Sword and Shield

Build Up 1

As the horizon came into view, the silhouette of a village perched atop a towering cliff overlooking the sea emerged. The idyllic setting was bathed in the warm glow of a clear sky and surrounded by fields of grass that swayed in the gentle breeze. But as one approached, the picturesque illusion was shattered. The buildings were not just run-down, they were in ruins - walls crumbled, roofs caved in, and several structures reduced to mere burned-out shells. The once well-trodden paths winding through and around the village and its fertile fields were now little more than trampled earth, overgrown and forgotten.

"We're here!" Filo announced, bringing the carriage to a stop in the center of the devastated village, at the foot of a staircase. With a gloved hand holding onto the edge, a person stepped down from the carriage and surveyed the surroundings with a sorrowful gaze.

"Lurolona village," Raphtalia whispered with a sigh. "It feels like a lifetime since I was last here."

"Same here, little Raphtalia," Sadeena said, alighting from the carriage. For once, Sadeena's usual jovial demeanor was absent.

This was the village where Raphtalia had spent her childhood, a village that had been mercilessly destroyed in the very first Wave of Calamity. And now, they stood amidst its ruins.

The rest of the Shield Hero's party and five hooded mages disembarked from the carriage, joining their companions in gazing up the stairs at the building that had once been the epicenter of the village. This was the former residence of Lord Seaetto, the father of Eclair, and the former lord of the territory.

The building was of modest size, though still quite a bit larger than the now destroyed structures in the area. It had once been a stately mansion with a central tower, rising high into the sky and proudly displaying the village's flag. This symbol of pride had been visible from every corner of the village.

However, the tower was now shattered, as was a significant portion of the main building, unable to withstand the force of the Wave. The once proud flag had been trampled by the slave hunters who had plundered the territory in the aftermath of the devastating event.

"Alright, that's enough reminiscing," Naofumi spoke up, raising his voice. "Standing here won't accomplish anything. Let's get to work."

Ten more carriages pulled to a stop behind them, and men and women disembarked in their dozens. This eclectic mix of soldiers and Gladiator Slaves represented those who could be spared on short notice. Although the majority remained in the wider regions of Melromarc, those Gladiator Slaves who could return to Naofumi had done so promptly.

Excluding the main party and the five mages, a little over one hundred able bodied individuals were now gathered.

Typically, Raphtalia would respond promptly whenever Naofumi talked. However, at the moment, she was still staring wistfully at the location where the village's flag had once flown with pride.

"Ah!" she exclaimed as Naofumi's hand settled on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Naofumi said softly, with an uncharacteristic gentleness. "I can't guarantee that the village will return to its former state, but I will work to make it a joyous place to live again."

"Yes," Raphtalia agreed, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. "Let's get to work."

And they did so.

The troops and the Gladiator Slaves were organized into teams and tasked with various duties. Some cleared debris from the streets and surrounding farmlands, while others assisted Naofumi and the five mages while they utilized Earth magic to either stabilize structures that could be salvaged or collapse those that were beyond repair. Under the guidance of Raphtalia and Sadeena, a portion of the Shield Hero's contingent ventured into the former farmlands to assess any remaining crops and repair damaged fencing. The remainder joined forces with the soldiers and Gladiator Slaves in clearing away rubble.

As the day progressed, the group worked tirelessly. By its conclusion, with the aid of the many available hands, Naofumi prepared a sumptuous feast, which they enjoyed in the warm glow of the setting sun. Despite the delicious food, the members of the Shield Hero's party concluded their meal quickly, for they still had one final task to complete before retiring for the night.

Raphtalia's gaze was filled with sorrow as they approached the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea, beyond the remnants of the former lord's mansion. This was the place where her parents had made the ultimate sacrifice to save her from the monsters unleashed by the Wave of Calamity. When she returned to shore, all that remained of her loving parents were tattered scraps of clothing. Unfortunately, the arrival of the slave hunters had prevented her from properly grieving their loss, along with the loss of anyone else in the village. But now, they had come to rectify that.

Upon arriving at the cliff's edge, Naofumi opened his Item Box and retrieved two intricately carved stone slabs. One was larger, bearing the names of Raphtalia's parents, while the other was smaller and carried the name of her childhood friend, Rifana. Both slabs were the result of a collaborative effort between Naofumi and Shirou, who utilized their fine craftsmanship to create the intricate engravings.

Naofumi then handed the stone slabs to Raphtalia and Sadeena, who planted them at the cliff's edge overlooking the sea. Additionally, Naofumi retrieved a bag from his Item Box, containing the remains of Rifana, which had been rescued from Idol's torture chambers. The remains were buried beneath the stone slab carrying her name, creating her final resting place at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the sea and the village where she had grown up. Beside her, in spirit if not in body, Raphtalia's parents were laid to rest through the placement of their stone slab.

Raphtalia knelt in front of the graves, eyes closed, hands clasped in prayer, while Sadeena stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder, gazing at the graves. The rest of the party stood a respectful distance away, watching in silence.

After some time, Raphtalia stood and made her way back to the rest of the group, with Sadeena close behind her. Naofumi queried her, "Is everything okay?"

Raphtalia smiled, albeit with a hint of sadness, and replied, "Yes, better than it was before."

No further conversation was necessary. They would continue their work the next day, but for now it was time to retire and get the necessary rest. With this closure, Raphtalia's sleep would improve significantly after months of unrest.


Four days later, the first inhabitants of the rebuilding village arrived. Naofumi was in the fields when it happened. While his companions had devoted their efforts to the rebuilding effort, Naofumi had focused on securing a stable food supply for the village. Rather than relying on fishing and hunting, he utilized his [Plant Reform] and [Plant Analysis] Skills to modify the seeds of vital food crops.

Naofumi was familiar with many of these crops from his own world, including wheat, corn, potatoes, apples, oranges, carrots, cabbages, and bananas. He modified the seeds to be fast-growing, hardy, low-maintenance and the inherent ability to grow in any climate. He also included his Miracle Fruit in the fields.

As a result, the once-barren fields were now lush and productive, with the modified food crops and Miracle Fruits fully grown in mere moments. Although the village itself was still a work in progress, the residents were welcomed by an overabundance of available food.

Upon his return to the village, Naofumi found the square in front of the lord's residence bustling with activity. Suddenly, he felt a solid impact to his midsection and a familiar voice cried out, "Shield Bro!"

"…Keel?"

It was Keel, one of Raphtalia's childhood friends who had been rescued from Idol's torture chambers. No longer weak and sickly, Keel was now healthy and exuberant, his dog-like ears twitching and tail wagging energetically as he hugged the Shield Hero around the waist.

Along with several other children rescued from Idol's torture chambers, Keel had been in the care of Von Reichnott. Recently, with the aid of the heroes' teleportation skills, all of the children from Von Reichnott's care, those children left in H'aanit's care, and the villagers gathered in Zeltoble, had been transported to the capital of Melromarc. Now, with the village deemed habitable, they had been brought back to the village via carriage.

