The Substitution of the Shield Hero

I lowered my hand after using <Shape> to mold some trees into makeshift houses for everyone...

"As expected of Yuusha-sama!"

"Ooooh! The Shield Hero...! The legends were true...!"

"Thank you, Spirits...!"

...And as a result, I was being treated kind of like a local deity.

Which was technically part of the plan.

Considering conceptual warfare was definitely at play in this world, apotheosis should be possible as well. And if no one ever understood the 'method' of how I did things but 'believed' I could do it without doubt...

Well, it was a fun experiment. It would save me a lot of effort in the future defending against potential deities, at least.

But as the various demi-human slaves... and HUMAN slaves too.

That had been a kicker.

Melromarc really HAD been rotting away at its roots considering a few of the stories I had overheard...

But thankfully, since Mein was playing up the 'brainwashed by evil father' trope and since Rishia was proof that not all nobles were bad... then with Lia and Sylvia around as proof that I wasn't like those guys...

Despite me leading a group of emancipated and emaciated demi-humans and humans alike, everything was peaceful.

At the moment, I was making notes on the terrain to go back and put down proper infrastructure.

Like indoor plumbing.

Thankfully, my past self was smart enough to take that into consideration because I hadn't had to deal with nature's call since I got here due to Homeostasis Shield even in its earliest versions...

But anyway.

'Former slaves getting along with disgruntled Melromarc refugees. Growing population of people starting to look at me as a Liberator... Hm. Maybe I should lean into that. Some already called me the Shield Devil, and Lucifer was known as the Liberator, right?'

This was the problem with having too many plans running at once...

But it would resolve itself eventually.

Right now though, it was all about setting up this country for the freed slaves.

Names were still TBD, but Libertas and seemed to be something people were bandying about...

I'd have to see on that.

For now though...

We had made good time and were already in the portion of territory next to Zeltoble that Mirellia had given to me.

It was mostly grassland, but I'd found an area with a copse of trees. It wasn't much, just a small forested area around the size of a campsite. But <Shape> was useful.

A few trials later and I'd figured out how to copy-paste the cells in those particular trees and mold them around into elven-themed houses.

...Okay, maybe they still looked like a basic Minecraft hut, but it was good enough to be a temporary village for the hundred or so people following me.

At that time, Erhard walked over. The bald blacksmith whistled as he stared at the latest house I made and said, "I knew you were different from the start, Kid. But are you even human?"

"Of course I'm human, Oyaji." I used <Shape> to do some minor terraforming for a firepit and then opened up <Synthesis> to start tools to cook.

...And no, I wasn't using the remains of the people I'd carbonized to turn into ingredients.

I still had a pretty hefty supply of monster meat from hunting with Lia and Sylvia before the wave, so I just used those instead to cook.

As I used <Parallel System> to print out a stainless steel flat top over the firepit, and as I started up a fire, I glanced at Erhard and said, "I just have a VERY wide breadth of knowledge."

Erhard watched me place down monster steaks and season them before saying, "...I can see that. You aren't a master, but you're definitely an expert in numerous areas, aren't you?"

"Well." I flipped a steak and said, "When you go down a rabbithole of preparing for doomsday scenarios when technology is reset to the stone ages, you end up accumulating various things."

And when you're bored at school. Marhawa Academy didn't have much to do other than swinging a sword around and training random skills since it was in the middle of a forest. That, or bible studies, but that was pretty obnoxious...

"...The fact that you mention doomsday scenarios so readily... Just what kind of world did you come from, Kid?" Erhard leaned against the side of the nearest hut to watch me cook and said, "I had a feeling you were different from those other kids from the start. But this isn't just different... Were you a soldier?"

I paused, thinking about how to answer that. Then I said, "Technically, no."

"...Technically?"

"Well, the draft didn't occur yet. I was selected, but due to various circumstances, I got out of it. My dad pulled some favors since he had an in with the president. And my mom called some old friends to get me a place in a research facility."

"...What?"

I chuckled and flipped the steak. "Long story. While it wasn't 'interdimensional invaders' level of disaster, my world WAS going to shit before I came here."

