Chapter 36 - My SI Stash #36 - Replacing The Bow Hero by Liar (Rising of The Shield Hero)

-Surprisingly, I ended up liking this SI Rising of the Shield Hero Fic, I've already read some of course but they ended up getting stale... As this fic is kind of new, i'm really looking forward if it holds up or not!

SI as the Bow Hero and it also contains some interesting game elements as well! ( *︾▽︾)

Sypnosis: ???

Rated: M

Words: 34K [so little, i'm scared of adding low-length stories to my stash... what if author gets thanos snapped... we'll be left with only 34K words (´.＿.｀)]

Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/replacing-the-bow-hero-rise-of-the-shield-hero-si.742174/#threadmark-category-1 (Liar)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (*´ー｀*)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter 1.1 - Chapter 1.8 (author writes his stories part by part I guess, but their all chapter 1)

I expected Truck-kun to start my isekai adventure, but I appreciated the old school classic of being sucked through the computer monitor.

"O Four Saint Heroes of Old! Please help save our world!"

It's just too bad I isekai'd into The Rising of the Shield Hero.

Judging by the bow in my hand with a glimmering, golden orb at its center, I replaced the canon Bow Hero, Kawasumi Itsuki. It wasn't a case of my consciousness taking over his body either, a common trope in the isekai genre; I was here in my own body.

Wild.

A (major) part of my mind panicked. Here I was in another world just like in all the anime and manga I consumed. Unfortunately, I was an a.d.u.l.t and an actual person from the real world. I was just starting to build a life and a career. My longtime friend whom I've been crushing on just agreed to go on a date. I just won an newcomer's award for a paper I wrote thanks to my mentor. All my younger siblings were now in university too, and I needed to help my parents in supporting their education. What would happen to them? Dad wasn't getting younger either and he was just a few years shy of retirement age.

Everything I had and built up… gone.

A bitter part of me asked to all the isekai fans in the world, including myself, "Why would it be fun to leave your life behind?"

…

But I mustn't dwell on that now.

Dad was an old soldier, and he taught me to always stay calm under fire. And, let me tell you, this whole setting was a dumpster fire and now I would be smacked dab in the middle of it. At least I knew what was to come even if I don't know which version of canon I was in. I read the entire web novel. I caught up to the light novel and manga. I've also watched all the episodes of the anime. In fact, that was probably the reason why I got sucked through the computer monitor. I opened up the anime on VRV and—BAM!—I'm here.

As the men in robes were making their spiel about the premise of the series, I took the time to take stock of the people around me. There was the Spear Hero, Kitamura Motoyasu, looking all eager to play the hero, to my right. On my left was the Sword Hero, Amaki Ren, whose eyes kept glancing at his sword. In front of me on the ground was our main protagonist, the Shield Hero, Iwatani Naofumi. To be honest, I didn't like him as a protagonist. He was a certified asshole. But… I don't blame him turning out like that with the shit he went through in canon.

I walked forward and placed my free hand on his shoulder. "Need a hand up?"

"Huh?" He looked up to me, a bit dazed and confused still, perhaps even mesmerized by the robed men's speech. Nevertheless, he did take my hand and stood up. "Oh, yeah, thanks."

"I am this country's king, Aultcray XXXII of Melromarc."

Looking up to the king on his throne, I couldn't help but blink and be impressed by the grand majesty of his personage. This was an actual king. His regal bearing was natural. Who wouldn't be wrought with a sense of purpose when this proud king humbly begged you to help save his kingdom? However, I wasn't going to let the mood suck me in. He was trash because of his discrimination against Naofumi and the demi-humans outweighing the lives and peace of the world. I wondered if he was even allowed to take on his regnal name. He was a prince consort, wasn't he? His powers invested in him were purely from the whim of the true monarch, Queen Mirellia.

Questions for later.

"Now then, Heroes, name yourselves."

The Sword Hero stepped forward. "My name is Amaki Ren, age sixteen. I'm a high schooler."

"I'm Kitamura Motoyasu. Twenty-one, and a college student," the Spear Hero said next, beaming with confidence.

The king's gaze then fell on me, believing I would be the next one to make my introduction. However, I didn't like him, so I chose to betray his expectations.

"Next is me," the Shield Hero cheerfully stated. "Name's Iwatani Naofumi. I'm twenty, and also a college student."

His introduction stirred murmurs in the throne room. The various nobles that were in court began whispering to one another. Surprisingly, the Spear and Sword Hero didn't notice the commotion. Naofumi did and began appearing distressed. Now that I think about it, was his perception always so good?

Before things carried too far, I made a bold step forward and announced myself, "Ashina Masamune. I'm twenty-five, and an adjunct professor for a university."

"Eh? You're a professor? And that old?" I heard the Spear Hero questioned in shock.

It wasn't a complete lie. That was my age and occupation, but the name was a fabrication. Chalk that name up to video games. Silly as it must be to create a false name for myself, I found the act necessary. Rising of the Shield Hero wasn't a series where the main protagonist just blows away all conflict. Each and every Hero would someday fall into despair somehow. This new name was a geas I imposed on myself, a protective mask to help me keep my sanity one way or another in order to survive.

"Sirs Ren, Motoyasu, and Masamune," the king addressed the three of us, pointedly ignoring Naofumi. "I hope you come to understand the grave importance of our situation."

The Sword Hero, because he wanted to be dramatic, scr.a.p.ed his sword against the ground as he lowered his arm. "We understand, but surely you didn't summon us expecting we do it for free?"

"Naturally, we will reward you handsomely once the Waves are repelled," replied an ugly-looking man next to the king. Considering the fancy clothes he was wearing and his position next to the king, I would assume he held some important position. Was he a chancellor of some sort? Perhaps an advisor conferred with the ability to speak for the monarch?

"Will you, now? Well, as long as we have your word," the Spear Hero haughtily answered.

The Sword Hero agreed with him. "We'll work with you provided you don't turn on us. But don't think for a moment that you can tame us."

I refused to participate in the d.i.c.k-waving.

Chapter 1.2

I've started suspecting that we're in an odd blend of the different mediums of the series.

The robed men—clergymen of the Church of the Three Heroes, I reckon—that gave the exposition of the Waves and the Four Heroes were from the manga. The sequence of events in the manga after that was the introduction of the status screen mechanic and then being thrown into parties to start adventuring immediately. However, instead of those events, the king gave the heroes rooms with a shared parlor to let us relax for the night after we confirmed the status screen thing. That was a scene from the anime.

