We’re back with another Shield Hero volume. With this one, we’re getting closer and closer to catching up the anime adaption. Soon enough, we’ll be in uncharted territory! But, that’s neither here nor there. Let’s get into this volume shall we?
With Volume 4, we pick up with Naofumi and his party getting chased down under the suspicion of kidnapping the crown princess, Melty. Framed once again, and fearing for not only his life but that of his new (probably temporary) party member, the Shield does his best to find a way to get Melty away from the clutches of her older sister and assassins and back to her mother. Only problem is, they don’t know what country the Queen is in, just the general direction. So, not only do they have to contend with a foolish Hero and dangerous assassins chasing them down, they have to find a way to figure out the Queen’s location.
I swear, Naofumi just can’t catch a break! Well, I say that but even though he’s been fighting an uphill battle up to this point, that’s looking like it’ll change with this volume. Sure he goes through yet another betrayal, but the good thing about the betrayal in this volume is it brings with it more lore of this world. We get to learn more about the Waves, and their importance to the world, not just the country the heroes were summoned. Which comes as a surprise to many, the fact that Melromarc isn’t the most important country in this story. I’m interested to learn more about the other countries, especially those that favor the Shield Hero, as Melromarc is extremely prejudiced toward him.
With that said, this volume shed a brighter light on the discrimination that not only Naofumi faces, but also the demihumans that reside in the country. We’re treated to more of Raphtalia’s life before she met Naofumi…though I guess treated isn’t the right word. We previously learned she was bought and sold as a slave to wealthy men, and the most egregious perpetrator rears his ugly head in this volume, and we see a darker side of Raphtalia than we’ve seen before. The development she and the rest of Naofumi’s party experiences here is so good! They grow not only in character development, but their strength grows as well.
We meet an important character in this volume and the meeting results in the growth of our lovely little Filo. We also learn a little bit of the history of this world, as well as the state of the current world from this new character, so meeting her definitely shed some light on the way things were unfolding. By the end of this novel, we get to see some comeuppance on multiple fronts, and the differences from the anime are changes I wish they wouldn’t have made in regards to some of the characters. But, I still had a great time with this one. Looking forward to getting the volume!