by Aneko Yusagi
Everyone that had been clapping bowed to me. In a stark contrast to all of them, Jaralis and his sidekick glared at me and Atla.
“Objection! I submit that this Shield Hero standing here before us is not the true Shield Hero that Siltvelt has so longed for!” Jaralis roared.
“Jaralis, you bastard! Your insolence has crossed the line!” Werner snapped, rebuking Jaralis.
“Insolence? You’re mistaken. It is exactly because I care deeply about Siltvelt that I am calmly stating my opinion so that we might avoid making any foolish decisions,” Jaralis replied.
Hmph. His wording was a bit sensationalistic, but I had a feeling what he was saying wasn’t wrong. The whole “Shield Hero’s word is law” attitude was a bit too blindly accepting in the first place. That could easily lead to trouble. If the situation had been different, I might have agreed with him. But at this point, he was only getting in the way. In which case, I wondered what to do about him.
Hm? Atla must have had something else to say, because she took in a deep breath and . . .
“Mr. Naofumi — nay, our god makes no mistakes!” she screamed at the top of her voice.
That little twit. I was starting to think she might be a genius when it came to stirring up trouble. And what the hell? These people were actually nodding in agreement. Even I could admit I made mistakes from time to time! I’d have to talk some sense into Atla later.
“Or are you foolish enough to try to say that Mr. Naofumi is a fake hero?” she asked.
“Not at all. I have no intention of going that far. I am simply saying that I don’t believe he is the Shield Hero that we have been waiting for,” Jaralis replied.
He was trying to avoid attracting further disapproval by objecting without denying outright that I was indeed the Shield Hero. It was the response of a true politician.
“I am questioning whether what we are seeing now are truly the waves of destruction spoken of in the legends. As they say, haste makes waste. If these truly are the waves prophesied to destroy the world, then why was the Shield Hero successfully summoned by our enemy, Melromarc?! Indeed, the fact that the Shield Hero was called to our enemy’s territory is the ultimate proof that now is in fact not the time that has been foretold!” he roared.
There was no arguing that things might have turned out differently if I’d been summoned to Siltvelt by myself. I’d probably be spending time with my harem, engaging in some of that “rampant debauchery” that Sadeena liked to talk about, although I wanted to believe that wouldn’t have happened.
“No, I’m afraid that theory doesn’t hold water,” Atla replied.
She shook her head in disagreement. Oh? Was she going to argue?
“It is exactly because this is the prophesied time that the Shield Hero was summoned together with the other three holy heroes. The true power of the heroes lies in sharing their individual powers with each other. In other words, Mr. Naofumi was summoned to Melromarc because it is an appropriate location for the other three heroes to be summoned to. That is your proof that the world is in danger!” she continued.
“Keep your sophistry to yourself!” Jaralis roared.
“Who is the true sophist here?! I speak as one who has sworn my loyalty to Mr. Naofumi!” she snapped.
The members of the Siltvelt leadership gulped and fell completely silent. Just then, a voice came from near the entrance of the throne room.
“You ridicule the young child, yet she has a strong will and is as fierce as a tiger. If one were to ask which of you were the true Siltveltian, I suspect anyone here would answer the girl,” said the voice.
Everyone turned around. Standing in the entrance was a therianthrope that resembled a turtle. And standing next to him was Fohl’s contact — the hakuko that I’d met early that morning. The turtle’s tail looked like a snake. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but something about him made him seem plump.
“Who are you?” I asked, confused.
Werner’s expression of surprise softened. He regained his composure and answered for the man.
“He is a genmu, and one of the country’s most well-known nobles. He is among perhaps the top two most influential people here in Siltvelt,” Werner explained.
Genmu? Was that supposed to be genbu? Ah, so the genmu race resembled the Black Tortoise. All that was left was to find an aotatsu, or whatever they called the race that resembled the Azure Dragon. Then we would have all of the four symbols.
“Greetings, Shield Hero. I have heard of your many deeds. It is a true honor to make your acquaintance,” the turtle said.