I suppose it would make sense that it wouldn't be that simple. Given that there are a total of four mediums for the series, I just need to rely on the broad strokes rather than the details then.

Why do I get the feeling that's what's going to kill me?

"This is shit," I muttered, putting down the coffee I was drinking on the table.

Naofumi, sitting across from me on the couch, chuckled. "Yeah, the food and drinks here taste different. I guess we have to get used to it."

Given that you would add 'Cooking Hero' to your sobriquet in canon, I wasn't going to believe that you'd get used to it.

"Hey, Ashina-sensei, is that your natural hair color?" Motoyasu asked, rudely pointing to my red hair with a grin.

I raised my eyebrow at him and gestured to his own hair. "I could ask you the same thing, you delinquent."

He laughed off my implied question, but he didn't try pushing his anymore.

"Hey," Naofumi called out, closing out his status screen, "isn't this like a game?"

"You mean it is one," Motoyasu boldly declared. "It's exactly like Em—"

I snorted.

Ren pushed himself off from the corner of the wall he was leaning against to look cool. "Are you disagreeing, Ashina-sensei? It's clear to me that it's much like the VRMMO—"

"Just because it looks like a game, it doesn't mean it is one," I interrupted again.

I wanted to start rubbing my temples, but I kept a level of somberness and calm. I needed to convey the gravity of our situation. Even if I wanted to smack Motoyasu and Ren. You'd think after reading and watching these two for so long, you'd get used to their behavior. However, this wasn't fiction to me anymore. This was real. How many close calls and disasters were there in canon thanks to the thoughtless actions of the heroes sans Naofumi?

"I imagine the reason why it looks like a game is because a familiar interface like this is more intuitive for us to grasp. However, we mustn't be trapped into thinking that this world follows the strict rules of a video game. This is a real world with real people and real dangers. There will be consequences to all of our actions, and one wrong move could kill us or harm people around us."

Motoyasu clicked his tongue. "Way to kill the mood…"

I rolled my eyes at him as I relaxed into my chair. What would I care about killing the mood when I'm trying to prevent you from getting killed?

"No." Naofumi sat up straight and stared straight into my eyes. He nodded his head in thanks. "Sensei, thanks for your words. I'll be honest, I was getting too excited. I mean… we're all in another world like in all those anime and light novels. Who wouldn't be? But we just can't assume that things will go our way. After all, I would have definitely chosen a different weapon than the shield!"

With a few simple words, the tense air in the parlor disappeared. Motoyasu and Ren even chuckled. I even reevaluated Naofumi. I forgot how before that bitch made his life hell, he was an earnest and honest person.

It was just… too bad.

"I don't envy the shield. It will be difficult to be on the offensive with a weapon like that… if we were still in a game," Ren said. His last few words indicated he took what I said to heart.

"Good luck on later levels! Only trash players choose the shield because there's no benefits to it in higher levels," Motoyasu flippantly added.

Grimacing, I argued, "Are you kidding? In most games, shield classes are either tanks or support. If we're talking about PvP-oriented combat, maybe it's not optimal, but we're in a scenario where we fight monsters and boss monsters in a raid. We need tanks and support to keep the three of us alive. A full DPS party only works if everyone involved has high skill. Don't tell me you and Ren are solo players who think DPS is god."

"I…"

"Well…"

I slapped my face and gave Naofumi a wry smile. "For what it's worth, if it wasn't for the fact that we all can't party up, I would stick you in my party."

He returned my smile.

"Oi, sensei, you're way too harsh!" Motoyasu complained.

I pointedly ignored him.

"Oh, and one last thing." I stood up and made sure I met each person's eyes. "Tomorrow, the king has arranged for all of us to have party members. He's no doubt already planned who will join whom despite him basically declaring it's a last minute thing. We all know we aren't the first heroes to have been summoned, and who knows what happened to those heroes in the past. There will be people who will try to use us for their own ends. What I want from each of you is to be wary of your surroundings, and to practice discretion on who to trust. We're basically newborn babies in this world. We don't know anything here. But that doesn't mean we're helpless, alright?"

There were no good starting members of any of the heroes' party. I knew Motoyasu would eventually kick all the men from his party out, leaving behind women who would readily abandon him. I wasn't too sure about Ren's people, but I knew they died so maybe they weren't bad people. Meanwhile, Itsuki had a group of ass-kissers that fed his inferiority superiority complex. Well, it wasn't like I was planning to keep them for long.

I looked over at the other heroes to see how they took my warning. Naofumi appeared deep in thought over what I said, but I knew there was still that optimism in him so I don't know if he could put it to practice. Motoyasu looked flippant over what I said, looking more chagrined than anything else. He no doubt thought I was being an old man ruining the fun. Ren also seemed to take what I said with grace, but it was hard to read him. I'm betting he was confident he could overcome any obstacle in his way. Yeah, sure, Mr. I-Work-Alone.

"With that, I'm off to bed," I said and walked off towards my room. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

I could only hope that scene won't happen.

Chapter 1.3

Rather than sleeping, I took the opportunity to begin sorting my thoughts on the day.

Despite my misgivings on being subjected into becoming an isekai protagonist, it was irrelevant. I was here, and I had a duty. I was to be the Bow Hero and defend the world from the Waves of Calamity. There was no point in denying it or running away from it. I was conscripted, plain and simple. However, that didn't mean I couldn't take actions of my own, but, before I act, I needed to decipher what my priorities should be. From there I could determine my goals.

Priority 1: Prevent the end of the world threatened by the Waves of Calamity.

Priority 2: Live.

Priority 3: Never lose sight of my values.

Priority 4: Find a way to go home or, if unable, send word to my family that I'm fine.

Each priority required strength if I wanted to achieve them, and by that I mean more than just raising stats and leveling up. I needed more information of just about everything in this world. Books needed to be read, people to talk to, etc. However, perhaps most of all I needed the strength of character to not fall into oppressing others and justify it with might. How many times have I read in isekai where the main character started growing more and more despicable as he indulged in his hedonism?

But where do I even begin…?

