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Early in the morning, Jason stood in the hotel courtyard, facing the rising sun. He slowly twisted his waist, showing a rare trace of fatigue since his arrival in this world.
Shortly after, Raphtalia and Filo emerged from the hotel, looking equally tired.
"Good morning, Master Shield Hero!" Raphtalia greeted. "The carriage you asked for has been bought."
Just then, the ten people who followed Jason arrived, pulling a carriage behind them.
Jason recalled giving the order to get another carriage when they arrived in the village. It wasn't because the original one was broken, but because Filo had grown so attached to it that she nearly got into a fight with the group over it. So, Jason decided to get a second one—one for Filo to pull and the other for the group of ten, continuing their training.
"Good. Is the carriage loaded with stones?" Jason asked, nodding.
Now that they had grown stronger, an empty carriage wouldn't provide much training. To increase the challenge, he ordered it to be filled with stones, creating a weight-bearing exercise.
"It's fully loaded, but finding stones around here wasn't easy. It took us a while, and we're late. Please forgive us," Jack and the others knelt on one knee, lowering their heads in respect.
"Don't worry. I won't blame you for that. Stand up."
With a wave of Jason's hand, they rose to their feet.
"Yes, Master Shield Hero!" they responded, standing in perfect unison. The synchronization of their movements was impressive, a direct result of Jason's intense military-style training.
"Now that everything's ready, let's head to Kate Village."
Jason turned to Filo, speaking seriously. "Filo, from now on, when there are others around, do not transform. Understood?"
Since Filo's transformation was still new and her clothes weren't tailored for it yet, Jason needed her to hold off on changing in front of others. Though she didn't fully understand why, Filo nodded in agreement.
"Filo? Is she the same Filo who traveled with us?" Irene asked, surprised.
Everyone stared at the girl with small wings on her back, resembling a little angel. They had noticed her earlier but refrained from asking, respecting Jason's privacy. They initially assumed she was just a girl with fake wings, but hearing she was Filo left them shocked.
The image of the 230 cm tall, round Filo bird flashed in their minds, and they struggled to connect it with the cute girl standing in front of them.
"Yes, she's Filo," Jason confirmed, ruffling Filo's hair.
"But I thought Filo birds couldn't transform into human forms?" Lilith asked, not out of doubt, but genuine confusion.
"Filo isn't an ordinary Filo bird. She's the queen of Filo birds."
Upon hearing this, the group immediately expressed their understanding.
"As expected of Master Shield Hero—he casually hatches a monster egg, and it turns out to be a queen."
"Of course! He's not like ordinary people."
"Exactly!"
By now, their trust and admiration for Jason had reached a point of blind devotion.
"Alright, enough chit-chat! Let's get moving!" Jason ordered, and the group finally began their march toward Kate Village.
Kate Village was a small settlement nestled among towering mountains. Though it boasted unique products, its remote location and poor transportation kept it from becoming prosperous.
Today, however, the village was bustling. The narrow roads were packed with people, and the air buzzed with excitement. Most of the visitors were adventurers who had come from afar.
The reason? Ren, the Sword Hero, was coming to slay a dragon. People had flocked to witness the legendary event.
"Master Ren has set off!" a loud voice suddenly echoed through the village.
"Master Ren is going to slay the dragon!"
"Hurry and get a good spot!"
The crowd surged forward, rushing to the village entrance, following Ren as he headed toward the mountains.
Along the way, several monsters appeared, but Ren didn't bother engaging them.
"Master Ren, leave these small monsters to us!"
"Please prepare yourself for the dragon battle at your peak condition!"
The adventurers eagerly ran to deal with the low-level monsters, ensuring Ren wouldn't need to lift a finger. It wasn't long before the path was cleared, allowing them to quickly cross the mountains and reach the dragon.
When they arrived, the dragon was just as it's described in Western mythology—a massive, hulking beast standing on the mountainside. As the humans approached, it let out an ear-splitting roar.
The adventurers who had bravely followed now hesitated, their earlier courage drained. One by one, they began to step back in fear.
At the front of the group, Ren stood out, accompanied by the six elite adventurers in his party, all lined up behind him. Ren had opted for an elite crew over numbers, and each of them was highly skilled.
"So this is a magic dragon? Other than that loud roar, it doesn't look that scary. It's just a bigger lizard."
Ren unsheathed his holy sword with a flourish, trying to look as cool as possible. He glanced back at his team and said confidently, "If anyone holds me back, get out of my team now. I don't have time for deadweight!"
"Yes, sir!" the adventurers responded hastily, standing at attention.
"Alright, let's do this!"
Though a swordsman, Ren didn't rush in immediately. Instead, he raised his holy sword high.
"Meteor Sword!!!"
With a mighty slash, a surge of sword energy shot toward the dragon, striking its head. A visible gash appeared on the dragon's forehead, and it roared in pain.
"Not so tough after all," Ren muttered, observing the dragon's reaction. "Alright, follow the plan! Don't get too close—let's study its attack patterns first."
After gauging the dragon's defense, Ren and his group charged forward, following a strategy that resembled a coordinated raid from an online game.
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