Although Fitoria didn't say it directly, the meaning was clear.
Since it's impossible to persuade Jason to live peacefully with the other three heroes, and force isn't an option, the only solution is to find a way for the three heroes to join hands with Jason.
As for what will happen to Motoyasu and the others under Fitoria's control, no one knows, and Jason couldn't care less.
"Huh~~~ You finally came around."
Hearing this, Jason let out a long sigh of relief. After all, being entangled with the queen of the Filo birds was an incredibly troublesome matter.
"Because there's no other option. Even though it's a time-consuming task to find the other three heroes, we have no choice but to try. However, since they aren't as strong as you, it should be easier to convince them."
Fitoria spoke lightly, but the so-called "persuasion" didn't sound promising.
"Now that you've decided, what about compensation?"
Jason raised his right hand and rubbed his fingers together in a familiar gesture.
"Don't worry, I won't break my word. Take out your shield."
Fitoria's expression remained unchanged as she pointed to the shield.
Jason immediately understood, flipping over the shield in his hand and holding it out in front of her.
Fitoria scratched her head, grabbed one of the three hairs on top of her head, and placed it on the gemstone of the shield.
Just like with any ordinary material, the shield absorbed it immediately. However, this time the reaction was quite intense, making it feel as though the entire shield was trembling.
Filo Bird Series, Mandatory Liberation Unlocked!
Seeing this notification in his field of vision, Jason's eyes lit up, and he quickly activated the shield's ability.
He noticed that all the skill icons related to the Filo bird series were illuminated.
There were passive skills that enhanced the basic abilities of Filo birds, as well as corrections to certain abilities, growth rate adjustments (large, medium, small), and detailed status corrections (large, medium, small), among other things.
Some of the Filo bird shield skills that he hadn't previously unlocked or hadn't reached the required level for were now all available for use.
One had to marvel at the power of the Filo bird queen. This mandatory liberation felt like a total game-changer.
Among all these new shield abilities, the most prominent was the Rider's Boost.
As the name suggests, when riding a Filo bird, all of his attributes were enhanced, with the effect reaching its maximum potential.
"From now on, I'll be a knight riding a bird~."
Jason muttered to himself. Despite his clash with Fitoria, leaving him both exhausted and injured, the day's gains made him feel much better.
Not only did he successfully awaken the shield of wrath, but he also completely unlocked all of the Filo bird-related shield skills. His gains were substantial.
"If I don't thank you, it would make me seem petty. So, thank you. But my anger toward you hasn't fully dissipated."
Jason thought for a moment before speaking. Honestly, he would've preferred to pummel Fitoria into the ground rather than accept compensation. But right now, he wasn't strong enough to do that, so he had no choice but to continue growing stronger.
"You're welcome, and it's okay. I understand why you're angry with me."
Fitoria shook her head. In the blink of an eye, the plucked hair on her head grew back. She then turned toward Raphtalia, slightly lowering her head. "I deeply apologize for hurting you."
"No… It's fine. It's just a minor injury."
Raphtalia hadn't expected the dignified queen of the Filo birds to apologize to her, and she quickly replied.
"Give me your hand."
Before Raphtalia could respond, Fitoria grabbed her hand, and with a soft chant, the wound on Raphtalia's hand healed instantly, leaving no scar behind.
"I have nothing more to give you, so please accept this as my apology."
As she spoke, Fitoria placed a bracelet on Raphtalia's wrist. As expected of the queen of the Filo birds, her way of compensating was quite overbearing, leaving no room for refusal.
Filo Bird Queen's Bracelet: Dexterity Boost (Large), Magic Effect Increase (Medium), Blessing of the Filo Bird Queen, Curse Resistance (Small)...
Jason came to Raphtalia's side to inspect the bracelet's attributes. Without a doubt, it was an exceptional piece of equipment.
Normally, Raphtalia wouldn't meet the requirements to wear it, but thanks to the Blessing of the Filo Bird Queen, the restrictions were lowered, allowing her to wear the bracelet.
Moreover, the effect of [Resist Curse] seemed to carry a deeper significance.
"This... is too valuable. I can't accept it."
After hearing Jason's explanation of the bracelet's abilities, Raphtalia quickly understood its worth. If it were sold on the open market, it would undoubtedly be priceless.
But by the time she realized this, Fitoria had already walked far away. Such a straightforward character was rare in the world.
"Raphtalia, just accept it. After all, Fitoria is the queen of the Filo birds. She's lived for countless lifetimes. Equipment like this is probably abundant for her. To her, it's like giving away fruit. Don't worry about it."
Jason's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for everyone around Raphtalia to hear, and they all immediately showed understanding expressions.
As for Fitoria, who had walked a bit farther, it seemed like she momentarily stumbled, as though she had kicked something. However, she quickly regained her composure as if nothing had happened.
Then she approached Jack, Irene, and the others. Placing her right hand on Irene's equipment, she commented: "The equipment you're wearing seems to contain some form of religious power, doesn't it?"
"Indeed."
Jason walked over and nodded, confirming that the equipment Jack and the others were currently wearing had all been gathered from the church.
"If these items were worn by someone else, they might not pose a problem, but as a follower of the Hero of the Shield, they might do more harm than good."
Jason didn't fully grasp the depth of Fitoria's words. He suspected it had something to do with religious faith and conviction. Since the equipment originated from the Three Heroes Church, it likely conflicted with the Hero of the Shield.
After all, Jason didn't know much about religious matters, so this was just his best guess.
"Thank you for the reminder. It seems we'll need to replace their equipment soon."
Jason sighed at the realization, knowing it would require a significant expenditure.
"No need."
Fitoria began chanting, and soon, a faint light emanated from Irene's equipment, though it quickly faded.
"It's done," Fitoria said briefly, moving on to Lilith and repeating the process for each of them. All their equipment was cleansed by Fitoria's power.
It appeared that any negative effects had been removed from their gear, and the [Filo Bird Queen's Blessing] was added, significantly increasing their attributes.
By the time Fitoria had finished with everyone, a trace of exhaustion was evident on her face. Even for someone like her, it had been quite draining.
But she didn't stop there. Turning to Filo, she said, "Filo... come with me."
"And you, Hero of the Shield, come as well."
At this point, Fitoria turned around and beckoned for Jason to follow.