Disclaimer: The Rising of the Shield hero belongs to Aneko Yusagi. This fic was made non-profit, I just wanted to write something about this series.
English is not my first language, if you see something with a poor grammatical structure, mistake verb tenses, wrong conjugations, etc. please tell me to correct it. For me, it is a language development experience.
B/N: Still here as Beta Reader to fix anything that needs to be fixed!
The Shield Hero who came from another world
Chapter 2
The following morning, the heroes returned to the throne room, where not only were the King and the nobles waiting, but also twelve people carrying armor and weapons of different types.
It only took one look for Naofumi to gather their weight. They had to be the volunteers that intended to join them, but Naofumi could tell only a few of them had any actual experience: the others were likely sons and daughters of nobles who sought to win favor from the crown. Out of the women, only two, maybe three of them, knew what was in store for them if they became adventurers; it was harder to establish who among the men only sought the fame, but he could still identify them. The one in the armor looked strong but obviously knew little about actual fighting, while the man wearing a black robe and fur with an axe in hand was clearly someone that knew his profession.
If Helena were here, she would have beaten down half of them in seconds, he thought: Helena Fredsfartøy had an outright hatred of glory hounds because they would put people and missions at risk. As she put it, if you know someone thinks fighting a war is a way to look good and fool around with a sword in hand, then you had to crush their ego and build them up: if the idiot survived and learned the lesson, then it was good.
She had to deal with that problem early with Saito and some of the other otherworlders. Needless to say, she had succeeded.
And, back to the adventurers, Naofumi had to be honest with himself. He'd prefer if none of them joined his party. Not because of a false sense of pride or a belief that he would work better on his own, but because he knew that any of them could be a spy for the King: going on his own would leave him free of questioning and would make it harder for the people in charge to attempt to control him.
He knew first-hand the importance of having people standing by your side, mostly thanks to Saito and his wives. If one wanted to change the world, then you needed help, because no one could do everything on their own. He suspected even God might need help from others, sometimes. If he decided to get partners, it would be on his own terms.
"As I promised you, Heroes, here are the future champions who will follow you on your quest to defeat the Waves of Calamity. Champions! Choose the Hero you wish to fight for!"
The twelve Champions stepped forward at the King's words. The Heroes were slightly surprised by the process, but acknowledged that it was logical: after all, if they were the ones picking, they might end up with someone that would not like it. The only one to waver on her choice was a green-haired girl, but after a while, she decided to side with Ren.
"This is... troublesome," King Aultcray admitted after seeing the results of the ceremony.
Three people stood behind the Bow Hero.
Four women had chosen the Spear Hero.
Five champions were with the Sword Hero.
And the Shield Hero had... none.
And what really bothered him was that the Shield Hero was not reacting as expected. Aultcray was waiting for him to scream or cry out at the hopelessness of being left alone. Instead... he looked even pleased.
That was when his advisor leaned to tell him something, which gave him an idea.
"While legends state that Heroes, when summoned, already have information about our world, it appears that the Shield Hero was somehow bereft of this knowledge. Thus, I must ask you Champions if any of you is willing to join the Shield Hero instead."
Out of the twelve Champions, only two rose their hands: the indecisive green-haired girl from earlier and the red-haired young woman in the Spear Hero's group.
"I'll join the Shield Hero, Your Majesty!" the red-headed exclaimed.
"So will I, Your Majesty," the green-haired girl said.
"Are you sure?" Motoyasu asked, seeing that the prettiest girl in his party was leaving to join Naofumi, but relented when he saw her nod with enthusiasm.
"I am someone who prefers to work alone. If any of you wants to leave, you should do it now and join any of the others," Ren told the ones that had chosen him. They all nodded, but save for the green-haired girl, they all stayed where they were.
"I'm sorry, Sir Hero, but Sir Shield needs help," she said.
"There is no need to be concerned," Naofumi said, waylaying the would-be helpers before they could actually join him. "I am just fine working on my own for the time being."
"You cannot claim that you would be alone against the Waves!" the red-haired woman replied. Naofumi could tell that she was startled and worried by his choice, but somehow it was not exactly about him. What that meant, he did not know.
"This is my wish, and hope you respect it. Plus, it's not the first time something like this has happened to me, I'll manage."
That is what worried me the most, Fumi.