"...That certainly explains the skillset." Erhard watched me cook and said, "You aren't a greenhorn like those other heroes, are you?"

"Well, my mom had me doing survival exercises since I was a kid and kept me away from my dad since she never told him about me. She was also out doing mercenary work a lot too. Then when my dad found out about me, he started teaching me a lot of different things." I placed a steak onto a plate and said, "...Mostly backflips. He loved backflips. Very flashy guy. Serious face, but definitely a goofball inside. Some people say I'm pretty similar to him."

"Goshujin-sama!" Lia ran over, carrying a pair of wild boars over her shoulders. "I hunted some more food!"

Sylvia and Rishia followed after her, carrying buckets of still flopping fish.

Rishia beamed and said, "We got a lot of fish from the stream nearby!"

Sylvia shook her head and said, "Rishia is... very talented at fishing." The way she said it sounded like she was envious.

Then I noticed at the clear difference in volume of fish between Sylvia's bucket and Rishia's.

Sylvia blushed and said, "I-I cannot be skilled at everything, Master! Okay?!"

I laughed.

===

Later that evening, probably close to midnight.

Since Mein was, well, Mein now and a genuinely kind person, the refugees following us flocked to her. While she was definitely being guilt-tripped about it since her actions as Malty had been very much intentional and heinous, because she had ALSO been so conscious of PR as Malty before the heroes were summoned, it played in her favor since people treated her as a victim.

Irony at its finest since she couldn't deny it and just had to bear the guilt of living that lie.

But either way, she was out with the refugees keeping them company... mostly because she couldn't sleep due to nightmares and guilt anyway.

Meanwhile, Rishia had decided to join our party after all. Mostly because she very much had a crush on me, but also because she recognized that it was definitely safer around me than staying in Melromarc at the moment.

She wasn't too used to traveling though, so she had gone ahead to sleep and rest up since we still had a little bit to go the next day before we were in the midst of the territory Mirellia had surrendered to me.

Which left me with Lia, Sylvia, and the three eggs I got from Beloukas.

"Hm..." I stared at the two white eggs that should be the Filorial eggs, then at the single black egg that should be the Kiryuu.

Lia leaned in close to the white eggs, looking excited as she watched the timer count down. "Are we really going to have Filorial pets, Goshujin-sama?"

Sylvia, meanwhile, stared at the black egg. "A Kiryuu... A mix of numerous dragons and other flight-capable monsters..." She looked up at me and said, "Are you planning to attack the other nations from above, Master?"

"It's more to open up some options." I looked at the timers ticking down from one hour.

When I got the eggs from Beloukas, the timers were over 24 hours. But apparently being around me sped up their development? What should have taken a full day was reduced to around a third of the time.

"...I wonder what will hatch though?"

"Hm?" Lia tilted her head and said, "...Are we not going to have Filorial pets, Goshujin-sama?"

"Well." I hummed and stared at the white eggs. "Beloukas said these are Filorial eggs. But I've got a feeling it might not be what we expected."

I didn't remember the details, but I did remember that it was something about being a legendary hero in particular that resulted in a Filorial Queen being born.

I definitely wasn't a legendary hero anymore... but I still had traces of it. More than that though, I definitely had other things inside of me that could influence the egg growths.

Chief among those was <Ominous Aura>.

Which reminded me...

I glanced over at the black egg and noticed how faint blue cracks were forming inside of it.

...Black and blue.

Black scales, blue light...?

I blinked. "...Bahamut isn't going to hatch from that egg, right?"

Sylvia tilted her head. "...Bahamut, Master?"

"Yeah. It's a well-known fictional dragon from my world. At least, it SHOULD be fiction. But considering everything that's happened-"

I paused, a thought coming to mind. Then I stared at Sylvia.

Sylvia stared back. "Master?"

"...This is just hypothetically, Sylvia. But does the name 'Su Daji' mean anything to you?"

Sylvia's eyes widened in shock. "H-How do you know my mother's name, Master?"

"..."

