by Aneko Yusagi
“Of course, Mother and I have already coordinated with the more powerful nobles to address any issues here in Melromarc. All of the major issues have been resolved, officially speaking,” Melty added.
“You mean other than your big sister and the Church of the Three Heroes members, right?” I said.
Melty nodded.
“The extent of my sister’s foolishness amazes me. To think she would cause so much trouble . . .” she said.
“You’re telling me,” I grumbled.
She was still missing, along with Itsuki’s other companions. Not to mention, I’d heard that the one who was always wearing the gaudy armor was actually Melromarc nobility. Who knew what kind of shady business they might have secretly been up to. But they hadn’t caused any new problems yet. I hoped not, anyway. It wouldn’t have surprised me one bit if they tried to pull something off while I was gone.
“You plan on coming back regularly, right?” Melty asked.
“That’s the plan. You should keep an eye out and be prepared to protect yourself from attackers too,” I said.
There was no guarantee that attacks would be limited to the village. Melty and I might have argued a lot, but I was rather fond of her. She was reasonable, unlike her sister, and she had a strong sense of duty. She had a bit of a temper when interacting with me, but that was only natural considering her age. In fact, it would’ve been hard for me to come up with something I really disliked about her. So I certainly didn’t want to see her getting hurt as a result of one of my problems.
“I know that,” she replied.
“I’m counting on you to take care of scheduling while I’m gone too. We need to have Ren and Itsuki go to the Cal Mira islands soon so that they can work on getting their curses healed.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, I was thinking. Why don’t we demote Eclair and make you the governor of this town instead?” I suggested.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Really. Eclair might be useful in battle, but she’s still stuck in the mindset of being a knight. I don’t have time to wait for her to grow up. I’d feel a lot better having someone in charge that I can already trust to manage the place. You, in other words.”
“Y-you really think that?”
Melty blushed. I’d only stated the facts. I guess she might not have been used to being complimented. Her mom was the queen, after all. She’d probably received a really strict upbringing too, since her sister had turned out so rotten.
Now that I thought about it, Melty was still just a child, even though I treated her like I would a close friend around my own age. Praising her a little bit every now and then might have been good for her motivation.
“I do. I figure you could even succeed the queen and manage to make things work somehow,” I told her.
“Well, then. I had no idea you thought of me that way, Naofumi,” she replied.
Melty seemed to be in a better mood now. I guess she was the type that benefitted from a little praise after all. Then again, Melty would probably do just fine being scolded too, but that was just because she was the kind of person who never gave up. It would probably be best to just give her plenty of compliments to keep her motivation high. She wasn’t the type to let it go to her head, after all.
“That settles it then. You’re in charge while I’m gone,” I said.
“Understood!” Melty replied.
She was full of enthusiasm all of a sudden. It was hard to believe she was the same person who had fired off that magical attack at me just yesterday.
In any case, the territory would probably be fine while I was gone now. At the very least, it would be a lot better off than if I’d left it in the hands of Eclair, who had yet to achieve anything at all as governor. There’s probably no need to mention that Eclair gave me a really nasty look when I saw her afterward.
“Alright, we should probably head out soon. I can expect a carriage to be waiting for us there, right?” I asked.
“That’s what we discussed, but that was only yesterday. Whether it’s actually there or not, you’ll have to see for yourself once you get there,” Melty replied.
“Alright. Filo, let’s head out.”
“Okaaay!”
Filo nodded cheerfully. She was going to be pulling the carriage in her top condition. Raphtalia had gotten used to it, but I was worried about the others.
“Alright, Filo, they have a carriage ready for us where we’re going. I’m going to take everyone and then you’ll transport us, just like I mentioned before,” I said.
“Okay! A carriaaaage!” she exclaimed.
Yeah, I’d made her a promise. Thankfully we’d decided it could be a cheap carriage.
Filo looked up at me abruptly.
“Is that supposed to be the carriage you promised?” she asked.
I had a feeling she was going to start whining if I nodded, but whatever.
“That’s right. It’s a cheap one, but just deal with it,” I said.
“Nooo! I want a better carriaaaage! I want a better one than befoooore! Get me a neeeew one!” she cried.
Filo hadn’t had a carriage she really liked ever since Motoyasu stole her old one.
“Stop complaining. If you do a good job I’ll get you a good one,” I said.
“Ugh . . . I’ll do my beeeessst!” she shouted.
Filo had had a string of misfortunes lately, so I’d been thinking about doing something nice for her anyway. I’d get her a better carriage after we took care of this mess.
That’s what I was thinking as I walked back to where I’d left Raphtalia, but when I got there . . .
“Imitation Hengen Muso Secret Technique! First Form! Sun!” Atla shouted.
“Oh hey, Mr. Naofumi,” Raphtalia said.
She called out to me despite being in the midst of a fierce battle with Atla. Rishia had shown up out of nowhere and was watching the two fight, along with Eclair, Ren, and Fohl. They all had looks of shock on their faces.
“Fehhh . . . Why are you able to do that, Atla?” Rishia asked.
