by Aneko Yusagi
“Beast Transformation Assist?”
I tried testing the skill, but it just gave me a message saying it couldn’t be used. Maybe certain conditions had to be met first or something. I had a good idea of what the “ability up” bonuses were. I tried checking the stats. That was strange. The values seemed unstable. They kept changing every time I looked at them. I couldn’t tell if they were high or low. What a strange shield.
Anyway, it seemed like a good idea to go ahead and unlock the abilities. This country worshipped the Shield Hero, so the weapon shop was probably full of shields I’d never seen too. There was a possibility I could increase my stats or pick up some new abilities, so I figured maybe I should drop in for a peek later.
“I wonder what ‘Territorial Reform’ is.”
I tried testing that one too, but a map just popped up on my screen and I had no idea what I was supposed to do. My territory in Melromarc seemed to be highlighted on the map, but it told me I was out of range when I tried to choose it. I guess I would try again later after I returned to the village.
“I wonder if I’m allowed to take a look around the castle.”
I knew I was a guest and was supposed to make myself at home, but maybe there were things they didn’t want anyone to see. There were places like that in the Melromarc castle, after all. Even I had enough sense to not go rummaging around in someone else’s castle.
But in RPGs, there was always stuff like treasure in castles, so I couldn’t help but wonder if I might find some here too. Even if I couldn’t keep the stuff, it’d be nice if I came across a shield. All I had to do was copy it and I might end up a bit stronger.
When I really thought about it, there might be other countries that would present Ren or Itsuki with similar opportunities. If we had some time to spare later, maybe I would have them go look for countries that worshipped only the sword or only the bow and have them sneak in. It wouldn’t be fair if I was the only one that got a chance like this.
“The Siltvelt leadership has gathered and is ready to receive you, Shield Hero,” a maid called out.
“Alright, I’m coming,” I replied.
I guess it was time for me to get to work.
“Rafu!”
I hugged Raph-chan in my arms and followed the maid down the hallway.
I was brought to what looked like a roundtable conference room. It was far bigger than any of the conference rooms I’d seen in Melromarc. That was the first thought that crossed my mind, but when I saw the members of the leadership, I understood why.
The demi-humans weren’t that bad. They were still big, but nothing crazy. Some of the therianthropes were just massive, though. When I really thought about it, I guess Sadeena was pretty big too when she was in her therianthrope form.
“The Shield Hero has arrived!”
Everyone stood up, and as soon as I entered the room they all bowed and began praying to me. Ugh . . . Talk about awkward.
“Rafu!”
I’d unconsciously tightened my hold on Raph-chan a bit too much.
“We are truly delighted that you have finally returned home to Siltvelt,” said one of the members who seemed to be the chairman for today.
“‘Returned home’? I don’t live here, you know,” I replied.
“Of course not. But the Shield Hero is Siltvelt’s hero. Even if you were summoned by another country, your time abroad is but a temporary expedition,” the chairman explained.
Ah, so basically, the Shield Hero belonged in Siltvelt to begin with. So in their eyes I had just been out visiting another country. I would’ve been lying if I said I wasn’t already fed up. It sure was nice being able to leave all the politics and annoying formalities like this to the queen and Melty back in Melromarc!
“Now then, let us begin with a round of self-introductions. Would that please the Shield Hero?” the chairman asked.
“Can we get on with the discussion if I say no?” I replied.
The chairman seemed to be at a loss for words.
“M-my sincere apologies! Please don’t be angry!” he pleaded.
Oh hell, was he really going to act like a single remark of mine was going to spell the end of his life? I let out a long, heavy sigh.
“I’m not angry. Just hurry up and continue,” I said.
“As you wish!” he shouted.
He bowed to me again. All of this was way too formal. I was getting fed up already. I wanted to hurry up and talk with Raphtalia and the others. Well, I wanted to escape from this place, anyway.
“Allow me . . .”
They began introducing themselves, one by one. I counted ten of them in all. I’d really expected there to be more of them. Maybe these were just the high-ranking representatives.
They were all demi-humans and therianthropes, so there was a lion and all kinds of other beasts. One of the therianthropes looked like a mammoth. The guy was absolutely massive, so it only made sense they’d need the room to be big too. Whenever I stared at any of them, they would get an embarrassed look on their faces and avert their eyes. I think they might have been misunderstanding.
“So what now? I mean, it’s nice to have an audience and all, but are we going to discuss something? I came to this country for a reason, so should I just go ahead and explain what that reason is?” I asked.
“No, we will discuss that at a later time. First, we would like to hear an account of your activities in Melromarc from your own mouth, Shield Hero,” the chairman replied.
Who cared about that? Hearsay was more than enough! Well, that was how I felt, but I guess hearing it directly from me might’ve had some kind of special meaning for them. Something like that.
“After that, we would like to give you a demonstration of the strength of our soldiers and then better acquaint you with our country’s past, present, and future,” the chairman continued.
“Oh, come on! Waste someone else’s time with that stuff,” I said.
“But, Shield Hero, you must be prepared for the coming waves. It would be problematic if we did not familiarize you with such matters,” the chairman replied.
