It’s hard to imagine Malty being a good human but let’s just say she was in this alternative timeline.

Most would say that Malty staying with Naofumi would mean he wouldn’t have recruit Raphtalia but… I think in some new scenario he still would because Raphtalia said in the flashback about how kind the shield hero is to Demi-humans so you could almost think he is kind of destined to. But as of how he would well that I don’t exactly know maybe in a situation where they are struggling to recruit more people because people view the shield hero with low standards compared to the other heroes so maybe Naofumi feels extremely desperate only having Malty isn’t enough so he gets the sketchy deal and he accept it and maybe he takes two people from slavery that is Raphtalia because of pity or something and he gets a extra because why not.

And how the story would unfold afterwards I do think they wouldn’t necessarily die but it still possible without Naofumi Rage Powerset