Crime Accusation
The next day after sunrise. I was sitting inside a room in the adventurers’ guild.
About what happened yesterday…well, I ended up angering the person in charge of the brothel for forcing the girl over her limits, yup.
I gave the prostitute and the brothel some money as an apology and somehow kept things under control.
She was in a really weakened state because I was eating her soul, but just as I thought, she did not realize it. Well, that was only natural.
And then I got banned from the brothel. That was only natural as well. Well, I’m actually glad that happened. I almost became a murderer unintentionally…
That’s why I was worn out before the serious business even began, but it’s the real deal from here on.
I pulled myself together and went to face the guild’s receptionist and the members of『Falcon Sword』.
◆◆◆
「…So, Sir Sora, you have no intention to withdraw your accusation that the 『Falcon Sword』had intentionally attacked you?」
「I told you already. I’m going to tell you the same thing no matter how many times you ask me」
I sneered at the receptionist’s words as I pointed at the four people who were on the other side of the large table.
「”Falcon Sword” used me as a decoy in order to save themselves. They even deliberately used magic on me that could have killed me! I will not withdraw this claim. Why do you want me to withdraw it in the first place? They probably won’t deny it either」
「That may be the case, but there is a discrepancy between the two stories, so there would be a need for an investigation」
「Then let’s confirm the testimonies. There’s no need for me to withdraw the charges for you guys to investigate」
The receptionist went silent after that.
By the way, this guild receptionist was the same girl with braided hair who gave me my sentence of expulsion back then.
After she shut her mouth, Larz was the one who spoke next.
「…Sora」
「What?」
「Did Miro really use magic against you? I can’t believe that」
He looked at me suspiciously.
He had lost consciousness at the time from the king of flies’ attack and was being carried away by Iria, their warrior priest. Because of that, he did not see it with his own eyes.
I lightly shrugged my shoulders and answered him,
「It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. Rather, you should question the person in question before questioning me」
「Miro admitted that she used magic. However, she said that she did not use it on you intentionally. It was just bad luck that the magic she casted at the king of flies accidently hit you, no?」
I burst out laughing after I heard that.
「Puu- puhahahah! Bad luck?! As expected from the great leader of a C-ranked party, such a wonderful deduction!」
Larz’s face went red when I applauded him as I laughed. Miroslav and Iria who sat next to him were both shooting daggers at me but I looked at them and laughed in their faces as well.
「Then here’s a question for you, great leader. At the time, you were being chased by the king of flies. And I was standing in the direction you were running towards」
From Miroslav’s point of view, the monster was behind her and I was in front of her.
「At those positions, how can the spell possibly friendly fire onto me? Did she somehow accidentally cast the spell she wanted to cast behind her in front of her? What do you mean?! Even a child who just started to learn magic would not make a mistake like that!」
Larz was out of words while I kept on laughing.
The receptionist knitted her brows and spoke next,
「Sir Sora, this isn’t a place for you to insult each other. We’re here to assert each other’s claims and then find a compromise if possible. Please stop putting the other party down on purpose」
「Oh, my bad. I didn’t know this place was such a noble place. I thought this was a place solely for you to think about how to put an end to my claim to protect high ranking adventurers who are important to the guild」
「…Are you going to insult the guild as well?」
「If it wasn’t true then hurry up and give these guys their punishments. You haven’t said anything about that so far and all you’ve been doing is nothing but telling me to drop my claims and watch my tone. It’s hard to not be suspicious of you guys」
I made this person who just expelled me from the guild with an expressionless face the other day curl her lip in frustration.
Honestly… this feels super nice!
The fault is on them. I can blame them as much as I want.
Medical expenses and hush fees, they would have to give me some benefits like that if they want me to compromise— I bet the receptionist was thinking that– but what I wanted to do today is to give 『Falcon Sword』 and the guild (and its receptionists) a hard time.
There’s no need for me to compromise!
Then, Iria looked at me with a disgusted expression and opened her mouth.
