"Spear hero? What's wrong with Motoyasu?"
Jason was puzzled. He had only ignored Motoyasu for a short while, but this guy was causing trouble again, and somehow it involved Lute Village. Jason didn't understand why he didn't know when to stop.
"Just a few days ago, after the spear Hero returned to the capital from an adventure, it seems that because he helped the kingdom solve several issues, the king appointed him as the lord of Lute Village."
"Actually, it should have been a good thing. After all, with a hero as the lord, everyone would be safer when facing future Waves of Calamity."
The old woman, the manager of the magic shop, explained. Although Jason didn't believe that Motoyasu would truly care for the villagers after becoming the lord, he continued to listen patiently.
"That's right... at first, everyone thought it was a good thing. But once Motoyasu became the Lord of the Gun, the taxes he imposed were unbearable."
"My relatives say that whether you're a villager or an outsider, you must pay tolls both entering and leaving the village—10 silver coins to leave, 10 silver coins to enter, and 20 for a round trip."
"Not only that, there's a birth tax for new children, a food tax for crops, a sunlight tax for drying clothes, an environmental pollution tax for incineration, and even a Hero Protection Tax for safety."
The old woman listed more than ten different taxes before stopping, her mouth dry.
"Motoyasu is out of his mind! Sunlight tax? Hero Protection Tax?"
Even Jason was stunned. These taxes were ridiculous. How could anyone survive under such heavy taxation?
"I'm not entirely clear on the details. lute Village was still being rebuilt after the last Wave of Calamity. But now, with the Hero of the spear policies, everyone is suffering. Many have fled the village overnight," the old woman said, frowning. The wrinkles on her face seemed even deeper than when Jason had first met her, showing her concern for Lute Village.
"Did anyone protest to the king? After all, he's the one who made Motoyasu the lord of Lute Village."
Jason thought for a moment, not immediately agreeing to anything.
"We've already protested, but we didn't even get to see the king. The one standing by the Gun Hero's side is the kingdom's first princess, Myne. Even if we did manage to see the king, I doubt it would help."
The old woman sighed deeply. It was clear they had tried many ways to solve Lute Village's problems, but nothing had worked so far.
"Myne? That witch is still alive? It's true what they say—good people don't live long, but disasters last forever."
To be honest, Jason thought Raphtalia had finished her off at the last celebration banquet. He didn't expect Myne to survive such a serious injury, and he couldn't help but sigh.
"Yes, Lady Myne is indeed still alive. Since Lord Shield Hero now knows what's happening, would you be willing to help us?"
The old woman ignored the "witch" comment, knowing full well that Myne, as the kingdom's first princess, was not someone she could afford to provoke.
"Before I answer, I have one more question for you," Jason said, still not agreeing immediately.
"Please ask!"
The old woman nodded.
"Why did the jewel break when Filo was using the winding machine? And why did you propose this deal to me right after the jewel broke? Did you intentionally break the jewel to manipulate me into helping Lute Village?"
As Jason asked this, his eyes narrowed, and a deadly aura filled the magic shop, causing the temperature to drop suddenly.
This wasn't a game with hidden triggers. If the old woman had orchestrated all of this, even if her intentions were good, Jason couldn't tolerate being used.
Lue Village had to be saved regardless—after all, it was Jack and the others' hometown—but that didn't mean the old woman could get away with using him.
The old woman, trembling in the face of Jason's killing intent, looked as though she might collapse.
Jason's power had grown significantly, and the sheer pressure he emitted was something an ordinary person couldn't withstand.
Soon, the old woman couldn't bear it anymore and fell to her knees. Understanding what Jason was implying, she immediately shouted, "Please don't misunderstand, Lord Shield Hero! I never meant any harm!"
"Explain yourself," Jason said, his killing intent not diminishing at all. He wasn't about to be fooled by mere words.
"I never intended to ask you for anything at first. Dealing with the spear Hero and Lady Myne is a complicated matter. Originally, Lord Shield Hero, you saved Lute Village once and even saved my grandson's life. I didn't want to burden you any further," she said.
"Also... I didn't have anything valuable to offer you as a reward. When the winding machine broke, I simply thought to use it as an offering for your help."
As she finished speaking, the oppressive atmosphere suddenly lifted, and the old woman slumped to the ground, breathing heavily as if she had just narrowly escaped suffocation.
Jason withdrew his killing intent, recalling how the store manager had once tried to reward him. In the end, he had everything she could offer. That was likely why she hadn't asked him to help lute Village immediately—just as she had said, she couldn't think of anything valuable enough to offer as a reward.
"Well, it seems I blamed you unfairly. Please accept my apology for that," Jason said.
Even though he was a hero, Jason knew when to admit his mistakes. Since it was his own misunderstanding, it was only right to apologize.
"Phew~~~ It's all right, it's all right. Honestly, it's my fault for handling things poorly, which led to the misunderstanding. But, Lord Shield Hero, what level have you reached? Your mere presence had me frozen in place!" The old woman took a long breath, trying to calm herself down.
"Currently, I'm at level 43," Jason replied.
"Level 43?! With that kind of power? Wait, did you say only level 43?" The old woman seemed to be in shock again, her eyes glazing over as if her understanding of power had been shattered.
"Maybe it's because I'm a hero," Jason said with a casual shrug, wiping his nose. He didn't elaborate further and turned to leave. "I'll handle the situation in Lute Village, and I'll also count on you to take care of Filo's clothes when the time comes."
As Jason pushed open the door of the magic shop, a ray of sunshine hit his face. A question lingered in his mind: Jack and the others should have returned to Lute Village by now... how are things there?