After everything that had transpired in the throne room, Queen Mirellia returned to her private chambers to collect her thoughts. The events of the day had given her the most severe headache she could remember.
Sitting down at a small tea table, Mirellia poured herself a glass of wine, hoping it might at least slightly help her gather her scattered thoughts and make sense of what she had just witnessed. She had been forced to attend the summit of kingdoms to negotiate the summoning of the Four Heroes and the distribution of responsibility among the nations. While those discussions were ongoing, the spies she had left behind in the castle sent word: under the influence of the Church of the Three Heroes, her husband had summoned all four heroes at once.
The moment she received that information, the other kingdoms at the summit learned of it as well. Her return to Melromarc was delayed — she had to explain why Melromarc had summoned all four heroes simultaneously. And just as she was beginning to calm the other nations, the very next day another report arrived from her spies: the Shield Hero had been falsely accused and was about to be imprisoned.
When that news reached the summit, the representatives of Shieldfreeden and Siltvelt became so furious they were ready to declare war on Melromarc. Only with tremendous effort did Mirellia manage to suppress the outbreak of conflict. Every time she came close to reaching a peaceful agreement regarding the unplanned mass summoning of the Four Heroes, more unpleasant news arrived from her kingdom — mostly concerning the Shield Hero, who was being blamed for every conceivable sin.
All her previous efforts to pacify the other kingdoms began to collapse with each new piece of information presented at the summit. One representative even openly declared that these were the most incompetent heroes ever summoned into their world. The only thing preventing Shieldfreeden and Siltvelt from starting a war was the fact that the Shield Hero — whom they revered — was behaving like a true hero and saving people wherever he went, while the other three were acting blatantly incompetently.
But that was only part of the problems she had faced during the summit. Thinking about all of it, Mirellia couldn't help but sigh.
The moment she sighed, however, she heard the sound of her chamber doors opening. Mirellia turned her head and saw her youngest daughter Melty, who — unlike her father and elder sister — had been trying to resolve Melromarc's problems in whatever way she could while her mother was away.
What Mirellia could never have predicted was just how many people had sided with her idiot husband and her eldest daughter. And what truly pained her heart was the fact that her husband and Malty had even tried to kill Melty. It was no secret to anyone: Melty resembled her mother the most — both in character and in manner.
Mirellia looked at her youngest daughter, whose face was frozen in an expression of worry. With difficulty she managed a smile, trying not to show how troubled she was, and gently gestured for Melty to sit beside her.
Melty cautiously entered her mother's chambers and sat down next to her without saying a word. For her, the recent events had left an indelible impression — everything she had witnessed in the throne room still stood vividly before her eyes.
Mother and daughter sat in silence, but the same thoughts circled in both their minds. It had all begun when Mirellia returned to Melromarc because of the Spear Hero's wound — one that proved impossible to heal. And that news had set off a chain of events that they had both witnessed.
The situation had escalated to its breaking point when a strange man entered the throne room demanding answers. Then he had taken the Spear Hero's weapon, killed the hero himself, and transferred that power to another person. Neither Melty nor Mirellia could even imagine what kind of person possessed enough strength to do something like that.
While they were still trying to comprehend who this Alex was, a figure in black clothing appeared behind Mirellia's throne and reported: every single servant of the Church of the Three Heroes had been killed.
"Guard the Church of the Three Heroes. Allow no one inside. Remove the bodies and protect the Dragon Hourglasses — make sure nothing happens to them," Mirellia ordered after hearing the spy's report.
The spy nodded and immediately left the chambers.
Once he was gone, Mirellia understood what kind of "help" Alex had been referring to. At first she had thought he meant only the Archbishop who had been destabilizing her kingdom. But she hadn't expected anything so radical — a literal massacre inside the Church.
Now she understood where the pyramid-headed creatures in the throne room had come from and why they were covered in blood. Melty, hearing this, frowned deeply but said nothing — she understood that her words wouldn't change anything at this point.
