Reborn as shield hero with Garps Template

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"If the monster egg hatches before I hand it over to you, it will be my dereliction of duty and affect my reputation."

As the slave trader spoke, he turned and retrieved an incubator from the carriage. The monster egg on it had been bound with Jason's blood the previous night.

At that time, Jason found carrying the monster egg too bothersome, so he requested the slave trader to deliver it along with the others. He hadn't expected that it was about to hatch so soon.

Though the slave trader always had a suspicious air about him, his trustworthiness exceeded that of many other merchants. His skill in handling business was also commendable.

"Thank you."

Jason took the monster egg, noting a small crack and faint movements inside. It seemed it would hatch before long.

"This is only my duty. After all, you are my most important customer," the slave trader said, narrowing his eyes with his characteristic smile. "Now, Sir Shield Hero, where should the other monster eggs be taken?"

"Wait a moment."

Jason turned to the village chief. "Can you arrange a place for me?"

"Of course, there's no problem. Please follow me."

The village chief led the way into the village, which had suffered significant damage from the recent wave of calamities. Despite Jason and Raphtalia's assistance, many buildings were still in disrepair.

Even though the monsters' bodies had been cleared away, the village remained far more dilapidated than before the disaster.

Soon, the village chief brought Jason and his companions to a small inn.

Jason and Raphtalia stayed there, and the innkeeper refused payment, insisting, "How could I charge the Shield Hero? It's an honor for you to stay here!"

It almost felt insulting to offer her money, so Jason and Raphtalia had no choice but to accept the hospitality.

Meanwhile, the slave trader ordered his subordinates to move all the monster eggs into Jason's room.

After settling in, Jason placed the magic egg that was about to hatch on the desk, while he and Raphtalia sat nearby, waiting.

"Master Jason, what kind of monster do you think will hatch? I bet it's going to be a dragon to ride!" Raphtalia said, resting her chin in her hands, clearly bored.

"I'm not interested in riding dragons," Jason replied, shaking his head. What he was waiting for was Filo.

Though riding dragons were highly prized and fetched a good price, they couldn't compare to Filo. They weren't even in the same league.

"Lord Jason doesn't even care for riding dragons? Your standards are high! But among monster eggs, riding dragons are among the best."

"Who knows, maybe there's something even more special in there."

"That makes sense. It's you, after all, so the monster you hatch has to be different from the others."

They continued talking idly as more than an hour passed. Just before noon, the crack in the monster egg widened.

Through the opening, they could just make out some fur-like feathers on the creature inside.

"It's coming out."

Jason's eyes lit up, feeling a rush of excitement, while Raphtalia's face reflected her anticipation.

With a series of cracking sounds, the egg split further, and the entire shell began to shake violently.

Finally, with a snap, a small head poked out.

It was a chick-like creature covered in soft feathers, with bits of eggshell still stuck on its head. It looked around curiously before locking eyes on Jason.

Letting out a joyful cry, the tiny creature leaped energetically into Jason's arms, chirping happily.

"Huh... What kind of monster is this? It looks like a bird, but it's not a Bhikkhu, is it?" Raphtalia wondered, watching the creature.

Bhikkhus were monsters resembling mutated vultures, known for their agility. This little 'chick' did bear some resemblance to one.

But Jason shook his head. "No, this isn't a Bhikkhu. It's a Filo bird."

"A Filo bird? Isn't that the species used to pull carriages? They're not particularly high-level monsters, but it is pretty cute."

Raphtalia seemed fond of the creature. After all, girls often had a soft spot for anything cute.

"You're mistaken. Since I hatched it, there's no way it's just an ordinary Filo bird," Jason said confidently. As if to confirm his words, the small monster affectionately nuzzled Jason's hand.

"Hehe... It sees you as its father," Raphtalia giggled.

"Maybe it's that nestling instinct. If I'm the father, that makes you the mother," Jason teased.

"Don't say that, Master Jason! You're making me blush!" Raphtalia protested, embarrassed.

Jason laughed softly.

Jason smiled, cradling the tiny monster in his arms as he rose from the chair. He moved to the window, pushing it open, and raised the little creature with both hands, lifting it up toward the sunlight. "You will be the queen of the Filo birds one day, so your name will be Filo!" he declared.

Filo, seemingly understanding that she had been given a name, chirped happily and kicked her legs in joy.

At that moment, several other Filo birds in the village appeared to sense something and all bowed their heads in response.

"Filo? Looks like she likes the name," Raphtalia observed. She pondered it for a moment but couldn't quite grasp why Jason had raised Filo so ceremoniously.

Of course, Jason had acted on a whim. It wasn't as though he was overly dramatic by nature.

Setting Filo on his shoulder, Jason carefully removed the remaining piece of shell from her head and placed it in front of his shield.

"If I recall, the eggshell can enhance the shield's abilities, which might speed up Filo's growth."

As Jason considered this, the eggshell was absorbed into the shield. He then fed the remaining shell fragments to the shield.

Suddenly, a notification appeared:

The conditions for the Shield of the Beast Tamer have been unlocked.

Monster Egg Shield conditions have been unlocked.

The system presented two new shields:

[Shield of the Beast Tamer]: Ability not yet unlocked. Equipment bonus: Minor beast growth enhancement.[Monster Egg Shield]: Ability not yet unlocked. Equipment bonus: Cooking Skill +2.

Just as Jason expected, new shields appeared. The cooking skill bonus was a nice touch, but the Beast Tamer Shield was what excited him the most.

As Jason admired his new shields, his eyes shifted to the other monster eggs in the room.

Although Filo had already hatched, the remaining monster eggs still had their uses. After all, he had some quests left to complete that involved choosing specific creatures.

Jason already had a plan in mind for how to handle those eggs.

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