"I'm so grateful for this," Keel exclaimed as he hugged Naofumi tightly. "I never thought I'd be able to return to the village."

Naofumi, feeling slightly uncomfortable, gently patted Keel's head. He was touched by the expression of gratitude, he truly was, but this level of physical affection made him uneasy.

Gazing up, Naofumi surveyed the bustling crowd in the village square. With the exception of the soldiers and Gladiator Slaves who were lending a hand, the majority of those gathered were people they had inadvertently rescued from slavery since his arrival in this world. The looks on their faces were a mix of happiness, fondness, and amusement, all directed at the pair.

The Shield Hero's demeanor shifted as he struggled to maintain composure. Approaching him, Raphtalia gracefully intervened and detached Keel from him.

"Keel-kun," Raphtalia sighed, as she gently disentangled Keel from Naofumi. "Kindly refrain from rushing towards Naofumi-sama in such a manner. He is not at ease with physical demonstrations of affection."

Keel pouted, but relented all the same.

"Thank you, Raphtalia," Naofumi said, masking a cough. "What's the status?"

"The villagers and everyone else arrived about 20 minutes ago," Raphtalia replied. "We were planning to have a meal first and then assess who can assist with the rebuilding efforts."

Keel piped up, "I want to help!"

"Keel-kun, it's appreciated, but-" Raphtalia started to say, only to be interrupted.

"Why not? You're helping, right?" Keel demanded, crossing his arms.

"That's different..." Raphtalia tried to explain, but Keel interjected once more.

"No, it's not!" he insisted. "We're the same age, even if we don't look it. And once I Level up a bit, that won't be a problem anymore."

Raphtalia was taken aback. She understood what Keel was implying, but before she could express her concerns, Naofumi spoke up.

"It's fine, Raphtalia," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, anyone who can and who wants to help can do so. However, as for going out and Leveling, we'll discuss that another time. First, let's focus on rebuilding the village."

The Shield Hero sighed, well aware of the weight of responsibility that came with leading a village comprised mostly of children. Sending them into battle was not a decision to be taken lightly, though he had done it before. He and Raphtalia agreed that it was a matter to be addressed at a later date.

Keel's smile broadened, content with the decision.

Raphtalia then excitedly interjected, eager to change the subject. "Shirou would like to see you at his place. He has something important to share with you."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Understood. I'll go see him now. Raphtalia, can you...?"

"I'll take care of coordinating things here," she answered.

"Excellent. I'll see you later." With that, the Shield Hero set off to meet with Shirou, leaving Raphtalia to manage the reconstruction effort in his absence.

If the mention of "Shirou's place" were to arise, it could be misleading. It was not as if Shirou now possessed a personal abode. Instead, it was merely a moniker for the location where Shirou could commonly be found in recent days.

On his way to Shirou's place, however, Naofumi stumbled upon a surprise encounter. He encountered H'aanit, the huntress from S'warkii village, conversing with one of the new residents, a child who had come under his care due to her own unfortunate circumstances, though she was not an original resident of the village.

Naofumi was taken aback by H'aanit's presence as he had assumed she would have returned to her village after the children were taken from her care. He couldn't recall teleporting her to the capital, but assumed it must have happened on Ren's rotation.

H'aanit greeted Naofumi warmly, "Hero of the Shield, it is'en good to see'en thee again." Her companion, the feline Linde, was resting comfortably nearby.

The child greeted Naofumi, "Shield Hero-sama!" but her name escaped him.

Without wasting any time, H'aanit approached Naofumi with a serious expression and requested, "Hero of the Shield, I would liken to request thee the opportunity to taken residence in thine village."

"…Might I ask why?"

H'aanit sighed, looking a little embarrassed. "It is'en embarrassing to admit this, but I haven developed a strong attachment to thesen children. After caring for them for so long, I cannot bear the thought of leaving them behind. Additionally, I haven finally found someone suitable to taken over the responsibilities of the Beast Lore of S'warkii village."

She placed a hand on the child's head, who beamed at the attention. The child's dog-like ears perked up and her tail wagged excitedly. "This is'en Wyndia," H'aanit said. "She has a natural affinity with beasts and already possesses a wealth of knowledge prior to our meeting. As a rare talent, I haven already started her training and I am determined to see it through."

"Fair enough," Naofumi replied, comprehending the capabilities of the Beast Lore of S'warkii. Having the chance for someone in his village to learn the skill was a positive, as well as the possibility of retaining H'aanit's help for a longer time. "Are you sure no one from S'warkii will come searching for you?"

"Do not fret, Hero of the Shield," H'aanit stated confidently. "I haven conveyed mine decision back to mine village, and as the people of S'warkii haven the freedom to go wherever they please, they won't object to mine absence."

Naofumi nodded, then addressed Wyndia. "Do your best," he said succinctly.

"I will, Shield Hero-sama!" Wyndia replied, her eyes shining with determination.

A while later, the Shield Hero ascended the steps that led to the former lord's mansion, now in ruins. He approached the rear of the building and an attached secondary structure that had been largely unscathed by the Wave of Calamity. The mansion had a doorway that led to the interior of the attached structure, but for convenience, there was also an external door. Naofumi reached for the door handle, opened it, and was greeted with a wave of intense heat from the blazing forge. The steady clanging of a hammer against metal filled the air.

The inside of the structure was similar to Erhard's workshop. A large forge stood against the back wall, with anvils and steel buckets full of water scattered throughout the room. A large work desk sat to the side, surrounded by neatly stacked materials and a rack filled with various tools.

Shirou, shirtless, stood at one of the anvils, his tongs holding a red-hot ingot while he expertly molded it with a hammer in his right hand. At the sound of the door opening, he looked up briefly and made eye contact with Naofumi before focusing back on his work. Knowing that the demi-human could not interrupt the forging process, Naofumi entered the room and leaned against the wall farthest from the blazing forge. With his arms crossed, he waited patiently.

It was over fifteen minutes lateer before Shirou finally put down the tools and ingot. He wiped the sweat from his chest with a rag and greeted the Shield Hero, "Naofumi, how are things in the fields?"

"We won't be going hungry anytime soon," Naofumi replied briefly. "Raphtalia told me you have something to show me?"

At that, Shirou smiled. He walked over to the workbench, which a tarp covered up a large part of. He pulled away said tarp to reveal a trio of shields. The Shield Hero's brows arched upwards.

"Though the pope didn't use it, the Legendary Weapon Replica also had a shield-form and imitation Skills corresponding to the Legendary Shield," Shirou explained. "I picked out the imitation Skills that I thought were the most useful and designed shields around them. If you copy them…"

Naofumi quickly caught on and eagerly stepped forward, touching all three shields without any further explanation or encouragement needed.

