AU NOTES
Hello fellow temporary shut-ins! How do you do? Since I'm staying home due to COVID-19, I had some time to work on this chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Take special care and do not expose yourselves needlessly!
Fare thee well, fellow readers.
Ps: Magnus9284, please update Cursed Blood! I desperately need Necromancer Izuku to rip new ssholes into several people. I also wrote Blood for the Blood God due to your work, so thank you and no I did not copy your stuff. Or so I hope. Please do not sue if something came out alike.
Pss: You all Hyped for Doom: Eternal? Should we have our own [Doom Slayer Shield]? Or maybe a [Doot Slayer Shield]?
Ryujin Maou (Demonic Dragon Lord) out!
After Naofumi had left Melty with the Queen's agent, he hoped that his problems with the royalty of Melromark would cease. Sure, the Church had branded him a demon, but even they could not invade other countries carelessly, else they would risk bringing the full might of foreign military forces in the country's lands.
He guided his party far from danger, his [Cartographer's Shield] constantly in use as he made his way through the forest. There were two nearby towns that Naofumi had once visited, one of which had a fair tolerance towards demi-humans and as such would serve his needs. Once he was three clicks (three kilometers) away, almost on the forest's edge, the hero stopped his party for a rest and a light meal.
The meal was light indeed, considering all their luggage had stayed behind in his wagon, the food consisted mostly of small critters they had hunted on their way. Small Pill rabbits, Direwolves and monster plants. The hero was thankful that Felicia had managed to regain some of her mana, allowing her to access her [Pocket Dimension] dark-type magic, inside which were also some food supplies.
As such, their dinner consisted of Spit-roasted rabbit meat and direwolf sandwiches and plant-monster salad. As he began to split the meal among his group, his senses picked movement closing in on their location. A small notification of [Combo action] appeared on the corner of his vision, the HUD displaying the use of his [World Map] and the recently acquired [Enhanced Senses] from the [Spy Master Shield]. Not that he had to worry, since Shadow was already up and at arms.
Raphtalia seemed a bit tense, her raccoon ears twitching as she also heard the approaching target. Firo seemed to busy staring at the group's food to notice anything of importance, Dera joining the Philorial as the duo drooled at the sight of his cooking. Felicia was occupied with a thick magic tome, her lit pipe resting on the ground as she rose her eyes to meet Naofumi's. The hero shook his head, not worried at all.
Soon enough, bushes were pushed apart and from the dark woods came Melty and her shadow guard. The Second Princess had a silent countenance, avoiding eye-contact with the Shielder at any cost, her guard also being quiet and waiting for the outcome of what was bound to be another talk.
The Shield Hero sighed in an effort to calm the spark of annoyance on the bottom of his stomach. He did not mean to be overly aggressive towards the girl, but she belonged to that royal family. Naofumi could not trust them, no matter what. Her mother, the Queen, most likely tried to tie her down on his back, maybe on some twisted hope that he would be a pack-mule and save the girl for the good of the kingdom. I won't be deceived again!
Time passed slowly, the crackling of the firewood the only sound present as the groups stayed silent. Firo expressed her happiness in seeing Melty once more, but one stern gaze from her master was enough to make the blonde loli sit down as if she received a harsh scolding. Naofumi finished with the food preparations and gave his party their share; that done, he cleared his throat.
"What do you want?" He asked, reigning as much anger off his voice as he could.
Melty tried meeting his gaze for a few times, all of which failed as her wet blue eyes fled his black pupils, her voice cracking as she tried to form a cohesive sentence.
"N-n-naofumi...I-I'm s-sorry!" Her voice betrayed her emotional state, the shadow behind the girl offering some support as a hand on the shoulder.
Yet, those words merely fed the spark in his gut.
He lowered his face slightly, his messy hair thankfully covering his eyes. Had that not happened, the duo would have faced the murderous and borderline insane look inside the hero's orbs. He had a hard time digesting the content of that phrase.
...
Sorry?
…
…
..
.
Is she sorry?
Dark feelings tried to worm their way into his head and only by some miracle did he maintain a hold on them. His logical mind told him that Melty herself had done nothing to inquire his hatred; he knew it, fully understanding that simple fact.
Yet.
His heart roared, evil thoughts bringing a sort of grim glee in the mere notion of giving that Trash king some retribution, even if by association. Anything would be good enough, so long as it brought suffering on that pig. What wonderful revenge the Shield would gain, should he just give in this devious urge and inflict – if only a fraction – his pains on this princess. The spawn of that trash would behave like him, nothing unexpected!
It took Raphtalia touching his shoulder for him to snap back into reality. As he took in the sight of her face, Naofumi realized that he had spaced out. Nothing too long, a few seconds at best; however, those few seconds were enough for him to express his mood at Melty's apology.
"Naofumi-sama, are you okay?" The tender touch of Raphtalia's calloused hands relieved the tension on his shoulders slightly.
"Yeah, I'm good." He curtly answered. Melty was still on her initial spot, not having moved one millimeter even when suppressing her sobs. He still felt his anger flare as his eyes settled over her frame, but he reigned it in.
She doesn't deserve to carry the sins of her father was what his rational mind insisted in affirming, making him release another sigh. He grabbed the wrapped-up extra sandwiches that had prepared for further down their journey and walked closer to the princess and her protector. The shadow unit tried to raise her face and maybe request once more that he try and meet the queen.
"L-lord Shield..." His Shadow was quicker, her dagger just shy of carving the other agent's throat open.
"Your useless self should know when to quit while ahead. Exiting the previous ordeal with your lives intact was more than what any of you could have bargained for, were it not for master's hard work. Cease that trap of yours, degozaru!" That was one of the few moments when the whole group had been present when Shadow spoke so much, seeing as she normally stuck to short and simple sentences. Even Firo was awed, almost dropping her pill rabbit ribs.
