I woke up quite early today and jumped down from the tree. I got surprised since there was a high grade potion under the tree. Maybe I know who left it.
There is only one explanation. When she was talking to me last night, she saw that I injured my hand due to my angry outburst.
When I was screaming while experimenting last night, she saw me and when I went to sleep, she left this under the tree.
Come to think of it, it's pretty luxurious. I bet if I went to buy this potion from store, it would cost at least 50 silver coins.
My hand was still injured, but it wasn't bleeding so I didn't wasted potion on it.
After that, I headed for the weapon shop.
"Welcome, shield hero"
"Thank you, you can just call me Naofumi. By the way, I wanted to buy a new shield, since this one is too small"
"Okay so which type"
"Can I check them myself one by one?"
"Of course"
I started copying the skills of the shields one by one. Of course he didn't found out.
"Hey Erhard, I also wanted to buy some daggers"
"I thought you can't use any weapons other than the shield."
"I can't, but I can throw these on the enemies."
"You're very smart"
After copying every skill, I told him that I can't use other shields either. I bought the five daggers for 25 silver coins and after giving him a tip of 5 silver coins.
"By the way mr Naofumi, did that girl left your party?"
"She's in spearhero's party right now"
"I feel sad for you"
"Thank you for thinking that way, but I'm too weak, so I didn't deserved her"
With that, I went away.
I teleported to the fields using my shield. I started collecting the herbs and let my shield absorb some too. After a while
Leaf Shield: conditions met
I changed my shield into the Leaf Shield.I reached for a clump of grass.
Blip!
A positive sound rang out, and the clump of grass tore free easily. The clump of grass glowed with a faint light.
Absorption up 1
Aelo: quality: fair to excellent: medicinal herb for treating wounds
It's working just fine.
I soon came across Bluemushes and Greenmushes.
Mush Shield: conditions met
Blue Mush Shield: conditions met
Green Mush Shield: conditions met
Mush Shield: ability locked:
Equip bonus: plant appraisal 1
Blue Mush Shield: ability locked:
Equip bonus: simple recipe 1
Green Mush Shield: ability locked:
Equip bonus: apprenticeship compounding
So now I got a compounding ability. No thanks, I will let my shield do the compounding.
I also made some medicines using my shield.
Healing Medicine: quality: fair to excellent: effective when immediately applied to the surface of wounds
Normal Medicine: quality: fair to excellent: effective on colds
Making medicines took only seconds by using the shield. And their quality is also great. I used the healing medicine that I made on my injured hand, it recovered after some time. Also let my shield absorb some medicines.
Small Medicine Shield: conditions met
Small Poison Shield: conditions met
Small Medicine Shield: ability locked:
Equip bonus: medicine efficiency up!
Small Poison Shield: ability locked:
Equip bonus: poison resistance up!
Now I should make something that would be useful right now.
Nourishing Beverage: quality: fair to excellent: effective for fatigue: quickly nourishes the person who drinks it.
After drinking nourishing beverage, I went to the fields to collect some Red Baloons. they are the strongest baloons and are very useful in battle. They were quite difficult to find. After searching for half an hour, I found only eight. I hid them all under my cape.
The chill morning air bit at my face as I trekked back towards the main town road. Teleporting via the shield was incredibly convenient – zip, and you're there. Faster than Ren could swing his oversized emo sword, definitely faster than Itsuki could string an arrow, and lightyears ahead of Motoyasu who'd probably get distracted by a squirrel wearing a cute bow.
But convenience had a cost. Just popping into the middle of town? Too flashy. Bound to attract attention, questions, maybe even accusations of using 'cheat' skills before the Waves even properly started. My life was already complicated enough without a crowd of villagers pointing and shouting, "Look, the Shield Hero just materialized like a budget stage magician!"
So, I walked. My new Leaf Shield felt surprisingly sturdy, a testament to the Legendary Weapon system's ability to turn garden waste into decent gear. The daggers in my pocket felt like tiny, forbidden treats. Thirty-something shocks last night. Thirty-something reassurances that the universe really didn't want me using anything but this damn shield. The backhand grip and the thumb-and-forefinger throw grip were my two little rebellions. Small victories, but victories nonetheless.
The path eventually led me to the training grounds just outside the town gates. Noise drifted over – clashes of metal, grunts of effort, and… was that Ren whining? Curiosity piqued, I picked up the pace.
Emerging from the trees, I found myself overlooking a small, dusty arena. A group of adventurers stood around, looking varying degrees of dejected. And in the center? Ren, sprawled in the dirt, sword slightly askew beside him, and standing over him, wiping down her katana with a clean cloth, was the girl from last night.
