Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Arrival in Siltvelt 

After I finally got everyone teleported using my portal skill, we made our way to a nearby village, where we found a couple of therianthropes dressed in what looked like holy garb. They were standing in front of a covered carriage and looking around nervously. Could they have been the messengers sent for us? They were quick! 
“I-it’s been a while,” one of them stammered. 
He bowed his head when he saw me, but I just stood there confused. “Been a while”? Since what? I stood there looking at him and trying to figure out who he was. He must have realized I didn’t recognize him, because he stepped back with an air of humility and let the other therianthrope speak. 
“You probably don’t remember us, but we approached you and invited you to come to Siltvelt with us several days after you first arrived in this world, Shield Hero,” he said. 
“Ohhh . . .” 
That was a time when I still considered anyone that approached me to be an enemy and didn’t really pay much attention to them. I guess these guys had approached me back then. I seemed to remember badmouthing them and refusing their offer. 
“We received word from Melromarc that you needed a carriage. We hastily prepared this one for you on behalf of Siltvelt, but I offer my sincere apologies if the information we received was mistaken,” he continued. 
“There’s no mistake. I’m just surprised you were able to prepare one so quickly,” I replied. 
That was crazy fast. We’d only informed the queen yesterday. I’d have to ask what kind of communication channels they used later. 
“Shall we provide you with protection during your journey?” the therianthrope asked. 
“We’ve already decided our route, but you’re welcome to tag along,” I said. 
“Understood,” he replied. 
There was something about his demeanor, kind of like he’d sworn an oath of absolute allegiance to me. It made me feel uneasy. 
“Alright, Filo, you’re going to pull this carriage,” I said. 
“Okaaay!” 
 
Filo seemed to be in a pretty good mood. She came forward to pull the carriage. 
“Everyone else hurry up and get in the carriage—once we’ve checked it for traps, that is,” I continued. 
“Because you can never be too careful, right? Impressive, as always, Mr. Naofumi! You never forget to keep your guard up when dealing with others, no matter how friendly they may seem!” Atla exclaimed. 
What was with her? I’d started getting the urge to do exactly the opposite of whatever I’d just said when she made comments like that lately. I couldn’t help but feel like there was actually something wrong with what I was doing for her to respond like that. 
“Well, being vigilant is indeed important,” Raphtalia agreed. 
Good. I guess I wasn’t mistaken, after all. 
“I’ll help check too,” Sadeena said. 
“I’ll see to the checking. I’d appreciate if you’d stay out of my way, Sadeena,” Atla snapped. 
“Oh my,” Sadeena replied. 
Those two could detect objects using life force or ultrasonic waves, so they were handy to have around, I guess. I let them go on arguing and went ahead and checked the carriage myself. 
Yeah, there didn’t seem to be much of anything inside. They probably figured I might get upset if they put anything unnecessary in the carriage. There didn’t seem to be anything fishy about the cover, either. All that was left was to check for magical trickery and make sure there was nothing strange hidden between the floorboards. 
I was finishing up the check when Atla and Sadeena called out to me. 
“I don’t sense anything particularly fishy,” Atla said. 
“Neither do I,” added Sadeena. 
“Got it. Alright, everyone in. Let’s get going and take care of our business in Siltvelt as quickly as possible,” I said. 
Carriages sure were convenient for transporting large groups of people. Gaelion had insisted that he could pull a carriage, but I had to give Filo some love too — for a couple of days, at least. 
Everyone started piling into the carriage. The Siltvelt emissaries raised an eyebrow when they saw Fohl and Atla, but I decided not to worry about it. 
“Alright, let’s go!” I said. 
“Oookaaay! Blast offff!” Filo shouted. 
 