「You keep saying punishment, punishment, punishment, but what is it exactly that you want us to do? Would you be satisfied if we all bowed down to the floor for you?」
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「What’s with that remark? How can you act so strong after throwing away another person’s life? I don’t mind bringing this case to the holy temple of the god of law, you know? A warrior priest of their own sect had abandoned their teachings and threw away another’s life to save their own after all」
After I said that, I crossed my arms and pretended to think about it for a second.
「…Yeah, actually, I guess I should do that. Some priests in the holy temple of the god of law can use the miracle, 『Sense Lie』, so they’ll see that I’m not lying. It would be much better than doing the questioning here」
Iria’s facial expression changed after she heard what I said.
When she saw me standing up with a faint smile on my face, she tried to say something else.
However, there was someone who opened their mouth before her.
It was Miroslav.
「Hold on! I’m the one who fired that spell at you. The others have nothing to do with this, okay?!」
「Have nothing to do with it? The people who didn’t help the victim who was attacked by their companions unreasonably, they have nothing to do with it since I lucked out and escaped from being monster feed? What a joke, you “murderers”」
I will also give you guys a new nickname as my present to you since you named me a parasite.
Perhaps she caught on to my intentions, Miroslav’s beautiful face turned wry.
「….! In-In the first place, “Necessity” is allowed even for adventurers. You can’t let two parties sink in one boat!」
What came out of her mouth was a narrative of a past case.
A case in the past when a shipwrecked sailor saw another sailor grabbing onto a piece of plank so he swam up to him and asked if he could grab on to it as well.
But that plank was small, so it would sink if they both grabbed onto it and they would both die.
The sailor who first grabbed onto that plank had no choice but to remove the second sailor’s hands from it and let him drown.
That sailor, who was later accused of murder, was found not guilty at the trial….
Miroslav applied this story to her own actions.
I laughed scornfully.
「Larz, are you listening to this? It’s clear that she intentionally attacked me at the time of your escape since she’s using the term ‘Necessity’. She just let her own secret slip」
「…Ah?!」
「…Miro」
「I-I’m sorry, Larz! But-but I was desperately trying to help you at the time… I thought that I had to do something, and that was the only thing I could think of…!」
Miroslav covered her face with both of her hands and started crying.
Seeing his comrade like that, Larz put his hand on her shoulder and gently talked into her ear.
「I know. I know that you’re not a girl who likes to hurt others, Miro. Moreover, it’s because of me that you were pushed to go so far. I’m responsible for this as well. I will take the punishment with you together」
「…Ahhh, Larz! I…I’m…so sorry…!」
Miroslav hugged Larz while looking deeply emotional.
And Larz also gently hugged her back.
…This cheap play that suddenly started to unfold in front of my cold eyes. What the hell is this?
Rather, if you are going to apologize, apologize to me first before you apologize to Larz.
I don’t remember hearing an apology from anyone even once since I came back to this city.
Even Lunamaria, who is usually the most sensible one out of all of them, was dead silent.
When I looked at this elf who has been silent the whole time, she looked down with a pale look on her face. Is it just me, or is she shaking a little bit?
There’s no way she’s suffering from her guilty conscience right now, so what is she doing?
Iria was being Iria as she watched the scene of Larz and Miroslav hugging each other while worrying about whether she should break them apart or not.
Each and every one of them only had love in their eyes. They don’t understand what Miroslav did at all.
I sighed instinctively.
Then, Larz opened his mouth while he hugged her.
「Sora, it’s as you heard. The incident this time is not the only responsibility of Miro. I am responsible as well」
「So, does that mean the great leader will also take responsibility for it?」
「Ah, that’s right」
「How noble of you. So, how are you going to take responsibility exactly?」
「That of course, will be up to you as well. I will even lower my head to you if you want me to」
「I see, you won’t even do that unless I tell you to, huh? Seriously, you don’t understand the situation at all, Larz」
「…What did you say?」
「You said it’ll be up to me, right? Then I will take your word for it. Get out of my way. Let me kill this girl and that will be the end of it」
I pointed at Miroslav, the magic-user with red hair who had tears in her eyes.