Chapter Text
Naofumi Iwatani had always been a big fan of MMOs, but he always opted for a secondary, yet more necessary, role in the games. He was always a combination of merchant and cleric for his guild.
Naofumi was someone who supported his allies, and the true fighters of the group, financially or otherwise, such as with items, information, equipment, and materials. Someone had to do it in the end. It's not that Iwatani didn't like action, but he had already accepted that it wasn't for him.
Being summoned as a Shield Hero in another world only reinforced this idea. At first, it was a shock to go to another world and have to save it from the apocalypse. None of the other Heroes complained about their own weapons. Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki used their respective weapons in their games, so Naofumi concluded that he was chosen because he fulfilled his role very well.
The four were conversing in a room prepared for him by the castle servants. There they talked and discovered very important things, such as the fact that each of them came from a different world. The main point now was that the heroes had come together to tell Naofumi about how a shield was a useless weapon. What was his reaction to all this?
Naofumi just sighed. “I guess I really messed up, but I confess I wouldn’t know how to use such an offensive weapon. I’ll try to trust my allies to help you guys.”
Ren, who had looked away, looked back at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Good to know you won’t be a burden, I’m warning you I won’t carry anyone.”
Itsuki just ignored Naofumi. Motoyasu gave a small smile. “Man, now I feel kind of bad for saying you’d be a loser. After the first wave, could we go to a tavern so I can get you a drink?”
“Sure, bro.” Naofumi smiled. Iwatani didn’t drink alcohol, but he wanted to spend time with Motoyasu. Camaraderie among teammates was a great incentive to give their all.
The next day the heroes could choose their companions, but in reality it was the adventurers who would choose who they would accompany.
To no one's surprise, Naofumi didn't get a companion. This bothered him at first, but he admitted that the role he would play wouldn't be appropriate for adventurers. At most, Iwatani would only need a bodyguard; that would be a problem he would have to solve later.
The king offered Naofumi a larger sum of money as compensation. This would help a great deal, and he bowed to the king in gratitude for his kindness. For some reason, the king frowned.
One of Motoyasu's companions offered to join his group, but Naofumi refused her help. Iwatani didn't want to steal one of Kitamura's girls; he himself had already shown himself to be a womanizer who liked beautiful maidens. Doing that would be a recipe for disaster.
The girl insisted, but Naofumi refused again. It would have looked bad if he had complained about being left alone, but Iwatani explained. “An exceptional adventurer like you will be much more helpful if you’re with someone who can keep up with you. Sorry, but I don’t think I’m that person.”
Knowing that a female adventurer wanted to join him truly warmed his heart. Naofumi ignored the inner voice that pointed out how strange it was that she only offered when he received a little extra money. That was probably just a coincidence.
As he left the castle, Naofumi checked his status and his mental list of what he would need. His attack was 1, so a bodyguard would probably be very helpful. Iwatani also had a list of things he had to do in the capital before leaving.
Naofumi hadn’t heard anything about this before, but he assumed that Shield had some kind of internal inventory. It didn't take long to find it; Iwatani kept the 800 silver coins for now to avoid any theft on the first day.
The other heroes had said that it was necessary to register at the dragon's hourglass to participate in the waves. That was the first thing Naofumi had to do; he immediately headed to the church.
There were several things in the church that worried Naofumi. First, only three heroes were worshipped; the Shield was neglected. Not only that, but everyone inside looked at it with distrust, disgust, and remorse. Naofumi already found this strange, but the stained-glass window was the turning point.
In the church's largest window, a huge stained-glass window depicted four humanoid figures. The first three were the other Heroes: Bow, Spear, and Sword, all standing tall and painted in gold. The fourth figure was fallen into an abyss of red flames; it was a humanoid figure holding a Shield and had horns.
...
This wasn't good. Naofumi had to get the hourglass registration quickly. Iwatani began to quicken his pace as he thought about what he had seen. The people of that world, or just that religion, saw the Shield as if it were the Devil. Perhaps a Shield Hero had done something bad in the past?
Naofumi was quickly blocked by a tall nun with brown hair and eyes. “Shield, it’s a blessing to see you here. What can we do for you?”
Naofumi couldn’t believe she was happy to see him. “I just came to get the record from the hourglass. You know, to cross this off my list quickly.” He was getting nervous in that place.
“Oh, of course. I’ll guide you there.” The two started walking and arrived at a room with a large hourglass filled with sand. Naofumi brandished his Shield in the air and a beam of light shot from the hourglass to his weapon.
After that, he said goodbye to the nun and left the church. Many could argue that he was practically running.
Naofumi's next items on his list were accomplished with relative ease as he calmed down. Kitchen utensils, tools for any unforeseen circumstances, some extra changes of clothes, and so on. He was making the necessary preparations for any kind of trip.
Naofumi knew that if he wanted to start well, he couldn't start right away in the capital. Iwatani needed to find a quick source of money, and that wouldn't be easily found there.