 
She gave a spirited nod and began pulling the carriage. She was moving pretty quickly. 
“Ugh . . .” 
Filo gripped the carriage shafts and groaned. 
“What is it?” I asked. 
I wondered if there was something odd that maybe only she could detect. We would need to be careful if it was a trap. 
“Something is different about this woood,” she replied. 
“It’s probably just a regional thing, don’t you think? I’m sure the carriage was made with trees from around here, after all,” I said. 
“I think sooo,” she replied. 
“Is Melromarc wood better or something?” I asked. 
“Hm? They’re just different. It’s fine!” 
“I see.” 
And so our journey by carriage began. Everything was going fine for a while, but more and more people began gathering around the carriage as we got closer to Siltvelt. It started to look like a feudal lord’s procession or something. 
Were they supposed to be protecting us? Why did it only look like they were gathering around us to keep us from getting away? Regardless, it probably would have been easy enough to escape using my portal. And then even the Siltvelt army showed up. It was clear they were taking this quite seriously. 
“Maaasteeerrr, it’s getting hard to waaalk,” Filo complained. 
“I bet it is. Just how big of a parade do they plan on turning this into?” I grumbled. 
“Hey, that says ‘a very warm welcome,’” Fohl said. 
He was reading a message written on a flag being carried by some townspeople walking along the road. Ugh . . . To be honest, a welcome of this magnitude just made me feel sick. I probably would have been delighted if I’d come here just after being summoned. But after having been put through the wringer here in this world, it just made my flesh crawl. 
“Way to go, Siltvelt! I can tell this is a magnificent country by the way they worship you, Mr. Naofumi,” said Atla. 
“We seem to have another adherent right here in the carriage,” I mumbled. 
“A reception like this is only natural,” she replied. 
 
 
Fohl looked at Atla with a really dubious look on his face. I’m sure I had the same expression on my face. Had we come to a country full of mass-produced Atla clones? 
“Do we really have to go through this place, Sadeena?” asked Raphtalia. 
“Even I wasn’t expecting this much. I guess you really are a hero after all, little Naofumi,” Sadeena replied. 
I was surprised too. I was finally seeing with my own eyes just how much influence the heroes had. All of a sudden, I recalled something the queen had told me. 
“First the princess and noble daughters would all demand audiences with you. The demi-human women would form a harem around you.” 
With a welcome this enthusiastic, I had no doubt something like that might happen. Ugh, even the thought of it made me want to vomit. 
Actually, I seemed to remember hearing something about a knight commander and several other adventurers—who’d picked fights with me— getting murdered even within Melromarc. And then, like a stud that had outlived its use . . . 
“Poor Mr. Iwatani, stricken so suddenly by such a grave illness . . .” 
I wanted to avoid that if at all possible. I should just let them know I had no plans of doing anything special in Siltvelt. I would just take care of my business and get out of there as soon as possible. Yeah, that’s what I would do. 
“Let’s do our best to get out of this country as quickly as possible,” I said. 
We’d just have to do what we could for now, and that included addressing their objectives too. Filo carried on pulling the carriage, and we arrived at the Siltvelt castle the following day. 
At a glance, the castle had a Chinese feel to it, but with elements of Western-style stone architecture thrown in here and there. I wanted to say the contrast was almost excessive. 
From an overall-size perspective, there wasn’t much difference between it and the Melromarc castle. But something about it . . . Maybe it was because of a difference in stature of the demi-humans and therianthropes, but the doors, bridges, and flags all seemed larger. 
On top of that, it was covered in ivy and gave off an impression of wildness. There was a crude, slightly barbaric atmosphere to it. It was just like you’d expect from a castle that served as a stronghold for demi-humans and therianthropes in a fantasy novel or something. 
 
 
Still in the carriage, I looked behind us. The Siltvelt castle town was organized similar to the Melromarc castle town, but the area outside of the walls looked like forest or jungle. The buildings themselves also seemed a bit sloppy, and there were areas of the ground that were a mixture of dirt and grass rather than being paved with stone. 

