Naofumi stood with Keel and Raphtalia while Shirou led them to an open field. It was just over a hill, and the hill's elevation was just enough to provide privacy away from prying eyes. In contrast, it would have been all too easy to notice anyone spying on them in a field of grass.
Taking in a breath, Shirou raised a hand and allowed his magic energy to course through him.
Several level ups and gathered EXP since his summoning to this world had enhanced his base parameters well above what they initially were.
"Trace, on," he murmured, invoking his unique magecraft.
From his hands, two items formed, both in the shape of shields.
One a bronze shield covered in seven layers of ox hide, and the other, something of a fragment Shirou had only seen in the history of other swords whose wielders sat around it.
"You know, I've seen you do that so many times, but I don't think I'd ever get used to it." Naofumi said, scratching the back of his neck. "Is it like, ugh, a type of conjuration or summoning magic?"
"I told you it's called magecraft," Shirou sighed, smiling wryly. "If I could really use True Magic though, I doubt I would have been able to get away with calling myself a third-rate. Here, touch them to your shield and see what happens."
"You know they break, right?" Naofumi took a hold of both shields Shirou offered him, but was hesitating. Until now, he was still of the impression that Shirou was summoning his weapons from a dimensional space. It would make no sense for such strong equipment to be fake.
The moment Naofumi offered them to his shield, the components would break down and assimilate. "You don't get these back. At least, I wouldn't know how to do that for you."
"It's fine." Shirou said, realizing he'd never gone out of his way to explain his Tracing in depth. "A promise is a promise."
"Lord Naofumi, you can't waste Lord Shirou's sincerity!" Raphtalia encouraged with gusto.
In contrast, Keel was staring flatly at Raphtalia, inferring that she was more delighted at the prospect of Naofumi being better able to defend himself than anything to do with sincerity.
"Then, don't mind if I do," Naofumi said.
Not hesitating any longer, Naofumi first brought up the bronze shield layered with ox hide to the green jewel imbedded in his legendary shield. Light flickered over the jewel and it enveloped the offered shield before the offered shield was consumed.
Naofumi's legendary shield began to shift and morph, unlocking a new series.
[Conceptual Shield: Rho Aias]
Images flashed and flickered across Naofumi's mind. War, death, despair, and a shield lifted to block a peerless spear shrouded in magic flames descending from up high.
[The Seven Rings that Cover the Burning Heavens]
[Lvl 1: The First Ring- Acquired]
[Lvl 2: The Second Ring - ?]
[Lvl 3: The Third Ring - ?]
.
.
.
[Lvl 7: The Seventh Ring - ?]
Noafumi opened and closed his mouth as he read over the details in his head. T-This shield, wasn't it the shield of an actual Hero?
The name Hector came to mind. The name that reverberated the most strongly in the ephemeral vision Naofumi bore witness as the shield was raised, and the name Ajax hailed for blocking the attack of Troy's greatest defender.
Wait…Hector of Troy?
That Hector?
Even in the Japan of Naofumi's world, Greek mythology was widespread. Then this shield had a genuine history with the hypothetical Trojan War?
Saying nothing, Naofumi glanced up at Shirou and didn't know what to think. Who really was he?
Just a secret magus of a moonlit world outside of common view? But that doesn't explain how Shirou could possess the weapons he displayed. How old was he?
"Naofumi?" Shirou asked, snapping Naofumi out of his daze.
"A-Ah sorry," Naofumi grinned, choosing to focus on the specs of the shield instead. "Got a little too excited there."
Naofumi was practically buzzing with excitement at the description at the end of Rho Aias's upgrade skill tree.
Shirou found himself nodding. "It's a shield that's served me well."
Naofumi wet his lips, holding his words back. Of course, it served Shirou well. The stats on this thing were no joke.
[Skill (Skill), Skill Tree, Equipment Bonus]
["Aias Shield [Unawakened]+0"]
[Reinforcement lvl: 0]
[Conjures a petaled shield with the durability of a fortress wall, and imbued with the concept of an absolute defense against any thrown weapon]
Composing himself, Naofumi realized that he still had the shield Shirou offered him. Considering the specs of Aias, Naofumi was all too eager to see what this one did for him.
However, the moment Naofumi integrated the shield with his own legendary shield, he froze and just stood there for the longest moment.
Thinking he was confused; Shirou did his best to try and explain the shield's quirks.
"It's a shield that relies on the will of the user." Shirou admitted.
Honestly, he'd only been fortunate enough to acquire the shield by glimpsing it in the history of several other swords that commonly sat around its presence.
