I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero

Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad and Peiniger on helping me with SPAG edit! Also special thanks to Angel Wraith for reading my rough draft and provide important feedbacks, and give me the suggestion of Naofumi's final speech to Trash.

More author note at the end for people who are interested to see me blabber some more.


The first princess of glorious Melromarc, with her arms forcibly bent behind her back, walks toward the palace training yard with the grace and gait of a prisoner on death row facing her execution.

The door to the banquet room and the hallway outside can easily have five people walking through them simultaneously. But with the number of guests going to see the ensuing duel between heroes, it's still taking a good five minutes to empty the ball room.

Mein herself happens to be one of the last groups to step outside the gate. She's, in all honesty, not eager to see her Naofumi lose.

The young man from another world has come a long way in the past two weeks. But so do his otherworldly compatriots, if the first princess would hazard a guess. Naofumi's tragically low ATK puts him at a distinct disadvantage when he's fighting a one-on-one duel with one of the other heroes.

"Move your fat ass." Henchmen number 2 kicks at her heel, making her stumble forward. Leather boots instead of steel, thankfully. It still hurts.

"Come on, you ruffian. That's no way to treat a lady," a voice distorted by the sound of chewing comes from behind.

Oh no.

"You call this bitch a lady? You rich bastards have lower standards than a street urchin." Henchmen number 2 lets out a sneer as he drags Mein around. The princess in disguise is granted the full view of the young brat in a Knight Templar's shining armor.

A chiseled face that looks just like one of the marble statues, somewhat ruined by his brilliant blue eyes. They always peer at someone through the corner, rather than give anyone direct looks. Messy black hair that slightly bobs up and down as he munches on an apple, with the corner of a small mouth that seems to always curve up into a depraved smirk.

"Whatever, take her off my hands. This bitch is your problem now." Henchmen number 2 pushes Mein forward, into the one free waiting arm of the Consevatie heir.

Of all the noble scions who have courted her in the past, she has to end up in the hands of this piece of work.

Siegmar Isaac Octavius Consevatie.

Chapter 23: The Easy Way Out

Despite the more recent mistakes, never let it be said that Father doesn't love his daughters. Before this whole mess with the church and the hero summoning, Father has made considerable efforts to stop Mother from marrying her to the Pig King of Faubley.

Thinking back, the reason for multiple scions from the most rich and powerful Melromarc families courting her one after the other was obviously Father playing matchmaker behind the scene. Not because of her irresistible charm.

With the benefit of hindsight, it's not hard to spot how uninterested Bern Tashi Amelia was in their conversation when he gave vague non-answers while they talked about other powerful families. Or how Keith Claes always peeks at his adopted sister Katarina whenever she's around with the two of them.

Mein looks forward, and sees the blonde-haired knight guarding and guiding the many important figures of glorious Melromarc towards the training yard.

The only one different from the others is Jaune Arc. Sincere, sweet Jaune, always attentive towards her. Even when he's completely out of his depth at dealing with a princess, who forever wants more than what she has. Of all the young men who courted her, he was the only one who tried his best to make the relationship work.

The incognito princess looks ahead, trying to spot the dark messy hair of the Shield Hero. But the young man is completely submerged by the wave of colorful hairs that look like the tide.

In a lot of ways, Jaune reminds Mein of her Naofumi. Or perhaps more to the point where the young hero reminds the princess a lot of the young and noble knight of House Arc. She could see herself spending the rest of her life with the youngest Arc if this farce of a Hero Summoning never took place.

There is, of course, the dragon in the room. Duke Wales Arc has already named his eldest daughter Artoria as his heir. And with Jaune being the youngest of the second generation, he most likely will inherit the title of a Viscount. Maybe a Count at most if his many elder sisters are generous.

Being married to a future Lord Paramount or second-in-line will give her a lot of political pull within a province. In the case of something happening to her dear little sister - not that she wishes Melty ill, of course - she would still have a strong claim of the throne backed by at least one province and their outside allies. Not so if she's going to grow old with some unimportant lower tier noble in a little county.

It's a shame the only heir to a Lord Paramount who happens to court her had to be this one...

"What are you looking for, my dear? A big hero man riding on a pure white filorial coming in to save you? Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's no one for you." The heir of House Consevatie breathes down her neck.

Even through the thick fabric of her cowl, Mein still feels her hair standing up.

Consevatie does not seem to realize her discomfort. Perhaps more accurately, he does not care about her wellbeing, or even revel in the power he has over a princess. "Poor, poor princess. Lost her rightful title to her younger sister. Trying to reclaim her right through a big, heroic man. Well, it's a great shame for you there's not a single good choice for you anymore, isn't it? A blonde playboy idiot who can only smooch off his girlfriends. A smug teen who doesn't listen to anyone and is more likely to get his party killed. And a self-righteous, insane boy who makes everything worse pretending to be a hero. I'm not surprised you picked the loser who can't fight by himself."

Mein squints her eyes at Consevarie's provocation. The heir is obviously trying to get her worked up, possibly to get back at her for rejecting his advances. However, she'd be lying if she pretends to not feel worked up at the dismissive attitude this daddy's boy shows at her Naofumi.

Although what does unnerve her a little is the apparent familiarity the heir shows toward all the heroes. Lord Consevatie is the Culture Minister of Father's court, not his spymaster. Does the Lord Paramount of Jagged Reach have his own information network, or has the Three Heroes' Church's grasp already tightened around the whole country?

"Better a hero focused on defense than a brat who never worked for a single thing he owns. At least Naofumi protects me. Not turning his heel and running at the first sign of trouble." Mein hisses as she slowly twists her neck at the Consevatie heir.

"Well, we can't all be random idiots falling into the role of a hero with a self-growing legendary weapon, can we? Using all available resources at my disposal. It's called being smart." The brat drums his finger on his forehead a couple of times. "Besides, what do those summoned idiots have to brag about anyway? They can't even fight properly with their weapons if they don't use their skills. The Wave they supposedly cleared just now? We did the most damage to the boss and just left the chimera half dead for the heroes to deliver the final blow. As ordered by your father, of course."

The army and the church did most of the fighting in a Wave instead of the heroes? Such a claim would be unbelievable, even blasphemous coming from a member of the church.