Even the simple goal of making sure Naofumi, as the Shield Hero, wouldn't be mistreated would spiral into several dozen steps and actors that needed to be completed or overcome. First of all, the two main actors involved in that are the monarch and the Church of the Three Heroes. They were cemented institutions in the country and it would be difficult to topple even just one of them. Toppling the king would be simple since what all that needed to be done was to welcome back the queen who would take back the power she gave to her husband. However, the king was nothing in comparison to the Church of the Three Heroes who looked down on the Shield Hero and demi-humans. Their teachings were the reason why widespread racism against demi-humans was so common here. Beyond those two things, there was another actor too. Don't even get me started on Malty. She was a wild card and her one reliable trait was that she would always do what would benefit her and screw someone else over.

Sigh…

There was much to do.

For now, I should stick to my priorities. All I could do until I get stronger and form more connections with others to have some semblance of influence was to make sure Naofumi know he had my support. I also needed to utilize my age, experience, and position as a teacher to gain his and the other two heroes' trust and steer them in a direction that would prevent calamities. On some level, I knew it was manipulation, but I genuinely didn't want any of them to spiral into despair like they did in canon.

One thing I know what I could do for that was to have their respect. I needed to be the Bow Hero.

And therein lied my problem.

I should've been the Spear or Sword Hero instead, things would've been alright. I dabbled with fencing in college before so I could grow to learn how to use a sword properly. I even knew a bit of spear techniques thanks to some martial arts I used to practice in my teens. If there was one thing I was confident about, it was my capacity to learn if I put the effort into it. But the bow? I never even shot a proper bow before! And I doubt I had time to learn before the next Wave. I didn't have Itsuki's psychic ability to have perfect accuracy.

Luckily, there might be a solution.

Focusing with my mind, I opened the weapon tree screen of the Legendary Bow. It was much like the screen shown in the anime as it utilized hexagons and other pseudo-futuristic aesthetics. Several later bows seemed to be locked and their names showed as question marks. Furthermore, the menu even showed why they were restricted, and told me what I might possibly need to unlock them. The most common cause of several of them were level requirements. Some restrictions required the absorption of items, but the specific items in question were left in question marks as well. This hinted what I suspected. I might learn more of what I need if I gathered more information about the world.

Interestingly enough, the weapon tree path originated on a hex that read: [Archery of the Arcane]. It was already unlocked and it was what provided me with the base form of the Legendary Bow, aptly named "Basic Bow." To describe it in terms of a video game, the [Archer of the Arcane] weapon tree path was just one way to "build" my "Bow Hero" class.

Of course, this implied there were other paths, and I suspected there was. Because right there next to the hex of the [Archer of the Arcane] was a locked hex reading:

???? of the ?????????????

Requirements:

Taken at Lv. 1

Absorption of [Otherworld Item]

(Warning! Unlocking path increases restriction requirements!)

​

The keyword there was "path," meaning that unlocking it might open up a whole new tree. Furthermore, all it took was the absorption of an [Otherworld Item]. When I was brought into this world, I had my clothes, keys, smartphone, and revolver. Each of these items were categorized as an [Otherworld Item] in my equipment screen.

But… the biggest concern was the first requirement. I had to take it now before I leveled up. I wondered if Itsuki had to make this choice too in canon, but chose not to do it because it was too much of a risk. Given how powerful Naofumi as the Shield Hero could become because of how he strengthened his weapon, there was a good argument to be made to just follow his build. My growth in that area would be slowed if I chose to go down this road.

However, at the same time, would there really be a path that was bad? The problem with the growth of the three heroes sans Naofumi in canon was a result of their own hubris. Later on in the web novel, they were still rather powerful forces once they started to follow Naofumi's lead after falling into and getting out of despair. Sure, they didn't get as powerful as Naofumi and Raphtalia, but they were the main characters of a Japanese isekai web novel. They literally became gods by the end.

I stared at my revolver (I'm a Texan, after all, who grew up on Westerns, Wu Xia, and anime), and wondered at the possibilities of absorbing it. I wanted to believe that if I absorbed it, I would be able to use firearms. Itsuki did it in canon, after all. Why couldn't I? But, again, was it worth the risk? I could always just learn the bow. I had a good eye. Maybe a bit of my shooting skill could transfer over to the bow. Furthermore—

F.u.c.k it.

I hated being indecisive, and I might as well take the risk. If this turned out to be a mistake, it just meant I needed to work even harder to keep up.

Jumping out of bed, I absorbed the revolver on the table by it.

Road of the Revolutionary Unlocked​

Arsenal of Ambition Unlocked​

Restriction Requirements for Other Paths Increased​

The Legendary Bow started glowing, nearly blinding me in the dark, and it began morphing. The figure of the short bow grew smaller until it fit my grip. When the light show finally ended, I soon discovered that I now held a revolver in my hand. It was black with golden and ivory-colored frames, and the golden orb of the legendary bow was on the grip without distracting my hold on the weapon.

I couldn't stop the grin on my face from widening. It was practically Christmas. I could just use the guns until I get better with the bow, and then I could try mastering both!

However, there was no time to just admire the success of my gamble. What was [Road of the Revolutionary] and [Arsenal of Ambition]?

I opened up the weapon tree screen again and found a line of hexes formed from [Road of the Revolutionary]. Frowning, I went over to the last hex available. It seemed to be that I couldn't even read the requirements because they were nothing but question marks. However, at the bottom of it read a helpful tip: "Unlock to further open path."

Ugh, so it was going to be like that, huh? Well, it wasn't too bad. The first hex of [Road of the Revolutionary] gave me a rather strong bonus: 25% Penetration. I wasn't sure how it worked, but, having played a few MOBAs, I assumed that I was able to penetrate through physical and magical defenses. And at 25% too? Not too shabby!

Although it was a bit too early to draw a conclusion, what I could infer so far was that this particular weapon branch specialized in true damage. If I compounded effects from it or from the [Archery of the Arcane], my damage output would be incredible!

However, that still begged the question. What was the [Arsenal of Ambition]? It was inside the hex of [Road of the Revolutionary] as the weapon unlocked.

Arsenal of Ambition (C)

Firearms Unlocked:

Revolver

Repeater Rifle

Short-Barreled Shotgun​

I blinked. Wait, what? I stared down at the revolver in my hands. Focusing my head, I repeatedly said in my mind I wanted the repeater rifle. Then, suddenly, there was the repeater. Next I thought about the short-barreled shotgun and—BAM!—there was the shotgun. Lastly, I thought back to the Basic Bow and the shotgun morphed into that first bow. I focused my mind again and I started rapidly switching between the various firearms of the Arsenal of Ambition and the Basic Bow.