The first shield was a simple and unadorned white, with its large size being its only notable feature. Naofumi would have disregarded it if not for Shirou's endorsement.

Weapon Copy – Complete [Shield of the Wanderer Unlocked – Base Defence: 90 – Equip Bonus: [E Float Shield] / Defence +22 / Agility +18 (Unmastered)]

[E Float Shield – Conjures a shield in a location of the Hero's choice within a ten-meter radius. Unlike most other barrier Skills, this shield is mobile, moving along with the Hero and can be mentally manipulated to a different location after being deployed. The E Float Shield's Defence = Hero's Defence/10]

The second shield was smaller and had a sleek, dark gray color with subtle hints of black. It was a standard shield but with an intriguing feature: two chains were securely fastened around it, intersecting at the center of the shield.

Weapon Copy – Complete [Boundless Chain Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 70 – Equip Bonus: [Chain Shield] / Defence +16 / Health +12 (Unmastered)]

[Chain Shield – Summons chains from the Legendary Shield that can be used to bind a given target. Can also be used in conjunction with the Air Strike Shield Skill tree, allowing all three shields to be linked together by chain in order to trap targets]

The final shield, though unremarkable in appearance, caught Naofumi's attention due to its simplicity. It was approximately the same size as the Boundless Chain Shield and boasted a deep gray color. It had the appearance of a typical adventurer's shield, nothing particularly noteworthy about it.

Weapon Copy – Complete [Hidden Blade Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 45 – Equip Bonus: [Attack Support] / Defence +8 / Attack +5 (Unmastered)]

Special Ability: Hidden Blade (Medium)

[Attack Support – Summons a dart that will multiply the damage taken by the next attack on the target hit by the dart by a factor of two]

"Nice," Naofumi exclaimed, reporting his findings to Shirou. The three new shields provided him with added defense, binding, and support Skills, giving him more options in battle. Though pleased with his acquisition, Shirou frowned.

"That's odd," he said. "I thought the Hidden Blade Shield would grant you more Attack power. Instead, you received a bit of extra Attack and a support Skill. It's helpful, but not what I was aiming for."

Naofumi also frowned at this but quickly regained his composure. "I am the Shield Hero after all," he said. "I don't think becoming an independent attacker is in the cards for me."

Shirou raised a brow. "Don't forget that a shield can be consider a mace with a large surface area. Though primarily used for defense, shields have been used as weapons as well."

Naofumi sighed and rapped his knuckles on the Legendary Shield strapped to his arm. "Apparently not so in this world," he said. Despite having come to terms with it, he still felt a twinge of annoyance at times at the facts of the matter.

"Oh, well," Shirou sighed. "The effort wasn't a waste at least."

"I'll say."

It was then that Naofumi noticed something else. There was another tarp on the workbench, hiding yet more underneath it.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Shirou said before the Shield Hero could start to speculate. He reached over and pulled away the tarp, revealing two large round gems resting on a cushion. One gem was a deep green and the other a vivid crimson.

"These are two sodalite gems I have enchanted to mimic-"


"-the Item Box and the Drop Item functions of the Legendary Weapons."

The statement was simple, but it held significant implications. The two gems, a deep green and a vivid crimson, rested on a cushion before Queen Mirellia in the throne room of Melromarc's castle. Only the Shield Hero's party, along with the queen and Princess Melty, were present.

The queen, ever poised, hid her reaction behind her fan. However, Shirou caught the slightest widening of her eyes.

"Might I request a demonstration?" Mirellia asked.

"Of course," Shirou responded, stepping up to the pedestal. He touched the vivid crimson gem, which in a flash of energy, deposited the hide of a monster into his palm. With all eyes on him, he then dropped the hide onto the deep green gem. The hide disappeared in another flash, and the deep green gem glowed faintly for a short moment before depositing the Drop Items - a Steel Dagger and a dozen bronze coins - into Shirou's waiting hand.

"Fascinating," the queen remarked, a spark of excitement in her eyes.

Eager to explain, Shirou continued, "The core of the Legendary Weapon Replica was its central gem, much like in the genuine Legendary Weapons. This gem served as the functional matrix that activated abilities. The creators of the Replica managed to recreate the Item Box and Drop Item functions, which I then reverse-engineered. However, these gems are merely prototypes. The central gem of the Legendary Weapon Replica had the capability to mimic various inherent abilities of the Legendary Weapons. My next step will be to combine the Item Box and Drop Item functions into a single gem."

"This could prove to be a significant advantage for the recovery of Melromarc's economy, particularly in light of the damage sustained during the civil war," Queen Mirellia noted thoughtfully.

"That was one of the primary motivations behind my efforts," Shirou acknowledged, fully aware of the potential economic benefits for both himself and his companions, as well as the country as a whole. He envisioned a future where the entire population of the country, or at least those who intended to engage in combat, would be equipped with the Item Box and Drop Item functions, thereby increasing the amount of materials that could be harvested and the overall wealth generated.

"However," Mirellia suggested, "providing a single user with the Item Box gem should suffice, as long as they have access to a Drop Item gem at a later point."

Shirou concurred with the queen's proposal and, after a brief discussion to iron out the details, the two of them reached a consensus.

"That sounds like the best course of action," Shirou stated, taking into consideration the increased difficulty and cost of producing the Drop Item gem. "Your suggestion will allow us to commence production sooner."

"Is there such a thing as patent law in this world?" Naofumi interjected, with a look of greed in his eyes.

The conversation continued for a while longer as they explored the various aspects of the proposal, but eventually, the discussion shifted to a darker and more somber topic.

"The Bow Hero," queen Mirellia declared, "awakened from his slumber yesterday evening."

This announcement elicited a range of responses from those present, with Rishia's reaction being particularly notable as her gaze narrowed dangerously.

"I thought you were keeping him unconscious with magic," Naofumi queried.

"We were," the queen replied. "However, it seems that the Bow Hero has a natural resistance to extended unconsciousness, which is likely tied to some ability he possesses as a Hero."

That explanation was likely accurate. Naofumi himself had unlocked several abilities that were previously deemed useless but could prove handy in specific circumstances. An immunity to extended unconsciousness wouldn't be an unusual ability to have.

"Thankfully, the Bow Hero has shown no intention of escaping," Mirellia added. "In fact, he has been quite docile."

"Docile? Itsuki?" Naofumi raised a skeptical eyebrow.

The queen was about to elaborate further, but then reconsidered. "It's difficult to describe. I believe it would be best if I showed you. Please, follow me."


Tucked away beneath the depths of the castle, protected by a labyrinth of secret doors, false paths, robust security measures, and bewildering illusions of both optical and magical origin, lay the most secure dungeon in Melromarc. This dungeon was reserved for only the most significant and high-risk prisoners.

It was in this dungeon where the Bow Hero was being held, for he was undoubtedly a fitting candidate for such confinement.

