I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero
At this point my missing deadline is pretty much the norm now. Once again, full explanation in the end note.
I want to once again give my biggest thanks to Comrade Broseph for betareading and final edit this chapter. Also thanks to Fluffball13 for reading my first draft (both first and the re-written one) and keep bouncing ideas with me.
Author's Note at the end for people who want to see me blabber more.
The elder princess likes to think that she's not as pretentious as her self-righteous little sister, the brat always putting on the act of the proper heir to the throne, no matter if she is in front or behind mother and father.
No, even before this whole 'Mein of Samphor' charade she often went out to mingle with the commoners, blending in by throwing a large traveling cloak over her body to hide her identity. Not that she enjoyed being looked down upon by those who were beneath her in status, but it was a worthwhile activity to indulge in spite of the drawbacks. One can find all sorts of juicy rumors from drunken patrons of a tavern. The kind of interesting rumors you can't find amongst nobles and knights, even servants from the palace. One just has to know which establishment is reputable enough to avoid the less savory crowd.
Unlike the nobles who like to converse on the rumors from each established noble houses, the commoners who unwind in taverns find heroic exploits and dramatic tall tales the most popular topic. With a war between two of the world's most powerful nations, Melromarc and Siltvelt, having happened only barely one generation past there are certainly a lot of such tales. Some of them sounds flat out impossible of course, as they rival the epic tales of the four Legendary Heroes sung by the bards throughout the ages, but a lot of them are still grounded in reality.
One such kind of tale is the clash of sharp steel, and even sharper wits between the Melromarc Shadows and Siltvelt Ravens. A clash away from the blood and thunder amid trumpets and war drums. A dramatic tale of each side trying to undermine the other side through deception and misdirection, in order to give their kingdom's army more advantage on the battlefield. But that is only the tip of the iceberg - both groups were also notorious for assassination of high rank officers in the opposing kingdom, poisoning supplies and water wells behind enemy lines, cunning use of traps, and even their blunt but effective capacity for driving a blade through the heart of their foes when they least expect it.
Out of the three elite task forces outside of glorious Melromarc, the Raven Order is primarily composed of battlefield scouts rather than full time spies, unlike the Shivs of the People or Unspeakables. They consist entirely of raven, crow, owl and bat sub races of demi-human due to Siltvelt's caste system, which divides social classes and roles depending on the strength of the race each demi-human belongs to.
Obviously this makes the Ravens stand out and leads them to be unsuitable for deep infiltration in human nations, unlike their Melromarc, Shiltfreeden, and Faubley counterparts, but it also ensures each and every one of the Ravens is perfectly built to be capable of explosive bursts of lethal agile combat when the need arises. And their easy recognizability has the effect of creating a near mythical reputation of terror around them… causing their many clashes of steel and wit with the Melromarc Shadows to all take on a more mythical hue, rather than anything resembling real life…
…But being the first princess of glorious Melromarc allows Mein some additional knowledge and hence the ability to extrapolate upon it.
Amongst her mother's Shadows, seventeen of them tower above the rest both in their levels, and their skills. The seventeen Lone Shadows of Melromarc were the only ones to survive the Melromarc-Siltvelt War, the rest having all met a brutal and ruthless end by the blade, trap, or poison of the Ravens. And even the newest initiate Shadow is required to be above level 40, the highest level one can achieve without a class up from Dragon's Hourglass. And to Mein's best knowledge, that standard was always maintained since the initial founding of the Queen's personal elite spy unit. That means if Raven Order can prove to be a constant thorn at their side, they are also above the level 40 benchmark.
What can a novice adventurer below level 10, armed with a standard issued long sword do to someone who already had their class up? She might as well be a level 1 newborn waving a toothpick at them. Yet despite knowing of her impending doom, the incognito princess doesn't dare to take her eyes off the pair of Siltvelt elites for one second, like a cornered prey staring off helplessly against a group of apex predators that are slowly advancing with the intention to savor the kill.
So when one of the Ravens before her spits on her with nothing but disdain and threatens her death, the undercover princess does not even have the mind to feel indignant. All she can do is to barely clench the long steel sword in her hand, and barely hold her consciousness together without instantly passing out on the ground. Her story can't end right here without even truly beginning, yet she sees no way out of the situation.
This was always the risk of her plan in steering away from easy reach of her father - a gamble she is starting to regret more and more with each second. Yes, they are less likely to be found out and harmed by agents of the Three Heroes Church or other dubious origin... But if they ARE found, their enemies can freely have their way with the two of them, and there will be no one to even hear them scream.
Chapter 7: Way of the Rat
"I won't let you harm Mein."
These simple words are free of all the theatrics of the Shield Hero's earlier pontification, from when he seemed to be replicating a scene from a play Mein knows nothing about, yet they are spoken with unyielding authority and determination all the same. The cynical part of Mein can't help but point out that it is the result of ignorance rather than bravery. The much smaller part of the incognito princess, untainted by her life mired in politics, takes some small courage from Naofumi's bravado.
For the moment, it does not matter if Naofumi Iwatani is even 2 levels lower than Mein's measly level 6. He truly lives up to his title as one of THE Four Legendary Heroes who will save the people and the land from the Waves of Catastrophe.
Even the Siltvelt Ravens seem to taken aback at the dormant yet unmistakable hostility that seems to bubble under Naofumi's calm voice. The one that spoke takes half a step back, evidently surprised at how the king whom was said to always take their side would be defending one of his supposed enemies from them.
Both of the Ravens look uncertain for a moment. They exchange a look and the one that remained silent until then turns to speak to Naofumi.
"…I apologize for the bluntness of my partner. Master Shield Hero. In truth we do not insist on any harm to your companion, nor did we come to deal any threat to her, for that is not our objective. We were merely concerned for our rightful king's wellbeing, and my partner here..." The voice of the second Raven is of higher pitch, most likely a woman underneath the hood and cloak. She quickly steps forward and gives her partner a quick nudge on the side. "...spoke out of line."
The Raven of Siltvelt meant no real harm when he threatened openly to kill her, how convincing… Yeah right, and Malty Melromarc is secretly a goddess in disguise too.
Naofumi does not get out of the way and give the demi-humans an opening to strike his only companion. Mein takes small comfort in how her previous effort at educating the Shield Hero about the true savage nature of the Siltvelt barbarians seems to have sunken in. - The result no doubt helped along when one of the barbarians is brash enough to wear his contempt at humankind on his cloaked sleeves.
Said barbarian seems to finally recover from his initial stupor. He clears his throat and steps forward and bows to the Shield Hero. "Forgive me for my presumptuous behavior earlier, my liege. My partner and I are envoys from venerable Siltvelt, the country founded by the Shield Lord and original gathering of the great eighty-six tribes. Your majesty, we heard the bad rumors this country spread to besmirch your good name. We would like to invite you, our rightful king, back to our nation."
It's hard to judge Naofumi's reaction when all that Mein can see of him is the back of his head, but for a brief moment Naofumi's stance falters. He looks like he wants to either step to the side, or twist his head to look back at Mein. But the young hero ultimately choose to keep both Ravens in his vision. A reasonable response in Mein's opinion even if they are just as likely to tear through him like wet paper, if they truly wished to do so.
"Your country wants to make me king? Even if the country is founded by a Shield Hero, shouldn't the following kings be his descendants?" Naofumi sounds deeply suspicious of the claim and attempts to once again project confidence by returning to his earlier intimidating posture. He also unconsciously scratches his head with his free left hand in his familiar gesture of discomfort, making him look significantly less intimidating than he was probably going for.
