To answer the questions:

reydrago: Yes, she's the one who made the potions. But I'm thinking about the post-fall Hajime, so maybe not.

Gen2324: Maybe. And yes, Maple and Sally will help him improving his stats.

Doortolight47: Possibly, but if added with the other Bofuri characters other than the Maple Tree guild, it's either Kasumi or Maple's rival, Mii. I'm still thinking about it.

The second day of the Hero and his companions training has come. The heroes scattered to looking for the training instructors for furthering their skills or learn some of new spells, if they're have a magnitude in magic. While they were training in the training hall with their training instructors, some of them stopped when they saw the two ponytailed girls, one is black haired and the other is brown haired, facing against each other with their weapons ready after an hour of their training.

The black haired girl, Shizuku, use a saber created by the royal Synergists as her choice of weapons which supported her job, Swordmaster. The other ponytailed girl, Risa, ask her about the choice of sword she use before they faced against each other which she replied that the saber is much closer to the katana, bokken, or shinai which she comfortably used to unleash her family sword styles.

Risa didn't know much about Shizuku until Suzu told her that she's the heiress of her family dojo and the champion of every kendo tournaments she attended, even told her that she's the goddess of the school like Kaori because of her popularity and beauty rivaling Kaori. When Risa heard the black haired girl sighs, it confirmed what Suzu said is true and couldn't help but felt excited about that while concentrating to dodge all of her attacks on their spar.

Risa's choice of weapons obviously daggers borrowed again from the training instructors and the royal Synergist. She even apologized to them because she lost her previous daggers in her 'training' which resulted being reprimanded by them before gave her the spares. While she has her daggers from the game, which actually gifts from Cyril, she decided for not using it because some of her classmates will question her about that or labeled her as Sally wannabe if some of her classmates, other than Kaede and Hajime, played New World Online in their world before being transferred to Tortus.

"Are you ready, Risa?" Shizuku said calmly while holding her saber, which still inside the sheath.

Before she replied her, she heard some of the training instructors made a bet between their spars which mostly she heard that Shizuku's the one as the winner. Then her so-called rival, Frederica, butted in and doubled the bet and told them that Risa will defeat Shizuku, while almost called her with her in-game name before returned back to train Eri after Kaede and Risa told her about that before. When the brown haired girl heard that, she couldn't help but twitched her left eyebrow for that. Her irritation stopped when the black haired girl ask her a question.

"Does she almost calling you Sally?" Shizuku said in confusion.

"Don't mind her, Shizuku. She just likes giving a nickname like Suzu did." Risa lied to her in calm tone. While the black haired girl seems skeptical about what she said, she decided not to think about it and returned back to her stance while the other girl unsheathed her daggers from its sheaths while concentrating.

When the brown haired girl gave Shizuku a nod while rushed at her while crossing her daggers, she knew that Risa already prepared herself and she blocked the brown haired girl attack with the hilt of her sword and push her back. Then, the black haired girl rushed at her and unsheathed her saber to slash her horizontally, but Risa crouched to dodge her attack and slash her upward with her dagger in her right hand which she held in backward stance.

The brown haired girl didn't realize that the black haired girl will use her sheath to block her attack before concentrating back. Seeing the opening, Shizuku slash Risa with her saber, but she dodged her attack, even deflected the unexpected attack she made using the sheath of her saber. While the brown haired girl jumped backward and regain her concentration, she saw that the black haired girl sheathed her saber and put it back to her sword belt while returned back to her stance.

Then its Shizuku turn to rush at Risa with her saber ready to be unsheathed. When she reached her, she unsheathed her saber and slashed diagonally downward. While the other girl able dodge it with ease, she knew that the attack just an opening for her next attack which she knew when the black haired girl hold her saber in backward stance even her sheath too.