Contrary to expectations, the dungeon's depths were not shrouded in darkness. Instead, the walls and ceiling were studded with gems emitting a luminosity akin to electric lights, illuminating the area in a soft glow. The Bow Hero himself was confined in a solitary chamber, secured by bars fortified by magic.

"…"

Itsuki was sat at the small bed in the corner of the cell. Though his hands were free and he could walk, there were chains around all of his limbs that faintly glowed. The Legendary Bow that was on his back was covered in patches of paper that had some kind of strange scriptures on it. His head was bowed, his relatively long tresses hiding his expression from view.

"Bow Hero-sama," Mirellia called. Behind her was everyone of the Shield Hero's party.

Itsuki raised his head.

"Please, come over here."

Without a word, Itsuki stood up and approached the bars of his cell. Still holding onto that eerie silence, the Bow Hero faced the queen.

And then a few surprising words came from Mirellia's mouth.

"Slap yourself."

SLAP!

Itsuki didn't hesitate to follow the queen's command, slapping himself on the left cheek with his open palm, producing a loud and sharp sound. A deep red handprint was left behind as a result. The Shield Hero's party watched in abject astonishment, their mouths hanging open in disbelief. What was more off-putting was the fact that the Bow Hero had not even blinked while carrying out such a bizarre order.

"…The hell?"

"Do a handstand and take off your clothes," the queen continued.

"Okay,"

Mirellia's commands seemed to have no effect on the Bow Hero's docile demeanor. Itsuki obeyed without question, even as Mirellia ordered him to perform a series of strange and seemingly humiliating tasks. His obedience was startling, as if his own will had been stolen from him. Naofumi, who had personally felt the effects of a Cursed Series weapon that Itsuki had used, could only speculate that the forbidden power had caused some sort of curse that had taken over the Bow Hero's mind and body.

"…What is wrong with him?" Shirou asked.

"I have had several healers look at him. It seems to be some kind of curse," Mirellia said.

The queen confirmed this theory, noting that the curse had robbed Itsuki of his volition. The word, meaning the capacity for humans to initiate actions based on internal decision and motivation, seemed to describe Itsuki's condition perfectly. The Bow Hero appeared to have lost his sense of self and was now merely a shell, following orders without question. It was a disturbing sight, one that left even Naofumi, who had seen much in his travels, uneasy.

Rishia gazed at the Bow Hero, her mind struggling to process the sight before her. Her sentiments towards Itsuki were complex, but she had never envisioned him descending to such depths. The justice-obsessed, overzealous monster he had once been seemed preferable to this hollow shell of a man. At least the former Itsuki could be despised, a small measure of satisfaction derived from it.

After they had defeated him in the last Wave, she had expressed pity towards the Bow Hero. But now, she felt neither hatred nor pity towards him. Instead, a profound sense of sadness enveloped her. It was an emotion that left her disoriented, unsure of how to grapple with it.

"…In other words, Itsuki is now more or less like an automaton, doing whatever someone tells him to do," Shirou summed it up. "Now what?"

"If it wasn't for the fact that summoning a new Holy Hero can only be done if all the Legendary Heroes are dead, I would have put him to death," Mirellia stated. There was neither hate nor spite in her words. She was only stating facts, looking at the situation objectively and the long list of the Bow Hero's crimes.

"And if a Holy Hero dies, the Waves will become more frequent and dangerous," Naofumi added.

The queen nodded. "As such, it behooves no one to kill the Bow Hero. I had briefly contemplated using him as a hidden piece on the board. Considering his current state, he would follow orders without question. The problem is that he follows the orders of everyone, and because Slave Crests and Curse Seals can't be applied to a Holy or Seven Star Hero, that's unfortunately not an option."

"Question, if I may?" Rishia spoke up. "Will Itsuki-sama stay like this?"

"No. My healers have assured me that the curse will go away over time. Much like how you normally recover from a wound," Mirellia answered. "However, they weren't able to give me an approximate time frame for his recovery. Until that time that he has recovered, he will remain here. What happens after that is yet to be decided. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, the Bow Hero died in the last Wave. That's the narrative we are going with, anyway."

At those words, Rishia lowered her head. Her former party members, captured or dead. The Hero who she had followed, imprisoned and a shell of his former self. This was truly the end of this particular chapter of her life, a chapter that would leave scars on her for however long she was alive.

She should have felt relieved. And she was. But she felt equally sad. It was odd mishmash of feelings.

A hand – calloused, warm and comforting – fell on her shoulder.

"You alright?"

Rishia looked up, making eye contact with Shirou. Behind him everyone looked at her with concern. Even Atla, her rival, still managed to convey care and concern for her even with her eyes closed.

She wiped a single tear stinging at the edge of her eye away. "I am. Let's go. I don't like it down here."

"I can agree to that," Naofumi grumbled.

As one, the queen and the party of the Shield Hero filed out of the room, leaving the Bow Hero to his well-deserved fate.


Over the course of two weeks, they all remained busy with the arduous task of reconstructing the once-thriving Lurolona village. As time progressed, the reconstruction effort gained speed, thanks in large part to the increasing number of Gladiator Slaves returning from other areas of Melromarc. Each of these returning warriors provided much-needed assistance, and by the end of the two-week period, all 200 of them had arrived and were actively participating in the village's restoration.

Despite the pressing need to rebuild, Naofumi recognized the importance of providing the Gladiator Slaves with suitable accommodations. He oversaw the construction of a barracks at the village's edge, right where the road flowed into the heart of the community. It was essential to ensure that these 200 warriors had a warm and comfortable place to sleep at night, and as their caretaker, Naofumi saw to it that this need was met at the earliest opportunity.

The few adult survivors of the village did what they could to help in the rebuilding efforts, but their attention was largely focused on the 350 demi-human children who had become the heart of Lurulona village's populace. The children required constant care, and the adults were dedicated to providing it.

As the night fell, Raphtalia, Sadeena, Elrasla, and Naofumi gathered around a small fire at the edge of the village for an impromptu discussion. The stars twinkled above, but the warmth of the flames kept the cold at bay. The village was mostly quiet, with the majority of its inhabitants asleep.

Raphtalia turned to Sadeena and asked, "How was it tonight?"

"Better, but still not good," Sadeena said with a sigh. "I can say with confidence that no child here came away from their time as slaves without some mental scars. The severity varies, however."

Sadeena, in addition to helping with the village's reconstruction and fishing for food, had taken charge of the children's welfare. Her easygoing demeanor and dependability had quickly made her a favorite amongst the children who called her 'onee-san' wherever she went. But, despite her efforts, the emotional scars from their time as slaves still lingered in all the children to varying degrees

Naofumi eyed Elrasla. "Old lady, in your professional opinion, could any of these children be able to fight in the near future?"