This was better than I expected! And… a small detail caught my attention.

The firearms of the Arsenal of Ambition were manual action firearms, meaning I needed to place ammunition into it myself, perhaps? However, Itsuki, in canon, had an infinite supply of ammunition. Maybe I was the same? But a thought came to my mind. What would happen if I used other type of ammunition by manually inserting it into either the guns or bow? Could the weapon tree further open up various other ammo variations?

I didn't know, but the only way I could find out is to get even stronger.

I closed the weapon tree screen and fell back onto my bed. There were still a lot of things I was still unsure of, but, with my priorities straightened out, I should just follow an old adage of the cowboy.

Keeping a gun on you will certainly give you peace of mind in the frontier. And, boy, another world sure is one hell of a frontier.

Chapter 1.4

Morning came, and the other three heroes found me in the dining room connected to our accommodations already halfway through my breakfast.

I waved at the sleepy trio with a playful grin. "Good morning, you three. Slept well?"

Ren, quiet as ever, nodded and took his seat, but I could tell by his half-closed eyes that he was still half-asleep. Motoyasu simply gave me a tired smile and a small greeting, but it was covered up by a loud yawn. He, at least, looked sheepish for his sloppy manners.

Naofumi didn't look any better than the other two, but at least he had enough energy to properly answer me. "Morning, sensei. I think all of us were a bit too excited to sleep last night…"

Murmurs and nods of agreements from Ren and Motoyasu confirmed his statement.

Maids soon arrived to place their breakfast fare in front of them, and Motoyasu gave each of them an appreciative look as they passed.

"Eat up then," I said, taking a sip of my coffee. "We're going to meet our parties pretty soon. Can't have them seeing us dead on our feet."

"I hope mine is full of girls!" Motoyasu declared as he scarfed down his breakfast.

Naofumi chuckled and agreed. "Hehe… that would be kind of nice."

Ren didn't say a word, but one glance at him could tell from the faint blush on his cheeks that he wouldn't be opposed to the idea either. At the end of the day, despite Ren's attempt to be some lone wolf character, he was still just a sixteen-year-old kid. Ironically, he was the youngest one among us four heroes. Now that I think about it, without Itsuki to round out the ages Ren was essentially the baby of the bunch. I wondered if that would affect anything.

"Ashina-sensei, what kind of party do you hope to have?" Ren asked me politely.

I gave him a shrug. "Honestly, just people I could trust to watch my back."

"Eh? You're still on about that, sensei? Lighten up a little!" Motoyasu said with a chuckle.

"I agree with sensei. People who wouldn't hold me back would be ideal," Ren replied in my stead.

Not what I meant, but I resisted the urge to lecture him. Rome wasn't built in a day. It would take a bit of time to change their perspective about this world. Frankly, I couldn't understand why they would keep to thinking like that. Sure, each one of us would be more powerful relative to the average person here, but the sights, the scents, and the feel of the world was so real to me here. I could smell the aroma of my coffee below me and could feel the comfortable plush of my chair. This was real.

How could anyone treat this like a game?

.

.

.

Immediately after the others and I finished eating, we were brought before the throne once again.

Nobles watched us with curiosity and chatted with one another on the second floor just like yesterday. Naofumi looked visibly nervous with the attention. Not that I blame him, some of the looks being sent his way were obviously derisive. However, to my surprise, Ren and Motoyasu appeared a bit fidgety as well. Despite the confident smile that was on the Spear Hero's face, there were hints of sweat rolling down his neck. Ren held his free hand closed to his leg and tried to appear unperturbed, but I could see it slightly shaking as he gripped his pants. Despite what they tried to show, I guess they were still kids.

Meanwhile, I wasn't too shaken. You get used to large crowds judgmentally staring at you after presenting a few academic papers at conferences. I even won an award once! Then I had to accept it in front of everyone later at the ceremony… I nearly puked. I was still an undergrad then.

"Holy Heroes," the king started, silencing the chatter on the upper floor, "we have gathered brave warriors who will fight the Waves with you all."

Several men and women stood on the dais in front of the throne. Each one looked experienced in their field. I couldn't recognize any of them from canon. I wasn't too concerned about that since they were just bit characters. Of course, there was one person I did know. No other woman in any series I've ever read or watched illicit as much hatred from me than this bitch. Myne, or rather Malty S. Melromarc, stood proudly as looked from hero to the other. A part of me wanted to immediately take a shot at her and just end her here, consequences be damned, but that wouldn't help anyone. Biding my time was all I could do for now.

Our eyes suddenly met. Briefly, she gave me a charming smile. I returned it with one my own. She giggled and turned away.

Bitch.

"Now, our future champions!"

At the end of the king's proclamation. The various adventurers began taking steps forward. This was the scene where they would all choose which hero to follow. None would choose Naofumi and thus it gives the king the opportunity to oppress him by publicly showing his "lack of charisma." Then when Naofumi was feeling down and stressed, Myne would offer to join him and be taken in by her beauty and kindness. As for the Bow Hero, Itsuki received three adventurers and—

Wait…

Behind Motoyasu were five women, including Myne. Meanwhile, Ren had six people, a mix of men and women of varied classes. Naofumi had none as expected. However, instead of the three people I came to expect for myself like with Itsuki in canon, there was only one person. Not only did they not match any of those people I remember from canon, but they were a woman as well.

Have the butterflies already began their fluttering?

As I tried to reorganize my thoughts, I wasn't the only one that were shocked by the turn of events. Naofumi stepped forward and counted the numbers for each group and turned to the king, "What's going on?"

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting this," the king said in a tone that showed how little he cared.

His adviser next to him agreed. "No volunteers? He must have no charisma."

Once more the nobles on the upper floor started whispering to one another. Naofumi appeared panicked and confused, unable to reconcile why he felt he was being persecuted. A man came up to the king's right and whispered something in his ear. As if it was one grand play, the king then blamed the lack of volunteers on Naofumi's part from rumors being spread about his ignorance that caused a lack of faith in him.

"Legend says the heroes come with a firm understanding of our lands. And many seem to think you don't meet that criteria," the king told Naofumi.