“Oh . . .”
Normally I would have been in charge of this whole region. Thanks to the queen pulling some strings, I’d gotten away with only having to deal with my little territory in Melromarc. And the waves had only stopped temporarily because of the Spirit Tortoise incident. But still, didn’t Siltvelt already have another hero? Didn’t they have their own seven star hero?
“By the way, where is the other hero that oversees this country?” I asked.
They all quickly looked away when I asked. Why would they look away? They knew I’d asked for the seven star heroes to come to Melromarc, right? Not to mention, I’d made the request by way of the queen and had her explicitly communicate the fact that there was a group of people out there who was trying to kill heroes.
“The thing is, the seven star hero that protects Siltvelt is quite devoted to his training. His appearances tend to be limited to times when his assistance is required,” the chairman replied.
“So what you mean is his whereabouts are unknown?” I asked.
“He usually comes when he is summoned. However, following the recent Spirit Tortoise incident, he departed on a journey to train and become stronger,” the chairman said.
If the heroes would just get together to share and implement all of the power-up methods, they would become a lot stronger almost instantly. What a headache. Then again, if any of the seven star heroes were good-for-nothings like some of the heroes in Kizuna’s world, telling them about the power-up methods would be suicide. I’d have to determine whether or not we could trust them first. We already had hero-killing assassins on our hands, after all.
“Whatever. I want you to search every nook and cranny. Find him and bring him back here. Even if we’re only considering what lies ahead, his presence is needed,” I said.
“As you wish!” the chairman replied.
Sheesh . . .
“I want him to come see me before the Phoenix shows up,” I added.
I had a feeling there were a million other things that needed to be addressed, but I decided to go ahead and move on.
“You all know why I came to Siltvelt, right?” I asked.
“Umm . . .”
“We are currently in the process of verifying that information.”
“Siltvelt shall spare no effort in celebrating the glorious return of the Shield Hero!”
They all responded at once with completely different answers. And what the hell was with that last one?! Was that guy listening to what I’d asked at all?
A loud clap thundered out. The therianthrope resembling a lion had clapped his hands to draw the attention of the others.
“Everyone! The Shield Hero’s word is law! As citizens of Siltvelt, we must prioritize his wishes above all else, must we not?” the lion roared.
They all thundered out in agreement. Nice! This lion guy really seemed to understand how things should be.
“The Shield Hero wishes to leave our country at once and act on behalf of the world! This is a sign of his intention as a hero to make the world a better place! As such, it is Siltvelt’s duty to eliminate war from this world, is it not?!” he continued.
“Umm, what is that supposed to mean?” I interjected.
He was completely twisting my words!
“Who said — ”
“To do that, we must expand our military operations! We shall acquire new strength with the assistance of the Shield Hero and form an army that is invincible! This is the task at hand, is it not?! Just like the residents of the Shield Hero’s territory have been doing!” the lion roared on, completely drowning out my attempt to object.
Everyone applauded in agreement.
“Hey! Stop ignoring me!” I shouted.
“Rafu?”
Raph-chan covered her ears in an attempt to drown out the cacophony of clapping and shouting.
“Shield Hero! We, the people of Siltvelt, look forward to having your blessing bestowed upon us!” the lion roared.
Was he telling me to make them my slaves? It was either that or he wanted me to form a party and use it to organize and lead an army.
“Now then, we must reconvene in a fresh meeting to refine the details of the Shield Hero’s plan. Come, we must move on to the next meeting quickly!” the lion continued.
“Huh? Who said —”
Before I could finish speaking, the lion asked an assistant to rush me out of the room. Shit! These bastards had zero intention of listening to anything I said! Dammit! There was no way I was leaving!
“Of course! We cannot expect the Shield Hero to leave! We should be the ones to move elsewhere to continue this discussion! We respectfully take our leave,” the lion said.
When they realized I wasn’t going to let them push me out, everyone stood up from the roundtable and began to leave the room. They almost looked like they were fleeing for their lives.
“Hey!” I shouted.
“We shall meet again soon!”
The door slammed shut, and it was just me and the maid who had brought me. Shit. I guess they were going to be surprisingly brazen about their attempts to control me. I wondered if I should just keep my mouth shut and flee the country. But if I did that, there was no way they would help us get to Q’ten Lo.
I’d expected there to be demi-humans or therianthropes that resembled the four holy beasts in a meeting of the top brass, but I hadn’t seen anyone like that. It was like they were all doing their best to make sure I didn’t get to say I just wanted to get my business taken care of and leave Siltvelt as soon as possible. So they started talking over me and then just ran off somewhere.
It didn’t get any more annoying than this. I wondered if I should just completely ignore all of this and force my demands on them. Then again, I’m sure they would choose to interpret the whole thing in a way that would only cause diplomatic issues for Melromarc. Fine. Then I’d just force my demands on them in a way that didn’t draw attention.
I was lost in thought when I realized that it was already getting dark outside. I remembered they had mentioned there would be a party that evening to celebrate my “return.” I wondered if I would be able to talk with Raphtalia and the others there.
“What are Raphtalia and the others up to, anyway?” I asked Raph-chan.