Tensions rose once more, but were dispersed as the Shield Hero sat on the old, fallen log that the group had camped around. He took a bite of his sandwich, munching on it for a while before he opted to swallow it. He seemed to ponder for a while on something, before stuffing the rest in his mouth.
"Melty, whatever you are here for, give it up. There is no point in begging or humiliating yourself, I will not agree to any request that you make; don't make this harder than it has to be, just go to your mother. Shadow, stand down." The hero said, his voice carrying his annoyance at Melty's actions. Shadow did as he instructed and backed off, standing behind him to offer quick support if necessary.
Why can't she simply go away and leave me to live my life?
"B-but..." She was trying her hardest not to cry, but even so, Melty felt tears prick even more at her eyes. As his words hit her, a horrible truth was beginning to dawn upon her. The initial request her mother sent her back home for had failed. Her father's antagonistic actions towards the Shield Hero had sent him over the edge, where he truly could not care for the kingdom. All the difficult words she learnt and the rigorous training she faced did not bear any fruits.
She eyed the food wrapped in a simple cloth on her hands. Why had he given her that?
"P-pardon this one's impertinence, Lord Shield, but if why would you offer us food when you stated that you wanted nothing to do with us?" The Queen's agent asked, some hope leaking into her voice.
The hero looked at her unimpressed. "Don't try to twist my actions. Think of that as a farewell gift, since I know she hasn't eaten since we started fleeing. That is my last action for you."
Melty shook her head, tears running slowly on her face. "T-that can't be, Naofumi! There has to be something that I can do to help you trust us back! PLEASE!" Desperation had truly set in on the girl, the sight enough to make Naofumi have pity for her.
"There is nothing that can be done." He assured, closing his eyes for a moment, before he rose from his seat. "Girls, finish your food. We don't have much until we reach Shiramo Town, so we depart in five." The hero gave his command, receiving quick responses from his party. His plans were quite simple.
He and his party would reach Shiramo Town, the place with bigger tolerance towards demi-humans on the area. There, he would buy a simple carriage and some supplies (thank god for the [Currency Holder II Shield]) that would last until he could cross the border between Melromark and Siltvelt or even ShieldFreeden. Any of those two would be good, so long as Naofumi left this hellhole. Crossing borders would be the biggest obstacle he was to face, but Naofumi preferred to think on crossing that bridge when he escaped his current predicament. His decisions made, he turned around.
As he turned around, he saw Melty cramming as much food inside her mouth as she could. It was a weird sight for sure, but nothing that mattered to him in the end. Not until she spoke out.
"Weh aahe coomming wit yyyoohhuuu." While improper behavior for a princess, it seemed that the girl had truly committed to the cause of bothering Naofumi. The hero had already said his piece, whatever Melty did right now was outside of his control or responsibility. He stood by his words from previously, he would not care if Melromark fell. His mission, as Trash himself said, was to face and win against the [Waves of Calamity]. Hence, so long as he did that, it mattered not if kingdom A or B was still there, so long as Naofumi won he was still in accordance to his duty.
He scoffed at the girl's attitude. She was still trying to act brave, even with her mouth stuffed to the brim with his food and tears staining her face.
"Whatever." He mentioned, eyes being drawn by a shining icon on his HUD. The hero's eyes began narrowing as notifications alerted him of something. "Fucking hell! Stand up, we are getting out of here ASAP!" He shouted in a serious tone. If he had more time, he would have worked to get the magic tool on Firo's leg off, but for now the girl would have to make due with her capped (Lv40) and suppressed status.
"Naofumi-sama?" Raphtalia questioned his sudden hurry, but soon enough she had an idea of what he meant.
[Alert!]
[Hazardous Fire incoming!]
His rush was soon followed by his party and their unwanted add-on. Not that Naofumi was in the mood to care for them, busy being a literal pathfinder/opener. His high defensive stats served him greatly as he bulldozed his way over anything standing in front of him. Monsters and trees were stomped and pushed away as the hero made use of his shield akin to a battering ram.
Melty and her protector had some difficulty following the ground, only managing to do so thanks to the path of destruction that the hero carved on the forest in his mad rush to flee the incoming heat death. The Second Princess was shocked further in awe and fear, knowing that her sister would set fire to the forest in an effort to draw her out from any possible hiding spot.
"I have met my fair share of persistent nobles and adventures, but this is getting ridiculous. What crime did you commit in your past life that made the Melromark king hate you this much, Naofumi?" Felicia asked on her perch, currently draped over the shoulders of the tank almost like a potato sack. It showed her incredible composure when the girl managed to both smoke out of her pipe and talk, not bothered in the slightest by her strange sitting.
"Fuck if I know! When I find that out, I'll tell you myself!" He exclaimed, taking care to hold the witch carefully. Considering their options, he opted to take the fastest route away from the fire and into Shiramo, which meant he had to carry the witch and Firo, who was clinging to his back. Since her stats were being sealed by Motoyasu's contraption, the Shield Hero allowed the philorial the ride.
Raphtalia, Shadow and Dera were just behind him, their pace fast enough that he did not have to worry about them losing sight of him. He could still sense Melty and her shadow unit, just on the edge of his range, still persistently following him. Well, they are stubborn, I'll give them that! He darkly joked in his mind.
"I could cast a fire-resistance spell on us, but I doubt you will enjoy sitting and waiting the fire to die down." The witch mentioned, blowing some smoke from her pipe and holding her hat. Naofumi scoffed at the suggestion, adding a bumping move to his shoulder and lightly startling the witch. "I'll take that as a 'no.'"