“Thanks . . .” I replied.
“Might I remind you that you stand before the Shield Hero! No matter how powerful you may be, using that form here is unforgivable!” Werner snapped.
He spoke in a threatening voice, but he grinned at the genmu.
“My, my! I remain in this form at all times to keep myself protected, so I had completely forgotten,” he replied.
The genmu returned to his demi-human form. What had been a turtle was now a plump little man. He appeared to be rather elderly — around 60 years old, perhaps. The way he walked with a cane had already given that away. There was nothing particularly dislikable about the way he looked.
“Gentlemen, we have sharpened our fangs in preparation for the coming of the prophesied time. We have kept this country alive and strong so that it might support the Shield Hero. To imply that Siltvelt will fall apart if the Shield Hero does not remain here is utter foolishness. Do you not agree?” the man asked.
Aside from Jaralis and his sidekick, everyone nodded in agreement.
“Are you suggesting that we listen to this half-breed?! Nothing about her actions strikes me as being worthy of being called a true Siltveltian!” Jaralis roared.
That threatening aura erupted from Atla’s body once again.
“Is that so? If you insist on standing in Mr. Naofumi’s way no matter what, then . . .”
Atla pointed at Jaralis and issued a bold statement.
“Mr. Naofumi’s word is the law. If you are going to stand in his way, then I shall remove you using physical force!” she declared.
Gasps of surprise erupted from the Siltvelt leaders.
“Hmph! A most welcome proposition! Werner, I see no way of avoiding this,” Jaralis replied.
“Very well, then. In accordance with Siltvelt tradition, I permit you to engage in a duel!” Werner announced.
The leadership immediately broke out into a murmur.
“Then I shall serve as the guardian of the Shield Hero’s hakuko girl. Jaralis, you will personally accept the duel to show that you stand true to your beliefs,” the genmu said.
“Those are some big words, old man. Are you truly prepared to accept the consequences as her guardian should she lose the duel?” Jaralis asked.
“I am,” said the genmu.
It certainly seemed clear that the old man had a ridiculous amount of influence. But what was a traditional Siltvelt duel, anyway?
“First, the four ‘elite’ races of Siltvelt will relinquish their overinflated say in matters. Second, you will accept our claim to the Shield Hero as the sole property of Siltvelt. And finally, you will permit the severe punishment of that insolent little brat there,” Jaralis said.
“Th-that is — ”
Werner attempted to intervene, but the old man stopped him.
“If I lose, then so be it!” Atla shouted.
“Those conditions are a joke. They all favor him. I’d rather not accept them if there’s another way . . .” I said.
But I could see Atla’s firm determination written all over her face. I would have refused if it was me in her place. I was basically being treated like the prize here. Part of me wanted to tell them all to just go to hell.
“May I assume you will not object to us specifying equally severe conditions?” the old genmu asked.
“You may,” Jaralis answered, nodding calmly.
He seemed like the type
that had confidence, if nothing else. But he also seemed to have a subtle charisma, or some lion-like quality, that gave him a regal air. I had no personal obligation to accept his terms, honestly. But it would be worth it if it meant being able to deal with Raphtalia’s issue while also making these fools pay.
“Fine. Why not? I’ll accept your conditions. In return, you’ll agree to follow my orders if we win,” I said.
“Why, of course! As you wish, great Shield Hero,” Jaralis replied.
Could the bastard have been any more provocative?
“Then let us confirm the conditions. Should Jaralis win, the four noble houses of Siltvelt will relinquish their right to speak, the Shield Hero will remain in Siltvelt, and the half-blood hakuko will be punished. Should the Shield Hero win, Siltvelt will follow his orders. Are both parties in agreement?” Werner asked.
“Agreed,” I replied.
“Then I shall explain the rules of the duel. According to Siltvelt tradition, those who initiated and accepted the duel each get to choose who will fight for the opposing party,” Werner said.
“I choose . . .” Jaralis began.
He pointed at Atla and Fohl.
“The two hakuko half-breeds!” he roared.