Yeah, right.

"Legend is just legend," I suddenly said with a firm tone. "Who knows how the stories of the heroes morph and change with every generation. Hey, Amaki, Kitamura, do you two have a full understanding of the setting?"

Ren shook his head. "I only knew the name of the kingdom when we arrived. It's why I thought it was like the VRMMO I played."

Motoyasu chuckled. "I… uh… skipped the story tutorial in Emerald Online. So this is all new to me too."

I smirked and nodded gratefully at their answers. I took another step forward and gestured to the adventurers. "Your Highness, forgive me for being rude. If these brave adventurers need any proof of our legitimacy they should look no further than our weapons. This is all the proof they need."

With a flourish I raised the Legendary Bow above my head. As if following after me, Ren and Motoyasu both smirked and joined me with their weapons. I had a feeling they wouldn't want to be upstaged here, and nothing probably felt more heroic to them in the moment than protect one of their comrades.

King Aultcray's eyes looked cold as he stared at me. Suddenly, he smiled and nodded his head. "You're correct. You hold the sacred weapons and that should be proof enough. Brave warriors! You've seen it for yourself. Now do you still doubt?"

Many of the adventurers in Ren and Motoyasu's group froze. They probably thought the king intended for them to leave their chosen hero and to join the Shield Hero. However… I knew differently. None of them will choose to join Naofumi. This was all nothing but a play. The only thing I changed was to further prevent questioning the legitimacy of Naofumi as the Shield Hero since I tied it to us other three heroes. In spite of my improvisation, this was but the inevitable conclusion.

"Sir Hero!" Myne raised her arm and approached Naofumi. Her green eyes shone with the morning light coming in from the windows with even a small halo forming around her head. She appeared meek and kind, her lips pouting ever so slightly as she lightly curtsied the Shield Hero. "Would you allow me to join you?"

I wanted to curse.

Not because of how Myne was acting. I expected that.

But as I glanced at the lovestruck eyes of the series' main character, I could tell her fangs have already sunk.

Chapter 1.5

Us Four Heroes stood at the open castle gates leading to town to make our farewells. Our adventuring companions stood off to the side to give us our privacy. As in canon, King Aultcray gave each of us silver coins. Naofumi received 800. Ren and Motoyasu each received 600. And, in another surprising change in canon, I received 700. Unlike the other three, I wasn't carrying my money pouch.

Naofumi noticed this. "Sensei, where're your coins?"

I smirked at him and brought a finger to my lips. "I discovered a little cheat. Did all of you bring your wallets with you to this world?"

Naofumi, Ren, and Motoyasu each nodded, and I could see curiosity shining in their eyes.

"Well…" I chuckled. "Our wallets are classified as an [Otherworld Item] by our status system. By absorbing it into your weapon, it helped unlock a new interface feature. I'm able to carry any currency I have in an extra-dimensional space."

Ren cupped his chin and smiled. "That's incredibly useful."

"Sensei! You're amazing!" Motoyasu cheered.

He was about to reach into his pockets to pull out his wallet, but I quickly stopped him by placing my hand on his arm. I shook my head at him.

"Do it when you're alone, Kitamura. Don't let others know you can do this," I told him with a solemn expression.

Ren agreed with my warning and nodded resolutely as well. This prompted both Naofumi and Motoyasu to do the same.

I relented my grim face with a smile, and gave each of my younger compatriots a pat on the shoulder. "We're going to be separating and start adventuring. I may not be much older than you three, but I'm still ahead of y'all by quite a few years. Be careful. Don't blindly trust the people in your party until they've proven themselves. Let's go and save the world, and then let's enjoy ourselves afterward, yeah?"

"Of course, Ashina-sensei! There's no point to it if we die, right?" Naofumi said earnestly, grinning from ear to ear.

I rolled my eyes and poked his chest. "Are you really listening? I saw how you looked at that companion you got when she volunteered to join you. Don't go falling in love at first sight. You might get scammed. Adventurers are basically mercenaries, you know."

Motoyasu chuckled. "Sensei, ease up on Iwatani. It's not every day a beautiful girl will be following him around 24/7!"

"We do still need to focus on leveling up too," Ren interjected.

Naofumi laughed sheepishly. "Guys…"

After talking for just a little bit more, the four of us separated and started making their way to town to get equipment for their travels. I couldn't help but stare after Naofumi's retreating back as he conversed with Myne who was giggled graciously at something he said. Perhaps it was better to give a more direct warning? I couldn't tell if anything I did would be enough. I doubted it, but could I be forgiven for wanting to be optimistic?

.

.

.

"Good Hero, this one is simply named Ayelet."

Ayelet pinched the hem of her skirt and curtsied.

My companion… was a doll.

Ayelet stood taller than I by a head. Her height was further emphasized by her rigid posture that straightened her back and gave her an air of refinement. She wore a simple black dress adorned with a plain brown shawl over her torso and cloth wrappings around her hands that were more strips of cloth than proper gloves. Her humble outfit contrasted with her ethereal beauty. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her hair was more white than gold. But it was neither her height, her posture, her outfit, or her beauty that held me. It was the empty, pale blue eyes that met my gaze.

Yes, Ayelet was a doll and what she represented terrified me for I knew what nightmare she was based from.

But I would endeavor to adapt to this change in an already fickle scenario.

What she reminded me shouldn't distract me. What I should look for was what lied where my eyes couldn't see.

Ayelet was no adventurer. Martial skill could be hidden, but her unblemished skin and humble clothing spoke nothing about a life of action. Each adventurer that was accompanying the heroes, including Myne, had armor to some extent. Even the mages I saw among them had some form of protection on them through one of their accessories (which I assumed gave them some form of defense or resistance). None of them were as pale as this woman standing before him.

"You're not an adventurer," I couldn't help but say.

Ayelet blinked and then smiled. "You are correct."

I paused. She admitted it so easily. "Then what are you?"

"Shall we walk to town first as I explain?" She asked, gesturing the road.

I took heed and we began walking down the cobblestone path towards the castle town.

"I am naught but a librarian, Good Hero. I tend to dusty tomes of sagas of yore and histories of dynasties, kingdoms, and more."

It would help explain her pallid complexion. But wasn't this perfect? I did made it a goal to start gathering more information on just about everything, and a human depository of that knowledge fell on my lap. Shame that it was too perfect.

