"Although it's only been a little over a month, it feels like a long time has passed. Do you feel the same?"
"Yeah, a lot has happened since I've been with Shield Hero-sama."
"If our families see us now, they'll definitely be shocked."
"I'm looking forward to it. My parents have already seen me."
"When your parents see you, they'll probably shout: 'Who are you?!'"
"Haha…"
Jack and the group of 10 people talked and laughed along the way, slowly heading towards Lute Village.
As the saying goes, being away from home for a while makes one homesick, and even though it's only been a bit over a month, this has already been the longest journey for them. It's hard to deny the feeling of wanting to go home.
Moreover, during this time, everyone has undergone tremendous changes. Their muscles are more defined, and under those muscles, they appear taller and stronger.
The constant battles with monsters have sharpened their temperaments, giving them an aura of confidence and strength.
Even Irene and Lilith, as women, didn't bulk up like Jack and the others, but their appearances have still changed noticeably.
Irene's icy demeanor has become more pronounced, while Lilith constantly exudes a mysterious aura, which likely has something to do with her becoming a true magician.
With such big changes, it's natural that they would want their families to see how they've grown and be reassured by it.
With that anticipation in their hearts, they soon arrived at Lute Village.
However, as they neared the entrance, everyone had puzzled expressions.
"Why are there so many soldiers at the village entrance? Did something happen while we were away?"
"Let's hope it's nothing bad."
"Guessing won't help, let's go ask."
Seeing many kingdom soldiers stationed at the entrance, Jack led the group toward them.
"Who goes there? Stop!"
Seeing the heavily armed Jack and company approaching, the more than 10 soldiers at the entrance immediately drew their weapons, looking very tense.
"We don't mean any harm. We just want to ask what's going on in Lute Village. There weren't soldiers like you standing guard before."
As Jack spoke, he raised his unarmed hands to show that they weren't here to cause trouble.
"It's none of your concern, adventurers."
The lead soldier frowned, clearly unwilling to share more information.
"Well, we aren't adventurers; we're just ordinary villagers from Lute Village. We were away for a while and are now returning."
Jack kept his cool and smiled lightly despite the soldier's attitude.
"Villagers? Wearing that kind of gear? Impressive. But I still don't have anything to tell you. If you want to know more, go ask someone else. We have duties to attend to and no time to entertain children."
The soldier's attitude worsened after hearing they were just villagers.
"Alright, we'll ask someone else."
Jack turned to head into Lute Village, but as soon as he stepped forward, more than 10 spears blocked his way, their wielders being, of course, the soldiers.
"What's the meaning of this?"
Even Jack, who was trying his best to avoid conflict, couldn't hide his anger as the soldiers pointed their weapons at him.
"What's the meaning? You think you can just walk into the village without paying the toll?"
A malicious smile appeared on the soldier's face, his eyes flashing with greed.
"Tolls?"
"That's right. Due to the recent disaster wave, a lot of Lute Village needs to be rebuilt, and that requires funds. Lord Motoyasu has set up tolls to help gather resources for the reconstruction."
"Since when did the Hero of the Spear become the lord of Lute Village? And we're villagers, so why should we pay a toll to enter our own village?"
"It's a new rule from a few days ago. Even villagers have to pay. If you don't have money, leave. Don't waste our time."
The lead soldier motioned with his spear, forcing Jack to back away from the entrance.
"Why do villagers have to pay tolls? You're just using the reconstruction as an excuse to line your pockets!"
"They're just a bunch of greedy bastards!"
"Hero of the Spear? More like a pile of garbage!"
Although Jack backed off, those behind him were quick to shout in protest.
"Stop shouting! If you have money, enter the village. If not, get lost. Keep making noise, and we'll treat you as troublemakers and throw you in the dungeon."
The lead soldier yelled arrogantly, clearly emboldened by being under Motoyasu's command.
"There's nothing more to say—kill them all!"
At that moment, Irene drew her saber and slowly walked towards the soldiers. The atmosphere immediately filled with a murderous intent.
"Wait, Irene, don't act rashly."
Jack quickly stepped in to stop her and softly added, "These soldiers can be dealt with easily, but causing trouble for Lord Shield Hero is a problem. It involves Motoyasu, and he's also a hero."
Jack's right hand clenched tightly into a fist, showing how hard he was trying to suppress his anger. If it weren't for the concern of causing issues for Jason, he might have attacked the soldiers on the spot.
"...Okay!"
Irene glanced at Jack, nodded, and sheathed her saber.
"Let's go for now."
Jack took a deep breath and led the group away. After all, they didn't have any money on them, so it wasn't possible to pay the toll to enter the village.
Watching them leave, the soldiers smiled smugly.
Jack and the others didn't go far before stopping in a nearby forest.
"What should we do now? Should we go back and ask Lord Shield Hero for help?"
"No… We've been with Lord Shield Hero for a long time. If we rely on him for everything, how can we prove ourselves worthy of his efforts to train us?"
"That doesn't work, and going back doesn't either. So, what do we do?"
The group debated back and forth, unable to come up with a solution to the situation.
"Well, what's most important right now is finding out how our families are doing."
Jack suddenly spoke, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"That's true… but the village entrance is full of soldiers. We can't even get in without money, let alone check on our families."
Lilith frowned, suddenly realizing the dilemma.
"That's right. We're originally villagers of Lute Village, and now that we're stronger, there are plenty of ways to enter the village without going through the front gate."
A small smile appeared on Jack's face.
"That makes sense, but Jack… can you stop smiling like Lord Shield Hero?"
"I think it looks cool."
"Lord Shield Hero looks cool when he smiles like that. When you do it, it just feels kind of… no, to be precise, it feels sinister."
"Alright, now's not the time to debate this. Let's go."
Irene calmly said, taking the lead as they headed back towards Lute Village.