Chapter 7

-The next day (Gudako POV)

After waking up and washing myself I once again head to the kitchen to start cooking some energizing dishes also a personal dish for Fou, and as I was cooking I suddenly realized something. Naofumi can only use a shield but I haven't taught him a thing about using them, the only thing that I did was beating.. I mean sparring with him, 'it looks like Martha has unkowingly affected me to such a degree' as I thought that Martha sneezed at the same time making her warily scan her surroundings to find and punish the one who is badmouthing her.

I organised today's matches(the tournament with me as the prize) by lottery and thankfully today Mash is getting a free day so I could ask her the favor of training Naofumi.

After asking she was actually excited because of the chance to fuse with me using {Install}, and agreed to my request without a single thought.

After finishing the final touches on the dishes I brought them out to the customers who are already waiting a few minutes ago. After distributing to them and telling Naofumi to meet me in front of the inn after eating, I ate my breakfast and went outside with Fou on my shoulders.

While waiting for Naofumi I played with Fou for a while, I said played but actually it's just me fluffing Fou. After about 3 minutes or so, Naofumi went out of the inn with a resolute face looking prepared to face his death.

Watching him I sweatdrop, well not that I don't understand him because anyone who went through the same training as him would either make or break, I mean literally. Because if it weren't for the fact that he was the shield hero he would've died on our first training, on receiving my first hit on that training he would've been blown away like a cannonball to the sky and become a star if he wasn't sturdy enough!

But enough of that, I led Naofumi to yesterday's grassland and I explained to him that I would be teaching him on how to use his shield. And after that I used {Install} with Mash, but this time without the strong winds so Naofumi only blocked his eyes with his hand.

-Naofumi POV

Sooo.. another training today, I just hope this time it's less hectic compared to yesterday's. I am a bit excited when Gudako mentioned that she would teach me on how to use a shield, but the excitement quickly faded because I saw her using the technique from yesterday, was it {Install}.

Anyways like yesterday her body shined bright, a bit too bright if you ask me becauseI need to close my eyes with my hand. But there wasn't any winds blowing like yesterday, I guess it's because this is her second time using it?

Anyways after the light died down a bit I opened my eyes to see her expecting X-sensei from yesterday, but instead I saw a woman with short lilac colored hair and her skin was white but not a sickly white just a white that seemed so pure you couldn't help but admire, she was wearing a set of black knightly armour, and her weapon... well you could say I should've guessed it but she's weilding a black shield.

But not just any shield, because her 'shield' is at the size of a small car, the shield seems to have 2 layers used to make the thing. The first layer is a small round shield, the kind you can use with a sword that fits as a generic warrior's equipment. While the second layer is a huge cross at the size of a big man, I'd say it's height is around 2 meters give or take.

She opened her eyes and spoke to me with determination blazing with her voice no her very being "My name is Mash Kyrielight but you can call me Mash. I have been selected by senpai to teach you in the ways of using a shield, but I warn you that I WILL be stern with you so that you can survive."

She made me shudder when she said her being stern, it worries me because X-sensei from yesterday doesn't seem to be serious at all. I worry for my seemingly disappearing chance of survival.

While I was having those thoughts she brought out a whiteboard and a marker, where did she even get that? Anyways she also put on glasses and she wrote 'How to use a Shield for Dummies' on the whiteboard.... Ok now I'm worried, not for my life this time but for my head, because her aura seems to be one that wouldn't accept anything less than satisfactory results(for her) and it seems as a repeat of college.

"Now then, what is the use of a shield Naofumi-san?" Mash said while I was to caught up with my thoughts.

"Well, isn't a shield is used to defend?" I said hastily and hoped that I was right.

But against my wishes she shook her head saying "That is the primary use of a shield, but you say it like there are no other way to use a shield."

Hearing that while I have some doubts I nodded, but seeing me nod made her sigh and close her eyes for a while. After that she opened them and said "I can't exactly blame you, because that is a normal way of thinking. But a shield can also be used as a weapon to attack, not just defend."

Hearing that made me blank for a while, I mean using a shield to attack? I can't imagine how to do it.