But when the princess turned adventurer remembers who the heroes really are, the young Consevatie's word no longer sounds completely outrageous. Yeah, considering the nut cases that are the Spear Hero and Bow Hero, isn't not hard to imagine them being entirely useless on the battlefield.

The claw of the Consevatie heir slowly crawls along Mein's face, down her neck, and finally rests on her scarred shoulder. "As for the loser who protects you... well, he must be terrible at his job when you are already damaged goods after two weeks. Curious who you'd turn to now. That Arc brat? He already got another redhead he can submit himself to. Shame you didn't take me up on my offer now, isn't it? You'd at least be the future wife of the Reach Lord."

Jaune already started courting someone else? Mein is shocked for a moment, although it shouldn't be that surprising. He is considered one of the most eligible bachelors of the current Melromarc nobility alongside Bern and Keith.

As for the lost prospect of spending the rest of her life with this bag of hot air, Mein would rather pour boiling oil down her face... and set herself on fire for good measure. Both are equally agonizing ways to go out, one is significantly faster than the other.

"You speak as if Master Naofumi would lose for sure. He's the one issuing the challenge, he must have something planned." Mein turns her face away, no longer wanting to look at this spoiled brat.

"So what if he wins? He'll still be stuck with you." Consevatie brushes at the side of her hood where her ear is missing. His hand slowly travels down her scarred face, till it rest on her marred shoulder. "And what are you but a bitch with her teeth pulled? There is nothing but failure in front of you now, and you'll drag the Shield Loser down with you. Should have taken the chance and stayed as my betrothed when you still had the chance."

"You were one of those who courted me. There is no betrothal contract between our houses." Mein looks away at her feet as she scoffs at the presumptuous Consevatie heir. "Even excluding the King of Faubley, my prospect for a future husband doesn't stop at you."

"Oh, really? Who else will you settle for? Bern, the bookworm with his head constantly stuck in a garden in the sky? Keith, the adopted bastard who chases after the tail of his beloved sister? Or maybe... Jaune? We both know you won't settle for being the wife of a Count or Viscount with your lust for power." Mein get the distinct impression that Consevatie is playing with his own hair even without looking at him. "I'm the only one who'll inherit a whole province after my father. Everyone knows I'm the best candidate."

Mein's throat tightens again as she tries to ignore the words of the pompous heir. She turns her head to look out the window at the training yard right outside the castle palace.

The four heroes and a few most noticeable members of Father's court are already gathered in the middle. The squires and knights are surrounding the crowd but leave out the room for a small arena for the Shield Hero's trial. Most guests are standing on the edge of the second-floor balcony to get the best look.

Jaune happens to be one of the knights standing near the ring where the duel will take place. He's quietly talking to another Church knight with her helmet in her hand. From the way she almost bites into his ear when whispering, it's not hard to connect the dots and see that this must be what Jaune's sweetheart Consevatie was talking about.

Hmm... it seems like the young Arc does have a thing for redheads.

As for the Shield Hero, the young man silently stands on his corner. The Spear Idiot twirls and twists his weapon around like a stage performer, throwing the occasional glance at his cohort of noble ladies.

"Sir Bow Hero and Sir Sword Hero, are you sure you want to turn down Shield Hero's challenge? While a Trial by Combat between heroes is supposed to fight one on one, turning down a challenge can be seen as an act of cowardice by some, and hurt your future reputation." Standing on the outer edge of the ring, Father is trying to do his best to provoke the Bow and Sword Hero into fighting Naofumi. He's doing everything he can to ensure Naofumi's defeat, even if he's going to drag the other hero's name through the mud to do so.

"Are you kidding me? This whole trial is a farce to begin with! Naofumi needs to answer for his action, but not like this!" The hero who destabilized a small kingdom is quite affronted at Father's suggestion. Huh, it's ironic he's showing good judgment now, but not when he messed everything up in Stormwind.

"There's no glory to be found by ganging up on someone with a near non-existent ATK rating." Sword Hero simply shakes his head in his usual reserved, nonchalant fashion.

At least the Sword Hero and Bow Hero both have the decency to step down from Naofumi's challenge. It's a small comfort he's not actually facing all three heroes at once.

Bertia is biting down on her lips, and her pouty face is completely red like she's having an indigestion. The pudgy heiress of House Notches has her hands balled into tight fists as she shakes them up and down. One side of Katarina's face is bloated up like a rabbit pill once again. Probably stuffed full of tasty treats the personal maid of Iris packed for her, if the picnic basket on her arm is a good indication. The half-closed eyes of Iris are unfocused as she hides her lower face behind a Siltvelt folding fan.

On the side of the Shield Hero, Raphtalia is still squirming and kicking at the knight holding her. Both Kyubey and Lautrec, on the other hand, look passive, but their reaction is obviously different when one bothers to look deeper. While the lizard man has a relaxed stance as he crosses his arms, the fingers of Kyubey's good arm are constantly rubbing together.

"We are trying to determine the Shield Hero's worthiness as a hero, not trying to have the legendary heroes kill each other. Therefore this will not be a duel to the death." Lothringen, the captain of the royal guard, walks to the middle of the circle. It seems like Father's left hand is going to serve as the referee for the trial. "The trial will end when one side is either incapacitated, or yields to the other."

"Isn't the condition completely unfair? How can Iwatani incapacitate his opponent when he has almost no ATK rating?" The Bow Hero squints his eyes and looks at the royal guard captain. Mein can't help but find it ironic that the unhinged boy is the only one speaking on the Shield Hero's behalf.

That, or the boy is having another one of his justice highs.

The Sword Hero suddenly opens his eyes. "Let them fight."

"Right, let them fight." The youngest hero obviously did not pay attention to his compatriot, judging the way he whips his head around like a startled rabbit pill. "What? Let them fight!?"

"Yes. Kitamura had problems with Iwatani since Mein got injured. Even if we call off the duel right now, we'd only let his anger fester and become more problematic down the road. Not to mention..." The Sword Hero turns to look at Naofumi with his eyes squinted and closed. The look reminds Mein of Iris back when the Amelia heiress inspected her at their tea party. "Iwatani's the one challenging us. He probably has something planned. Let's see what he has up his sleeves."