I facepalmed. "Of course. Right. I forgot that there was definitely some Chinese mythology mixed into the waves too."

The Spirit Tortoise was definitely one of the Four Auspicious beasts. Then the phoenix... was a stretch, but it could be the Vermillion Bird.

I should have picked up on Sylvia being related to Su Daji the moment I realized she was a fox and spoke Mandarin...

Then I paused, suddenly remembering something else. I looked at Lia and said, "Lia... You wouldn't happen to be royalty, would you?"

I vaguely remembered that being a minor plot point in the NovelFire. Something that... Sardine? Sadinia? That orca demi-human mentioned to Naofumi.

Lia blinked. "I... don't think so, Goshujin-sama...?" She paused. "...But Papa always did avoid answering questions about his home...?"

"...Okay." I pulled open my to-do list and added another line item. "Note to self: Look into Lia's past in case we have a foreign nation coming after her as a potential heir to the throne..."

"E-Eh?" Lia pointed at herself. "M-Me?"

I nodded. "Yes, you. Also..." I frowned, a thought coming to mind. "...Hm. Weird. I thought that Mirellia arranged for me to rescue you, but she was surprised by you when we entered... Were you not put there by her?"

Lia's eyes widened. "...Goshujin-sama. You came to the slave market... to rescue me? That day?"

"Well, yeah. I was running on a script in the first few days to make sure I didn't miss anything important so I told a few white lies, but definitely there to rescue you. Sylvia was happenstance. Sorry."

Sylvia shook her head. "That doesn't bother me at all, Master." She smiled. "That just means it was fate, yes?"

I chuckled. "You could say that. Although... Hm. It's interesting."

Sylvia acted a lot like Atlas... Atla? Like the white tiger slave that Naofumi rescued.

Then again, Sylvia also had a noble upbringing it seemed, so-

Wait.

I looked at Sylvia.

Sylvia tilted her head. "Master?"

"...Do you remember anything else about your past, Sylvia?"

Sylvia winced. "That is..."

"You don't have to. I was just curious. Making contingencies and all, you know?"

Lia walked over and held Sylvia's hand for support.

Sylvia was quiet. Then she said, "...I don't remember much. Just a lot of hurt. Pain. ...And that I was in Four Bray until I was sold here."

"...Four Bray?"

A vague recollection.

That guy... Takt.

...Didn't he have a fox woman with him?

"...This is frustrating."

I couldn't help but vent a little bit.

Sylvia lowered her head. "I'm sorry I can't remember more, Master..."

"No, not you. Just..." I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "...Intelligence gathering is messy. There's too much to confirm."

Was it a case of where going in with no guidebook was better than going in with one?

Or was this what the other heroes were feeling?

The pieces were 'almost' right, but they were wrong in the ways that mattered.

If the fox woman with Takt was Sylvia's mother... then she was Su Daji, that mythical fox woman.

But if THAT was the case, then everything about this world was twisted.

No, it had to be since Mirellia didn't set up Lia to be shown to me. Someone else did.

Not only that, but Lia had called out her previous owner by name, and that guy's fate was still up in the air for Lia to resolve whenever she wanted...

"Forget it." I sighed. "I'll recalibrate and assume nothing is accurate."

The only other thing I really needed to check on was Atlas and Fohl in Zeltoble. Beyond that... I would look at things as they were instead.

Lia looked at me, frowning. "Goshujin-sama..." Her crimson eyes looked into my own and said, "...With the other heroes. You said you knew how this world ended..."

Sylvia paused and looked at me as well. "...That's right. Master said that you knew how this 'story' ends. Does that mean you know who is behind the waves? You mentioned... a deity?"

I watched the timers tick down on the eggs and said, "I'm not sure. I'm planning countermeasures in case... but it could also be an entire organization considering the assassins we faced."

Lia wrinkled her nose and said, "Right. Those weird heroes..."

"Yeah, those-" I paused and looked at Lia. "...Did I ever say they were heroes?"

"Eh?" Lia blinked. "But they smelled a bit like the other heroes."

