Reborn as shield hero with Garps Template

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When the king issued the order to arrest the Pope, he anticipated some resistance, but he had not foreseen the scale of the backlash. Nearly half the capital's residents had gathered at the palace gates in protest.

Upon investigation, it was revealed that the church had been ransacked the previous day—its gates broken down, and all members of the clergy massacred, leaving no survivors. The king immediately understood why the situation had escalated so dramatically. This explained why Jason had been secretive about his visit to the church the previous day.

There was no doubt in the king's mind: the church had been destroyed by Jason, and its members slain by him as well.

"Damn Shield Hero," the king muttered angrily, gripping the handrails of his throne so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged. "He's dug this huge pit and left me to fall into it."

His frustration was immense, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Jason's strength was overwhelming, and the king had no means of dealing with him.

"Your Majesty, something urgent has happened!" A soldier suddenly rushed in, his panic evident.

"What is it now?" the king growled, clearly irritated. "Can't you see I'm dealing with important matters?"

The soldier, trembling, knelt down. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but something critical needs your attention. Lord Motoyasu has been attacked by a mob and is currently buried in the garbage dump!"

The king's anger flared again, though this time at Motoyasu's misfortune. "A mob? Why would they suddenly attack Motoyasu?"

"It seems, Your Majesty, that the people have discovered Lord Motoyasu's inappropriate behavior with female adventurers. It has incited public outrage."

The king's mood shifted unexpectedly. A grin spread across his face as he rose excitedly from his throne. "Good! This is excellent news!"

The soldiers were bewildered. Motoyasu being attacked was good news?

"Motoyasu has become the target for the people's anger," the king explained with a laugh. "Once they've vented their frustrations on him, they'll calm down. It's perfect—let them take out their anger on him!"

He then turned to the soldier. "Give the order: no one is to help Motoyasu."

Though Motoyasu and the king had once been on good terms, the previous night had soured their relationship. Motoyasu had approached the king asking for financial support in the midst of a tense and embarrassing situation, which had deeply irritated the monarch. Now that the citizens were punishing Motoyasu on their own, the king was more than happy to let it continue. It alleviated some of the stress he had been under.

Meanwhile, Motoyasu's companions were desperate. "Please, Lord Ren, Lord Itsuki, help save Lord Motoyasu!" they pleaded, turning to Ren and Itsuki.

Motoyasu had passed out, buried in filth, and if no one acted soon, he might actually die in the garbage dump.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do anything," Ren said, pinching his nose against the stench. "The smell is unbearable."

Itsuki added, "Aren't you Motoyasu's companions? You should be the ones saving him. Just pull him out of the trash yourselves."

The two Heroes turned away, unwilling to get involved. Although the angry crowd was some distance away, they wanted no part of the mess and opted to avoid the area entirely.

As Ren and Itsuki walked away, Motoyasu's adventurer companions exchanged uneasy glances. The idea of diving into a filthy garbage dump to save him was repulsive to them, especially since they were all women. The thought of wading through the stench and filth was too much to bear.

With Ren and Itsuki gone, they needed someone else to help. Their gaze soon fell on the soldiers standing nearby.

"You!" one of Motoyasu's companions barked arrogantly at the soldiers, adopting an authoritative tone. "Go save Lord Motoyasu!"

The soldiers smirked. In the past, they might have helped, but they had the king's direct order not to intervene. "Sorry, we're on duty. We can't leave our post."

"What post? It's right in front of you! Will you die if you leave it for a moment?" another of the adventurers snapped.

"Watch your attitude!" the soldier retorted, his expression hardening. "Lord Motoyasu may be on a mission to save the world, but that doesn't mean we're here to cater to your every whim."

The female adventurers, frustrated by the soldiers' refusal to help, were left with no choice but to handle the situation themselves. One of the soldiers, smirking, taunted them, "Oh? Since you admire Lord Motoyasu so much, go ahead and save him yourselves!"

Ignoring their angry retorts, the soldiers stood motionless, unwilling to lift a finger. The adventurers were outraged but powerless. No matter how inflated their sense of importance, they wouldn't dare to attack the king's soldiers, as that would be tantamount to rebellion—a line they were not willing to cross, especially without the might and confidence of someone like Jason.

"What now?" one of them muttered anxiously.

"If we don't do something, Lord Motoyasu might actually die," another replied, her voice trembling.

"Alright, here's what we'll do. I'll use wind magic to blow away the stench, and we'll pull Lord Motoyasu out of the garbage during that time," one of them suggested, trying to rally the group.

"Good idea, let's do it!" they agreed, hurrying toward the rubbish-filled suspension bridge where Motoyasu lay buried.

"Lord Motoyasu, hold on! We're coming to save you!" they shouted, as if their rescue attempt was a grand gesture that would raise their status in Motoyasu's eyes. Even in this dire moment, they were scheming to secure a higher place in his favor.

Motoyasu stirred at the sound of their voices, slowly regaining consciousness. Dazed, he blinked and looked around, realizing with growing horror where he was. Unfortunately, the commotion alerted the nearby crowd.

"Hey! We're not done yet!" someone shouted.

"More trash! Let's finish the job!" another added.

With that, the crowd began hurling more garbage toward the bridge. Poor Motoyasu had barely opened his eyes when he saw a wave of filth coming at him again. The sheer volume of the incoming trash was overwhelming. As he was buried once more, a flurry of desperate thoughts raced through his mind:

"Am I cursed or something?"

"How do these people have so much garbage?"

"Are their clothes secretly four-dimensional pockets or something? Where is all this trash even coming from?"

Motoyasu wasn't the only one suffering. The adventurers who had come to save him were also caught in the barrage of refuse, screaming as they too were buried under the mountain of filth. Their attempt at heroism had backfired spectacularly.

While Kitamura Motoyasu endured this humiliating ordeal, Jason and Raphtalia had already arrived in Root Village. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the villagers, who stopped their work to welcome them with smiles and cheers.

"Everyone, please continue with your work," Jason said, waving his hand kindly. "There's no need to stop on my account."

He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, as if he were leading the village himself. The village chief, noticing the commotion, called out, "Alright, everyone, let's not crowd Lord Shield Hero. Give him some space."

With that, the villagers returned to their tasks, though many still stole glances at Jason in admiration. The village chief then approached with a warm smile. "Welcome back, Lord Shield Hero. Is there something important bringing you to the village today?"

"There is indeed," Jason began, but before he could explain further, a familiar voice called out from behind him.

"Lord Shield Hero! What a fortunate coincidence! You arrived just as I did."

Jason turned to see the slave trader sitting in a carriage, grinning widely. It seemed the monster eggs Jason had purchased had arrived.

"You're quicker than I expected. Impressive," Jason remarked, pleased by the timely delivery.

The slave trader beamed. "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Shield Hero. I must admit, I was nearly delayed. However, one of the monster eggs you purchased yesterday is on the verge of hatching, so I put all my other business aside to bring it here as fast as I could."

As he spoke, the slave trader hopped down from his carriage, eager to show Jason the precious cargo.

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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11

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