AU NOTES
Much like you can't rush the baking of a cake, you can't rush the process of writing a chapter of [Shall I show You a True Shield?]. I really wanted this to feel different from the cannon part, since our Wrathful Maou of the Shield Naofumi has become a similiar, yet different character from the cannon. I could be wrong though, so feel free to comment and call me a faggot.
Just kidding.
I know I am late for the holydays, so Merry Chistmans, Happy New Years eve and all that good shit. Hope you have had a amazing meal, good drinks and at least one bedding partner.
Now, let's get cracking on the story shall we?
Ryujin Maou (draconic/dragon Demon Lord) out.
Ps. Do you really want me to begin writing again for [Welcome to the dragon's den]? I look back at it and realize I have progressed a fair bit, but still have to continue improving. If you all really want, I'll do it again (now with improved grammer and proper editing on the word structure). Still haven't messed with that P/atreon account, but I'd be really glad to receive fanart (if you want to sent it of course) or commentary on my chapters aside from just (good job or excelent, want more). Please, I want to improve so critize me fairly and let me bring you better stuff.
If you REALLY want to help me (read can afford without damage to yourself), I'll figure out the P/atreon account to really start cooking with gas (commitioning NSFW art about the stories). Enough now, read the chapter.
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CHAPTER 18: [Hero? Villain? Savior? Demon? What are you, Naofumi?]
His world was only made of agonizing pain. It was the type of pain that seared and hurt so deep one might go crazy if not die from it. How he had managed to keep his sanity intact was a question that he could not answer. Maybe it was the cold wave of logic thought that always ran in his mind whenever he found himself in difficult situations, or it was his rage that refused to be put down.
Whatever it was, Naofumi fought to cling to the feeling. It made him that much aware of the pain that coursed through his body, but it was a reminder that he was still alive. The Shield Hero slowly opened his eyes, hurriedly closing his eyelids back as his sensitive eyes stung due to the light. He groaned in pain, his body sluggish to respond to his commands; Naofumi tried once more to open his eyes, this time being more successful.
The hero took in his surroundings, the worked stone bricks of the room making for a very much unfamiliar ceiling. The canopy wooden frame of his much too soft bed was also unknown, the hero trying to recall the details of the last events. The tumultuous moments, the raging battle, his hatred for the pope and their followers, and finally his sacrifice to use the cursed skill [Blood Sacrifice]; everything came to him as he slowly raised his torso from the bed, finding himself wrapped in thick layers of bandages. He scratched his face, finding cloth also around his head. The Shielder huffed in annoyance, wondering if he should rip the bandages away, but he opted to first check on his own status.
A careful look at his HUD revealed a harsh truth, he was cursed. One fourth of his status was his current penalty for the use of the one-shot curse. His natural healing was hampered by his curse, the various debuff effects making the hero wince at the negative numbers eating at his status. Taking that in consideration, Naofumi left the bandages on, aware that they were chipping away at the curse (however slow that was).
The hero dismissed his HUD and looked to his right, a chair by the side of his bed currently sitting one asleep Melty. Naofumi wondered why was the second princess by his bed, a basin filled with used bandages and holy water being the answer to his unspoken question, only for another batch of questions to rise to the top of his mind. He let his gaze drag on over her frame for a while, taking notice of the dark circles around her eyes.
"What are you even doing?" He whispered to himself, senses picking up on approaching steps. He fixed his gaze upon the door that led to his room, having already scanned the room for escape routes should he have the need. The door opened to reveal Raphtalia, Shadow and one nun entering his room, the two girls escorting the healer. As they looked to his bed, finding the hero awake, the two girls completely forgot their escort and rushed to his side with full speed.
Naofumi closed one eye in amusement, finding their worry comforting for him.
"Master! How do you fare?!" Shadow knelt by the bedside, her hood down revealed her short brown hair, the girl still wearing her mask to hide her identity. He extended one hand to pat her head, but the girl grabbed his hand and brought it to rest on the side of her face, the rogue/assassin nuzzled against the hero's hand and released a pleased sigh.
Raphtalia forgone all subtlety and climbed his bed, sitting with her legs folded under her body. The raccoon girl grabbed the hero's face by his cheeks, her eyes wet with unshed tears of joy. Her tail swished side to side extremely quickly, a wide smile painted over her lips. "Naofumi-sama! You finally woke up!" Her voice carried plenty of emotion, the hero finding himself pinned under the sudden bout of affection from the girl - quite literally – as the girl hugged him tightly.
He felt a dull pain on his torso as she hugged his frame, but he bore it silently. The hug lasted for a while, enough that the group ended up rousing Melty from her sleep. The princess took a few seconds to process the happenstance, but once she noticed Naofumi was up, the girl put her hands over her mouth to try and hold in her tears.
His throat was raspy, but he pushed a bit to speak to the blue haired princess. "Y-you look ugly crying, s-so I'll only allow it for five minutes." His voice let his mouth cracked and raspy, but his message was understood. Melty shed her tears, futilely trying to dry her eyes with the sleeves of her dress. She also dove in to cry against his frame, pushing him back to his bed.
The hero slowly draped his arms over their frames, eyes finding the nun to be exiting the room as quietly as she could, no doubt to inform her higher-ups that he had awakened. He glanced back to his HUD, finding the timer of the waves to be down two days. He didn't know if he should be relieved that so little time had passed, or if he should be worried that two full days had gone by with him unconscious and nothing to show for it.
A few minutes went by with the group on their shared hug, Naofumi feeling a bit restless with the close contact with his girls. He was never one for prolonged physical contact, so while it felt good to be this close, it also unsettled him a bit. Shadow was the first to release him, prompting Raphtalia to do the same. Melty still clung to his frame, her tears had dried up, but the younger girl had refused to move away from his bandaged chest.
