hello, everyone I appreciate the reviews, favorites, and follows, especially from you, Bruhman. I may use your suggestion. As for everyone else, feel free to give me suggestions at the end of reading this chapter on what Arthur should have and give me your best idea for the different types of guns you should unlock with the materials added to his gun and bow, as they both will be used in tandem throughout the story. Your suggestions will add additional flavor to this story.

Chapter 2

Arthur had counted the number of coins as he headed out of the castle, just like the others. At the end of his counting, he couldn't believe the amount of silver pieces he had in his coin purse. "2500 silver pieces," he muttered to himself, examining one coin with a knife to check its purity. He made sure to do this discreetly, out of view from anyone who might see him. He highly doubted there were any laws against damaging currency, especially coins. Seeing the strip of silver and more underneath confirmed that the King was serious about providing the summoned Heroes with the necessary funds for their quest to combat the waves.

With his coin inspection complete, he wandered into Castle Town, a large city as he had heard. Calling it a town would be an understatement. From what he had gathered with his keen sense of hearing, all three boys were searching for shops to acquire the appropriate gear to face the dangers outside the city walls. Arthur briefly considered changing his current attire but was unsure which merchant to trust. He didn't want to risk losing all his silver, something that even Dutch himself would be impressed by, by being swindled. However, he couldn't help but feel curious about Naofumi and his princess partner's plans. He wanted to see for himself and also inform the young man about the potential bigotry surrounding his Cardinal weapon and what it could mean for him in the future.

With his mind made up, he followed the two at a great distance to avoid immediate detection. After a while, he observed them entering a blacksmith shop, indicated by a sign with a hammer smashing an anvil hanging above the door. This wasn't too unusual for the old outlaw, but what caught his attention was the language written on the sign. Its odd shapes and punctuation made it indecipherable to him. "Damn, do I have to learn how to read in this world? That was hard enough as a kid, especially with Hosea being such a stern teacher," he thought to himself, feeling a sense of regret. Memories of his closest father figure's death and his other father figure's descent into paranoia and madness fueled by Micah resurfaced, momentarily plunging him into melancholy. He stood lost in thoughts of the few good times he had with the old gang as a child. His reminiscence was interrupted by the sound of the shop door opening, prompting him to quickly duck to the side to avoid being spotted by Naofumi and his redhead companion.

"You should head out to the nearby forest. There are balloon monsters perfect for low-level training, and they drop common items that you can later sell to interested vendors," Myne advised her partner, her eyes fixed on the coins being placed on Naofumi's right hip. She studied his peculiar clothing, a distasteful combination of greens, blacks, and grays. Fortunately, the armor she had chosen masked that unsightly color scheme, matching perfectly with his demonic shield adorned in red and nearly gold bronze. It was a color scheme she had planned to replicate for the spear once she was done playing with this one.

Oblivious to her inner thoughts, he smiled at his partner and said, "That'll be great. I need to make up for the money I spent on your armor and the other equipment. I think I only have one-quarter of the coins that the king gave us." He checked his coin purse and confirmed that three-quarters of the amount he was given had already been spent. Fortunately, Erhard hadn't set the prices too high during his failed haggling attempt with the Old Blacksmith.

"Well, we better get to it. We need to make you as strong as possible so that the waves of calamity don't destroy this land and harm me," she said, placing a hand over her heart and the other over her head, making a swooning gesture as if about to faint. She opened one eye to ensure she had captured his full attention and desired reaction, seeing his cheeks turn scarlet and his eyes widen at her damsel-in-distress act.

Shaking his head and feeling a little embarrassed, he continued to smile but became more shy. "Don't worry, Myne. With my shield, I will protect you and this world. I am Naofumi Iwatani, The Shield Hero," he declared, striking a dramatic pose with his shield gleaming in the sunlight and pumping his fist in the air.

The redhead chuckled at his antics, not because they were genuinely funny, but because she found them pathetic. In her eyes, she didn't need his assistance for protection. Soon enough, he would realize that she was not a delicate flower but a viper, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

The two continued down the alley, making their way toward the main gates of Castle Town. Their shadow lingered near the blacksmith shop.

Erhard was polishing one of his display swords when he heard the door to his shop chime for the third time. "Hmm, seems like I'm popular today, with the Shield Hero and another adventurer as customers," he remarked, continuing to polish the blade until he could see his reflection with the barrel of a weapon pointed at his head. The audible click sent a shiver down his spine, causing his heart to race. Slowly, he turned his head to face the individual holding the unknown weapon.

Arthur had considered entering the shop and acting civil, but his suspicions were on high alert, especially regarding the princess who was wearing much fancier armor than her partner. "I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll ask you once: are you aware of the girl's true identity? If you lie, today will be your last. But if you tell me the truth, I'm willing to do business with you," he said, pressing the barrel of the gun against the side of the blacksmith's head.

Erhard gulped and started to sweat. As a former adventurer, he had traveled in the Kingdom of Faubrey and seen their flintlock firearms, which were not as deadly as a normal bow at long range but devastating at close range, if not completely disastrous at point-blank range. He stared into the man's eyes, trying to determine if he was serious about killing him if he didn't provide the right answer. The cold killer in the man's eyes made Erhard feel like he might soil himself right then and there. He realized that this man would have no qualms about killing him and leaving him in his shop, possibly taking anything valuable with him.

Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Erhard resigned himself to revealing the truth. "Yes, I know her identity. She's the former first princess of Melromarc," he admitted, acknowledging the girl's true identity to the stranger who had entered his shop with a weapon drawn.