One of the things Naofumi discovered while tinkering with his Shield's interface was the ability to change its position. That thing wasn't going to come loose from him, so it was probably best to hide it, since people didn't seem to be very fond of the Shield Hero in this world.
At the moment, Naofumi had put the shield on his back. Iwatani had previously been carrying the things he bought in his inventory, but he pulled some things out of the inventory and was now carrying them on his back, in a kind of improvised backpack. This would at least conceal his shield for now; it wasn't like he was going to be attacked in the capital.
Now he had reached the hardest part. Naofumi needed an assistant or a bodyguard. Security was important, but where could he find someone trustworthy to accompany him with the Shield Hero's terrible reputation?
While walking through the streets of the capital, Naofumi spotted what appeared to be a poster pasted on the front door of a restaurant. Iwatani approached and tried to understand what the poster was trying to sell to the restaurant owner. "Slaves..."
It made perfect sense that something of that caliber existed in that world, but that didn't stop Naofumi from taking a few minutes to process the situation. He had an unpleasant but functional idea.
Naofumi wasn't fluent in the language of that kingdom; that was a problem he would have to solve later, but Iwatani could understand the poster's content just from the images. Naofumi picked up the sign from the door and asked someone on the street for directions to the address.
That might not be such a good idea...
The address was a tent that looked like a monster market. Naofumi entered and didn't see any slaves, leading him to think that perhaps he had misinterpreted the pamphlet.
Anyway, Iwatani made his way through the tent, past cage after cage until he spotted a short, chubby merchant wearing a black suit and top hat with purple details. The man smiled at him, and Naofumi felt a chill. "Well, a new customer. You seem to be the type of buyer who likes something more casual."
In another universe, one where Naofumi had been betrayed, Beloukas would already know that Iwatani was the Shield Hero, even before he appeared. On that particular occasion, Naofumi would indeed be quite open to the idea of slavery. However, that wasn't the case; Iwatani was there more out of necessity than self-interest.
Iwatani took the folded poster from one of his pockets and presented it to the merchant. “Did I come to the right place?”
The man’s eyebrows rose for a moment before a wide smile spread across his face. “I didn’t expect you to want such sophisticated merchandise, I see I underestimated you. So, what are you looking for by seeking my services?”
Naofumi believed the man was a good fit for his services; that wasn’t a compliment in this case. The two began walking while conversing. He also learned that the merchant’s name was Beloukas.
“Can you explain to me how slavery works in this kingdom? I’m relatively new here,” Naofumi asked.
Beloukas replied in a voice that conveyed both malice and camaraderie. “You see, in Melromarc, we have the demi-humans. They are a race considered inferior, technically two sub-races: beastmen and demi-humans—”
Naofumi listened to the basic explanation from the slave trader. There were the semi-humans, basically people with animal ears and tails, and the beastmen who were more animal-like, usually having fur all over their bodies. These two species had no rights in that country unless they were in a safe zone territory.
While they talked, Beloukas led Naofumi to his most expensive current "merchandise," a muscular wolf beastman that cost 60 gold coins. Iwatani knew that merchant's trick, so he asked the slave trader to show him the cheapest "merchandise."
They walked to a section that had "merchandise" for about 40 silver coins. It turned Naofumi's stomach and heart. There were sick, dismembered, mistreated people, and children.
Iwatani's gaze lingered on a raccoon girl with dark hair who must have been about 10 years old. The girl seemed slightly ill and feverish. She didn't make eye contact with Naofumi.
“I'll take her.” This statement caught the attention of Beloukas and the girl.
“Are you sure? It'll be 40 silver coins, but I have things of higher quality.” The slave trader said.
“No, thank you, I just need someone to carry boxes. A child will be enough.” Naofumi said, and he hated his own words.
Iwatani was hiding his true feelings from Beloukas. Showing empathy in front of this slave trader seemed like a terrible idea.
“Then everything is fine. Anything else, sir?”
“Actually, I need a bodyguard and a monster to pull a cart. Is there anything that encompasses both functions?” Naofumi asked.
Beoukas pretended to think for a moment. The slave trader and monster already knew the answer by heart. "Would you like a Filolial?"
Naofumi finally emerged from the slave market tent; the few moments he spent there felt like an eternity. He had entered with only a backpack and now he was leaving with a raccoon girl slave and two bird eggs.
Filolial were what seemed to be the combination of a dog's loyalty, the appearance of a much more feathered flamingo, and the motivation to pull carts that even the most diligent horses didn't possess. It was all so perfect that Naofumi suspected Beloukas was over-promising his own wares to sell more.
Iwatani bought two Filoliais because he thought that was the necessary amount to pull a merchant's cart. It wasn't as if Naofumi could have imagined that his being a Hero would transform those Filoliais into queens. This would cause him trouble later.