"If there's ever something you wish to protect," Shirou said with conviction. "Then protect it with all your heart. That shield will answer."
Naofumi felt his throat dry, suddenly scrutinizing Shirou's features and then internally summarizing the images he saw as a reaction of breaking down and incorporating the shield as his own.
For Shirou to possess this shield- no, for him to be acknowledged by this shield,
A legend came to Naofumi's mind that anyone would know pertaining to the shield's legend.
Shirou's secretive nature, and that character to save anyone in need-
Was he…?
Naofumi could not bring himself to voice his thoughts.
Lute village was not far from them, but just in case, Shirou and Naofumi decided to camp outside for the night. It was consideration for Keel and Raphtalia.
Shirou and Naofumi would enter Lute village in the morning when they could move ahead in advance and check the reception. Lute was still part of Melromarc, and the treatment of Demi-Humans wasn't always pleasant.
Of course, it wasn't as if this was their first time interacting with people from Lute village. They'd run into them in the first Wave, but back then they were fighting for life and death. It wasn't a good measure of how the townspeople treated Demi-humans, and Naofumi was tired of the dirty looks people kept sending Raphtalia and Keel.
In any case, as Naofumi had just acquired the Portal Shield series, he needed to register the town before the group could make it a primary base of operation. They'd move later if something better turned out.
Seated around a fire, Shirou prodded the flames to maintain warmth in the camp site while Naofumi fiddled with his own things.
Keel and Raphtalia were told to wash themselves off in the nearby stream and had just returned with wet hair and fur. The two were the closest to the fire to dry themselves.
"Are you making eggs?" Shirou asked as he approached Naofumi.
Naofumi was holding onto the egg he and Raphtalia had purchased from a certain slave trader. Neither Shirou or Keel had any words when they found it that the egg purchase was more of a gambling venture than anything else. Instead of a strong mount, it could have been anything in that egg. The slaver said it was a Filolial but there was no guarantee if it would be a good one.
"Funny."
Hearing Shirou's question, Naofumi snorted while inspecting the egg in his hands. It was large, bigger than usual ostrich eggs.
"I'm thinking of how to hatch it," Naofumi explained. "I could be holding a diamond in the rough for all we know."
"Or dirt!" Keel wagged her tail in the background, Raphtalia shooting an unappreciative glare at her.
Naofumi shooed Keel away, not letting himself be discouraged. He looked towards Shirou.
"Any ideas?" he asked.
Shirou held his hand out, and Naofumi took that as a cue to hand over the egg.
Soon enough, Shirou used Structural Analysis to inspect the egg, but an anomaly occurred when the magic was absorbed. It was a curious development, and he gave the egg to Naofumi.
"So?" Naofumi asked.
"It absorbs magic energy," Shirou shrugged. "Could give it a go by giving it yours and sharing Exp when leveling."
Naofumi's lip twitched. He glanced at the empty carriage beside them, and the egg in his hand. They really needed a mount to actually pull them along.
Naofumi had been embarrassed enough when Shirou had to use reinforcement to pull the carriage along with Eclaire, Raphtalia, and Keel watching him.
Not wasting another second, Naofumi began to channel his magic energy into the egg in hopes it would expedite the process of development. He never realized it would open a new skill category unlocked from the legendary shield.
[Taming Series]
[Beast companions and monsters have an additional EXP modifier during growth phases]
Naofumi widened his eyes, light flashing from the egg in his hand before a breaking sound echoed.
Over the egg, cracks began to form from a steady chipping noise from within. Soon enough, the first pieces of the egg began to shatter off, revealing a beak that continued pecking.
When the top part of the egg broke off, a feathered head appeared, curious blue eyes staring at everyone before it pushed the rest of its body out and rolled onto Naofumi's palms.
No one was saying it, but in the end, Shirou had to bring it up due to his lack of knowledge of the current world's animals.
"You spent all that gold…for a chicken?" Shirou asked carefully.
The bird resembled a baby chickling too much. The only difference was white feathers and a particularly large pair of them that made an ahoge over the bird's forehead.
"It's a Filolial!" Raphtalia argued on behalf of the cute thing when Naofumi suddenly looked disheartened.
"Filo!"
The chicken squawked under the groups muttering.
Inside Lute village, Melromarc's First Princess Malty had already arrived with the Spear Hero's party.
However, her mood was far from pleasant. In fact, she could sense a feeling of distance between herself and the rest of her party. Motoyasu wasn't being rude about it and treated her very well, but his impression of her had grown peculiar after the debacle with the pope and the theft accusations.