Who said that? he thought, doing his best to contain his reaction, and looking for the voice who said it in a low voice: that had come from inside the room and he didn't recognize the voice. Meanwhile, the redhead had been about to protest, but the King's voice silenced her.
"The Shield Hero has spoken. But, Shield Hero, should you get into trouble, you will be helpless with no one to lend a hand on your way. Are you certain that you are making a good decision?"
"I'm sure, Your Majesty. If I get in trouble for lacking information or else, I'll pay for it." In any kind of way, he vowed to himself.
"Very well. Now, I will proceed with the Heroes' funds. Only this time, the Shield Hero will be granted eight hundred silver coins, while the other Heroes will have six hundred. Shield Hero, you may hire adventurers in your journey as you see fit."
Well, he was not going to say no. Money was money, and he was going to need it.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Naofumi replied with a bow.
"Heroes! Now, you may begin your journey! Gain strength and power to defeat the Waves of Calamity!"
The four Heroes and their respective parties nodded and left the Royal Castle, stopping after crossing the drawbridge, with the other Heroes taking Naofumi apart to speak with him.
"Look, yesterday the three of us considered which areas would be better suited for each of us. In the end, we decided that Motoyasu will go north, Itsuki east and me west," Ren said.
"So, I'd be going south of the city. Is that a good area?" Naofumi asked.
"Yes, it is. Well, for you at least it should be the best area. You... don't have a problem with it, right?"
"Alright, I can tell you guys know something about the place. Why are you saying that?"
Itsuki looked away, somewhat ashamed.
"We aren't hiding anything from you, Naofumi. It's... well, you know those games we mentioned? For the three of us, that area only has a bunch of weak monsters called balloons, which are not going to do much for us. Maybe you can get something out of them, though, since you're a Shielder."
"Let's pretend I don't know anything about games. What do you mean by that?"
"Look, I'm going, to be honest, in our games at least the Shielders were the worst class in the game," Motoyasu explained. "At the beginning, they are quite good, they help protect the other players very well, but their defense and skills don't increase as fast as the bosses' power does, and at a point, in the middle of the game, their defense just stops doing enough to tank enemy attacks. Everyone eventually decided to start again with a different class."
"That's bullshit in so many ways, you know?"
"It's how our games' mechanices worked out. Sorry, Naofumi," Ren replied, although he did not put much feeling into it.
That said, the Heroes parted ways, and Naofumi set out to acquire the most precious commodity in every world: information. As the saying went, knowledge was power, and his past experience told him that it was very important to acquire knowledge, so he was going to find everything he could about Melromarc and its capital, Castle Town, in his first full day here. First step: ask for directions!
"Excuse me, where can I get good clothes suited for most environments in this world?" he asked one of the Royal Guards protecting the Royal Castle's entrance.
"Well..." Naofumi noticed the man seemed to be distressed about something, but he did not care: he just wanted to get an answer. "There's this seamstress. She's good with the needle, kind of eccentric, but one of the best in the city. She can even work with magic thread, or so I heard."
Magic thread? That sounded interesting.
"Where can I find her?"
Following the directions the guard gave him, Naofumi arrived at an apparently unassuming shop with a few external decorations and a sign that showed a needle and a thread in an artistic drawing. Knowing that the façade was not everything, Naofumi entered – and he was immediately set upon by an energetic, excited young woman of average looks that, nonetheless, set off his danger sense.
"I can see that you have no taste in dressing but fear no more! You are here to buy the best, most fashionable clothes that have ever existed! Do you want something nice and dashing for the ladies to look at with their mischievous and dreamy gazes? Something daring that shows your wild side? Perhaps clothes to highlight your muscles and make innocent damsels fall at your feet? Or maybe you are one of those who prefers a man to your side? I have trousers and shirts that will allow everyone to see your attributes, and I assure you, you will have rows of your peers behind you!"
"No, no, NO! I'm not interested in attracting anyone's attention, I just want traveling clothes!"
"Spoilsport," the seamstress said, glaring at him. "You went and stole my inspiration. Although I think you would look adorable with a taller, dashing man. Like that young one with the spear."
Naofumi turned in the direction the seamstress was pointing at and saw Motoyasu and his party of women passing in front of the shop. Naofumi could not repress a shudder about the idea.
"Fuck, you're a fujoshi," Naofumi let out.