The stern expression on Arthur's face began to relax as he withdrew his weapon from the blacksmith's head, unlatching the hammer on his gun and doing a pistol twist in his hand before holstering it. "You were mighty obliging in telling a dishonest man like me the truth, but I must ask why you didn't say anything to the boy," Arthur inquired, keeping his gaze locked on the blacksmith whom he had coerced into revealing the truth.

With his life no longer in immediate danger, Erhard relaxed slightly but remained cautious. This man had threatened his life to extract information that was widely known. His eyes shifted towards the bow slung over the stranger's shoulder, and he let out a gasp, pointing his finger at Arthur. "You're the Bow Hero?" he exclaimed, quickly remembering as he saw the bow's hand slightly slapping against the holstered firearm. He gulped, recalling the man's question.

"We shopkeepers and many of the Smiths were ordered not to reveal anything about the princess's identity to the heroes. If we did, we would receive unwelcome visitors in the night, our throats slit, or worse, our shops were taken away, and we would be forced to live the rest of our days in the castle's dungeons," Erhard explained, giving his reasoning for not disclosing the princess's true nature to the Shield Hero. He even contemplated defying the royal decree and warning the Shield Hero about the princess's well-known reputation in Castle Town and throughout most parts of the kingdom that weren't oblivious.

Crossing his arms, Arthur let out a half-sigh of annoyance. "No matter where I go, those in authority will always threaten the common folk. It's either obey or find a noose around your neck," he commiserated, understanding the lack of choice the blacksmith had when faced with those in power holding them at gunpoint. Breaking his gaze with the blacksmith, he looked around the shop, taking note of the intricate and well-designed display pieces, as well as some interesting bows that would be an improvement over his own. "So, do you take commissions or do you simply buy and trade?" he asked the blacksmith, continuing to survey the shop as ideas brewed in his mind.

Feeling grateful for the change of subject, Erhard observed Arthur as he looked around the shop, particularly at the bows on display. "Yes, I can do both commissions and buy and sell any goods that come my way. If you come across any interesting weapons, send them my way, and I'll give you the best and most honest deal. I'm more trustworthy than the other vendors who might try to cheat you," he replied cheerfully, the simple question seemingly helping him overcome his fear of almost dying in his shop.

As Arthur turned his attention away from the bows, he pulled out his gun, causing the blacksmith to flinch momentarily. However, Erhard quickly relaxed when Arthur placed the weapon on the counter. "Can you make something similar to this type of gun? I have a feeling I'll need to recruit someone, and I don't want to be the only one armed with a firearm," Arthur stated, capturing the blacksmith's attention.

Without hesitation, Erhard picked up the gun and examined it, feeling a sense of embarrassment when he realized that the gun wasn't even loaded. The man who had come in and threatened to blow his brains all over the shop had no intention of actually killing him; it was merely a scare tactic to make him comply. Arthur earned an annoyed stare from the blacksmith, who let out an exasperated huff while continuing to examine the weapon. It was then that Erhard noticed the jewel at the butt of the gun, a combination of ruby and moonstone embedded in the handle. "This is interesting. It's almost like a cardinal weapon, the way this gem seems to hum with power," he remarked, pulling out an enchanted appraisal item to examine the gem. His observation proved correct as he delved into the magical properties of the gem, only to be repelled, much like the shield gem.

Arthur grew annoyed and impatient, not wanting to waste any more time. "Can you copy it?" he asked, his tone reflecting his impatience. He wanted to catch up to the princess and the Shield Hero as quickly as possible to continue his observation, and he didn't want to be stuck in the blacksmith's shop any longer than necessary.

Erhard tapped the cattle revolver, listening to the sound it made to determine the type of metal used in its creation. He chuckled and nodded in response to Arthur's question. "Yes, I can copy the designs of this weapon, excluding the enchanted jewel. However, it will come at a hefty price, and I'll have to put all my other commissions on hold while I experiment and try to duplicate the complex designs of this particular weapon, along with any additional pieces and components that may be required," he explained, slipping back into merchant mode. As he considered the appropriate price, he briefly contemplated setting it high as a form of retribution for the scare tactic Arthur had used on him. However, he knew that the next time the gun was drawn, it would be loaded.

Arthur, not one for negotiations or haggling, let out a grunt and grabbed his revolver, holstering it. "You can keep the designs you make and sell them as your works. I won't bother you about the profit you'll make as the only blacksmith crafting this type of weapon. In return, I may provide you with more advanced and complex firearm designs that I have yet to sketch, for you to try out," he stated to the blacksmith, observing the expression on the man's face before seeing a familiar greedy smile, one that the former outlaw was accustomed to.

Erhard's eyes lit up with greed as he rubbed his hands together. "Oh, I'll be more than happy to reduce the price to 70% for a speedy transaction and to test the quality of such an interesting piece. And of course, if the party in question doesn't mind, I can make duplicates for any wandering adventurers who might be interested," he replied eagerly. The thought of being the first blacksmith in Melromarc to sell firearms filled his mind with visions of flowing coins.

Shrugging his shoulders, Arthur reached into his coin purse and placed it on the counter with a loud jingling thump, causing a handful of coins to spill out. "That would be nice, but I also need to know if you do any leather work. I seem to be missing something rather important to a man like me," he said, his hand resting on the open sack of coins as he lightly tapped it, causing the remaining coins to jingle.

The blacksmith couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of so many coins pouring over his counter. Despite Arthur's rough appearance, he didn't look like a noble. If anything, he seemed like an outlaw, or at least a former one. "I can't say I do much leather work, but if I may ask, what is missing from your current apparel?" he inquired, his finger sliding across the coins as he counted and calculated the cost of the custom gun, keeping the 70% discount in mind.