Slam.
She flicked her wrist, sheathing the blade with a crisp, final sound. Ren just lay there, looking thoroughly pathetic.
Okay, Ren losing wasn't exactly shocking. The guy relied on flashy moves he probably copied from a JRPG strategy guide. But losing to her? The level 33 wild child who slept in trees? That was… interesting. And kind of funny.
As I approached, the surrounding adventurers, and then Ren, noticed me. The murmur died down.
"Hey there, Naofumi," Ren mumbled, slowly pushing himself up, dusting off his cape. "Heard you're leveling alone." His eyes still held that 'my stats weren't high enough for this boss' look.
"Yeah," I replied flatly, scanning the scene. Myne was nowhere to be seen, thankfully. Probably busy charming the guards or counting the silver Motoyasu gave her.
Alna, the girl from last night – Alna Stepnova, apparently – turned her gaze to me. She had the same assessing look as when she'd first seen me fisting a tree. "Oh, you two know each other?"
"Yeah, he's Shield Hero," Ren confirmed, standing up properly now.
Alna's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of something I couldn't quite read flickering in them. "Really?" She looked me up and down again, this time with more intensity. It wasn't just appraisal; it felt… curious. Like she was trying to reconcile the title with the guy she saw having an emotional breakdown and then screaming insults at the night sky while electrocuting himself with a dagger.
"So, what are you guys doing?" I asked, gesturing vaguely at the defeated-looking crowd and the still-pouting Ren.
Ren sighed dramatically, because of course he did. "Let me introduce her to you. She's Alna, Alna Stepnova. She challenged us for a fight. Said that if we could defeat her in a duel, she would join our party for a week. Her level is very high, so we accepted the duel, but one by one she defeated everyone." He finished with that same hopeless look, like he'd just hit a level cap wall in a game he paid full price for.
Everyone from his party got defeated?
"Don't be sad, Ren," I said, deciding to be magnanimous in my schadenfreude. "She only won because of her level. And you just started using that sword yesterday." Which was technically true, even if his previous levels didn't seem to translate into actual fighting sense yet.
Ren's level should be around 7 or 8 by now if he'd actually bothered to kill things instead of posing. Alna at 33? Yeah, impossible for any of the Cardinal idiots to beat her in a straight fight right now.
Alna, who had been listening with a neutral expression, suddenly grinned, a challenging spark in her eyes. "Well, well. The man who talks a big game about being stronger than me. Why don't you fight me?" she said mockingly. "You said that you're stronger than me, right?"
My internal monologue screeched to a halt. Oh, right. I said that. In the dark. While trying to get rid of you.
I met her gaze, keeping my face as blank as my level progression seemed to the others. "I'm not gonna lie," I stated calmly. "My level is 5." I paused, letting the massive gap hang in the air like a bad smell. "And even if I defeated you after so much trouble, what would I get?"
Ren stared at me, bewildered. "You still think you can win against her?" he asked, genuinely worried. Bless his naive, game-logic heart. He thought level was the only factor.
"Yeah," I replied simply. Because I could. It wouldn't be easy, it wouldn't be fast, and it certainly wouldn't look like a cool video game boss fight. It would be messy, frustrating, and probably involve me tanking hits for an ungodly amount of time while waiting for an opening. But winning? Against a level 33 swordswoman whose attacks I could literally absorb if I found the right shield? Yeah, I could win. The question was, was it worth it?
Alna seemed surprised by my directness, then intrigued. The mock evaporated, replaced by genuine curiosity. "Alright," she conceded. "If you win, I will party up with you for a week, because I have to go somewhere after that."
A week? With a level 33 powerhouse? That sounded like an express train to Level-Up-Ville. I could gain more experience in a week with her than I could in a month grinding balloons. It would definitely speed up the process of getting Raphtalia and Filo.
But… a week? What happens after that? She leaves, I'm back to solo, possibly having missed opportunities or messed up timelines because I relied on someone temporary. And relying on people right now wasn't exactly high on my list of things I enjoyed doing. Especially someone who might have their own agenda.
"No thanks," I said, the words surprising even myself a little. Ren looked like I'd just denied the existence of fast travel. Alna's eyebrows shot up.
"Okay," she said slowly, tilting her head. Her grin returned, wider this time, less mocking and more predatory. She was clearly enjoying this negotiation more than the duels. "Okay. Tell me, what do you want?"
Here it was. My chance to set the terms. A level 33 mercenary on call? Not just for a week, but when I needed her? Or something else entirely? Time to put that 'Shield Hero is weak' narrative to use and demand something disproportionately valuable for my perceived struggle.
My mind raced, calculating the risks, the rewards, the potential ways this could blow up in my face.