He managed to raise a hand to signal to Shadow he wanted some water, the girl fetching a pitcher from a nightstand nearby and giving him a cup. Raphtalia stood back and looked over his frame, giving the hero some time to recompose himself. After he took his drink the hero glanced down at Melty. "Time is up, crybaby." His voice still sounded rough, but it was much better than previously.
As he called her out, Melty finally unglued her face from his chest, allowing him a much better look at her. Her eyes still had a wet sheen, but her expression was one of relief. She tried to put on a stern face, but she failed as he was used to much worse scowls and frowns.
"M-moh, Naofumi! Y-you just woke up, can't you be a bit nicer for once?" She whined, her red nose making for a cute sight. Naofumi put on a pensive expression, his eyes matching the princess' pupils. He made the girl completely focus on him, making her miss his slowly raised hand until it was too late and he taped her on the forehead with his pointer and middle finger, pushing her head back.
"Nah, I don't think so." He joked, slowly climbing down from his bed. His body felt worn and still sluggish, yet the hero still pushed on, cracking his joints. Shadow and Raphtalia watched him with somewhat nervous expressions, wondering if he was going to fall down at any moment. He brushed their worries aside, reaching the nightstand to look for something to cover his chest.
Before the hero could do so the heavy door of his room was knocked on, this time only one person entered his room.
Purple dress and a battle fan on her hand, the sight of the golden crown made sure that no one could mistake the person that was coming over. The Queen of Melromark, the famed Sheer Cold Calamity, Mirelia Q Melromark.
Naofumi felt the powerful mana emanating from the woman, there was no question that she was the strongest person among the royals, her power born out of true dedication and work instead of power-leveling and cheap cheats. The Shielder, however, did not back away from the woman or displayed fear. He was way past being intimidated by fancy names and titles, the many challenges that forged him into the man he was now would have made lesser men cave in and die.
Mirelia entered the room and took five steps towards him, stopping her march after her fifth step and doing a curtsy.
"It will take an entire month to completely heal while using the most advanced and expensive treatments available to us; were the common men to be placed under such duress, death was fully assured. I have to admit, my Lord Shield, I did not expect a holy hero to be capable of wielding such a powerful curse." Mirelia's voice was one that imposed respect, a charisma that was acquired by force during campaigns on the battlefield. "How rude of me, let me present myself. I am–" Before the queen could continue her presentation, Naofumi scoffed and craned his neck to the side, cutting her speech short.
"I'll pay for whatever you have used on me up to now; any other treatments I can administer to myself." The hero said, his own voice strong. The queen opened her fan and hid her mouth from his sight, making Naofumi narrow his eyes at her. "Let me be very clear with you, Queen." As the hero spoke out, the annoyance in his tone building up much too quickly for someone hurt so badly not so long ago. "There is no lost passion between this shitty kingdom and I. If anything, I should be asking for some fat reparations considering all the messed up things that happened to me due to your negligence in running this circus cart that you call a country. I only want to leave, and I swear that if anything else tries to stop me, then I will raze this country until all that remains is one big pile of cursed ashes." The violent threat could not be clearer as a message, especially when backed up by the Naofumi's smoldering stare, his slit pupils making Mirelia shiver to her very core.
The queen managed to compose herself quick enough that only the hero seemed to have noticed her slip up. "My apologies if my words came out as demanding, Naofumi-sama. I swear to you that my intentions are only the very best to mend our strained relationship to the best of my abilities."
The Shielder stared at the queen with a very inquisitive gaze. Even while only dressed in light pants the hero still made for a very intimidating image, his mana permeating the room the group was in. He felt a light tug on his pants, Melty pulling on the cloth with a tender touch.
"You just woke up, you can't be forcing yourself this soon. Please, just rest a bit…" Melty pleaded, the atmosphere in the room easing a bit at her soft words. Naofumi still felt like tearing into the woman in front of him, but his body was not up to par on performance as he would like. The hero took a deep breath, wondering what was going to be his next step.
He returned to his bed, sitting by the corner. "How have things been since I was out?" The asked the monarch, his position reminding the woman of a barbarian waiting for plundered goods to be brought to his feet. Mirelia snapped her fan closed, moving a few steps closer to the hero's bed.
"Immediately after your victory over Pope Biscas, my army has been arresting and apprehending the church of three heroes and any remaining forces that we are aware. We have also taken in custody of any and every asset that belonged to them, stripping sympathizers off their positions and overall having a deep reform of our current political structure." Mirelia explained, hoping to impress the hero. He still had a stoic face, looking very much unimpressed with her efforts. The queen lightly glanced at Melty, hoping to acquire minute information. The second princess was currently looking at Naofumi with hopeful eyes, the expression not raising good hopes within the Queen's cunning mind.
"I'm also pinning down supporters of the church among the nobles, so that no further trouble may bother you, Naofumi-sama. The circumstances of the heroes summoning were…not ideal." Mirelia confessed, letting her head sag down for a few moments. "The church took advantage of my absence over the international conference to discuss the summoning and took it upon themselves to summon all four cardinal heroes. It took considerable time to convince the other nations that Melromark was not planning on conquest war with such valuable assets as the heroes." The queen finally saw a semblance of something other than disappointment or stoicism in his eyes.
"I am not trying to justify my failures, Iwatani-sama; I placed my trust upon my husband and his moniker of [Wise Staff Hero], but it seems that such action was a foolish mistake. I could not ask for anything else from you, when you have acted as a bulwark against the evils that plagued my country and the inconsequential acts of the other heroes and their parties. To think my own daughter would be such an idiotic fool, it was truly a good move to have Melty stay with me." The queen spoke out, anger dying the last part of her speech as her mana lowered the temperature of the room for a few moments. "I have been working tirelessly to fix these matters that ran amok during my absence, so please rest assured Naofumi-sama, never shall I allow harm to reach you if I can prevent it from happening." Mirelia lowered her head to him, her body folding so as to assume the ultmost respect as she performed a dogeza bow.