"A fu-what?" she asked, perplexed.
"Never mind that, and either way I'm not interested in men. I'm actually still mourning my girlfriends and my child."
"A shame. You have your appeal, and here I was thinking of buying you a drink... and then show you a few of my favorite toys."
Nope. No. Nein. ない. Nyet. His danger sense was being set off in all kinds of wrong ways, enough that he was wondering if he should just run for it. He just knew that whatever she had in her bedroom, was going to require a boatload of bleach to erase from his mind.
"Look, I just need clothes for traveling. Four changes of underwear, two pairs of trousers, two shirts, the works. Also, do you know where I can get leather armor?"
"Are you an adventurer?" she asked, eyeing the Legendary Shield. "Buddy, I see that shield there and I can't tell if you are a very brave or a very stupid man. There are lots of armories in Castle Town, but if you want the best you should go to Erhard."
Naofumi returned a deadpan look. That comment about his weapon was kind of rude, and even if he acknowledged he had had his own moments of stupidity (like the many times he had rushed an enemy line bursting with spears, halberds, and morning stars – it had taken five times before he learned that lesson, and sometimes he wondered how the hell he was still alive with that kind of record) the Legendary Shield was his weapon, and depending on how he used it he could actually kill someone.
The Legendary Shield appeared to react to that thought by giving him a shock. He ignored it.
"Well, it's the only weapon I have, but what do you mean by that? I'm not from around here, so I'm not certain what's the problem."
"Long, boring story I never paid enough attention to even learn, your best bet is to go to the church and learn that stuff from a priest."
"OK, I'll check that out later. So, about those clothes?"
The fujoshi seamstress promptly moved to measure Naofumi and soon had a pile of clothes ready for him to take away. Naofumi put it all away in the backpack that had come with him from the previous world and followed her directions to Erhard. It was not until he arrived at the large blacksmith shop that he realized he had forgotten to ask her about the magic thread.
I'll ask later, he thought as he entered the shop. Behind the counter stood a bald, tall man with tanned skin and a proud beard covering his face. Naofumi could easily feel the pleasantness pouring out of the man, as well as his skill as a merchant, both being things he appreciated.
"Welcome to my shop! Never saw you before, and I don't recognize that kind of clothes, either. Clearly your first time around here. Where are you from, kiddo?"
"I was just summoned here yesterday to be a Hero, or so said the King, and I'm really new to this world."
"Oho!" His eyes went to the shield in his hand, and his eyebrows rose. "You're the Shield Hero? Well, I'm glad to make your acquaintance, and that you have chosen my shop to get your equipment, Shield Hero."
"You can just call me Naofumi, I've never stood for formalities. Can I call you Erhard?"
"Of course, young man! Now, since you're clearly in need of equipment, what are you looking for?"
"I need leather equipment. Boots, belts, a pouch bag, gloves, and armor. Particularly armor. What kinds of leather armor do you have?
Erhard laughed out loud, clearly pleased at what he was hearing.
"Looks like you know your stuff, kiddo! I have everything you might need in leather and metal; just say the word and we'll test it. I need to check your sizes and compare them with what I have in stock. What kind of armor do you like?"
After taking measurements, Erhard pointed to a full plate armor that stood aside. Naofumi rejected it immediately: yes, it would protect him wonderfully, but Naofumi's fighting style was more based on moving fast enough to not get hit rather than actually tanking all strikes. If only he could wield a weapon as well! But, alas, he had soon discovered that the Legendary Shield was jealous of its wielder and would shock him every time he tried to grab another weapon.
Seeing where Naofumi's interest ran to, the blacksmith instead turned to lighter armors. Chainmail, gambesons, lamellar, chestplates, brigandines, cuirasses... even magically-reinforced silk tunics that apparently were all the rage among mages (Naofumi did not like them very much, but it did give him ideas for the future). He did become interested in a lamellar armor with pauldrons but decided not to pick it when it turned out he could not change its color: the brown color it showed brought out memories of the traitors that had killed his family.
In the end, he picked a combination of different armors: a chainmail shirt long enough to reach his knees, over that a gambeson, and finally a green lamellar armor. Erhard said it was too much protection for a low-level adventurer, but Naofumi knew better: the chainmail would protect him from slashing and piercing attacks, the lamellar armor would protect against blunt strikes, and the gambeson would help cushion all attacks and add extra protection.