Mirellia tried, if only for a moment, to think positively — but she couldn't. The damage the Church of the Three Heroes had already inflicted on Melromarc was done. But she quickly pulled herself together and decided to use the Archbishop's death — and the deaths of all the Church's servants — as scapegoats: to exonerate the Shield Hero who had been falsely accused of every sin imaginable, and at the same time blame the Church for many of the kingdom's troubles, including the attempt on her daughter's life.
Mirellia even realized: the anti-slavery laws she had previously tried to pass had always been blocked by supporters of the Church — those who always upheld human supremacy over demi-humans. And her husband and daughter had always supported them.
But she still had other problems: the new Spear Hero, the situation with her idiot husband and eldest daughter who had stirred up this entire mess. She had already been forced to make the difficult decision to send her daughter and husband to the dungeon. But it was the only way she could protect them.
"Mother…" Melty said quietly, looking at her.
"You did well, Melty. You're wonderful. Despite how your father and Malty behaved — you handled everything excellently," Mirellia replied with a tired smile.
"Thank you, Mother… Mother, what are you going to do with Father and my elder sister?" Melty asked, giving a small smile as she looked at her mother.
"I…" Mirellia began, trying to find the right words.
"Your mother sent them to the dungeon to save them from me," a very familiar voice suddenly sounded beside Mirellia and Melty.
Mother and daughter heard the familiar voice and turned their heads. Sitting beside them at the same small table was Alex — with a calm smile on his face. They hadn't even noticed when he had appeared or how long he had been sitting there.
Alex continued smiling as though he hadn't just intruded into the royal chambers in the middle of a private conversation between mother and daughter. He calmly stirred his coffee with a spoon, looking at Mirellia and Melty with a light smile.
"Why so silent, Mirellia? I was right when I said you sent your daughter and husband to the dungeon to save them from me. But in reality, I simply came to talk," Alex said, stopping stirring his coffee.
Mirellia didn't deny his words — she understood that lying was pointless. In Alex's eyes she saw someone who saw right through her. All she could do in that moment was shield Melty with her own body, keeping her daughter from getting any closer to Alex.
Alex responded to that protective gesture with a light, friendly smile, showing he had no intention of harming Melty. But Mirellia still remained wary of such a man.
What Alex still couldn't understand was how a woman like Mirellia had ended up with a daughter like Malty. All he remembered about the Trash King was that in the past he had been a wise man and even the Staff Hero, but in the end he had turned into a complete piece of garbage.
Taking a sip of coffee, Alex wondered: how had Mirellia endured such a husband for so long? But he quickly dismissed those thoughts — he saw no reason to interfere in their family drama. All he wanted right now was to talk a little with Mirellia and explain the situation with the new Spear Hero. At the same time, Alex had no intention of making advances toward Mirellia: he was only here temporarily, and it was unclear whether he would ever return to this world after leaving.
"What do you want to talk about?" Mirellia asked in a cautious tone.
"About David, who has now become the new Spear Hero. You don't need to worry — he will carry out his duties conscientiously, whether he wants to or not. As for your bitch of a daughter and idiot husband — I couldn't care less about them. In any case, their end is already predetermined," Alex said, pointing with his teaspoon at Mirellia.
"What do you mean by predetermined?" Melty asked cautiously, peeking out from behind her mother.
"Exactly what I said, little one. Your idiot father has a maximum of a few years left before he dies of a heart attack. It could be in a year, or it could be tomorrow. But his maximum lifespan is a couple of years. As for your bitch of a sister — she has a maximum of one year left, maybe a little more, depending on what your mother decides," Alex replied in a calm tone, tapping the spoon against the edge of his cup.
Hearing this, Mirellia frowned even more deeply. She couldn't understand what Alex was talking about. And why he was claiming that the deaths of her husband and daughter were already predetermined — and had even given exact timeframes.
Mirellia knew her husband had long ago become an unpleasant person. She had even stopped recognizing him after so many years of marriage — they had grown so distant that after Melty's birth they hadn't shared a bed for many years.
Years passed, and her relationship with her husband grew colder and colder. The same went for Malty — behind her lay so many unforgivable sins that Mirellia couldn't even count them all. And the only thing that had stopped her from punishing Malty was her husband, who always protected and spoiled her.
