Chuan Wenwu: "???"
"Is that... actually true?" His eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face.
"Hey, would I lie to you?" The shopkeeper nudged Chuan Wenwu's shoulder with his elbow, a hint of mystery in his voice. "The source is absolutely reliable-supposedly, it all came from men she'd seduced and abandoned, spilling the truth after getting drunk. But afterward, those men were never heard from again... So, what do you think? True or not?"
"Whoa, she killed them to keep them quiet? Then it's definitely true." Chuan Wenwu believed him instantly and nodded repeatedly.
He was about to ask more, but the weapons shopkeeper sighed and looked at him with a trace of sympathy. "Speaking of which, you really have rotten luck. Of all places, you had to be summoned to this country and put through all this."
Chuan Wenwu perked up and leaned closer. "What do you mean by that?"
"First, tell me what you think of this country." Instead of answering directly, the shopkeeper tossed the question back at him.
Chuan Wenwu considered it for a moment, then answered honestly. "I haven't been here long, so I don't know much, but I can definitely feel it-the people in this country, especially those at the top, seemed to dislike and reject me for no reason right from the start. But they don't have that prejudice against the other three heroes. Why is that?"
He paused, unable to resist complaining. "And that king practically has 'I'm going to make your life miserable' written on his face. If I didn't know this was my first time in this world, I'd wonder whether I'd killed his whole family and stolen his wife..."
The shopkeeper instinctively leaned back at that, giving him a look that said, You've got some nerve saying that. Then he nodded. "You're really perceptive. You're absolutely right..."
Now it was Chuan Wenwu's turn to be shocked, and he leaned back too. "What? The Shield Hero really did all that to the old bastard?"
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant." The shopkeeper cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "I meant this country really doesn't welcome the Shield Hero. As for why the king hates the Shield Hero so much, I don't know. Maybe there's some old grudge? I wouldn't dare speculate."
"You don't look like someone who wouldn't dare..." Chuan Wenwu quipped, then pressed further. "So why does this country have that prejudice against me?"
Clang-
Having finished servicing the weapon, the shopkeeper carefully set it on the counter. Then he poured a cup of plain water for himself and another for Chuan Wenwu before beginning his explanation.
He asked, "Do you know what this country's state religion is?"
"Huh? This country has a state religion? No idea. Go on."
"Melromarc's state religion is the Three Heroes Church. It worships the Sword, Spear, and Bow Heroes. Not only are you, the Shield Hero, excluded from their worship, but their followers often slander you as the 'Shield Demon,' claiming you'll bring disaster to the world. With that attitude throughout the country, naturally those at the top reject you too."
"Seriously?" Chuan Wenwu froze. "Aren't the four heroes supposed to be companions who save the world together? Why are they playing favorites and shutting out the Shield Hero?"
"Well, that's a long story..." The shopkeeper picked up the cup on the table and took a sip, ready to settle into a lengthy discussion.
Chuan Wenwu interrupted him. "Please make it a short one."
"Tsk. Fine."
Despite being interrupted, the shopkeeper remained good-natured and continued his explanation calmly:
"Then we have to talk about the ideology Melromarc follows-human supremacy is widespread here. Demi-humans have low status and were even regarded as slaves at one point. A previous Shield Hero advocated peaceful coexistence between humans and demi-humans, and was widely revered among demi-humans. There are even two countries-Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden-that recognize the [Shield Faith] as their state religion."
"Of those two, Siltvelt is actually a demi-human supremacist nation. Its attitudes are the complete opposite of Melromarc's: demi-humans are valued, while humans are reduced to slaves. It's been hostile to Melromarc for a long time."
The shopkeeper sighed. "Nobody knows the exact reason, but everyone suspects Melromarc treated the Shield Faith as an 'evil cult' and turned to worshipping the other three heroes precisely because its enemy, Siltvelt, followed the Shield Faith. Just to oppose Siltvelt."
"But that's all speculation among ordinary people. Nobody can say for certain what really happened. I'm just a weapons shopkeeper, so there's only so much I know. Take it for what it's worth, and don't believe every word."
"Slaves..." Chuan Wenwu pressed his lips together, feeling uneasy.
This wasn't the joking way people online had casually tossed around the word "slave" before he'd crossed over.
Rooted in this other world's feudal society, the slaves the shopkeeper spoke of had to be the kind described in history books: people treated like expendable supplies, without any rights at all.
Having grown up singing, "Arise, you who refuse to be slaves," Chuan Wenwu was a successor to socialism raised beneath the red flag, and he instinctively recoiled from it-suddenly, he felt that perhaps he ought to do something to change this injustice.
Returning to the present, he was surprised to learn from the shopkeeper that this world actually had countries that worshipped the Shield Hero alone, and more than one at that. It was quite an eye-opener.
"Just to clarify, what do you mean by demi-humans?"
"People who look a lot like humans but still have some animal traits. Though if those traits are especially pronounced, you can call them beastfolk. Beastfolk are a branch of demi-humans too. And the previous Shield Hero apparently had a real affinity for demi-humans and was on very good terms with their nations."
"So when you said I had rotten luck, you meant that I, the Shield Hero, happened to get summoned to the one country that specifically hates the Shield Hero." Chuan Wenwu's mouth twitched as he asked.
"More or less." The shopkeeper nodded frankly.
Chuan Wenwu slumped against a weapons display stand and agreed weakly. "Then that really is rotten luck. If I'd been summoned to a country that followed the Shield Faith, I bet I'd have had a wonderful start."
"Perhaps." The shopkeeper took a sip of water. After telling Chuan Wenwu so much, he was naturally a little thirsty. He continued, "So what are you planning to do next? Go to another country? Things could be very difficult for you if you stay in Melromarc."
Chuan Wenwu rested his chin in his hand and thought for a moment before asking, "How long would it take to get to another country?"
"Two or three weeks by carriage, at the very least. Flying by wyvern would be faster, but it's expensive. If you went on foot and walked day and night without stopping, it'd probably still take over a month," the shopkeeper answered.
As soon as he heard that, Chuan Wenwu shook his head. "Then forget it. That's too much wasted time. Early-game development time is precious. How could I waste it on something like that? I'll stay here for a while first. Once we've repelled the next Wave and I've got some breathing room, I'll think about whether to leave."
The shopkeeper looked surprised. "Even after what happened to you, you're still willing to help this country fight the Waves?"
"I'm not helping this country. I'm helping the people of this world," Chuan Wenwu corrected him. "The king and the higher-ups may be rotten, but the ordinary people are innocent. Even if I'm a hero who was dragged here to do their dirty work, I'll still fulfill my responsibility and protect the people of this world-after all, I've taken on the title of [Shield Hero]!"