knights kept their spears trained on me as they led me to the audience chamber.
The king and his retainer were there, both looking very grave.
And then…
“Myne!”
Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki, and the rest of their parties were also there. When I called out to her, Myne ran behind Motoyasu and made dagger eyes at me from behind his back.
“What the hell, Myne?”
Everyone was glaring at me like I was some sort of criminal.
“You mean you really don’t remember?”
Motoyasu stepped forward and interrogated me.
What were they talking about?
“What do you mean? Remember what… HEY!”
Motoyasu was wearing my chainmail.
“So it was you… you thief!”
“Who’s a thief? I didn’t know you were such a scoundrel!”
“A scoundrel? What are you talking about?”
With my outburst, I realized that the audience chambers were beginning to feel rather like a courtroom.
“We will now hear the charges against the Shield Hero.”
“Charges? But… but I!”
“Sob… sob… The Shield Hero drank too much, and he came bursting into my room. Then he… He held me down, and…”
“What?”
“He held me down and said, ‘The night is still young, Baby.’ Then he started to rip my clothes off…”
Myne was sniveling behind Motoyasu, and she pointed a shaky finger in my direction as she spoke. “I screamed as loud as I could and ran from the room. That’s when I found Mr. Motoyasu, and he saved me.”
“Huh?”
What was she talking about?
Last night, right after me and Myne split paths, I’d gone straight to sleep. That was why I didn’t remember anything.
I felt bad, watching her cry. But I was too confused to make sense of what was going on.
“What are you talking about? I went to bed right after we finished eating!”
“Liar! If that were true, why would Myne be crying like this?”
“Why are you speaking for her? And just where did you get that shiny-new chainmail of yours?”
They’d all just met yesterday, right?
“Last night I went to the bar for a drink. I was sitting there, alone, when Myne came running over. We had a couple drinks together, and she gave me this chainmail. She said it was a present.”
“Say what?”
I could tell that it was my chainmail.
Granted, Myne could have had her own chainmail and given it to Motoyasu. But it seemed suspicious, at the very least, considering that my own chainmail had gone missing at the same time.
Talking to Motoyasu would get me nowhere. I decided to speak to the king, directly.
“That’s it! Your Highness! I’ve been robbed! My money, clothes, equipment—everything but my shield has been stolen! Please bring the person who did this to justice!”
“Silence, Scoundrel!”
The king ignored my plea.
“Any act of sexual aggression committed against the people of my kingdom, whether by barbarian or Hero, will be punished—immediately—by death!”
“But this is all a mistake! I didn’t do it!”
“I had an inkling the first time I saw you. Of course you would sully yourself, you little wretch!”
“Wretch?! What did I do?”
“Of course things turned out this way. I felt it immediately, that you were a little different from the rest of us.”
“Me too. Even at that though, I never thought you’d stoop so low. You must think you’re somehow entitled to whatever you want!”
“This isn’t all about you! Show some respect!”
All of them were already assuming that I was guilty. I felt my blood rising hot up my neck. What the hell was going on? What the hell? What the hell?
I didn’t even know what they were saying! I never did these things! Why was I being punished? I looked over at Myne in desperation. Apparently she thought that no one else could see her, because she stuck out her tongue and mocked me.
Then I understood what was happening.
I glared at Motoyasu. I could feel hate, black and hard, churning in my guts. I jabbed my finger in his direction, and found my own voice booming out over the room, louder
The king and his retainer were there, both looking very grave.
And then…
“Myne!”
Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki, and the rest of their parties were also there. When I called out to her, Myne ran behind Motoyasu and made dagger eyes at me from behind his back.
“What the hell, Myne?”
Everyone was glaring at me like I was some sort of criminal.
“You mean you really don’t remember?”
Motoyasu stepped forward and interrogated me.
What were they talking about?
“What do you mean? Remember what… HEY!”
Motoyasu was wearing my chainmail.
“So it was you… you thief!”
“Who’s a thief? I didn’t know you were such a scoundrel!”
“A scoundrel? What are you talking about?”
With my outburst, I realized that the audience chambers were beginning to feel rather like a courtroom.
“We will now hear the charges against the Shield Hero.”
“Charges? But… but I!”
“Sob… sob… The Shield Hero drank too much, and he came bursting into my room. Then he… He held me down, and…”
“What?”
“He held me down and said, ‘The night is still young, Baby.’ Then he started to rip my clothes off…”
Myne was sniveling behind Motoyasu, and she pointed a shaky finger in my direction as she spoke. “I screamed as loud as I could and ran from the room. That’s when I found Mr. Motoyasu, and he saved me.”
“Huh?”
What was she talking about?
Last night, right after me and Myne split paths, I’d gone straight to sleep. That was why I didn’t remember anything.
I felt bad, watching her cry. But I was too confused to make sense of what was going on.
“What are you talking about? I went to bed right after we finished eating!”
“Liar! If that were true, why would Myne be crying like this?”
“Why are you speaking for her? And just where did you get that shiny-new chainmail of yours?”
They’d all just met yesterday, right?
“Last night I went to the bar for a drink. I was sitting there, alone, when Myne came running over. We had a couple drinks together, and she gave me this chainmail. She said it was a present.”
“Say what?”
I could tell that it was my chainmail.
Granted, Myne could have had her own chainmail and given it to Motoyasu. But it seemed suspicious, at the very least, considering that my own chainmail had gone missing at the same time.
Talking to Motoyasu would get me nowhere. I decided to speak to the king, directly.
“That’s it! Your Highness! I’ve been robbed! My money, clothes, equipment—everything but my shield has been stolen! Please bring the person who did this to justice!”
“Silence, Scoundrel!”
The king ignored my plea.
“Any act of sexual aggression committed against the people of my kingdom, whether by barbarian or Hero, will be punished—immediately—by death!”
“But this is all a mistake! I didn’t do it!”
“I had an inkling the first time I saw you. Of course you would sully yourself, you little wretch!”
“Wretch?! What did I do?”
“Of course things turned out this way. I felt it immediately, that you were a little different from the rest of us.”
“Me too. Even at that though, I never thought you’d stoop so low. You must think you’re somehow entitled to whatever you want!”
“This isn’t all about you! Show some respect!”
All of them were already assuming that I was guilty. I felt my blood rising hot up my neck. What the hell was going on? What the hell? What the hell?
I didn’t even know what they were saying! I never did these things! Why was I being punished? I looked over at Myne in desperation. Apparently she thought that no one else could see her, because she stuck out her tongue and mocked me.
Then I understood what was happening.
I glared at Motoyasu. I could feel hate, black and hard, churning in my guts. I jabbed my finger in his direction, and found my own voice booming out over the room, louder
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