"I want a hat..." Arthur stated, leaving the blacksmith confused. The blacksmith stopped counting the coins and gave the rough-looking man a strange look, unsure of why a hat was so important to him.

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Church of The Three Holy Cardinal weapons.

In a hidden room within the church, the Pope was watching through his crystal ball what had transpired since the heroes had been summoned, and his current focus was on the bow. Since ancient times, when the appearance of four cardinal heroes had occurred in this world, there had been rumors, stories, legends, and even myths of other cardinal weapons appearing and yet all disappearing through recorded history, according to at least a few books he had quickly read up on as soon as he realized that the bow had a new weapon. At first, he considered it an act of favoritism from God, giving His Holy Angels more than just one weapon to possibly combat against the waves and shield. Yet, the bow was acting in a manner that wasn't in line with that of the church, and like anyone who wasn't in line or following the Holy Scripture as the Pope had deemed it, they were a heretic, and all things heretical against the church must be destroyed.

A bell rings. Within the Pope's secret room, notifying him that someone was waiting in his office. Getting up from his comfortable seat while watching this anomaly of a cardinal hero, he made his way out of his secret room and headed straight for his office. Pulling a lever on a nearby wall opened up the hidden door that led into the hidden room, with the door itself disguised as an ordinary bookshelf. He had pushed the door back into its original position and made it appear as it normally would to someone who wasn't aware of the hidden door that was the bookshelf.

It didn't take him long to reach his office and see one of the nuns already neatly stacking some reports of all the different happenings across the different churches throughout the kingdom that were under his observation and control. "Thank you, sister. Is there anything of note that needs my immediate attention?" he asked the nun, clad in black with her face obscured.

"Nothing of note, but many of the nobles seem to be becoming a little wary towards the bow, especially after he banished all those who were willing to partner with him, including members of the church, who would suddenly lead the bow towards those who were not of the faith," she reported.

The Pope frowned; he had witnessed the dismissal through his crystal ball. Like the king, he had his plans for the bow as well as for the sword and spear, but primarily he was going to use both the sword and bow to see his own will done upon the land. Just as some kingdoms and dukedoms were on the edge of facing rebellion or revolution, many of those same kingdoms were not of the Three Heroes Church; most of them were of different faiths, some of them even worshiping the devil's Shield in some form or another, and that would not do for his plans for his theocratic utopia. "We will have to find means to goad the bow into doing what we desire. After all, it is God's will for the Cardinal Heroes to do what must be done for the church and humanity," he stated as he walked around his desk, comfortably seated in his cushioned chair, and opened one scroll after another, reading various reports of the different churches and notes of the influx of demi-humans in certain locations that needed to be visited by a slaver or the holy Shadows to take care of many of them who were just living in the wilderness like the beasts they were.

"It will be difficult to try to find a means to get the bow to do as we wish. He isn't as young as the others, and it seems that his outlaw nature has made him wary of those who give him half-truths and false promises that could be easily spotted," the nun added while the Pope was looking through one scroll after another.

Taking his quill, he began jotting notes on a few scrolls and marks of the necessary transfers of coins to fund various projects that needed to be done. "If there is a will, there is a way, and God's will is absolute. We will find a means to control the bow; if we cannot control him, we will break him." The idea of breaking one of the Cardinal weapons' wills would have detrimental effects, such as the fact that the Cardinal weapon may not function as it should if its wielder's will had been broken. There had been accounts of various kingdoms that were destroyed when their cardinal hero's will and mind were broken, turning them into nothing more than puppets. That was one thing they didn't want to happen, at least not until the waves of Calamity were dealt with.

"Perhaps we need not go that far to break his will," the nun suggested, immediately capturing the Pope's attention. He remained silent, giving her his full attention. Seeing this, she continued, "We wait for him to allow someone into his party if they are undesirable in the eyes of the church. We could do something towards them that would force the bow to obey, lest their party member meets an untimely end, not by our fault but by his own doing." She suggested this to the Pope, who seemed intrigued by her dark suggestion, a slight smirk forming on his face.

The suggestion had its merits and a few drawbacks, and there were very few means to inflict both pain and death on demand, except for the more expensive slave crests that weren't widely available among slave traders. However, perhaps the other kingdoms might meet the requirements for this idea of a plan. "It will take some serious coin, research, and time before we put this plan into effect. Until then, we will have to explore other avenues, not to dismiss your plan, but rather to try to steer the bow into a position where he falls in line," he added to her suggestion. He could think of a few merchants who would be more than willing to trade knowledge on how to implement special conditions on their slave crests, so he would have to send a few Shadows to scout around and find the right one required for this plan.

The nun raised her head a little higher in pride, pleased to see that her suggestion was being acknowledged by the holiest person in the kingdom. "It pleases me to have my humble suggestion heard, Your Holiness. Is there anything else I may suggest or do for you?" she asked, anticipating that the Pope would likely request her to leave so he could continue his work without distraction.

"No, that will be all. But please send forth my Shadows to me; there are a few things I need to request from them," he replied, his attention returning to his paperwork as he continued to sift through it. He didn't see her leave, but he heard the door to his office open and close behind her.

"All will be right in this land of paradise I envision, and not even the devil's Shield or the corrupted bow shall ruin my vision," he thought to himself, imagining the shielder crucified alongside the corrupted bow, repenting for their evil sins.

line break

*Tiny Roar* was the only sound that came out of the Balloon Monster that had just popped out of the bushes. Arthur quickly shot an arrow between the eyes of the rubbery beast, causing it to explode with a light popping sound followed by a shower of rubbery material falling to the ground. It was the 10th, if not the 20th, monster that had come out After the former outlaw. When they first appeared, he had considered using his gun, but that would alert the two he was tailing, whom he quickly caught up with after his little impromptu conversation with Erhard.