"The children of a demi-human and human will always be a demi-human, your majesty. That was why the first king of our nation decided that his children will go to their respective mothers' tribe, and the throne will be left open for the next Shield Hero to guide us. The four guardian beast families rule Siltvelt as a high council, while the elders of the other eight-six tribes form the low council in the Shield Hero's absence." The female steps forward this time. She gives an even deeper bow than her male compatriot. "The rightful king to our throne for this great cycle is you, Master Shield Hero. We already prepared a carriage for you. You have simply to give your acquiescence and we shall take you to where you belong."
Mein bites into her finger, which is only saved by the virtue of a leather glove. Naofumi owes her a debt for saving him from his unjust trial, but how can that compete against the throne of an entire nation?
Following Naofumi to Siltvelt is simply not an option, for how counterproductive it is for her goal. It's one thing for the princess to be the companion of the Shield Hero, especially when her actions can be excused as the actions of a sleeper agent. Controlling the Shield demon from the perspective of the Three Heroes faith, and keeping the Shield Hero close to Melromarc to avoid a war with other countries for the more open-minded. But following him to their enemy country? That is the act of high treason.
Granted, 'Mein of Samphor' was never officially proven as an undercover alias for the first princess of Melromarc, but most if not all of the lords and ladies in attendance at the trial had to have recognized her. Her political enemies won't hesitate to use this opportunity to stab her where it hurts the most. She would most likely lose her title and any chance of becoming queen if she goes to Siltvelt.
If these Siltvelt 'envoys' manage to convince her Naofumi to leave Melromarc she would start back to square one! No, scratch that, she would end up behind the other female competitors that had to have already attached themselves to the hip of one of the other three legendary heroes! Not to mention that she'd have lost a lot of her father's goodwill for nothing!
What should she do now!?
Can she convince Naofumi that they are lying?
…The relationship between Melromarc and Siltvelt is tense, to put things diplomatically. But in trying to rationalize her situation it does occur to Malty that it's somewhat unthinkable that Siltvelt would dispatch their Ravens as official envoys to welcome the Shield Hero back to their country. The Ravens are certainly cunning and resourceful, but their skill sets are different from those of diplomats.
Not to mention that her father did also say he will have his agents pose as envoys from Siltvelt, in order to lead the Shield Hero into a trap. The 'envoys' are demi-human lands credence to their claim, but they can easily be slaves under a direct command from their master. Could these two be agents sent by her father, rather than actual Siltvelt agents? The demi-human man's amateurish mistake of antagonizing her before fully understand her relationship with her Naofumi certainly looks out of place for seasoned scouts and infiltrators…
If they are fake Siltvelt agents sent by father she can expose their lies if she can expose the slave seals that are no doubt present on their body! Finally, a plan of action!
Although admittedly, it's a risky move. Something to only be used as a last ditch effort if things turn for the worst, as if her guess is wrong she would inadvertently prove their identity as the 'envoys of Siltvelt' to Naofumi. BUT DAMNIT! With her hitched breath and drumming heartbeat, Malty is very close to going for the desperate gamble. For all she can see it's her one chance, for all that it's also one to be used only as a last resort.
Naofumi stood perfectly still without uttering a single word for the entire time that the demihuman was making her offer. And even now that he finished speaking he is still remaining silent, clearly thinking over her words. Given the obvious tense atmosphere between his only companion and the self-proclaimed envoy from the rival kingdom one would assume the Hero in question would start blabbering his mouth to say something first. But obviously, that's not the case with her Naofumi. The Shield Hero finally opens his mouth half a second before Mein decides to act on her desperate plan. "I'm sorry, but I have to decline."
To say that the response come off as shocking to both the incognito princess and the Siltvelt envoys would be an understatement. Mein's jaw hangs open, her gaze fixed on the back of Naofumi's head as if this is the first time she ever laid eyes on the young man from another world. For the life of her, the princess can't understand how a mortal man can resist the temptation of the power that an entire kingdom at his beck and call would grant him.
The two 'envoys' for their parts don't look much better. They both seemingly flinch back with Naofumi's refusal before exchanging a quick look among themselves. The man speaks again with slightly more urgent tone. "Did some human dare to spew poison in the great Shield Lord's ear about... EHR...!" He doubles over wheezing.
The female envoy retracts her elbow from her male counterpart's stomach. She clears her throat a little before stepping over her still wheezing partner. "What my partner meant to ask is: does Master Shield Hero doubt our identities? We assure our rightful king the Shield Hero, that he has nothing to fear in that regard. We are even willing to become your slaves, if it assures you."
Mein loses a breath she's holding. It's a good thing she hasn't acted on her evidently false assumption yet. If these two are offering to become slaves then it must mean they do not have another slave seal on them currently.
She's back to having no plan at all then. The situation is only slightly mollified by the fact that Naofumi has so far refused the request of the demihumans.
She should remain silent for as long as possible and observe then. The more information she gives, the more complicated the situation she'll ends up creating. Not to mention more chances to make mistakes and oust herself in the process.
"No, it's not your identities, although now that you mention it, that's another problem..." Shield Hero Naofumi shakes his head, he seems to visibly relax a little now the two envoys no longer actively threatening and antagonizing his only companion, or making any overt aggressive moves towards her. But the legendary Shield is still held in front of him and pointing towards the two Siltvelt agents, suggesting that he isn't completely comfortable yet. "You said you have a carriage for me? How do you plan to hide me when you reach the boarder? Surely the roads will be patrolled by a heavy garrison. Especially now with the Waves going on."
Mein grows a bit more courageous as she listens to Naofumi rebuke the demihumans. She slowly edges out from behind Naofumi to stand beside him, hoping this act will give the Shield Hero the impression of her willingness to present a united front with him. It also gives the undercover princess a chance to observe Naofumi's facial reaction.
The male demi-human finally recovers enough from his partner's elbow to reply, obviously eager to have a chance at redeeming his two blunders. "Actually, the patrol on the roads is drastically decreased, compared to before the Waves started. The king of Melromarc seems to have adopted the strategy of hunkering down most of his troops in his major cities."
"Alright... What about the border garrison? Surely the idea of border defense isn't an unique idea from my world? Doesn't this country build fortifications on the border?" Right now the frowning young hero looks decidedly unimpressed with the demi-human's answer.
"We do, Master Naofumi." Mein gives a nod to Naofumi to confirm his assumption. "Last I heard, our country's top general Gazelle Diaz Anderson the Indomitable is commanding the defense of Fort Wolf's Mouth - which is the only land based direct route to Siltvelt that is accessible by carriage. If we travel by the King's Highway, we will surely have to pass the heavy garrison there. Our kingdom has to delegate a huge number of our manpower at the Melromarc-Siltvelt border, due to rumor of them amassing force on their side. They clearly at the very least intend to launch an opportunistic raid against us, if not outright invade during the Waves, when we are already preoccupied."
The male demi-human looks like he's about to blow up again, a quick glance at his partner's direction quickly shuts him up. His more tactful female companion on the other hand manages to squeak out a weak protest. "We assure you, Master Shield Hero. Our country has no intention to add misery to this world wide calamity. We were merely trying to fortify our own border defense. As for crossing the border to our country... surely for all of their heretical views Melromarc won't dare to harm one of the four Legendary Heroes if they wish to leave? That would be an outrageous move that would spell the demise for any… albeit already meager… credibility the kingdom had on the world stage"
Naofumi closes his eyes and rubs a hand over his forehead, he pulls his hand down to squeeze the bridge of his nose afterward. "So you have no plan on how to hide me... You do realize I would be seen as committing desertion in the eye of Melromarc if I try to leave this country. Not to mention I'm the enemy of their faith. More importantly, I'll be found in the company of two demihumans acting as agents of Siltvelt, the long time enemy of this human kingdom. Even if the rational thing would be to let us pass, what guarantee do you have that anyone there will act rationally?"
