Chapter 084

At that moment, Joanne, who was under the tent, shouted, "There's something shiny in the crater!"

As an archer, Joanne had perfect eyesight, allowing her to spot the object from a distance.

Jazlyn immediately stood up, heading toward the crater, her guards and soldiers rushing after her. There, lying inside the crater, was a circular shield.

Joanne jumped into the crater, retrieved the shield, and climbed out. The shield was large enough to hold with one hand, engraved with delicate mithril patterns, and adorned with a yellow gemstone at its center.

"Jazlyn, this shield looks precious. It might even be from the mythical era," Joen remarked.

The Age of Myth refers to the time when Christopher Robin, the first hero, battled against evil spirits. In those days, gods and heroes existed, fighting alongside each other, their stories passed down as legends and folktales. Mythical artifacts are rare and valuable, infused with the will and power of the heroes who wielded them. Some even possess divine protection.

Jazlyn carefully examined the shield.

"Hmm, the patterns on the surface are indeed mithril. It's inscribed with the ancient magic language of the long-lost Winni tribe."

"Are you serious? The Winni tribe? Aren't they from the empire's founding myths?" Gopi asked, astonished.

I had heard of the Winni tribe too. They were bright animal spirits from ancient mythology, known for their cute forms—bears, tigers, pigs, rabbits, and the like. It was said that the first hero, Robin, was raised by the Winni tribe, gaining a righteous spirit and a strong body. After the evil spirits vanished, the Winni tribe disappeared from history, and no one knew why. Their land was once abundant and flourishing, and Robin chose that very place to build his capital, founding Brisen City and the Adrian Empire. Over time, the legend of the Winni tribe became a beloved children's folktale.

"Yes, and the yellow gemstone in the center holds a powerful will. This shield is undoubtedly a mythical artifact used by the Winni tribe."

Everyone was in awe of Jazlyn's confirmation.

"Wow! That's incredible!"

"They say whoever owns a mythical artifact becomes a hero!"

"So, who gets to keep the shield?"

Thanks to my Inspect skill, I could discern the identity of the shield.

'Inspect!'

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Name: Pooh's Shield

Effect: Grants formidable defensive power.

Special Function: Automatically generates a shield to protect the owner. Absorbs mana from the atmosphere to recharge consumed mana.

History: Pooh was a great hero of the Winni tribe during the mythical era. He single-handedly blocked the Great Magic Spear of Destruction sent by the evil Gargion. Though Pooh perished with the spear, his tribe survived and avenged him by defeating Gargion. In his honor, the Winni tribe buried Pooh's shield where he fell.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

'Wow... incredible. But isn't it technically mine since I fired the mortar that revealed it?' I thought to myself.

However, Jazlyn was holding the shield, surrounded by her guards, so stealing it was out of the question.

Then, Jazlyn handed the shield to Paris. "Paris, didn't you always want a proper shield? This one would go well with your mace."

"Thank you, My Lady!" Paris knelt, raising both hands to accept the shield.

My heart sank. 'What the hell?! That's my shield!'

I slumped, muttering under my breath so no one could hear. "Pooh's Shield... It's mine..."

Suddenly, a bright light erupted from the shield, illuminating my face.

[The shield has chosen Zeon, who called its name, as its rightful owner. This shield belongs to Zeon.]

A triumphant grin spread across my face. 'Puhaha! It's mine!'

Everyone stood in shock as the shield floated up and slowly drifted toward me.

"W-What's happening?!" someone cried.

"The shield... it's going to Zeon!" others exclaimed.

As Paris reached for the shield, his face twisted in rage as if he were about to commit murder. But before he could grab it, blue electricity crackled from the shield and zapped his hand.

"Ouch!"

He tried again, only to be stopped by a translucent orb that enveloped the shield. When his hand touched the orb, a series of crackling sounds echoed in the air.

"Aaaah! You're mine! Ugh!" Paris screamed, desperately clinging to the orb with both hands. Blood splattered as the shield broke free and flew directly into my grasp. The moment I held it, an overwhelming energy coursed from the shield, down my arms, and through my entire body.

"Oh, oh... I feel stronger," I muttered, absorbing the power.

Paris stormed over to me, shouting, "Hey! That's my shield!"

"Paris, the shield seems to have chosen me. It's marked me as its owner. I don't think you can take it from me," I replied calmly.

"You idiot! You need to relinquish ownership of the relic!" He yelled, his eyes blazing with greed.

'Yeah, right, like I'm going to hand this over,' I cursed internally. Holding the shield tightly, I looked at him with feigned fear, pleading in a desperate tone, "Paris, I really like this shield. Since I found it with the mortar, can't I keep it? Please?"