Every of Shizuku's attack started to getting faster and faster, while Risa tried to dodge or block her saber and sheath. When her attacks started to slowing down, she used the small opportunity to do a counterattack. Before Risa's attack hit the black haired girl, Shizuku rolled to her opponent left side and swing her saber at the brown haired girl as fast as she could after returned it back to its upward stance, but her effort ended up useless when Risa deflected her fast attack with so much effort which made the black haired girl widened her eyes.

Few minutes later after so many attacks and counterattacks, but still unable to hit each other, the two ponytailed girls panted in exhaustions while Shizuku thought about her opponent ability to dodge or deflecting her relentless attacks.

Dodging or deflecting all of the attack might need a lot of concentration even the most trained one at least got hit once. But, just how insane her concentration to do all of that efforts when I attack her relentlessly, even she's able to do that when I use most of my Yaegashi Style attack toward her!? Shizuku thought in frustration while she didn't show it with her expressions. Then she remembered about when Kaede told her and Kaori about their in-game character. Does this how Risa, or Sally in the game, play in the game when Kaede told us about them! I wonder how many players she made frustrated before ended up being defeated.

When Shizuku glanced at the saber in her sheath which she's still grip it, she only sighed because she couldn't unleash her family style attack in full power while started to enjoy their spar. Then, she loosened her stance and bowed at Risa, which made the brown haired girl bewildered at her.

"No matter how many times I attack you, I'm still unable to hit you at least once, even with my family sword styles. So, it's your win, Risa." Shizuku said in defeated tone. After she bowed, she smiled at her while walked toward her. "But I'm truly enjoyed our spar, even able to push my limit to dodge or deflect all of your fast attack. Next time, can we have another spar?" She said while extending her hand for handshake.

"While I agreed for another spar, I won't accept it as my win since I can't hit you too. So let's call it a draw until our next spar soon. Do you agree with me, Shizuku?" Risa told her while denying her win. When the black haired girl nodded for agreement while smiling, she accepted her handshake. After their handshakes, she whispered at the black haired girl.

"Say, Shizuku. Do you mind if you teach me some of your family sword styles? Since it's almost like wielding daggers in backward stance, in my opinions. No offense." Risa whispered at her.

When Shizuku heard that the brown haired girl interested to learn her family sword style, she couldn't help but smiled at her.

"Sure, I don't mind to teach you." Shizuku said at Risa. Then, she smirked a little while teased her. "But as my disciple."

When Risa heard what the black haired girl said, she wanted to decline what she said but then she heard her giggle a little because she has been teased by her. She only sighed after she heard that.

Then the two ponytailed girls heard the training instructors who betted at them, even Frederica which saw them while trained Eri, sighed because they didn't get extra money from the bet. But then, most of their classmates, except Kaede who still looking for Hajime after her training and Eri who still trained by Frederica, started to crowding at them, even some of the training instructors.

Most of their classmates ask Risa about how she's able to do all of that stuff while knowing that Shizuku are the kendo ace of the school and the heiress of her family dojo, she just lied and told them that her personal training instructor trained her in term of agility, which are dodging and deflecting, in the extreme level since her agility is very high.

While only few of them still doubting about it, one of the training instructors told them that the blonde haired Elementalist has trained some adventurers before being chosen as the training instructors for the heroes with the result ended up with the same rank as her, which made them 'oohed' for understanding before returned back, except Shizuku and the class musclehead, Ryutarou. Then, he asked the brown ponytailed girl something.

"That was a great spar you have with Shizuku, Shiramine. Say, can I have a spar with you next?" Ryutarou request her.

Before Shizuku reprimand him for his unreasonable request, Risa accepted his challenge after rested for a while, which he accepted that with a nod. When she heard from Shizuku that Ryutarou is the karate ace of the school, she smirked a little and asked him something.

"After the spar, do you mind if you teach me some of your karate technique and the [Body Strengthening] skill you have? Also, do you mind if I fight you barehanded too?" Risa ask him.

Shizuku widened her eyes when she heard the last part while Ryutarou twitched her eyebrow for her last remark.