This seems to stump both of the demihumans for a second or two. Once they recovered they exchange another glance after which the male turns to speak to Naofumi.
"You are not exactly wrong, Master Shield Hero. It's sad, but the human kingdoms do indeed hold to unjustifiably atrocious views of our people." The demi-human man gives Mein a quick glance borderline on being a glare before turning his attention back to Naofumi once again.
Unjustifiably atrocious? There is nothing unjustifiable about looking down on a group of malicious savages!
"As I thought. They can kill me at the border and just blame it on Siltvelt if they want to." The faces of the 'envoys' turn blue at Naofumi's suggestion. "Alright, let's say I DO want to go with you to Siltvelt. Won't it make more sense if you smuggle me through an unguarded border, like a forest or some high mountain pass, rather than using the single road that leads through a heavily fortified border fortress? Surely it's not hard to find a weak spot in their defenses, with the manpower of the kingdom stretched thin acting as garrison for all the big towns?"
The frequency with which both demi-humans begin to exchange wordless glances with each other seems to exponentially increase the more Naofumi speaks. They obviously didn't expect him to first refuse the offer of the throne, and then easily dismantle their plan. Eventually the female one replies clears her throat and replies to Naofumi's question.
"Our levels are too low." It comes out as a self conscious mumble.
…Wait a minute, their levels are too low!? Aren't even the most green recruit of the Raven Order at least classed up level 40s? How else could they have given the Shadows so much trouble? Sure, a veritable army of classed up adventurers can be wiped if they come across the nest of a Griffin King, or Dragon Emperor, but those can be avoided with enough effort. Shouldn't these two have no problem dealing with common mob level monsters?
Something isn't adding up here!
"How can your levels be too low! Aren't Ravens supposed to be super high level... at least a classed up level 40 for the greenest recruit!?" Mein blurts out the thing on her mind before she has a chance to catch herself. She quickly covers her mouth but it's too late. Naofumi is staring at her with an inquisitive look on his face.
"Ravens? I don't suppose you mean a kind of bird, Mein?"
"No, Master Naofumi. I mean the agents of the Siltvelt elite scout and infiltration squad, the Raven Order. I heard of a lot of their exploits even in the backwater town of Samphor. They were said to be truly frightening force at the barbarians disposal." The undercover princess gives some quick glances between the Shield Hero and the two Siltvelt agents. She realizes there is no point on dwelling on spilled water, and hopefully this explanation can appease Naofumi's curiosity.
"Okay... why are you so sure this couple are from the so called 'Raven Order'? Sure, they are kinda shady, but aren't they envoys?" Naofumi nods his head along while keeping most of his focus on the two tense looking demi-humans. The two of them seem to gain back their composure a little now Mein is acting more flustered than they are.
"The black feathers woven into their clothing is a huge clue. It's well known in Melromarc that the Siltvelt Ravens don't leave prisoners behind and none of the witnesses alive. They always leave a raven feather on the body of their victim as a sign of their work, that's what got me so scared..." Mein quickly moves her head near Naofumi's ear and whispers to him. She still doesn't dare to keep her eyes away from the two Siltvelt Agents, even if they claim their level is too low. For all she knows, they can mean their level is too low compared to other Ravens, yet it could easily be double or even triple hers.
"The feathers on their clothing, huh..." Naofumi narrows his eyes a little while he looks at the two agents up and down, he doesn't bother to keep his voice low unlike Mein.
"Isn't it more than a little counterproductive for them to look exactly as you'd expect one of those Ravens would look, when they are going into enemy territory to extract one of the four Legendary Heroes? On a mission where they are supposed to be peaceful envoys too? I'm obviously not this ultra badass infiltrator myself, but I would try to dress down to blend into the crowd, rather than to stand out. There is taking pride of your own organization... and then there is plain idiocy. Honestly, trying to ship me out of the country with a carriage through the king's road is pretty telling in and of itself. I doubt the Raven Order got their reputation by being downright suicidal." As Naofumi talks the postures of the previously presumed agents start to slump and through the openings in their hoods Mein can see both of the demihumans mouths fall open. "What levels are you two anyways?"
The young hero's abrasive words are accompanied by a patronizing tone, as if he is dressing down a pair of children and the demihumans for their part are giving a good impression of being naughty children caught with their hand in the cookie jar. The man finally lets out a dejected sigh. "I'm bringing up my status screen right now for Master Shield Hero and his companion."
The status screen pops up just as he said it would. Mein's first response is the guy's statistics looks awfully low for a level 40. Or level 20. Or even level 10 for that matter. In fact they look not too much different from her own. Then her sight focused on the big bold number right after their level indicator. The symbol for '5' seems to be laughing in her face.
The Siltvelt Agent is a level 5, not level 40 plus like she feared. That's only one level higher than Naofumi, and one level below herself.
All this time that she was so scared, almost on the verge of losing control and relieving herself... And it turns out the one that got her so spooked was even one level lower than her all along! The incognito princess bites down on her lower lip hard, not trusting herself to speak without going out of control and exposing her true thoughts or identity.
"Master Shield Hero is right, my partner and I aren't real Ravens. Those black feathers we have on our body are to scare away people who might want to look for trouble. The baseless rumors about the Raven Order that these Melromarc natives have are rather outrageous to tell the truth." Both demi-humans take off their raven feather bands their dark hoods, revealing tired and plain looking faces underneath and small mammal like ears covered in white fur. "However it is true that we do belong to a spy division of venerated Siltvelt. But we are the bottom level spies who pose as regular civilians or vagrants to quietly gather information, as opposed to battlefield scouts. Once we heard about what happened we decided that we were the only ones in any position to help…"
"This explains so much." Naofumi lowers his face down and covers it with his hands. Even if she can't see his face, Mein gets the feeling that now the Shield Hero wants to cry as much as her father must have back in the throne room when all the heroes turned on him.
Eventually the Shield Hero raises his head up from his hand, his eyes are half closed like he has to struggle to keep his eyelids up. "This is why you two didn't have a plan and just want to hastily ship me out to Siltvelt with a carriage, isn't it? You two aren't very good at planning and you don't have resources on your hand to come up with a complex plan. You probably didn't even get official orders from your superiors. But you two see me as your meal ticket to finally go home, or maybe even earn a promotion so you don't have to live behind enemy lines. So you just crossed your fingers and hoped for the best."
Both Siltvelt agents look away from Naofumi's half closed gaze. Mein wonders if that's just the prestige the Shield Hero holds over all demi-humans, or if her Naofumi managed to figure out a way to send out waves of intense malice in spite of all his physical and mental fatigue. Regardless, the female demi-human manages to lets out a quiet whimper before uttering a response that sounds more like she's trying to convince herself than Naofumi.
"I-I-I a-admit we didn't fully think our plan through, Master Shield Hero. But we honestly didn't have any malicious intent behind our actions. We are sincere in our wish to help you! When we said we were willing to be your slaves, we truly meant it!"
"Okay, can we stop going back to this slavery business now? That's not even a fitting metaphor considering that..." The young hero's voice slowly becomes lower and lower till it become barely audible even to Mein who stands right beside Naofumi. His eyes and mouth also begin to open wider as a creeping realization seems to final dawn on the otherworlder. "...You weren't using it as a metaphor, were you? When you offer to be my slave, you actually mean it in the literal sense. As in people buying and selling other people like livestock."
"Yes, Master Shield Hero. If that is what it would take to alleviate your concerns about our trustworthiness." Both Siltvelt agents exchanged a quick look with each other, her voice becomes louder and more confident. "And it won't arouse much suspicious either. This country systematically hunts and captures innocent demi-humans and sells them to the highest bidder."