Now he had lost sight of them as he was busy defending himself against the balloon monsters. Fortunately, the bow seemed to generate arrows every time he pulled back on the string. He was glad that Charles had given him the time to learn how to use the bow, and ever since then, he had relied on it and the throwing knives he usually carried whenever he wanted to be inconspicuous.

After popping the last monster with another arrow, he gathered up all the orange and red rubber fragments and placed them in his shoulder bag, except for a few that he fed into the jewel in his bow and gun.

+Weapon Unlock+

The Rubber Bow:

- Attack Power: 10 non-lethal

- Accuracy: 80%

- Range: Medium

- Special Ability: None

Low-level requirements to use the rubber bow:

- Level: 3

- Dexterity: 15

Status Effects:

- Stun: 10% chance to stun the target for 1 turn.

The rubber gun:

- Attack Power: 15 nonlethal

- Accuracy: 90%

- Range: Long

- Special Ability: None

Low-level requirements to use the rubber gun:

- Level: 3

- Dexterity: 20

Status Effects:

- Knockback: 20% chance to knock the target back by 1 tile.

++Weapons can be swapped by calling them by their respective names. The more acquainted you are with the weapons, the less necessary it is to verbally mention each weapon; from that moment on, the wielder can simply think of the desired weapon and equip it automatically.++

++You leveled up to level 3++

After reading the little screen in front of his face, he looked at his bow for a brief moment. "Rubber bow," a little ripple effect covered his bow, and he immediately switched over to something that looked like an ornate bow, just with less shine and felt a lot lighter, even though the string looked more like an elastic band than a string.

A second later, a perfect test subject popped out of the bushes and went for the only human that was in its path, only to be hit in the face with an arrow that had an orange ball hitting its face, knocking it back. It let out an enraged roar as it started to charge right back, only to be knocked in the face again and again until its health was reduced to 1%. But this time, as it was hit, it was knocked back but didn't take any damage. That was until the next arrow wasn't a non-lethal shot but a lethal one, causing the Balloon Monster to explode.

Now that he could see the possibilities of what this gem could do to his weapons, he was slightly tempted to just feed it one of his bullets or the other ammunition he had on his person, just to see what other weapons he would unlock. However, he had limited ammunition, and the last thing he wanted was to rely on the bow in comparison to his more powerful gun. Until he finds a means to replenish his current amount of ammunition, when the time comes to restock, he'll have to conserve his rounds and probably rely on the bow.

"Excellent work, Sir Naofumi," a familiar feminine voice rang throughout the forest, grabbing the attention of the outlaw who immediately began to follow the sound of her voice while hiding behind some nearby bushes.

Naofumi's chest puffed up with pride after hearing Myne's praise for successfully popping a few balloons in comparison to the 10 balloon monsters she successfully popped. "Thank you, Myne. The praise means a lot, though I do wish I could use something other than a shield," he said as he looked over his stats and saw the number of experience points he had gained from the small skirmish of balloon monsters. However, he became disappointed at the small amount he had gained. He let out a frustrated sigh as he plopped onto his back on the soft grass. "I'm not even at level 2 yet, and the others are no doubt past that. It's so unfair," he exclaimed to no one as he just lay there on the grass, only for the sunlight that was peering through the tops of the trees to become blocked by the red-headed beauty who looked down on him with a warm smile.

"Fear not, with me at your side, you shall reach the levels required by a great and noble hero like yourself, Sir Shield." She extended her hand and offered it to the prone shield wielder.

Grabbing her hand and hoisting her back up on his feet, he gave her a nod of agreement. "it's mean I have to work twice as hard so I can protect everyone," he said boldly, and his words seemed to make his partner laugh. He wondered what had made her laugh, as he was serious about protecting everyone, but he noticed some movement behind some bushes. Without thinking, he quickly grabbed Myne's shoulder and placed her behind him as he used his shield to block any incoming attack. Yet the attack that he was prepared to block never came. He blinked in confusion for a moment and looked back at his partner, only to see a similar confused expression on her face. "I guess whatever critter was in the bushes decided not to engage with us."

"Smart little creature, it knows when it's too dangerous to fight while we're together," she said as she looked up at the parts of the sky that weren't blocked by trees and noticed that it was starting to turn into the early evening. "I think it's high time we check in at the inn in Castle Town. We should get some rest early and prepare ourselves for our journey ahead," she suggested.

He nodded in agreement and waved his hand, gesturing for her to take the lead. "Lead the way, my lady," he said as he watched her do just that, leading the way back into the city, completely oblivious to the one who was tailing them.

The trek back into Castle Town was just as long as the journey to the forest. The only exception was that Arthur could truly appreciate the city at night, looking at the various lights coming to life in the homes and the castle itself. The image of the city was so captivating that he reached into his shoulder bag in an attempt to grab a journal, just to sketch a small bit of what he could see. only then remember that he had given his journal to John as a keepsake. "I guess I'll have to get a new one, along with the many other things I have to get, especially a new hat," he muttered to himself as he continued following the party of two into an inn.

But before he could enter, a figure dressed in black stepped in front of him with a raised hand, blocking his way. Not wanting to be confrontational, he stepped aside and tried to walk around, only for the masked individual to step back in his path. "Forgive me, Arthur. I only require a moment of your time; afterward, you can move freely as you wish," the masked individual's voice sounded feminine, like that of a woman in her early twenties, as far as Arthur could tell.

"You've got 20 seconds. After that, if you're still in my way, you're going to have a new orifice to breathe out of and most likely not survive the new addition," he warned the masked woman as he placed his hand on his revolver and pulled back the hammer with an audible click.