Promptly moving to the changing room at the back of the store, Naofumi took advantage of the moment to change his clothes and then put on the new armor.
"Well, now you look like a real Hero, kiddo," Erhard said, grinning. "The armor looks good on you."
"Thanks. I'll take it. And, well, I've got something you might like. Are you interested in weapons and ores from a different world? I can even tell you how to work out the ores, they are tricky as hell."
The blacksmith's eyes lit up, clearly interested in what other worlds could offer to his trade.
"Well, you show them to me, and then we can agree on a deal."
Immediately, Naofumi extended his hand at the front table, and from the black sphere that formed on his palm sprung multiple weapons of all types, as well as materials that he had collected in his time at Aztlan and never took the time to sell. Erhard's eyes became wide open.
"My goodness, what was that?"
"A Skill I have, Storage. I can carry a lot of things, as long as they are not living beings, that is."
"Damn it, kiddo! I wish I could have something like that, it would make bringing my wares to others easier."
"I know the feeling. It took me years to convince my cousin to craft this skill and grant it to me, but it was completely worth it. Everything I've found interesting since then is there. Actually... I don't even know what else I might have in there.
"You have more of this?" Erhard asked, looking between the pile on his counter and the Shield Hero.
"I probably do. I'll show you later if I can find it, that is. What do you say to a trade?"
"Let me check all of this first."
Erhard went over the weapons, noting the good quality of most of them while dismissing a few that, in his eyes, were only worth for recycling into new weapons. He also observed the materials Naofumi had brought, and soon knew he would be able to make some very fine weaponry out of them, particularly the ore Naofumi had called 'Wootz'.
In the end, after an hour of back-and-forth bargaining between the two men, Naofumi got 5 gold coins, 75 silver coins, and 80 copper coins, as well as his new armor, while Erhard got 5 swords, 25 knives, 12 spearheads, 10 ax heads and multiple samples of different ores. A good trade, Naofumi thought, and he considered that maybe he could become a trader once again. Before leaving and seeing another man that was wearing a black cape and had just entered the shop, Naofumi pointed at a black cape similar to the man.
"How much for that one?" he asked.
"Yours for free. Why would I be bothered by a mere five-coppers cape when you've already given me all of this?" Erhard replied, eyes shining as he thought of everything, he would be able to do now.
"Thanks, I'm going to see if this idea I had works." Surprisingly, he was able to pull the shield out of his right arm (unlike what had happened when he tried the same the previous day), and, even more surprisingly, it stuck to his back when he placed it there. "Well, looks like it did work. Thank you, Erhard, it was a pleasure doing business with you."
"Same here, kiddo. If you ever want to sell more of your stuff, you can come back here."
New cape on his shoulders and face hidden by a hood, Naofumi gave the other customer a polite greeting and left the store, starting what was going to be a shopping spree for everything he would need.
First stop, a shop Erhard had recommended that sold anything and everything an adventurer might need. Along with a traveling set of mess kits, dishes, and pans, he also bought a sleeping bag. Informed by the shop owner that he had no camping tents, he instead chose to buy several square meters worth of canvas and wax... a lot of wax.
The next stop would have been a carpenter, but he got waylaid by his discovery of an apothecary store, which did actually sell potions and alchemy supplies. Along with a few potions that would tide him over until he could make his own, he was able to buy a set of alchemist tools the apothecary had no use for anymore – which also prompted an offer from the apothecary about a deal for making healing potions because even the lowest quality of them were getting sold due to the dangers of the Waves and everything it entailed.
In exchange for Naofumi's acceptance, the apothecary threw in what he called a primer on potion making, which made Naofumi realize he did not actually know the language of the land: while the Shield was apparently helping him by 'translating' speech, it did nothing on written text. If he wanted to not just survive, but prosper, he'd need to learn how to read. The apothecary kindly pointed him to a nearby magic shop owned by a witch, who likely had books on magic writing, which might help him learn about mundane writing.
After a short stop at the carpentry, where he requested the hard-working carpenter to make him several camping tent posts and that he would return by sunset for them, he made for the magic shop. The witch, seeing someone who was as interested in magic as she was, had offered to help him find his magical affinities. Much to his chagrin, he was geared for Support and Healing magic, which discouraged him: after seeing that his attack power was a shining, glorious 1, he had looked forward to something that would allow him to do some actual damage. If his backup idea did not work, he would have to find himself some party members to fight.