"...Smelled? That's- Actually, no. I have too many things to consider right now. I'll put a pin on that for later."

I was not prepared to think about the implications on why Lia could tell who were otherworldly heroes based on their smell.

"First of all-"

*CRACK*

"...We have to look at our new companions." I glanced at the white eggs, which had finished counting down during our talk.

Lia's crimson eyes widened and she leaned in close, smiling. "Babies!"

Sylvia put on a warm smile as well and said, "Yes. New members of our family."

I leaned over, curious on what would hatch. "Well, let's see then."

The shells cracked on one of the white eggs, revealing... shimmering black wings?

And then the other white egg cracked, revealing a pair of white wings with an iridescent hue.

Wait.

I blinked and looked closer, realizing the wings weren't physical, but looked to be made of some sort of energy. Almost like light.

...Light?

Before I could finish processing what I was seeing, the eggs hatched.

But instead of birds like I expected...

Lia gasped. "THEY'RE REAL BABIES?!"

Sylvia immediately turned to look at me, her violet eyes wide. "MASTER?!"

I didn't respond, just staring at the pair of infant girls wreathed in light and shadow respectively.

Then, like when I initially added Lia and Sylvia to my party, a message popped up.

> Skywing(F) A has been born.

> Skywing(F) B has been born.

> Congratulations!

> Please name your new party members.

I stared at the baby girl that the system labeled [Skywing(F) A]. And, yep, the floating name above the baby girl confirmed it. Wreathed in wings that looked like black shadows, but with golden hair standing in stark contrast...

That was DEFINITELY not Filo... but at the same time, it was?

As for [Skywing(F) B]... she looked the same as her sister(?) but instead of golden hair and black shadowy wings, she had light blue hair and shimmering white wings with iridescent hues.

"G-G-Goshujin-sama?!" Lia looked at me, shock clear on her face. "P-People can hatch from eggs?!"

Sylvia looked at me shocked too and said, "Is this where babies come from?!"

"..."

I decided to ignore those questions for now.

Instead, to make sure the system didn't name the cute girls something stupid, I inputted their names.

...They reminded me of a pair of sisters from a classic SNES JRPG, so I decided to name them accordingly.

Nina Wyndia for the blonde baby girl with dark wings and then Mina Wyndia for the blue-haired baby girl with shimmering white wings.

> Nina Wyndia has been registered!

> Mina Wyndia has been registered!

> Updating party!

===

[Party]

Naofumi Iwatani(?) {SABER ✫ = Ascension 0} - Lv. 1/20

Lia - Lv. 35

Sylvia - Lv. 35

Mein Sophia - Lv. 1

Rishia Ivyred - Lv. 10

Nina Wyndia - Lv. 1

Mina Wyndia - Lv. 1

===

Huh.

Was there no party cap? I thought four was the limit considering standard JRPG rules...

Maybe I was different?

Well, I wasn't going to complain about it.

Although-

Wait.

Right now, there were seven of us.

And once the dragon egg hatched...

I turned to look at the remaining egg, slowly cracking with shimmering blue light.

Lia looked over, hugging Nina in her arms. After making sure the blonde baby girl was safe, she looked at me and said, "Are we going to have more real babies, Goshujin-sama?!"

Sylvia had already pulled Mina into her arms, hugging the baby girl with blue hair. "...I take it you did not account for this, Master?"

"Since when does anyone expect babies to hatch from eggs...?" I sighed, already reworking some plans in my head.

Even so, all of us looked towards the remaining egg.

And when it hatched...

> Lord of Dragons (M) has been born!

> Congratulations!

> Please name your new party member.

...There was a baby boy with black dragon wings, dark green hair, and blue eyes.

I stared at the baby boy.

He stared back.

I looked at the baby girls in Lia and Sylvia's arms.

Mina and Nina both stared at me as well.

Then I groaned and covered my face. "...What the hell is my party? A kindergarten?"

I sighed and inputted a name.

> Bahamut has been registered!

> Updating party!

> You have reached the party cap of eight members.

> Additional party members will incur an experience cost.