She'd been in at the bar of the inn her party was resting it before she'd excused herself as the other whores and sluts drooped themselves playfully over Motoyasu. Their faces were heated and flushed from alcohol and beer, but Malty could only see them as bitches in heat.
Ammores gazes of admiration and passion without intent of exploitation was naive in Malty's perspective. Women were Queen's, and the best of them had men wrapped around her fingers. Malty was all Motoyasu would need, and despite various hurdles, she was confident she'd get her way.
The truly annoying ones were Naofumi and Shirou.
They were the cause of all her current misfortunes.
Having left the bar area, Malty retreated outside where no one else was present to judge her. Gradually, her expression twisted.
Nothing was going her way, and even her father's support had been dwindling.
Intuition convinced her that the Shield Hero's party had somehow influenced her father, but even if she knew that, there was little she could do. She could ask her father directly, but she hadn't known him to be this shrewd since before he married her mother.
She bit the nail of her thumb but quickly winced.
She glanced down and noticed she'd bitten too hard and bit too close to the base of the nail. A trickle of blood dripped down her thumb as her nibbling had drawn blood.
Freezing, Malty took note of her disheveled appearance, stress lines running down her face, and features ruffled by failure after failure.
It was suddenly all too funny, a grim portrait away from her idealist self.
Laughing, she threw her head back and let out a deep breath.
No more.
She'd had enough.
Normal means wouldn't work with that damn Shield Hero party.
Making sure the idiots were too drunk and busy getting wasted to mind her, Malty set her course.
With purpose, she headed towards Lute Village's administrative hall where a branch of the Three Hero's Church was located.
She'd help facilitate, so let the pope deal with them.
And yet, fate was a bitch.
The first person Malty ran into before reaching Lute Village's administrative building was no one else but that naively honorable female Knight, Eclair.
"...I greet the first princess." Eclair Seatto saluted stiffly, features creasing into a frown.
Malty could see that Eclair was far from being subtle about her dislike. If not for Malty's status, Eclair might have even scorned her with that righteous look on her face.
"Greeting accepted," Malty put on a tolerant smile. "What is your purpose here, knight?"
"King's orders," Eclair narrowed her eyes, chin craning up as she couldn't help but scoff. "Confidential."
Malty thinned her lips, turning her attention instead to the man Eclair was speaking with. It was none other than the village head of Lute Village.
From this observation alone, Malty could surmise a premise for Eclair's intentions.
"You," Malty called, causing the man to shiver. "Who do you think has more authority, her or I?"
"Now wait just a moment-" Eclair hissed, but Malty began glaring at the village chief.
"Her, or I?"
The village chief trembled, but from the start, the answer was obvious.
"The Princess."
Malty gloated as Eclair's expression fell.
"Seeing as you understand that, I trust you will heed my warning to ignore any request asked by this knight?"
Eclair gnashed her teeth and stared fixedly of the village chief, daring him to ignore what they'd just discussed.
"B-But Princess, this knight is under orders by the King…"
"Melromac is an autocracy," Malty sneered, pressuring the village chief with her gaze. "But is it a Patriarchy, or a Matriarchy?"
"M-Matriarchy," the old man lowered his head.
"You are stepping out of your bounds Princess!" Eclair could not condone this behavior anymore, but Malty cared little.
Staring at the village chief, she gave her final ultimatum.
"I'll remember you when I'm Queen."
Resolve began to leave the village chief's expression, replaced by a growing apprehension.
"You witch," Eclair hissed.
Malty approached the village chief, placing hands on his shoulders, leaving no room for escape.
"Now tell me," Malty leaned in and hissed into the village chief's ear. "What were you talking about, and where is the altar of the Three Heroes Church?"
It was something that Malty had noticed from the beginning.
There was supposed to be an altar and temple here managed by a church associate, but evidence left behind on scene revealed signs of a conflict.
Malty was then reminded of Eclair's presence here in the remote village of Lute.
In a sudden calculated move, she pointed at Eclair, and then sent a command down to the village chief.
"Arrest her!"
A vein popped over Eclair's temples.
"On what grounds?!"
"HERESY!"
Thanks for reading! It's been a while since I've updated this so I had to remember what I was going for, for a while.
Also, does anyone know why alerts don't seem to be sending to email notification lately?
Free web novel :[The Apostate in Grim Fantasy] (For those that asked, the web novel is available on webnovel and the patron main page, leave a review if you'd like! Goal is 10 reviews)
Next update: To be announced
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Book links:
Fatedlegacydark
New Book: Out on Amazon (Remove dash on link)
Survivor's Log Reflection: Amazon.c-om/dp/B08VDDGN7Z?