"Basically," I smirked, "you're my minder?"

Without a break in her stride, she answered, "Yes. I have been asked by the king and the church to aid you."

Great. I shouldn't panic in spite of the palpitations in my chest.

It appeared I caught the attention of the king and the church. However, I didn't have anything to fear from either of them yet. While I did show an eagerness to aid the Shield Hero, it was never presented as me having a clear bias for him. If anything, all I showed was that I was attempting to establish myself as some sort of leader among the heroes. If anything, Ayelet's presence was more of a precaution and I was certain there may be other plants in the Sword and Spear Heroes' parties.

"I can aid you little in combat save for some magics I know," Ayelet confessed. "However, the king and the church hope to have you use me however you please. I will not abandon you."

I stared at her oddly. "Watch your phrasing there, sweetheart."

"I did not misspeak."

I shook my head. Ugh, it was essentially the middle ages, after all.

"Considering you easily confessed that you're essentially a spy, I take it I'm not about to have my throat slit in my sleep?"

"No. Despite the precaution, Good Hero, it is true we are in need of you. The Waves must be stopped and only the Holy Heroes can do so."

"Let me ask a few more things. Did the king and your church expect me to figure out that you're a spy for them, and that's why you so readily confessed to it? Is that why I was given extra coin so I could find myself more party members whom I could cultivate trust independent from their intentions?"

"Yes, and yes."

So, that was their trap. Either King Aultcray or the Pope was a clever strategist. They created a plan that hinged on my mistrust and the euphoria of victory I had over figuring out the 'spy.' By planting a woman that looked nothing like an adventurer into my party, I would determine her as their spy if I was clever enough. Then she would explain to me their intentions and, in arrogance, I would keep her to use the knowledge she could provide. They would also reason I wouldn't get rid of her because I already found out she was a spy and wouldn't want to risk having someone new come in that needed to be further investigated to determine if they were another spy or not.

Yet there was one more thing that bothered me…

"Well, if you're going to stick with me, we need to get ourselves gear," I said, moving the topic along, and giving Ayelet a pat on the back. "And since you're around, why don't you tell me about how your currency works here."

Ayelet faintly smiled. "Whatever you desire, Good Hero."

Chapter 1.6

"Sir Hero, is that truly all you'll be wearing?" the shopkeeper asked me, struggling to put on his best service smile.

I stepped out of the fitting room in a wild assortment of gambeson and leather gear looking more like a penniless vagabond rather than a brave knight in shining armor. Around my neck was a golden scarf in the shape of a triangle that partially covered my upper torso. Then to top off my outfit was something I chose more for my own aesthetics than any practical value—a cavalier hat, the closest thing to a cowboy hat I could find. I looked nothing like a hero, but I daresay I achieved a medieval cowboy aesthetic.

One thing pop culture failed to mention was how burdensome it was to put on equipment. Sure you looked cool, but any cosplayer could tell you how impractical many of the outfits you see in anime would be as everyday wear. Luckily, it was good that I discovered the secret of [Otherworld Items]. While in the fitting room, I absorbed my old clothes and it gave me the ability to equip what I touch at will.

"Ayelet, what do you think?" I ignored the shopkeeper's question and asked my companion, gesturing to my choice of equipment.

She softly smiled and gave me a brief standing ovation. "You look well, Good Hero."

I graciously bowed at her compliment with a grin.

"Surely, sir," the shopkeeper said, desperately waving his hands to the displays of plate armor and more, "you would need more protection?"

Frankly, I didn't know a thing about armor. Even if we're using video game logic in this world, I was never a gamer who thought too long and hard about my gear. I often always chose to wear whatever looked the best on my character. When I first entered the shop, I was paralyzed by indecision and I didn't know how to proceed forward. It wasn't until I was given the opportunity to inspect each gear did I discover something astounding.

Like I saw in the weapon tree screen, every piece of equipment had values attached to them. These were rarity, weight, and their bonuses. However, it wasn't the rarity or weight that caught my attention, but the bonuses. Most equipment bonuses were typically flat bonuses (ex. +10 Defense), but this wasn't the case for my system. Rather than flat numbers, the bonuses I saw on equipment I inspected were based on percentages. What this implied was that the gear I would be equipping would be scaled to my level and stats. It led me to wonder if these bonuses could be further boosted by upgrading the equipment.

But it wasn't the numbers and metagaming that startled me. No, rather, it was because I knew this system. This was similar to Bloodborne and Dark Souls. At first, I thought I just simply replaced Itsuki and I inherited the system he would've worked under. However, I've begun to believe that wasn't the case at all. The system was adapting to me and my own predilection. Amusingly, I wondered if that meant it would find a way to adapt Crusader Kings 2 as well given how much I play that game.

Once I made that discovery I just chose the cheapest gear for a mobile ranged fighter I could get.

"No, this is good," I told the shopkeeper.

He could do nothing but sigh in disappointment, and I paid what I owed him.

As Ayelet and I stepped outside, I asked her, "You sure it's alright that all I bought you was that brooch?"

On her shawl was an enchanted, white brooch. It gave her bonuses to her physical and magical defenses. Spy or no, the least I could do for a party member was prevent them from immediately dying in a random encounter.

Ayelet tenderly touched the brooch and gave me a kind smile. "It is all I need."

.

.

.

Thwack!

"Shit."

Thwack!

"F.u.c.k."

Thwack!

"Goddammit."

I lifted up my hat and wiped away the small beads of sweat forming on my forehead, narrowing my eyes at the magnificent work of my incompetent shooting with a bow. Not too far from where I was standing, a group of Orange Balloons were in the field completely unaware of my attempts to murder them. Arrows jutted from the earth everywhere but near where those monsters were idling. How frustrating! Bows were a lot harder to shoot than I anticipated. My plan to learn the weapon as I go along might not be as solid as I thought.

"Good Hero, do not be discouraged," Ayelet comforted me from underneath the shade of a tree nearby. "It is from humble beginnings do Heroes rise."

I hummed at that thought and placed my hat back on. "Is that church doctrine?"

"In a matter of speaking."

Now that I thought about it, how could worshiping Heroes become an organized religion? I decided to ask Ayelet, "How could this world worship Heroes? You're talking to me and seen the others. I can't even shoot the bow right. We're flawed people, not gods."