"He obviously snapped, because he got pushed into a corner!" The boy's face turns red as he shakes his balled-up fist at the Sword Hero. "What kind of heroes are we if we let one of us get bullied!?"

Consevatie sneers behind Mein as he pushes the incognito princess out of the gate onto the training yard. He lets out a hushed comment, "The failed disgrace kind."

The Sword Hero obviously can't hear the quiet whisper of the presumptuous Knight Templar and simply continues his lecture at the Bow Hero. "People push Iwatani around because they thought him weak. You fighting his battle for him won't do anything to change it. If it bothers you so much, give him some of your money after he loses the duel."

The Bow Hero stares at his compatriot for a good long minute before stepping back with a grumble. "Maybe I will."

"If there are no more objections from anyone else, we may begin the trial." Captain Lothringen raises his hand and looks left and right at the two participants.

"Before we begin, could I have a word with Kitamura?" Naofumi said as he stands back straight.

"Yes, you may. Shield Hero." The royal guard captain steps back again to give the two participants a little room.

"Talk, talk, talk! All of this is cheap! There's just too many words, so let's get to the part where I kick your ass!" The Spear Hero seems confident in his abilities as he swings his free left hand around in a cartwheel.

"If you're so confident, how about you put your money where your mouth is?" Naofumi scoffs at the Spear Hero as he takes the five coin pouches out of his shield one by one. He tosses one of them into the air and catches it with his hand again before looking down at the Spear Hero.

"The four hundred and fifty coins I gained from Lord Noches." The Shield Hero tosses his coin pouches out, and they land with a clinking thud near Captain Lothringen's feet. He points his arm at Father without looking. "And the five hundred I am owed for fighting the Wave. You get them all if you win. And of course, any one of my companions who wants to join you willingly. In exchange, you put your four thousand silver pieces into the pool as well. Winner takes all."

The idiot with the spear looks at the coin pouches at the edge of the ring. His head turns back at his new companions - Iris, Katarina, and Bertia. "I'm not betting my party on this battle!"

"Of course. They are free to stay with whichever hero they want to follow, just like my companions." Naofumi looks at the three heiresses, then at the three demi-humans from his party. "Our money is the only sure thing for our bet."

Hmm... it seems that even under immense pressure from all sides, the Shield Hero is still able to think strategically. The rate of their bet is overwhelmingly in Naofumi's favor, with him hedging less than one thousand silvers for four thousand silver coins in return.

There is only one little flaw to his plan.

He can't win when it's an one-on-one duel!

"Master Motoyasu, I implore you - don't do something as pointless as this bet. The return simply isn't worth it." The folding fan in Iris' hand shuts with a loud snap. It seems like the shrewd heiress doesn't have a lot of confidence in the hero of her choosing.

"There's no way I'll lose to a Useless Shielder." The Spear Hero looks back at the noble heiress of House Amelia. He puffs out his chest and drops all his coin pouches outside of the ring. "I'm in!"

Bertia's face is red to the point of turning purple. She finally seems to snap out of whatever spell she's under and shout on top of her lungs, "D- do your best, Master Motoyasu! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

"Ye, go kik shome, assh..." Katarina adds her contribution while Iris simply shakes her head behind the folding fan.

"Alright, since there are no further objections... as witnessed above by the Heroes of Old and our Gods. Let the Trial by Combat begin!" The royal guard captain slashes his hand down. As soon as his voice drops, one of the heroes immediately dashes out of his corner.

To Mein's complete surprise, her Naofumi is the one who is making the first move. Instead of bulking up his defenses like a turtle, the Shield Hero is making a straight line charge at the Spear Hero.

The Spear Clown seems equally puzzled by Naofumi's action, as he simply allows the Shield Hero to close the distance between them.

For a split second, Mein thought Naofumi was trying to get within the reach of the Spear. It would make the long weapon useless, while the Shield Hero can freely pound the spear-wielding idiot with a flurry of punches. A death by a thousand cuts.

It likely won't work, due to Naofumi's low ATK rating. But it's about as good a plan as she herself can think of, if she's in the Shield Hero's shoes.

But apparently not her Naofumi. The young man from another world subverted Mein's expectations again. He suddenly stops his straight charge when he just about got into the range of the Spear Hero's attack. Naofumi, with the lack of a better word, starts to quickly shuffle sideways, strafing to his right while in the range of the Spear Hero.

"Pfft, amateur. The Shield Loser is trying to bait the jester into attacking with his off-hand, then go for a parry." Consevatie sneers behind Mein once again, but he provides some helpful commentary this time at the very least. "Still won't do him any good. A shield parry stuns the opponent. It won't help him deal damage. Unless the spear idiot is so pathetic he yields from a sore thumb."

As if justifying the heir's words, the Spear Hero changes his weapon to his left hand and tries to poke at Naofumi. The Shield Hero swings his shield in a wide arc and yells, "PARRY!"

A loud clunk echoes within the palace walls surrounding the training yard. A few guests who stand too close to the makeshift arena find their head knocked back from the loud noise alone, accompanying the Spear Hero's loud 'Ow!'.

Still, the Shield Hero didn't close his distance. He continues to circle the Spear Hero, lingering at the edge of his reach, Taking a step forward and almost immediately hopping right back. It looks almost like Naofumi is taunting his opponent to come after him.

The Spear Hero, not being the sharpest nail in the barn, continues to try and hit the Shield Hero. With predictable results: Naofumi easily parries his well-telegraphed attack with a loud clunk and an equally loud 'PARRY!' every time.

If one only hears this duel instead of seeing it with their eyes, they can be allowed to think the world's laziest bard is slapping the loudest drum, instead of a sacred duel between heroes watched by their predecessors and gods above.

"Is this all you got? All bark and no bite? You can't even break through my defenses when I throw myself at you. If this is like that old story about the spear and the shield, then the victor has already been decided." Naofumi seems to take a page right out of the Consevatie heir. He puts on his 'villain face' and scoffs at the Spear Clown's feeble attacks. The young man parries another strike without effort - like a badly rehearsed play. No doubt he's annoyed at this farce. "And you'll do a better job at protecting Mein? Like this? If we're playing by Dark Souls rules, you'd be dead ten times over from my riposte alone."