Regardless of his disappointment, he still bought the books he had come to buy, as well as some books on actual mundane writing the witch had in her shop just for those like him who needed to learn the written word. Thanking the woman, he decided to explore Castle Town in search of other interesting places.
The market district proved useful since there were multiple shops that dealt in merchandise he kept in his Storage and other products he could certainly use. The exploration also allowed him to find several taverns where he would be able to eat if he needed, and several inns to spend the night in, with one of them being even near the city walls.
After hiring a room for the following two days, he kept walking around town and found another interesting building: a place that announced itself as the local adventurer's guild. Deciding to join, he also paid for an advert that would hopefully help him find companions:
The Shield Hero is recruiting fellow adventurers who want to fight the Waves of Calamity. If interested, either seek me at the Guild or the Wall Inn or leave a message for me there. I'll be in Castle Town for two days.
The only fly in the ointment, so to speak, had been the scornful, suspicious look the guild's receptionist had directed at him. So far, everyone he had met (save for a few exceptions) had been quite nice, but still, it brought to mind the behavior of the royal court and the words from the fujoshi seamstress: for some reason, it appeared as if his shield was related to this problem. Remembering the seamstress' words, he decided to find a church.
Fortunately, a blonde adventurer called Rino was kind enough to guide him there, since she had an appointment nearby for her current quest. Rino was pleasantly surprised to hear that Naofumi did not mind having to pass near the city's slums, and more when she learned who he was and what he had been doing the entire day.
"With someone like you being one of the Cardinal Heroes, I'll feel safer through the Waves. I hope the other Heroes are taking their work seriously as you do."
"They do. Or, at least, I want to think so. They spent time last night working out where it would be best for each of us to level up easier, and right now they are training outside the city walls with their companions. Right now, their bigger problem is inexperience, but between time and their companions' help, I'm hopeful that they will learn."
I'm also hoping that they are actually doing what they are supposed to do, he thought.
"I know of their companions. Several of them are part of the Guild, and they certainly know what they are doing. The other Heroes will be fine with them. But, what about you, Naofumi-sama."
"First thing, I don't stand for formality, so you can drop the -sama. And none of them wanted to join me. The King asked, and two of the women were willing, but I declined the offer. I want to choose my own companions."
"You are one of the Four Cardinal Heroes, it's my way to prove my respect towards you. And I might know who those two women are. Mind describing them?"
"Alright, I'll drop it for now. One of them was a redhead swordswoman who was pretty much screaming to the world that she was a noble. The other was a green-haired girl who had no weapons, from her demeanor she was probably some kind of monk."
"I know that one. Her name is Ferrie, and she's a very good fighter. She convinced Master Elrasla to teach her some of her fighting style, and that speaks well for her."
"Why is that relevant?"
"Master Elrasla is the only person to know the Hengen Musou style, a martial art that lets her fight as well as the Heroes of legend. I'm not if it's correct, but it's said she was banned from fighting in Battle Coliseums of Zeltoble, the land of merchants and mercenaries."
Maybe I'll go check this Zeltoble place. And this master, as well.
"Do you know where I can find this Master Elrasla, Rino?"
"I'm afraid not. She lives in seclusion somewhere. My grandfather was one of her best friends, but he never told us where she lives. The last person she taught was Ferrie, and for all of three days before she had a training accident."
"Pity. It would be nice to meet her."
"Naofumi-sama. I have an active contract at this moment, which doesn't allow me to work with other parties, but it will end in ten days. Would you be willing to accept me in your party then?"
"Why?"
"I want to help save the world from the Waves of Calamity, and the only reason I was not able to be there was because of my contract and the Guild's criteria. If you give me an opportunity, I will do my best to not disappoint you. I want to say that it'll be better to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all."
"Well, if you are sure about it, I suppose we can try, it's no problem."
"Thank you, Naofumi-sama. And, here we are. The Three Heroes' Church."
Naofumi turned to look at the building in front of him. It looked much like an European medieval church, with a façade of well-worked stone opening in windows of many colors, and a large frontal gate made of thick wood. But, most worrying was the actual decoration in front. There was a bow, a spear, and a sword crossed... but no shield.
