"As a hero, how can you treat your companions so poorly? Please treat them kindly—they are human beings with flesh and blood, too."
Melty clearly misunderstood the situation. Despite her strong tone and reprimand, her words were carefully chosen, reflecting good manners and self-restraint.
"Um... you've misunderstood. We aren't Lord Shield Hero's slaves; he's actually training us," Jack explained.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just training!" Filo chimed in.
"And through this training, we can feel ourselves growing stronger every day," added another member of the group.
Melty, still not convinced, responded sternly. "These carriages are filled with stones! How can that be considered training? It's abuse. If you're being mistreated, don't hesitate to speak up! As the second princess of the kingdom, I promise to stand up for you!"
Her righteous words made it clear that she was determined to rescue them from what she perceived as injustice. It was almost as if she was signaling to Jack and the others, saying, If you're being threatened, just blink, and I'll save you.
Jason, growing impatient, waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, alright, what does a little kid know? Get on with it, don't hold us up!"
Jason felt that trying to explain things to someone as determined as Melty would be pointless, no matter how long the conversation lasted.
"No, as the second princess of the kingdom, I have a responsibility to protect my people," Melty insisted, showing unwavering determination.
Jason sighed, shook his head, and approached her slowly. Without a word, he grabbed her and, despite her startled cries, tossed her into a nearby patch of grass.
Everyone stood in stunned silence, shocked by what they'd just witnessed.
The future queen—casually thrown aside like trash.
"Classic Shield Hero," one muttered. "He's as decisive as ever."
"Alright, let's go!" Jason clapped his hands and hopped back onto the carriage, signaling the group to move on. If talking wouldn't work, then actions would.
"Oooh~!"
With that, the group ignored Melty lying in the grass—Filo included. Jason had trained them well, after all.
Melty, now covered in weeds, struggled to her feet, seething. "Such disrespect, Shield Hero! I can't do anything to you now, but when I return, I'll report everything to my father. He'll see to it that you're punished!"
Her threat hung in the air, but the moment the words left her mouth, Melty realized she'd made a mistake.
The group stopped in their tracks and turned to look at her, their eyes dark and unfriendly.
"If she tells that wretched king, Lord Shield Hero will be in trouble again," someone whispered.
"What now? Should we kill her?" another asked.
"But she's the future queen. Killing her could bring more trouble to Lord Shield Hero," someone countered.
"Then we wear masks and clean up afterward. We're in the middle of nowhere—no one will ever know."
"Yeah... that could work," Jack agreed, putting on a mask from his waist.
One by one, the others followed, masking their faces as they slowly approached Melty with murder in their eyes.
Melty, still dazed from her fall, stared in horror. How could they turn against her so quickly? She was only trying to help!
"Sorry, we don't want to do this, but to avoid causing trouble for Lord Shield Hero, we have no choice," Jack said apologetically. "Don't worry, we'll try to make it as painless as possible."
They unsheathed their weapons and moved in on her.
"W-Wait! I was helping you! Why... why are you doing this?" Melty stammered, her voice trembling as they advanced on her like demons.
"Alright, enough! Don't scare her—she's just a little girl," Jason interrupted. He sighed and added, "Fine, I'll handle this myself."
In a flash, Jason appeared before Melty and dragged her into the tall bushes.
A moment later, the sound of light, rhythmic slaps echoed from the thicket.
"Honestly, it might have been easier just to kill her," one of the others remarked.
"Yeah, the future queen being treated like this by Lord Shield Hero... she might never recover her dignity," someone mused.
"Maybe, but Melty's a strong girl. She'll survive."
"She'll live on, for sure."
Even though they couldn't see what was happening inside the bushes, the sounds told Jack and the others all they needed to know. They exchanged casual remarks, unfazed by what was taking place.
After a while, Melty sat half-kneeling in front of Jason, tears glistening in her eyes as she gingerly covered her swollen backside. She couldn't sit properly—it was too painful from the spanking she'd received.
"Now you understand, right?" Jason said with a sigh. "They're training, and the injuries they have are from that training."
Jason shook his head, thinking to himself, Why do people in this world always have to be beaten to understand anything?
"Even though this was a misunderstanding, you've gone too far," Melty said, her voice trembling. "Since I was little, not even my mother has touched me like that. How am I supposed to face people now?"
Tears welled up in Melty's eyes again, and despite her attempt to remain strong, she looked truly pitiful.
Jason responded without much sympathy, "Well, I tried talking, but you wouldn't listen. This was the only option. Don't worry though… no one will ever hear about this. We're in the middle of nowhere."
Behind Jason, Raphtalia, Filo, Irene, and the others nodded in agreement, backing him up.
Melty glanced around at their faces, realizing that they all knew what had happened. How could no one else know? she thought, despair washing over her.
Feeling as though she'd lost her dignity, Melty finally broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably.
"Hey, hey, I didn't force you! Stop being so dramatic! If you keep crying, I'll take all your clothes off!" Jason snapped, his patience wearing thin as the noise grated on him.
Frightened by his threat, Melty immediately quieted down, though her sobs still lingered in the air. She was convinced Jason would follow through—after all, he was a Shield Hero, but a demon in her eyes.
Jason sighed again. "A princess shouldn't be crying this easily."
"It's because of you..." Melty muttered under her breath, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"What did you say?" Jason's sharp tone cut through the air.
"N-Nothing," Melty quickly swallowed her words.
"Whatever," Jason said, waving it off. "Let's get to the real issue. Where's your guard? Why are you out here alone?"
Jason had a nagging feeling that Melty's appearance wasn't a coincidence. Something felt off, as if there were deeper motives or hidden dangers behind her sudden arrival.