I am not the shield hero

Even dead, Idol Rabier seems hell-bent on pissing me off.

Though if Dante were being honest, he knew he had no real excuse. He knew that whip was cursed. It was entirely possible it would inflict him with some sort of curse too. Reichnott's doctor checked him out and found nothing, and Dante didn't think to mention the whip to him.

He had to assure the two clergy members that he wasn't upset with them. Since he was in the presence of people with some experience with curses, though…

"This is what cursed me." Dante said as he dropped the whip from his shield on the table. "From what I understand, it's pretty potent."

Looking at it again, it was a much more dangerous weapon than he realized. He hadn't brought it out since he tested its power with Sadeena, considering how Rifana and Raphtalia reacted to it. The stats were pretty good, but the special effects were so much better. He couldn't see them all when his appraisal was lower, but now it made sense why the whip was so strong.

"My word…" The healer seemed to agree, at least about the curse. She picked up the whip to examine it more closely. "When were you cursed by this?"

"Over a month ago." Dante said.

"A month!?" The healer yelled, snapping her head towards Dante. "Lord Shield, you've had this curse for over a month!?"

"Y-Yes…" He didn't think it was that big of a deal, mostly because he felt fine. Hell, he felt better than before he lost his arm. That might have actually been a cause for concern, but he was content with his peaceful sleep.

"Lord Shield, do you know the damage a curse can cause if it's allowed to fester? Reduced healing is only the start of the problems it can cause!"

The healer launched into a whole lecture about the dangers of curses, and how they need to be treated immediately. Apparently, curses fester in about a week, some as early as a couple days. It went on for a few minutes, all while Dante, Eclair, and the priest stood by and listened. Once she was finished, she seemed to realize she was berating her country's god and started apologizing profusely. Dante refused her apology, saying that this was something he needed to know and he thanked her for her explanation. It wasn't something he was going to easily forget.

After storing the whip back in his shield, the healer wrapped Dante's shoulder in bandages soaked in holy water and cast a Drifa level holy spell over the area. She explained that the spell would remove the bulk of the curse while the bandages would basically siphon out the rest over time. In a few days, he should be curse free, in a sense, but the damage was already done. Dante thought back to Fitoria and asked if there was anything that could be done about the lingering effects.

"Unfortunately, there is no known way to reverse a festered curse like this."

Unfortunate, indeed. It was a longshot, but he hoped this healer would tell him something other than what Fitoria said. It wasn't for his benefit, Dante could still see an alchemist for his arm. He hoped that the restoration of Fitoria's sight might change her mind about wanting to die. He knew she was far older than him, but seeing someone so young looking accept death like that didn't sit right with him.

Finished with their healing, the priest helped Dante back into his armor and he and Eclair met back up with the others. The guide showed them from the church to the castle. Along the way, Dante got a better feel for Siltvelt's layout. More accurately, how areas were so different from each other. Eclair had explained how the different tribes used different architecture, but seeing it all was something else. He saw a lot more of it going to the castle than on the ride to the church.

Eventually, they arrived at said castle. It wasn't just the castle that was a bit bigger than Melromarc's, but its doors and bridges too. There were a number of other differences, but they seemed to be mostly stylistic.

They were handed off to a palace attendant then, who took them all to the throne room. There, a man with red feathered wings greeted them. The feathers extended across his arms and legs as well. His feet looked like a bird's claws, and his fingers were a bit pointed as well.

"Greetings, Lord Shield." The man said with a bow. "It is a great honor to meet you. My name is Werner, and I am the leader of the shusaku."

Huh. I'd forgotten what he looked like. Much more bird-like than I was expecting.

"I'm Dante MacRory, the Shield Hero." Dante said, before gesturing to the others. "With me are my companions. This is Sadeena, who has been with me almost from the start. With her are Keel, Raphtalia, and Rifana, all from Lurolona village. That's Eclair Seaetto of the Seaetto territory. These two are JoJo and Dio, a filolial king and queen."

Werner followed along as Dante introduced each member of his party, nodding along to them all. "I've heard reports from our emissaries. It's good to finally meet all of Lord Shield's retainers."

"Ah…about that…." That was something Dante had worried about. "Have you heard what happened to them?"

Werner grimaced and lowered his head. "A spy sent a monster messenger saying as much. We thought you would be going to Faubrey, so we sent a message to our diplomats there to greet you."

