Chapter 22 - 22: What I Wanted to Hear (1/2)
”What do you mean by 'win', you coward!”
Our one-on-one duel was interrupted, right!?
”What are you talking about? You lost because you couldn't stand up to my strength.”
... You bastard, you're seriously saying that.
What was that crap about heroes! That they shouldn't own slaves!
You trash, acting like a hero while rigging this battle to satisfy yourself.
”Your comrade interfered in the middle of our fight! That's why I staggered!”
”Ha! Is that lie the bitching of a loser?”
”That's not it, you ȧsshole!”
The coward Motoyasu looked down on me, ignoring my complaints while feeling victorious.
Even though there really was an intrusion... that bastard!
”Is that so.”
The spectators had their eyes on Motoyasu.
Did they not see what happened..? Everyone was completely silent.
”There is no need to believe the words of a criminal Hero. Hero of the Spear! It is your victory!”
That ȧsshole!
Even then, some of the crowd were unsure. They looked around as if they wanted to speak up. However, there was no one who would challenge what the king had declared.
Because the king has silenced all dissent.
This kingdom is a complete dictatorship!
”As expected of Motoyasu-sama!”
The bitch who was the instigator of this incident shamelessly rushed to Motoyasu's side.
Furthermore, the castle's magicians only cast healing magic on Motoyasu, treating his wounds.
Looks like they have no intention of helping me.
”Fumu, as expected of the Hero who my daughter, Malty, has selected.”
The king says as he places his hand on Mein's shoulder.
”W-what..!?”
Mein is the king's daughter!?
”Ah... I was also surprised at the time upon hearing that Mein is a princess. She used a fake name to slip amongst us.”
”Yes... I wanted to help for the sake of world peace~”
... I see. So it's like that.
It seemed strange how easily I was labeled a criminal with just the victim's testimony.
So that's what it was... The king overlooked his idiotic daughter's selfishness and pushed a false crime onto me using fake evidence. For the sake of the Hero that his daughter chooses, he sacrificed me and reclaimed my money because I was the weakest among the Heroes.
And because Motoyasu saved the princess from me, they ended up becoming closer, more so than all the other girls around him.
This also explains why I received additional funds at the beginning.
In other words, she is able to obtain good equipment for herself as well as to support her chosen hero, Motoyasu.
With such meticulous planning, there's definitely no way to find the truth other than from the culprits themselves. In the end the result was a worthless, criminal Shield Hero and the Spear Hero who magnificently saved the princess.
Piece by piece, everything begins to make sense.
There is no evidence other then the blow I received, which did no damage apart from making me stagger. There was no clear evidence that the princess was cheating.
Any objections to this rigged match were probably silenced behind the scenes.
So she could interfere in our duel and cover for her favored hero, Motoyasu.
In that case, it must have been planned from the start for Motoyoasu and I to have this duel.
...Oh, it's so simple. All she had to do was whisper this to him:
”'That girl has been forced into slavery by the Shield Hero. Please save her.'”
A chance to both test her potential husband as well as to show herself in a good light. If it's her, she definitely won't let that chance slip by.
And in the distant future, her name will be carried on as the wife of the virtuous Hero who defeated the evil Hero.
Shit! This trash king and bitch princess!
No, wait... the princess, a bitch...?
This phase, where have I heard it before?
Where? Where did I hear such a thing?
... I remember now. I read it in the 'Four Heavenly Weapon's Manual'.
In that book the princess was a bitch who whored herself to all the Heroes.
If the book I read in the library is related to this world, then it makes sense that the princess is a bitch. The same can apply to all these other shitty Heroes.
A seething rage from the very depths of my body envelops me.
The conditions for unlocking this shield have been met.
My vision distorts as my shield is swallowed by the pitch black emotion overflowing from my heart.
”Now then Motoyasu-dono, the girl which the Shield Hero has kept enslaved is waiting.”
The crowd separates as the magicians begin to release Raphtalia from the slave curse.
The magicians bring a bowl overflowing with a certain liquid and smear it on the slave mark etched into her ċhėst.
The mark fades away before my eyes.
Raphtalia is now officially freed from my enslavement.
My stomach churns as my heart is consumed by a dark feeling.
It's as if this world is ridiculing and scorning me, all the while laughing at my struggles.
”Raphtalia-chan!”
Motoyasu rushes over to her.
Raphtalia, with the gag now removed from her mouth and tears flowing down her face--
--slapped Motoyasu.
”You... coward!”
”... Eh?”
Motoyasu had a dumbfounded look on his face after being hit.
”I never asked to be saved by your cowardly tactics!”
”B-but Raphtalia-chan was being exploited by him, right?”
”Naofumi-sama has never forced me to do anything! Only when I was too afraid to fight did he use the curse!”
Slipping in and out of consciousness, I couldn't hear what was being said.
No, I could actually hear it.
But I did not want to listen to anyone.
I just want to hurry and run away from here.
I want to return to my world.
”He shouldn't have done that!”
”Naofumi-sama can't defeat any monsters by himself. That's why he has to rely on someone else to defeat them!”
”You don't need to do that! He'll just use you until you're broken!”
”Naofumi-sama has never once let any monsters hurt me! And if I become tired he lets me rest!”
”N, No... he's not the type to be so considerate...”
”... Would you be able to offer your hand to a dirty slave wrecked with illness?”
”Eh?”
”Naofumi-sama has done so much for me. He allowed me eat whatever I wanted. He gave me precious medicine when I was sick. Would you be able to do that?”
”I- I would!”
”Then you should have another slave by your side right now!”
”!?”
For some reason... Raphtalia ran over to me.