Shield Hero With Barrier Magic

(Rose's POV)

Hiro-sama and I are standing while leaning against a huge rock on the top of the mountain while watching a burning village down the mountain. I wonder how much time Gaelion will take to burn the village.

I don't feel anything while looking at the burning village. Even though I once thought of killing the villagers myself. I think I would have felt nothing even if I killed them myself.

I look at Hiro-sama to find that he is also looking the same. He also seems neither happy nor sad. It's just like he's doing this just because he wanted to even though he gains nothing out of it.

Rose: "Are you going to punish everyone who played with the feelings of your family like this, Hiro-sama?"

Hiro: "Well, I won't. I can't do the same mistake again. Revenge is not something that needs to be taken every time. I learned that lesson the hard way."

Rose: "Is this related to your past, degozaru?"

Hiro: "Yep. Revenge is just a way of satisfying ourselves for the moment, Rose. In my past life, I always took the choice of revenge over everything. But revenge is not always the best choice. Sometimes not taking revenge is the best thing one can do. So, in this life, I will carefully choose if I have to kill or make them suffer or just leave them."

I can say he's been through a lot. Maybe training of us Shadows doesn't even compare to what this person went through. And thinking about what he went through makes me sad.

Rose: "Hiro-sama, now that I got feelings, will you do the same thing if someone played with my feelings too?"

Hiro-sama smiled at me.

Hiro: "What the hell are you talking about, Rose? I am not that dense to not find out that this village played with your feelings too. And you are a part of my family. So, obviously you are also one of the reasons for this."

Rose: "So, I am one of the reasons the village is burning. That makes me happy, degozaru."

Hiro: "Just for confirmation, you are happy because I considered your feelings, right?"

Rose: "Y... Yes."

I think it's making me embarrassed when you ask that directly, Hiro-sama.

Rose: "W... Why did Hiro-sama ask that, degozaru?"

Hiro: "Nothing. I just wanted to confirm if you didn't open a forbidden door."

I didn't understand what he meant. He just looked at the burning village.

Rose: "Hiro-sama, do you think it will be okay to burn the village like this, degozaru? Will someone figure out the truth, degozaru?"

Hiro-sama smiled sarcastically.

Hiro: "'The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf''... The moral is that 'No one believes a liar even if they tell the truth'. Everyone just looks it in one way. But it can also be interpreted as 'Even liars can tell the truth some times.' The villagers could have saved the poor sheep from wolf if they understood that. Why do people always ignore that side of the story? It's also villagers' fault to keep the same lying boy to guard those sheep. But that fact is never accepted. Because people tend to be ignorant, Rose. They become more ignorant if ignorance can profit them."

I can't believe a Fable can be interpreted this deeply.

Hiro: "The guild will have to reduce the debt if they accept the truth, so they won't. The church can just blame that God has brought disaster on the village since they tried to trick Sword Hero. Trash will just be Trash. Who else is there to help them?"

So, he already gave a thought on that side too huh... He's simply a terrifying being.

Hiro: "That Fable taught me how important it is to differentiate between lies and the truth. So, I developed my intuition to tell them apart."

All of this from a Fable huh...

There's one thing that has been bothering me since I realized my feelings. I have been hiding the truth from Hiro-sama for a long time. I had been okay with that before I got feelings but now... now I am afraid that they will hate me. I don't want that. I don't know what to do.

Rose: "Hiro-sama, what if someone you considered your family lied or hid the truth from you? Will you hate them, degozaru?"

He looked at me and started laughing loudly.

Hiro: "Pfft... Hahahaha..."

He didn't stop laughing for a while. I didn't understand why he was laughing.

Hiro: "Lying to someone you love huh. I think it's fine. As long as you don't betray them, lying to the ones you love is fine. Because if the other person truly loves you, they will forgive you for your lies for sure."

How can I say the difference between them? Maybe it's better to ask Hiro-sama.

Rose: "What is the difference between lying and betraying, degozaru?"

Hiro: "Hiding the truth is lying. Trying to portray a lie as the truth is betraying. Lying can be easily forgiven when compared to be a betrayal."

It confused me even more.

Fine. I don't care about the difference but I don't want them to hate me. I want to be forgiven. Please.

Hiro: "I know that you and the Queen lied to me on some things. Don't worry, I won't punish you or the Queen for that even though a lot of perverted readers of this fanfic want that to happen."

He put his hand on my head and started patting me.

Hiro: " You are still our family, Rose. You can lie all you want. We will definitely forgive you if we ever came to know the truth."

I took his warm hand and touched it with my cheek. I want to feel the warmth of this hand forever.

Rose: "Thank You, Hiro-sama. Thank You."

I... I am happy. Before I knew it, tears formed at the corner of my eyes. I am crying. So, this is what it's like to cry. But I think I am okay with crying forever if I had to cry with the feeling I am feeling at present.

Hiro: "No. I should be the one thanking you, Rose."

I didn't understand why he was thanking me.

It took a while for me to stop crying. Gaelion still didn't come back. And then, I realized I am alone with Hiro-sama. I should take this chance to be offensive. Alright, I should try one of the methods that I read about.

Since we are leaning against a huge rock, it's better to use that method.

I slammed my hand to the side of Hiro-sama's face.

Rose: "Hiro-sama..."

I moved my face to his ear on the other side of his face and whispered.

Rose: "Make me your bride."

Hiro: "Umm... Rose..."

Rose: "Yes, Hiro-sama?"

Hiro: "Did you just do a wall-slam (kabedon) on me?"

Rose: "Yes. I read this is one of the methods that help you with your love, degozaru."

Hiro: "Well yeah. But it's weird since a guy does this to a girl generally."

Rose: "Isn't that gender discrimination, degozaru?"

Hiro-sama started laughing out loud again.

Hiro: "Hahahaha... It's working, Rose. I think I fell for you a little, Rose."

Alright, I think I should find a way to use every method I read of.