[XXX]
[XXX]
It took about an hour for them to find a secluded exit from the forest that was not close to Shiramo Town. Just because the place had bigger tolerance to demi-humans, it did not mean that he could just stroll to the front door and boldly show his face to anyone out there.
Thankfully, he did find his spot. A few minutes away from the walls of the town, just at the exit of the burning forest behind him. Naofumi checked his [World Map] and sighed in a relieved manner as his skill indicated that the fires had been smothered, no doubt work from the local lord. If the Hero remembered correctly, Shiramo had been one of the pioneering villages in their efforts to increase the relationship between humans and demi-humans, together with fishing village of Seaetto.
Seaetto had been the first village hit by the first wave, thus now a mere piece of land without lord or owner. It had a rather big extension of land in its possession, and normally there would be quite a squabble to have rights for the place, since it was rather ideal for fishing and farming. That it also was directly facing the sea also gave it the possibility of being a major trading hub as a port town.
The only problem was that Melromark was a big practitioner of human-supremacy, thus the land was considered filthy due to the demi-human population that had lived there. After the waves, and the soldiers pillaging it (Raphtalia had been quite depressed when she told him about how she had been slaved), no one wanted to put their hands on the place as investment on the land to once more develop it would take years and much hard labor.
Why was Naofumi remembering this? A small example of the stupidity of the nobles of Melromark, as well as an insight that there were still intelligent people in the country.
The noble lord of Shiramo was one of the few that realized that antagonizing the demi-humans was rather idiotic. Although he was still being pressured by the other nobles, his land had been developing at a steady and growing pace due to the hard work of the people of his place. He also was one of the nobles that wasn't an easily manipulated simpleton.
During his merchant days (and after the incident with the Acessory Dealer), Naofumi had been selling his recently made jewelry works to high-paying bidders – nobles – and the fools had eaten them up like cakes. All it took was him using the intermediary of Shadow and Raphtalia as front-faces, since the nobles knew him, but not his slaves. One of his targets had been the Shiramo Lord, the androgynous-looking man rapidly catching on his trick, but incredibly not harassing him about that. Neither did he say anything about the absurd prices the Shield had managed to rip away from the fools, but matching interests was probably the reason.
Naofumi asked Shadow to scout a bit as he went over his options, his following add-ons managing to catch up. It was its own sort of impressive that Melty still insisted in pursuing him, but right now Naofumi did not know if it was due to desperation of trying to save her mother's country or chasing the only opportunity of staying alive.
Yeah, he knew that he was her most reliable and safest option; that did not mean he had to like, or agree to the option.
The princess was currently piggy-riding on the Queen's agent's back, sweat matting her face and some soot marks dirtying her dress. The duo looked tired and worn out, most likely being caught in some of the effects of the forest fire caused either by that Malty Bitch or the Church's agents.
"N-naofumi! Let's try talking to Shiramo's lord! He is a trusted aid of Mother, he will surely help us out." Melty gasped as she talked to him. He was about to answer, but Shadow returned from her scouting.
With a body under her arms.
Naofumi blinked as he looked at his rogue/assassin slave.
"Master, this one found the local lord trying to approach us. This one opted to neutralize and bring the target to you." Shadow explained, showing that the man was still alive. The Shield Hero exhaled, he was surely taking some vacations after all of this was done.
He went to talk with the man, a few taps on the face enough to wake the noble.
"Well, this is definitively a surprise." The soft voice of Shiramo's lord snapped Melty away from her surprised stupor. "I was sure that my skills had not dulled, but I guess I was wrong about that, huh?" The joking tone did dissipate some tension from the air; Naofumi was ready to fix that, but before he could work his magic, the noble spoke once more.
"I think this conversation would flow better if we were back on my mansion, away from open sight. You have my word that you will be properly treated." The man was quick to propose, making the hero crease his brows and focus his eyes on his frame. "Please, Lord Shield, do not stare at me with those intense eyes. It makes me feel threatened." Although it was said in a joking tone, Naofumi could see the nervous sweat on the man. The dagger that was poking him on the ribs might also have helped, considering Shadow was taking no chances.
Naofumi continued his scrutinous look for a few more seconds before raising his hand. "Let him go, Shadow. Let's trust him on this one." Even as he said that, Naofumi had one hand behind his back, hand-signing to Raphtalia a simple message.
Talk. Felicia. Spell. Ready. Flee. Anytime.
His first slave whistled softly like he taught her to, a signal that she had understood his message.
"Well then, lead the way." Naofumi helped the man up, head-motioning for him to move. Try and spring a trap on me. I dare you!
[XXX]
[XXX]
The sun was going down when Naofumi finished telling his tale to the young lord. The nobleman had offered them dinner and a place to rest, which the hero took, surprising Melty and her agent. The princess tried to promise Raphtalia some sort of punishment upon the guards that raided Seatto; the proposition making Naofumi scoff and give the princess a side-glance.
As the group finished their meal and went into their offered rooms, Naofumi constantly checking out his [World Map] skill in case that there were spies or enemies around them.
Melty tried to tell him off, that his behavior was disrespectful to Shiramo's lord. Not that he paid any attention; at this point, Melty was less an annoyance and something along the lines of a stone at the side of the road for the hero. He would not go out of his way to kick her away, and she was not so bothersome that his rage would wish to rampage constantly.
"Since we haven't been poisoned yet, and there are no spies or traps in here, we can relax for a while." He said to his girls, finishing his inspection of a nearby curtain. He headed to one of the beds and sat on it, his bulk weighting down the bed a bit. As his party did the same, Naofumi began the process of unfastening his armor, releasing a pleased noise as he loosened the first straps.
