23 – The Shattered Veil
"Goshujin-sama!"
"Master!"
Lia and Sylvia called out, both killing whatever monster they were fighting to run towards me.
But I held up my hand. "Don't bother. This one's mine."
I stared at the towering corpse monstrosity.
It stared back, a cocky grin on its face.
And I held up my right hand, raising my shield at it. The moment I did, I said three words. "Condensation. Oxidize. Earthbend."
I stripped the moisture from its body with <Condensation>, leaving it a dried husk. I ignited it with <Oxidize> to burn its dessicated body. And then I used <Earthbend> to condense the charred body it left behind like how a diamond would be formed, stripping out everything but raw carbon and metal.
A single moment. Less than five seconds.
And with those seconds, the towering undead was destroyed, leaving behind a glittering black diamond, and an ingot of what looked like black steel.
I walked forward and picked both up, storing it in my shield.
===
> Shadow Diamond, GET!
> Chaos Steel, GET!
===
...Hm. Useful.
But before I could process what it was or look for more details, the crimson hue faded.
Cheers erupted in the distance. Motoyasu and Itsuki celebrating along with the party members. Ren, shaking his head with a soft sigh.
But either way...
Lia walked over, giving a glance at the terrified villagers before looking at me. "Goshujin-sama... is it over?"
Sylvia sheathed her sword and approached as well. "Did we... save them, Master?"
I nodded. "That's right. Although it was unexpected-"
A flash of malice and ill-intent.
A surge of mana.
Just out of eyesight, a group of knights, casting a fireball spell and aimed right at me and the villagers. No doubt planning to kill us all and blame it on the monsters.
...Ah.
I remembered this.
Right.
These bastards did everything to try and get rid of Naofumi, right?
But...
===
> The third mark has been granted.
> Three strikes.
> Three chances.
> You, who have been summoned as a hero against your will.
> You, who have done nothing but move to aid the world and was still scorned.
> You, who even now, saved those which you need not save, only to be faced with killing intent and malice.
> We have decreed.
> Become unbound.
> The Spirit of the Shield quietly apologizes and relinquishes their grasp over your existence.
> The Shattered Veil emerges.
===
A crack.
Just like the waves. But instead of crimson, pure blue light emerged. Like the pale blue dot that was Earth.
The moment it did, blue status windows that I was used to from RPGs flared to life, overwriting the black and white status magic that had dominated my vision since I arrived here.
"What?!"
Someone called out in surprise. That knight captain who had organized the attack.
"Goshujin-sama!"
Lia moved in a flash to jump in front of me to protect against the flames.
"You dare to attack Master?!"
Sylvia rushed forward, her sword already drawn and ready to attack the knights.
But I just laughed. Running my hand through my dark hair, I grinned at the knights and said, "I have to thank you fools."
The flames vanished like they never existed.
The emerald jewel on my shield shattered, replaced with a black void that looked like glittering constellations.
And then a message window appeared in my field of view. One that wasn't only visible to me, but to everyone nearby.
===
[The Covenant was shattered.]
[The Hero was betrayed.]
[The World has been judged.]
[From this point forward, the Legendary Shield will no longer exist in this world.]
===
Silence.
Everyone froze. Even Lia and Sylvia.
The knight captain who organized the attack stared at the message window with slowly widening eyes and growing panic.
I laughed again. Then I tossed the shield away, watching as it crumbled into starlight.
After that...
===
> Synthesis has been activated!
> Chaos Steel and Shadow Diamond are selected as material!
> The divine material, fragments of the Legendary Shield has been selected as material!
> Aligning to user's will...
> The mythological weapon, Fragarach, has been forged!
===
I grabbed at the air, pulling out a sword that was forged with my intent and Parallel System in leiu of the Legendary Shield's system.
A long sword- No. An Irish two-hander. A Gallowglass sword that was over three feet in length. One that had a clear blue orb in its pommel, a shadowy blade, and blue energy crackling around it.
Shifting into a high guard, holding the sword over my right shoulder, I smiled and said, "Shall I show you? The price for summoning a man into a war that he did not care for while decrying and defaming him the entire time?"
Sylvia quickly moved to my left side, pointing her blade in her left hand at the knights like a fencer.
Lia moved to my right side, her blade held low and loose at her right in the fool's guard... but because she had more than enough speed to make up for it.
A tense stand off.
One that would break off into bloodshed at any moment if the wrong move was made.
But before that could happen-
"Lord Naofumi."
-A shadow emerged between me and the knights. A woman in a black robe, along with a silver mask covering her face. Making a respectful bow towards me, she said, "We Shadows will resolve this situation, I dare say. Please, stay your hand, I dare say."
I paused.
Shadows...
Right.
The Queen had eyes on this situation.
She wasn't here right now since she was out doing diplomacy... but she had Shadows to make sure things didn't go completely off the rails.
...But they just had.
And it seemed like both the Queen and her Shadows recognized it, because the knights were being knocked out by flickering shadows while Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki were being escorted back to the castle, along with their parties.