"Of course!" Predictably, the Spear Hero's response lacks even a shred of self-awareness. He swings around his spear to strike Naofumi. "I won't let Mein anywhere near a battle. And even if she is... I can protect her and fight at the same time, unlike you! I can do everything you do, and fight by myself!"

"Huh." The Shield Hero's response to the accusation is a simple smirk as he bats away the laughable strike of the Spear Hero. "You just exposed who you truly are. Every halfway decent gamer knows the specialized build is the real way for high-level play, yet you take pride in being a jack-of-all-trades guy. But that's what you truly are, aren't you? A scrub, pretending to be a pro. You keep saying I'm the weak one stuck with a useless class, but between the four of us? We all know you are the weakest link."

The numbness in the Spear Hero's hand must've finally caught up to him, as he simply lets the legendary weapon drop to the ground instead of pulling it back. Naofumi, on the other hand, has plenty of stamina left, and he takes a step forward to step on the tip of the weapon. "That's why you're so eager to call me weak and surround yourself with women to cheerlead you. Aren't you? Because you know you are the loser, and you desperately want to hide it."

Something is definitely not right with her Naofumi. Not only has the Shield Hero put on his 'villain face', but he's also being much more aggressive in his words as he tears into the spear-wielding fool.

Was the Bow Hero actually right? Could Naofumi have finally snapped after all the abuse Father and the others forced onto him?

"SHUT UP! I'm not WEAK!" The Spear Hero pulls his weapon back with both sides. He rushes forward and swings the weapon more like a warhammer at Naofumi. The form is flat out awful, but at least he's using his lower body this time instead of simply waving his arm around.

Naofumi, on the other hand, is the perfect image of calm. He brings the shield up with a simple phrase. "[Air Strike Shield]."

Just like that, the Spear Clown smashes his face right into a shield of pure energy while his newest attack is parried by Naofumi again. The clueless boy in a man's body staggers back while holding his nose.

Naofumi isn't someone to let a golden opportunity escape. He opens his cloak up and lets the balloons he was hiding inside out. "Go get him! [Shield Prison]!"

The three bouncing rubber spheres of terror attach themselves to the Spear Hero just as four Shields rises up from the ground. It covers the four figures inside in the span of a few seconds.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! BBBAAALLLOOOOOONNNS!" The shields start to violently shake and clank as the poor soul's scream makes Mein's hair stand on their ends. "THEY ARE EATING ME ALIVE~!"

The princess in disguise takes back everything bad she ever said and thought about the Spear Hero. Sure, the man has the mental capacity of a sheltered six years old, but he can't be that bad. Anyone who sees those eldritch abominations masquerading as low-level monsters for what they truly are is obviously a good person deep down.

Sadly for the Spear Hero, Naofumi isn't prepared to show any mercy. Although to be fair on the Shield Hero's behalf, he's not in a position to show mercy either. The young man turns his shield towards the prison. "[Change Shield], [Beast Needle Shield]."

The diamond-shaped shield changes to look like the inside of an animal's shell. No doubts with all the sharp needles pointed inwardly toward the Spear Hero if his renewed scream of pain is any indication.

Naofumi is still not done yet as he walks to the shield prison and points the legendary shield to the prison of four animal shell-like walls. "[Bad Odor]."

"Ow! Ouch! PAIN! IT STINKS!"

After brief pain, the four needle shields dissolve into the air. The Spear Hero's body slowly droops onto the ground where he stays motionless. Looking damn well satisfied, the three heralds of toothy pain hop back to Naofumi and start to lick his face. Captain Lothringen is the only one making any movements aside from the Shield Hero and his pet balloons.

The Shield Hero laughs as the training yard becomes silent. He scratches the top of the balloons with affection while taking out some monster meat jerky to toss at the balloons "Good boys. Go eat up."

Do those abominations even have a gender?

Actually... Why is she thinking about that? Her Naofumi just won his Trial by Combat against impossible odds!

That's My Hero!

Mein clasps her hands tightly together as Naofumi turns to smile at them while waving his hand. Even when put against impossible odds, he still manages to overcome the challenge for them.

She would run to her Naofumi and give him a kiss if she's not still being held back by Consevatie. If anything, her once supposed-to-be betrothal seems to be digging his fingers harder into her wrist. It would probably hurt if she didn't choose to wear her leather armor underneath her jacket to further hide her scars.

"You were saying, fuckboy?" Mein sneers right back at the Consevatie heir.

"So the loser beat an idiot in a one-on-one duel. Big deal." The heir scoffs at the turn of events. The crunchy chewing sound begins in earnest once again. "I would have ended the duel in a split second."

Mein but think back to her favorite romance novel once.

After Myne Sophia takes a poisoned arrow for the Spear Hero from the demi-human assassins, he ventures down into the nest of antlions to seek royal jelly for her recovery.

The hero manages to find the bounty famed for its healing properties. But on the way out, he's ambushed by more demi-human assassins and the cave collapses right on top of him.

Mein can't forget the words of the Spear Hero in the story when he lifts the collapsed dirt and stone that weighs like a mountain on him to bring the jelly back to Myne.

"Anyone can win a fight when the odds are easy. It's only when facing and triumphing against impossible odds... that's what a hero is for." Mein whispers back to the smug heir as she pulls her wrist out of his grip. "Oh, and about you winning against a hero? I would love to see you do that, without all the equipment Daddy Dearest bought you from his coffers."

The crunchy chewing suddenly stopped. Mein turns back to look at the pathetic boy pretending to be a man glaring at her.

"I am the son of noble House Consevatie, future lord paramount of Jagged Reach. What are you, slut?" Consevatie heir hisses at Mein, but he can't hide his wounded ego. "Nothing but damaged goods."

Mein would like to ask herself the same question. Just what is she? The first princess of glorious Melromarc with her crown stolen by her younger sister even before the birth of the second princess? A tool for alliances that'll ensure the future co-operation between Melromarc and Faubley? Or in Consevatie's words, damaged goods that can't fulfill the purpose to ensure a peaceful reign of her younger sister?

