A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

The court lady paused for a moment, then said, "It seems that you, My Lord, know far more than we expected. However, if you have any further questions, please feel free to ask us."

Chapter 4. The Discontent of the Palace Ladies

The court lady was somewhat surprised. Generally speaking, heroes summoned from another world would have some understanding of this world, but such understanding was very limited, and they would need the locals to explain the situation to them.

However, she found it incredible that Li Wei had learned so much about the holy weapon she possessed and the secrets of the Four Holy Warriors in such a short time.

Li Wei said, "Relationships between people are reciprocal. When you are friendly to others, they are more likely to reciprocate with friendliness. But what will you do when others are extremely unfriendly to you?"

The palace lady hesitated for a moment, then said, "I will choose to stay away from him."

The court lady knew that lying would be futile in the face of such a question; Li Wei's gaze was unmistakably honest, and under such scrutiny, any lie seemed destined to be exposed. It was precisely for this reason that she chose a more difficult answer. As a member of the Shadow Organization, she and her companions possessed extremely high authority. When faced with someone who harbored ill will towards them, they had the power to enforce the law; they could even act first and report later—a privilege granted to them by the Queen.

Li Wei said, "I am different from you. I will treat those who treat me with kindness in return, but I will return tenfold the malice to those who harbor ill will to me. So, whether or not to protect this world depends on the attitude of the people here."

The palace lady's expression was somewhat complicated. How could she expect Li Wei to do something she herself couldn't even do? Moreover, powerful individuals were often quite individualistic, and angering them would only bring more trouble.

Li Wei said, "You know what? Today, I was eating at a restaurant with my companions. Before we even entered, we saw a sign that said, 'Demi-humans and dogs are not allowed.' We went in and sat down, but before we even ordered, several people came out to cause trouble and attacked my companions with all sorts of insults. Everyone in the restaurant was telling us to get out. Then, guards came and reminded me, a stranger, that I had to abide by the kingdom's rules here, or else they would teach me a lesson..."

Li Wei maintained a smiling expression while speaking, but the court lady's smile froze, and at the same time, cold sweat poured down her back.

Li Wei crossed his arms and laughed, "I have truly experienced the hospitality of the Kingdom of Merlomark."

She had heard about what Li Wei had said; after all, everyone in the restaurant had exploded like balloons, and the bloody scene made even the forensic doctor who came to collect the bodies vomit. Even now, the bodies in the restaurant hadn't been cleaned up, and the neighbors were all uneasy. She never imagined that this matter was related to Li Wei.

The court lady quickly said, "My lord, we deeply apologize for the mistakes made by those ignorant and foolish people. We will do our best to make up for this mistake, and such a mistake will not happen again."

Li Wei said, "Such things can't be decided by your word alone. The key is how the people of this country view me. I am both the Shield Hero and a black-eyed outsider, and I also have a demi-human by my side. It can be said that I embody all the things that your people hate the most."

Li Wei's words silenced the court ladies, for what he said was indeed true. The upper-class nobles could at least restrain their attitudes, but the ordinary commoners below did not care so much.

Therefore, this is a vicious cycle.

Li Wei said, "Therefore, I will carefully judge whether it is necessary to intervene in the so-called invasion of the tides born in this world. If your people continue to be hostile to me, I don't mind standing on the side of the tides."

The court lady bowed her head and said, "Please do not make such a choice. We will find a way to resolve the issue of public hostility."

The court lady was filled with remorse. In her opinion, all the mistakes were caused by King Ottocre. That king, who had married into the family, had become increasingly incompetent over the years. If it weren't for the Queen protecting him, the Shadow Organization would have already taken action and kicked Ottocre off the throne.

Now that the Queen is not in the country, everything in the country is decided by King Ottocre. However, King Ottocre not only hates the Shield Hero, but also befriends the Three Heroes Cult, actively allowing divine authority to encroach on royal power.

In addition, she had long been annoyed by this scoundrel and incompetent ruler who had previously summoned the Four Holy Warriors without authorization, openly violated international agreements, and put the Queen in a very difficult position.

The emergence of such a powerful Shield Hero is a rare blessing, representing the hope of the entire continent. However, due to the indulgence of the tyrannical ruler Ottocre, the authority of the Three Heroes Cult has greatly increased among the people, and they no longer conceal their discrimination and oppression against outsiders and demi-humans.

The fact that such a thing happened in the capital, a place of goodness for the nation, means that a powerful entity has been pushed to the opposite side. This foolish act is extremely fatal for the current kingdom.

The court lady believed that if the Queen were still in the country, she would never have allowed such a thing to happen. When the Queen was in the country, the Three Courages had to keep a low profile and dared not promote their extreme doctrines.

King Ottocre harbors hostility towards the Shield Hero due to his own pride and past personal grudges, and is now giving him the cold shoulder. If the Queen were in charge, she would absolutely not allow this to happen.

The court lady sighed and said, "...The situation within the country is also very complicated, My Lord. Please believe me, the Queen values ​​you highly. However, the Queen is not currently in the country, so we cannot influence King Ottocre's decision."

