allowed him to continue," and the longer that village continues to be a stain on Melromarc, the more likely that it would cause issues for the country. This is for the good of Melromarc."

Once he finished his declaration, the king walked away out of the room.

The advisor let out a sigh, not saying anything back, and quietly said to himself, "I really don't see how this benefits Melromarc at all."

In all honesty, this just seems like the king was just being prejudiced against the demi-humans, and letting his hatred of them dictate his actions. He was only in power for a short time, and Aultcray wasted no time in practically undoing all the hard work the queen had done in ensuring equal rights for the demi-humans.

Honestly, does the king truly believe that Mirelia would tolerate something as irresponsible as this and not punish him severely when she returns? If he truly thought that, then he is truly nothing more than a fool.

As Aultcray walked down the halls, he once again shivered. He couldn't shake the foreboding feeling, but he knew in his gut that something terrifying would come after him. He narrowed his eyes.

That damnable shield is no doubt to blame. It, alongside its wretched hordes of demi-humans, caused so much grief and destruction in the past. No doubt it was once again planning on continuing its mission to destroy humanity where it left off since the last time it was summoned. But Aultcray wouldn't let it do as it pleases, he'll ensure that the shield is kept as weak as possible so it would never again become a threat to his family.

'I won't let you have your way shield,' Aultcray thought darkly as he glared through a window, showcasing a view of the city in the night, 'I swear that I will protect my family from you. You will not take them away from me again.'

With that mental declaration, the king continued walking, not once considering that the foreboding feeling he was experiencing was not caused by the shield hero.


AN: Ok seriously, this fic got over 68 favs since the last chapter! I was not expecting that at all! Seriously, what did you guys like about it so darn much?

Was it Fate bitchslapping Malty?

Ben proving his innocence?

Ben still choosing to be a hero and not letting the king's accusation get to him?

The three of them overall not taking any of the king's and his daughter's bullshit and putting everyone in their place?

...

Actually, I'm guessing it could be all of those reasons. It must have been just as cathartic to read as it was for me to write that chapter

Not much to say about this chapter as it was mostly a reaction chapter of certain individuals to the events of the previous one as well as the time that happened off-screen.

I guess I'll see you all in the next chapter, Peace!