"Demi-human children are more hardy than human children by their very nature. And considering their ability to age as they Level, the problem won't be physical, especially not with your magic and potions having taken care of any problems on that end," Elrasla answered, all business for once. "Much like the Holy Saint suspects, the problem will be a mental one. At this point, I suspect that only half of the demi-human children here will be able to pick up a weapon any time soon. Of that half, the need for encouragement and assistance will vary too."

In spite of the heavy topic of conversation, the fire continued to crackle away merrily.

"The best way forwards, I think, will be to show the proper example," Elrasla added. "Take those children who are the most capable of dealing with the rigors of combat both mentally and physically and who are willing to do so. Have them Level up, make them strong, and show the others that they can do it too. Combine that with continued care in the meantime, and I am sure more and more will be willing to set out on the path of the warrior."

"But not all of them," Naofumi said.

"Not all of them," Elrasla affirmed. To believe otherwise was just wishful thinking.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Raphtalia sighed. "Those that can't or are unwilling to fight can learn other skills. Potion making, accessory crafting, blacksmithing. They can still aid the cause."

Everybody understood that rebuilding Lurulona village was not just a charity project. The main duty of the Heroes was to prepare for the Waves of Calamity. Thus, Naofumi had to ensure that the actions taken in rebuilding the village would foster a small private army capable of meeting the Waves, and a consistent source of income to finance their activities. However, this was not a one-sided deal. The residents of the village would gain the ability to defend themselves or learn a useful skill to support themselves. As long as they contributed to the goal of meeting the Waves, it was a fair proposition. Naofumi had no intention of forcing anyone to fight, but he saw the benefits for everyone in the village if they worked together towards a common goal.

"We haven't worked much on getting stronger the last two weeks."

Elrasla's fingers tapped against the log upon which she sat, a small sign of her irritation. It had been two weeks since they had focused on getting stronger, their time entirely occupied by the village's reconstruction. Although her annoyance was palpable, she realized the necessity of putting off their usual routine of training and Leveling.

Naofumi let out a deep sigh. The itch at the back of his mind was a constant reminder that they had not been prioritizing their training. "I have been thinking about that as well," he admitted. "But the queen has assured me that we should be able to make up the lost time soon."

Elrasla nodded in agreement. "I have participated in the Activation Event a couple of times in my life. Combined with the inherent bonus to EXP that Holy Heroes and their companions receive, catching up to where we should have been Level-wise shouldn't be an issue."

Raphtalia chimed in, "And with the next Wave over a month away, we still have time to prepare." The last wave had arrived relatively quickly, but this time they had the luxury of a longer timeframe to plan and train.

The group discussed a variety of topics, ranging from personal issues to practical matters related to their ongoing efforts in the village. As they talked, Raphtalia's raccoon ears twitched minutely, alerting her to the distant sound of hooves pounding the dirt road. She paused for a moment, straining to hear the noise more clearly.

"Someone is coming."

Shortly after, a couple horses emerged from the darkness, their steady trod becoming increasingly audible as they drew closer. As the horses drew near, it became clear that they were carrying a Hero and his party.

"Ren," Naofumi greeted as the Sword Hero gracefully dismounted from his horse.

"It's good to see you again, Naofumi," Ren replied. Behind him, his companions - Isaac, Garet, Mia and Ivan - also dismounted, quickly securing their horses to a nearby beam before joining the discussion around the fire.

Naofumi's eyes flicked to Isaac, one of Ren's party members, as he spoke. "And? How did it go?" he asked, his tone betraying his curiosity about their hometown visit.

Isaac cleared his throat and spoke up on behalf of the group. "The visit to our hometown was thankfully uneventful," he said with a hint of relief in his voice. "Our family and friends were perfectly fine. As far as we can tell, the king spoke the truth when he said that the threats he made to us for our compliance, specifically the ones aimed at our family and friends, were just empty threats. He never had any intention of following up on them."

The companions of the Sword Hero all hailed from the village of Vale, a place known for its concentration of families with exceptional magical abilities who had pledged loyalty to the royal family of Melromarc. However, delving into the circumstances that had led to such a unique community was a tale best reserved for a future occasion.

"Good to hear," was the genuine response.

Mia interjected politely, her light blue hair flickering in the light of the fire. "If I may ask, what has Spear Hero-sama been doing while we were away?" Ren and Naofumi's group had split up to attend to different tasks, with Ren accompanying his party back to their hometown, and Naofumi overseeing the reconstruction of Lurolona village, but what the Spear Hero had been up to escaped her.

Sadeena let out a loud chortle. "They've decided to make a head start on working off Bitch's debt. Good luck to them, it's going to take at least a decade to make any appreciable dent in that debt."

Garet's massive shoulders shook with barely repressed amusement. "I still can't believe you renamed the former princess Bitch," he muttered.

Amused snorts echoed around the fire, and Naofumi spoke up with a hint of satisfaction. "It's one of my proudest moments."

Raphtalia's brow twitched at his unheroic attitude, and Isaac added with a smile, "I guess you could say karma is a bitch, but that wouldn't be appropriate with her new name."

Ivan nodded in agreement with a grin on his face.

As the conversation around the fire pit continued, the group eventually returned to more pressing matters. Ren brought up the Activation Event, which was scheduled to take place the following week.

Elrasla confirmed the details, explaining that the event would be held in the Cal Mira archipelago and that they planned to depart just as it began. Ren's eagerness for the event was palpable, prompting several raised eyebrows from the group. While it was understandable to be excited about the opportunity, the extent of Ren's enthusiasm caught them off guard.

Noticing their reaction, Ren quietly switched to another Weapon Form. The Weapon Form in question was odd. It still had the shape of a sword, but the Legendary Sword now looked to be made entirely out of tightly bound rope.

Naofumi instantly recognized it for what it was. "The Companion Series," he said with a grin.

Ren nodded. "I unlocked it a little while ago, actually."

"I see where you are going with this," Sadeena chuckled. "You want to reset the Levels of your companions. Then, by using the Activation Event to your advantage, you want to Level them back up as quickly as possible. That way, they can gain the full advantage of the higher Stat growth," she said. It wasn't difficult for her to figure out. She was planning to do the exact same thing, after all.

The conversation persisted for a while longer, but with the lateness of the hour, it wasn't long before everyone began to retire. It was decided that the Sword Hero and his party would be joining Lurolona village from that day forward.


"Shirou-sama? You in there? I'm coming in."

Atla pushed open the door. Though it creaked loudly, Shirou did not raise his head from his work. He was sat at a worktable, a sodalite gem placed in front of him. Magical energy and Life Force streamed from his hands into the gem in question as he painstakingly enchanted it. He was so absorbed in his work that he hadn't even heard Atla entering the room.

Knowing that interrupting now would probably ruin the gem, Atla patiently waited. It didn't take long before Shirou was finished. He placed the finished Item Box gem on a large pile of them to his right and reached for another sodalite gem from a pile on his left.

"Shirou-sama, I think that's quite enough work for now."