“Rafu?”
She began gesturing with her hands in an attempt to answer my question.
“Umm . . . Small room? Training? No? Discussion? Me? Book?” I guessed at the answer.
I couldn’t help but smile at the way Raph-chan was pointing at different things around the room and posing in certain ways.
“So if I put all that together, they’re in a room somewhere talking about episodes involving me. Is that about right?” I asked.
“Rafu!”
Raph-chan nodded excitedly. I got it. So they hadn’t been brought to this area of the castle.
“Rafuuu!”
“Hm? Does that mean they finished talking?” I asked.
“Rafuu!”
After that, Raph-chan began pretending like she was eating a meal. Ah, that must have meant they had gone to the hall where the party was being held.
“Shield Hero, preparations for the evening’s party have been completed. Your presence is requested,” the maid said.
“Alright.”
“Before you attend, we shall dress you in the appropriate attire. Please forgive our boldness.”
Several maids suddenly surrounded me and began grasping at me in an attempt to change my clothes for me.
“I can change my clothes by myself! I’m a hero, not a noble! At least let me change my own clothes!” I shouted.
“A-as you wish! Please forgive us!”
I sighed.
“It’s not like I’m mad at you or dislike you,” I said.
Sheesh . . . It was just one headache after another here. I wondered if Motoyasu or the other heroes had experienced this kind of thing in Melromarc. Maybe I would ask Ren and Itsuki about it later. At the very least, the queen wasn’t so uptight about that kind of stuff. Or rather, she treated me well while avoiding things that annoyed me.
Anyway, what was up with these clothes they’d prepared for me? Was this supposed to be a punk rock fashion choice or something? The shirt collar was lined with fur. I felt like a wannabe punk rock vocalist. Even worse, the headdress was made out of some carnivorous animal. Did I seriously have to wear this outfit?
“. . .”
They were probably going to gripe if I didn’t put it on. But there was just no way I could accept fashion sense like this.
“Rafu?”
“Alright, I’ll just use you in place of the headdress, Raph-chan,” I said.
“Rafu . . .”
The thought of being used as a fashion accessory seemed to embarrass Raph-chan, but I went ahead and put her on my head after I finished changing and then headed out of the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Shield Hero has arrived!”
Trumpets erupted into fanfare, accompanied by an instrumental performance that sounded like the roar of a beast. I was taken to a stage at the front of the hall. It was ridiculous how many attendees had shown up! And since this was a country of demi-humans and therianthropes, they were all different sizes. There was a massive therianthrope way off in the distance, but I could still hear his shouting and applause clearly.
“Rafuuu!”
“Sorry, Raph-chan,” I apologized.
Raph-chan seemed a bit bothered by all of the loud noise.
“Let us offer a prayer to the Shield Hero,” said the emcee.
And then almost everyone in the hall put their hands together and began praying. Oh, come on! I mean, even back in Melromarc I’d been called the saint of the bird god, but no one had ever taken it this far!
“And that concludes our audience with the Shield Hero. Please, enjoy the food!” the emcee announced.
&nbs
p; Umm, was it just me or had they not even tried to give me a chance to speak? Surely they had originally planned to have me say a word or two. I guess it would have been troublesome for them if I had started talking about wanting to go to Q’ten Lo at an event like this. But I wasn’t going to let them have their way. I figured something like this might happen, so I already had a plan. I switched to my Voice Ganger Shield and spoke into the megaphone.
“Ahem! Test! Test! So yeah, apparently you don’t want me to speak, but after everything I had to overcome to succeed in Melromarc, do you really think stopping me is going to be that easy?”
Oh? I caught sight of Raphtalia and the others. Atla was clasping her hands together and had a smitten look on her face, but I decided to just ignore her.
“Let me start by saying that I understand what it is you’re trying to do. But right now I need to prioritize acting on behalf of the whole world. I want you to know it’s not because I haven’t considered the people of Siltvelt,” I continued.
After all, focusing solely on one’s own demands wouldn’t be a negotiation at all. Refusing to accept the other party’s demands to some extent wasn’t going to open any doors. I understood that fact.
“But I have no intention of telling anyone to go to war with Melromarc. Otherwise, why even talk about peace? Does the Seaetto territory and its friendly ties with the demi-humans mean nothing? I want you to think about that,” I said.
I could hear the faint sound of applause. I glanced over at Werner to warn him. But next time something like this happened, he was going to get a lot more than a warning.
“Now then, I don’t want to be a party pooper. How about I provide a bit of entertainment for all of you too? It is a party, after all!”
I beckoned to Filo. She pointed at herself quizzically and I nodded. No, not you, Atla! I motioned for Fohl and Raphtalia to restrain Atla. Filo skipped over to the stage cheerfully.
“Whaaat?” she asked.
“I want you to sing a song. Your job as a companion of the Shield Hero is to liven up this party,” I told her.
Filo was standing with me on the stage. She turned around to look at the audience and began trembling. That reaction . . . Had she still not gotten over being put on display in Kizuna’s world? She had no problem singing at the taverns, so why couldn’t she do it here? Or was it because of Motoyasu?