She did not flinch and simply nodded her head. "Just two things: one, do not attempt to kill the princess or the king. Those of higher power would rather see them remain alive for now. As for the other, if you're still seeking a party member who will not betray you or have ulterior motives for joining, seek the carnival-like tent and the one who owns it, Beloukas the traveling merchant." She said no more as she stepped aside from Arthur's path.

He listened to her words and considered the request not to kill the princess or the king. He wondered why they had assumed he was going to kill them. "Why do you assume that I'm going to kill them?" he asked the unknown woman.

"The one who commanded me is just requesting that you not do anything impulsive. Whether or not you are going to kill them is not in question; they would just rather be the ones to do it themselves if they truly cross the line," she answered vaguely to the former outlaw's query.

He narrowed his eyes as he slowly connected the dots that someone of higher authority was working behind the scenes, and he had one last question before stepping inside the door. "And who is your master or mistress, if I may ask?" he asked, but he didn't receive an answer as the woman remained silent. Part of him was tempted to draw his weapon and force her to speak, but he doubted he could keep bluffing without wasting a bullet. He let out a frustrated growl as he walked past her and entered the inn.

The queen's Shadow had a slight smirk under her mask and quickly jumped up and above the rooftops, making her way back to the castle.

Once inside the inn, the former outlaw spotted Naofumi. His eyes darted around, searching for the redhead, only to find Myne sitting by his side, drinking a crystal glass of wine. He didn't bother the girl as he approached the inn's owner, a woman with gray hair and large spectacle glasses, who was well past her prime. She raised an eyebrow as she watched him approach. "May I help you, sir?" she asked politely, her hand slowly drifting towards the mace she kept underneath the desk in case of bandits or criminals who thought her inn was an easy target.

"I think a boy checked into the inn; he has a shield on his right arm. I am a friend of his and just want to know what room he would be in so I can wake him up bright and early tomorrow," he smoothly lied to the innkeeper, who stared at him for a brief moment before giving him a nod.

She pointed to a vacant key that wasn't hanging up with the others on the rack behind her. "Room B6, but I'll tell you this if you start any trouble, more than my boot is going to meet your ass on the way out," she warned him.

It wasn't the first time that an older woman had threatened him, causing him to smile and nod. "Don't worry, no troubles will be started by me. I'll be staying at the inn, but not in a room," he replied, reaching for his coin purse and placing a few coins on the desk.

Quickly snatching up the coins, she counted them until she was satisfied. "If you're looking to get some supper, it's best to get it now before the kitchen closes. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until morning," she advised.

"Thank you, ma'am. I think I'll grab a few things, nothing too much," he said as he left the desk and headed towards the dining section of the inn. His eyes briefly met with the redhead, who seemed shocked at first but then relaxed. He continued to the kitchen, grabbed some bread, meat, and vegetables, and ate his fill before heading up to the rooms. He grabbed a chair and positioned it in front of Naofumi's room, leaning it against the door slightly as he made himself comfortable and drifted off into a light sleep.

hours later

Two individuals silently entered the inn and climbed the steps, their mission clear: to steal the belongings of the Shield hero and his coin, and plant evidence on behalf of their mistress. As they walked down the hallway of the individual rooms, they couldn't help but stop and stare at the person acting as a guard in front of the Shield's room.

Arthur was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the two individuals approaching him until he heard a squeak that immediately woke him up. He swiftly drew his weapon, aiming at one of the masked assailants.

The three individuals stood in the hallway, staring at each other. The former outlaw pointed his gun at each of them, daring them to make a move. "Come on, you bastards! I know you want to get in, but you'll have to go through me," he thought to himself, waiting for them to decide whether to fight or retreat.

One of the burglars placed a hand on their companion, and after a brief exchange of glances, they nodded and turned around, leaving the hallway and the inn.

"Cowards," he whispered to himself as he uncocked the hammer on his gun but kept it in hand, prepared in case they returned. Despite the excitement moments ago, the old outlaw managed to fall back asleep and get a few more hours of rest before the next day.

that morning

Waking up by loud sounds of metal clashing, Arthur immediately drew his gun, but he lowered it when he saw the castle guards. "Gentlemen, what brings you here this morning?" he asked, getting up from his chair while keeping his weapon near his hip.

The presence of the bow hero was a surprise for the Royal Guards, who were ordered to retrieve the shield hero, even by force if necessary. "We're under orders by the king to retrieve the demon shield. Do not interfere, or you'll face the steel of Melromarc's finest," the guardsman said proudly, his hand close to drawing his sword.

"Has something happened that warrants this hostility? And as a hero, particularly the bow hero, shouldn't I be informed of the situation? I can either assist you or hinder you on this task," he said, giving the guards the choice to either inform him or deal with his interference.

The Royal Guards didn't appreciate the bow hero interfering with their business regarding the shield, but they were not ordered to harm the bow, only to retrieve the shield. "The Shield has been accused of heinous crimes. He must be brought to the throne room before the king, where he can state his innocence in court," the guardsman spat, growing even more impatient.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at the Royal Guard, realizing that Naofumi could be accused of many things, especially considering the guards referred to him as the demon Shield. But he needed to know the specific accusation. "And what is this heinous act?" he asked the guardsman, determined to get more information.

"The demon Shield has been accused of raping his party member. According to her, he got drunk and forced himself upon her. Now, will you get out of our way or will you assist us in apprehending the Shield?" The guardsman boldly stepped forward, his sword almost drawn.