She thinks back to the laughter of the children after one of her fireball juggles. The gratitude of the villagers showers them each night after her Naofumi helps them level up. And most importantly, Raphtalia's word after her injuries.

You are my hero, just like Master Naofumi.

"I'm someone's hero." Mein pulls down her mask to give the Consevatie boy a smile. She turns around and walks towards the Shield Hero.

The Shield Hero's surprising victory over Spear Hero seems to also make Raphtalia's captivator lose focus. The little girl finally manages to wriggle her way out of their grip and runs to Naofumi. The child tackles head-first into Naofumi's stomach, making the Shield Hero stumble on his feet. "You won! Master Naofumi! I was so scared!"

"Don't worry, kiddo. I promised to take care of you, didn't I?" Naofumi bends his body down a little to run his hand through Raphtalia's hair.

Lothringen kneels down to carefully check up on the Spear Hero. He stands up from his crouch and raises his arm to declare the winner. "As the Spear Hero can no longer continue the duel, the Shield Hero is-"

"Disqualified for bringing monsters into the sacred one-on-one duel! The winner is the Spear Hero!" Father cuts his royal guard captain off as he steps into the ring.

"Now, wait just a minute! First, you force Naofumi to fight this joke of a duel, and now, you try to disqualify him after he obviously won!" The Bow Hero obviously isn't very happy with Father's decision. The boy violently jerks the Sword Hero forward by pulling his wrist. "Ren, you hate unfair competition, right!? Say something!"

The Sword Hero seems to be suddenly waking up from a dream as his body gives a quick twitch by the Bow Hero's pull. He turns to regard the other boy for a second before slowly turning to look back at the dueling ring. The Sword Hero's brown eyes squint closer as his sight lingers on Naofumi. "Itsuki is right, the winner was clearly Iwatani even if he used monsters."

The swordsman in dark armor walks forward till he stops right by the still form of Spear Hero. He looks at the fallen pretty boy for a second before looking at Naofumi's hissing balloons. "Those monsters have pitiful attack power. I doubt their attacks even penetrated Kitamura's armor. It's clear most if not all damage done to him was from reflection damage of Iwatani's spike shield when he was in panic and tried to force himself out of the Shield Prison."

The Sword Hero walks away from the Spear Hero till he stands in front of Father. Their eyes lock together. "Furthermore, I have to wonder your intention, Your Grace. Why were you so keen on having us fight amongst ourselves?"

"Yeah! What Ren just said!" The Bow Hero jumps into the ring to stand beside his compatriot. "Kitamura was an idiot for accepting Naofumi's challenge, but what were you trying to pull, Your Grace? Even if one of us beat Iwatani, we'd still look bad for bullying someone who can't attack. And now that Kitamura has lost? He's going to be seen as a joke by everyone. Is this what you wanted when you summoned us? Be your personal jokesters for your entertainment?"

Father steps back from the searing gaze from two heroes. He takes out a hankie and starts to wipe the side of his temple. "I assure you, heroes. That was not my intention. I was merely trying to uphold the laws..."

"Your Grace, I understand you aren't familiar with official dueling laws since you have never been a duelist." The royal guard captain walks up to Father. "Second edition of dueling law approved by Zeltoble clearly states, in case one of the participants can't reasonably deal damage in a timely fashion to the other participant, they are allowed up to one animal companion or up to three familiars accompany them. It was introduced to protect those who specialize in magic casting, which takes a long time to charge up attacks, instead of a warrior, who can go on offense instantly."

Lothringen looks away at the balloons hopping around Naofumi and Raphtalia protectively. "With Sir Shield Hero's abysmal attack power, he clearly falls into the exception category as mages. And since Balloon monsters are well-known as the weakest monster even a child can effortlessly kill, they fall under the 'familiar' category. What the Shield Hero did throughout the fight is perfectly within the most strict dueling law."

"Yes, thank you very much for the clarification, Captain Lothringen." Father is clearly biting down his lips as he listens to the captain's lecture. He turns to look at the ring and gives a pained nod. "As stated by Captain Lothringen: The winner of the duel is the Shield Hero. He is to have all his hero's privileges reinstated effective immediately."

"About that." Someone lets out a pretend cough to draw everyone's attention away from the Shield Hero and his companion. Mein turns her head just like everyone else to focus on Bow Hero turning around to look at Naofumi. "I promised I'll let you explain yourself for owning slaves, a child no less. Now is the time for explanation, Iwatani. If I don't like what I hear, you'll gain a new enemy today."

The Bow Hero casts a glance towards the still unconscious Spear Hero lying in his cohorts' embrace. "An enemy more competent than Kitamura."

Naofumi moves his hand away from Raphtalia's head to stand up straight. The raccoon child buries her face deeper into his stomach as he does so. "I was hoping you were on my side."

"I'm on the side of Justice." The Bow Hero narrows his eyes and looks at the trembling child. His head slowly rises up to look at the Shield Hero straight in the eyes. "Don't you know how wrong it is to own another human being as your property? Or is it something commonly accepted on your Earth?"

"No, it's not something accepted on my Earth." Naofumi's face is carefully neutral, with no sign of either anger or remorse at the accusation leveled at him. It's hard to tell if he's agreeing with the Bow Hero or the opposite with his short reply.

"Why do you do it, if you know it's wrong? We are heroes. We are being looked up to by those people." The Bow Hero turns around on his feet to inspect all the rich and powerful people in Melromarc looking down at the training yard. "How can we be their role models if you exploit the people we should be protecting with your status?"

Raphtalia's body tenses up as Bow Hero launches his accusation at Naofumi. She tears herself away from the Shield Hero before he has a chance to reply. The demi-human child stands as tall as her diminished figure can and shouts back at the Bow Hero, who isn't that much taller or older than her. "That's not true! Master Naofumi never exploited us! He fed us, clothed us, and protected us in battle! He even gave me medicine and healed my disease!"

The Bow Hero stares right back at Raphtalia's face. The summoned hero and demi-human slave remain completely still and silent for a good minute. The young man's stern face becomes less rigid as his piercing glare relaxes in intensity. The frown on his mouth also curves slightly upwards, but it's still not back to his usual soft and courteous smile when he's not having one of his justice fuelled psychotic episodes. "I'm glad Iwatani isn't mistreating you."

