The Rising of the Shield Hero Volume 01 Read online

  “The names are different, but the map seems to be the same. If the map is the same, there’s a high probability that the division of efficient monsters is the same also.”

  “The best hunting grounds will be different for each weapon. Probably best to make sure we go to different places.”

  “True. We need to focus on efficiency.”

  Did they all know enough about the game to figure out how to cheat? It started to look that way. Hey, there’s a thought. If my class was so weak, I could just depend on them to support me.

  There were plenty of ways to do it. Even if I were weak, fighting with the party would get me experience to level up. What is another world, if not an opportunity to fight with your brothers, to deepen your bonds? That’s how it was supposed to work, right?

  Now, if only there were a girl or two in the party. Then things would be perfect. If I was a Shielder, I wouldn’t do the fighting. I’d just protect my teammates, right? I didn’t really have a chance to meet any girls back in my world, but things might be different here.

  “Hmm… Well, it will be fine. I mean, we are in a whole new world! Even if I’m not the strongest character, I’m sure something will work out.”

  They looked at me as if they were looking at something pitiful… or at least, I thought that’s how they were looking at me. If I let it bother me, I’d be doomed before we even got started. Besides, I was equipped to defend, and this wasn’t a game. I could just get rid of my special shield and get a weapon instead.

  “All right, let’s do this!” I forced myself to show some gumption.

  “Heroes, we have prepared a meal for you.”

  What’s that? Looks like we were going to get a nice dinner.

  “Nice.”

  We opened the door, and the attendant guided us to the knight’s dining hall for dinner.

  It was like something out of a fantasy movie. The dining hall of a great castle! There was a large table in the center, laid out like a buffet with all sorts of food.

  “Everyone, please eat whatever you like.”

  “What? I guess we are eating with the castle knights?” Ren mumbled to himself.

  How could someone complain about a dinner like this? Damn he was rude.

  “You misunderstand. This food has been prepared for you. The knights will not be permitted to enter until you have had your fill,” said the attendant.

  I looked around the room only to find that the boisterous crowd we’d assumed were other diners was actually composed chiefly of cooks. I suppose this was meant to imply that the four of us were of higher priority than the castle knights.

  “Thank you. Let’s eat then.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Right on.”

  And so we began to dine on the food of this new world. The culinary sensibilities were not what I was used to, but it was certainly not disgusting. There wasn’t anything I wasn’t able to stomach.

  And yet, something that looked like an omelet tasted more like oranges, and many of the dishes combined flavors that never went together where I was from.

  We finished eating, and found ourselves growing sleepy on the way back to our rooms.

  “Think they have a bath?”

  “Well, it looks like the Middle Ages around here. They might have a bathtub though.”

  “If you don’t request it, I doubt they will provide one.”

  “I guess I can let it go for one day.”

  “Yeah, I’m getting tired, and the adventure starts tomorrow. Better get a good night’s sleep.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement to Motoyasu’s suggestion, and we went to our beds.

  The four of us, including me, were obviously excited for the next day to come. Still, we fell asleep very quickly.

  Our adventure began the next day!

  Chapter Four: Specially-Arranged Funding

  Finally, the dawn arrived.

  We finished eating breakfast and were waiting in anticipation for the king’s summons. It was only natural to give us a little spare time in the morning. No one wants to feel rushed out of bed. Finally, when the sun was pretty high in the sky, probably around ten o’ clock, the king called for us. We could hardly contain ourselves, and hurried to the audience chamber, our hearts dancing in our chests.

  “The Heroes enter.”

  The doors to the audience chamber swung open to reveal a group of twelve strangers, all dressed as though they were about to embark on an adventure of their own.

  There were knights among them.

  The king certainly knew how to show his support.

  We all bowed to the king, and settled in to listen to his proposal.

  “As we discussed yesterday, I have called for others to assist you in your journey. Apparently my call did not go unheeded.”

  If there were three assistants provided to each of us, we might just survive.

  “Now then, gathered adventurers, please choose the Legendary Hero with whom you will travel with.”

  Wait, So THEY got to choose?

  That came as a shock to all of us. Though when I thought about it, it only made sense. We all came from another world, so what did we know about our journey? Better to let the experienced citizens make the decision.

  The four of us lined up.

  The gathered adventures shuffled over in our direction, and formed little clumps before their intended partners.

  Five people stood before Ren.

  Four people stood before Motoyasu.

  Three people stood before Itsuki.

  And before me? Yeah—zero.

  “But sir!” I called to the king. How could this be? It was so unfair!

  The king was unnerved by my protest. He spoke, “I did not anticipate anything like this.”

  “He’s not very popular, is he?” The minister sighed, as if there was nothing he could do about it. The king, for his part, seemed disinterested.

  The men in robes were whispering something to the king, and they all seemed to laugh. But why?

  “So there are rumors?”

  “What is it?” Motoyasu asked. He wore a strange expression.