"While I don't mind to teach you those since you seem very hard-working, why are you wanted to fight me barehanded? Is it because of my job as a Monk or you're just giving me an advantage?" Ryutarou ask her in irritation.

Risa shake her head and told him the reason behind it. "Sorry to offended you, Sakagami. But I wanted to do that to further my hand-to-hand ability since you're the expert for that. But the other reason is if I don't have my weapons and my mana is extremely low, only my fists are my choice of weapons."

When Ryutarou heard her reasons, his expressions loosened and smiled a bit at her. "I understand, sorry about that." Then he smirked a little. "But don't cry if I able to hit you at least once?"

She replied back while smirking. "I won't."

After their small talk, Ryutarou returned back for his training. Then Shizuku started so said something while rested with Risa.

"You know what, I think you're starting to become like Sally in the game like what Kaede said. Or maybe even more that what she described." Shizuku said to her.

The brown haired girl only sighed and has a dead expression in depression on her face when she realized that what the black haired girl said is true while she apologized for blurted about that, even what she said is true. After Risa recovered from her depression, an unexpected person tackled her and whined, which made her groaned in irritation.

"Not fair. You accepted Shizuku-chan and Ryutarou to have a spar with you, but not me. Please have a spar with me too, Sally-chan?" Frederica whined at her while pleaded for her last remark.

"No matter how many times you asked me, the answer is still the same. No. And stop calling me Sally-chan." Risa bluntly said to her while asked her to stop calling her that.

When the blonde haired girl heard what she said, she pouted and cried while said 'Sally-chan meanie' every time toward her, even Shizuku heard that and only bewildered about it. Unable to hold it any longer, Risa decided to say something to her to stop her endless chant.

"Fine, I'll accept it! And stop calling me Sally-chan." Risa shouted in irritation.

Frederica's expression returned back to usual in an instant after she heard that.

"Really, that's great. I'll be waiting for that after I trained Eri-chan. Please don't forget about it, Sa-, Risa-chan." Frederica said with her usual cat-like smile while corrected her way to call her before returned back to train Eri.

When Risa knew that the blonde haired girl faking her expressions to accept her duel, she couldn't help but twitched her eyebrow in irritation, even almost shouted loudly at her for that, but able to calm down before she shouted. Shizuku couldn't help but asking her a questions regarding the blonde haired girl.

"Why are you so irritated when she asked you about sparring with her?" Shizuku asks.

"Let's just say that she reminded me about a player from New World Online which started to calling me as her rival while always searching for me to have a spar every time we've met." Risa said, without mentioning about her is a another person who have been transported to another world straight from the game, with deadpan expressions on her face without a beat, which made the other girl nodded at that with wry smile. I'll just beat her in less than a minute if possible. She thought.

After that, the time for Risa spar with Ryutarou is coming, which ended up with her as a winner after she attacked him many times when she spot a very small opening from him while dodged all of his attacks. He also thankful to her for telling him that opening, which he decided to train very hard for that while he teach her some of his martial arts and [Body Manipulation] skill with Shizuku teaching her some of her family sword style.

The brown haired girl spar with Frederica ended like what she said, less than a minute. The reason for that was she concentrated even more than her previous spar with Shizuku and Ryutarou and relentlessly attacked her with her strongest water spells even to the length made the blonde haired girl doesn't have a chance to cast a single spell at her. While Frederica frustrated because she just have been defeated, this time in another world, she decided to train again for her goal to defeat Sally, no matter in game world or in another world.

When the training time ended, Risa checked her status plates when no one saw her. Then she smiled at that since it worked even outside of that labyrinth and put it back to her pocket.

Skill [Sword Proficiency I] acquired.

Skill [Sword Proficiency I] advanced to [Sword Proficiency II].

Skill [Dagger Proficiency IV] advanced to [Dagger Proficiency V].

Skill [Bare-fist Proficiency I] advanced to [Bare-fist Proficiency II].

Skill [Body strengthening [low]] acquired.