"Now wait just a moment here! Everyone knows the demihumans that are taken slaves are not the least bit innocent! They are captured raiders who raid and pillage the countryside unless they are stopped. Unsurprising, considering that demihumans are nothing but vile murderers and rapists by nature. Having them serve this country is to teach them purpose, it's a better fate than those animals deserve!" Mein angrily steps forward and balls her fists. She is about to finally lose her composure and punch the smug looking rodent freak right in the face when a vice grip closes around her wrist. She turns around to look at the Shield Hero.
It's been half a week since the undercover princess became the traveling companion of Naofumi Iwatani. During their time together, the inexperienced young man often showed ingenuity and even maturity time and time again, especially compared to the other three more brash Legendary Heroes who wield weapons. But overall, he is a mostly laid-back man who still retains the kind of wide-eye optimism and innocence one would associate more with a newly hatched Filorial rather than a Hero of legend.
Right now the Shield Hero's face is a maelstrom of different emotions, yet devoid of his usual easy going manner. Even at a first glance, Mein can spot the look of horror, anger, disbelief and conflict subverted underneath his somewhat soft features.
"How… HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT, Mein!? I understand this country hates demi-humans and even the Shield Heroes who used to side with them. But keeping them as slaves and calling them all murderous rapists by nature to justify it!?" His face has gone red as he shouts in indignation. "Isn't that exactly what almost happened to ME!?"
Mein is taken aback at Naofumi's sudden change of mannerism. What is going on? Could it be that the demihumans somehow managed to turn him against her with but a few words? She must quickly explain to her Naofumi the complex relationship the kingdom of Melromarc has with the Beastman and demi-human, both living inside her border and outside. She tries her hardest to ignore both Siltvelt agents' sneer aiming her way. "Well, a hero can't be enslaved. But for those demi-human..."
"That's barbaric! Inhuman! I understand there is bad blood between both sides, but how can anyone justify owning another person as property!?" The often mild-mannered Shield Hero is now roaring like an angry lion at this point, or more to the point, just like father was when he was howling down from his throne while trying to convict Naofumi for the crime of raping his only companion.
Would that comparison technically make her the innocent victim in this instance?
Mein wonders where has her Naofumi gone to, and how did the Shield Demon replace him in barely a split second. Granted, she didn't always tell the young man the whole truth, but she has never betrayed him for the short time they've spent together. She was even willingly to throw away her easy life of living as the pampered first princess and pretend to be a commoner, betraying her father and the most powerful church in Melromarc in the process. Doesn't her faithfulness to Naofumi Iwatani deserves more trust if not flat out rewards? Why is he turning on her at the drop of a hat just because of something those Siltvelt agents, who are obviously opportunist trying to exploit his favor, said something incriminating against her country?
Yes, from Naofumi's reaction she understands the implication - slavery is not viewed in a good light in whatever world the young man is from. She committed a serious blunder by rising to that conniving demihuman's bait. Considering that the concept of slavery itself isn't alien to Naofumi it must have existed in his world for a time, or even still exists in some form that is widely looked down upon. Finding out that it's fairly common in her world must be frustrating. But it's not even something that she is personally guilty of!
The first princess of Melromarc schools her features and stares right back into Naofumi's eyes. Her voice comes out even, but also steadfast without a falter. "Please, Master Naofumi. You are hurting me. If you would kindly release my hand and wait patiently for my explanation I will tell you everything."
The young man's eyes widen at Mein's cold tone. He looks down at the way his hand is closed tightly around Mein's wrist and suddenly lets his hand go like it's on fire. In fact, the Shield Hero's whole body seems to recoil back, as he lets out a few quick hitched breaths. "...Mein, sorry. I-I, that was uncalled for. I was angry at slavery being practiced in this country, I shouldn't have taken it out on you. And even if you said some bad stuff, you were probably just taught to think that way… You were just an adventurer, it's not like you have power to influence any of this..."
"I..." Mein wants to yell at the Shield Hero at the top of her lung for almost turning his back against her for the sake of dirty animals. Granted, she is actually the first princess of this country, not some random country girl, yet Naofumi is still right when he claims that she has no true power to control the practice of slavery in this country. In fact, the undercover princess doubts even her mother, the most powerful figure of glorious Melromarc, can effectively ban it now after so many generations of practice without question and so many people benefiting from the system.
Mein is still shaken because of how easily those Siltvelt animals almost turned her Naofumi against her with but a few words, even after her being the most instrumental in saving him from an unfair trial. It seems like for all she did so far, her position can still be threatened by some savage animals branded with slave's seal the Shield Hero haven't even met yet.
With no small amount of trepidation, Mein belatedly realizes her words to Naofumi earlier about her becoming complacent in living this life of a typical romance novel have somewhat turned out to be true.
Yes, she lamented the fact she lost the ability to have servants at her beck and call whenever she wished, having the treasury of an entire kingdom as her spending money, and constantly being pampered by her father. She hated having to pretend being a dirty commoner and spend every day dressed in smelly rags, living out in the wild as a vagabond and feeling her muscles burn every night after a workout of hunting monsters and walking to the capital to 'sell' the loot and then back to their makeshift camp.
At the same time, she also loved keeping the gratitude and attention of a Legendary Hero constantly looking for her approval all to herself. With how distanced Naofumi was from court intrigue she loved how she could simply sit back and not worry over every word of her speech for the fear of turning possible allies against her, or giving an advantage to her political enemies. It really was like living the story of a romance novel, and it made her complacent. Not to the point where she gives out her true identity to the Shield Hero through a slip of the tongue, but enough to make her complacent in thinking her Naofumi's gratitude-fueled affection towards her will be ironclad and unchanging.
If the first princess is grateful towards her mother for one thing, it is the first big lesson mother gave her back when she was still a child -
- Even family means nothing, for trust between people is meaningless in this game to sit on the coveted throne.
The undercover princess is willing to swallow more than just her pride, if it secures her chance of succession in the end. She needs to be extra careful with her words and actions to always show her worth to the Shield Hero, rather than simply worry over not giving her true identity away. "... I understand, Master Naofumi. I… To be truthful I myself don't fully empathize with those that practice slavery and I do think that it is outdated in our time and age. But please, hear me out on how it came to be in the first place. It goes way back, to the time of the First Alliance of Men that stood against the invasion of the Beastman horde."
"The First Alliance of Men." Mein can practically hear the sneer of the male demi-human, but she chooses to ignore such an immature taunt. This seems to work in her favor, as the Shield Hero shoots the Siltvelt agents a dirty look that instantly shuts them up. Good. Let them undermine themselves while Mein sticks to her own story to hopefully appease the young Hero.
"I already told you how the Beastmen mature quickly as they grow in level, Master Naofumi. So during the war when the beasts attacked they could replace their lost troops much easier than the alliance of human kingdoms that stood in their way. Luckily, the horde had one weakness: due to their rapid physical growth alongside their level, the Beastman required large amounts of food to grow up strong and healthy. And as food grew scarce due to their numbers, the newer troops of the horde becomes weaker and developed bristle bones. This finally allowed the men of the first alliance to shatter their army and drive the invasion back. But by that time, more than half of the human kingdoms lied in complete ruin, and the rest suffered terrible loses. So the kings and lords of the realms decided to use Beastman prisoners to help rebuild the scorched kingdoms."
The undercover princess takes a short pause to lick her lips. The slight feeling of irritation that comes with pouring salt into a wound makes her realize she has yet to take a single mouthful of water since she started to make the return trip from the capital. She dismisses this slight annoyance to focus on swinging the Shield Hero back to her side. "Much of the history around that time is lost, of course. But scholars widely agree that it is the root of the modern practice of Demihuman enslavement in the human kingdoms. As for the current state of slavery in Melromarc... it's true the practice exists, but it's only legal when it is overseen by the state as a punishment for criminals or prisoners of war."