Raphtalia quickly left her sword aside as she noticed her lord doing this work and approached his bed. "Naofumi-sama! Here, let me help you." The hero looked at her, nodding as she sat by his side and began aiding him.
Shadow's presence was ghostly as always. The girl seemed to pop into existence, her hooded frame appearing near the bed post, guarding the duo of her master and his sword.
Firo jumped into a nearby bed and after messing it completely, went to sleep next to a curled up Dera. Felicia opted to take the desk, taking a few books from her hat and beginning to write something; Naofumi never managed to get a look at it, respecting the privacy of the witch. She also seemed to be stifling some creepy smiles as she wrote on it, so the hero would opt to not read that book unless extremely necessary to do so.
Finally free from his armor, Naofumi did a few stretches, as Raphtalia tried to carry the piece off the bed. She did so with some difficulty, the weight something she was not used to. The raccoon girl did manage to place the armor on the ground close to the bed, kneeling down as she tugged at the hero's boots.
"Hey, don't worry about that. I can do those myself, thanks for the help." Naofumi said, hand scratching awkwardly at the stubble under his chin. "Get some rest. We will sleep in turns, so I'll get first watch." The hero explained, hands busy as he worked on his boots.
"Alright, Naofumi-sama. Thank you." Raphtalia nodded at his orders, choosing a bed for herself. She began undoing her own armor, the leather piece much easier to take off than Naofumi's reinforced piece. That said, the hero still rose from his seat and sat behind her – careful that he would not sit on her tail – helping her undo straps and untightening strings. "There was no need, Naofumi-sama!" She just short of screamed.
He ignored her fumbling words, focused on the simplistic task. It was somewhat relaxing, fully immersed into something that would distract his mind form all the stress that ate away at him. It would not surprise him if in a few years he began to get bald. That was if he could even manage to survive that long. As he continued with the easy work, a pleasant mood was almost settled. The only problem was their uninvited guests/tag along.
"Naofumi. Can't you trust anyone? Why would you set watch hours when we are safe here?" Melty asked him, her usual accusing tone having been greatly removed from her voice. He glanced at her. One look was all the answer she needed to know what he was about to say. "I know that sister and father did some horrible things, but can't you trust even me..." her last words were a whisper, which he only managed to hear thanks to his [Spy Master Shield]'s skill.
He finished Raphtalia's straps and settled her light armor by the bedside. The hero tucked in the girl to sleep, giving her one last headpat for the day. Raphtalia was quick to fall asleep.
"Melty-sama, this worthless one thinks it might be best that you rest too." The Queen's agent's voice made Melty lower her head. All the information she had received was still swimming in her head, making her dizzy. And to know that the stains on Naofumi's reputation were the lighter aspects of her father's plan against the Shield.
Since killing him publicly was out of the option, smearing his name with slander guaranteed that he would remain companionless, thus weak and pathetic. A weak Shielder would be easy prey for even the weakest fodder of the Waves, but Naofumi was no ordinary Shielder. Even if it was unsightly or unpleasant, the hero did his best to survive, struggling against the world with tooth and nail. Survive he did, better yet, he thrived under the constant pressure and rose to become stronger than the current Three Cardinal Heroes, even when they had offensive-weapons.
Melty felt pathetic, her earlier self spouting self-servicing and patronizing words, when she was never caught wanting. She remembered how she tried to force the hero to apologize to her father, when in truth her father should be begging for the Shield's help with his forehead glued to the ground. Had Naofumi not intervened when he did, she would be long dead; one more corpse for her sister's ascension to heir of the throne.
Even with tears stinging her eyes and her head lowered, Melty swore that she would do the Shield justice. She would assist him in any way she could, for he was the only one who could save Melromark. Maybe, if he saw her worth, any worth, one day he would assist her too. Now Melty understood as to why Naofumi received the Shield. While the other weapons were meant to harm and destroy, the shield was meant to protect and shelter. And that realization hurt all the more when the royal girl remembered that Naofumi was being called Shield Demon.
Melty laid down on her borrowed bed, silent tears rolling down her face as she fell asleep, all the stress and accumulated fatigue finally catching up to the royal girl.
Naofumi took his time to analyze his current skills as well as he could. Many shields were presented to him, all of them the reason he was still alive in this world. Exactly as he said before, even if the bonuses were small, even dirt could stack up to a mountain. His eyes roamed the skill list, trying to formulate plans for the future; his focus being interrupted every so often as his skill picked up on the Queen's agent's staring eyes.
Does she think she is being stealthy just because of the mask? He wondered, trying to focus once more in his work. Effort which failed again, her stares constantly pinging the skill active. Huffing in displeasure, Naofumi rose from his seat on the bed and did a check-up round on his girls. Firo was sleeping heavily, Dera's four heads were all snoring peacefully and Raphtalia was the quietest one, her chest slowly rising and descending.
Shadow was probably either patrolling or scouting for information. Naofumi wondered if he needed Ketamine to keep the rogue/assassin still for a few hours, but as he had no access to such powerful and modern medicine, he would wait for her to come back.
His duty done, an unknown weight leaving his back, Naofumi walked to the glasspane windows of his room. The moons lit the sky, a rather pretty sight for sore eyes such as his. It also cast a light inside the room, illuminating half the hero, while leaving the other half obscured. He got some message in his HUD about some shield being unlocked, but it did not matter right now. All that Naofumi wanted right now was some peace of mind, some guarantee that he could manage this. That he would successfully flee and live his life away from the dreadful lands of Melromark. The place that stole what they could from him, and were still trying to steal.
…
…
...
[Destroy...]
…
..
.
[Hate...]
.
..
...
[Scorch them...]