Skill [Water Magic IV] advanced to [Water Magic V]. Now capable to use [Water Bullet].

At the same time when Risa and Shizuku have their spar, Kaede wandered around the other side of the other side of the training ground to search for Hajime where he's been trained by the royal Synergists after asked the other training instructors. While she searching for him, she has a sour looking expression on her face because of one reasons, they pitied her because of her job after her training.

"Shieldbearer are the worthless combat oriented job, they didn't know how great that job anyway. Even the only training instructor, which is actually a Shieldbearer who teaches me some of the skills, pitied me too." Kaede grumbled.

While she's still grumbled about that, she found the person she was looking for. When Hajime bowed to some elder men, which she assumed as the royal Synergists, before going to his destination, Kaede called him to gain his attentions.

"Nagumo-san, wait!" Kaede shouted while run toward him.

Hajime heard the shout and turned to the direction of that voice. When he saw her running toward him, he couldn't help but ask her a question when she's near him.

"How may I help you, Honjou-san?" Hajime asks her.

"Um, it's not a big request. But since your job is a Synergist, which is basically like a craftsman, could you make a great shield for me?" Kaede request while bowed at him.

Hajime knew there were two reasons why Kaede wanted a new great shield. First, her job is Shieldbearer, which shields are their primary weapons. And second is she hated being hurt, according to what Risa/Sally, Kuromu, and Izu said in the game. He's still remembered what Kuromu said and followed his first advice, no need to ask her a question and just agreed with what she said. He sighed internally and replied her.

"Sure. What material you wanted for your new great shield, iron, steel, or copper?" Hajime ask her while smiling a little.

Kaede's thinking about what the best material for her new shield, until an idea popped through her head.

"I know the perfect material for that. Let me get that in my room. Just wait for me!" Kaede shouted while run back at her room.

Hajime only bewildered at Kaede's behavior, but he only sighed since she asks him for wait for her. After few minutes, she returned back with a messenger bag she slung on her shoulder. Then they both back to the place where the royal Synergists work, which is actually a place to train his [Transmute] while he thought about something.

I guess I need to postpone my study in library for this day. Hajime thought.

When they arrived at the place which looks like a blacksmithing area, Hajime told one of the royal Synergist with long beard, which he introduced as Gunther, that he wanted to make a new great shield for Kaede but need his help for that. When he saw her, he only gave her a sad look while muttered 'the Shieldbearer apostle' at her.

When Kaede heard that, she pouted and demanded the Synergist to tell her about the Shieldbearer and why most of them pitied her because of her job while Hajime tried to calm her down, which he gladly do that.

"You see, Kaede-dono. The Shieldbearers in Tortus has a lot of history of being betrayed and tricked by the others because they only saw them as meatshields or disposable pawns because they only have high defense, but lack of skills, especially support skill. No matter they're commoners or nobles. If nobles, they're mostly ended up stripped from their titles and became commoners by falsely accused for committing serious crime.

The last thing I heard about them when before I become one of the royal Synergist, I met a retired adventurer whose job was a Shieldbearer and wanted a maintenance for his shield. When I asked him why he stopped, he said that he's been accused for stealing his group finance, tricked by his girlfriend to buy anything she wants, and almost left died when his leader asked him to stall the monster even mocked him for his job then rob everything he has, except his clothes which he wore. That's why he decided to became a pilgrim than an adventurer.

Only few who openly show the others that their job is Shieldbearer and only few from them became successful since they remembered about the history of the past Shieldbearers. My only advice to you is just to be careful against strangers who have a hidden intention to use you." Gunther grimly explained that to them while giving an advice to Kaede.

After that explanation, Kaede's eyes covered with her bangs while Hajime only watch her in worry.

I feel bad for Honjou-san after she heard about that. But they didn't know that she's not a normal Shieldbearer. Hajime thought.

Then Kaede showed the Synergist her determined face and declared something.