The incognito princess intentionally stops her narration here to take a drink from her water skin. She wants to see if the Siltvelt agents will be dumb enough to fall for her trap or not.
"That's a complete lie! It's widely known there are manhunters and slave traders that take innocent demi-humans living in this country and sell them to corrupted nobles on the black-market!" Mein fights the smirk that threatens to creep up her face once again when the male demi-human steps right into her metaphorical noose. She slowly takes a mouthful of water and lets it trickle down her burning throat before she ties the water skin back to her waist.
"If you would have let me finish my explanation after my drink, sir from Siltvelt, you would realize I was getting to the part." The undercover princess sees the look of anger and resentment showing on the demi-human pest's face. She almost feels sorry for this overambitious bottom of the barrel spy from that country of animal barbarians. It kind of feels like she is trying to steal from a child who doesn't know any better.
But then again she remembers how this animal scum tried to turn her Naofumi straight back into the Shield Demon and made him hurt her wrist, and any of her feeling that resembled sympathy get tossed beyond the horizon.
"It is true, from the rumors I heard there are manhunters who target innocent demi-humans and Beastman living within the border of Melromarc. And corrupt nobles buy them for their sadistic pleasure, justifying it as slaves not possessing a free will of their own and hence needing some sort of master. I do not agree with taking innocent people as slaves myself, of course. And I agree that those corrupted nobles who secretly defy the laws of this country are the worst kind of scum. At least the Siltvelt war chiefs openly practice their 'Right of Taking', rather than trying to hide it." She makes sure to put special emphasis on the words to focus Naofumi's attention to where it needs to be diverted.
"'Right of Taking'...? I'm not sure I like the sound of that." Naofumi's eyes dart between both Mein and the two Siltvelt agents. The faces of those two animals are starting to look a little blue by now. "Anyone care to explain it to me?"
"It's an… outdated… practice that goes back to way before the unification of the eighty-six tribes to form venerable Siltvelt, Master Shield Hero." The female demi-human quickly answers the question. The slightly more tactful of the two Siltvelt agents obviously has no faith in letting Mein answer the question for them with how much she's been wiggling the truth to suits her needs so far.
Of course, Mein has no intentions of interrupting her enemies when they are making a mistake. No matter what the Demihuman says, the subject that is being discussed will itself paint the barbaric animals of Siltvelt in a negative light. Sure, she could have controlled the flow of the information if she was the one speaking, but speaking badly about the rival country of her birth nation is something Naofumi already expects and hence the credibility of whatever she says would come into question. No, the better way is to let those two agents dig their own grave, and maybe take a few tactical jabs at them just to make sure they don't worm their way out from under Naofumi's ire.
"Okay... care to elaborate on that? Because from what Mein said, I don't think this 'Outdated Practice' has stopped." Naofumi extends the index and middle fingers out on both of his hands and makes a wiggle gesture as he spits out the words 'outdated practice'. Mein guesses this strange hand gesture is also part of his emphasis as she can practically hear the capitalization in his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Y-Yes, as my rightful king wishes. The 'Right of Taking' goes back a long way before the time of our First King, an ancient tradition that dates back since before the founding of Siltvelt... At the time, the many tribes of Beastman were divided even among the same subspecies and often went to war with each other just as frequently as with the humans who treat us as nothing more than nest of monsters. In order to grow the population of a tribe, the victor of the conflict always took the people of the defeated tribe and gave them to those who fought bravely in battle as spoils..." The female demi-human's face goes more and more pale and Naofumi's face keep getting darker.
"So let me get this straight, Siltvelt also has a long history with enslaving people and it's done so since its founding… And it's still not stopped to this day just like in Melromarc." Naofumi holds up his index finger as the two Siltvelt agents give reluctant nods. The young hero lets out a pained sigh as he covers his face. "Not trying to shift blame here, because selling another person as property is wrong regardless who started it first. But at the same time, how hypocritical can you guys be? Your own kingdom is doing the same sort of messed up things that you were complaining about moments ago… What kind of fucked up world did I got summoned into..."
Naofumi clenches his teeth as he holds one of his palms to his face. Suddenly through the gaps in his fingers Mein sees his eyes go wide and he lowers his hand. "Why didn't the Shield Heroes from before try to put a stop to this 'Right of Taking'?"
"It's... a bit complicated. Master Shield Hero." The female one answers before hesitating. The two demi-human share what has to be the dozenth quick look with one another and only then does she go on. "The first passage in our holy book, 'The Book of Disparity,' spoken by our First King goes like this: 'Inherent differences are things to be respected, rather than fought over.' The interpretation of these wise words has been taken by some to be that differences in rights and social status are also to be respected and if need be enforced. So the tribes have been since practicing the 'Right of Taking' and justifying it as respecting the differences between the strong and the weak. The winners and the losers."
The male one nods along as his companion speaks.
"This is why to this day some of the clans command more power and have more influence than others - the clans were not meant to be the same, but different. And differences must be respected." Both Demihumans perform some sort of hand-sign that obviously has some sort of religious significance as they quote the verse from their holy book.
Naofumi seems to be in complete shock right now, struck speechless by what he heard. Silence reigns for several long seconds during which both Demihumans fidget uncomfortably while Mein gives them a victorious smirk.
"…To have the well meaning words twisted like this..." The Shield Hero has look that's equally resigned and disgusted as his left hand slowly finds its way back up his forehead. Mein quietly but swiftly leans into him and wraps her arm around his shoulder to offer some light comfort, as well as reinforce the subconscious image of her as a supportive figure on his side.
Momentarily putting aside the feelings of smugness that arose due to her latest victory, the incognito princess begins to turn the cogs and gears in her head once more.
Those two damnable Siltvelt animals caught her by surprised earlier. They made her Naofumi suspicious of her. But at the same time, they also unknowingly offered a solution to one of her current most pressing problems.
The remaining thousand gold coins question is whether she should take this chance or not. On the one hand, she may already be on shaky ground with Naofumi, even if she is also currently doing her best to repair the damage done by those pests.
To simply let it slide and leave it forgotten is the safe choice.
On the other hand, if she makes a gamble and wins her hand she'll no longer be forced to act as a mere grunt who does the dirty work for the Shield Hero's party. It'll also no doubt dramatically improve their position when it comes to their overall performance in the Waves, which in turn would eventually lead to her having a much stronger claim to the throne than her bratty sister.
The undercover princess gives a quick calculating gaze at the two Siltvelt agents. If they ideologically lean more towards helping the other demi-humans in this country, they can help reinforce her points. On the other hand, if they are committed to discrediting both her country or herself, they can throw some annoying firecrackers those Siltvelt scouts love to use into this situation.
Unlike her decision in choosing a Hero, there is no time for her to sit down and write everything out. Oh well, she's never been that good at playing the caution game anyways.
"Master Naofumi, unfortunately we aren't currently in the position to do anything about the practice of slavery in general." Through her shared physical contact with him Mein can feel Naofumi tense. "…But there is something you can do for at least a few of those wrongfully enslaved innocent people."
The Shield Hero slowly rises his head to give Mein a puzzled look. The novice adventurer takes a short pause and looks to the side. She tries her best to look unsure for a moment before meeting Naofumi's eyes with a resolute gaze. "We still have some funds left over that we didn't spend on provisions. Plus everything that I've made selling our loot at the city. Not to mention that we aren't using much money now that we are mostly living of the land… Which means that you can use that money to save those slaves yourself."
The young hero's expression is at first lost and confused but after a few moment it turns to horror and then anger. His entire body is shaking with rage. It is only no doubt suppressed with great effort on his part.