…
..
.
.
.
The whispers from the darkest corners of his mind rose to disturb him. When nothing was happening, when his mind was passive, in his lowest moments, there was the voice of his mind, his truest and darkest wishes rose to tempt him into a most foul path. The zombie dragon's core probably had some influence over it, but Naofumi recognized his rage and wrath. He knew that.
A tender touch snapped him away from the melancholy of his mind, the hero turning to face the person who had touched his shoulder.
"Naofumi." Felicia only said his name, her usually bored face was full of worry for him. It made his stomach twist and turn in unpleasant ways. "Your magic was rather erratic for a few moments there. Are you alright?" This buxom woman was a recent person in his group, but one that meshed well with him. Felicia kept to herself and spoke what came to her mind, which was a trait Naofumi appreciated. She had not given him reasons for suspiciousness, but he still doubted her from time to time.
It seemed rather intrinsic for him now, doubting the will of other people. Raphtalia and the girls were his slaves, and he had raised most of them, hence there was no reason to doubt them. And Felicia seemed to be worming her way inside his heart too, but that only made the hero more fearful. Romance was not in far-sight – in fact, it wasn't even in the list – even friendship seemed to be a strange concept for him now.
"Would you believe if I said I was?" He questioned, casting a tired glance over his girls. The witch grimly smiled. She offered her smoking pipe to him, a thin trail of burnt mentoli (this world's version of mint) wafted in his nostrils and made him remember his days in the university, where after a stressful test, he and his buddies would make merry with drinks. There was always that one smoker with a mint-flavored cigarette pack.
He took her offer, filling his lungs with small deal of (surprisingly) refreshing smoke. The Shield let the smoke warm his lungs for a few seconds before he exhaled it through his nostrils, looking every bit like a dragon. If only I smelled of sulfur, he joked in his mind, coughing a bit as the last bits of the smoke left his body.
"Too strong for the fortress hero?" The witch joked as she took her pipe back, inhaling a great deal of smoke. Naofumi took the jab with a crooked smile.
"Let me take you to a pub, I'll drink you under the counter and more." He delivered his own sassy comment, sitting at the edge of the desk where she had been working on.
"I'll hold you unto that offer, Naofumi." Felicia swayed her way to the room's door, her hips moving a bit more than what he was used to. "I'm feeling a bit thirsty, so some coffee would be nice. The fortress hero would like some, or he will be too busy, brooding under the moon light?"
Naofumi tilted his head to the side. "Fortress Hero?"
"Suits you rather perfectly, don't you think? Immovable walls(armor), top-tier defenses (Shield), difficult to read at face value, powerful counterattacks, and a good bit of edge. If we were to dress you in black armor, we could even call you Kuro No Maou (Black Demon King)." He had to work hard to stifle the laugh that almost burst out of his mouth.
He stood up and checked the time in his HUD, noticing that his watch turn had ended two hours ago. He barely let the words out of his mouth before the requested presence was kneeled in front of him.
"Shado-…"
"This worthless one is ready to serve."
He blinked. Now that he checked the HUD, there were many messages that told him that the girl had arrived back from her duty and was resting. He shrugged, she deserved the rest anyway and it is not like I'm tired.
"Thanks for scouting. Please, take over the watch for now and after three hours wake Raphtalia and switch." He made sure to put emphasis on the switching part, as if not rightly ordered, Shadow would continue soldiering on with any duty he gave her and would try to do anything else he commanded at any moment. It almost bordered on fanatical her wish to please him, but he was making due so far, always assuring that she would not burn out.
"Right away, master!" He nodded, wondering if she truly understood.
After a few seconds, he turned around and followed Felicia to the kitchen. They stayed there until Shadow came to get them, stating that they also needed the rest for tomorrow.
Yes, tomorrow.
Naofumi would not be crazy to rely too much on the hospitality of Shiramo's lord. Even if the man wasn't actively looking to betray Naofumi, staying in one spot for too long anywhere in Melromark's lands was bound to have them found out by the three wankers and the fucking Church.
[XXX]
[XXX]
The sun was shining its earliest rays when Naofumi finished his preparations. The maids of the mansion had been so kind as to make him breakfast, which he was going to accept. He was rather thankful that Shiramo's lord had not sold him out to the close by nobles, or the church. If given the chance, Naofumi decided that he would engage in business with this one.
Friendship was a rather strong word that he preferred to steer away from, but business was clear and simple. Profits and losses were some of the major factors in a business deal, so while Naofumi could not trust people, he could trust money.
He and his party had just finished their food when one of the maids barged into the room, panting like a hound that had chased a rabbit.
"Lord Shield! You must flee right now! The surrounding nobles have launched a full-scale search for you, and they accused our lord of sheltering you! Quick, flee!" The young maid shouted, rushing him out of the nearby back door.
Naofumi sucked a breath, anger quickly painting his face. He checked his [World Map], finding the mansion being slowly surrounded by many red dots. He looked back at on his room, thankful that only his party was awake. Melty and her guard were still asleep, the exhaustion must have taken them both hard.
Shiramo's lord can take care of them, and it would be bad if the population caught word that nobles were keeping the heir to the throne as a hostage; finally, free. He thought, equipping his [Spy Master Shield] and using one of the bonus skills granted to him.
[Spy Master Shield]
-Increase in agility +50
+Passive Skills: [Silent Steps] [Assassination Techniques] [Information Gathering] [Lie Detection(small)]
+Bonus Skills: [Stealth Suit (NEW!) (small)] [Enhanced Senses(medium)] [Active Camouflage]
Naofumi had been receiving many of these transformation-type bonus skills, the majority of them dealing with changes to his armor. He wasn't complaining, whatever would help him, he was taking it. It also fed a bit of flame into his chuuni-side, but he would prefer death to admit that he enjoyed these transformation-type skills.