Seeing that, I let out a long sigh and let go of Fragarach, watching as it dissolved into a glowing blue orb that floated around me like a planet in orbit.
The Queen's Shadow nodded and then waved her hand.
A flurry of movement, figures in dark robes, and then shadows blurred.
And after that, the knights and the other heroes, along with their parties were gone.
The Queen's Shadow bowed towards me again and said, "Melromarc has wronged you greatly, I dare say. But please stay your hand a little longer, I dare say. The Queen will personally meet you soon, I dare say."
"...Fine. But you should tell her properly." I waved at my now empty arm as well as the floating blue orb circling me. "...The glass was spilled. The line was crossed. There is no undoing what happened."
Everyone present saw it.
Although I didn't know what force or entity was responsible for it, the fact was that the Legendary Shield had been eliminated from this world. Expunged.
It might be due to me and my Parallel System...
Or it might be that the world itself had enough.
Either way, I wasn't a 'hero' anymore.
I was just me.
And I was no longer held back by arbitrary measures saying I couldn't attack. Nor was I limited to a shield in terms of equipment.
Something that I was planning to leverage as soon as possible.
The Queen's Shadow paused. Then she bowed and said, "Understood, I dare say."
I paused too. "...Is there a reason that you keep saying 'I dare say?'"
The Queen's Shadow tilted her head. "...I don't quite understand, I dare say."
"...Must be a translation issue." I murmured and waved my hand. "Go ahead. Sort it out. For now..." I looked at the damaged village buildings. At the villagers who were now looking at me with both understanding, regret, and gratitude.
"...I'll stick around here for a bit."
The Queen's Shadow bowed one last time. "Then, I will depart, I dare say. Please be well, I dare say." With that, the masked woman... sank into the shadows?
Huh.
That's an interesting skill and magic.
But for now...
Sylvia sheathed her sword and looked at me. "...Master. What do we do now?"
Lia sheathed her sword as well, looking at the villagers. "...Do we help them?"
I looked at the village chief.
The elderly man stared back, gratitude and faint hope shining in his eyes.
Seeing that, I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "...Yeah, we'll help. This place is pretty safe anyway... Right?"
I aimed the last word at the village chief.
The elderly man laughed and said, "Of course! We are more than grateful to receive our savior. Is that not true, everyone?"
There was a single beat of silence and hesitation. But then, like the tension was cut, warm cheers and thanks filled the air.
"He saved us when the heroes ran!"
"The King and his men lied!"
"They tried to kill him for speaking the truth!"
"Did you see? The Queen's own shadows came to stop the knights!"
"They lied!
"Of course we'll receive you!"
"A banquet! A feast! Let's get started!"
A bustle of activity unfolded as the villagers scattered to set up a celebration for surviving the wave and to thank us.
Seeing that, I finally relaxed as well. "...Alright. Then..." I nodded towards Lia and Sylvia. "Let's relax a bit."
Sylvia relaxed as well and smiled. "Of course, Master. Then..." She fidgeted and said, "...Do you think there's a place we can have a bath?"
Lia quickly nodded. "A bath would be nice! I feel so icky after killing all those monsters..."
I looked at the village chief. "Well? Is there?"
The old man smiled. "I will run the baths personally." He waved towards a larger house at the entrance of the village. "My home is there. It will take roughly an hour to warm the baths properly, but we will have them ready for Lord Naofumi and your women."
I paused. "They aren't-"
Sylvia gasped and clasped her hands together. "A warm bath? Not cold?"
Lia's ears twitched and she looked towards Sylvia. "We can soak and relax and talk the entire time, Sylvia!"
"Yes! It'll be nice!"
"...Never mind." I sighed.
The village chief smiled and said, "Then, I will be off. Take your time, Lord Naofumi."
"Just Naofumi's fine-" I paused as I noticed a sign nearby. One that was clearly a welcome sign. "...Welcome to 'Riyute' Village? Not Ryuto?"
It was subtle. A slight difference. Something that could be mistaken as just a translation error or even preference in translation.
But it bothered me.
No, it didn't just bother me.
Staring at that sign, I felt a deep sense of unease. My intuition ringing alarm bells that something was wrong. That I was missing something critical.
"Hey. Chief." I looked over at the village chief. "...How exactly do you pronounce this village's name?"
"What was that, Hero? This village's name? Ah, I suppose it would be difficult for you as you hail from a foreign world. But it is 'Re-yoot.' Like the 're' in replay and 'yoot' rhyming with 'flute.' Riyute."
I froze.
A clear difference. And a clear pronunciation too.
Not the ambiguous 'Lute Village' that 'Ryuto' could translate to. And not 'Ryuto' that sounded like 'Ludo' or 'Lute.'
But 'Riyute.' Re-yoot, like the Chief said.
Weird, but also distinct.
"...Fuck my life." I murmured. "...This isn't the web novel, is it?"
"Pardon?"
"Don't worry about it." I sighed. "...Just a personal problem."