That got a reaction out of Naofumi. "That would've been useful when I was stuck at the bottom of the pit, being kicked down by everyone here." He released a sigh, his worn body asking for more rest, yet he still pressed on to continue the conversation. He noticed how the queen flinched due to his words even while his voice stayed mild, the truth behind his words finally ringing across people with common sense. He huffed, a bit of smoke being exhaled from his nostrils making the hero frown his brows a bit before he pushed the issue aside to focus on the matter at hand. "If you truly want to make reparations, then I guess I can ask whatever I want from you and you wouldn't have the gall to deny it to me, right?" He said with a questioning gaze, eyeing the woman dressed in purple like a hawk watches a rabbit.
The royal queen raised her forehead from the floor, still sitting with her knees on the ground, the sight kindling a dark joy inside the hero's stomach. "It is as you say, Iwatani-sama. For the numerous problems that have been piled upon your back there is no price too high for my kingdom to pay in hopes or earning your mercy, my lord. What is your heart's desire?" Mirelia asked, a modicum of hope daring to glint in her eyes. Maybe, and just maybe she could hope the Shielder would show her a seed of mercy, for she knew her kingdom deserved none.
Naofumi kept his gaze over the queen's frame, his hardened eyes looking for any signs that the royal queen was lying. The girls in his party stayed silent, trusting whatever call Naofumi was to make. He spied from the corner of his eye Melty giving him a hopeful look, the kind that only innocent children could do when they wanted something; too bad he was unaffected by the display. The hero also took notice that Felicia was not present in the room. Neither were Firo and Dera for that matter. Shadow seemed to realize his inquisitive gaze and signaled that the group was eating in the kitchen. He nodded to the hand signs and returned his focus towards the queen.
"I want that fucking trash's head on a pike; it will be a public execution for all the nations to see what happens when they mess with me. I also want that bitch to stand trial and clear my name of all the accusations she made. Of course she won't tell the truth willingly, so I want a slave crest of the highest grade to be carved on her chest right there on the trial. Give me 85% of all your national treasury, including everything that you have stashed on secret places. I have a shadow with me, don't try to play me for a fool Queen Mirelia, I know of your safe havens for emergencies. I also want out of this goddanm country, no questions asked or tricks deployed to bind me here." Each word the hero spoke seemed to be like nailing a stake on a metaphorical coffin, the mood not helped by the cold, uncaring way he went about it. He was asking for the financial death of her kingdom, the slaying of a king and public humiliation of a influencial royal figure, all in front of the other nations, effectively exposing all weakness to them and inviting either a destructive civil war or a warmongering invasion from the other nations. Mirelia recognized the tactic for what it was, a bait for her to dig her own grave with no way out no matter what path she tried to take.
While she doubted he knew about it (considering his two-day unconscious period), she had been using the situation in her favor, claiming that all the unfortunate events that befell unto him were a plan the two had concocted to rid her country of the troublesome Church of Three Heroes and any other troublesome nobles that were using the shifting tides in the political and military forces to gain power. If he was to force her to expose the truth to the entire world, there would be only annihilation waiting her nation; Silvelt would declare a holy war against the nation that slandered their god and hindered his growth, and even went so far as to lie about it to try and cover up their mistakes. Faubley would be the most passive one due to Aultocray's bloodties with the current emperor (being his cousin), but there would still be a shift in the tides of political power and Faubley's emperor wasn't one to pass on the opportunity to expand his empire. ShieldeenFreeden was bound to have a field day, since the nation was known to be comprised of mercenaries, the politicians of the land wouldn't spare much thought to it, but the bands of mercenaries would be attracted to it like moths to flame.
If she were to refuse any of his demmands, then Mirelia was sure that Naofumi would make sure that his earlier promise would become a certain reality. The Sheer Cold Calamity wasn't willing to find out how Naofumi went from being called Shield Hero to Shield Devil right now, the mere glimpses she managed to catch when he reduced the pope of the Three Heroes Church to a pool of blood sending a fresh wave of shivers down her spine at the memory of it. The queen wished she could laugh outloud at how pinned she felt by the words and the gaze of the hero,
Naofumi had granted the queen the mercy of choosing how would her land fall apart, a cruel kind of mercy. The type that Mirelia herself would offer to her enemies when she had no use for them. The queen would be very impressed, if she wasn't so pressed against such terrible wall of death. The fools residing in her country managed to anger a man of his caliber, the woman wondering how her once-so-wise husband had fallen so far as to do such idiotic actions. She knew he had a deep distrust/dislike for the past Shield Hero, but Mirelia knew he had the ability to distinguish between personal feelings and political matters of utmost importance; had time and fatherhood softened the man she once knew into a bumbling baffoon? Mirelia tried to calm herself and think of ways to appease the Shielder for the while, anything that could sooth him until she could think of a better course of actions that woulndn't lead her kingdom to ruin.
She glanced at the hero's companions in an attempt to find a link that connected to the shielder in a more emotional level. She knew that her efforts in getting Melty and Naofumi together backfired tremendously, as the harsh treatment had hardened Naofumi to expect such trickery from anyone. The shadow unit by his side was also a no-go, since she was showing the hero tremendous affection - something her spy units had being trained to never be able to - and care, being the one responsable for trapping the hero's room with a new weapon that none of her agents had managed to surpass. The raccoon demi-human girl by his side was also very loyal to him, and information about her was that the girl acted as a moral compass for the hero, helping to hold in his most destructive tendencies. The queen hoped she would be the one to give them a white flag of truce, else Mirelia just might fall into despair.
