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When the king issued the order to arrest the Pope, he anticipated some resistance, but he had not foreseen the scale of the backlash. Nearly half the capital's residents had gathered at the palace gates in protest.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the church had been ransacked the previous day—its gates broken down, and all members of the clergy massacred, leaving no survivors. The king immediately understood why the situation had escalated so dramatically. This explained why Jason had been secretive about his visit to the church the previous day.
There was no doubt in the king's mind: the church had been destroyed by Jason, and its members slain by him as well.
"Damn Shield Hero," the king muttered angrily, gripping the handrails of his throne so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged. "He's dug this huge pit and left me to fall into it."
His frustration was immense, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Jason's strength was overwhelming, and the king had no means of dealing with him.
"Your Majesty, something urgent has happened!" A soldier suddenly rushed in, his panic evident.
"What is it now?" the king growled, clearly irritated. "Can't you see I'm dealing with important matters?"
The soldier, trembling, knelt down. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but something critical needs your attention. Lord Motoyasu has been attacked by a mob and is currently buried in the garbage dump!"
The king's anger flared again, though this time at Motoyasu's misfortune. "A mob? Why would they suddenly attack Motoyasu?"
"It seems, Your Majesty, that the people have discovered Lord Motoyasu's inappropriate behavior with female adventurers. It has incited public outrage."
The king's mood shifted unexpectedly. A grin spread across his face as he rose excitedly from his throne. "Good! This is excellent news!"
The soldiers were bewildered. Motoyasu being attacked was good news?
"Motoyasu has become the target for the people's anger," the king explained with a laugh. "Once they've vented their frustrations on him, they'll calm down. It's perfect—let them take out their anger on him!"
He then turned to the soldier. "Give the order: no one is to help Motoyasu."
Though Motoyasu and the king had once been on good terms, the previous night had soured their relationship. Motoyasu had approached the king asking for financial support in the midst of a tense and embarrassing situation, which had deeply irritated the monarch. Now that the citizens were punishing Motoyasu on their own, the king was more than happy to let it continue. It alleviated some of the stress he had been under.
Meanwhile, Motoyasu's companions were desperate. "Please, Lord Ren, Lord Itsuki, help save Lord Motoyasu!" they pleaded, turning to Ren and Itsuki.
Motoyasu had passed out, buried in filth, and if no one acted soon, he might actually die in the garbage dump.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do anything," Ren said, pinching his nose against the stench. "The smell is unbearable."
Itsuki added, "Aren't you Motoyasu's companions? You should be the ones saving him. Just pull him out of the trash yourselves."
The two Heroes turned away, unwilling to get involved. Although the angry crowd was some distance away, they wanted no part of the mess and opted to avoid the area entirely.
As Ren and Itsuki walked away, Motoyasu's adventurer companions exchanged uneasy glances. The idea of diving into a filthy garbage dump to save him was repulsive to them, especially since they were all women. The thought of wading through the stench and filth was too much to bear.
With Ren and Itsuki gone, they needed someone else to help. Their gaze soon fell on the soldiers standing nearby.
"You!" one of Motoyasu's companions barked arrogantly at the soldiers, adopting an authoritative tone. "Go save Lord Motoyasu!"
The soldiers smirked. In the past, they might have helped, but they had the king's direct order not to intervene. "Sorry, we're on duty. We can't leave our post."
"What post? It's right in front of you! Will you die if you leave it for a moment?" another of the adventurers snapped.
"Watch your attitude!" the soldier retorted, his expression hardening. "Lord Motoyasu may be on a mission to save the world, but that doesn't mean we're here to cater to your every whim."
The female adventurers, frustrated by the soldiers' refusal to help, were left with no choice but to handle the situation themselves. One of the soldiers, smirking, taunted them, "Oh? Since you admire Lord Motoyasu so much, go ahead and save him yourselves!"
Ignoring their angry retorts, the soldiers stood motionless, unwilling to lift a finger. The adventurers were outraged but powerless. No matter how inflated their sense of importance, they wouldn't dare to attack the king's soldiers, as that would be tantamount to rebellion—a line they were not willing to cross, especially without the might and confidence of someone like Jason.
"What now?" one of them muttered anxiously.
"If we don't do something, Lord Motoyasu might actually die," another replied, her voice trembling.