“Huh?” Fohl muttered.
He was at a loss for words upon being chosen to fight. But seriously? I could understand Atla, but to pick Fohl too?
“You’ve got a big mouth for a half-breed! I’ll show you the true power of pedigree!” Jaralis roared.
“I’d like to see you try! Although, I am a bit worried about Brother,” Atla replied.
“A-Atla?!” Fohl stammered.
I was starting to feel sorry for him again.
“I would prefer to be paired with Mr. Naofumi,” Atla said.
“Am I allowed to participate in the duel?” I asked.
“Let the Shield Hero — the reward — participate? You’re quite the comedian, aren’t you?” Jaralis said sarcastically.
The bastard pointed at me and sneered with a provocative look in his eyes.
“I hope you realize you’re going to regret this later. Then how about Raphtalia or Filo?” I suggested.
Raphtalia would be able to crush him. I’d brought a real all-star lineup of formidable fighters, actually.
“You sure talk big, half-breed, but it would seem the Shield Hero has little faith in you and your brother. This is a real masterpiece,” Jaralis scoffed.
What an asshole. I sure hoped he wasn’t planning on trying anything sneaky to push the fight in his favor.
“Just to be clear, this is a duel between men. The use of monsters is not allowed,” Werner said.
“Hm?” Filo muttered.
“Rafuuu?”
Raph-chan and Filo both looked confused. I figured Filo might be able to participate in her human form, but I guess that wasn’t allowed.
“The fact is, I don’t really trust him to play fair, but . . . fine,” I said.
I realized that if I tried to swap the duel participants and send Raphtalia instead of Fohl, it would probably cause problems, but . . .
“You need not worry, Mr. Naofumi! Even if Brother is defeated, I will win the fight on my own!” Atla exclaimed.
“Atla?! I won’t be defeated!” Fohl replied.
She was basically declaring Fohl as useless. What a poor guy.
“I do feel a bit uneasy about it . . .” I admitted.
“To accept the opposition’s designations and still come out on top — that is a true testimony to our strength! Even if Brother loses, I will not! Mr. Naofumi! Please allow this!” Atla pleaded.
I really would have rather been extra careful, but I guess it was partially thanks to Atla speaking up that we’d been able to specify the conditions we had. If worse came to worst, I could just make up some excuse and ignore their conditions. Besides, that Jaralis bastard really pissed me off. And I’d seen how formidable Atla could be recently too.
“Fine. I will allow it,” I said.
“Thank you! Now then, we have Mr. Naofumi’s permission. Let the duel begin!” Atla declared.
All of the hot-blooded members in the room nodded excitedly, and everyone was taken to the hall where the party had been held the night before. Apparently that was where the duel would be held.
Jaralis’s sidekick was a brawny minotaur therianthrope who looked like some kind of legendary warrior. He was gripping his weapon tightly and raring to go. The guy was even bigger than the minotaur who had taken our carriage the day before.
“Oh my . . . I see you have chosen one of the surviving heroes of the great wars to fight by your side,” said Werner.
“Indeed. With the Shield Hero at stake, this is a battle of utmost importance. I can’t risk bringing along some nobody that I can’t trust. Of course, I fully expect him to go all out from the get-go,” Jaralis replied.
“All for the sake of Siltvelt!” exclaimed the minotaur.
He seemed eager to fight too.
“I’ll have the Shield Hero take my daughter in marriage,” he added.
Hell no. Even if this muscle-bound beast’s daughter was the most beautiful girl in the world, I would still refuse. I disliked women as a general rule. And being used for breeding like a stud was inexcusable.
“But . . . Is this really . . .” Werner’s voice trailed off.
He glanced over at me with a worried look on his face.
“Oh my . . . The boy certainly does seem to know how to handle himself. He might even be stronger than little Sasa,” Sadeena said.
I wanted to retort with a “who the hell is that?!” But I vaguely recalled that being the name of one of the fighters I’d seen in a Zeltoble coliseum match.