Iwatani remembered that he now had a traumatized child as baggage. He knelt on the ground to be at the same height as the girl. “Could you tell me your name, please?”
The girl hesitated a little, but in the end, orders were orders. “R-Raphtalia.”
Naofumi smiled. “Raphtalia is a very pretty name and it suits you. I am Naofumi Iwatani. Here, do you have any living relatives or acquaintances who are willing to take care of you?”
The girl stopped moving completely for several seconds. “No… I-I don’t know where Sadeena is.”
Iwatani sighed inwardly. He had bought the girl on impulse, simply because he couldn’t bear to look at the people trapped in those cages, much less a child. Naofumi intended to leave her with someone trustworthy, even if that wasn’t a smart thing to do, monetarily speaking.
“That name is enough, I’ll find her sooner or later.” Naofumi gave a reassuring smile. “Believe me, when I have contacts among the merchants, this will be possible.”
Iwatani would have to ask Raphtalia for more information later to locate this Sadina, but unfortunately that would have to be done later.
Naofumi wondered whether he should make the girl work or not. If a slave didn't receive work, perhaps that would make him anxious. After all, if you're not a work slave, you'll probably be a torture slave or something else.
Iwatani decided that the best idea was to make the girl work a little, until he could gather enough resources to find someone willing to take care of her, most likely this Sadeena. After that, Naofumi would give her some compensation money for her work before saying goodbye. This was probably the best option considering morality and practicality.
In that world there were slaves and superior races. This was a big problem. Naofumi knew he shouldn't normally interfere in matters like this, but in that world, he was literally a Hero. Naofumi would have to discuss with Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki what should be done about the situation.
“Can you walk?” Iwatani asked, and the girl nodded. “Are you sick?” Raphtalia didn't answer for a while. “Please be honest.”
“Y-Yes.”
Naofumi extended both arms toward the girl as if to pick her up. “May I?”
Raphtalia nodded. She hadn't understood what he intended to do, but she considered that it didn't matter in the end. It's not like slaves had any power of choice.
Iwatani lifted Raphtalia and sat her on his shoulders. The girl was stunned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you walk in the hot sun while you have a fever.”
Again, in a universe where Naofumi had been betrayed, it would take him two more weeks to buy Raphtalia. This would cause the girl’s illness and malnutrition to worsen. That wasn’t the case here, but Raphtalia’s health was still far from ideal.
Naofumi started walking, and Raphtalia didn’t say anything the whole way. Iwatani began to reassess his situation. After acquiring the two eggs with domestication marks, two incubators, and the girl with a slave mark, he only had 120 silver coins left.
Naofumi had to start making money soon. The last thing he had to do that day was visit a blacksmith and find a nearby village to start his business.
One of the things Naofumi did while walking was adjust the setting of the girl’s mark. He put it there so the girl wouldn't be capable of betrayal, escape, or suicide. Just as a precaution.
Naofumi stood before a bald blacksmith who seemed like a nice guy. His name was Elhart. Iwatani had come to buy some knives for Raphtalia; just because he wasn't capable of self-defense didn't mean she had to be defenseless too.
The knives and a few more changes of clothes for Raphtalia unfortunately left Naofumi with only 96 silver coins left. Iwatani left the girl outside the shop along with the two eggs. If that world were like Earth, people wouldn't like slaves in sophisticated places.
“Do you know of any villages nearby that would be a good starting point for a novice merchant?” Naofumi asked the blacksmith.
Elhart thought for a moment. “There's a village nearby called Lute, about a three-day walk away. It's quite famous for its gemstone mining, but they've been having problems since the first wave.”
That was perfect, Iwatani thanked the blacksmith as he left. Now he knew where to begin.
“Princess Malty, may I know the reason for the plan’s failure?” a nun from the Church of the Three Heroes spoke to the first princess, the same nun who had met Naofumi earlier that day.
“I didn’t find the Shield Hero. The shadows of the church told me he had already left the capital.” The two were conversing in the dead of night in a secluded part of the inn where the Spear Hero was sleeping with the rest of the group.
“And how exactly does that hinder your plan?” the nun asked mockingly, speaking to a princess.
“My part in this was to convince my old father that the Shield Demon was guilty,” Malty said, frowning in annoyance. “He may be getting senile, but he’s not stupid enough to believe that someone who wasn’t even in the capital could have touched me.”
The nun’s eyes were emotionless. “I think your involvement is no longer necessary, Princess.”
Malty left, irritated at having missed a chance to make a lot of money easily. The nun clicked her tongue in a sign of failure. The church couldn't do much against the Shield Hero at that moment. The queen's shadows would check in the dead of night; they would watch the Shield Hero as if their lives depended on it.
The Shield Demon would have to be eliminated by the three Heroes in the future. When the true Heroes were strong enough, the church and they would align to overthrow the Queen of Melromarc and exterminate any demi-human abomination around the world.
The purifier was very close to beginning.