Chapter 4. Disgust

Li Wei could sense the changing mood of the court lady. As a member of the Shadow Organization, she was only loyal to the Queen and had no interest in the King.

This organization must have existed for a very long time, at least before this queen, otherwise, it would be impossible for even the king not to know about it.

The only plausible explanation is that this organization is a direct intelligence agency belonging to the successive queens, passed down only among the queens, and no one other than the queen has the right to know about it.

"I'm very sorry," the female officer said.

“A perfunctory apology is useless to me; I want to see sincerity.” Li Wei picked up a piece of bread, tore it in half, dipped it in some cheese and butter, and then put a strip of bacon inside. Li Wei didn't yet know the general food of the common people in the kingdom, but the royal food was certainly not bad; with all the seasonings, the dishes couldn't be too strange in taste.

The court lady placed her hands together on her lower abdomen, having composed herself, and said, "Then what kind of sincerity does the hero require?"

Li Wei said, "As a hero who saves the world, I don't expect any tangible rewards, but at the very least, I should receive flowers and applause. But it seems that this country doesn't even intend to give me flowers and applause."

The court lady understood that the current situation was unsolvable. After hundreds of years of development, the Three Heroes Cult had penetrated every aspect of the kingdom, and it would not be easy to get the followers of the Three Heroes Cult to stop their hostility towards the Shield Hero.

If the Queen were here, she would be so glad. She believed that the wise Queen would surely have a way to solve this problem. Although she was a high-ranking member of the Shadow Organization, they were just intelligence personnel. Unless absolutely necessary, they could not even reveal their own existence, let alone try to change the status quo.

Li Wei said, "From what you've said, you're not one of the king's men. So, let the person behind you talk to me. After all, it's the most difficult thing for an executor like you to be caught in the middle when problems arise."

The court lady nodded, gave a curtsy, and said, "Then I shall take my leave. Our people will stay by the hero's side. If there are any problems, you can contact us directly."

The court lady-in-waiting left with the tray, and Raphtalia wore a curious expression, her mouth already stuffed full. Although she was very curious about what was happening, she knew that some things were not for a slave like herself to ask, so she suppressed her curiosity and focused on eating the various foods in front of her.

Li Wei said, "Raphtalia, feel free to ask any questions you have. Aren't we companions?"

Raphtalia said, "But I don't understand these things very well either, and even if I asked, I might not understand."

Levi asked, "Raphtalia, to be honest, do you like this kingdom?"

Raphtalia fell silent. This place had left her with many unpleasant memories. Although, in name, all the citizens of the demi-human autonomous territory were also members of this kingdom, no one except the citizens themselves treated them as human beings.

Raphtalia whispered, "Can I tell the truth?"

Li Wei nodded and said, "Of course, there are no outsiders here, and I'm not a member of the kingdom, so you can speak your mind directly without anyone criticizing you."

Raphtalia put down the food in her hand and said, "At first, I didn't have much of a concept of the kingdom. I only knew that the Demi-human Autonomous Territory belonged to the kingdom, and this was where all Demi-humans were exiled. But here, at least we could live safely. When the wave came, my village was destroyed, and I fell into the sea. Later, I was pulled out by fishermen, and then I witnessed the darkest side of this kingdom. To the inhabitants of the kingdom, we were natural slaves. And at that time, I finally understood why so many neighbors wanted to leave the Autonomous Territory, but dared not go far. Because outside the Autonomous Territory, for Demi-humans, the outside world was hell."

Li Wei nodded. He had previously thought that the kingdom only rejected demi-humans, but it turned out that the kingdom did not reject even strangers.

He couldn't understand why the kingdom was so xenophobic. After all, this was the capital, a place that should be considered a haven for the kingdom. If even a haven was like this, one could imagine how severe the prejudice against outsiders and demi-humans must be in other places.

Raphtalia said, "I hate the kingdom. It's not a home for demi-humans. But it's too far from Sidwellut. Most demi-humans in this country can't go there."

Demi-humans' movements within the Kingdom of Mellomark are restricted in many ways. Ordinary citizens can move freely within the kingdom, but demi-humans must have a special "travel pass" to prove they are not slaves and gain passage through checkpoints.

Furthermore, there have been frequent instances in the past where demi-humans with travel permits were forcibly detained and branded as slaves. Therefore, demi-humans in autonomous territories will not leave unless it is an urgent matter.

Levi said nothing, but Raphtalia's words, to some extent, had already determined the future of the kingdom.

Levi continued eating his homemade hamburger and said, "The suffering you have endured will come to an end. I hope the Queen is someone who has the resolve to make tough decisions."

The various hardships suffered by the protagonist Naofumi Iwatani in the original story were, to some extent, caused by the Queen's inaction. Knowing that King Ottocre was hostile to the Shield Hero, she still dared to leave the Shield Hero alone in the country to face all kinds of malice.

