Reborn as shield hero with Garps Template

After more than an hour of cleaning work, the equipment brought by Jason and Raphtalia was neatly arranged by the boss and set aside.

The boss held a pen and paper in his hand, the paper filled with dense writings.

"It's finally done. There are a total of 53 sets of armor, 13 long swords, 25 staves, and 9 other types of weapons. The total value is 256 gold coins. If we consider a recycling price, it would be a bit lower, around 200 gold coins," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead while glancing at the paper.

As a weapon shop owner, seeing so much equipment and such a long tally of numbers made his eyes sparkle with excitement. "If you sell all this equipment, Shield Hero, you'll soon be rich! But even if the enemy country doesn't recruit you as a hero, you could live comfortably for several lifetimes.

The boss knew it was impossible for Jason to give up his status as a Shield Hero just yet; he was simply trying to illustrate the worth of the gold coins in front of Jason.

"Oh? If that's the case, let's sell them all to you. Since we are old acquaintances, I'll let you take them all for 200 gold coins, so you can make a small profit," Jason replied casually from the chair beside him, sipping tea leisurely.

However, the boss's face showed embarrassment at this.

"Brother Shield Hero...you acquired these from the church...ahem...I can't sell them here on the black market. If the group from the 3 heros church finds out, I won't be able to bear the consequences. After all, I'm just an ordinary shop owner, and I don't have that much money to buy all this equipment at once," the boss explained, shrugging in resignation.

Understanding his predicament, Jason smiled. "It's okay, I appreciate your honesty. So can you tell me which places are more suitable for selling this equipment?"

Jason was keenly aware that selling the equipment was essential after he and Raphtalia had put so much effort into moving it here.

The boss stroked his beard, deep in thought, when suddenly his eyes lit up. "There are three places where someone should be willing to purchase this equipment."

"Where?" Jason leaned forward, eager for answers.

"The first location is Zeltoble, the country of mercenaries. The second is the demi-human country, Schildfrieden, along with Sidfelt. Personally, I recommend the demi-human country Schildfrieden; after all, while it's full of demi-humans, humans are also welcome, especially shield heroes. If you have equipment to sell, it will definitely be popular, particularly the gear of the Three Heroes."

"Schildfrieden? That place is a bit far," Jason frowned. The distance seemed demanding for selling goods, but he could weigh the benefits against the potential rewards.

"It certainly is a bit of a journey. It takes about two weeks by boat, or one month by carriage."

"One month? That's further than I thought," Jason mused, contemplating his options. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.

In truth, he didn't need to travel that far at all; he could eliminate the church. Once the queen returned, he could sell all the equipment to her.

If she didn't want it or couldn't take it all, he could always consider the demi-human country afterward.

"Alright, we'll go with that plan first. There's a lot still to accomplish in this country, and now isn't the right time to leave," Jason declared, standing from his chair, invigorated. Given that Filo hadn't hatched yet, it made little sense to leave just yet.

"What's been decided?" The boss and Raphtalia exchanged bewildered glances.

"Boss, as the owner of a weapon shop, you must have a warehouse. I'll store this equipment in your warehouse until the time is right to retrieve it. Of course, I won't forget to reward you for this," Jason added, determination in his voice. "Let's go, Raphtalia!"

Before the boss could react, Jason tossed him a gold coin.

"Brother Shield Hero..." the boss started to protest, but Jason was already dragging Raphtalia out.

"I trust you, and even if the damn cult tries to take the equipment, I'll be sure to 'retrieve' it back. Don't worry," Jason's voice echoed as they exited the shop.

The boss turned back to the equipment and sighed deeply, taken aback by the profound trust Jason had placed in him. Just leaving it there casually like that?

With a reluctant shake of his head, the boss began to move the equipment piece by piece into his own warehouse. He couldn't deny the fact that despite not having a chance to refuse, he had agreed to the terms once he accepted the gold coin.

Jason and Raphtalia, on their way to the royal palace, navigated through the bustling streets.

Given that Jason had unraveled the Pope's conspiracy, the palace was in a state of chaos, and the earlier celebratory banquet had been abruptly called off. After all, the king, ridden with shame, had no desire to mingle with others in such a disgraceful state.

Of course, once the nobles dispersed, the king strictly prohibited them from discussing the day's events. Yet, so many witnesses had seen the king's embarrassment; it was clear he lacked the prestige to quell any gossip entirely.

How things would develop from here remained to be seen, and the unfolding story would surely hold its riddles and revelations.

At this time, Jason brought Raphtalia to the palace, but they found themselves halted, as the drawbridge connecting the palace to the town was closed.

"Bring down the drawbridge!" Jason shouted towards the bridge, believing there must be someone on duty at this hour.

"What should we do now? Should we open the bridge for Lord Shield Hero?" one of the soldiers on duty asked, looking uncertain.

"How should I know? If it were His Majesty the King, he probably wouldn't want to see Lord Shield Hero right now. After all, after today's events, Lord Shield Hero has become a nightmare for His Majesty," another soldier replied.

"Then, does that mean we shouldn't lower the drawbridge?" the first soldier asked, glancing nervously at his comrades.

"Don't you understand how powerful Lord Shield Hero is? A mere drawbridge wouldn't be able to stop him! He could probably break it with a single punch!" another soldier chimed in.

"Then what are we supposed to do? Should we let him through or not?" one soldier asked, clearly flustered.

"I have no idea!" came the panicked response.

As the soldiers standing guard grappled with the dilemma, they became increasingly tense. It felt like no matter what they chose, they would be in the wrong.

"If you don't lower the drawbridge soon, I'll be forced to take matters into my own hands! You have three seconds to decide!" Jason's voice boomed again, echoing with authority, causing the soldiers behind the suspension bridge to tremble in fear.

The atmosphere was heavy with uncertainty. On one hand, they were wary of angering a figure as formidable as the Shield Hero; on the other, they feared the repercussions of disobeying orders. The seconds stretched on, and the indecision was palpable as they exchanged anxious glances.