Atla's hand closed around his wrist, finally alerting him to the demi-human girl's presence.

"Atla?" Shirou blinked. "Sorry, I hadn't heard you coming in."

"Clearly. You have been at this for too long, Shirou-sama," Atla chided. "I understand that you want to have a bunch of Item Box gems ready for when we go to the Cal Mira archipelago. That way, we can maximize our profits. However, that's no excuse to work yourself to death. There is still plenty of time before the Activation Event. You should take a break."

"I, no, I understand what you are saying, Atla, but," Shirou began.

"How about a spar, Shirou-sama?"

Only to pause at that sudden suggestion.

"I'm kind of worried about what we will face at Cal Mira. I want to get all the training in that I can before we go, to assure myself," Atla said.

Shirou immediately saw through her words, but he understood that she had lied out of concern for him. He relented and stood up, only to wince in pain as his leg and lower back muscles tightened. Atla chuckled fondly and expressed her exasperation before taking matters into her own hands. Using Life Force, she worked on the trouble spots and within no time, the pain disappeared.

"Thank you, Atla," Shirou said gratefully.

"Of course, Shirou-sama. Now, let's go. I'm eager to show you how much I've improved," Atla declared. Due to previous circumstances, she had missed the opportunity to showcase her abilities in the last Wave, and now she was determined to make up for it.

A little while later the duo had made their way behind the ruined remains of the previous lord Seaetto's mansion, close to the cliff overlooking the sea. It was just past midday, and in the distance the sound of the ongoing reconstruction could still be heard. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and even though the sun was shining brightly, a refreshing breeze coming from the sea kept things cool.

"Rules?" Shirou asked as they faced each other, idly doing some stretches.

"Hand-to-hand. Life Force is allowed, but magic is not. Everything else goes," was Atla's response as an eager battle hungry grin came over her face.

The rules were about what Shirou expected. If both went all out, he would probably overpower Atla in short order thanks to his much higher Level and the sheer range of spells he could employ. This way, he didn't run the risk of seriously hurting her and they could have a nice clean bout where they both could show off their stuff.

On an unspoken signal, Atla leaned forwards. Her tail grew ridged behind her and her feline ears perked up even as her battle hungry smile widened, showing off her sharp canines.

Shirou responded in kind. Instead of closing his hand around the hilt of his sword, he instead leaned forward to meet Atla, firmly twisting his heels as he dug his feet into the grass for extra purchase.

"…!"

Atla exploded forwards, kicking up a spray of dirt behind her as Life Force surged through her muscles, elevating her physical abilities beyond what those of her Level should have been capable of. Even as she did that, she flicked the fingers of her left hand towards him three times, launching three minute and nigh invisible ripples of Life Force at him.

Shirou's sharp eyes could pick them out, however, and the second the ripples of Life Force got close, he swiped all three ripples out of the air with his own Life Force empowered backhand.

No sooner had he done that and Atla was already on him. Leaping with all the swiftness of a tiger, she launched a devastating straight punch at his chest. A blow that he caught. However, the moment his fingers closed around her fist, Atla used his own grip against it by using it as a fulcrum, twisting her body as she brought up her right leg up only to bring it down in his shoulder full force.

Shirou raised his other limb in response, catching the downwards kick on his forearm with a heavy sound of impact. Having successfully defended himself, he seized Atla with both hands and threw her over his shoulder.

Twisting rapidly in midair and showing impressive dexterity, she came down on her feet, even as she slid back for a moment from the momentum imparted by Shirou's throw. As soon as she managed to kill that momentum, however, she twisted her heel and launched right back at him. Her fingers flicked rapidly as she fired a deluge of hard to see ripples of Life Force at him even as she closed the distance to get back into melee range.

Shirou surprised her by not bothering to defend and rushing straight at her in response. The ripples of Life Force struck true, but neither seemed to hurt or stagger him. Both reared back and punched.

CRACK!

Their knuckles met with a noise that would have made one think that the bones in their hands had shattered on impact. The smile on Shirou's face and the battle hungry grin on Atla's would disabuse one of that notion.

CRACK!-CRACK!-CRUNCH-CRACK!-CRUNCH!-CRUNCH!-CRACK!

A high speed exchange of blows followed, loud impacts resounding as limbs met each other in a dance of combat. It ended with Shirou's and Atla's fists meeting yet again.

But then Atla surprised him. A mere millisecond after making contact, Atla withdrew all strength and allowed Shirou to push her back. Shirou's fist pushed forward, his upper body following along as he was all of a sudden dangerously overextended. Stepping aside and forwards with such simplicity and speed that made it appear as but a single movement, Atla managed to get deep into his guard.

Jab. Jab. Jab.

Instead of a fist packed with Life Force being driven home into his belly, Atla instead rapidly jabbed him multiple times in the chest with her pointer finger.

"…!"

Shirou would have preferred the fist. The Life Force empowered jabs, having hit and closed multiple of his pressure points, made it feel like white hot stakes were being driven into him. However, he was used to pain. First from his erroneous practice of magecraft before coming to this world and from the rigor and injuries sustained during combat.

As such, he didn't falter or slow down as he pushed his left leg down for purchase and his right leg shot up to knee Atla in the face.

Again, she surprised him. Doing a short jump, she planted her sandal clad left foot on his knee even as it shot upwards. Using the force of it to her advantage, she launched herself away from him.

"Hengen Musou, Hidden Technique: Bullet!"

Determined to not let Atla get away scot-free, Shirou's fists punched empty air and fired a single 'bullet' after her. The 'bullet' overtook her as she twisted in midair and before she would have come down, but the unique way in which she perceived the world once again proved to be an advantage.

Atla spun like a top in the air and kicked the 'bullet' just as it reached her, destroying it. She landed on her hands and knees, like a predator. That predator didn't hesitate to once again rush headlong at her prey again.

"Hengen Musou, Hidden Technique: Life Return!"

Just before they were to clash yet again, Atla restored her swiftly depleting stamina.

CRACK!-CRACK!-CRUNCH-CRACK!-CRUNCH!-CRUNCH!-CRACK!

Another fierce exchange of blows followed. In spite of his greater reach, higher body mass and superior Stats, Shirou truly found himself being hard-pressed in this battle. In spite of her limited combat experience, her mastery of Hengen Musou, sheer talent and battle instincts made Atla a terror to fight, especially in close quarters.

Just like that, they trained the afternoon away, exchanging blows and smiles the entire way.


A week later, a large wooden boat drifted into port at the freshly reconstructed dock at Lurolona Village. The boat in question was huge, sporting three separate masts and sails. Though Naofumi was by no means an expert, he suspected that the boat in question was every bit as big as a galleon in his own world, though this boat was a passenger ship, not a warship.

It was this ship that would take them to the Cal Mira archipelago.