“We have no choice but to fight, regardless of who the opponent may be. Atla will just have to defeat him. Can you do that, Atla?” Raphtalia asked.
“You shouldn’t even have to ask, Raphtalia. If it will prove my loyalty to Mr. Naofumi, then I will smash through any obstacle, no matter how great it may be!” Atla replied.
“I . . .” Fohl started.
He seemed to be wavering. Whatever, I wasn’t expecting much from him anyway.
“And I’m supposed to just watch?” I asked.
“That’s right,” Werner replied.
Hmph. So this was how it felt to be treated like a prize. I couldn’t help but wonder if Raphtalia felt the same way when Motoyasu challenged me to a duel. Anyway, we’d managed to make it this far without losing. Doing so here wasn’t an option.
“Atla! Fohl! You better win, no matter what!” I said.
“Of course we will!” Atla replied.
“Ugh . . . I’ll win for Atla and for our father!” Fohl said.
Oh? He was starting to show a bit of verve too.
“Hmph! Good luck with that, you hakuko half-breed!” Jaralis snarled.
“I heard you fought alongside my father. What kind of man was he on the battlefield?” Fohl asked Jaralis.
I’d almost forgotten about Jaralis being there to witness his father’s last moments. His father’s death had been suspicious too, so it only made sense for him to ask.
“Ha! You are but a pale shadow of the man. If you really want to know, then ask me with your fists!” Jaralis replied.
“Fine. Whether or not I am stronger than he was . . . I’ll let you see for yourself!” Fohl shouted.
“Very well. Are both parties ready to begin the duel?” the announcer asked.
He gave the signal to get ready and Jaralis and the minotaur both took on a fighting stance. Atla just stood there casually, as if completely relaxed and unaffected by any of this. Judging by the way Fohl was starting to get worked up, he might have actually enjoyed fighting after all. I was still a bit worried, though. Arguing with his sister was the only fighting I’d seen him do so far.
And then the sound of a gong echoed throughout the hall.
Chapter Eight: Honor in Battle
Atla exhaled powerfully and the sound of her bre
ath resonated throughout the hall. The air around her rushed outward, as if a shockwave had erupted from her body. The opponents — Jaralis and the minotaur — must have sensed the incredible power accumulating within Atla, because they both gulped unwittingly.
“Hmph! We are pureblood warriors! A pair of hakuko half-breeds could never defeat us! Let’s do this!” Jaralis roared.
He pulled a pair of brass knuckles out of his back pocket, slipped them on, and rushed toward Atla and Fohl. The minotaur held his ground to the rear, waiting for an opening.
“Atla!” Fohl shouted.
He leapt forward to protect Atla, but Jaralis’s target appeared to have been Fohl from the beginning. The minotaur leapt over the both of them and swung his massive axe down at Atla. He looked like a heavyweight, but he was surprisingly quick! He’d sprung toward Atla at unbelievable speed, given his massive body. The sight of him flying through the air as he swung his axe was, in a word, astounding.
“Too slow!” Atla scoffed.
She dodged the axe by the breadth of a hair as it came flying at her and then used the force of its impact to launch herself high up into the air.
“To think you would be able to dodge that . . . It looks like I might get to have a bit of fun, after all,” said the minotaur.
He must have been one of those bellicose, muscles-for-brains types, because he grinned with excitement when he saw the way Atla moved.
“I’ll leave her to you! This all-show-and-no-go hakuko half-breed is mine!” Jaralis roared.
Oh wow, he called Fohl “all show and no go.” That wasn’t funny, considering the fact it was pretty much true.
“Say what you like! I don’t plan on letting you beat me! I have to protect Atla, after all!” Fohl shouted.
He ran toward Jaralis swinging, but Jaralis just grinned.
“Ha! Do you really think I’d lose to someone with a swing like that?” he snarled.
Jaralis moved so quickly that his afterimage seemed to linger behind. In a flash, he buried a fist deep into Fohl’s stomach.
“That was too easy! Your defense is weak, hakuko half-breed!” he roared.