The queen slowly rose from her dogeza, trying to maintain a dignified expression while facing the Shielder, and she did a curtsie to him. "Iwatani Naofumi-sama, your requests are...fair from your view, and I could not take away reason from you for all the tribulations that you have went through. May we go to the throne room and pass on judgement? I managed to summon a reunion with all the powers of our nation, your retribution will come. I merely ask that you deposit a modicum of trust in me, I shall right all the wrongs that have befell upon you." Mirelia tried her best to maintain a strong, yet non-confrontational voice. It was hard, as even with all her experience among the pit of vipers that was life in a court among nobles, the queen felt small under the hardened eyes of the cursed hero.
He crossed his arms over his bandaged chest, the cloth doing little to hide the muscle under it. His jaw tightened as wisps of smoke began to exit his lungs, Mirelia becoming concerned if she was going to be lit aflame in cursed fire, but in the end the hero merely huffed a twin stream of smoke from his nostrils (all the while resembling a dragon).
He opened his mouth to speak, his teeth being two row of sharp fangs. "Lead the way, queen." Mirelia almost twitched at the sheer disgust that emanated from the word, Naofumi almost spitting it in a venomous tone. Melty quickly came to her side, stabilizing her mother and exiting the room, the hero a few paces behind her.
"Mother, please tell me you have a plan to calm Naofumi down!?" The second princess begged her mother for an answer, Mirelia quickly fanning herself in a nervous tick. Melty wanted so badly to try and appeal something to the Shield Hero, but she knew that she held no credibility with him whatsoever. Their first meeting had been a disaster, and she hadn't done much to gain favor to him, being more of a mild hindrance than anything else. She might hate her sister very much, but Melty knew that deep down Malty was had been very active in the nurturing of the heroes, and while she was not the most useful in combat, the first princess was at a level where she could be classified as a first-class fire mage. Malty may have been a fool, but she was an cunning fool most of the time; if only she dedicated half of her machinations to truly helping the kingdom, she might be the crown princess instead of little Melty.
"I-I'm trying to think of something. If anything comes to your mind, then please share it with me." Melty looked at her mother with wide eyes. She had never seen her mother stutter once. Never. To think that the situation had reached this critical point, how would they even appeal to the Shield Hero?
[XXX]
[XXX]
The walk to the throne room was short, but very much uncomfortable for the royal duo. They both felt the malicious gaze of Naofumi right behind them as they made their way to the room, the knights protecting the door flinching as their eyes fell upon the hero, who had received a open shirt to put on.
Naofumi barely bothered to dress himself, merely putting the black button-up shirt as if it were a coat, Raphtalia following the hero by his side, Shadow having went to fetch the other girls. The hero had a stoic expression, following the queen as he tried to formulate plans in his head. His requests were asked in the heat of the moment, all the anger he had stored inside himself bubbling up to speak for himself. He wondered what Queen Mirelia would do now since he had pressed her so hard; he might have been angry, but he was no fool. His requests were bound to lead to political and economical unrest, even a civil war. On one side of the coin Naofumi felt that it was deserved, since no one thought to question things before accusing him and casting him aside like a worthless dog, too wrapped up in their machinations to even consider him. His heart said that his anger was rightly justified and that he could raze the land to a barren waste and no one would have either moral or right to complain to him.
His more rational mind, however, also said that he would lead hundreds of thousands of people to their deaths in a shattered country; should he merely indulge in fully mindless wrath, then people like Erhart and the Felicia's aunt would suffer needlessly. He had spent much of his time cleaning the messes of the other heroes, being a hidden bastion of stability to avoid a civil war; it would be like spitting in the face of all the progress he made and all his efforts if HE was the one to plunge Melromark into a civil war or state of civil unrest.
Yet, he could not let go of his wrath. It was his most precious weapon, the one that never failed him no matter how dire the circumstances. It was his rage that granted Naofumi true means of attack, and even more. He could feel it, deep inside him, the his burning quietly rage, just waiting his command to flare up to a great inferno. Naofumi wondered why was a holy hero allowed to eve wield this sort of power, something vile like this wasn't exactly the briliant image of a tale hero. He huffed, annoyed with himself that for a moment he let the childish image of the /Noble Hero/ be a scale to compare himself. It was then that I dawned on him why he could use such power. Cursed or blessed, all those things were just that, powers.
What a person did such power was up to them, thus nothing could truly be called good or evil, as the person using their power would be the scale upon which people decided to label said use of power. He wasn't one to care for what others thought of himself, even back in earth. While in this parallel world his vision was still the same (he made fair use of the "evil" label that was slapped on his back), it didn't feel good to be labeled something he was not, but at the end of the day all that mattered to him was his livelyhood and of those who he cared about. If even the mysterious [Will of the World] was backing him up, granting him more power, then Naofumi was honestly very much fine with whatever labels were put on him (he would make use of them anyway.) Thus, he would use anything available to him to win against the waves of destruction and finally be free of the so called obligations of a cardinal hero. He wasn unsure what he was to do when all this was over, but he figured he would have plenty of time to play philosopher after it all.
[For surpasing the limited vision and figuring out the call of the Will of the World, Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi has been granted a blessing.]
[Sage Hero Shield has been unlocked!]
[One achievement has been successfully completed. 1/7 requirements for the (Apo**** Shield) and the extra skill (Apo*****) remaining.]
Naofumi felt a wave of something strange pass over him, his HUD flashing a few messages to were sure to send him into a late night spiral of thoughts and ideas. He pushed it away, eyes focusing onto the wooden doors of the throne room where he almost swore that he was never going to step back on. The knights opened the doors to allow the group entry, the duo of armed men facing down to avoid having eye-contact with Naofumi. He rolled his eyes, glancing to Raphtalia to find the girl give him a small smile. She offered him a hand for him to hold on, which he took with no problem. He squeezed her hand a bit, making the raccoon demi blush, the duo walking inside the room.