Well, that could have gone better. At least he isn't lashing out at her. He obviously does not want to have a repeat of the incident from a few moments before. This is a good sign for Mein, as it shows Naofumi is at least willing to hear her out before dismissing her opinion. "How… how exactly will perpetuating slavery myself help the people it hurts?"
"If Master Naofumi becomes the master of those wrongfully enslaved, you can properly care for them and treat them with dignity. Unlike the corrupted nobility who only seek to use them for their twisted pleasure, in the best cases working them to death or discarding them to die if they become unsuited for it." Naofumi is looking at the ground while clenching his jaw tightly again. The incognito princess can practically see the little wheels turning in his head.
"Helping enslaved innocents…Can't we report it to the guards? You did say the only legal practice is state slavery to punish criminals and prisoners of war, right!? That means those scum skin traders are breaking the law!" The young man from another world suddenly seems to have an enlightened moment as he finds a counter argument to Mein's proposal. Once again, it shows her Naofumi's perceptive observation and his quick wits, but also highlights his naive optimism that Mein has to slowly melt away to make him a good ruler besides her.
"It won't work, Master Naofumi. Our country does not keep a record on every single civilian, even less so for the demi-humans who mostly live on the fringes. It'll be impossible to prove they are innocent people who are wrongfully enslaved in the eyes of law, when the slavers can simply claim them to be criminals ready to be transported to the state. Not to mention the underground slave traders usually have powerful backers in the nobility whom they supply. Any charges brought against them are bound to be waved away. Add to that the fact that Master Naofumi is the Shield Hero..."
"Oh..." The young man visibly deflates when he remembers his precarious position in Melromarc.
"As much as I hate to agree with this suggestion... Master Shield Hero's companion is right. Even if his Majesty does successfully save some of the victims by reporting to guards, this country does not care for its demi-human population. Without a means to feed themselves, they will die, captured by other manhunters again, or even willingly sell themselves back into slavery to survive." The male demi-human seems to spit out his statement with a scrunched up face. One can be excused to think someone is about to force-feed him something rotten. "If Master Shield Hero is willing to take care of them, buying them yourself is the best option for now."
Success! Their naive empathy for their kin outweighs their dislike of her!
"...so I either leave the world in this cruel status quo, or I perpetuate the vile system to help out the few I can. That's just wonderful." Naofumi falls back on his ass at this realization, literally, as he sits down on the ground in the forest clearing. Right now he looks even more defeated than when he was held at spear point while dressed only in his underwear, back in the throne room during his impromptu mockery of a trial. It makes Mein want to once again wrap her arms around him to say everything will be okay, even if she knows that's a lie.
But Mein also wants to let the situation truly sink into the naive young Hero from another world. He needs to get hardened a lot more to survive the trials and tribulations down the path ahead, let alone if he is to marry her and become Melromarc royalty.
…Yet he seems so pitiful. The comparison to a sad baby Filorial is indeed apt right now…
…On the other hand, she also can't have him become completely disheartened with the situation either. It simply won't do if the Shield Hero is so crushed by despair that he decides to simply roll over and die when some Three Heroes fanatic decides to come and slay the Devil. No, Mein needs to give Naofumi a purpose to work towards that gives him motivation without hindering herself in the meantime.
Mein kneels down and grasps Naofumi's shoulder firmly with one hand to make him look at her. "The situation isn't completely hopeless, Master Naofumi. For all that you lack the power to end the slave trade now and that you might help perpetuate this practice of illegal slavery in the short term... who's to say you can't also be the one who will eventually end it when you save our world as the Shield Hero? To that end I will always stand beside you of course, but you will also need more devoted followers you can depend on. The demi-humans already worship the Shield Hero, even some of those that were born and lived their lives in Melromarc. If you save them from slavery at least some of the demihumans will become your faithful companions. And in turn with their help you will be able to rise as the great Shield Hero, someone powerful enough to put an end to slavery in our world!"
The Shield Hero's eyes are still a little cloudy as he looks from Mein to the two Siltvelt agents. He lets out a tired sigh and slowly gets back up to his feet with Mein's help. "I still don't like it... but you are right, Mein. I can't just bury my head in the dirt and not do anything about it either. Do any of you know where I can find those skin traders around here?"
"We have contacts in the capital that would be aware, Master Shield Hero." The female demi-human steps forth this time with an eager spring in her step. It's hard for Mein to tell if the chit is eager to show off her usefulness, or to save her fellow animals from a cage. "If you are willing we can find them for you right now."
"No, Mein and I will come with you. Please lead the way." Naofumi gives both demi-human a nod as he moves to follow them. Clever. It won't give them any time to prepare an ambush if they decide that it would be simply more advantageous to lead the Shield Hero into a trap, capture him and ship him out of Melromarc after all. Neither the young Hero nor the dimwitted agents notice the faint smirk on Mein's face.
Yes and the slaves will be the perfect companions to the party of the Shield Hero. With their low social status, they will all know better than trying to budge into her place as the Number One most important companion of the Shield Hero. They are perfect candidate to take over the grunt work in killing monsters. And they will be useful as extra meat shields for Mein when the Shield Hero isn't available next to her.
Everything worked out perfectly in the end.
The journey back to Melromarc Castle is mostly somber, with the Shield Hero dictating the mood with his quiet brooding. It's clear that even with the seeds of hope that Mein planted within him that he remains in low spirit. And Mein isn't about to chat with the Demihumans who were the cause of much of her stress that day. Towards the end Naofumi does end up having some small talk with two Siltvelt agents over more trivial matters, it seems like the young man is still somewhat interested in the country of the Beastmen even if he has no desire to move his base of operation.
"It's hard to say what the most common form of music is, Master Shield Hero. We are a collection of cultures from eighty six diverse tribes. Even the tongue we speak may differ greatly among them. Although if you were to ask for what's popular... right now the most popular musical instrument you often find playing in taverns is drum music. Especially the six drum style." The demi-human agents certainly look happy to entice Naofumi with their primitive culture, even if the Shield Hero is rather adamant in his denial of moving to Siltvelt.
"Drums, huh... That's pretty interesting I guess. I only saw string instruments around Melromarc so far." Another indicator of Melromarc being the true civilized nation as opposed to a rag tag band of barbarians calling themselves one. Drums used for entertainment? Preposterous! From what she knows the Beastmen use drums to help their ragtag soldiers march in some semblance of formation and keep their rhythm. That would be the equivalent of Melromarc bards using trumpets as their tools of trade. To use drums for entertainment too just speaks volumes for how uncultured and violent their society is. Then again, it fits the war loving savages rather well that they even listen to their warfare tool in a tavern.
"Yes, drums." The male demi-human shots Mein a dirty look, he obviously manages to catch the derision written all over her face that the Shield Hero missed. "The Storm Drummers can make the patrons of the tavern go wild with their ale, as if they are experience the sensation of sailing through a storm and come out of the other side with their six drums."
"We are here." The voice of the female demi-human makes Mein suddenly become rather aware of the smell in front of them. She covers her face with the extra fabric of her traveling cloak while grimacing at the stink that assaults her nose.
The undercover princess peeks out from behind Naofumi's back, and to her dismay she realizes they are at one of the exists to the sewer that runs underneath the city's foundation. Human, monster and livestock wastes, mixed with all sorts of other detestable matter creates a sight and smell that almost makes her lose whatever she ate this day and before. "You aren't suggestion for the Shield Hero to go through... that!"
"This is 'The Way of the Rat', the quickest road for thieves, spies, and others wishing to navigate the city without attracting the attention of the city watch. We'll have to find our guide and contact in the thief's guild if you don't want to get shanked by some cutthroat in the back alley and slum. And to reach that place I'm afraid we'll have to go through here." The female demi-human looks back, Mein can tell she is also scrunching her nose with a look of disgust. The idea of trudging her way through shit is seriously make Mein reconsider her options right now.