"Considering that name, I don't think I'll like what I'll find inside," he said, and Rino grasped his shoulder.
"I don't know how they will treat you here, but just remember that not everyone will be the same. There are reasons for this church's beliefs, even if they were caused just by the actions of one past Shield Hero. I hope they will be open to you and willing to work with you in these times of need."
"That sounds grim, Rino."
"I know... but it is true. Good luck there, Naofumi-sama."
"Thank you."
The girl nodded and left, leaving Naofumi alone with his thoughts before he pushed through the Church's main doors. The internal decoration was still quite similar to those of European churches, all meant to light up the interior in such a way that would make people feel in the presence of God – and likelier to give up their money to save their sinful souls from an evil that may not even exist. Or so had he been told.
His internal musings were interrupted by a kindly nun, with the kind of smile that would heal any heart wounded by life's misfortunes.
"May I help you, young man?" she asked. All the while, Naofumi was secretly glad that his shield was hidden under his cape.
"Yes, please. I'm new to these lands, and unfortunately, I know little of your religion."
Alright, that was a pitiful excuse, and not even he could buy what he was saying. Saying that someone visiting a country knew nothing about its main religion sounded absurdly stupid.
Fortunately, someone had blessed him with luck this time, for the nun appeared to believe him if the look of shock on her face rang true. It almost sounded like someone had personally offended her.
"My goodness, child!" she exclaimed, taking Naofumi's hand and leading him to one of the church's pews. "How do you know not about our sacred beliefs? Were you a slave under those vulgar demi-humans at Silvelt?"
"No-nothing like that, Sister...?" Naofumi replied, filing away both 'demi-human' and 'Siltvelt' as things to research.
"Galilea, my child. What is your name?"
I'm going to have to be careful. Everything I've seen and heard doesn't make it look like I'd be welcome here, and if these people already know my name, I'm toast. Time to dust off old Odin's How To Get Info 101.
Before he replied, light reflected on Sister Galilea's eyes and revealed a shocking truth: the woman was blind.
"I am Clark Maxwell," he said, deciding to use the codename his old mentor used during the war when he wanted to go incognito. "I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude, but how can..."
"How could I know where you stand?" she asked back, clearly not fazed by the question.
"I apologize. I didn't want to be insensitive; it was mere curiosity."
"It is fine, my child. After being blinded at the end of the war with Silvelt, I was left despondent, but the Lord was merciful to me and showed me the path I needed to tread to become better than I ever was. For me, it was the Holy scriptures that gave me light. Kind of ironic, don't you think so? I was able to improve my other senses, and the knowledge of a past Hero allowed me to find new means to read. Even if it was first demonstrated in Silvelt, nonetheless I must recognize it was effective. And to answer your question, I heard you when you opened the main door. And I can also tell you have not told me your real name. It is fine, everyone is entitled to keep their own secrets."
"My apologies, Sister Galilea."
Five minutes in here and she already knows I'm not who I claim to be. Thank goodness they aren't here, he thought, repressing a shudder at the idea of Odin Fredsfartøy and Sagara Sousuke being there to witness his failure. Odin had taken, through his life, the task of developing skills that would increase efficiency in everything he did, and after marrying his wife Helena (an officer in the Norwegian Army) he had applied those skills to create a tactical training company that worked internationally for law enforcement and armed forces. The two of them had actually been in Tokyo to teach a seminary for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, only for mere chance to bring them to that park right as the summoning took place.
After the summoning, Odin had applied those skills to his power and to train the otherworldly youngsters that had been brought by fate with them: it had soon become clear that 'boot camp hell' was too mild a term to define their training. There had been times where Naofumi had only slept one hour in an entire week. And then Sousuke had decided to join in, and hell had become seven hells a week.
"Don't be, my child. You are here to learn of our beliefs, and I'm here to teach them. That is all that matters."
It was an hour later that Naofumi had heard everything he needed to hear.
In short, by virtue of being the Shield Hero, he was the devil himself for the Church of the Three Heroes – all because a Shield Hero had sided with the demi-humans and helped establish Silvelt as their land, betraying 'God's perfect creation', humanity.