"If the roles were reversed, would you give it to me?" he snapped.

'No way in hell,' I thought but didn't say aloud. "Please," I repeated, almost pathetically.

"You fool! Do I need to beat you to make you listen?"

Just as he was about to throw a punch, Calere stepped in front of me, blocking his path. "Paris, if you lay a hand on Zeon, I won't forgive you."

'Oh, Sister Calere is so cool!' I thought, relieved.

Paris scowled at Calere's interference and argued, "Zeon stole my shield! The silver badge took something meant for a gold badge and refused orders. He's in the wrong!"

"From where I stand, Zeon is the rightful owner of the shield," Calere said, her voice firm.

"What? But Jazlyn said it was mine."

"It wasn't officially given to you. And are you really going to assault a fellow SS member in front of Lady Jazlyn?"

"No! But—!"

At that moment, Gopi chimed in, "Paris, your desire for the shield is clear, but maybe this time you should back down."

'Gopi, I knew I could count on you, brother.' I thought, thankful for his support.

Paris fumed. "Damn it. You're really going to let some lucky fool take a mythic artifact? I can use it better than him."

Suddenly, Jazlyn's voice rang out, "Enough! Everyone, be quiet!"

The whole group fell silent.

"I will mediate. I was planning to give Paris the shield because of his long service to me, and I believe it would make him an excellent tank. But... I must also acknowledge that Zeon has his merits. Without him firing the mortar, this shield would have remained buried forever. And since the shield itself has chosen Zeon as its master, it seems he might be the best one to wield it."

Paris' face contorted in frustration, but he stayed silent.

"Both of you deserve the shield. I would like to hear the opinions of my personal guards. Who should have it?"

Seeing where this was headed, I realized Jazlyn was making sure no matter who received the shield, no one could accuse her of being unfair.

Calere raised her hand first. "My Lady, I believe Zeon should keep the shield. It will enhance his defense, allowing him to focus more on offense."

Gopi nodded. "Jazlyn, Zeon discovered the shield, and it chose him. Forcing him to give it up would be unwise."

Joanne added, "I agree! Most wizards use magic shields for protection. This is a great opportunity to strengthen Zeon's loyalty to you by giving him this one."

With Calere, Gopi, and Joanne—some of the most influential members of the SS—backing me, the rest of the silver badges quickly fell in line.

'Friends are everything. Haha.' I thought gleefully.

Paris' expression soured as he realized he had no support.

Jazlyn, taking everything into account, made her decision. "Zeon, you've earned this shield. I will grant it to you. However, you must use it to protect me and return it when you leave the SS. Do you understand?"

Though it stung Paris, Jazlyn's decision was fair. I knelt and swore loudly, "I pledge my loyalty to Lady Jazlyn! From this moment on, my shield exists solely to protect her!"

Paris, trembling with frustration, begged, "Jazlyn... please reconsider. I could make better use of the shield than Zeon!"

"Paris," Jazlyn said firmly, "I've listened to my vassals, and they've spoken. If I were to give you the shield now, I would be going back on my word. I'm sorry."

"...Understood."

"Don't worry, Paris. Next time I find another relic like this, it'll be yours."

"Alright..."

"Let's call it a day and return to the academy."

Jazlyn turned around and walked back to the carriage. Paris and her personal guard followed Jazlyn to the place where the carriages were located.

Paris still can't accept his situation and his face turns blue. He believed that he was a powerful figure in the SS, but when he opened the lid, he found that no one was supporting him. The shield isn't the problem, he should be worried about his own school life.

As the group prepared to leave, Okto approached me quietly. He extended his hand, offering me a subspace ring.

"Here, Zeon," he said with a knowing smile, "take this. Consider it a little something for the excellent mortar training today. You've earned it."

"Thank you, Okto," I replied, accepting the ring and slipping it onto my finger. I could feel its storage capacity immediately, a useful addition to my growing collection of magical items.

Paris, who had been watching from the side, clenched his fists tighter. Despite everything, the bitterness in his expression refused to fade. It was clear that the events of the day weighed heavily on him, but as much as I could sympathize, I had no intention of giving up what was rightfully mine.

Jazlyn, already seated in the carriage, glanced over at Paris with a slight frown before addressing the entire group. "Let's not waste any more time. Everyone, return to your carriages. We're heading back."

As I climbed into my own carriage, I could still feel the tension in the air. Paris might have been silenced for now, but his anger would likely not fade so easily.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Support the Translation! 🌐✨

20 Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support our team.

patreon.com/Immortal_author

https://ko-fi.com/immortalauthor

https://discord.gg/KscfBegBPT