Mein gives a quick glance toward the Sword Hero, the only summoned hero who is staying completely neutral till this point in the conflict. His eyes seem to be locked on the prone form of the Spear Hero for the whole exchange, and he's more or less ignoring the debate going on.

The young man turns to glare at Naofumi just as Mein wonders if he will back off on his accusation. The Bow Hero throws his arm up and points his index finger at Naofumi. "But this doesn't excuse your actions. You may not mistreat the slaves you own, but by owning slaves you are validating and perpetuating the act of slavery. As heroes, we must take a harsh stance against this heinous practice!"

Raphtalia looks like she's about to say something else till Naofumi rests one of his hands on her shoulder. She turns to look at the Shield Hero with puzzled eyes. Her red eyes meet a reassuring smile from Naofumi. "It's okay, I can fight my own battles, Raphtalia."

The raccoon girl nods back at the Shield Hero. She seems to belatedly realize how she's become the center of attention with a full yard of nobles and knights, so she quickly runs to hide behind the back of Naofumi.

"You know, I agree with you on principle. A system letting someone own people like property is wrong, no matter how much you justify it." Naofumi holds his head up high as he looks around the training yard, meeting all the piercing glare from the nobility and knights with an unyielding stare of his own. "I have wanted to grant them freedom as soon as possible. Want to know why I didn't?"

The Bow Hero returns Naofumi's question with an expectant silence.

"The slave owner and my own companion told me something very interesting about this glorious country." The Shield Hero turns around to look at the still brooding king.

Mein follows his example while Father seems to have trouble following this series of unexpected turns.

"This country apparently hates the races known as beastmen and demi-humans so much, they have no rights at all. The slave owner told me, confirmed by my companion Mein, that they are better off as my slaves. Because there'll be serious consequences if someone damages the property of a summoned hero, but killing a demi-human is apparently fair game." Naofumi narrows his eyes and stares at the king with a scowl full of unbridled contempt. "Can you believe that?

"What!?" The Bow Hero's head instantly snaps around to face the king. Even the silent Sword Hero follows his example. "Is it true, your Grace?"

Father seems to shrink down under the boy's gaze. The stressful events of the day are probably getting to him now. He's no longer as young as he used to be. "Ah, about that. The beastmen committed great atrocities against the good people of Melromarc back in the Great War. And demi-humans, descendents between beastman and human are looked at with the same hatred from our people..."

"We aren't talking about the hatred between people. That can't be stopped by words on a piece of parchment. We are talking about the laws of a country. Let's face it, the only reason something like 'demi-human has no right in this country' is written into legislation is because you rulers took the easy way out. You don't want your subjects to revolt, so you throw the innocents under the bus... or carriage, in your case." Naofumi crosses his arm in front of his chest. Now, it's his turn to look at Father like something he peeled off from his shoes.

"Yes, we will need to have a good, long talk after the Wave of Catastrophe is stopped for good, Your Grace." The Bow Hero nods his head in affirmation before turning back to both glare and point his finger at Naofumi. "And you, your actions were no help! You said keeping them as your slaves protected them. Well, did it protect them just now? If you keep them around as your slaves, all you'll do is hurt the demi-humans. Because you justify this abusive, evil system, you empower all the corrupt people who treat their slaves with cruelty!"

Naofumi looks deep into the younger boy's eyes. He gives a nod after a minute of silence. "You are right. What protection does being a hero's slave offer when even a hero's privilege can be taken away by arbitrary reason? The slave trader told me it's for their own good, but now I know it's an excuse to fill their pocket. I took the easy way out just like the rulers of this country, but no longer."

He turns around and looks up at the gathered clergy over the balcony. "I want my party members Raphtalia, Kyubey, and Lautrec set free immediately! Do you have holy water or do you need to bring them from the Cathedral?"

The clerics and priests from the Three Heroes' Church are obviously confused by this act of kindness from the Shield Demon. They first stare at each other silently before devolving into loudly discussing, which slowly turns into a screaming match between each other.

"NO!" Raphtalia wraps her arms around Naofumi's waist and buries her head into his stomach. "I'll be a good girl! Don't throw me away, Master Naofumi!"

Poor girl. Her previous owner must have done quite the number on her mind, for she begins to only see her own worth as a slave. And when Naofumi offers her freedom, she immediately thinks the Shield Hero wants to toss her out like yesterday's trash.

Wait, didn't she mention something about a friend who died in the bond of slavery back when they were stuck in that forsaken underground cavern?

For the love of the heroes of old... She can't even see the cruel irony.

"Master Naofumi isn't throwing you away, Raphtalia. He just wants to make you into a free man." Mein kneels down behind the wailing girl. She runs her hand through Raphtalia's hair and down her back. "You'll still keep her in our party, won't you, Master Naofumi?"

"Of course! All of you are free to begin your own lives or stay in my party. I'm still the Shield Hero, and I'll keep protecting you." Naofumi cups his hand around Raphtalia's face and moves her head up. He smiles sadly into at Raphtalia. "I just won't be your owner anymore. No one should have the right to own the life of another human being. Didn't Kyubey mention something about your friend who died in slavery when we first met? How can I keep forcing cruelty onto you when it already took away one of your friends?"

"But, but the seal... it's the sign of our trust, isn't it? Rifana would have lived if Master Naofumi owned us."

Mein has trouble even beginning to explain how wrong that statement is.

No, kid. The slavery seal isn't a sign of trust at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite.

It's a shackle to keep the slave subservient. A method to deliver punishment through severe pain for any reason the owner can think of. Or no reason at all other than their sadistic pleasure.

And of course, it's an execution method of the most agonizing way possible, where a life can be snuffed out by the snap of a finger.

To think something like the slavery seal is a sign of trust... Heroes of old. Her last owner really did a number on the poor girl.

Mein turns to look back at the Consevatie heir. The daddy's boy is pretending to act nonchalant while munching an apple, but the venom from his eyes is unmistakable. Further evidence on how she made the right choice to not go forth with a betrothal with the creature.