I wondered if it had to do with the races living there. Maybe it was because I’d gotten used to seeing Melromarc, but something about it felt slightly uncivilized. The weapons for sale, selection of foods, and overall atmosphere of the shops seemed at least on par with Melromarc. 
And then there was a large, outdoor stage facing the town square. Was that the church? There was a huge shield symbol on display there. 
“We have arrived, Shield Hero!” exclaimed the emissary. 
“Oh, umm, okay . . .” I replied. 
“What should I do with the carriaaage?” Filo asked. 
“Just leave it there and I’m sure someone will park it where it belongs,” I said. 
A therianthrope approached, clearly intent on taking over pulling the carriage for Filo. He was a burly therianthrope who looked kind of like a bull or maybe a minotaur. He definitely looked like he could pull a carriage. 
“Okaaay!” Filo replied. 
We got out of the carriage. I looked up at the Siltvelt castle and gulped. This was supposed to be the castle of a country that worshipped me, but for some reason it felt like a sinister castle full of demons and monsters. I’m sure I was just getting caught up in the moment. I couldn’t let it get to me. That’s right. I would just confidently strut in there like it was the Melromarc castle. 
“Let’s go,” I said. 
“U-understood,” Raphtalia replied. 
“I’ve only been inside the castle a couple times. I’m nervous,” Fohl said. 
“We must carry ourselves with pride, Brother! This country basically belongs to Mr. Naofumi, after all,” Atla replied. 
This country didn’t belong to me! That’s what I wanted to think, anyway. But what she said did make sense, considering they worshiped the Shield Hero. So I couldn’t really argue with her either. Still, the country may have belonged to the Shield Hero, but it sure didn’t belong to me. Anyway, maybe I would be able to relax if I just thought of the citizens like they were my villagers. 
 
 
We went inside the castle. Someone who must have been the castle porter called out to us and then took us to the throne room surprisingly quickly. 
“Well, well, if it isn’t the Shield Hero! You must be exhausted after such a long journey.” 
Once we arrived at the throne room, we were welcomed by a man with flashy red feathers on his arms and shoulders. Unlike Filo’s angelic form, his hands and feet seemed somehow birdlike. He must have been a bird-type demi-human or therianthrope. I was guessing he was in his twenties. He might have just looked younger than he actually was, though. 
“My name is Werner. I serve as representative of the shusaku race. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance,” the man said. 
 
 
 
“Shusaku?” I asked. 
Shusaku . . . Maybe that was supposed to be from “susaku,” which was the name of the Vermilion Bird in Japanese. Fohl and Atla were hakuko, so I guess it wasn’t all that strange. The Black Tortoise was “genbu” in Japanese, so maybe they called the race “kuromu” or something here. I wondered if they looked like they were chrome-plated. The name might have been different, but I probably wasn’t far off. The races basically looked like human-type forms of the four holy beasts, so it wasn’t hard to imagine. 
“My name is Naofumi Iwatani. I’m the Shield Hero. These are my companions. This is Raphtalia. That’s my familiar, Raph-chan. Filo there is a filolial. And that’s Sadeena, Atla, and Fohl.” 
Giving long introductions was a hassle, so I decided to just keep it short. 
“Pleased to meet you,” said Werner. 
He bowed and then shot a glance over at Atla and Fohl. I decided to be extra careful to avoid any kind of diplomatic issues. 
“Those two are slaves that I bought in Zeltoble. I’ve been told they’re not pure hakuko. I’m sure they’re not interested in making any claims to authority. Is that going to be a problem?” I asked. 
My comment must have been effective, because Werner quickly returned his gaze and bowed his head. 
“Is that so? No problem at all!” he replied. 
I wasn’t sure how much of an effect it’d actually had, though. 
“Umm . . . Hey, Maaasteer, are you going to be talking here for looong?” Filo asked. 
“Probably. I’m sure you’re bored, but just be patient,” I said. 
“Okaaay.” 
It looked like the conversation was going to move along smoothly thanks to Filo’s restlessness. She came in handy when I least expected it. 
“Alright, I guess I’ll get straight to the point,” I said. 
“As you wish!” Werner replied. 
He stood up straight and looked at me without moving, like he was standing at attention. It wasn’t quite the same as staring. His attitude made it seem like he was waiting to be given orders. Something about it bothered me. 
“I’m not interested in ruling over Siltvelt or anything like that. Accomplishing an objective of mine required me to stop by. That’s all. I promise not to do anything that would cause problems for those in charge of Siltvelt. I just want you to arrange a trading ship to Q’ten Lo for us. We plan to leave Siltvelt as soon as possible,” I said. 
 