His armor shone, the leather shifting and fusing together with the light metal parts to turn into something different from his usual bandit-lord looks. The new material clung to his skin like a bodysuit, even his cape had disappeared, adding to the material. As the transformation ended, Naofumi looked at his new armor, if it could be called armor.
The hero had an impressed look on his face as his new armor resembled something straight out a military-themed movie. The black suit clung to his frame, showing his hardened body; important parts were reinforced by dull black metal, and his neck was protected by a neckguard. There were a few straps which he could cling pouches and small bags from, the suit also seemed to not emit any noise, as his footsteps were completely silent even when stepping on the kitchen's cobblestone floor. (MGS V Stealth suit, without the technology of course)
There is no time to be impressed, you fuck! Naofumi swore in his mind, clicking his fingers and snapping his girls out of their impressed and silent state.
"Make it quick, all of you. There is no time to lose!" The hero exclaimed, already by the door with his things. The girls were quick to follow, exiting the room per his command. As they let, Naofumi gave his instructions.
"You all will follow Shadow out of here." He said, raising no room for questions. "She is the best suited for this, so you will follow her every word. I need to do a few things here before I go, so you'll go ahead." He explained as they rushed to the roof of the mansion. Naofumi could already hear some doors being kicked open as soldiers rushed to invade the place. "My defense will guarantee that even if I'm discovered, I'll be able to flee without having to worry about you. If I take any of you with me, there will be no guarantee that I'll be able to protect you."
The hero knew that his girls were not in agreement with what he said. He knew their skills very well, he had trained them himself. Yet, he could not let go of the nagging feeling that if they followed him, they would end up dead. So, he would do this alone. If only for his selfishness.
"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia exclaimed, but he was quick to put one hand over her mouth, a group of soldiers exiting the backdoor they had, but not noticing their presence on the rooftop.
He peeked out, finding the guards looking over the nearby trees for them. One relieved sigh and the hero returned his gaze to the girls. He hand-signed the following orders: First, he pointed to his rogue/assassin slave, indicating both him and her, followed by a finger running across the throat and them towards the guards. Finally, he pointed to the whole group and towards the direction of the next city. The translation of the orders made Raphtalia bitterly nod, aware that her lord was done playing around.
-Shadow: Follow. Kill. Guards;
-Group: Flee. That direction.
While Felicia did not know the exact meaning of the hand-signs, it was easy to recognize the "Slit Throat" gesture. The witch closed her eyes and slowly nodded, doing a gesture that Naofumi supposed was some sort of prayer for the soon-to-be deceased.
Firo merely tilted her head sideways, wondering what all the serious mood was about. She was free from the magic shackle that Motoyasu had put on her, the device having been fed to his shield long ago. Dera seemed to get his meaning. Or not, the hydra was merely observing the situation, her four tongues tasting the air as she basked in the early morning light.
It's too early to be spilling blood like this. Naofumi almost murmured his complain, already on the edge of the roof, his hand raised in a closed fist. Shadow was by his side, her hood pulled up, making the duo resemble a menacing gargoyle statue. He rose three fingers, slowly letting them down as the group of five guards finished their fruitless search.
As he lowered the last finger, his hand came down as he acted. The [Spy Master Shield] resembled a kite-shaped shield, painted in a dull dark blue color. He pointed the edge of the shield to his current target, one of the distracted knights. As he fell, the hero did a spin and his feet were aimed at the knight, all the weight and momentum of the Tanker suddenly being transferred to the soldier's shoulders, his head being bashed in thanks to the pointed end of the shield. His death was instant, human spines not designed to bear such a load. The man fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut.
The other four guards did not know how to react, seeing their companion become a pancake of snapped bones, armor and blood. They did not have the time to react.
Shadow also descended like a human-shaped missile, her lighter weight still enough to deal serious damage if she were to follow his approach. But she was a shadow, a master-assassin. She was THE shadow of the shield, and if he wanted those soldiers dead, they would die.
Her fall was carefully calculated. Her target barely felt her weight, the rogue letting her momentum continue as she spun around the soldier's neck with the aid of her nimble legs, wrapping Metal Thread Wire around it as she spun. Her momentum continued, the girl jumping for her second – still motionless – target. A pull of her hands and two heads flew high in the air, her weapon slicing through flesh and chainmail like butter. As she retracted the lengths of her weaponry, a quick draw of her hands had three daggers out of their leather sheaths and into three parts of the fourth soldier. Heart, neck and eye were hit with pin-point accuracy, ending the life of yet another soldier.
The last one watched with his eyes wide open as his companions were massacred, his legs feeling like lead as he wondered where had they acted wrong. His sword was long forgotten in the sheath by his hip, the spear he carried serving more as a support point than a proper weapon. His eyes watered as he tried to speak any sort of warning, his throat far too dry for anything to exit it.
His pants became darker around the crotch area, his legs beginning to tremble fiercely as he watched the two assassins lock their eyes on him. Any pleas for life were wasted, their eyes were fresh out of mercy.
"E-E-E-enem-…" The last word he tried to speak died in a spurt as he felt a terrible heat in his body. He looked at the source of his pain, a sword hilt crammed into his shoulder, the blade currently hidden inside of him. His lungs filled with blood, the soldier fell dead on the ground, drowning on his own blood.
"T-there, it is done, Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia said, her voice cracking like the day she killed the two-headed demon hound. Her leather armor had a small splatter of blood due to her trying to copy their execution.