"Why are you saying this?" Mirellia asked, continuing to frown.
"There's no particular reason. But most of the troubles in your world will be connected precisely to your idiot husband and your eldest daughter. Including one important event that happened in the past. Only a few people knew about it — precisely four, not three as you assumed. That's what caused the rift in the family and between Melromarc and Shieldfreeden ten years ago," Alex said, tapping his finger on the table.
Hearing this, Mirellia froze. Memories of a past she could never forget flooded her mind. One fateful day that had changed everything. Year after year she had been forced to watch as the murderer continued to live as though nothing had happened.
Melty saw her mother's state and couldn't understand what had happened ten years ago to make her react this way. Melty only knew that she was supposed to have had an older brother who died of poisoning — but she had never been told the details, and everyone had kept her in the dark about that incident.
For Mirellia, these were deeply painful memories she had buried deep inside. Along with grief, she had also harbored anger toward Malty — because she knew it was her who had done it. But what interested Mirellia most was why Alex had said "four."
"Who knew about it? Who was responsible?" Mirellia asked, clenching her fists.
"I usually don't share information for free. But to help you avoid the fate that awaits you — I'll tell you the truth. The ones who knew the truth about what happened ten years ago: the first person is sitting in front of me, the second is dead, and the third and fourth are in the dungeon. I can even tell you the reason why it all happened," Alex said calmly, placing his hands on the table and interlacing his fingers.
"What fate awaits my mother?" Melty asked, interrupting the conversation.
"It all depends on your mother's choice. In the end, it comes down to the simplest decision: do it or don't," Alex replied with a kind smile, looking at Melty.
Melty looked at Alex's smile and stopped fearing him. Unlike how he had behaved in the throne room, right now she saw a calm person she could actually talk to normally.
Melty wanted to say that Alex was normal — but she couldn't even bring herself to call him that after everything she had heard.
Mirellia frowned even more deeply upon hearing Alex's words. She understood: he was talking about her, the Archbishop, her idiot husband, and her daughter. Precisely these four were supposed to have known the true reason for her son's death.
Mirellia had suspected who was responsible for her son's death — but what she couldn't understand was why her husband was involved. After all, she had seen how broken he was after their child's death. And a horrifying thought flashed through her mind: her husband had simply been pretending to be grief-stricken.
Because it was no secret to her that her husband hated demi-humans. And seeing him devastated by grief — she had never even considered that he might be involved. Mirellia had believed that her husband had become the way he was precisely because of the loss of their child — back when in the past he had been an excellent strategist, warrior, and supreme commander whose name was known and respected in many kingdoms.
And now, thinking in that direction, Mirellia was horrified: her husband had been pretending, just to hide his involvement in the murder of his own son. Now she understood why he had defended Malty so fiercely when she investigated the cause of their son's death.
And in that moment Mirellia realized: she herself was responsible for her own child's death — when she had wanted to arrange a political marriage with a demi-human kingdom. In that same instant Mirellia gave a sad laugh — and tears rolled down her cheeks. Seeing her mother's state, Melty immediately took her hand and looked at her with deep concern.
Alex watched as Mirellia began to cry and knew perfectly well: a woman with such insight as hers would quickly figure everything out. He had given her a small hint — and she had found the answers to her own questions.
"Who are you? And how do you know all this?" Mirellia asked, pulling herself together and quickly regaining control of her emotions.
"Me? Does it really matter who I am? Instead of asking who I am, you should be asking yourself: what are you going to do? Are you ready to blindly forgive all the mistakes of those who betrayed you? Or will you come to your senses — before you lose everything, including your own life?" Alex replied calmly, looking into Mirellia's reddened eyes.
"Are you saying I should execute them?" Mirellia asked, clenching her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.
"Oh, Mirellia… On one hand you're a wise queen, on the other — so naive. I never said a word about what you should do. You have to decide that for yourself. Although… for motivation, I'll give you one last gift. I'll show you a glimpse of the future," Alex said, suddenly appearing beside Mirellia and touching her forehead with his finger.