What's the point to get away from political marriage with a pig king, only to marry a rat with poison dripping down its chompers?

"But that's the thing, isn't it? Your friend might have lived if I was your owner. I don't think most other slave owners would care. And on the topic of trust ... a real sign of trust isn't something you see with your eyes." Naofumi slowly gets down in front of Raphtalia on one knee, so he can look into the demi-human girl right in the eyes. He bobs her nose with a single finger as he places the offending hand onto his own chest where his heart beats. "It's something you feel in here. I can take the slave seal off your body, but I can't take it from your soul."

"I, I don't understand..." Tears drop down from the child. She looks at Naofumi with completely confused eyes.

"You are still young. You don't need to understand everything. But know this." Naofumi takes Raphtalia's hand into his own as he slowly stands up. Mein can't help but mimic his action with Raphtalia's other hand. "I'll always be with you, even when I'm not your master. Till you no longer need me."

"What Master Naofumi said, Raphtalia. I'm sure your friend will be happy for you." Mein runs her free hand over the little girl's hair once again.

The clerics from the Three Heroes' Church finally brought along the holy water now as Kyubey and Lautrec walk up to join the Shield Hero. "It'll be one hundred and fifty silver pieces per slave. That's the price if you don't want them to receive any permanent damage during the process."

Naofumi turns to look at the pile of coins he and the Spear Hero tossed onto the ground. He walks to the pouches and gives a challenging look to Motoyasu's companions. "I'll be taking my just reward now, if there's no objection?"

"The bet was made in good faith, by Sir Motoyasu. You may collect your due, Sir Shield Hero." Iris snaps her fan shut as she nods back at the Shield Hero.

Naofumi puts most of the coin pouches into his shield. He takes the four and a half bags from Lord Notches and tosses them into the waiting hand of the head priest. "Do it."

The clerics step forward and start to wet their brushes with holy water. They carefully apply the brush to the slave seals with their ivory-colored cloth charm in the left hand and a song-like chant from their mouth. Slowly but surely, the seal on the slaves' chest begins to thin until it completely disappears from their skin or scale.

"HAHAHA...!" Lautrec starts to laugh as the last ink disappears from his body. "At long last! My shackles are broken! I am FREE to go on the quest from my GODDESS!"

"Stop him!" Father's command comes too late, as the nimble lizard man runs past the shrinking circle of guards before they even fully form. The lizard demi-human jumps onto the outer wall of the palace and swims his way up.

Lothringen, the royal guard captain, snatches a spear from one of the guards. He charges the weapon up with lightning and throws it towards Lautrec like a javelin. Unfortunately, the lizard man is already near the top of the wall, and he simply flips over to the other side before the flying spear can make contact.

Well... there goes the heaviest hitter in their party.

Naofumi's eyes follow the insane lizard man the whole time. He gives a very light whisper as the crazy animal disappears from sight. "Why do I get the feeling that I just inadvertently doomed this entire world?"

Once again, Master Naofumi. Your hindsight is too little, too late. Our world was already doomed when you decided to raise your orange balls of death.

"We can only take responsibility for whatever happens next, Master Naofumi. We'll begin looking for Lautrec... if we hear some rumor about the entire village getting mysteriously slaughtered." Mein puts a hand on Naofumi's shoulder to shake him back to the real world.

"Yeah, you are right." Naofumi slowly turns his head back to look at her. He turns on his feet to face the two remaining demi-humans. "And you, Kyubei?"

"You asked me two weeks ago if I want to work for you, Master Shield Hero. I wasn't ready to answer it when you brought it up, but now I know for sure. I will serve you faithfully, just like Lady Viera did once for the First King." The rabbit man looks right into Naofumi's eyes as he gives his answer. The voice is in his same emotionless tone, but for some reason, Mein can feel the resolution behind it.

"AAAWWW!" The Spear Hero suddenly jerks up from Bertia's legs. It seems the hog of House Notches collected him when no one was paying attention. The pretty boy looks around in absolute confusion before staring at Bertia. "Are we ready to fight the duel now? I don't remember what happened... except a lot of pain."

"Master Motoyasu... the duel has already concluded." The pudgy heiress turns to look down at the edge of her frilly dress.

"Oh, how did it go?" The Spear Hero scratches his head with the kind of bewilderment as someone who wakes up from an alcohol-induced slumber.

"Well... you were winning the first half."

Even that statement is very much debatable. Since the first half of their duel consisted of Naofumi effortlessly parrying all Spear Hero's attacks.

"And the second?"

Bertia bites down on her own lips. Hard, if the trial of blood running down her chin is any indication. "You lost."

"Oh." The Spear Hero blinks his eyes a couple of times. He lies right back down onto the floor, probably to process the news of his loss... and losing four thousand silvers in the blink of an eye. "He was right."

"Master Motoyasu?" Bertia scoots closer to the Spear Hero while slowly trying to wrap her arms around his body.

"Girls are like angels, always taking care of me. All I wanted to do was to repay the kindness and make everyone live happily. But I always do things wrong." Beads of tears start dropping down from the Spear Hero's eyes. Silently at first, till it slowly rises up into a wail. "I can't make them trust in me!"

"Ma- Master Motoyasu, please get a hold of yourself." Bertia, red-faced, tries to comfort the Spear Hero who is having a mental breakdown. The task proves to be very difficult for the fat girl as he crawls into a fetal position.

This is just flat out sad to watch for the incognito princess.

"I thought it was because I didn't do enough things for them in return. So I tried to do the fighting myself. That's also wrong, because I can't stop my companions from leaving! And now, I lost the duel to a Useless Shielder! HE WAS RIGHT! I - I only wanted to have someone to look down on, so that I don't see what a failure I am!" The Spear Hero shakes and quakes as he cries into the earth, almost shoving Bertia onto the ground in the process. "I don't deserve to be a hero!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Bertia finally blurts out, making the Spear Hero looks up at her. She releases the man from her arms to sit in front of him, pulling her hands into a prayer-like gesture in front of her chest. "Everyone talks behind my back on how I'm nothing more than a frilly rider of Lady Iris and Lady Katarina."