  The situation was so unfair. I couldn’t make sense of it. It was like being in elementary school, when we’d split into teams. I guess I was the last one picked? How could they do this to me, here, in a completely new world?

  “It seems that people are whispering around the castle. They are saying that among the four Heroes, the Shield Hero does not know very much about our world.”

  “What?!”

  “The legends say that the four summoned Heroes will have an understanding of our land. People are wondering if you will truly be able to fulfill the conditions set out in the legends.”

  Motoyasu poked me in the side with his elbow.

  “I guess someone was eavesdropping on us last night.”

  He meant our conversation about games. They were leaving me on my own because I hadn’t heard of a game?! Besides, what kind of a legend was this, anyway? I might not know much about their kingdom, but I was still the Shield Hero! For whatever reason…

  According to the other guys, I was stuck with the most useless class… but this wasn’t a game to begin with!

  “Ren! You can’t even use five people! Let’s share!”

  The adventures standing around Ren (and men among them) all suddenly huddled behind him, quaking in their boots. They were behaving like terrified little sheep.

  Ren looked annoyed, and scratched his head, perplexed. Then he said, “I’m more of a loner, myself. So if you can’t cut it, I’m leaving you behind.”

  He said it relatively forcefully, but none of the people behind him showed any signs of moving.

  “Motoyasu! What do you think of this? Isn’t it horrible?!”

  “Well…”

  By the way, I’d like to point out that there was not a single man among the adventurers with Motoyasu. It looked like he was setting up a brothel or something.

  “Well I don’t want to be
biased here… but uh...”

  Itsuki looked a little confused but seemed to be saying that he couldn’t exactly refuse the help that he’d been offered.

  All the adventurers gathered around Motoyasu were women. I guess he really did have a way with them. It was like some kind of involuntary attraction.

  “I suppose it would be fair to split them evenly, with each of us getting three. But then again, it’s not gentlemanly to deny them once they’ve made their decision.” What Itsuki said sounded fair enough, and everyone in the room nodded along.

  “You mean I need to go it alone?”

  I was stuck with a shield! THEY were the ones who said it was the worst class! If I don’t have a party to travel with, how was I supposed to get stronger?

  “Sir, if it please you, I could serve with the Shield Hero.” One of the women with Motoyasu raised her hand to volunteer.

  “Hm? Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  She was cute, and had shoulder-length red hair.

  Her face was pretty too. She was relatively tall, just a little shorter than me.

  “Are there any others among you that would throw your lot in with Mr. Naofumi?”

  …No one moved a muscle. The king sighed heavily.

  “I suppose there is no way around it. Mr. Naofumi, you’ll have to recruit others to accompany you while you are traveling. Each month, I will supply all of you with the necessary funds for your journey, though in compensation for today’s events, Naofumi’s first payment will be higher than the others.”

  “Y…Yes, sir!”

  It seemed like a fair resolution.

  If no one wanted to work with me voluntarily, I would have to find people to help me.

  “Now then, Heroes, I have set aside these funds for you. Please accept them.”

  Attendants placed envelopes in front of each of us.

  I could hear something heavy and metallic rattling inside the packages. A peek inside revealed a rather large money pouch.

  “I have set aside 800 pieces of silver for Mr. Naofumi, and 600 pieces for the rest of you. Please take these funds and begin your journey.”

  “Yes sir!” We all answered in unison.

  Each of us made our obligatory bow of gratitude before backing out of the audience chamber. Once we were all out of the room, we made our introductions.

  “Um, so it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Shield Hero. My name is Myne Suphia.”

  “Pleasure.”

  She didn’t seem to be very shy, and she spoke without reservation. With all that was going on, I suppose I forgot to mention that she was the girl who agreed to come with me.

  I believe in taking care of your friends. Especially considering that, according to everyone I’d met so far, I had been dealt a losing hand. On top of it all, Myne was a girl, and I was the >Shield Hero. It would be up to me to protect her.

  “Very well then, let’s get going, shall we? Ms. Myne.”

  She smiled and nodded before following me out of the room.

  There was a drawbridge strung between the castle and the town. Crossing it, I got my first real view of the town.

  Granted, I’d gotten a little glimpse of it from the window last night, but standing there now, in the middle of it all, I really started to feel like I’d come to a different world.

  The cobblestone streets were lined with stone buildings, many of which were furnished with wooden signs. There were delicious smells wafting from many directions at once.

  “What should we do?”

  “I think it would be wise to try and get some better equipment and armor.”

  “Good idea. With all the money the king gave us, we should be able to get some real quality stuff.”

  The only equipment I had was a shield, so procuring a weapon was of paramount importance. Without one, I wouldn’t stand a chance against any monsters. I wouldn’t even be much use to my teammates without one. Regardless, the other heroes all had weapons that would level up with them. If I didn’t hit the ground running, they’d overtake me in no time.

  Considering all they’d gone through to summon me here, it didn’t seem right to slack off. And besides, even if I was stuck with a weak class, Myne had still teamed up with me. I needed to do what I could, for her sake.