Huh. Something like carrier pigeons, I guess. Well, I suppose demi-humans trying to send a secret message to Siltvelt from a guild in Melromarc wouldn't be that easy. But, wait, if they knew that, then…

Dante realized what that statement might imply. "How did your spy know about that?" He asked.

"He didn't specify." Werner responded. "The messages can't be too long, I'm afraid. Only the most relevant details are shared."

"I see." Dante tried something else. "Did it mention my talk with Princess Melty?"

Werner's eyes widened ever so slightly at that. "Yes, Lord Shield."

Dante hoped the spy learned about his plans through someone at the castle, but if he heard it from that conversation…

"Did he mention my…comment about Siltvelt?" Dante probed. The slightly sullen look from Werner confirmed his thoughts. "My apologies. I didn't mean to offend the people of this country."

"Not at all, Lord Shield!" Werner said quickly. "Tahrin explained your concerns in his messages to us, as well as your reason for staying as long as you did. Indeed, there are those who take extreme actions due to their faith, but the people of Siltvelt wish only to serve you."

"Ah, well, that's good then." It wasn't exactly. If Dante recalled, Sadeena was the one to first mention Siltvelt's zealotry. He hadn't really thought about what the emissaries said in their reports. Something to watch out for. "Well then, what happens now?"

"If it pleases you, Lord Shield, I invite you to relax for the remainder of the day. We will prepare a feast in your honor for tomorrow. We will also gather as many tribe heads to meet with you as quickly as possible."

Well, they had arrived rather abruptly. Dante didn't want to stop in any villages on the way. The two biggest concerns were Melromarc—or, rather, the Three Heroes Church—sending people after them, and Siltvelt officials not wanting some outworlder coming along and rearranging things out of their favor. Really, making a big fuss out of things would be an issue, but hiding out wouldn't solve anything.

From talking with his party, the others wanted to relax as well. The constant rattling of the carriages, practicing magic or combat while they stopped, and only occasionally bathing in the river were starting to take a toll on everyone. It would be nice to have a properly cooked meal and a nice, hot bath.

"That sounds good." Dante said, already spotting a few approaching maids. "Also, I'll need to speak with an alchemist."

"We have already sent for several." Werner said. "We were unsure of the extent of your injury, so we thought it best to explore as many options as possible."

"Perfect." Dante nodded. "Also, we'll need some magic thread spun for Raphtalia here. Here clothes are…not as functional as intended."

"As you wish, Lord Shield."

The maids greeted them with a bow and Werner led them all through the castle. All throughout, Dante could see differences in the art and decorations, both between here and Melromarc, and just from the different races of demi-humans. He couldn't tell which was from which race, but some did have some more apparent differences that even he could pick out.

They reached a room with quite ornate doors. It wasn't exactly gaudy, not like is armor at least, but it was fairly fancy. The doors were lined with gold, or at least gold plating, and the wood was a deep red. The room itself was what Dante could only describe as, well, a bedroom. Literally, the only piece of furniture was a large bed. That, and the wall decorations. On the opposite end was a terrace that overlooked the city. That area did have a chair and small table near the center.

"Please make yourself comfortable, Lord Shield." Werner said. "I will show your companions to their rooms."

"About that." Dante beckoned over Dio and JoJo, who were already in their child forms. "These two will stay with me."

"I'm afraid having others share your room can't be allowed." Werner said, bowing.

Dante figured he might say something like that. "Then I suppose I'll be staying with my companions for a bit longer."

"That, too, would cause issues." Werner said.

And around we go.

"It'll be one or the other." Dante said, hand on his hip. "Personally, I think having two filolials stay in the Shield Hero's room would be better than having the Shield Hero stay in guest rooms."

Werner looked like he wanted to say something to that, but held it back. "I believe having these two stay with you would be preferable."

"Good." Dante said with a smile. He wasn't really concerned with anyone's safety, at least for right now. He just didn't want to sit alone for however long he was going to be there.

The three of them entered the room while Werner took the others to their rooms. Dante specified to keep them close by, and on the same floor. They were on the top floor of the palace, after all. Over on the terrace, Dante could see almost the whole city below them. It was really something else to get a view of all the different designs from a distance.