The pudgy hog of House Notches looks up at both Iris and Katarina. "Because I'm just an ugly, fat girl - not smart like Lady Iris, or brave like Lady Katarina."

The heiress of House Noches unfastens her interlocked hands, extending her right palm to the Spear Hero. "But not you, Master Motoyasu. You don't see me, or treat me any differently from Lady Iris, or Lady Katarina. I believe that someone with Master Motoyasu's kind heart can be one of the greatest heroes. Because you are already my hero."

"Yeah, what Tia said!" Katarina hops to the Spear Hero's left side. She throws her arm around the pretty boy's shoulders. "So you got your ass kicked in a duel. Big deal! My playmate kicked my butt every time in our fencing lessons. You just have to put in the work, and get better! Come plow the field with me next time!"

"As said by Lady Katarina and Lady Bertia. Master Motoyasu." Iris stops on the Spear Hero's right side. The heiress of House Amelia daintily sits down on the ground, not minding the dirt on her dress. "Making mistakes isn't something to be ashamed of. It is a way to better ourselves in life, as long as you take the lesson to heart and use it to achieve greater heights. Do not worry about the funds you lost in your bet. House Amelia can easily replace it."

Four thousand silver coins are nothing to scoff at. It's enough money to get a commoner family set for life. But to the Lord of the Golden Coast, it truly is pocket change.

In fact, during one of their early tea parties when Iris had a little too much watered wine, she revealed that the whole Melromarc owes her family somewhere between three to six million gold coins for all the resources they provided during the Great War, by her estimation.

Iris may be an absolute sea leviathan on the negotiation table. But a prestige level drinker she is not.

That's probably the reason why she never drank anything with alcohol again after that one unbecoming incident.

Beads like tears are falling down free from the Spear Hero's eyes by now. He suddenly pulls all three heiresses into an embrace - to the blush of Bertia, the laughter of Katarina, and the indignant scoff of Iris. "All of you are angels! I don't deserve someone like you. I promise, I promise I'll take this hero business seriously from now on! I'll grow into a real hero for all of you yet!"

Are there pink bubbles floating around the four of them? What even is this display that's too cheesy even for wordsmiths who produce spectacles of fisticuffs and fornication for the commoners?

The Bow Hero seems to agree with Mein, silently stepping away from the scene.

"Now I feel like a real villain." Naofumi's eyes are very distant as he regards the Spear Hero with... not contempt, envy, or even pity. Pure befuddlement is probably closer to the truth. He manages to recover his faculties as he turns to look at the rest of his party. "Let's leave. I have a promise to fulfill for Farkas in Beloukas's care."

Oh no, her Naofumi still remembers that verbal promise he had with the savage werewolf. And knowing him, he'll insist on the beast's freedom.

What's stopping the werewolf from tearing out their throat right on the spot?

"Right... we have overstayed our welcome. Let's go, Master Naofumi." Mein nods her head mechanically at the Shield Hero. She follows behind him as they prepare to make their exit. The undercover princess walks right into Naofumi's back when he stops to look at her father.

"Well, Your Grace. You asked what would happen if you pick up a hoe and plow the field." Naofumi's voice is low, not quite smarmy enough to become a venomous hiss, but still carries out his obvious displeasure. It's the kind of tone one uses to cordially invite someone to self copulate. "Perhaps if you did, you would realize the common people you lords and rulers are supposed to protect have no armies of steel or thick stone walls to hide behind. And they rely on their survival from the kindness of heroes and adventurers when the army fails to arrive in time for their rescue."

"Do not be so presumptuous to lecture me on how much peril my subjects face, Shield Hero." Father glares at the Shield Hero. The tip of his finger turns white from how tight he's holding onto his King Regent's gem-encrusted staff of power. "I have lived through longer wars than you have lived your life."

The Shield Hero doesn't even dignify Father's fury with a proper response. He simply bids Father farewell with an unfamiliar phrase. "Then live long and prosper."

With these final words, Naofumi turns his back on the ungrateful court.


End Note:

So... I realized I fucked it up with how I concluded last chapter. With how many people review about looking forward to Naofumi going 1 vs 3 against the other heroes. I wanted to have last chapter end with a cool line from Naofumi, but on second thought I should have ended with both Itsuki and Ren denies his challenge while Motoyasu accept it, so I don't mislead the readers.

:(

I hope the verbal debate with Itsuki is at least a consolation prize.

Now, confession on how much an idiot I am is over. Let's move to my favorite topic when it comes to RotSH... how the original author completely messed up their story. Naofumi's use of slavery makes sense at the start, but his continued reliance on it is indefensible.

No matter how well he treats his slaves, it is still explicit justification of a legendary hero on an undeniably cruel and evil system. It literally have a magical kill switch which the owner can torture, or flat out kill the slave with a snap of their finger.

Also, the circumstance where Naofumi got Raphtalia. WN made it explicit he didn't get tanuki out of altruistic, or even practical reason. He got Raphtalia instead of the rabbit or lizard man because he feel emasculated by Bitch's false accusation, and want to have total dominance over a woman.

So what I'm saying is in term of canon...

#MotoyasuIsInTheRight!

Bad joke aside, here are the guest review replies:

Astawrath

In my mind, RotSH as a series can be summoned up as 'wasted potential/opportunities'. For Japanese WN, it isn't the worst written or even worst written Isekai novel. But I definitely consider it to be the most disappointing WN I read. And Malty is the embodiment of this, as I feel she's the most wasted character of them all when she could have been a much more interesting character.

And yes, I'm also annoyed at how consistently incompetent/stupid/evil (or any combination/all of the above) all the RotSH villains are.

The girls are the main characters of varies Japanese WN where an modern woman incarnated as the villainess character of a story. I think it's quite fitting, since in a way my story is also a Villainess Main Character story.

:)

Sorry about misleading you! There is no big scheme together with the king and the queen in my story. That really was Naofumi over thinking things. Although considering how much sense it makes compare to what actually happened... that could definitely be an interesting what-if story.

Guest

Yeah, 'Reincarnated as the villainess, all routes lead to DOOM' is a great dumb romantic comedy if one shut their brain off.

:D

And yes, he is the same Jaune Arc from RWBY.