As the group entered it, it became noticeable that the room was packed full of people. From soldiers to nobles dressed in fancy clothes, to even his fellow heroes near the central throne. There was plenty of noise due to the people talking among themselves, but the doors opening drew the attention of the people, the sight of Mirelia walking into the room being enough to silence all inside the room. Any noise was reduced to the mere clacking of the queen's heels hiting the smooth granite stone as both Queen and princess walked to their place.
Aultocray turned to see the his family, a bright expression painting his face before he noticed the man behind her. His expression immediately soured, the king standing up to scream bloody murder against the Shield Devil. Before the elder's voice could howl, Mirelia waved her war fan, a cold wind lowering the temperature of the room instantly as the king was encased inside a thick icicle, shock clear to be seen all over his face. "M-my queen?! W-what i-is going-g on?!"
Mirelia's mature looks became almost warped in anger as she shouted, much to everyone's surprise. "SILENCE, YOU FOOL! EVERY WORD THAT CAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH RECENTLY HAS ALMOST SET THE DEATH OF OUR KINGDOM IN STONE!" Mirelia's shouting was backed by her mana, the magical energy hitting all those closeby the throne (i.e the three heroes)making them feel frost begin to build up on them. As the heroes flinched, clearly not expecting the sudden explosive force of the woman.
Mirelia cared for none of that, marching to take the main throne and sitting on it, looking every part the matriarch she was. Melty remained standing by her side, trying to look as dignified as she could, her heart tightening as she looked over her father. The queen closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves before she snapped them open to take in all the people inside the room.
"I thank all that are present here. While I was away, some problems surfaced to trouble the waters of tranquility of our land, but matters are being settled this very instant. For those unaware, my name is Mirelia Q Melromark, the Queen of Melromark." The three heroes looked surprised with the flow of events, the trio turning their heads to glance at Naofumi. The Shield Hero stayed quiet, content on observing the show that was about to happen.
The crowd of nobles began to grow restless, their true ruler didn't seem to be supportive of them, especially since she had allowed the Shielder to enter the room behind her, a sign of complete trust among nobles. Exposing your back to someone meant that either you trusted them to protect your weakest spot or you were completely confident that they would never attack you. Considering Naofumi had been branded by the church a living devil, for him to be present without shackles could only mean that Queen Mirelia backed the man, thus...
"My dear! Has your mind been taken by that filthy devil? Worry not, I shall rescu-" Before the trapped king could continue his spiel, Mirelia snapped her fan closed, slamming the metal end over her arm rest and sending another wave of frost over her husband, the icicle now fully encapsulating Aultocray. Melty grimaced by her mother's side, wishing for her father to shut up already.
"Foolishness, Aultocray, foolishness! As if Iwatani Naofumi-sama would have such power! Such a badly made lie, for it to be taken as truth inside my land is highly insulting, especially since I remember having ordered you to hold the church down, not tie bonds with them. That Biscas fool took you and my foolish daughter into his little game, tricking you so easily it is almost laughable if it was tragic!" Mirelia continued her cracking down, her head turning to focus on the nobles on their stands. "I suppose that all of you have also been tricked into believing such pathetic tale, else your actions would be branded treason against your queen. That would never be the case, right?" The threat wasn't hidden, as Mirelia wasn't feeling up to the games of nobility. She had a kingdom to salvage.
The many nobles in the room flinched, nodding pathetically to her words. She wished she could smirk in satisfaction, but her work was far from done. "Well then, since none of you have claims to state, we shall forth begin the cross examination of the events that happened while I was absent! First, the foul accusations against Iwatani Naofumi-sama, who was wrongly accused of many heinous crimes are now being lifted and declared false by my royal decree. Anyone caught spreeding false tales about the the Shield Hero shall be tried for crimes against the crown." Even as the woman said a cross examination would happen, she was laying down what would happen and how, no questions would be asked. Motoyasu tried to raise his voice at this, but Ren was quicker then the blond and slammed the pommel of his sword against the Spear Bearer's solar plexus, taking air away from the blond's lungs and cutting his voice short.
The Sword Hero felt the cold eyes of the queen settle over their frames, the teen waving off the woman's amethyst-purple gaze. "Please, proceed." He managed to maintain his image of cold rationality, even under the ruthless eyes of the ruling queen.
"Very well. While I do believe in the words of my loyal followers, much damage has been done to Naofumi-sama's image, and compensation for his troubles is a must. Since We are very willing to prove to the Shield Hero the sorrow in our hearts, the personal fortunes of our households shall be used to pay the Hero for his troubles." Mirelia launched the bomb, ready for the wave of complaints and voices full of displeasure. However, before such voices could be raised, a magic circle manifested close to one of the walls, space being ripped appart to reveal dark-type magic. Out of the tear in reality came Felicia, the witch smoking out of her pipe and looking very annoyed at being inside the room, behind her the sight of the Philorial Queen Candidate and the Four-headed Hydra enough to dissuade complains from being spoken out loud.
There wasn't much one could complain when they werer face to face with a famous adventurer at the level of the Felicia Zauberer, the Spacial Rend Witch, both due to her stunning beauty and her infamous dislike for nobility.
She made her way towards Naofumi, her hips gaining a certain...sway as she got closer and closer to him. Raphtalia pouted, but remained silent.