"Alright, here's what we'll do. I'll use wind magic to blow away the stench, and we'll pull Lord Motoyasu out of the garbage during that time," one of them suggested, trying to rally the group.
"Good idea, let's do it!" they agreed, hurrying toward the rubbish-filled suspension bridge where Motoyasu lay buried.
"Lord Motoyasu, hold on! We're coming to save you!" they shouted, as if their rescue attempt was a grand gesture that would raise their status in Motoyasu's eyes. Even in this dire moment, they were scheming to secure a higher place in his favor.
Motoyasu stirred at the sound of their voices, slowly regaining consciousness. Dazed, he blinked and looked around, realizing with growing horror where he was. Unfortunately, the commotion alerted the nearby crowd.
"Hey! We're not done yet!" someone shouted.
"More trash! Let's finish the job!" another added.
With that, the crowd began hurling more garbage toward the bridge. Poor Motoyasu had barely opened his eyes when he saw a wave of filth coming at him again. The sheer volume of the incoming trash was overwhelming. As he was buried once more, a flurry of desperate thoughts raced through his mind:
"Am I cursed or something?"
"How do these people have so much garbage?"
"Are their clothes secretly four-dimensional pockets or something? Where is all this trash even coming from?"
Motoyasu wasn't the only one suffering. The adventurers who had come to save him were also caught in the barrage of refuse, screaming as they too were buried under the mountain of filth. Their attempt at heroism had backfired spectacularly.
While Kitamura Motoyasu endured this humiliating ordeal, Jason and Raphtalia had already arrived in Root Village. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the villagers, who stopped their work to welcome them with smiles and cheers.
"Everyone, please continue with your work," Jason said, waving his hand kindly. "There's no need to stop on my account."
He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, as if he were leading the village himself. The village chief, noticing the commotion, called out, "Alright, everyone, let's not crowd Lord Shield Hero. Give him some space."
With that, the villagers returned to their tasks, though many still stole glances at Jason in admiration. The village chief then approached with a warm smile. "Welcome back, Lord Shield Hero. Is there something important bringing you to the village today?"
"There is indeed," Jason began, but before he could explain further, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Lord Shield Hero! What a fortunate coincidence! You arrived just as I did."
Jason turned to see the slave trader sitting in a carriage, grinning widely. It seemed the monster eggs Jason had purchased had arrived.
"You're quicker than I expected. Impressive," Jason remarked, pleased by the timely delivery.
The slave trader beamed. "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Shield Hero. I must admit, I was nearly delayed. However, one of the monster eggs you purchased yesterday is on the verge of hatching, so I put all my other business aside to bring it here as fast as I could."
As he spoke, the slave trader hopped down from his carriage, eager to show Jason the precious cargo.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
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"If the monster egg hatches before I hand it over to you, it will be my dereliction of duty and affect my reputation."
As the slave trader spoke, he turned and retrieved an incubator from the carriage. The monster egg on it had been bound with Jason's blood the previous night.
At that time, Jason found carrying the monster egg too bothersome, so he requested the slave trader to deliver it along with the others. He hadn't expected that it was about to hatch so soon.
Though the slave trader always had a suspicious air about him, his trustworthiness exceeded that of many other merchants. His skill in handling business was also commendable.
"Thank you."
Jason took the monster egg, noting a small crack and faint movements inside. It seemed it would hatch before long.
"This is only my duty. After all, you are my most important customer," the slave trader said, narrowing his eyes with his characteristic smile. "Now, Sir Shield Hero, where should the other monster eggs be taken?"
"Wait a moment."
Jason turned to the village chief. "Can you arrange a place for me?"
"Of course, there's no problem. Please follow me."
The village chief led the way into the village, which had suffered significant damage from the recent wave of calamities. Despite Jason and Raphtalia's assistance, many buildings were still in disrepair.
Even though the monsters' bodies had been cleared away, the village remained far more dilapidated than before the disaster.
Soon, the village chief brought Jason and his companions to a small inn.
Jason and Raphtalia stayed there, and the innkeeper refused payment, insisting, "How could I charge the Shield Hero? It's an honor for you to stay here!"
It almost felt insulting to offer her money, so Jason and Raphtalia had no choice but to accept the hospitality.