“The old lady said she was a natural, right?” I replied.
“Ugh . . . The rest of us are putting everything we have into our training, yet all she has to do is be close and she can do it?” Fohl grumbled.
He shouldn’t be so bitter! Hers was just an imitation of the real technique, so there was a good possibility that she hadn’t learned it perfectly. Actually, Raphtalia was able to deal with the attacks successfully. But she had been sparring with Atla for quite some time now, so she’d probably improved quite a bit. I wanted to be able to see life force too. I was ready for enlightenment to hit me any time now.
“Oh?” said Sadeena.
I wondered when she had shown up.
“Something like this? That one’s a bit complicated. I think I’d have to rely on magic to mimic that technique,” she continued.
That reminded me. Sadeena could use magic to buff herself. Drifa Lightning Speed, was it? She could use Descent of the Thunder God too. If this were a manga, someone that used electricity like that could probably master the use of life force by thinking of it as electrical currents within the body or something. Sadeena could probably get the hang of it in no time.
“That’s enough practice for now. Let’s head out,” I said.
“Understood! Make haste, Raphtalia! Just how long do you intend to continue practicing?” Atla said.
“You’re one to speak! You’re the one that turned our practice into an all-out battle!” Raphtalia snapped.
She sure had it tough. I really wished Fohl would keep Atla under control.
“Fohl, don’t just let your little sister run amok. That only makes things hard on Raphtalia,” I said.
“Ugh . . .” Fohl grumbled.
Groaning wasn’t going to help anything.
“If anything happens, you’re in charge of helping Raphtalia stop her. Surely the two of you together can restrain her,” I continued.
“
I will overcome any obstacle that stands in my way!” Atla declared.
A commotion ensued when I told her to feel free to not overcome this obstacle.
“Anyway, it’s probably best if I take demi-humans with me since we’re going to Siltvelt. Raphtalia goes without saying. Then Sadeena . . . Filo is coming too, of course,” I said.
I thought about who else to take.
“I guess I’ll take Atla and Fohl too. But if it causes any kind of diplomatic issues, I want you to notify me of the situation immediately,” I continued.
I figured having them there could be useful.
“Of course we will! Right, Brother?” Atla said.
“Yeah. Putting one’s employer at a disadvantage after being paid is one thing a mercenary doesn’t do. Well, I guess it depends on the employer too, but I have no reason to feel differently as of now,” Fohl replied.
All said and done, Fohl seemed to actually understand how things were supposed to work. I guess it was just because of his sister that he was always on edge.
“I’m not sure taking a huge crowd would be a good idea, so that will probably do,” I said.
“Rafu?”
“Of course I’m taking Raph-chan too,” I added.
I picked Raph-chan up and hugged her. She’d finally gotten down off of Filo’s head.
“Hmph!”
Atla glared at Raph-chan for some reason.
“Don’t tell me you’re even jealous of Raph-chan. I’m sorry, but that’s crossing the line,” I told her.
Acting out against Raph-chan was unforgivable. I could accept her fighting with Raphtalia, since they were sparring opponents, but this was different.
“The power emanating from her has grown denser. She’s stronger than before,” Atla said.
“Raaafuuu!”
“Oh really?” I asked.
Raph-chan did seem to be doing something while she was up there on top of Filo’s head. Maybe the effects of raising her mutability were starting to show. I checked her stats.
“Oh? She has a level icon now,” I said.
“Rafuuu!”
Apparently there had been some kind of mutation that caused the leveling system to apply to Raph-chan too. That was fantastic! Forget about Filo — I wanted to level Raph-chan up and make her really powerful!
“Mr. Naofumi?” Raphtalia muttered.
“Anyway, standing around here talking isn’t going to get anything accomplished. We’ll be arriving in Siltvelt within the day, so I want all of you to be on your guard,” I said.
“Understood!” Atla exclaimed.
Her energy sure was impressive.
Chapter Three: Arrival in Siltvelt
After I finally got everyone teleported using my portal skill, we made our way to a nearby village, where we found a couple of therianthropes dressed in what looked like holy garb. They were standing in front of a covered carriage and looking around nervously. Could they have been the messengers sent for us? They were quick!
“I-it’s been a while,” one of them stammered.
He bowed his head when he saw me, but I just stood there confused. “Been a while”? Since what? I stood there looking at him and trying to figure out who he was. He must have realized I didn’t recognize him, because he stepped back with an air of humility and let the other therianthrope speak.
“You probably don’t remember us, but we approached you and invited you to come to Siltvelt with us several days after you first arrived in this world, Shield Hero,” he said.
“Ohhh . . .”
That was a time when I still considered anyone that approached me to be an enemy and didn’t really pay much attention to them. I guess these guys had approached me back then. I seemed to remember badmouthing them and refusing their offer.
“We received word from Melromarc that you needed a carriage. We hastily prepared this one for you on behalf of Siltvelt, but I offer my sincere apologies if the information we received was mistaken,” he continued.
“There’s no mistake. I’m just surprised you were able to prepare one so quickly,” I replied.