"Fortress-kun, I'm glad to see you are better. You are certainly more handsome when you blood is inside your body, as oposed to it." The witch declared, blowing a billow of smoke to the side and raising a hand to his bandaged chest. She almost rested her hand atop it, but backed off and settled for a smile. Naofumi still had a serious face, but he uncrossed his arms and slowly raised them to her head, taking off her wide-brim hat with his left hand while his right pat her head. Felicia tilted her head to the side, her smile still painting her lips as the woman enjoyed the touch of the hero's rough hand. Felicia backed off from his hand on her own, swiping her hat back. "Teaser..." She whispered, hiding her face under the brim of her hat.
The interaction between the two was noted by all present, the nobles now absolutely horrified. Queen Mirelia might be harsh and stern with them, but in the end she still had need of them and their fortune, thus guaranting their survival. The Spacial Rend Witch had no such ties to them and her fame proceeded her from Faubley, the fact that she could also use the powerful space magic and allied herself with the Shielder was a kick to the jaw for many of them. Naofumi now had the effective firepower of an entire nation, which could be pointed at any moment at them should the Hero decide. It was on this moment that many of them realized the mistake of antagonizing Naofumi through their aid of the Three Heroes Church.
Motoyasu finally managed to get his air back, leaning on his spear for support. "Excuse me, but I think things are wrong here! Myne can testify, she was..." Before the blond Spear Wielder could finish his sentence, he was assaulted by a feeling of desperation, all his instincts screaming that he was in mortal peril. Sweat quickly built up around his face, the blond looking over towards the source of the killing intent, finding Naofumi staring at him, a dark aura beginning to cover the hero, his jaw beginning to look much too small to fit the hero's face. His pants were covered on black armor and his boots became greaves, however there was no material for his torso, leaving the hero without armor, looking very much like the part of a barbarian lord.
"Say it, Motoyasu." Naofumi growled the words out, smoke huffing out of his nose as his slit eyes stared at the other hero. "Say the fucking word, Motoyasu." Each word Naofumi spoke carried the full weight of his intent behind it, the oppressive feeling coming down heavy on the Spear Hero. The blond flinched in place, glancing backwards to find support from his fellow heroes, as they wouldn't abandon him to protect their own hides, right?
Kitamura found himself to be very much wrong as both Ren and Itsuki looked to the side, the two men deciding to leave Motoyasu to his own devices. Hey, they weren't the ones pissing off the queen or Naofumi, leave them out of the line of fire.
As Motoyasu found himself alone, the hero grit his teeth to stare back at the Shielder, finding Naofumi to be still staring at him almost like he wanted to roast the blond Spear Bearer. Knowing the abilities of the Shield Hero, Motoyasu was hoping to not have to deal with Naofumi's troublesome cursed flames; an action that seemed to be becoming exponentially difficult as anything he did seemed to be stepping over the shoes of the cursed hero. Before Motoyasu could dig his grave further, Mirelia opened her fan with a short - SNAP! - calling the attention back to herself with all the dignity only she had. Motoyasu figured he needed to have a talk with her later, to get to know the queen better. Hey, she seemed to be having a tumultuous time in her married and somethings a shoulder to lean on was all a woman needed, right?
"Kitamura Motoyasu-sama, you seem to be of full support of the accusation my first daughter claims happened. Do I find myself correct?" Mirelia asked the hero, her eyes narrowing as he nodded to her. "Very well, then it seems that we need to clear such folly with the immediate truth. Guards, do bring in the person in question!" The queen ordered, surprised sounds echoing all around the room as two plated knights left the premises, returning soon enough and dragging someone in their grasp. The surprises gasps were louder this time as the knights carried the struggling First Princess Malty, the redhead trashing and flailing around to flee her bindings. She was uncerimoniously thrown in front of the throne, right where everyone could see frame without any sort of obstruction.
"Mama! What is the meaning of this?" Malty screamed, nervousness emanating from her in large waves. The redhead stayed on the ground, tears beginning to flow from her eyes as she flailed her hands in a pathetic attempt at removing the ropes binding her wrists. She spotted Motoyasu and tried to stand to rush to his side, but she also saw Naofumi in his dark armor and her panic at seeing the demonic-looking hero stunned her in place. "M-mama! The Shield Demon is here!"
The four heroes saw a vein pop over Mirelia's forehead, the facade of calm and collected queen almost breaking down as the royal woman glanced at the side, her court magicians bowing their heads to her. Without words the woman expressed her intent, the hooded mages understanding the message.
"Malty, my foolish daughter. How I wish I could say that it is a pleasure to see you, but such lies don't suit the presence of our illustrious heroes. I have summoned you here to ascertain the real truth to a certain rumor that has been spread, a rather nasty rumor at that. However, before we can get your testimony we need to make sure only the truth will come out of your mouth. You are my daughter, thus it would be unfair for me to be the one questioning you. I request then that you speak the truth and only the truth to the person who will ask you the necessary questions for the conclusion of the matters at hand." Mirelia spoke, finding Malty to be shedding more and more tears.
"You doubt the words of your own daughter?!" The redhead cried out, Mirelia scoffing at the act.
"It is because you are my daughter that I have doubts, since I know you character very well. Fear not, I shall have the perfect candidate for this questioning. Master Shield Hero, if you would!" As the queen spoke, Motoyasu and Malty had their eyes turn into dinner plates, Naofumi releasing a sound that was halfway between a growl and a grunt. The hero took deliberately slow steps to approach the woman, meeting Motoyasu halfway through as the other hero blocked his way.
Motoyasu spread his arms apart in a showy manner, his spear grasped on one hand. "Hold on now! There is no way Naofumi is the right person for any questioning! He should not even be approaching her!" The blond pointed out, making the queen tilt her head up to glance at him superiorly. Naofumi glanced at the queen from the corner of his eye, finding a smirk to be painted across the royal.