Arthur wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the accusation. He had been with Naofumi all night, and the boy hadn't left his room, not even to use the bathroom. "That seems highly unlikely, considering I've been here all night. However, if my friend needs to defend himself and prove his innocence, I won't stand in his way. But I will escort the Shield, and you can all come along if you wish," he stated, addressing the displeased Royal Guards.

Holstering his gun and moving the chair away from the door, Arthur knocked on Naofumi's door, gradually increasing the force until he was banging on it to wake him up. The door opened to a sleepy-eyed Naofumi, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Arthur, it's early. *Yawn* I didn't know you decided to get a room here like me and..." Naofumi's words trailed off as he saw the hallway filled with Royal Guards.

Before the guards could rush in and forcefully take Naofumi, Arthur stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Listen up, boy. Get dressed and gather your belongings. Don't leave anything behind. You're being accused of a crime that I know damn well you didn't commit. Stay calm and don't panic," his words came out in a rush.

Naofumi's head was spinning when he heard Arthur notify him that he was accused of a crime. He couldn't think of anything he may have done to be accused. Breaking out of his stunned state, he nodded and quickly got dressed, gathering all his belongings into a large bag that Erhard had given him as a gift. Once he had gathered all his possessions in the sack, he was ready to go wherever he was supposed to go in this situation.

"Good, just follow me; don't look, don't talk to anyone, just keep your eyes on my back," Arthur advised the boy as he opened the door to a group of unhappy Royal Guards who were staring at both the bow and shield. "Calm down, you lot. I'll be taking the boy to the castle. It took him a moment to gather up all his stuff, but I warn you, touch him and you die, even if I have to go down with the same person I kill," he warned, making sure to make eye contact with everyone when he made the death threat to the Royal Guards, who immediately took a step back from the bow.

After that, both the Bow and Shield, accompanied by the royal guards following behind them, made their way to the castle and headed straight for the throne room. Just like before, the King was sitting on his throne, now looking a little enraged as soon as he saw the shield after the bow had stepped out of the way.

"There he is, the criminal swine who had performed heinous acts upon his party member," the king yelled, making sure everyone heard him as he pointed his finger at Naofumi, who looked confused when he was referred to as a criminal.

Spotting Myne behind Motoyasu, who looked angry, added further to Naofumi's confusion. "Myne, what's going on?" he asked his redheaded party member, only to see her immediately press herself more closely behind the spear wielder.

"How dare you speak to her, especially after what you have done to her?" Motoyasu exclaimed with an enraged look in his eyes, brandishing his spear almost at the very edge of marching over and attacking Naofumi. That was until he saw Arthur stepping into his sight and then saw the older man placing his hand over his revolver.

Seeing this, the blonde backed down a bit while still having that enraged look in his eye, and the girl behind him continued to cower behind him. Then Naofumi's gaze switched over to Ren, who seemed to be a bit confused by the whole ordeal. "Why don't we all settle down and go through exactly what has happened and the reasons why our Shield friend here is being accused?" Arthur spoke calmly, but there was a hint of malice in his voice.

"It is obvious that the Shield has raped his party member after getting drunk and taking several items that he had stolen just the other day," the king relayed the crimes for which Naofumi was being accused, shocking everyone present in the room, including a few of the nobles who were spectating what was presumably a quick trial by the king.

This wasn't Arthur's first kangaroo trial, especially considering the few times he had to save Charles and Lenny from the same situation. He had dealt with people driven by ignorance, who wanted a reason to draw blood just for the sake of it. "Is there any evidence proving that our Shield friend here is guilty of being a rapist, a thief, or any other accusations you want to pin on this boy?" he said in Naofumi's defense.

"Come on, Arthur, it's obvious that he raped her. Can't you see how fearful and shocked she is?" Motoyasu yelled at Arthur for daring to defend someone he already believed was guilty.

The only other person who wasn't commenting but simply observing was Ren. He had been woken up early after spending several hours swinging his blade and getting tired from the training he was doing with various monsters to gain XP. Then he was woken up by the Royal Guards, who told him that a crime had occurred and the King would be delivering swift justice upon the criminal, and he was required to witness it. Normally, he would have skipped these types of scenes in his normal game, but since he had no option to do so, he reluctantly participated in this little event. He watched as one of the accused was a hero like himself, and another was defending against the charges levied against the Shield. He didn't take the side of the prosecution or the defendant; he was simply waiting to see how things would unfold before adding his support.

Arthur ignored the hot air coming from the blonde and gave him an unimpressed look. "Maybe so, but I've seen my fair share of what could be considered a kangaroo trial, and without evidence or witnesses, all of this is meaningless," he countered Motoyasu's argument.

He couldn't believe what was going on and the crimes he was being accused of, but Naofumi couldn't help but feel glad that Arthur was helping him, even though he felt betrayed by his former party member. "It's true, I didn't steal anything, nor did I rape her, and I didn't drink," he asserted. However, his words seemed to have the opposite effect compared to Arthur's, causing more people to give him stink eyes and death stares.

A guard approached from the side, holding up a lady's lingerie, and the King immediately noticed it. "This is the first form of evidence that was found in The Shield's room, a trophy perhaps of his misdeed to the lady adventurer. Am I correct, Miss Myne?" he asked the redhead, who was hiding behind the spear wielder.

She nodded her head from behind the spear wielder, using him as a shield to hide from the man she accused of attempted rape. "Yes, your majesty, those are mine. He tore it off my body as he drunkenly tried to have his way with me," she said, starting to sniffle as she was on the verge of tears. The blonde she was hiding behind turned around and gently wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back to comfort her.