That was crazy fast. We’d only informed the queen yesterday. I’d have to ask what kind of communication channels they used later.
“Shall we provide you with protection during your journey?” the therianthrope asked.
“We’ve already decided our route, but you’re welcome to tag along,” I said.
“Understood,” he replied.
There was something about his demeanor, kind of like he’d sworn an oath of absolute allegiance to me. It made me feel uneasy.
“Alright, Filo, you’re going to pull this carriage,” I said.
“Okaaay!”
Filo seemed to be in a pretty good mood. She came forward to pull the carriage.
“Everyone else hurry up and get in the carriage—once we’ve checked it for traps, that is,” I continued.
“Because you can never be too careful, right? Impressive, as always, Mr. Naofumi! You never forget to keep your guard up when dealing with others, no matter how friendly they may seem!” Atla exclaimed.
What was with her? I’d started getting the urge to do exactly the opposite of whatever I’d just said when she made comments like that lately. I couldn’t help but feel like there was actually something wrong with what I was doing for her to respond like that.
“Well, being vigilant is indeed important,” Raphtalia agreed.
Good. I guess I wasn’t mistaken, after all.
“I’ll help check too,” Sadeena said.
“I’ll see to the checking. I’d appreciate if you’d stay out of my way, Sadeena,” Atla snapped.
“Oh my,” Sadeena replied.
Those two could detect objects using life force or ultrasonic waves, so they were handy to have around, I guess. I let them go on arguing and went ahead and checked the carriage myself.
Yeah, there didn’t seem to be much of anything inside. They probably figured I might get upset if they put anything unnecessary in the carriage. There didn’t seem to be anything fishy about the cover, either. All that was left was to check for magical trickery and make sure there was nothing strange hidden between the floorboards.
I was finishing up the check when Atla and Sadeena called out to me.
“I don’t sense anything particularly fishy,” Atla said.
“Neither do I,” added Sadeena.
“Got it. Alright, everyone in. Let’s get going and take care of our business in Siltvelt as quickly as possible,” I said.
Carriages sure were convenient for transporting large groups of people. Gaelion had insisted that he could pull a carriage, but I had to give Filo some love too — for a couple of days, at least.
Everyone started piling into the carriage. The Siltvelt emissaries raised an eyebrow when they saw Fohl and Atla, but I decided not to worry about it.
“Alright, let’s go!” I said.
“Oookaaay! Blast offff!” Filo shouted.
She gave a spirited nod and began pulling the carriage. She was moving pretty quickly.
“Ugh . . .”
Filo gripped the carriage shafts and groaned.
“What is it?” I asked.
I wondered if there was something odd that maybe only she could detect. We would need to be careful if it was a trap.
“Something is different about this woood,” she replied.
“It’s probably just a regional thing, don’t you think? I’m sure the carriage was made with trees from around here, after all,” I said.
“I think sooo,” she replied.
“Is Melromarc wood better or something?” I asked.
“Hm? They’re just different. It’s fine!”
“I see.”
And so our journey by carriage began. Everything was going fine for a while, but more and more people began gathering around the carriage as we got closer to Siltvelt. It started to look like a feudal lord’s procession or something.
Were they supposed to be prote
cting us? Why did it only look like they were gathering around us to keep us from getting away? Regardless, it probably would have been easy enough to escape using my portal. And then even the Siltvelt army showed up. It was clear they were taking this quite seriously.
“Maaasteeerrr, it’s getting hard to waaalk,” Filo complained.
“I bet it is. Just how big of a parade do they plan on turning this into?” I grumbled.
“Hey, that says ‘a very warm welcome,’” Fohl said.
He was reading a message written on a flag being carried by some townspeople walking along the road. Ugh . . . To be honest, a welcome of this magnitude just made me feel sick. I probably would have been delighted if I’d come here just after being summoned. But after having been put through the wringer here in this world, it just made my flesh crawl.
“Way to go, Siltvelt! I can tell this is a magnificent country by the way they worship you, Mr. Naofumi,” said Atla.
“We seem to have another adherent right here in the carriage,” I mumbled.
“A reception like this is only natural,” she replied.
Fohl looked at Atla with a really dubious look on his face. I’m sure I had the same expression on my face. Had we come to a country full of mass-produced Atla clones?
“Do we really have to go through this place, Sadeena?” asked Raphtalia.
“Even I wasn’t expecting this much. I guess you really are a hero after all, little Naofumi,” Sadeena replied.
I was surprised too. I was finally seeing with my own eyes just how much influence the heroes had. All of a sudden, I recalled something the queen had told me.
“First the princess and noble daughters would all demand audiences with you. The demi-human women would form a harem around you.”
With a welcome this enthusiastic, I had no doubt something like that might happen. Ugh, even the thought of it made me want to vomit.
Actually, I seemed to remember hearing something about a knight commander and several other adventurers—who’d picked fights with me—getting murdered even within Melromarc. And then, like a stud that had outlived its use . . .
“Poor Mr. Iwatani, stricken so suddenly by such a grave illness . . .”