In that same instant, flashes of the near future passed before Mirellia's eyes. She saw what Malty would do if released from the dungeon, and where it would lead. Malty would deceive and use the other heroes — making the situation in the world even more dangerous. The situation with her idiot husband was no better: because of his actions, a chain of events would unfold with far from favorable consequences.
Seeing this glimpse of the future, Mirellia finally understood: neither her idiot husband nor her daughter Malty would change their nature — even if she kept them in the dungeon for a while as punishment. In the end it would lead to her own death. And the only one who would remain would be Melty — under the protection of the Shield Hero.
Melty looked at her mother with worry — her gaze had gone glassy, and she continued staring straight ahead. Melty wasn't a stupid girl — she perfectly understood what the conversation was about, and from the fragments of phrases she grasped where this might lead.
At that moment Mirellia quickly pulled herself together. She knew: with Alex, you could talk if you asked the right questions. Seeing that Mirellia had regained her composure, Alex gave a small smile and returned to his seat. He understood how hard it was for Mirellia to make such a decision. Finally composing herself, Mirellia began asking Alex questions — to fully understand what she should do.
Meanwhile, outside the castle, Takashi was following Kota, who hadn't stopped complaining since the moment they left the castle — all because he had unwillingly become the Spear Hero. Staring at the spear in his hand, Takashi groaned in frustration again, realizing he would have to play the role of a hero.
And what frustrated Takashi most in this situation was that he wouldn't be able to leave this world until he resolved all the problems related to the monster waves. The only upside was that at least one member of their group knew exactly what was happening in this world and what needed to be done.
Walking behind the group was Gloria, holding Alessa by the hand. A strained smile was frozen on Gloria's face — because of what had happened to her son. But she understood: this adventure would help her son grow, take on more responsibility, and become stronger.
Stepping into a secluded spot, Kota began pulling various materials out of his inventory and handing them to Takashi.
"Take this. And this. And this. And this one too," Kota said, passing over the materials.
"And what am I supposed to do with them? Maybe explain first?" Takashi asked, staring blankly at Kota.
"Just absorb these materials with the spear — and new spear forms will unlock. If you do everything in the right order — you can unlock entire series. For example, if you absorb these leaves — you'll unlock a spear with earth and healing elements. And so on. You need to unlock as many new spear types as possible before the fourth wave," Kota explained, pointing at the materials with his finger and adjusting his glasses.
"And what else can this spear do? Besides absorbing materials?" Kenichi asked, watching as Takashi absorbed the materials.
"The legendary spear can also copy other spears. Oh, and there's a secret cursed series — but it's hard to unlock. Every unlocked spear can be leveled up — increasing mastery, and then you can use the upgraded spear to increase its rarity or upgrade a more important one. In short — we're going to need to grind a lot. And I know exactly where and how to do it," Kota said, smirking slyly and rubbing his hands in anticipation.
"Just admit you're a gaming degenerate. And anyway — which spear is the best? This is the first time I've held a spear and I don't even know how to use it properly," Takashi said with a blank expression.
"Don't worry, chum. You've got me. You can also combine weapon forms — but that's still far off. I'll explain everything — I know this whole world inside out," Kota replied with a grin, giving a thumbs-up.
"Kota, you said this spear can copy other spears. Are there any restrictions on what weapons David can copy?" Gloria asked thoughtfully with a smile, joining the conversation.
"Ma'am, hard to say. It seems Takashi can copy any spear… Wait, I think I have an idea how to test this," Kota said, his smile growing even wider.
"What are you planning, fatass?" Takashi asked, noticing Kota's behavior.
"What else? You've got the most broken cheat in all worlds — your stepdad. He has thousands of different weapons of all kinds. How did I not think of this earlier! We can copy spears from Alex's arsenal. There's definitely something super dangerous and cool in there," Kota said, slapping himself on the forehead.
Hearing this, Takashi, Jonah, and Kenichi froze and stared at him. In that same moment it hit them: Kota was right.
Gloria, watching this, gave a small laugh. The moment she heard that Takashi's spear could copy other spears, the thought immediately came to her that her son should copy weapons from Alex's arsenal.