 
The queen had mentioned that my coming to Siltvelt would cause problems for those in charge of the country, so I decided to squash any concern about that right from the start. But Werner seemed to be at a loss for words and just stood there looking befuddled for a moment. 
“I see. There seems to have been a misunderstanding, Shield Hero,” he finally replied. 
“Huh?” I asked. 
“Please take some time first to refresh yourselves after such a long journey. We would like you to join us for a party this evening, and then we can discuss business matters after that, if it pleases you,” Werner continued. 
“We’re in a hurry . . .” I replied. 
Frankly speaking, putting an end to the Q’ten Lo assassins was my top priority. I had absolutely zero intention of getting held up in Siltvelt. 
“Besides, being here will only cause trouble for those in charge of Siltvelt, right?” I asked. 
“I can’t deny that your presence might be problematic for some. However, I also believe eliminating such corruption is necessary, should it exist,” Werner replied. 
He continued to voice his objection with polite assertiveness. 
“But even more importantly, it is imperative that we demonstrate our devotion to the Shield Hero before anything else. Please think of it as a rite of passage,” he added. 
What a headache! The whole thing stunk of a sneaky attempt to lay claim to the Shield Hero as their own. I couldn’t help but feel like agreeing would gradually lead me further and further into a trap. But I was also sure that they would probably refuse to cooperate if I rejected his offer. 
I looked over at Sadeena, but she just shrugged, as if to say, “What can you do?” 
“Magnificent! A demonstration of devotion to Mr. Naofumi!” Atla exclaimed. 
I decided to ignore the single, completely clueless bonehead that had been impressed by Werner’s proposal. 
“Come, then! Please relax and make yourselves at home. Business discussions can wait until after you have rested,” said Werner. 
His attitude made it clear that he had no intention of compromising. I was pissed off already. This feeling of only pretending to have a conversation really got on my nerves. It reminded me of dealing with Motoyasu lately or Ren and Itsuki from before we’d taken them in. 
 
 
“Fine. But you know what’s going to happen if you try to ignore my request, right?” I said. 
Siltvelt was supposed to be a country that worshipped the Shield Hero. So what would happen if I teleported out of the castle and started publicly badmouthing them? Because that’s what I was going to do if they tried to mess with me. I made that clear with a threatening gaze. 
“Of course!” Werner replied. 
He gave an exaggerated bow. 
“Now then, Shield Hero, allow me to show you and your companions to the guest rooms we have prepared for you. Please make yourselves at home there,” he continued. 
“Separate rooms are going to be a problem,” I said. 
I wanted to avoid getting split up and left by myself if at all possible. I mean, I wanted to think there was no one who could stop me from handling the situation, even if they did try something, but just in case . . . 
“I’m afraid we cannot treat others as your equal. To do such a thing would be a desecration of our country’s religion,” Werner replied. 
Hmm . . . I guess I could understand that. It would be like having to entertain a CEO and several low-ranking employees and being told to treat them all the same. I think that’s what he wanted to say. I could see how that might be difficult, but since it was the CEO making the request in our case, I also wanted to say they should be more flexible and oblige. 
“Can you provide us a room next to the one Mr. Naofumi will be staying in?” Atla took a step forward and asked. 
Werner glanced over at me and stood there thinking for a moment. I wasn’t going to compromise any further if he wasn’t even willing to do that. He must have realized that, because he nodded. 
“Certainly. We shall prepare the room at once,” he said. 
Hmph. That was a nice move on Atla’s part. I guess the save went to her this time. I’m sure by their reasoning I should’ve been given the presidential suite, while Raphtalia and the others belonged in standard rooms. Or even worse, maybe they would have tried to throw them out of the castle without me noticing. Then again, there was no way I could see that happening with the lineup I’d brought. 
 
 
And so Werner took us to the castle guest rooms where we were supposed to relax, but . . .