Perhaps seeing my confusion Mash said again "Yes a shield CAN be used to attack like a blunt weapon, even a frying pan can be used like that. In fact I once saw a woman used a frying pan to defeat a dragon." 'Although the dragon is a humanoid one (Elizabeth)'

Hearing the fact made me so surprised my mouth was wide open, I mean it's a frying pan and it's used to defeat a dragon? How is that real???

But the seriousness in her eyes tell me otherwise. It made me think 'If even a frying pan can do that how can a shield not be used as a weapon?'

As if seeing through me Mash suddenly smiled and said "Shields can be used as a blunt weapon, but it can also be used to hide something, an example in history would be the 300 spartans hiding and guarding their allies with their shields. Another example would be a contraption type of shield that allows your shield to have another function, like from a game where the shield can also be used to launch projectiles."

Hearing that made me remember the game that I once played, and they did have an item with multiple functions like she said, one of the biggest reminder is from M*nster H*nter, they have a large spear with the same gun function named the gunl*nce... although I'm not sure that calling that a 'gun' would be appropriate, because the impact is more like a cannon.

After realizing the fact that I don't have to stick with common sense I nodded excitedly. Seeing me excited Mash smiled and continued with our lessons. And eventually we arrived at the practical part, which involves me being attacked and me attacking with a shield.

She did give me some pointers, but it didn't change the fact that my attack was weak, but she did taught me how to use a shield in tricky ways to annoy my enemies and to drag out things.

After our training we went to Erhard's shop to order a custom made armour for me, correction only my armour was ordered. Because Gudako didn't seem to need it if she could just transform into Mash and get her armour and shield.

But I was very surprised when Mash just made her shield vanished into blots of light, but she explained that it was like a game's inventory function, meaning she can store it and equip it whenever she wants. Which made me envious of her for a while.

Erhard said to us that it would take about 2 weeks until the armour was ready. By the way I've been wearing leather armours until now not because of anything, it's just that I feel a sort of rejection in my mind and I feel a bit uncomfortable. But this time's armour is a chainmail type, so I have to prepare myself to being used to wearing one soon.

Aaand now I'm being trained by being forced to wear weights all day (when I'm out of the inn of course, wouldn't want the floor to have a hole in it). Apparently Gudako said it was for me to train my muscles so that I can handle the strain in the middle of battle, she also said it was for training for me to react in my worst of conditions, also in case of the enemy using a sort of gravity spell, which is likely seeing this is a world of swords and magic.

Anyways for one week we spent on training me until I'm about to drop, and after that Gudako told me it's time for my very first hunt. Which made me extremely excited, but when we went to the fields it was nothing but grasslands and orange ball-like creatures roaming them. Apparently they're called balloons, they tried to attack me when I got close.

But besides being thrown away by my shield they achieved nothing else. The fact I was more accustomed to heavy and fast hits is probably the cause.

Anyways, next I tried to beat those baloons to death. But it took about 20 seconds for me to kill one, and what I recieved was 1 exp points. Compared to Gudako's training the experience that I get was extremely miniscule even if I compared killing hundreds of these it's still not worth even a single hour of Gudako's training.

Seeing Gudako dispatching the baloons that attack her with a single flick furthers depresses me. Because she is gaining exp and levelling up that easy, right now she's a level 3. And for some reason she doesn't gets any exp from training me.

By the way I'm already a level 15, but thanks to Gudako's training my stats are WAY above what was supposed to be a level 15. Actually according to what Gudako said my total stat points are around the level 20's and considering that my three highest stats are defence, stamina, and speed I'm practically one of the hardest to kill person of my level, and that's not considering the bonuses that my shield provide.

But although my strength is quite high enough to rival my speed, for some reason my attacks are so weak. And if it weren't for Gudako ask which of my shield is the one I'm most proficient in, I wouldn't have unlocked the mastery column.

Anyways I saw that the baloon has left a rubber like piece on it's death. As I curiously picked it up, I wondered what are the conditions of the other heroes... oh yeah I suddenly remembered that Ren was knocked out by X-sensei in the forest some days ago I wonder if he's alright?