Alessa, holding Gloria's hand, watched all this with a blank expression. From the very first moment she had decided her big brother was very stupid. But Alessa had never seen her father fight with anything other than what he picked up off the ground or whatever happened to be in his hands. So she didn't know he carried an entire arsenal of different weapons with him at all times — yet never used them.
Takashi stared at the spear in his hands — it had taken on a greenish tint after he absorbed grass for a healing potion. He looked at the system panel, at the weapon stats — and perfectly understood: if he copied even one spear from Alex's arsenal — it would be far better than any spear that would appear in the future.
Takashi was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. He turned his head and saw Alex approaching Gloria, kissing her on the cheek and stroking Alessa's hair — causing the girl to narrow her eyes slightly as she took her father's hand.
"What are we discussing?" Alex asked, noticing the bewildered expressions on everyone's faces.
"Listen, Alex. Can you let Takashi copy a couple of weapons from your inventory?" Kota asked in a pleading tone, rubbing his hands in anticipation.
"Hmm… We can see what happens. But only three," Alex said, raising three fingers.
"Well, at least three," Takashi said with a heavy sigh.
"Keep sighing like that and you'll get nothing. Anyway, here are three spears from my personal collection: Spear of Hades, Trident of Poseidon, and Chastiefol," Alex said, snapping his fingers.
Behind Alex three portals opened, and three weapons flew out, embedding themselves in the ground in front of Takashi. Seeing them, Kota grinned — he understood that Takashi had just received truly broken weapons.
After all, even just Chastiefol already gave an enormous advantage over the other heroes. Kota also remembered where the fourth monster wave would take place and grinned even wider when he saw the Trident of Poseidon. And the Spear of Hades would help fight heroes from other worlds altogether.
Takashi looked at the weapons in front of him and swallowed hard at what he saw. You didn't need to be a genius to understand: the weapons before him were far superior to the garbage he was currently holding.
Alex snapped his fingers, signaling for Takashi to hurry up. Takashi cleared his throat dryly and began copying the weapons. And the moment he copied the first one — and saw the stats displayed with question marks — Takashi understood what it meant.
He read the description of the newly copied Chastiefol spear and realized: in addition to spear forms, he could also use other forms. And even if he didn't copy the Spear of Hades or Trident of Poseidon — he was already winning.
Takashi was reading the description, trying to understand what Chastiefol could do, when he suddenly received a smack on the back of the head from Alex.
"What the hell!" Takashi shouted, turning toward Alex.
"Hurry up. Your mother needs to get home, and I need to get back to work. Don't waste my time — copy the other two weapons faster. I've got a war on my doorstep that I don't want to miss. And I still want to have time to meet a new friend," Alex said, rolling his eyes.
"What friend?" Kota asked, realizing that Alex definitely didn't have ordinary friends.
"Alucard," Alex replied calmly.
"Wait… that Alucard? Hellsing's chained dog? The monster who hunts monsters? Dracula? Nosferatu?" Kota began babbling, staring at Alex.
"Yup, that's the one. I'm looking forward to having a drink with the legendary vampire and howling at the moon together," Alex said, lighting a cigarette.
"Damn, I'm so jealous… And that means you'll also see Seras Victoria and Integra Hellsing? Damn, why is life so unfair…" Kota said, dropping to his knees and starting to cry.
"And I also met Jesse Faden, Wednesday, Enid, the Winchester brothers, and the Cullen family," Alex calmly added.
"Stop torturing me! Leave me alone! How the hell did you even get close to Wednesday? Your pretty face definitely wouldn't work on her…" Kota groaned, crying even harder.
Alex looked at Kota with an amused expression and decided to finish off the weeping otaku anyway. He calmly crouched in front of Kota, pulled out his phone, and showed a joint selfie with Wednesday, then a photo from the Addams Family house.
Kota stared at the photos with a frozen face. When Alex stopped showing pictures — Kota fell backward onto his backside with a blank expression, as though all life had been sucked out of him.
Takashi, Jonah, and Kenichi looked at Kota with blank stares — it was no secret to them that their friend was an otaku. Takashi simply shook his head and continued copying the remaining two weapons, meanwhile reading their stats and the capabilities of the Spear of Hades and Trident of Poseidon.