  “Well, I know a good store if you’re ready to go.”

  “I am.”

  “Great.”

  Weapons are important, but all you really need are friends. Myne led me down a path to the weapon store she knew. She walked as if she was skipping.

  We’d been walking away from the castle for a fair amount of time when Myne finally slowed her pace and stopped before a shop. There was a large sign in the shape of a sword hanging over the wooden door.

  “This is the shop I was talking about.”

  “Wow.”

  I stole a glimpse of the interior through the open door. There were weapons of all sorts hanging on the stone walls. It was exactly what you imagine when you think of a “weapon shop.” It looked like they also stocked armor and other goods necessary for adventuring.

  “Welcome,” the owner called out to us amiably. The owner, too, was exactly the sort of guy you picture when you think of a “weapon shop.” He was leaning on the counter, and the whole scene felt like a painting. I was relieved, as I was fearing a fat, pudgy type of owner. I really was in a whole new world…

  “So this is a weapon shop…”

  “I see this is your first time in one. Well, you sure know how to pick ‘em.”

  “Actually, my companion here told me about your store.” I pointed over at Myne, in response to which she raised a hand and waved it in greeting.

  “Why, thank you very much… Miss… Hey, haven’t we met somewhere?”

  “I’ve been here before, sir. Also, your shop is very well known around here.”

  “Well, isn’t that kind of you. By the way, if I may ask, who is this strangely-dressed friend of yours?”

  I guess that only made sense. In this other world, they would think my clothes looked strange. I probably looked like a bumpkin touring the kingdom, or just a crazy person.

  “I think you already know the answer to that, sir.”

  “You mean… you’re one of the… the Heroes? Wow!”

  The man began to look me over carefully.

  “He doesn’t really look that strong.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears!

  “Tell me how you really feel! Geez!”

  But the old guy was right. I really didn’t look like I would do anyone much good. That’s why I needed to get stronger.

  “Listen up, Hero-Boy. If you don’t get yourself some decent equipment, the other adventurers will wipe the floor with you.”

  “I suppose…”

  I kind of liked the guy. He seemed honest.

  “Looks like you got the short stick?”

  I felt my face twitch in recognition. How did gossip spread this quickly? Whatever. I shouldn’t admit loss before I even got going.

  “I am the Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani. Things might get rough from here on out, so I’ve come for your assistance.” It was an aggressive way to introduce myself, but I had to convince myself too.

  “Mr. Naofumi was it… Well then, here’s to hoping you become a regular of sorts around here. Let’s see what we can do!”

  He was an amicable guy, to be sure.

  Myne walked over and spoke up. “Hey, sir, don’t you have any good equipment for my friend here?”

  “I’m sure that I do, but how’s your budget looking?”

  “Well…”

  Myne was looking me over in some sort of appraisal.

  “We could probably spend up to 250 pieces.”

  We only had 800 to start with, and we were preparing to spend 250 on equipment. Was that going to leave enough for inns and food, and for recruiting other party members?

  “That much, huh? Well then, you should start looking over here,” said the owner, as he walked around the sho
p and pulled various weapons from their spaces on the wall.

  “Tell me, kid. You have a favorite kind of weapon?”

  “Not yet.”

  “If so, then I’d recommend a sword that is light enough for beginners.” He proceeded to set a number of swords out on the counter. “All of these are coated with Blood Clean, so they’re pretty easy to handle.”

  “Blood Clean?”

  “Gore and blood on a blade will erode the edge, making upkeep more difficult. These swords don’t have that problem.”

  “Wow…”

  I was surprised, but thinking on it for a minute, I realized that even in my own world people spoke of knives losing their edge after cutting through meat. I suppose he meant that these swords would stay sharp for a long time. I stared at the swords for a short time. They were much higher quality than any of the replica swords I’d seen before. They looked like serious weapons.

  “Those are, in order: Iron, Magic Iron, Magic Steel, and Silver Iron. They get more expensive as they go, but the increase in quality is tremendous.”

  Were they hardened to different degrees based on the ore used in their production? It seemed they were all made from iron.

  “There are also weapons of higher quality, but in the 250 range, this is really what you’ve got to pick from.”

  I’d heard of things like this before. It was just like a video game, how the weapon shop in the first town does have very good weapons available. This shop, however, seemed to have a really wide variety. That made it more like an online game. But then again, this WASN’T a game. In the real world, in any real world, the weapon shops in the capitol were sure to have good materials available, right?

  “An iron sword… Hmmm...”

  I took one of them in hand, and, sure enough, it was very heavy. The shield I carried was so light that I took little notice of it, but these weapons had significant heft. I’d have to use them to fight any monsters we encountered…

  “Woah!”

  Suddenly, as if receiving an electric shock, the iron sword I was holding flew out of my hand.

  “Huh?”

  The shop owner and Myne were both looking at me, and then at the sword where it lay. I reached for the sword again, assuming I’d dropped it. It sat in my hand as if nothing strange had happened at all. Just what was that?