Meanwhile, the slave trader ordered his subordinates to move all the monster eggs into Jason's room.
After settling in, Jason placed the magic egg that was about to hatch on the desk, while he and Raphtalia sat nearby, waiting.
"Master Jason, what kind of monster do you think will hatch? I bet it's going to be a dragon to ride!" Raphtalia said, resting her chin in her hands, clearly bored.
"I'm not interested in riding dragons," Jason replied, shaking his head. What he was waiting for was Filo.
Though riding dragons were highly prized and fetched a good price, they couldn't compare to Filo. They weren't even in the same league.
"Lord Jason doesn't even care for riding dragons? Your standards are high! But among monster eggs, riding dragons are among the best."
"Who knows, maybe there's something even more special in there."
"That makes sense. It's you, after all, so the monster you hatch has to be different from the others."
They continued talking idly as more than an hour passed. Just before noon, the crack in the monster egg widened.
Through the opening, they could just make out some fur-like feathers on the creature inside.
"It's coming out."
Jason's eyes lit up, feeling a rush of excitement, while Raphtalia's face reflected her anticipation.
With a series of cracking sounds, the egg split further, and the entire shell began to shake violently.
Finally, with a snap, a small head poked out.
It was a chick-like creature covered in soft feathers, with bits of eggshell still stuck on its head. It looked around curiously before locking eyes on Jason.
Letting out a joyful cry, the tiny creature leaped energetically into Jason's arms, chirping happily.
"Huh... What kind of monster is this? It looks like a bird, but it's not a Bhikkhu, is it?" Raphtalia wondered, watching the creature.
Bhikkhus were monsters resembling mutated vultures, known for their agility. This little 'chick' did bear some resemblance to one.
But Jason shook his head. "No, this isn't a Bhikkhu. It's a Filo bird."
"A Filo bird? Isn't that the species used to pull carriages? They're not particularly high-level monsters, but it is pretty cute."
Raphtalia seemed fond of the creature. After all, girls often had a soft spot for anything cute.
"You're mistaken. Since I hatched it, there's no way it's just an ordinary Filo bird," Jason said confidently. As if to confirm his words, the small monster affectionately nuzzled Jason's hand.
"Hehe... It sees you as its father," Raphtalia giggled.
"Maybe it's that nestling instinct. If I'm the father, that makes you the mother," Jason teased.
"Don't say that, Master Jason! You're making me blush!" Raphtalia protested, embarrassed.
Jason laughed softly.
Jason smiled, cradling the tiny monster in his arms as he rose from the chair. He moved to the window, pushing it open, and raised the little creature with both hands, lifting it up toward the sunlight. "You will be the queen of the Filo birds one day, so your name will be Filo!" he declared.
Filo, seemingly understanding that she had been given a name, chirped happily and kicked her legs in joy.
At that moment, several other Filo birds in the village appeared to sense something and all bowed their heads in response.
"Filo? Looks like she likes the name," Raphtalia observed. She pondered it for a moment but couldn't quite grasp why Jason had raised Filo so ceremoniously.
Of course, Jason had acted on a whim. It wasn't as though he was overly dramatic by nature.
Setting Filo on his shoulder, Jason carefully removed the remaining piece of shell from her head and placed it in front of his shield.
"If I recall, the eggshell can enhance the shield's abilities, which might speed up Filo's growth."
As Jason considered this, the eggshell was absorbed into the shield. He then fed the remaining shell fragments to the shield.
Suddenly, a notification appeared:
The conditions for the Shield of the Beast Tamer have been unlocked.
Monster Egg Shield conditions have been unlocked.
The system presented two new shields:
[Shield of the Beast Tamer]: Ability not yet unlocked. Equipment bonus: Minor beast growth enhancement.[Monster Egg Shield]: Ability not yet unlocked. Equipment bonus: Cooking Skill +2.
Just as Jason expected, new shields appeared. The cooking skill bonus was a nice touch, but the Beast Tamer Shield was what excited him the most.
As Jason admired his new shields, his eyes shifted to the other monster eggs in the room.
Although Filo had already hatched, the remaining monster eggs still had their uses. After all, he had some quests left to complete that involved choosing specific creatures.
Jason already had a plan in mind for how to handle those eggs.
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