"Very well, Motoyasu-sama. If you insist so, shall you conduct the questioning? We still have to make sure that only the truth comes out of Malty's mouth, so the proper procedure still needs to be done." Having succeeded in baiting the blond, Mirelia pointed her fan to her daughter, the court magicians having returned from wherever they had vanished to. The two mages returned with a chalice filled with a murky ink, a brush and some other tools dedicated to caligraphy. The three heroes were confused as to what the tools had to do with the questioning, Naofumi recognizing the ink from a mere glance. High quality ink inbued with magical crystals to make for a potent conduit for [Contract] Type magic. It was very famous among nobles and merchants when making deals, and also very famous among Naofumi's social circle, since one of the people he most interracted with was the Slave Owner Merchant. Naofumi kept his face stern, but a dark type of joy began to spread as he watched the panicked expresssion the redheaded bitch had become one of pure terror as she also recognized the ink.
Motoyasu nodded, unware of the betrayed expression Malty had when he did so.
The mages were quick to act. Before Malty even knew what was going on, two knights were behind her, grasping her arms and straighting them out, their unoccupied hands resting over her shouderblades to assure her arms would not get in the way of the procedure. Her chest armor was removed without the mages missing a heartbeat, exposing her low-cut clothing hidden by the protective metal. Motoyasu would complain, but another snap of Mirelia's fan took his attention. "There is no need to worry, no harm will be done to her. It is merely the necessary steps for the procedure." He still wished to get in the way, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and suddenly his armor was groaning due to physical strain as the metal was forced to endure pressure beyond what it could. Naofumi's gauntlet-clad hand was the one behind the deadly hold, the temperature of the armor also rising.
Motoyasu relented with a grimace, watching as Malty tried without success to flee from the grasp of the knights. Before long the mages of the royal court had drawn a High-class Slave Seal on the First Princess's chest, giving Motoyasu a small dagger.
"Spear Hero-sama, a drop of your blood is needed to finish the crest." The mage explained, Motoyasu recognizing a few of the shapes of the crest.
"Wait, isn't that a slave crest?" He dully asked, dumbfounded that the queen was willing to go this far against her very own daughter.
Mirelia gave him a smile, one of those that didn't reach your eyes and was merely for formalities. "Of course it is a Slave Crest. How else would we be able to perform an interrogation without bias or lies if the person in question is a pathological liar? I asked you before if you were willing to step in for Naofumi-sama and you agreed. I believe that Kitamura-sama isn't a man that goes back in his words, does he?" Motoyasu had his mouth hang open, realizing he was caught due to his own words. He weakly took the knife and cut open his finger, dropping the blood in the chalice and allowing the mages to finalize the crest.
Malty was still struggling to get free, but suddenly the painted crest shone brightly, lightning bursting from it and punishing the woman, who screeched in pain. It was only for a short while, Malty shutting her mouth and merely whimpering as Motoyasu was dumbstruck. "What happened?!"
"I merely had her stop her senseless actions; she needs her mouth to speak the truth, nothing else." Mirelia explained, not revealing she had long also added her own blood to the mixture of ink. High-quality crests could belong to various people, the value of the process of no importance to Mirelia, if one were to compare the amount of needless spending that the redhaired girl had done in the name of "Heroic needs", such small amount paid in a high-value crest was a great deal. Mirelia stood from her seat, glancing around the room to see if all present were paying attention. The shaming was about to begin.
"Malty, tell the truth and you shall not suffer. Has Iwatani Naofumi-sama ever attempted or threatened to rape you?" The question was blunt and to the point. Many grimaces were displayed, but the following act was made the scene that much harder to watch.
"YES! He was a brute that forcefully took my innocenc- HYAAAAAJHHHHHHHHHHH!" Malty's scream echoed loudly inside the room, the woman being shocked again by the magic lightning. To say that the three heroes were stunned was an understatement, but Naofumi's joy could barely be contained.
"Motoyasu-sama, I'm not sure if you are familiar with how the concept of a slave crest works, but the most common setting is that the enslaved person shan't lie, else they are punished by the magic. If you are unbelieving of my words, I'm pretty sure Naofumi-sama can instruct you in the inner workings of the slave crest, or you can check it yourself through your status magic." Mirelia seemed to be enjoying putting the Spear Hero into a hard position to contest anything, the blond stunned. He didn't talk to the Shielder, instead looking at his own HUD and his face paled.
The Queen's words were true, the only punishment currently activated according to his HUD was for lies. Myne, or Malty Q Melromark had lied.
"M-myne, please tell me! That night when you came to my room, Naofumi did rape you, right?!" The desperation was clear on Motoyasu's voice, but the truth couldn't be hidden anymore.
"Indeed, Motoyasu-sama! He did - GYAAAAAHHHHHH! STOP IT PLEASE, MOTOYASU-SAMA!" The princess was once more bathed in crackling sparks of lighting, making her convulse on the floor. It was not a pretty sight, but the joy it brought inside Naofumi's heart was fulfilling.
Motoyasu was not the only one in a stunned state. Both Ren and Itsuki were pale-faced, avoiding looking at Naofumi as if their lives depended on it.
"Malty, did you steal Naofumi-sama's possessions at that night?" The queen asked, still in her high position.
"No, I haven't don- HYAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" More lies, more lightning.
"Have you conspired together with the Church to dethrone me?"
"NoooAHHHHHHHHH!"
On and on went the trial, all the lies spun by the princess being brought down as if they were rotten trees maring a forest. At the end of it all, Malty was a sobbing mess sprawled over the ground, her body ramdonly twitching as some static was still left over her. Motoyasu's face had shame written all over it, and the other two could not lift their heads. Naofumi was the only one with his head held high, a dangerous grin spliting his lips as he enjoyed the shaming that happened, all the discusting lies that were nailed to his back finally cleared among both the nobles and his fellow heroes. Still, it wasn't enough.