It was a clean hit, the hero noticed. He walked close to the raccoon girl and hugged her trembling body while soothing her by patting her head. He knew he could not afford to waste time, thus he quickly separated himself from the girl. Time was trickling down and there was much to be done.
Raphtalia tried to harden her expressions, but he could still see the desperation in her eyes. He would sooth her as much as she wanted when this was all over. For now, he ended it with one last headpat.
Shadow immediately took his place, guiding the group away from the mansion and any other danger she could sense. The hero did not look backwards as they fled, he knew they were safe as long as they.
His hand automatically searched around his neckguard, finding an extra cloth that he pulled up on his face. The dark fabric covered his lower face, the front of the cloth having a skull design that matched over the mouth area. The climb back to the rooftop could not be easier, his movements resembling that of an alley cat. Moving the tiles carefully, Naofumi was back inside the mansion.
He managed to cling to the roof easily enough, his MP being used by the stealth suit to make him match the surrounding terrain that he was at. Doing so, Naofumi snuck past several patrols, gathering information as he did so. It wasn't exactly easy, seeing as the soldiers were focused on searching for him, not talking much as they did so. Even then, he managed to acquire tid-bits of info as time went on.
Two hours of search and a few mana potions later, Naofumi was back at the kitchen area of the mansion. The maids were all gathered here, some even having noticed his presence but staying quiet as to avoid giving him away.
It seemed that the search was about to be called off, when a squad of soldiers almost broke the doors down. Naofumi clung to the ceiling, ears open as to hear any conversation that was bound to happen.
The soldiers made a mess of the place, throwing chairs and tables all about, food being squashed under their boots as they did their search. No place was left untouched, drawers and cupboards smashed apart as a possible hiding place.
The men even tried threatening the maids, pulling on their dresses and shouting at the working women. For the Shield Hero's surprise, they held steady in their play, never uttering a word that he was in that very room. He would be sure to remember the faces of everyone.
Their search was almost done.
Naofumi almost let some hope in his heart that he had weathered out the storm, but his luck was not up to par. The soldiers were about done when one voice shouted at them, the tone something the hero had grown to despise.
"AND WHAT DO YOU LOT THINK THAT YOU ARE DOING!" Melty appeared on the door, her voice instantly stopping all the soldiers and making the maids widen their eyes. Naofumi himself was surprised that the royal girl would expose herself like that.
What the fuck do you think you are doing, Melty?! And where the fuck is your shadow unit? Can't these people do something right for once? The hero almost shouted at the royal, his fingers cracking his hold on the roof, which made crumbling bits of stone fall down. He held his breath and let his suit almost drain his mana pool to raise his stealth as much as possible.
It seemed to have worked as the guards had their focused attention on the Second Princess.
"Is she the real deal?"
"Seems so, only royalty has that kind of presence."
"The dress is also the royal colors of Her Highness' banner. It must be the Second Princess."
As the soldiers confirmed among themselves, Melty puffed her chest and put one hand over it.
"That is correct! I am Melty Q. Melromark, the Second Princess and Heir to the throne. Might you lot explain the reasons as to why you invade the mansion of an ally noble with all the decency of common bandits? Is this the training that Melromark gives to its soldiers? Assaulting maids and causing destruction? When there is the threat of the Waves, this is the behavior of our supposedly brave warriors?" The girl laid a verbal smack down on the men, many of them turning their faces away from the royal heir.
They began to sheath their weapons when slow clapping came from the direction of the open door, right behind Melty. From where he clung to, Naofumi could see that the girl's stunt was merely a play, acting tough to shake the soldiers' confidence long enough so that both his group and she could escape. Her resort had backfired.
The clapping man was clearly a noble, his clothes easily showing that much. If not, the many jewels and rings served as proof; and if even that was not enough, the rotund belly and fancy moustache cut would serve as final word.
"Pardon such brutish behavior, my princess. We are in a holy crusade against the Shield Devil, and thus do not have the time to worry about the proper etiquette. You must forgive us, but we act in the name of God." The lord of Ningenyami, the next big town close to Shiramo, spoke in an eloquent manner, one hand over his chest as he bowed lightly. As he rose up, the rosary of the Church of Three Heroes was proudly displayed over his chest.
Naofumi's hands increased their grip, making more stone bits crumble, yet he still held silent.
Melty seemed to gather some courage, ensuring that she would not crumble under this sudden pressure. "Is that so? And how are you so sure that Shield Hero Naofumi was here?"
The noble gave her a light laugh.
"Your very presence here confirms such fact, does it not Melty-sama? Last you were seen was in his presence, under his vile hands. The Church also confirmed that he was last seen heading towards this direction. For all intents and purposes, he is hidden somewhere here!"
Melty held her dress, a habit Naofumi guessed she did when nervous, and did a deep breath. "Lord Butamaru, Shield Hero Naofumi simply dropped me here and left on his own. He must be miles away from this very location, as he has employed the aid of a very powerful witch. Besides, I'm willing to testimony in his favor. Queen Mirelia will be the one to decide these matters, and as her spoken voice and chosen representative, I request that you withdraw your soldiers this very moment!"
Naofumi was very impressed with the royal girl's attitude. That she made such believable lie on the spot and was pushing her narrative spoke miles of her skills, and did made him add points to his image of Melromark's Queen.
However...
Butamaru nodded to the words, his disgusting smile never leaving his lips. "Very well, Melty-sama. We shall withdraw this very moment; but we must take Shiramo's lord with us, for investigative purposes of course! Your word is reliable for sure, but with the Shield Demon's brainwashing power running wild, we must never be too sure of anything. Your cooperation will be valuable, princess, so I ask that you come with us too." The noble also made sound arguments that Melty could not go against, unless she wanted to appear suspicious.