Besides him, Sadeena gave an impressed whistle. They were on the cliff overlooking the sea, together with a good chunk of the village's residents who had turned up to watch the ship's arrival.

"When asked, the queen certainly delivers," Sadeena commented.

"The queen has never been anything other but true to her word," Naofumi responded. Anyone who knew the Shield Hero was well aware that was a ringing endorsement coming from him. "More importantly, Sadeena, how are you feeling?"

"Worried about little old me? You shouldn't be, little Naofumi," Sadeena tittered. "I'm made from sterner stuff than most. Having your Level reset takes a lot out of you, but I'll manage. Personally, I'm raring to go and get my Level back up again."

The day before they had visited the Dragon Hourglass in the capital. There, they performed the ritual to reset the Levels of Sadeena, Rishia, H'aanit, Ren's party members and all the Gladiator Slaves back to Level 1. Some took the loss of power well, like Rishia, Sadeena and H'aanit, but in general the Gladiator Slaves and Ren's party members damn near collapsed from exhaustion/weakness after having their Levels reset.

But now that said ordeal was done and over with, with the power of the Companion Series and the Slave User Series, all of them would by an order of magnitude more powerful as soon as they had Leveled back up. Now, it was just a question of caution and time.

And the Activation Event was the perfect opportunity to do so.

The Cal Mira archipelago is a location that experiences an activation period every ten years, during which an experience bonus is granted at a rate that is roughly double the standard value. During this time, monsters that engage in the typical process of killing others of their kind and Leveling up have their life cycle accelerated and shortened, resulting in an explosion in the monster population. They also breed at an accelerated rate, further contributing to the increase in the number of monsters. Adventurers, governments, and other interested parties capitalize on this period to increase their Levels.

The Shield Hero, Sword Hero, their parties, H'aanit, 200 Gladiator Slaves and roughly a 100 of Lurolona village's children that had jumped at the chance to go out and Level would travel to the Cal Mira archipelago to take part in the Activation Event. The ship that would take them had been privately chartered by the queen on the request of Naofumi. The other 250 demi-human children would remain in Lurolona village.

The Spear Hero and his party would also go to the Activation Event, but with another ship.

Thankfully, with it having become apparent that Siltvelt no longer had any intention of invading, the general forces of Melromarc had been withdrawn from the border. This allowed the queen to station a battalion's worth of soldiers, 500 men, to guard Lurolona village in their absence.

This wasn't done purely out of the goodness of the queen's heart either. Lurolona village and the territory it resided in had been set up in the past as part of a peace initiative between Melromarc and Siltvelt. The village/territory had been explicitly meant to house demi-humans in favorable conditions in order to show Siltvelt that Melromarc and its ruling monarch were serious about wanting peace. Unfortunately, the destruction of the village and its territory during the first Wave of Calamity and the mass enslavement of its populace had wrecked this effort almost beyond repair. Now that the peace initiative might yet have a chance at succeeding, the queen had no intention of allowing an oversight on her part to let it fail.

"Let's go already! I'm really curious what adult me looks like!" behind Naofumi and Sadeena, Keel stood at the head of the horde of 100 demi-human children that would be accompanying them to the Cal Mira archipelago, impatiently stamping one of his feet. Beside him stood Wyndia, looking equally as anxious to go. Naofumi had more or less mentally classified them as the representatives of the children of Lurolona village.

The Shield Hero loudly snorted. "That ship isn't going anywhere without us on it, you brats. That said, everything has been taken care of, so we don't need to wait anymore. Go on ahead and board."

With a raucous cheer, a hundred pair of feet stamped the ground as the demi-human children ran off.

"You lot," Naofumi turned his head towards the 200 Gladiator Slaves clustered to the side. "Keep an eye on those brats, would you? I'm counting on you to make sure all of them are onboard that ship before we leave."

"Yes, sir!" the Gladiator Slaves saluted him and left to do as ordered.

A couple hours later, just around noon, the ship would leave dock and head towards the Cal Mira archipelago, carrying with it Heroes to Gladiator Slaves and everything in between.


Thankfully, the Cal Mira archipelago was not situated all that far from Melromarc's mainland. Though the sea would prove to be rather turbulent, their voyage lasted only four days thanks to a favorable wind. On the fifth day, the main island of the Cal Mira archipelago came into view.

As they traveled the weather became noticeably warmer over time. By the time they arrived, you could almost call the conditions tropical. It fit, as Cal Mira was famous as a holiday resort. Besides the warm and pleasant weather conditions year round, the archipelago also boasted many tourist attractions, restaurants and hotels. The pure white beaches surrounding the islands of the archipelago were filled every day of the year with tourists on holiday.

Many of their number had been out on the deck of the ship as they came into port. The port city that they were approaching cut a picturesque scene. For Naofumi, the entire scene reminded him of the few pictures he had seen online of Mallorca, an island in the Mediterranean that belonged to Spain.

"Urp."

Not everyone could appreciate the view, however. And that small unfortunate group only contained the Sword Hero, who was collapsed on the deck and being fussed over by Mia while the rest of his party stood by awkwardly. Apparently, Ren got violently seasick easily.

The rough voyage had not been pleasant for the Sword Hero.

"How come you – urp – aren't sick – urp – Naofumi?" Ren questioned, looking to be on the verge of throwing up.

The Shield Hero shrugged. "I don't think I have ever gotten motion sickness before."

"Lucky – urp – bastard."

"Relax. Land is already in sight. Just keep it in for half an hour longer, would you? I believe in you!" the Shield Hero gave the Sword Hero a thumbs up.

"Bastard!" Ren repeated, detecting the sass for what it was.

Much to the Sword Hero's relief, Naofumi had misjudged the remaining time necessary to reach the docks. In a little less than fifteen minutes, the ship arrived at its destination.

The Shield Hero's and Sword Hero's parties were the only ones to disembark, with the others electing to remain aboard for a short while longer. As per the queen's recommendation before their departure, they would first meet with the person responsible for managing the Cal Mira archipelago and discuss the particulars of their visit. After that they would take their little burgeoning army to wherever it was that they would be staying.

"Welcome! Welcome! Legendary Heroes and their retinues!"

Luckily, the person in question was already at the dock, set up and ready to greet them.

"I oversee the islands of the Cal Mira archipelago on the command of the queen. You may call me the Earl of Habenburg."

An aging man with a receding hairline lowered his head in a respectful bow. He wore an unusual ensemble of a military uniform and business suit, and his features were defined by a sharp countenance, small, intense eyes, and a well-maintained goatee that covered his chin.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Naofumi greeted back.

The Earl of Habenburg smiled. "Now that you are here, I will tell you a little bit about our lovely islands."

Naofumi's cheek twitched. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the Shield Hero did think that this man had a similar air to an tour guide, but they hadn't come to these islands as tourists. He was about to say as much, only for the Earl of Habenburg to continue.