"Liar! I was in there, and I didn't see any damn lingerie. And speaking from experience with drinking, I have gotten myself drunk enough to find my way to a prostitute who offered her services for good compensation, only to find out that my equipment didn't rise to the occasion. I would think his equipment would react the same way if he was that piss drunk." Arthur challenged the evidence and the words coming from Myne.

"That is your assumption and your own experience, Arthur. Just because you were in The Shield's room doesn't mean you may not have seen where he had hidden the lingerie," the king countered Arthur's argument. If only the bow wasn't here, this trial would have gone down smoothly. Now he had to argue with this common criminal. Perhaps he could hit two birds with one stone. "It is strange how you're defending against these allegations towards The Shield. Perhaps you have played your hand in the attempted rape as well as the theft of the property that The Shield owns," he started to accuse Arthur of his involvement in The Shield's crime.

Picking up on what her father was leading towards, she pulled away from the little plaything that she had already wrapped around her finger and looked towards her father. "Yes, I think there was another person there. It was hazy. I, too, was under the influence of a little wine, but just a taste, Your Majesty. I believe the bow may be there, as they both were discussing whether or not to take turns or take me together, just as they have taken the loot from the respectable shop owners from Castle Town," Myne added to the king's growing theory.

Now it was Arthur's turn to be enraged, and he was close to ignoring that shadowy woman's request of not killing the princess or the king right there and then. Consequences be damned if he would be blamed as a rapist. "Again, that is a lie. I did not steal, nor did I participate in a rape attempt. And I would rather shoot myself before I would be in bed with that fucking redhead," he yelled at the audacity of being accused. It wasn't the first crime he was accused of

something he didn't do, but rape was never one of them. Even before Duchess Madness, there was an unspoken rule: women and children were off-limits. No harm to them and no unwanted advances as well. Anyone who broke this unspoken rule or was no longer part of the gang and left to the mercies of frontier Justice.

"Like we're going to believe a criminal who would prey on anyone that would come in your path. Since you're from the Old West and being an outlaw of sorts already, this should be common for you to steal and rape," Motoyasu mocked Arthur's attempt to defend himself from the king's assumption.

At this point, Arthur had drawn his pistol and pointed it at the moronic blonde, pulling the hammer back. He was tempted, damn was he tempted, to simply blow the boy's brains out right there and then. "I will admit my hands are not completely clean. I robbed, I killed, I beat a man to death for just the few bucks he had in his pocket. But I have never laid my hands on a woman or child, ever. And I will never do that. I would sooner shoot myself before the thought would ever occur in my mind," he said, taking a step forward, his weapon still trained on the blonde who didn't seem to even flinch with the gun pointed at him.

Motoyasu let out a snort and laughed at the gunslinger's threat. "You beat me once. I doubt you are capable of shooting anyone, especially while there are so many witnesses here, and soil your reputation even further than it already is, you damn outlaw," he said mockingly, poking the bear.

"Enough of this. Withdraw your weapon, Arthur, and you, Shield, relinquish your sack of ill-gotten goods that you obtained yesterday," the king commanded as he looked towards his guards to the side, who were already slowly marching towards both the Bow and the Shield.

As the guards were slowly approaching, Arthur immediately trained his eye and picked his targets. Everything almost appeared to be in slow motion as his senses were hyper-focused. Just as he was about to unleash hell with the first six rounds of his revolver, that's when he saw Naofumi take a step forward.

"If you guys have a problem with us, then send us back. I don't feel like dealing with this crap, and neither does Arthur deserve this, especially when he was defending me," Naofumi yelled at everyone. When he first arrived, he was intrigued and even excited to be in another world, but now that excitement and the joys of the fantasy aspect of this world had died from the moment the supposed crimes he committed were revealed to him.

The king placed his hand over his face, almost as if he had a migraine or something difficult to contemplate. "I can only wish to send you two back to where you belong, but unfortunately for both of you, you must stay and fight against the waves. Only then will you have the ability to return home," the king explained. Sending them home would not be an easy venture, even though he had no intentions of sending the Shield or the corrupted bow home, not until he got his pound of flesh from both of them. "Now, guards, strip them of their ill-gotten loot, including the bow. Several items are most likely stolen, and..." He wasn't able to finish the sentence as a loud bang rang throughout the throne room for a second time, followed by total darkness, engulfing the king's vision.

The orange tip of Arthur's gun was smoking as he hit the dead center of the king's head. He then immediately grabbed Naofumi's collar and started dragging the boy out of the throne room. Eventually, the two matched each other's pace as they ran out of the castle, with the guards charging and chasing after them. Arthur fired his gun, hitting the guards on their heads, only stopping when he ran out of ammunition. Their daring escape was halted as the drawbridge to the castle was being lifted slowly, and the castle guards began forming a perimeter around the Shield and the Bow, slowly marching forward.

"Take them alive, by the orders of His Majesty," the leading guard commanded to the others, who followed his orders.

The two looked at the slowly rising bridge and the approaching guards, feeling the weight of their limited options.

"Any bright ideas?" Naofumi asked Arthur, fear evident in his voice. He knew that as soon as he was captured, everything he had left would be taken from him. All he had was in his sack, including his clothes, a few items from his world, and the remaining money he had. He briefly considered throwing it at the guards, hoping it would distract them.

Arthur contemplated the question, realizing their options were limited and the bridge was rising to a high angle. "I do have an idea, but you aren't going to like it. Hopefully, you know how to swim," he answered, grabbing hold of Naofumi once more.

Before Naofumi could even ask what he meant by knowing how to swim, his collar was grabbed, and he was dragged up the rising bridge and tossed off of it, plunging into the water below. Arthur followed suit.