Next, Dante looked at the assortment of decorations that lined the walls. Most of it looked to be similar to what they saw in the halls, but better quality. A few of the outliers were pretty impressive, like the skull of what Dante assumed was a large dragon that was mounted to the wall. There was also one practical thing on the wall.

Dante pulled the large shield from above the room's fireplace. It looked rather worn down, but still in useable condition. The front of it was covered in thick hides of various monsters. Dante copied the shield and looked it over, power up potential included.

Shield of the Beast King (LV locked) 0/80 C

(abilities locked) equip bonus: therianthrope abilities up (large), demi-human abilities up (large), skill "Beast Transformation Assist" "Territorial Reform"

equip effect: power of devotion

Wow. I'm not high enough level for it. Well, it is a pretty amazing shield.

Ignoring the boosted shields, this one had the highest stats. Its defense rating wasn't as high as the Stout Shield before being powered up, but it was in the ballpark. Dante would need to see what the shield could do once he was high enough level to use it.

"Hm?" JoJo turned his head to the side. Dio followed suit right after. Both stood next to Dante.

Dante looked in the same direction as his kids. "You would do well to show yourself." Dante spoke to the corner of the room. There was no sign of anything there. After a few moments, Dante began to approach, Dio and JoJo in tow. "Last warning. This is an order. Otherwise, I'll have to waste a spell on you."

A second later, a dark grey rat therianthrope revealed itself, standing about two feet tall and wearing similar colored clothing. Cloth covered its head, showing only its eyes. It looked like a black veil had been peeled away from the corner when the rat appeared. It prostrated itself before it spoke up. "My deepest apologies, Lord Shield."

Well, it's either loyal to the Shield Hero, or it knew I wasn't bluffing.

"Care to explain yourself?" Dante walked back to the bed and sat on the edge, a filolial child on either side of him. The rat therianthrope raised its head and Dante waved it closer. It came about a dozen feet away from the bed before it took a knee.

"I was tasked with observing Lord Shield and ensuring no harm came to you." The therianthrope stated.

"Observing me for who?" Dante asked.

The rat seemed to think for a moment before speaking again. "There was no single individual I report to."

"So the leaders of Siltvelt, then." Dante nodded. "That's fair, I suppose." He did spend over a month in Melromarc. Maybe they wanted to see what he was about.

"If Lord Shield pleases," the therianthrope continued, "how did your filolials notice my presence?"

"They have good instincts." Dante answered. It wasn't as if he didn't notice as well. His Alert Shield picked up the therianthrope's presence immediately. Even if it didn't, and Dio and JoJo didn't, Dante picked out the small spy after about a minute. His stats and job levels helped with that greatly, but Dante wasn't about to tell a spy that.

"I see." The rat therianthrope lowered its head. "I do hope you forgive this transgression."

"I suppose I will." Dante said, but then he thought to add to it. "That is, if you answer a question for me."

"What do you wish to know, Lord Shield?" The therianthrope looked up at him.

"Are you a shadow? And what is your name?" He asked.

"You are well informed of our world." The rat said. "I am a shadow of Siltvelt, and this one has no need for a name."

Well, that's reassuring. Dante had wondered for a while if he could pick out shadows with the shield's power and his experience. Normal people were easy enough, but who could say about magic ninjas?

"And where do your loyalties lie?" Dante thought to ask.

"With Lord Shield and Siltvelt." The shadow answered without hesitation.

"I see." Dante nodded. "And, what is Siltvelt?"

"Lord Shield?" The shadow didn't seem to understand.

"You said you didn't report to any specific person in Siltvelt, leading me to believe you would inform any leaders of what you learned. But, what I want to know is, do you act in the interests of the people of Siltvelt, or its leaders?"

Dante assumed it was the leadership. He had sparse knowledge about the shadows of this world, mostly because he had yet to meet one. It was possible the man he killed on the road was a shadow, but he didn't have any way of verifying that. This was a good way to learn a little bit about them. Assuming, of course, this shadow was honest with him. Dante wasn't sure if he could determine whether or not he was being lied to at all, the same being true for Dio and JoJo. Magic ninja, after all.

"Then allow me to rephrase." The shadow said. "I serve the Shield Hero, who is Siltvelt's will."

"Hm…" It sounded like the truth, but he'd take it with a grain of salt for now.

"Shall I refrain from reporting your activities to the leaders of Siltvelt?" The shadow asked.