"I understand that you all didn't come here in order to hear our oral traditions," he said. "However, I'd still implore you all to listen to what I have to say. The Heroes have trained here on the Cal Mira islands since time immemorial. The Heroes of the past even left something behind for their successors to find whenever they were to come here."

Naofumi and Ren shared a look as their parties murmured in interest amongst themselves. With a nod, they acquiesced.

They followed after the Earl of Habenburg as the man in question explained all there was to know about the Cal Mira archipelago, gesticulating wildly. On very short notice, they found themselves in a large open marketplace. In the center of the bustling market stood a huge totem pool. It consisted of a penguin, rabbit, squirrel and dog stacked on top of each other. Oddly enough, all the animals in question wore Santa hats and all bore their own distinct tools. It was an odd sight.

"These are the four pioneers that brought prosperity to our islands: Pekkul, Usauni, Risuka and Inult. The previous Heroes were the one's who named these creatures, these monsters," Habenburg said. "After developing the islands, they moved onto other, unknown lands. They have not been seen since."

Naofumi found the thought of pioneering monsters odd. But as he knew a bird-like monster that could change into a little girl and that enjoyed lugging a heavy carriage around, he supposed it wasn't all that strange for this world.

"And now, I would like to show you this."

The Earl of Habenburg walked up to a small stone pillar beside the totem pole. He placed his hand a top it and turned towards them.

"This pillar bears an inscription left to us from the Four Legendary Heroes."

Ren's eyes darted to and fro as he read the inscription on the pillar. Or at least tried to. The Hero of the Sword frowned. "This isn't a language I'm familiar with."

Habenburg frowned as well. That wasn't what he had been expecting.

"…These are Magical Letters," Naofumi stated in realization.

Even as he said it, however, the Shield Hero recognized these Magical Letters as different to the ones he was used to.

Usually, Magical Letters changed what they said based on the one reading it. Raphtalia would be able to read a grimoire on Light and Shadow magic, because her Element and Origin were compatible. But if he himself were to try and read that grimoire, the translation would be just gibberish. Raphtalia could read it, understand it, and then perform spells based on what she'd read.

There was another variant of Magical Letters, however. A variant that he had read about, but not yet encountered for himself. The Magical Letters upon this pillar were made to be read by anyone, but if you weren't ready magically to use the information then and there, then the inscription would become illegible. These Magical Letters reacted to your innate magical ability.

"You can read this, Naofumi?" Ren asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah. After all that nonsense at the start of coming to this world, I studied magic the old fashioned way. Learning magic was one of the main advantages I had," Naofumi said.

Two other advantages he had exploited to the hilt had been the discovery of the Legendary Shield's Stat growth adjustment ability early on and Shirou's ability to quickly and easily recover a bunch of Strengthening Methods. Those three things combined had been enough for him to pull ahead of all the other Heroes.

The Shield Hero walked up to the pillar and kneeled down to read it.

"I am the Hero of the Shield that commands the origin of power! I have read, deciphered and augmented a law of nature! May the power of nature reinforce my target!"

"Zweite Aura!"

Without turning to look back, Naofumi targeted Filo with the spell. A soft, transparent magical energy field suffused her. Filo blinked.

The Shield Hero checked Filo's Stats in his Menu. His eyes widened.

"Holy. All her Stats have been buffed."

"Wait. Seriously? All of her Stats? Is such a useful buff spell even a thing?" Ren blinked.

"Aura. I think I read about such a spell once," Rishia said. "Only Heroes can learn the Aura spell."

"…I guess that this makes all other buff spells obsolete now, doesn't it?" Shirou added with a chuckle.

Naofumi had to agree. As soon as he had empowered the Aura spell with the Magic Rank Strengthening Method, it would leave all other Enhancement Magic in the dust. He would get right on that as soon as they were done here.

And to think that he had wanted to avoid this little tour at first. Maybe going sightseeing every once in a while wasn't such a bad idea.

"Too bad Ren-sama can't learn it," Ivan said.

"To be fair, he would probably gain another spell instead of Aura if he could read this inscription," Mia said. These Magical Letters also acted in accordance with your Element and Origin.

"…I guess studying magic is in my near future," Ren sighed. With the Magic Rank Strengthening Method as of yet unused by him on account of the fact that he didn't know any spells, he had already been planning to study magic. This revelation only moved up his timetable in that regard.

"You don't sound enthusiastic about that, Ren-sama," Isaac commented.

"I'm just not a fan of studying."

After coming to this world of fantasy and Stats, the Sword Hero had assumed that he had left behind boring things like study and school. Apparently, he had been dead wrong on that account.

Ren was not pouting. He wasn't. And anyone who said otherwise was lying.

He studiously ignored the amused looks going around.


The queen was not only efficient, but also conscientious in her preparations. She had wasted no time in securing a large former castle on the main island of the Cal Mira archipelago, which would serve as their main base of operations during the Activation Event. The castle had been converted into a luxury hotel, boasting enough rooms to comfortably accommodate their entire burgeoning army.

Within a short period of time, they had settled into their new lodging and were now bustling about in the courtyard, preparing. Knowing that prolonged interactions between the groups could potentially cause friction, the queen had made arrangements for the Spear Hero and his party to stay in a separate location in the meantime.

"…"

Fifty squads had been formed, each comprised of four Gladiator Slaves and two demi-human children, who had banded together for safety and support. The children had been carefully selected and assigned to their respective squads. Rishia, Sadeena, H'aanit, Isaac, Garet, Mia, and Ivan had all been reset to Level 1 and were dispersed among the squads.

All those squads were now lined up, ready and waiting. The Shield Hero stood before them with his arms crossed and with his party members sans Rishia behind him. The Sword Hero stood beside him.

"Okay, listen up!" Naofumi boomed. "You all know the plan. We will disperse out amongst the islands and participate in the Activation Event, getting our Levels up as high as possible. In order to maximize our profits, we will be making use of the Item Box gem. I trust that everyone has their Item Box gem on hand?"

All of the squad leaders proudly displayed the Item Box gems they had been entrusted with. Their mission was clear: collect as much loot as possible during their expeditions and bring it back to either the Shield Hero or the Sword Hero. With the use of the Drop Item function of their Legendary Weapons, the heroes would generate a vast amount of wealth and useful items. The squad leaders were well aware of the importance of their role and the impact it would have on the success of the Activation Event.

"The eight of us," Naofumi indicated himself, Ren and the party members behind him. "Will be leading you lot into battle at first, until you all have gained enough Levels that you won't need us anymore to hold your hands. As soon as that point is reached, every squad will be allowed to go out on their own. You will stick with us untill told otherwise. Understood?"

A universal salute was his answer.

"Good! Now, let's get to it! Success, everyone!"

OOR-AH!

Much like the earlier salute, a universal cheer of optimism greeted his words.


Next chapter and all that. I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Please tell me what you think in your review. Stay tuned until the next chapter!