Alessa watched all this and understood why her father had said that her big brother's friends were complete idiots.
"Darling, why did you do that? Now poor Kota looks like his soul's been sucked out… Be honest — did you do this on purpose?" Gloria asked, looking at Alex with a light smile.
"Of course. The fact that he's a failed isekai protagonist isn't my problem. And anyway — Kota has his own wives. If they find out what he's doing — they'll lock him up at home again. So let him suffer. This is for not stopping David from shooting the Spear Bastard," Alex replied with an amused smile.
Gloria gave a small smile and took Alex's hand. She perfectly understood the reason for his actions — which was why she had only asked the question.
Kenichi, meanwhile, approached Kota and tried to get him back on his feet. Even when Kota was standing again — his gaze remained empty. In all this time he had seen many places — but his adventures were very different from Alex's. And all he could do now was complain about life and its unfairness.
Seeing Kota start complaining about everything again, everyone understood: he was fine. He had returned to his usual tirade about the failed isekai life he had always dreamed of.
To cool Kota's enthusiasm, Jonah reminded him that his girls were waiting for him at home — and if he didn't stop, he would gladly inform them of what he was doing. Hearing this, Kota immediately shut up, straightened up, and pretended he hadn't said anything.
Meanwhile Takashi finished copying the weapons and looked at Alex, asking what to do next. Alex gave a small nod, put the weapons back into his inventory, and gave Takashi several tasks he would need to complete in this world.
When Alex finished speaking — Takashi had the kind of look that clearly said: "How the hell am I supposed to do all this?" To which Alex simply patted him on the shoulder and wished him luck.
"Oh right. Before we leave — build yourself a party. Invite Yuki and maybe someone else. Or recruit party members from this world. And while you're at it — befriend the Shield Hero. When everything's over — you can invite him to the guild. He has good potential," Alex said, stroking his chin.
"I'll try, but I'm not promising anything. Fatass already told me what happened to the Shield Hero. And I don't think he'll trust us after what you pulled in the throne room," Takashi replied, looking at Alex with a blank expression.
"I believe in you, David. I already told you — I'm going to make a hero out of you. So this is your chance to get stronger. Try to become a Hero," Alex said, patting Takashi on the shoulder.
"I believe in you too, David. You'll do great," Gloria said, hugging her son.
Takashi could only nod, realizing that in any case he had no chance of avoiding this situation — all he could do was accept it. Because from Alex's words he understood: he would have found another way to make him a hero anyway.
Smiling once more, Alex summoned Yamato and opened a portal back to Orario. Taking Alessa in his arms and Gloria by the hand, he stepped through the portal, leaving the four boys to their long adventure.
When Alex and Gloria were gone — Takashi, Kota, Jonah, and Kenichi exchanged glances and sighed in unison, then gave each other strained smiles. Now a long journey awaited them — even if Kota already knew what would happen and when.
At the same time, Alex, Gloria, and Alessa had already returned to the estate in Orario.
Seeing them appear, Namiyo immediately approached to ask why Takashi and his friends hadn't returned with them. Alex took Namiyo by the hand and explained everything. Hearing Alex's story, Namiyo nodded, understanding why he had made that decision.
Before returning to the Bunker, Alex decided to spend a couple more hours with his family. And the girls had no intention of letting him go — especially not Alessa, with whom they hadn't had enough time yet.
Alessa, for her part, was happy to spend time with the family — even if she didn't show it on her face. Expressing emotions was still difficult for her.
Alex smiled and sat down on the couch next to Ryu, watching as Alessa slowly began to integrate into their slightly insane family.
To be continued…
(I could have shown more of the Shield Hero world, of course, but I was too lazy. I could have spent ten chapters on it, just because I could. But I already want to move on to other events in the main world. So let's move on, and let someone else handle the Shield Hero world. There are certainly some sweet female characters, including the Queen. And that way, Mirellia will escape her tragic fate, and two idiots won't ruin anything. Of course, I know Malty's true nature and who she is, or rather, a part of her soul. But that's not Alex's concern anymore; let Takashi handle it, because he has a walking reference book on such worlds in Kota.)
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