According to the Church, the Shield Hero was evil and had decided to protect the demi-human monsters. Demi-humans had the unique ability of rapidly growing in body, mind, and soul as they leveled up, which, according to sister Galatea (who also claimed the only good demi-human was a dead one), was an unforgivable sin, because it allowed the Siltvelt leadership to easily steal away children's childhoods and turn them into soldiers.
That reminded him of something his mother had once told him about a Bible story: the Jewish people got lost in the desert for forty years after being freed from slavery in Egypt was so they could produce the military force they would need to claim the land promised to them by their God. It looked like demi-humans could possibly do the same thing in half the time.
Still, what Naofumi got out of Galilea's story was something completely different: the Shield Hero of the past had had the basic decency to protect the demi-humans against humanity's natural fear against anything different from themselves. And he was not too different from that past hero.
Every sentient life should be protected if possible. That was what he believed, and what he tried to put into practice. It was not always successful, as evidenced by the events in Aztlan, but still, he did his best to try.
Finally, he stood ready to leave but decided to ask the nun something that was bothering him.
"Sister Galilea, since I entered this church, I felt something... overwhelming, like divine in essence. Do you know what it is?"
"Every other member of the Church would tell you that it is God's presence, my child... and while I agree with them, there is an actual source for this feeling, which I know well. The Hourglass of the Dragon's Era."
A magical artifact that measured time? Curious.
"What is that?"
"… I shall show you," she replied, holding Naofumi's hand and guiding him through a door that led to the back of the building, where stood an enormous hourglass decorated with golden dragons that growled at an invisible enemy and formed by several delicate-looking glass spheres that contained red sand that was currently dripping down from the top to the bottom, with the last holding about half of the sand.
For now.
"Impressive," Naofumi said, despite himself.
"This Hourglass shows us how long we have until the next Wave comes. We estimate we have twenty-five days left before it comes. When the last grain of sand falls, every hero registered in this hourglass will be immediately teleported to the area where the Wave will hit, allowing them to better fight it off. It is also used for the ceremonial rites of Class-Up and Reset Level, but only with permission from the Crown can these rituals take place."
"Then this Hourglass must be more important than I believed."
"It is. This is Melromarc's Hourglass, and we are proud protectors of it."
"What are these rituals you mentioned? I've never heard of them."
"Without the Class-Up ritual, people would always remain stuck at level 40 for the rest of their lives, but those who undergo it will become stronger, depending on the path they take with their class. Only Heroes are able to surpass said level without issue."
"So... this Reset Level ritual would just make you lose all your levels, right?"
"That is correct, my child."
"This was an enlightening visit. Thank you very much, Sister Galilea."
Naofumi decided to stay away from the Hourglass, at least for the moment. He would have to return at a later point and register, but for the moment he would hold peace.
"You are welcome, young man. Allow me to show you more about our Church before you leave."
Night had fallen, and Naofumi had finally sat down to enjoy his supper as he went over what he had learned. He was well set up for supplies and camping devices, and could easily just leave at any point, but he would remain in the city for a time if only to wait for companions for his quest.
The talk at the Church, however, had given him enough reasons to leave: learning that he was considered the devil told him that he should not expect much aid from the Kingdom, and any action he took would be looked at with a loupe for any sign of 'evil'.
Maybe I could just move to this Siltvelt place Sister Galilea mentioned. But not helping this country doesn't feel right, either. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a choice soon.
"Good evening, Shield Hero. How was your day?"
Looking at the person that had just sat in front of him, he saw it was the redhead swordswoman. The one all of his senses screamed was an aristocrat and that he had to be careful around. But he would indulge her for the time being: maybe he could find more from her.
"Good evening to you as well. I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name this morning."
"No need to apologize, Sir Hero. My name is Myne Sophia, and as you know I'm one of Motoyasu-sama's companions. May I have dinner with you? I did not feel well to leave you alone, even when it was your decision."
"It's OK. The more, the merrier," he replied, waving at the chair in front of her.
Through dinner, both spoke of many matters, and at the end of their dinner, Naofumi felt comfortable enough to share a story of his past.
He had been visiting one of his classmates, a girl called Saori, so they could do their schoolwork together – and, by a quirk of fate, alone. By accident, Saori had thrown something Naofumi never managed to identify, only knowing that it stunk to high heaven – and a flustered and apologetic Saori had decided to start removing Naofumi's clothes against his will in order to wash them.