The two splashed into the water, causing some of the guards to look down and instinctively shoot arrows into the water, hoping to wound or slow down the escaping heroes. However, the guard captain quickly ordered them to stop. "You fools! If any of them die, it'll be our heads. Hopefully, they survive. Lower the drawbridge and search the city. I want them found and brought back to the throne room," he commanded, and the guards obeyed.

an hour later

A sewer grate was pushed up and slid to the side as a dirty and wet, gruff-looking man emerged from the sewers. He dropped down to one knee and extended a hand, hoisting up a boy who was younger than him by a decade, and just as dirty. A few beggars who witnessed this paid no mind, as they were busy keeping themselves comfortable in the shade.

"Well, wasn't that something? Not the first time I've jumped off a bridge," Arthur commented, chuckling. It wasn't the best escape he had made from the law, but it certainly wasn't the worst.

Despite Arthur making light of the situation, Naofumi felt a scorching hatred for everything and everyone in this world. He clenched his fist, considering trying to rip the shield off of him, even though it would simply reappear as soon as he discarded it. The green gem on the shield slowly turned red, and his vision started to turn black and red. However, a firm hand settled on his shoulders, bringing him back from the brink of his rage and despair.

"Don't let the demons get you, son. Don't let them get to you. Once they do, you'll turn into something you don't want to be. Believe me, I've seen the worst that has come out of people who have been truly kicked down in the dirt," Arthur counseled. Before he was even a man, he had seen a few members of his old gang lose themselves to their rage, driving them mad and causing them to do regrettable things or end up on the gallows.

Calming down a bit, Naofumi pulled himself away from Arthur's grip and took a few steps towards the exit of the alleyway, but stopped at the very end. "Thank you, Arthur. You are a true hero for standing up for me. I don't think anyone else would have," he said to Arthur before turning out of the alley to walk his path.

"Anytime, son. Anytime," Arthur said to himself as he watched the boy disappear. Unbeknownst to him, the gem on the handle of his gun began to turn more white than red, influenced by the actions he had taken that day.

line break

throne room

The king rubbed his forehead, nursing the large swelling bruise that was between his eyes. He had felt a brief moment of unconsciousness, as if he had died, only to discover that the thing that had hit him was made of something rubbery. Some of his guards had also suffered a similar attack. Shifting his focus to the two remaining heroes on Melromarc's side, he apologized for the ordeal they had gone through.

"I apologize for this ordeal, my heroes. It seems that the selection process for the bow and shield was done poorly by the ancient magics that govern this world. But I am glad that both of you remain pure," the king said, praying for the two heroes who hadn't acted against the kingdom's interests or his own, and that of his daughters.

"No problem, Mr. King. Happy to help a lady in need," Motoyasu replied, as the red-headed beauty in his party swooned and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.

The only one not enjoying the praise from the king was Ren. He was still struggling with his thoughts, finding it suspicious that Arthur had raised valid points about Naofumi's innocence. Perhaps he would have to launch his investigation, going to the end and speaking with the inn owner and shopkeepers who claimed their goods were stolen.

The pope entered the throne room through a secret side entrance, accompanied by several nuns carrying objects on pillows. He greeted the two remaining heroes as the holiest champions, expressing his regret that neither the bow nor the shield could be present to receive the blessings of the land. He waved his hand towards the nuns, who presented items on the pillows: a glass vial of red sand, a crystal ball, and holy water of higher quality.

"These gifts are for the two of you to use to help you on your journey to combat against the waves," the pope said jovially to the sword and spear heroes while hiding his frustration that the bow was completely lost until he could get his claws into the outlaw.

The two heroes graciously accepted the items presented by the church and fed them to their weapons, unlocking new abilities that would aid them on their quest.

line break

Hidden within the darker sides of Castle Town, there dwelled a circus tent. The tent contained a large collection of cages, and one of them was filled with the stench of blood, urine, and misery. In that particular cage, a young demi-human girl curled up in a ball, dreaming of a shadowy figure astride a massive two-horned horse. "I'll be coming for you, darling. I'll be coming for you," his strong and commanding voice whispered, sweet music to her demi-human ears. It helped strengthen her resolve to survive until the day she meets the one whose outline matches that of her dreams and whose mount she prays will arrive soon.

Outside the cage, two figures were marching between the rows of cages. One of them was a woman dressed in black with a mask, and the other was a pudgy penguin-like man with a permanent grin on his face and silver spectacles. "Oh yes, there are many suitable specimens that would fit your mistress's plans, but I must ask, are you certain they will come here? I'm not one to stay in one place for too long, lest my rivals catch up with me," the penguin-like merchant said to the shadowy woman he was unfortunately accompanying.

The shadow listened to the man while looking around the various cages. There were a great number of specimens that could be used in the grand design of the Queen's plans for the two heroes, but most of what was available didn't suit any of those plans. "I am certain. After all, I informed one of them, and you will run into the other at some point. You'll do as you are commanded, offer him your services, present him with something that could be of use, but do not give him your strongest. Give him something that will latch onto him, and him latch onto it," the shadow said as she stopped right before a cage. She looked down at a raccoon demi-human child looking up through the bars of her cage and started lightly coughing.

"This one here, for the shield. Now for the other." Her head turned to the side, and she looked at a nearby cage that contained another demi-human child who would be another perfect candidate and suitable for the Gunslinger hero.

BTC…

I hope everyone enjoys this latest chapter of Redemption of the Gunslinger. This chapter came much sooner than I had expected thanks to all of your reviews, favors, and follows. If any of you have questions about the story, leave a review, or have ideas for other possible fanfiction stories that have received too much attention, like Red Dead Redemption, place them in a review or send me a DM, and we can talk. I'm available 24/7. This is FableMaster signing off.