"…No, that's alright." Dante said after thinking it over. "But speak with me before you do. I want to know what you plan on telling them. Really, I have a lot to ask you about as well—"

A knocked sounded on the door. "Lord Shield?" A woman's voice called from the other side. "The alchemists are here to see you."

"…But I suppose that will have to wait for another time." Dante said as he stood. The alchemists had arrived faster than he thought they would. "You may continue with your observations."

The shadow bowed again and disappeared from sight.

That's quite the trick.

"Show them in." Dante called to the door. When it opened, a maid stepped in.

"Forgive me, Lord Shield, but the alchemists are waiting for you in the throne room. It wouldn't do to have them intrude upon you here." She said.

"Right, right." He'd nearly forgotten the headache this place was likely to be. "Well, lead the way then."

~The Wrong Hero~

A headache it was, indeed. When Dante and his kids arrived in the throne room, Werner introduced him to three alchemists. Among them was a male rabbit demi-human, a female owl demi-human, and a male alligator therianthrope. Dante almost did a double take at the alligator man. His scale color reminded him of the indigo gators that tried to eat him. His kids seemed to realize that too, given the looks they gave him. The owl demi-human was interesting too. Her arms and head had brown and white feathers on them, but her hands and legs were human looking. He assumed her legs were, anyway, since she had on normal looking boots.

A couple of the maids helped Dante out of his armor. When they did, they took off his shirt as well. Reiko's little cacodemon floated down with it, startling them. It had hidden itself in Dante's shirt before when the healer looked him over. Dante told them not to pay it any mind.

When the alchemists examined him, Dante had to give them the go ahead several times, each one before they touched him, until finally he just told them to stop asking and inspect him. He informed them of the curse on his body, though it was fairly evident with the wrappings. Dante had Werner and the maids leave before he showed the alchemists the whip. The shusaku might recognize who it belonged to.

After making their notes, and drawing a bit a blood, there came another bit of annoyance. They would need to grow a new arm for him and attach it to him once it was made. That itself wasn't annoying, but what they said next was.

"I can have the arm ready for you in five days." The rabbit man said.

"I'll have it made in four days." The owl woman said quickly.

"I misspoke." The rabbit man interjected. "It'll be ready in three days."

"To take so long for Lord Shield." The alligator man shook his long head. "I'll have it ready for you in two days."

"A day and a half."

"One day."

"By the morning."

"You think you can make something worthy of Lord Shield in such a short time?"

"Are you questioning my skill?!"

Am I in an auction house? Is this a bidding war?

Dante held up his hand, silencing the squabbling alchemists. "I'd rather it be done right than done fast." He told them. "If you rush this and I get an arm that doesn't work, I'll go with the one that does. I'm told my curse may make it more difficult. That said, I would appreciate having an arm ready within five days."

He wanted a little time to get used to having an arm again before the wave in Othil.

The alchemists left to work on Dante's missing limb—after bowing deeply, of course—leaving Dante to observe the throne room. It was a pretty grand hall, all things considered. It was similar to the throne room in Melromarc, except this one had balconies one could access on one side through large, glass pane doors. Some parts looked to be higher quality than in Melromarc, while other were less so. Not that it really mattered.

Several maids came back into the room to inform Dante that supper was ready. They helped him back into his shirt and armor, but they presented him with another piece of clothing as well. It looked somewhat like a cape or cloak, but it was made to cover the left side of his body. They didn't need to explain the reasoning to him. God was missing an arm, after all. It didn't feel like it would do much good, considering he was basically parading around town on a carriage with his missing limb on display, but he didn't argue about it.

Once they had him fitted, they led the way to the dining terrace. There, he saw a number of different demi-humans and therianthropes in attendance. The rest of his party was there already. A few of the attendees were talking with them, and it looked to be friendly, or at least not hostile. Well, since Dante wasn't trying to leave immediately, and Sadeena wasn't hanging off of his arm, they didn't have much reason to be upset.

One person in particular stood out to him. It was a male lion therianthrope, standing next to Werner. It was fairly likely this was Jaralis. Dante doubted he'd be able to pick him out in the streets, but here in Siltvelt's castle? There was little doubt.

"Lord Shield has arrived!" One of the maids called out.

As Dante made his way across the terrace, the people in attendance greeted him warmly.

https://www.patreon.com/super69700?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator