The system handed me over to the state.

Before Princess Maddie could finish speaking, Bronya's metal arrow pierced directly into the princess's thigh. The sharp metal arrow went right through the princess's delicate thigh, followed by the princess's piercing scream.

What are you doing!

“If you continue to stay and anger me, I will kill you without hesitation.”

"You...you're insane! You killed us, and now you think you can save this world? We are heroes, the saviors of this world!"

Bronya's eyes were icy cold. "Saviors? So what? What does it have to do with me? If a hero dies, just summon another. This world has no shortage of heroes. They die and are summoned again, just like tools that are reused. So, what is the point of your existence?"

"you...."

"Last chance, get out!"

Bronya issued a final arrest warrant; if they didn't leave, it wouldn't be as simple as just shooting them in the thigh.

Princess McGrady gritted her teeth and said, "You just wait! I won't let you get away with this!"

Bronya looked at the swordsman and the bowman, who still had no intention of leaving, and did not put away her bow and arrows, but continued to stare at the two men in front of her.

"Why are you doing this? Are you trying to steal our resources and stop our growth?"

The Archer relentlessly questioned her, to which Bronya remained silent. At that moment, Naofumi Iwatani finished dissecting the BOSS with remarkable speed and arrived beside Bronya, saying, "37 parts, here are your 7 parts."

Bronya didn't check it, took the materials and put them away, then took 5% of the items and equipment dropped by the BOSS and gave them to the Shield Hero.

"Good luck, kid."

After Bronya finished speaking, she jumped directly into the forest and left. Naofumi Iwatani watched Bronya's departing figure, lost in thought.

On her way back to town, leaping through the forest, Bronya inspected her loot. The materials were plentiful, of course. She had been careful when dividing the loot: a bow and a short sword. The two weapons were perfect, so Bronya kept only them, leaving the rest untouched and handing them all over to Naofumi Iwatani.

As for whether that portion belonged to the 50%, Bronya no longer cared much.

The weapons are of decent quality. The bow is enchanted with two spells: one is her existing strong attack attribute, and the other is armor-piercing penetration. The short sword is average; Bronya is interested in its high durability.

"Well... it's time to check out other areas."

Chapter 415: Which world would you choose?

For the next period of time, Bronya was completely immersed in leveling up and exploring her skills. The area near the royal city could no longer satisfy her desire to level up, so she gradually turned her attention to other areas. In the next few waves, Bronya also tried to conceal her presence and handed over all the monsters to the so-called Four Holy Warriors.

As expected, apart from Naofumi Iwatani's team, the other three were simply useless. Even after their advancement, the three were not as strong as Naofumi Iwatani, a hero who had not yet been promoted.

Moreover, Bronya has been quite troubled lately. That bitch princess has labeled her as a demonic woman working for Naofumi Iwatani, describing her as a succubus who exploits men.

Bronya was indifferent to this. Why should she bother with a princess who couldn't even leave her own country?

Anyway, she was just visiting and would leave when her time was up. You can slander her all you want. Although it did make her a little unhappy, Bronya didn't want to take action for the time being.

"Um! Please wait a minute!"

With the next wave approaching, Bronya returned to the shop of the bald weapon shop owner she had previously visited, intending to replenish some arrows and see if there were any better weapons. However, she encountered Naofumi Iwatani once again there.

Just as Bronya was about to leave, Naofumi Iwatani called her back.

Turning his head to face Bronya's indifferent gaze, Naofumi Iwatani swallowed hard and asked nervously, "Can...you team up with us?"

Give me a reason.

Naofumi Iwatani choked, thought for a moment, and then explained, "Your strength alone is always limited. The power of the waves will only grow stronger, and it will always be difficult for you to fight alone!"

"So...you see, I am the shield, I can protect you. Your melee ability is very strong, but if you encounter a monster that can counterattack you, or a monster that is immune to physical attacks, you will inevitably be unable to hold your own!"

You said you wanted to protect me?

Bronya paused for a moment. That made sense; a shield was meant to protect—to protect oneself and one's teammates. But why did it sound so off when he said it?

However, Naofumi Iwatani was right. Bronya could clearly feel that her solo combat ability was weakening, and more and more monsters that were effective against archers were emerging.

In the previous wave, she fought almost entirely with her short sword. There were just too many monsters that rushed at her so quickly that it was impossible to defend against them.

Bronya also realized that she needed a team; no matter how strong she was, there was a limit to how much she could carry on alone.

Now that the Shield Hero has delivered himself to her doorstep, she has saved herself the trouble of searching for her teammates.

"No, I... I was just stating what I can do!"

Naofumi Iwatani had a deep impression of Bronya's performance during the first wave, which was one of the reasons why he took the initiative to extend an invitation this time.

He really didn't want to trust anyone right now, except for the two people around him. But Bronya was a little different. She was the one who was willing to share the spoils and materials with him during the first wave, and later, she was also the one who was framed by that bitch princess.

Therefore, Naofumi naturally felt some sympathy for Bronya, which is why he extended this invitation today.

"I agreed."

"Huh?"

"I said, I agree."

Bronya's quick agreement surprised Naofumi Iwatani. He hadn't expected her to agree so quickly and decisively, without even making any demands.

Next, Bronya applied to join the party, and Naofumi Iwatani agreed. After seeing Bronya's level and attributes, he was dumbfounded. Her level was close to 100, and her attributes were outrageous... Even they, the heroes, could not compare!

"You're... way too strong!"

Naofumi Iwatani was not basking in the joy of his new teammate's arrival, but was instead shocked. However, when he looked up, Bronya had already vanished.

"Wow...you walk really fast..."

Naofumi Iwatani was somewhat annoyed; this guy really was unconventional, not giving him a single chance to speak.

That night, after Bronya returned to town, she had dinner at a tavern with Naofumi Iwatani and his two female companions. Suddenly, Naofumi Iwatani said, "Bronya, we're planning... to go to the demi-human country. Would you like to come along?"

"While it won't hinder our teamwork, however..."

"what happened?"

Naofumi Iwatani paused, momentarily speechless, "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come with us..."

"Is it a matter of advancing to the next level?"

Bronya discovered that Naofumi Iwatani, Raphtalia, and Filo were all stuck at level 40 and had not progressed. The only explanation was that the three of them were stuck due to a problem with their level advancement.

Advancing requires going to the Dragon Carving Hourglass, but this country's attitude towards them... suggests they won't be allowed to use it.

"Your level is only 40, is that alright?"

Bronya inquired, after all, the other party was her upcoming teammate, and a crucial shield protecting her. If this shield died because of her insufficient level, Bronya would feel quite sorry for it.

As for feeling sad? Not really. She wouldn't feel sad, since even if Naofumi Iwatani died, it wouldn't be a big deal to her.

After all, it doesn't affect my own mission.

"This is also why we have to leave. The people of this world do not allow us to use the Dragon Hourglass. We can only go to the land of the demi-humans, otherwise I will not be able to advance. But as things stand... I estimate that it will not be so easy for us to leave this country."

Naofumi Iwatani harbored some concerns. Given the current situation, leaving this country wouldn't be so easy. He wasn't afraid of being stopped along the way, but he was afraid of being tripped up or falling into traps, such as... making his reputation in this country even worse.

“I see... I understand now. I will leave with you. I have no attachment to this country, and it doesn’t matter which country I’m in.”

"Oh! Really?"

Bronya rolled her eyes. "You're making it sound like you're questioning what I've already said."

"Let's continue eating. I'll go rest after I finish eating. Shall we leave after the wave subsides?"

"Yes, we'll leave after the wave subsides. If we leave now, it will be troublesome if the carriages and other goods get caught in the chaff along the way. So we'll wait until the wave subsides before leaving, giving us enough time to go somewhere else."

Naofumi Iwatani had planned it all out. If it weren't for this wave, he would have left long ago. Time was too tight. He would be teleported halfway there and then have to walk a longer distance. Who would want that?

After a brief exchange of thoughts and opinions, the dinner came to an end. Bronya left first, and Naofumi Iwatani looked at Filo and Raphtalia, who had remained silent, and asked, "Are you two so quiet today?"

"Ah... Lord Naofumi, I don't know... for some reason, but in front of Miss Bronya... I'm a little hesitant to speak, as if there's some kind of imposing aura pressing down on us."

"Mmm! Bronya looks so serious! Filo doesn't even dare to speak!"

Naofumi Iwatani rubbed his head. To be honest, he had the same feeling when he talked to Bronya. She was too serious and earnest, and he was a little hesitant to go up and talk to her. Naofumi Iwatani's social experience told him that Bronya must have been an important figure in society before she transmigrated!

That night, Naofumi Iwatani knocked on Bronya's door. When the door opened, Bronya stared at Naofumi standing in the doorway. "Is there something you need?"

"Can I... ask you something? There's something I'm curious about and would like to ask."

Bronya paused for a moment, then said, "Come in."

The door opened, and Bronya sat down on her bed. Naofumi Iwatani moved a chair over and leaned on the back of it, asking, "You're also someone who traveled from this era, right? The clothes you're wearing don't seem like something people from this time would own."

Bronya's expression remained indifferent as she stared at her personal panel. "Yes and no, I did indeed transmigrate to this world, but my mission objectives are different from yours."

Bronya's words piqued Naofumi Iwatani's interest. "You're not a hero? Then how did you get here? Do I have a way to travel back now? Do you know of such a method?"

Naofumi Iwatani's tone became agitated, and Bronya looked up. "I don't know."

"This... then how... did you get here?"

"I was sent here by someone else. As I said, I am not a hero. My mission here is different from yours, but it just so happens to align with yours. My goal is related to the waves, so I can assist you to some extent, or team up with you to resist the waves."

"I will leave this world after my goal is achieved."

"I'm so envious..."

Naofumi Iwatani's eyes were filled with envy. The mission objective had been achieved, and he could go back. His own goal as a hero was to save the world, but what exactly constituted saving... Naofumi Iwatani didn't know.

"Actually, it's just a choice."

Bronya suddenly spoke up, "A choice?"

"Yes, it's a choice. You want to go back to your world, but once you have your own ties and things you care about in this world, can you really leave it?"

"In other words, are there things you care about in your world that are more important than things you care about in this world, making it necessary for you to go back?"

"Or are you in such a hurry to go back just to delete all the pornographic books under your bed and on your computer's hard drive so your parents won't find them?"

"Hey! What kind of excuse is that?! I'm not that kind of person!"

Naofumi Iwatani immediately retorted vehemently, while Bronya suddenly laughed, "Really?"

"Really? Really... Why are you suddenly asking such a strange question? But at least you smiled for once."

Bronya shook her head. "Relaxed moments don't require constant vigilance, and besides, the way you immediately retorted was really funny."

Naofumi Iwatani scratched his head in slight distress. He really didn't have that kind of strange preference... Oh well, never mind.

But Bronya was right. He wanted to go back, partly because he had gotten used to modern life and partly because he never expected to become a hero—something that hadn't been done with his consent.

Moreover, his experiences over this period of time have instilled in him a strong aversion to this world, which is one of the biggest reasons why he wants to go back.