As silence reigned surpreme inside the room, the Shield Hero waited for Mirelia to finish her show of ascerting dominance over the crowd.
The woman waved her war fan, the ice surrounding Aultocray dispelling and leaving behind a cold mist, the man falling over the ground and immediately being hauled closer to his traitorous daughter by the knights, giving the proxy king no time to recover. Mirelia eyed the duo with disgusted eyes, displeasure painted all over her face at the mere sight of them. The queen pointed her fan at the traitors of the crown, her voice mighty.
"There has been enough of a hearing to ascertain the truth here. For crimes against the rulling crown, attempted assassination against the Second Princess, attempted Coup, trickery against the holy cardinal heroes and heinous lies against the Shield Hero, I - Mirelia Q Melromark - disown both of you from using the royal name of Melromark ever again. You both are sentenced to pay reparations of the highest order to the Shield Hero and our nation for your needless spending. Further punishment awaits you; The Shield Hero Naofumi-sama still needs to choose his punishments for you, since your sins against him are the heaviest. You tried to hamper his growth, and even further tried to destroy him when he was the one who most contributed to our land out of the four heroes and even rid us from the power-hungry Church of Three Heroes. Death, endless torture or something else, the choice relies on him." The woman passed the battom to Naofumi, the two scummy bastards fully focusing on the hero.
[XXX]
[XXX]
The Shield Hero felt the eyes focus on him, but it mattered not. His wrath had been supressed and starved for this, the dark feeling that had been cultivated for so long now had a chance to be satisfied and released, with total justification from his anger. The fragmented soul of Gaelion that rested on the cores of his armor stayed silent, merely waiting for his answer. The dragon knew its place was beneath the hero, the man's anger long surpassing the dragon's to the point he had reached the beginnings of apo**** this early in his journey. Was it fate or luck? It mattered not, since things had come to where they stood.
Naofumi took a deep breath, almost as if his lungs were a forge that was being flared up. Cold rage the likes of which sharpened the mind filled the hero as he saw the two bastards. He walked close to the two, each step echoing inside the large room. No one stood in his way, since no one could stand in his way. He was the Shield Hero who defeated the pope; he was the Shield Devil that brought about cursed flames and wrath the likes of which no one had seen before. He is The Storm That is Approaching, ready to shake things up like never before.
Death would be too kind for them! All I went through because of them, forgiveness is not an option! I want them to suffer, to repent, to beg for forgiveness and find none. Crawl on the mud like the worms they are, eat the filth of the earth and take the unreasonable beatings that come because someone more powerful than you wants to play about! I want you to suffer!
A black flame burst to life atop his right-hand pointer as the hero continued to make his way closer to the bastard duo, Malty backing away. Naofumi could deal with her later, her father however, stood still as he recognized the look inside the slit pupils of the Shielder. The ex-king could not move under the hateful and wrathful hero's gaze, and then his world was engulfed in pain as the tiny flame covered the hero's hand and he grasped the man's right arm. The limb exploded in a shower of black fire, almost instanteneously turning the flesh into cursed coal, a strained grunt leaving the king's mouth before if was muffled by the hero's flame clad hand and also burning his lower face in cursed fire. Naofumi then released the man, letting him squirm and groan in pain, the burnt limb crumbling into cursed ashes.
The hero recalled his cursed flames, staring at the ex-king for a few moments. Not enough, he needs to suffer more. Naofumi then took off the crown from Aultocray's head and cleared the hair around the man's forehead. Another flare of cursed flame lit over his finger, the hero this time carving a rather perfect copy of the slave crest he was so used to seeing, the curse activating as he completed it quickly. The king was left passed out on the floor, still alive since any blood loss would be prevented by the flames cauterizing the flesh.
Malty tried to flee, but a green magical shield appeared, making the woman crash against it and tumble back to the floor. She sweated hard as the violent intent of the hero washed over her, Malty slowly turning to meet the sight of a Demon Lord about to come crashing down over her. "N-naofumi-sama, such violence will only give birth to more violence! Revenge is not a path a hero should take! Can't you forgive me?" She pleaded, but her disgusting smile made all Naofumi's rage burst forth.
[Skill (Devil of the Shield) has evolved. Skill (Wrathful Demon Lord of the Shield) has been created and is now active. The (Will of the World) and the Skill (Wrathful Demon Lord of the Shield) allow the Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi to avoid -Bad End- ]
...Keep her alive for now...You're not ready for apo***...
"No, I can't!" Naofumi answered back in a calm sort of rage, Malty's slave crest bursting in cursed flames and carving the crest permanently in her flesh. Alive, but nothing was said about intact.
Malty's screams of pain would mark everyone in different ways, but when the hero was done, everyone knew that Naofumi was not a person to be messed with. He was indeed [The Storm That Is Approaching.]
Still, there was still something to be done. Things had been cleared among the nobles and the heroes, but the citizens of the nation of Melromark also needed to know the truth about the happening in the country.
Thus, Mirelia had her knights pick up the human scum squirming on the ground and had them carried off to where the public shaming was going to happen. She glanced at the Shield Hero, wondering if she could manage to earn even a bit of his favor with this. If it pleased him, she would have immediately sentenced the two fools to die; dealing with the fallout from that would be a thousand times easier than dealing with an angry hero.
Lucky for the queen, she didn't know of his acquaintanceship with the Philorial Queen. Had he convinced Fitoria that Melromark was in the wrong, who knew what would remain of the nation?
[XXX]
TO BE CONTINUED
AU END NOTES
Too dark? To edgy? Just right? Completely wrong?
Also, before we depart, I'm working on the next chapter for Bloog God so look forward to that. Later!