Reborn as shield hero with Garps Template

At this time, in the training field, aside from those deep in their own training, Jack and Irene were sparring with each other.

Jack wielded two short knives, his feet moving like the wind. His attacks were fierce and fast, aimed directly at Irene's vital spots. Even without using skills, the sheer force and speed of his strikes created an oppressive aura.

Putting herself in Melty's shoes, if she had to face Jack's attacks, she doubted she could last more than ten seconds. Once he closed the distance, she wouldn't have time to chant a spell or evade—she would certainly be finished.

On the other hand, Irene, armed with a sharp longsword, handled Jack's relentless offense with ease. Each of her sword movements was simple yet precise, blocking every strike from Jack's daggers. If one looked closely, her swordplay even exuded an indescribable grace.

Clearly, Irene's strength was on a higher level than Jack's.

Jason had said they were all ordinary villagers, but from Melty's perspective, no ordinary villager could be this overwhelmingly strong. If every villager were like this, there'd be no need to summon four heroes to resist the Waves of Calamity. The kingdom's militia could handle any threat easily.

"Do you think I'm young and easy to deceive? Their combat skills are far beyond that of regular soldiers. Even among adventurers, they would stand out as elite."

Melty muttered to herself, her disbelief evident.

"Strong? They're actually quite weak right now," Jason said, shaking his head. He wasn't being modest or dismissive—it was just the truth from his perspective. After witnessing Fitoria's immense power, he understood that this world held far more terrifying figures. Compared to those individuals, Jack and the others were still far from their peak.

But Melty couldn't believe it. She looked at Jason with a complicated expression, as if an ordinary person had just been told by a billionaire that a few hundred million was trivial.

"Little Mel, Master didn't lie to you. Jack and the others were just ordinary villagers before," Filo chimed in, tilting her head as she spoke in defense of Jason.

"Even Filo says that? But… it's just too unbelievable. Ordinary villagers growing this strong?"

Hearing it from Filo, Melty could only accept it, but the shock was hard to shake off. After all, it hadn't been that long since Jason arrived in this world, and yet he had cultivated such fierce warriors.

"Is this the power of the heroes?" Melty wondered aloud.

"The power of the heroes? Filo doesn't really know, but Master did train them to become like this," Filo said, though she wasn't entirely clear on the specifics.

"In truth, it depends on their own effort. If they couldn't persevere, they wouldn't have reached this level," Jason said, patting Filo's head as he looked toward Jack and the others, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Indeed, with the intensity of their training, ordinary people wouldn't last a day. Most would have fled before noon," Melty remarked, glancing at Jason before turning her attention back to Jack and the others. She now understood why their growth was so terrifying.

"Dinner's ready, come and eat!"

Raphtalia's voice rang out just then.

"Coming," Jason responded before calling out to the group. "Everyone, take a break. We'll be keeping watch in shifts tonight, so don't overexert yourselves. There might be monsters nearby."

"Yes!" Jack and the others immediately halted their training and made their way toward the campfire.

Tonight's meal was simple, as expected when camping in the wilderness: a large pot of vegetable stew and some rice. Still, it was well-balanced, with both meat and vegetables to ensure nutrition.

"Lord Jason, Lo—"

As everyone settled down, Raphtalia served them stew and rice. The group took bowls and began serving themselves, chatting and laughing about their training experiences as they enjoyed the most relaxed part of their day—dinnertime.

Melty, however, sat quietly, looking around in a daze, unsure of what to do.

"Why? Do you need someone to serve you? Or… can you not even do something as simple as serve your own food?" Jason asked, a hint of amusement in his voice as he glanced at her.

"I… I can serve myself!" Melty retorted, standing up indignantly as she searched for a bowl nearby.

As a princess, she was used to being waited on by servants who would bring food to her. But it was clear Jason wouldn't be catering to her like that.

Fortunately, she wasn't helpless and quickly filled her bowl with stew, then sat back down beside Filo.

Jason looked away, relieved. If Melty had made a fuss, he would have thrown her out immediately. But for now, her attitude was tolerable—at least she wasn't causing trouble for the others.

"Delicious!"

Melty exclaimed after taking a sip of the stew. Her eyes lit up as the events of the day seemed to melt away. She turned to Raphtalia and asked, "Did you make this soup? It's really delicious!"

"Thank you! Lilith and I made it together. I'm glad you like it. By the way, Master Jason's cooking skills are far better than ours. He makes something called mutton skewers that are so good, they're unforgettable!" Raphtalia, a true foodie, couldn't help but get excited when talking about food. Once she started, it was hard to stop her.

"Yes, the food made by the master is incredibly delicious," Filo nodded enthusiastically.

Melty's curiosity grew. "Ah... To be honest, now I'm really curious. I've traveled to many places, but I've never heard of lamb kebabs. Could it be food from another world?" Her interest was piqued even more by the two foodies' glowing praise.

With this, the three food enthusiasts found common ground, and their conversation shifted entirely to the topic of food.

Jason, who sat nearby, shook his head and sighed quietly, thinking, Three women, plus the attribute of being foodies... This is going to be endless.

After a relaxing dinner, the campfire was extinguished to avoid attracting monsters. Those assigned to keep watch took their positions, while the others returned to their tents to rest for the night.

Melty, however, remained outside, unsure of where to go. She didn't have a tent of her own, and the chilly night breeze was starting to bite. After hesitating for quite some time, she finally couldn't stand the cold any longer.

Gathering her courage, Melty cautiously peeked into Jason's tent and asked, "Um... can I sleep here with you?"