Reborn as shield hero with Garps Template

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The crystal ball revealed Raphtalia's magic adaptability, confirming its functionality. However, it failed to detect Jason's magical attributes, leaving the elderly woman baffled by this unprecedented situation.

"What's going on? Sir Shield Hero, may I trouble you once more?" she asked, clearly unsettled.

At her request, Jason stepped forward and directed his gaze at the crystal ball.

"Well? What kind of magic is suitable for Master Jason?" Raphtalia eagerly inquired before Jason could speak, her concern for him apparent.

"It's still gray. I can't see anything," the old woman admitted, frowning with embarrassment. "Perhaps my level is too low to determine Lord Shield Hero's magic affinity."

Jason waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's fine, no problem." Magic was not his primary concern; with the power of the Holy Shield and his combat prowess, he placed more value on the physical strength of a real man. Magic could wait.

"I'm terribly sorry," the old woman said, bowing deeply. "To express my gratitude for saving my grandson, I'd like to offer you additional magic books."

"Thank you, but I don't need them. Please select ones that would be suitable for Raphtalia," Jason replied, thinking of how boosting Raphtalia's combat effectiveness would benefit him more.

"Master Jason, are you sure? If you don't take them, you won't have any resources to study," Raphtalia said, her concern focused entirely on him.

Jason patted her head gently. "Don't worry about me. You can study the magic books. I'm already strong enough, and I still don't know which magic suits me."

The old woman spoke up, observing Raphtalia closely. "Miss Raphtalia has magic adaptability to both light and dark. Raccoon demi-humans are often proficient in using light and dark elements to perform phantom magic."

Raphtalia blinked in surprise. "So, does that mean I can become something like an assassin?"

The old woman tilted her head thoughtfully. "Yes, and no. You do have the agility for it, but it's more complicated than that. Your attributes are unique."

She continued to analyze Raphtalia, her eyes widening. "This is the first time I've seen a raccoon demi-human grow so strong."

In this world, growth was not static like in online games but influenced by one's effort. With proper training, people could even change their body structure. Talent mattered, but hard work could surpass it. Raphtalia's attributes had far surpassed those of others in her species, likely due to Jason's training, which explained the old woman's astonishment.

"The raccoon species does have the potential to become assassins," she continued. "Your agility is higher than your strength, but not by much. You're more of an agile fighter than a pure assassin. And with your physique, an assassin role is no longer suitable. This situation is unique, and I'm unsure of your ideal growth path."

Her tone turned apologetic, as if she felt inadequate for not being able to offer clearer guidance.

Jason remained silent as the old woman spoke, her lengthy explanation feeling somewhat unnecessary. However, her words sparked an idea in his mind.

If Raphtalia couldn't become an assassin, she could certainly excel in a more specialized role.

In Jason's experience, an assassin's primary advantage was agility—striking quickly, delivering a fatal blow, and retreating. The downside was that they were fragile, with low defense and health. But with Raphtalia's enhanced attributes, she could potentially fill a different, more resilient role, combining dexterity with combat toughness.

Since Raphtalia could harness both light and dark magic, she had the potential to merge the strengths of a warrior and an assassin. The idea of an injured enemy suddenly finding her reappearing from the shadows, blending both combat prowess and stealth, was a terrifying prospect for any opponent. But that development would take time—Raphtalia's full potential was yet to unfold.

"Although I can't predict Miss Raphtalia's growth path exactly, please accept these three magic books for now. They contain light and dark magic that can be learned by Miss Raphtalia, and they're quite rare," the old woman said, handing them over. She looked as though she hoped her contribution would be appreciated.

Jason glanced at the covers of the books, frowning as a sense of familiarity came over him. Suddenly, he remembered the collection of magic books he had gathered from the church, some of which resembled the ones the old woman presented. Without a word, he summoned his shield and converted it into a storage shield, pulling out his own collection of books.

The old woman stood frozen in shock as Jason revealed his haul. The magic recorded in her books matched the ones Jason had already collected. To make matters worse, while her books only covered elementary spells, Jason's collection included elementary, intermediate, and advanced-level magic.

"So, Master Shield Hero, you already had these? Why didn't you mention it earlier?" the old woman stammered, clearly embarrassed. She hastily took back her books, but with a determined look, she pulled out a few more. "What about these, then—?"

Jason cut her off. "I have those too."

"And these?"

"Got those as well."

A few moments later, the old woman looked utterly defeated. A small mountain of magic books lay in front of her, all of which Jason already owned. She couldn't comprehend how the Shield Hero, who had only recently arrived in this world, possessed more magic books than she, a long-standing magic shop manager. The absurdity of the situation made her question everything.

"Well, thank you for your kindness," Jason said, breaking the awkward silence. "But I really don't need these magic books. If there's nothing else, we'll be heading out now."

As Jason turned to leave with Raphtalia, the old woman, her pride clearly wounded, called out: "Since I don't have the magic books you need, Lord Shield Hero, if you ever require my help in the future, please let me know. I'll do everything in my power to assist. And if you ever want to sell any of the magic books you don't need, I'll gladly buy them back at the market price without taking a cut."

Jason smiled. "No problem, we'll see you around."

Although they hadn't acquired any new magic books from the shop, the trip wasn't fruitless. They had confirmed Raphtalia's potential growth path, and the manager's offer to assist in the future could prove useful.

After leaving the magic shop, Jason and Raphtalia were showered with more thank-you gifts from the townspeople. Once they returned to the weapon shop to inspect a new batch of equipment, they guessed that the monster eggs should soon be arriving at Root Village. With this in mind, they decided to head directly there.

Meanwhile, in a stark contrast to Jason and Raphtalia's success, Motoyasu remained buried in a literal garbage dump, with no one coming to his aid. The king, seated on his throne, was similarly weighed down—not by concern for Motoyasu, but by his own troubles, which seemed to be piling up.

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