"Prithee, when God forsakes thee, is it wrong for man to turn to those who give hope?"

"From your words, you're implying that people do believe in a deity."

"Correct." Her face then took on a hint of sorrow. "Long ago, man once communed with a Great One. And then the Waves began, and thus our history before that time was lost. Twas only the arrival of the Holy Heroes and their Seven Vassals did our march forward through time resumed once more."

"So then…"

"Speak not of gods or claim kinship, Good Hero. It is blasphemy and heresy."

I scratched my chin and studied her words. I was certain this "Great One" was Medea, and perhaps the people of the ancient past managed to commune with her and catch her attention. She started the Waves, bringing calamity to the world, but then the Heroes came and stopped the Waves from destroying it. I couldn't fathom a being like Medea's power. Ayelet's story sounded like the Heroes were the only force of good, but wasn't it part of her plan? What was true? What wasn't? Did I even have the appropriate insight?

One thing I did know though. "You know much more than your average nun," I said.

Ayelet giggled faintly and replied, "I am no nun. I am but a simple librarian."

Librarian you may be, but simple you ain't.

"Well, you answered why people here worshiped heroes, but how do they go about doing that?"

Her eyes fluttered wide as she smiled at the question. "Oh, Good Hero, there are many sagas, epics, songs, and fables to speak of. Each Hero is unique. One can learn many things from just one story."

Now I get it.

The Heroes were worshiped and their stories passed on from generation to generation much like Norse sagas or something similar. I doubted there wasn't some revisionism occurring every now and then, but overall the many Heroes' lives once they arrived here were coalesced into a narrative that could entertain and teach the masses. It was simple in concept, but there were a variety of ways to interpret things. It reinforced my assumptions that the Church of the Three Heroes and the Shield Hero Faith were the result of political machinations more than an actual splintering of the faith in its infancy.

However, that wasn't the main point I figured out. I might have discovered Ayelet's motivation for joining me.

I made my decision then.

"You're right about one thing. I'm sure each Hero is different in their own way. Let me show you what makes me unique."

It wasn't an easy decision to make, and it was something I've been mulling over since the previous night. Eventually, I realized, there was no point in trying to hide it. People were going to find out eventually and there wasn't any point in holding back when the world and my life was on the line. Holding out the Legendary Bow in front of Ayelet, I focused my mind and transformed it into the Arms of Ambition Repeater.

Then I spun around and fired one shot at the Orange Balloon I missed earlier. My bullet cut through the air and pierced it, causing the monster to pop. I pulled the lever in one flowing movement, ejecting the casing I fired, and then shot again at the next Orange Balloon. I fired again and again and again, noticing a little bit more about the repeater every time I took a shot. With each bullet I fired, an Orange Balloon was popped. I counted twelve of them dead by my fire and never did I feel the need to reload. Honestly, I don't think I ever shot as well as I did now. I suspected my stats might have a hand in my performance.

Once the Orange Balloons were all gone in the immediate vicinity, I turned to Ayelet and held out my weapon to her.

"In my world, this is what replaced the bow."

Her pale blue eyes gleamed.

Chapter 1.7

Orange Balloons weren't the best monsters to farm experience from, but fighting them did wonders in helping me familiarize how combat works here.

I even collected the remains and absorbed them into my Legendary Bow. Rather than unlocking a new weapon like Naofumi did when he unlocked the 'Orange Shield,' I didn't get anything unique from it. However, what I did get from all my effort was an increase in my proficiency with the Arsenal of Ambition. If I maxed out the level, I was certain its effects would remain as a permanent passive. I wasn't sure how 25% Penetration works with bow and arrows, but I was curious to find out. Furthermore, after absorbing all the Orange Balloon pieces, a percentage was unlocked next to the rarity: 0.12%. It wasn't even 1%. Judging by its placement, I assumed I could increase the rarity of my weapons by feeding it more things.

My stomach rumbled.

"I'm calling it for today," I announced as I stretched.

Ayelet picked herself up from her place in the shade and approached. "'Tis good. Dusk soon nears, and all manner of beasts will soon encroach."

"Do more powerful monsters appear in the evening?" I asked her, curious about that tidbit of information. I never recalled that from canon, but it did make sense. That logic could also be ascribed to my original world too.

"Often in the darkness lie the predators, Good Hero."

Admittedly, I enjoyed how she talked. Her words were poetic and I was a sucker for prose like that. But it did require me to put more energy into my brain to decipher her meaning. I just nodded at her words and transformed the Arsenal of Ambition Repeater back into the Basic Bow, and the two of us made our way back to the castle town. I was somewhat curious if Ayelet had a home here. That way I could save on expenses for a room in an inn. However, I wasn't inclined to fully trust her to that extent. With a bit of her guidance, the two of us made our way to the Adventurer's Guild that also doubled as an inn.

"Ashina-sensei," a familiar voice greeted me.

As I stepped into the guild building, the familiar form of Ren stood near the entrance where a bulletin board was set up. I didn't see his party members anywhere.

"Howdy, Ren," I greeted back, giving him a wave and a tired smile. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm fine. The combat system in this world isn't much different from the VRMMO game I played so it was easy to adjust."

"Have you seen the others?" I asked, curious if he saw Naofumi or Motoyasu.

Ren shook his head. "We all went our different ways when we reached town. I know Kitamura stopped by here first so we wouldn't get in the way of each other when we went to buy equipment, but I don't know after that. As for Iwatani, I passed him by in the fields outside the walls a few hours ago."

I cursed in my head. I wanted to run into Naofumi. I wondered if Myne purposely arranged it that he avoided the Adventurer's Guild and the other heroes. It seemed rather obvious to join the Adventurer's Guild in order to take on quests where powerful monsters could be slain for experience as that was the purpose of the Heroes—to become stronger and beat back the Waves. But with Naofumi never having done so and then being barred from guild support because of the false accusation of ****, he never bothered to even try. How deep was Myne and the king's plot to oppress the Shield Hero?

"You have a curious outfit, Ashina-sensei," Ren muttered as he stared at my attire.

I shrugged, grinning. "I'm eschewing anything too heavy so I could utilize my speed."

"…yes," Ren could only say.

"By the way, where're the rest of your party members?" I asked him, changing the topic.

The Sword Hero carelessly tilted his head to the cafeteria nearby. "Somewhere around there. I work alone, so I'm planning to use them only for support."