In the original storyline, the best solution the Queen could have made was to send the protagonist, Naofumi Iwatani, to the demi-human nation of Sidveld. However, considering the strength of his three younger brothers, it was simply not a viable option. Keeping Naofumi within the country was, in a way, a fortunate accident.

Chapter 1. Plans

Halfway through the banquet, Li Wei and Raphtalia left. Although the kingdom's attitude towards outsiders and demi-humans was quite terrible, it was said that the palace chefs were quite skilled. The two of them ate a variety of dishes before returning to their room satisfied.

Li Wei's perception, combined with the shield's built-in level decoding system, allowed him to easily see the hidden entries of each person, and he also realized how weak King Autocray's control over those around him was.

Within the royal palace, and indeed throughout the entire capital, members of the Shadow Organization can be seen everywhere. The number of Shadow Organization members in the capital alone exceeds four hundred, and each of them is at least level 4, with many even above level 5. It can be said that this force alone is not weak.

On this planet, there exists a hierarchy system. Ordinary people can gain experience by defeating various monsters and thus increase their level. When leveling up, various attributes will improve, and various types of spells and abilities will also be gained.

It's worth mentioning that magic in this world can be learned. The magic system and the level system are independent of each other. A person of a lower level can learn and master relatively higher-level magic. Of course, not everyone can access magic. The vast majority of adventurers possess spell-like abilities that come with leveling up.

Magic is a high-level knowledge that only a small group of people can master; the general public doesn't know much about it.

Li Wei doesn't know much about the so-called upgrade in this world yet; he'll only know the specifics after experiencing it firsthand.

Back in her room, Raphtalia sat on the sofa, rubbing her slightly swollen belly. She had accidentally eaten a little too much because the food was so delicious.

Raphtalia let out a loud burp, which made her feel embarrassed.

Li Wei took out a bag of candy and said, "This candy can help with digestion. Have a piece, otherwise you'll be spending a long time in the toilet tomorrow."

Raphtalia had just escaped slavery, and the long-term malnutrition had made her stomach and intestines quite fragile. Eating so much food all at once was not good for her body.

Raphtalia trusted Levi quite a bit. Without hesitation, she grabbed a candy from the paper bag, put it in her mouth, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it.

"So sweet! It tastes just like fruit!" Raphtalia exclaimed in surprise.

"This isn't ordinary candy, you can't eat too much of it." Seeing Raphtalia's little hand reaching towards the paper bag again, she quickly said.

"Not your average candy?" Raphtalia asked with a curious expression.

Li Wei said, "This is a digestive aid that can protect the intestines to some extent. However, if you take too much of this medicine, you will feel hungry very easily. Moreover, the effects of this medicine will last for several days. Taking too much will actually increase the burden on your stomach and intestines."

Raphtalia looked at Levi, who had sat down beside her, and her gaze was drawn to the uniquely shaped shield in Levi's hand.

"That older sister just said that you are a hero, sir. Is this the shield of the Four Sacred Relics?" Raphtalia asked curiously.

Li Wei nodded, took the shield off his arm, and threw it far away. The shield disappeared instantly after traveling several meters, and then reappeared on the outside of Li Wei's arm.

Li Wei said, "I am the Shield Hero of this year."

Raphtalia's eyes shone brightly. The previous Shield Heroes could be considered the protectors of demi-humans. After learning that the Shield Hero from the fairy tale book had appeared, she realized that she had met someone extraordinary.

For some unknown reason, the Shield Hero of each generation chooses to protect the demi-humans, so the demi-humans have come to regard the Shield Hero as their guardian deity. In Sidveld, a country where demi-humans are in charge, the state religion is the Shield Religion.

··· ·Requesting flowers···· ·

Raphtalia wasn't stupid; she realized the predicament Levi was in—it was like playing on away ground.

In the Kingdom of Merlomark, the entire nation is a follower of the Three Heroes Cult and harbors extreme hatred towards the Shield Hero who betrayed humanity. Therefore, it's practically a foregone conclusion that Levi will encounter a great deal of hostility.

Li Wei said, "The king of this country has been somewhat disappointing so far."

Raphtalia said, "So, sir, what do you intend to do? Protect them?"

... ..

Li Wei shook his head and said, "I'm a person who likes reciprocity. If others treat me with kindness, I will naturally treat them with kindness in return. But everyone here is full of malice towards me. Why should I protect people who hate me? Anyway, there will be three more heroes who answer the call later. If we really encounter any problems here, there will be three other heroes to support us."

Raphtalia asked, "My lady, are you planning to go to Sidverut?"

Li Wei said, "I don't have such a plan for the time being. I plan to protect the demi-human autonomous territory here first, so that the demi-humans here can have the ability to protect themselves."

Li Wei knew that warriors possessed special abilities, such as sharing experiences with their companions. Using this ability, they could cultivate a group of high-end combatants in a short period of time. As for the limitations of advancement, they were not a problem for him.

Currently, the Dragon-Carved Hourglass, which allows adventurers to access themselves, is under the control of the Three Heroes Cult. In the kingdom, it is impossible for demi-humans to advance their rank.