"That's it," I thought, a plan forming. It was audacious, risky, and perfectly suited for a guy who had nothing left to lose but his life, which he was pretty sure he could tank through anyway. I looked Alna dead in the eye.
"What do I want?" I echoed, a small, humorless smile playing on my lips.
"If I won, you'll be my slave for three days, No less, and certainly no more," I stated, my voice flat, watching Alna's reaction. Ren, standing nearby, choked on air.
"Do you even know what you're asking for?!" Ren sputtered, eyes wide with disbelief. He looked genuinely concerned, which, while slightly touching, was also kind of annoying. Stick to brooding, kid.
"I'll only use her for battle," I clarified, raising a hand dismissively. "And don't worry, she won't have to put a slave collar on. Gross." The thought alone was repellent. Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt. Or sanity.
"But still, that's too mu-" Ren started again, his heroic sensibilities clearly affronted by the sheer audacity of my demand. Bless his pure little gamer heart. But Alna cut him off, thankfully.
"What if you're hiding your level?" she asked, her gaze sharp, scanning me again as if trying to peel back layers of non-existent power.
"I'll accept any punishment, even death," I replied instantly, channeling my inner 'already died inside once' vibe. Honestly, what's another hypothetical death among friends? We don't have friends. Right. What's another hypothetical death among annoying acquaintances?
Alna tilted her head, considering. "Sorry, but I can't make these kinds of bets. My reputation will be ruined if word gets out I was someone's... for three days." She shuddered slightly at the implication, which was fair enough. Even I felt a little sleazy saying 'slave,' but 'temporary battle subordinate' just didn't have the same ring to it. Besides, her level was 33. The odds of my level 5 self beating her in a straight fight were lower than finding a non-scumbag hero party in this world.
"Okay, leave it," I said, already turning to walk away. The point wasn't really to win the duel right now, but to open up a negotiation for mutual benefit. If she wasn't biting, fine. There were other ridiculously high-level strangers milling about, probably.
"Hey! What if I win?" she called out before I could get too far.
Bingo.
I turned back, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touching my lips.
"You want me to go that far for a bet, but you aren't betting anything, aren't you being greedy?" She said
"My chances of winning are less that one percent. why should I take that risk," I countered, stating the obvious truth of the level difference. Though, they don't know about my past life, my meta-knowledge, or my willingness to exploit game mechanics like a madman.
"We won't reach anywhere like this!" she shouted, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
She's right, I thought, feeling a dull ache start behind my eyes. Negotiating felt like trying to explain quantum physics to a turnip. Right, What do I actually need from this?
She was right. Even my head had started hurting. Negotiating was exhausting. I missed the simple days of just absorbing trash and hoping for the best.
"Alright," I conceded, rubbing my temples. "If you lose, you'll have to party up with me for three days. But listen closely, because this is non-negotiable and I'm only saying it once because my mouth is already hurting from talking this much." I took a breath.
"I won't buy any equipment for you. You can't laze around. You have to follow me if I told you and leave me alone if I told so. You have to level me up with the best of your ability. Also, you can't tell anyone what you saw last night."
My mouth started hurting from rattling off all the conditions. It sounded less like a bet and more like I was hiring a very demanding, unpaid tutor who also had to keep secrets. Ren looked utterly baffled, while Alna's expression had morphed from frustration to bewildered amusement.
the points needed to be clear. The last one was crucial. If word got out about the dagger experiment, the king or the church might get ideas. Bad ones. Also, my emotional breakdown was strictly classified information.
"Three days," she repeated, more to herself than me. "Level you up with the best of my ability... don't buy equipment... follow and leave... and keep quiet about last night?" She looked at me, a hint of curiosity now replacing her earlier amusement and frustration. "What exactly did I see last night?"
"Doesn't matter," I said quickly. "Just something that shouldn't be shared. So, deal or no deal?
She thought for another moment, then a grin slowly spread across her face. It wasn't a malicious grin, more... adventurous. "Alright, Shield Hero," Alna said, extending a hand. "You've got yourself a deal. Three days. Let's see if you're as strong as your mouth."
I didn't take her hand. Didn't need to. A verbal agreement was enough. Besides, my hands were still a little sensitive. "Good. Now, about this duel..." I looked around for a relatively uncluttered space. This should be quick. And painful. For me. But hopefully worth it.
Ren watched the exchange, looking like he'd just witnessed two people agree to paint the castle pink with spoons. "Are... are you two serious?"
Alna and I ignored him, shaking hands to seal the bizarre wager. Alna didn't stated her terms, I normally, I would've asked her terms but there's no need since there's no way she could defeat me.