It was not until she was starting to take off his underwear that they noticed Saori's sisters had just arrived and watching everything with a grin. And then the eldest had just hurried Saori to continue because they were enjoying the show.
"When she heard that, Saori just tore apart my underwear from the shock. After that, she accidentally burned down my trousers while drying them up, and I was forced to return home wearing a skirt – in the middle of a windy day. It was the last time I ever talked with Saori."
By the end of the story, Myne was in stitches, almost even to the point of tears, and she wiped them away as she tried to calm down.
"Poor girl... the heart of a maiden is such a fragile thing."
"You too? My cousin's wife said the same when I told her that story."
"She was a maiden in love with you, Sir Hero. She was so ashamed that it was difficult for her to see you again. I would have had the same problem if I were in her place."
"Maybe you're right. It was embarrassing at the moment, but now I can laugh about it, and I hope she thinks the same.
In another world, the middle sister of a girl called Saori was joking about a certain embarrassing moment the latter had suffered in front of Saori's future boyfriend – who, perhaps by dint of the gods' humor, was Naofumi's own brother, who had never heard that story about his still missing brother and thought it was quite fun.
"Shield Hero, would you like to join me in having a glass of wine? To commemorate this important day to our world?"
"Ah, no, thanks, I'm good," he replied, shaking his head.
"Why not? It would be but one glass."
"I know you mean well, but I must decline."
"You have been refusing me since this morning. Am I not pretty enough to convince you to join me for a drink?"
"No, nothing like that. It's just... drinking brings back memories, not all of them good and a few bad ones. It's been a few years since I last drank alcohol."
"Can you share some of those memories? The good ones, at least?"
"Hm. My father, my aunt, and my uncle would sometimes engage in drinking contests. My uncle in particular was very good, and the three of them were so into it that every tavern and bar in the prefecture had banned them from taking part in such contests. Then my mother got mad because they would drink at family parties – and because my grandma would join them."
"Your grandmother? Why did she do that?"
"Grandpa always said she was drinking all the time. Even when she was pregnant. I'm surprised my father and aunt came out as healthy as they were."
"I... I never met my grandmother, but Mother always said she was so... proper, that she did not allow anyone, not even Mother, to abandon protocol. She would never drink anything stronger than wine, and Mother does the same. Thank the gods that I take after my father, even if he despises his family."
"How come?"
"I don't know. He barely talks about them, and when he does, he has never had a kind word about them. It's actually how I learned how to swear."
"Sounds bad."
"Yes, it's the only reason I am related to whoever my father is related to. Still uninterested in that cup of wine?"
"I'm sorry, Myne, but I don't feel up to it. Maybe in the future, we can try. Good night."
Naofumi returned to his room, taking care in not bumping into anyone on the way – not noticing the calculated look the redhead was giving him.
Closing the door behind him, he sat at the chair, grabbed some paper and a pen from his Storage, and started to write down everything that had happened in the past day, from his arrival to Melromarc to his encounter with Myne. He wrote about the nobles and the Church, of how the other heroes were worshipped while he was considered the closest thing to the Antichrist, of the feeling he had had when in the presence of the Hourglass.
Once that was done, he picked up more paper and wrote down something else, a to-do list. First on his list was checking whether all his skills still worked out as expected, but that could wait for the moment.
Next was checking the runes on his right forearm, which allowed him to detect all people within a certain radius and distinguish them.
They still work. Not at full capacity, they are actually showing some degradation, maybe from the ambient magical energy. It still allows me to sense anyone's presence within a hundred meters.
This trick was what had allowed him to realize there had been people following him from the shadows. Buying the cheap black cape had allowed him to temporarily give them the slip thanks both to the other customer and the fact that he had been able to hide the Legendary Shield on his back. Unfortunately, they had managed to track him again a few streets away from the Church after his visit: either it was a lucky shot, or they had suspected he would eventually go to the Church.
I'm going to have to avoid being seen in that Church for a while, but... I still need to register on the Hourglass if I want to help against the Wave. Maybe I can use this to check that Astral Transport still works. First of all, though, leave nothing behind – I can't be certain someone won't try to get in here while I'm away.
Gathering all his belongings in his storage, he sat on his bed, closed his eyes, and relaxed.
One minute later, Naofumi disappeared from the room.
Ten minutes later, the door to the Shield Hero's room was opened.