"Mein, maybe it's best you stay out here? This isn't me being falsely accused back in the throne room. I am going to be doing something illegal, and it's best if you don't get caught together with me." The Shield Hero turns back to give Mein a serious and determined look. The undercover princess grimaces once again when she realizes it's too late to change his mind now.
"No! I meant it when I said I'll always be at Master Naofumi's side. I will go wherever you go! And if Master Naofumi becomes a criminal to this country, I am your willing co-conspirator." Mein furiously shakes her head even if she wants to stay outside in the fresh air with every fiber of her being.
If ever the term 'shitty situation' had an apt application then this would be it. No pun intended…
…On the upside she doubts the city watch will just happen to do one of their slum district raids on this exact day they decide to go buy some slaves. And even if they do they'll know better than to get in her way. Hopefully…
"Very well. Follow us in this case and watch out for the unsavory people. You don't want to get lost in here." The male demi-human takes a small oil lamp out of his cloak to fasten it around his waist. The four of them make their way through the dark winding tunnel that ensures the proper municipal function of the city.
The incognito princess isn't ashamed to admit she loses all sense of time and direction after barely a few turns, with only their own footsteps to keep them company. The two Siltvelt agents eventually stop at a wooden door that looks way too reinforced to be the original construction, and they begin to knock on it with a fast to slow rhythm in some sort of signal before the door swings open.
Mein is surprised to find what appears to be a dingy bar inside what looks to be the sewerage system's rotunda. The place is at least as large as the main hall of the inn they stayed in several days ago. Burley men whose arms are thicker than her legs armed with rusty weapons guard the entrance and patrol around the room. Shady looking characters of all shapes and sizes sit on stools around old long wooden tables, or in front of the bar at the far end. A middle aged and lanky looking man with matted dirty blond hair is cleaning one of the many mugs with a towel while humming to himself. Clearly the bar tender. The pair of Siltvelt agents quickly move their way toward him.
The man also seems to notice those two approach once they cover half the distance to him. He puts down the mug he's cleaning to smirk at the demi-humans. "Rosat, Cervell. What new troubles are you two getting into now?"
"Brought you a new customer, Weasel." The female demi-human gives the bartender a knowing wink. "Need a guide to see one of those who deal with the live merchandise, if you catch my drift."
"Ah, first time customer huh? You don't want to get swindled by the shadier ones who think they can pull a fast one over the fat sheep." The 'Weasel' gives a quick once over of both Naofumi and Mein. He obviously takes note on their choice of functional but obviously high end traveling attires. "You'll want Beloukas in that case. Doesn't have a very large selection since he doesn't deal exclusively in the 'live merchandise'. But the guy's as honest as a Dust District 'merchant' gets. Won't sell you defective merchandise or try to scam you for a few coppers either. You'll need a fast boy to guide you in the case you want to find him though."
"Trouble in the slum?" The male demi-human slides his way onto one of the stools. He flips a few coins towards the bartender, the 'weasel' passes a mug of liquid that's too cloudy to be legitimately brewed alcohol.
"The usual mob war. Some new big shot demi-human kid is rounding up all the demi-human squatters to fight those fanatics too poor to pray at the altar on church day. Not something I want to get into. I just clean the tables and mix this dragon piss for everyone. Happens right around the area Beloukas set up his shop though." The bartender shrugs his shoulders at the question. He whistles at one of the half asleep men with his feet on the table near the counter, the man is half shaven on both sides of his scalp, leaving a thin line of thick hair to run through the middle of his head. "Yoo-hoo, Russell boy. You up for a runner's job?"
"Damn it, weasel. I was dreaming of the juiciest dragon meat steak and you have to wake me up." Russell peeks at the bartender with a scowl on his face. Mein is surprised to find how young the man actually looks now that she can clearly see his face. In fact, he looks more like a boy that's around the age of the Bow and Sword Heroes.
"We got a tricky new customer here, need to go see Beloukas. Think you can get him there without getting shanked by one of Adam's?" The 'weasel' gives a nod to the Shield Hero and Mein.
Russell narrows his eyes to look them up and down, he lets out a snort at their dirtied yet clearly expensive clothing. "Yeah, they look wet behind the ears. Five silver for going to see balloon daddy upfront, five more if they get to him in one piece. Take it or leave it."
"Done." The male demi-human flips the asked amount to the young man. Russell catches them all in the middle of the air with a show of remarkable dexterity. The young thief nods back to the bartender once again, and stands up from his chair while giving a 'follow me' gesture before turning towards one of the rotunda's side arms.
Mein follows Russell together with the Shield Hero and the two Siltvelt agents. They climb up a rickety looking wooden ladder guarded by one of the burly bouncers, and arrive at a conspicuous looking abandoned small house. Their guide whips his head around meaningfully to gesture towards one direction, and the five of them quickly begin to make their way through the cracked streets of the slum.
The walk through the dark alleys of Melromarc is no casual stroll over the grassy plain outside the city walls, even if the affair is a dramatic improvement over trudging through feces. Immediately the stench of dried urine and rotting garbage assaults Mein's nose, making her want to puke out the breakfast she barely retained within her stomach on the journey through The Way of the Rat. Yes, indeed the smell isn't all that much better than in the sewer if Mein is being perfectly honest.
Homeless men wrapped in dirty cloaks eye the interlopers with starving eyes like they want to devour the pair with their sight alone. A scantily clad woman covered in bruises and with a puffed up and broken lip quickly turns away as they round a corner. As they move further down a group of muscular men with short hair, tight clothing and visible scars shoot them with unwelcoming glares, one letting out a growl while showing off his pointed filed teeth.
"Stay close with me, Mein. They look dangerous." Naofumi glances at the rough looking man eying them again. He tightens his cloak and pulls Mein closer by her hand. But thankfully not too close to have a repeat of the Unspeakable event back in the lover's suite.
For several more minutes the group makes their way through this misbegotten dirty labyrinth, when their guide suddenly stops in the middle of the road and holds up his hand. He gives a quick glance around the street and pulls out a pair of sharp steel daggers and dexterously weaves into one of the narrow side alley, beckoning everyone to follow. Mein, Naofumi and the two agents quickly follow him behind. "Shit, looks like we're being shadowed."
Mein almost has a heart attack before she realizes that their guide probably doesn't mean to imply the involvement of any actual Shadows. However even if it's not Shadows, the fact that someone is following them can't mean anything good.
"Let's turn around, it's no good if we get robbed." Naofumi gives a short but urgent call towards their young guide. While Mein agrees with the sentiment she doubts that doubling back is going to help fix the issue. Russell simply huffs back at the Shield Hero.
"Be my guest if you want to walk right into their ambush." The young thief simply picks up his pace, till it resembles a full sprint, while everyone else is also forced to accelerate in order to keep up. "It'll be safer if we beat them to Beloukas, the man's sly but he won't let his customers get robbed. We aren't that far off."
A scant minute later and once they quickly round a few more corners and walk right into a small intersection with a blockade of human bodies from all sides except the direction they came from.
Speaking of which... that side is also blocked with human body now.
Damnations!
They definitely should have doubled back! Had they actually listened to Naofumi they'd only have to deal with one of them. But hindsight is always clearer than foresight…
The group all have bigger builds and are healthier looking than the other people from the back alley. Amongst them stands a young man with bull like horns on his head with a rusty yet vicious looking hunting knife tied at his thigh. He smirks at Naofumi and Mein. His skin even has a healthy tanned glow to it unlike most gutter rats that look either deathly pale, or sickly grey."A little bird whispered that we have a couple of well off tourists amongst us. I'm afraid you haven't paid your toll, Mr. fat sheep on my turf."