"I decided. I will show everyone in Tortus that Shieldbearers are not to be underestimated." Kaede said in full determination.

When Hajime and Gunther heard her declaration, the former nodded and support her fully while the latter smiled a little.

"Suit yourself. But I think there's a possibility that you're able to do that." He said nonchalantly while support her, which made her smiled and nodded happily.

Then they returned back to their topic to make a great shield for Kaede. When he asked for the materials, she showed them the purple crystal shards she salvaged from the crystal turtle she defeat. While Hajime awed when he saw the crystals, the bearded man gasped in shock after appraised it.

"What the- the crystals are unknown while the sturdiness few level lower than azanthium, the strongest and rarest ore ever found! Kaede-dono, how'd you get those crystals anyway!?" The bearded man shouted at her.

"Um, when I trained with Risa and our personal training instructors Frederica-san outside of the capital city, I found a crystal after I stumbled to the small place. When I found it, I thought it'll be perfect if I ask Nagumo-san to make a new shield for me." Kaede said cheerfully while internally apologized to them for lying.

Gunther wanted to ask her a lot of questions regarding the crystals, but he decided for not to because she's the 'apostle of god' and ordered Hajime to make the great shield while he observe and give him some pointers about transmutations while asked her to wait outside or explored at the blacksmithing house.

Few hours later after Kaede saw a lot of weapons in the blacksmithing house she explored into while it's also the time their training to be stopped for the next day, someone called her. It was Hajime with her new great shield ready. The great shield is like normal steel colored tower shield, but there's giant purple crystal shaped in oval few inch higher from the center area with few ornaments made from the same crystals decorated the shield almost like her black shield, Mirror of the Dark Night.

"Here's the great shield for you, Honjou-san. It's the most exhausting thing I've ever made, but the reward is I leveled up to level 4 because of that even though my stats still low. When Gunther-san appraise it, he impressed even he saw that there's a skill called [Crystal Magic] implemented in it. I didn't know about it until he gave me the hypothesis that the crystals the one to do that." Hajime explained to Kaede about her new shield while giving it to her.

When Kaede held the great shield and checked it, which actually fit with her grip, she couldn't help but awed at it.

"So cool! Is there a name for this great shield, Nagumo-san?" Kaede asks with excitement.

"If you don't mind for me naming it, let me think about it." When Hajime saw Kaede nodded in enthusiasm, he couldn't help but smiled a little while thinking about the name. When he got it, he said it to her with wry smile on his face. "How about, Kristallschild?" Then he added something in his mind. It's actually a German for Crystal Shield.

Kaede's eyes sparkled in awe when she heard that name.

"I don't know what it means but it's so cool. Thank you, Nagumo-san." Kaede said while returned back to her room with her new great shield while Hajime nodded while smiling.

Before Kaede entered to her room after she put her great shield to her bag when no one saw her and have a dinner with her classmates, a wild Kaori appeared and asked, or demanded, her to tell her everything about Hajime, which she replied with he has a great naming senses. While Kaori still didn't understand what the other girl means, she decided to ask her more about him. But Kaede only know about that and his hobby, which made Kaori disappointed and thanked her for that, which she replied cheerfully and promised her to tell her new thing about Hajime, which made Kaori nodded for that.

After Kaede entered her room, she checked her status plates and after that she instantly slept in her bed after changed to her nightgown.

Skill [Unbreakable Shield] acquired.

Skills Description

- Body Strengthening

Increase all of your stats while your mana slowly reduced to empty.

- Unbreakable Shield

Grants immunity from all kind of attacks for 30 seconds. Cooldown 5 minutes.

A/N

I decided to give a bad history about the Shieldbearers in Tortus, maybe not really bad. The idea is when I'm thinking 'if Synergist are the most common job, why not made something about Shieldbearer'. But Kaede is not a normal Shieldbearer if you know what I means.

Any questions, input, or suggestions, just write it in review or just PM me. Also no flames and spam please.

Thank you.