She wanted to say something more, anything would do. She was surely skilled in negotiation and her persuasion was sound, but there was only one reason she lost this time.
Experience.
Thus, the princess lowered her head and accepted it.
"Very well. If it ensures that such false information is dispelled, I shall go with you." She told Butamaru, who rose his hand to his soldiers. The men quickly began to leave the kitchen area, escorting Melty and Butamaru away.
[XXX]
[XXX]
Five minutes after the group left, Naofumi finally dropped down from the ceiling. His feet cracked the stone floor under him, the camouflage of the hero dispersing to reveal his frame. The hero's eyes were absolutely livid, his fury wrapped around him like a flaming aura. The headmaid, the same one to warn him to flee, came close to him.
"Please, Lord Shield! Contain your fury! If you give chase, the sacrifice that Princess Melty did shall be in vain." The maid pleaded, facing him when all the others would not. He focused his gaze on her frame, slit-shaped pupils taking in her form.
He hated being in debt. It was naïve thinking that Melty would be fine under the hands of that Butamaru, specially seeing as he had a rosary of the church. He looked over the maids, hoping to find the one dud.
It was not hard to spot her, as no one was that uninteresting. Before she could scramble away, Naofumi grabbed her by the back of her neck, slamming her face on the nearby wall. The illusion magic dispelled easily enough, the shadow unit under too much pain to maintain the necessary focus.
As she clutched at her broken nose, Naofumi was already on top of her. One hand held her throat while the other manifested his [Self-Immolation Curse]'s flame.
"Answer the question or I'll shove this down your throat. Believe me when I say that the curse is much worse than the burn." His eyes displayed that the hero was very much serious about the threat. The Queen's agent gulped hard, seeing first-hand the infamous cursed flame that Naofumi had quickly became famous for among the shadow units of both the Church and the Queen. "Why did you not intervene and let Melty be taken away?"
"This worthless one is not qualified to answer." The agent held firm, even under such threat. She had undergone training to avoid information being extracted from her in case of capture. Naofumi approached the hand holding the black fire, merely touching her cheek.
All the torture training could not prepare her for the pain that assaulted her. The flames burnt her skin, the pain tortuous enough on its own, but the worst part came from her mind. No, better yet, it seemed that the flames were damaging her very soul. There was no protection against that.
The pain hit everywhere and absolutely nowhere, as even when she knew he had merely touched her skin with one finger, the brutal assault on the senses was overwhelming.
"There was an order by the Master of Whispers, the leader of the Shadow Unit, that the queen was the highest priority. Even if the heir is killed, as long as the Queen is alive, another worthy heir can be bred, born and raised accordingly." The unit spoke after mere seconds under his cursed flames' touch. Not that the answer satisfied Naofumi. He knew that the information was true, his [Lie Detection] skill did not trigger as she said that. Yet, it triggered when the hero changed his approach understanding the answer.
"That is not the answer that I want! Why did you let Melty go?!" He knew that the agent was telling him the answer that he wanted to hear. He hated them and she was feeding him a convenient truth. There was no way that the Queen would let such thing happen. He knew that due to a simple thing. She, to his growing anger, had trust Melty into his path, counting on the chance that he would help her.
Yes, it was risky as all hell. But it also showed how much she valued the girl, her precious heir, that she was willing to bet all her chips into him.
"Because Melty-sama said that she wanted to help you."
That made the annoying buzz of [Lie Detection] fully stop. He released the agent, quickly swapping shields. As [Holy Shield] healed the Queen's shadow, Naofumi felt like a volcano about to explode.
He finished healing the agent and took a few breathes to calm himself down. As his shield returned to default stage, his armor also doing the same, Naofumi chose his course of action. His gaze returned upon the shadow unit, her frame flinched under the intensity of his slit eyes.
"One more time!" He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll rescue her one more fucking time! After this, if you don't head immediately to the Queen with Melty in tow, I swear I'll wring your neck!" After his statement, he checked out the position of his party with [World Map]. Seeing them safe and sound, hidden and far away from any enemies, the hero released a sigh. He hated being in debt to anyone.
Why in seven hells did Melty exposed herself like that? Was it too much to ask that she simply returned to her life of luxury as her mother fixed their fucking mess of a country?
Naofumi wanted to tear his hair off his head. Another heated sigh left the hero. At least her rescue would give him an excuse to line his pockets with as much cash as he could find, as there was bound to have a treasury inside Butamaru's castle.
Naofumi also had a favor to pay back to Shiramo's lord. And now Melty too.
Fucking troublesome people. He cursed, checking out his map, mind already busy trying to formulate a strategy. He took another mana potion from his pouch and drank the contents, once more equipping the [Spy Master Shield].
"Follow me, and tell me everything you can about that Butamaru fucker. He said that he wanted to hunt me, right? Let's see how does he feel about being the hunted this time!" Naofumi said to the Queen's agent, the woman immediately snapping into formation behind him.
"He called me Shield Devil, right?"
"Indeed, Lord Shield."
"We cannot disappoint his expectations now, can we?!"
…
…
…
…
[Ping!]
[Dem** Lo**] Series has been updated.
[End Bringer] Series has been updated.
[Avenger Shield unlocked]
-[Shield Hero Naofumi Iwatani] is granted by the [Will of the World] three [Dr #** Empe#$ *] cores due to creation of a new [Hero Job (Dem** Lo**)].
+Error! [Shield Hero Naofumi Iwatani] is under the required level. Searching optional means to grant the reward.
[Ping!]
-Optional means found. Hereby offering the Shield Gem the [Dr #** Empe#$ *] cores as materials.
[Curse Series (Sin of Wrath)] is being updated.
[Wrath Shield II requires one last material to evolve].