Naofumi takes a step in front of Mein. He moves aside his cape and raises his arm with the Shield in front of him.
The undercover princess gives another good look around the group of men surrounding them. She notices the animal features on each of them. Mein slowly pulls her sword out of its sheath while giving the bovine demi-human a dirty look.
Right at this moment the undercover princess is so done with the whole thing charade. She's reached a breaking point. First, the Unspeakable embarrassment and her thwarted attempts at seduction. Then she's forced to be a glorified courier running between their camp and Melromarc Castle to sell monster drops for some meager income. Then, she gets the scare of her life by a pair of idiotic Siltvelt dirt-class spies which pretend to be the top-class Ravens. She gets yelled at by her Naofumi over some dirty no good slaves. She had to walk her way first through a sewer and then the equally squalid and disgusting slum. And now some filthy animals want to rob the first princess of glorious Melromarc in her birth city, practically her own backyard!?
There is only so much a princess can endure for her ambition before she snaps, and right now Mein is very self-conscious of something breaking in her mind, but she doesn't care. Malty S Melromarc only has two words on the tip of her tongue right now - those being 'Greater Fireball.' Low level or not it's going to cause on heck of a reaction considering the surroundings. She is very nearly past the point of caring that it might well start a city wide fire and not to mention is bound to affect her too as someone close to the epicenter. It's with truly Heroic effort that she reigns herself back.
She waves her sword at the leader of the demi-humans while screeching at them at the top of her lungs.
"Don't you know the one you are trying to rob is THE Shield Hero, the one and only Hero your kind worships!? Leave us and squat in your own filth, you animals!"
Naofumi quickly wipes his head around to give Mein a shocked look. He turns back to look at the demi-human leader. "Sorry, my companion is having a bad day. But I really am the Shield Hero, and I would really appreciate if you can just forget this whole thing and let us pass."
"He says he's the Shield Hero." The bull man looks left and right at his subordinates, he suddenly breaks into laughs together with the other demi-human surrounding him.
"Well in that case I'm the king of Melromarc!" He lets out a cheeky grin to more growing laughter from his goons. Suddenly and swiftly he draws his knife and with a frighteningly quick motion points it at Naofumi's face. "Don't even try that shit. And even if you were the Shield Hero it would still change nothing."
Naofumi's eyes widen as his features fall into a surprised expression.
The horned man gives a moment for the laughter to die down before he speaks again.
"What? You think I'd give The Shield Hero a free pass just because I'm a demi-human? I guess I could do our Hero here a solid, but that wouldn't feed our stomach, would it? Now, now, Master Shield Hero. You should know the value of sharing. What do you say about helping someone less fortunate than you, huh?" Their guide is shaking, teeth chattering in clear fright. The two Demihuman agents however actually start growling at the horned man's words. Mein thinks that she heard one of them grumble 'heretic' under their breath.
Mein herself grinds her teeth at the unexpected reaction to her proclamation. She thought that appealing to their faith might give them pause, but in hindsight these lowly scum would not care for such matters. Most of them wield rusty tools or wooden sticks, none of them have armor on. But they easily outnumber her group. Their only chance is to take the obvious leader down. If they manage that the rest should scatter.
Naofumi schools his face and deepens his defensive stance, trying to put himself and his Shield between Mein and as many attackers as possible. The two Siltvelt agents draw blades and stand back to back, scowling. They'll probably fight to cover Naofumi but won't do much to ensure her own safety. The boy that is her group's guide is no longer standing still but is dropping down and looking around himself - Mein has no illusions about him fighting to defend them. The brat is clearly looking for an opening to run. She aims her sword at the crude horned Demihuman who is obviously the leader of this group of muggers and prepares the spell chant on her lips. She'll have to call out her true name as the royal princess if she wants it to come out as strong as she can manage it.
"Come on, gentlemen. I'm sure we can all come to an agreement if we put down our weapons and talk like civilized men. After all, why make war when you can make love with each other? Metaphorically, of course."
As both sides inch closer towards clashing with one another, the battle between them seeming inevitable as in the moment, a jovial voice rings out through the dark alley, forestalling the eminent bloodshed and possibly saving the capitol of Melromarc from a second fiery demise in as many decades.
The master of the voice is a short plump man with a curly mustache. The shape of his body makes him look more like a distant cousin of the balloon monster. He wears a dark top hat, and an obviously tailor made suit with an ornamented feather collar. The man's no doubt beady eyes hide behind a pair of shining glass lenses. Against all odds he manages to look even more sly and remarkably shady than the merchant Mein dealt with that morning.
"Beloukas. I didn't think you'd leave your little slice of heaven." The bull man pulls his hunting knife slightly closer back to his chest.
"Ah, well the very same little bird also whispered to me about the arrival of a group of guests in our lovely little corner of the city, of course! And one of them fitting the description of the renowned and illustrious Shield Hero no less! So I asked myself, what does a glorious Hero want from our little refuge that he can't get from anywhere else. Why, it has to be what I deal with! Since I'm this district's most prominent 'problem solver'." The chubby little man takes a step forward with a wide grin while taping his heel on the broken cobble stone road in a weird little dance. "What do you say you leave Master Shield Hero alone for us to conduct our business, Mr. Taurus. I'll fix you up with something good later."
"…So you say that he really is the Shield, huh?" The bull demi-human stays perfectly still for a moment, eyes however darting between Naofumi and the newcomer. Eventually he locks his gaze with the balloon-like man for several rather intense seconds, before breaking eye contact and pulling his hunting knife back.
"Very well, but you own me one. Let's go."
The group of demi-human muggers blends back into the shadows as fast as they appeared. Mein lets out the breath she was holding, but she doesn't dare to return her sword back to her sheathe yet. She gives a quick glance towards Naofumi. He isn't looking much less tense than a moment ago either. The rest of their group aren't much better.
"Well, now that the potential disastrously unprofitable and sordid affair is out of the way, let's get down to business. Shall we?" The sly man rubs his hands together before skidding his way in front of Naofumi and Mein. He bows forward giving both a courtesy. "Beloukas, exotic goods dealer, professional fixer, and the best martini mixer this side of the Melromarc underbelly, at your service."
End Note:
This chapter was actually re-written last weekend. Unfortunately Comrade Broseph encountered a lots of difficulties and doesn't have time to help me do the final edit till now.
I'm curious to know if people want to see me update on my bi-weekly schedule and maybe update it with the final edit whenever Comrade Broseph finishes the editing, or to have me do what I'm doing with late update schedule but upload the most polished version right from the start.
To Seth:
Yeah, Malty just isn't Malty if she does not have a more sadistic side at all. At least this time she aimed it on someone who is slightly more deserving and didn't completely ruin him.
To Konami-kun:
Sorry, I think you are using google translation? I can't really understand your review. Hope you at least enjoyed my story.
To Guest:
It's actually Siltvelt, the more traditionalism of the two Demi-Human super powers. But yeah, expect the other super powers in Shield Bro extended canon to have slightly more things to do than canon main story.
To Shield:
Motoyasu is actually my favorite character in the whole story, I won't lie I enjoyed Reprise of the Spear Hero way more than Rise of the Shield Hero which completely dropped off for me after the Church arc.
To Night:
Not sure if you read the novel or just read the manga/watch the anime. There is a reason on why Malty, or rather The Bitch is a complete bag of bricks. I personally think it's a stupid reason (heck, me not happy with how Malty is written in canon is the reason this story exist), but at least it's internally consistent.
Yeah, I think smarter Malty make for an overall better story even if she's still a villain character in canon. Having a smart character who can constantly challenge Naofumi regardless of his level and stats in a Light Yagami/L like intelligent battle would have made the second 2/3rd of Shield Hero become so much better.
