That segment where it showed the shield hero being different like he couldnβt remember things was just a huge metaphor nothing actually happened. Like with Raphtalia he never realized she was actually growing up and kept treating her like a kid so in that moment he saw her in a new light and realized she actually has grown. When he says βI can finally taste foodβ, it was just a comparison to when he first got betrayed and lost all βtasteβ. The curse shield is something for later so keep an eye out for that.