Chapter 9

The young noblewoman collapsed to her knees in the center of the throne room, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook with perfectly timed, theatrical sobs.

"He… he cornered me in the alleyway behind the tavern!" she wailed, her voice echoing off the stone pillars. "The Shield Demon! He demanded my silver and when I refused, he… he…" She let out a fresh wave of tears, unable to finish the fabricated sentence.

Motoyasu gripped his spear tightly, his face flushed with righteous anger. "You piece of trash," he spat at Naofumi. "To do something like that on your first night?"

"I already told you," Naofumi replied, his voice chillingly calm. He didn't flinch. He didn't beg. "I wasn't there. I was at the inn."

"Silence!" King Aultcray roared. "The word of a noble daughter of Melromarc carries far more weight than the lies of a disgraced—"

"Excuse me, Your Majesty?"

The soft, polite voice cut through the tension like a silver blade.

Everyone turned. Maya stepped forward from the line of Heroes, stepping away from Myne. She pressed her gauntleted hand over her heart, her expression one of deep, troubled concern. She looked the very picture of a distressed maiden trying to do the right thing.

"Maya-sama?" Myne whispered behind her, suddenly nervous.

"Your Majesty," Maya continued, her tone respectful and sweet. "Please forgive my interruption. But as you know, when we were summoned, the Legendary Weapons imparted certain fundamental knowledge of this world directly into our minds to aid our quest."

Ren and Itsuki nodded slightly; they had both spent hours reading their status menus and Help guides. It was a completely plausible bluff.

"Among this knowledge," Maya lied flawlessly, "was the understanding that the four… rather, the five Cardinal Heroes are bound by a shared legacy. An accusation of this magnitude against one of us stains the honor of us all. If the Shield Hero truly committed this vile act, it brings shame upon the Sword, the Spear, the Bow, and the Gauntlet."

The King blinked, thrown slightly off-balance by her formal, pious rhetoric. "Indeed, Gauntlet Hero. Which is why he must be punished swiftly—"

"Exactly," Maya agreed, offering a radiant, innocent smile. "But to protect the pristine honor of the Heroes' names, we must proceed with absolute, undeniable certainty. My weapon's knowledge informed me of a specialized magic in this world: the Slave Crest."

The entire throne room went dead silent. The weeping noblewoman suddenly froze, her fake sobs catching in her throat.

"I kindly request a simple verification," Maya proposed, turning her dark eyes toward the kneeling girl. "Place a temporary Slave Crest upon the accuser, set with a command to speak only the absolute truth. If her words are proven true, then Naofumi Iwatani has disgraced his title and should be stripped of his funds and banished from the kingdom, or face whatever harsh punishment you deem fit."

Maya took a step closer to the throne, her voice dropping to a serious, chillingly sweet whisper. "But… if it is proven that she is lying to frame a Cardinal Hero and tarnish our sacred duty… the Crest will compel her to tell us exactly why she did it, and who instructed her to do so."

Naofumi stood perfectly still, his eyes widening slightly. She is incredible, he thought. She just put a loaded gun to the King's head in front of everyone, and she did it with a smile.

Behind Maya, Myne’s face completely drained of color.

"T-That is preposterous!" the King sputtered, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. He gripped the armrests of his throne, his mind frantically scrambling. "To suggest placing a slave's brand upon a noblewoman of Melromarc! It is an insult! An outrage!"

"Is it an outrage to seek the absolute truth, Your Majesty?" Itsuki spoke up suddenly. The Bow Hero stepped forward, adjusting his glove. "If I may, King Aultcray… Maya makes a highly logical point. If this woman is telling the truth, she has nothing to fear from a temporary crest. As a Hero of Justice, I cannot abide a ruling based solely on unverified hearsay."

"I agree," Ren added coolly, resting his hand on his sword hilt. "In any guild dispute, undeniable proof is required before a ban. The Crest is an efficient solution."

Motoyasu looked confused, glancing between the weeping girl and his fellow heroes. "Wait, you guys want to brand her? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"It’s only extreme if she's lying, Motoyasu," Maya pointed out gently. She looked down at the noblewoman, who was now visibly trembling, her eyes darting toward the King in absolute panic. "Are you willing to swear upon a Crest of Truth to clear the Heroes' names, my lady?"

The girl whimpered, shrinking back from Maya as if the Gauntlet Hero were a monster.

The King realized he was losing control of the room. The Heroes—the very weapons he needed to fight the Waves—were aligning with the Gauntlet's logic. If he forced the punishment now, he would look incredibly guilty to the Sword and the Bow.

"ENOUGH!" King Aultcray bellowed, standing up from his throne. "This court will not be dictated to by foreigners ignorant of our customs! The noblewoman has suffered enough trauma without being threatened with slave magic!"

He glared at Naofumi with unbridled hatred. The frame job had failed. Maya had completely shattered the illusion. But the King couldn't just let him go without losing face.

"However," the King ground out through clenched teeth, "since the other Heroes require 'undeniable proof' that we cannot currently procure without violating our own laws… the physical punishment is suspended."

The King pointed a shaking finger at Naofumi. "But your reputation remains in question, Shield! You shall receive no further royal funds! No kingdom support! You are on your own, outcast! Get out of my sight before I change my mind!"

Naofumi didn't argue. He didn't demand an apology. He gave the furious King a stiff, mocking bow, turned on his heel, and walked out of the throne room. As he passed Maya, their eyes met for a fraction of a second. The message in Naofumi's gaze was crystal clear: Thank you.

The heavy doors slammed shut behind him.

The King slumped back into his throne, breathing heavily, glaring at Maya. Myne stared at Maya's back, a newfound, terrifying realization dawning on her. The Gauntlet wasn't a naive, protective fool. She was a master manipulator.

Interactive Choice: The Aftermath

Maya has successfully saved Naofumi from being completely ruined, but she has definitely drawn the King's suspicion. What is her next move?