Raising an eyebrow, I told him, "You're shooting yourself in the foot there."

"…" He refused to meet my eyes.

Out of habit, I rubbed the back of my neck and frowned. "Amaki, you know this isn't a game, right? You can't treat your party members like they're NPCs. They're real people who genuinely want to stop their world from being destroyed by the Waves!"

"I will take your words under advis.e.m.e.nt, sensei," Ren declared and then tried to end the conversation by trying to walk past me.

"Eh? Sir Hero, what about your dinner? It just arrived!"

From around the corner leading to the guild's food hall was one of Ren's party members calling out to him, making Ren pause in mid-stride.

"Sir Hero? You told me to tell you when the food was ready?"

I stared at Ren's party member who looked awkward for interrupting and then I stared at Ren who tried his best to look as passive as usual. Granted, I had a feeling Ren wasn't the stoic he tried to play off as. It just reminded me of a person trying to act cool. He was only sixteen, after all. Though when I actually met him, I thought it could be his actual personality. The only background information I knew about him was that he was killed by a murderer after saving his best friend from him so maybe his cool appearance stemmed from that trauma.

Now though? Geez, I guess he really was a kid.

"Good Hero," Ayelet greeted Ren as she stepped forward, "though your bravery does you well, the strength of Heroes are unparalleled when united with their comrades. Take faith in your boon companions."

Ayelet, you absolute savage.

Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it in one long puff. He nodded at me. "Ashina-sensei." Then he turned and walked towards his party member and offered his thanks to her.

Next to me, Ayelet let out a low hum and she gingerly touched her lips. "Have I offended him?"

"Nah…"

I'd rather he suffered social embarrassment than the despair of knowing his actions caused the deaths of innocent people any day.

------------------------------

​

AFTERWORD: In which Bow Sensei accidentally embarrasses Ren like the big bro he is.

Chapter 1.8 (END of Chapter 1)

I awoke to gentle rapping on my door. Keeping one eye open, I materialized the Arms of Ambition Revolver in the hand underneath my pillow and waited.

"Good Hero?" Ayelet's muffled voice came through the wooden door.

Pulling away the covers, I crept out of bed, mindful of my weight on the floor panels to keep it from creaking. I touched my adventuring outfit that I left on a chair and willed it to be worn, and then made my way to the door. I kept my back to the wall and kept the end of my barrel bared through the threshold.

"I'm up. What is it?" I asked through the door.

"…"

"Well?"

"May I come in?"

I mulled over her request. Well, I did conclude that there was no reason for King Aultcray or the Pope to off me just yet. I was letting my prejudices for what happened in canon affect me. Scratching my scalp in irritation, I decided to just risk it. I opened the door and allowed the librarian in. Ayelet was fully dressed when she stepped inside, and so I threw out her reasoning for wanting to come in as a honeypot scheme.

"Thank you," she said once I closed the door. "I bring dire tidings."

Shit. I cursed.

I knew what was coming. The previous evening after I registered as an adventurer and had dinner, I wanted to find Naofumi. However, in spite of wandering the evening going from inn to inn to find him, I couldn't. I did meet Motoyasu, and we had a nice enough chat, but he was too distracted by his female party members and quickly blew me off. If I didn't meet Naofumi, then I no doubt failed to stop Myne accusing him of raping her.

"The streets are filled with murmurings of a grave sin the Shield Hero committed," Ayelet said in a whisper. "Forcing himself on the sweet elder princess while impaired by drink, he took her virtue and the innocence of her soul."

I held back a snort. Malty? Virtuous? Innocent? I doubted it.

"I need to head to the castle then." I decided.

Before I could begin moving, Ayelet reached out and clasped my forearm. "Patience, Good Hero."

I ripped my arm away from her and glared at her entreating face. "Iwatani won't do something as heinous as that. I don't know him well, but he ain't like that. I need to go the castle and vouch for him."

Without allowing her to say a word, I turned my back to her and began a sprint up to the castle. I couldn't tell you how far away the castle was or how long I was running. I ignored the pain in my lungs, legs, and feet. This was the key moment that established the tone of the series. I shouldn't miss it. I couldn't afford to miss it. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I pushed myself harder and harder up the hill where the castle stood.

But then my running slowed and slowed until I stood still in the middle of the cobblestone road.

I didn't stop because I was tired. I stopped because of the sorry sight that lied in front of me.

Iwatani Naofumi, the Shield Hero, walked with a limp down that same road. He was without clothing save for a pair of trousers. He didn't even have a pair of shoes on him. I could see purple bruises all over his torso and arms. His left arm looked broken and had yet to be set. His brow and cheeks were swollen red and purple as if lashed and struck. This… wasn't canon at all.

"Iwatani…" I said aloud, his name barely going above a whisper.

"Sensei…" He stopped to stare at me, his eyes empty rather than the expected full rage. "You were right."

Naofumi, I didn't want to be. I never want to be right about that.

I remained silent, unable to figure out what words I could say. I was never good at expressing myself. But, dammit, I had to in this instance. Sure, I just met everyone. Sure, I just met Naofumi. Maybe there were the king's or the Pope's watchers spying on me right now. But I wasn't some automaton who could blindly look away from this and think, 'Well, the pragmatic way to go about this is…' I knew more than anyone about the ugliness and beauty of humans here. I studied politics! There was only one appropriate answer.

"I know you didn't do anything. It's not your fault."

"Ha… haha… hahaha…" Naofumi began laughing, his eyes burning with fire and rage.

But as the more he laughed, the more tears began welling up that doused his anger. Slowly, his laughter faded into broken sobs. He stepped forward towards me and I responded in kind. Then without any care, I embraced the younger man and held him close as he cried. I had to wonder what would've happened if there had been just one person to have accepted him immediately without judgment or scrutiny when this wound in his heart was still fresh.

I didn't know how long I held Naofumi in my arms, but soon his sobs ended and he went quiet. He had fallen asleep. However, what pressed me wasn't the awkward situation of me holding him, but his wounds. I knew Naofumi was handled roughly when brought before the king and accused of his ****, but he wasn't hurt this badly in either canon. Something had to have changed. For now, however, I need to see to finding medical attention for him.

"Good Heroes of the Bow and Shield," Ayelet's soft words pierced behind me. "Might I take you to where you may find reprieve from this sorrowful turn?"