Episode 019
The underground prison of Artem held a damp chill even during the day.
A foul stench permeated the air, and a few bugs crawled about.
Count Gondor, visible beyond the iron bars, wore none of the servile expression he'd had in the treasure vault yesterday.
Restrained at both arms and legs, he sat cross-legged on the chair as leisurely as a distinguished guest here to rest.
His pretense of being a big shot was quite laughable.
Clank—
I opened the prison door and took a step toward the bastard.
"Let's keep this simple. Who's your backer?"
"......."
"Didn't catch that? Who put you up to this?"
At the casual question, Count Gondor let out a low, croaking laugh.
"Backer? Put me up to this? Did you say Tanath? It seems you still don't know how this kingdom operates."
Seeing this sorry spectacle, a sigh naturally escaped me.
I know better than you.
The man working desperately to prevent ruin—
That's me.
"The question itself is strange from the start. Put up to this? Are you implying this body is some puppet taking orders from another?"
Prisia, who had been standing nearby with arms crossed, shouted with a frown.
"Count! Do you still fail to grasp the situation? You were caught red-handed!"
"Caught red-handed? Oh! Lady Prisia, that depends on one's perspective. Do you know how many connections I've planted in the kingdom's central political sphere?"
The Count glared at Prisia with eyes brimming with certainty.
The arrogant certainty unique to the privileged, that networks woven from money and power would shield him.
"This matter will end as nothing more than a 'minor misunderstanding born of excessive loyalty.' Just watch; I shall be acquitted and released!"
And then he launched into a fiery speech, spitting everywhere.
This won't do with words.
Smack—
Instantly, a sharp slap echoed through the silent underground prison.
Count Gondor's head snapped roughly to the side.
"......?"
The dazed Count caressed his cheek and looked up at me.
"D-did you... just strike me? Me, a Count?"
"You were spitting."
I roughly wiped my palm on my clothes and continued.
"If you don't want to talk, don't. It's your loss. I'll see you at the trial."
"Y-you ignorant commoner dare...!"
When I casually raised one hand,
"......."
The Count forcibly swallowed his boiling rage.
I tapped Prisia's shoulder and made to leave.
"Sir Knight, will you be alright? Seeing the Count so confident, he must be scheming something..."
"Don't worry."
After comforting Prisia and sending her off,
Millene, wearing a hood, appeared from behind.
"The goods?"
"Found them."
You're quite skilled.
"But what are you planning to use this junk for?"
"You'll see."
"......?"
With this, the Count is finished too.
*******
The next day,
Artem Adventurers' Guild
The temporary courtroom established at the guild was packed with throngs of people—Artem residents and onlookers from surrounding territories.
"Count Gondor?"
"As expected of nobles...."
At the judge's bench, an inspector brought from the capital and a priest of the Aseria Church, among others, conversed with solemn expressions.
"......."
As if washing away yesterday's humiliation, Count Gondor strode into the courtroom in dazzlingly splendid formal wear, brimming with confidence.
At his confident gait, murmurs erupted among the onlookers.
"What the? For someone who committed a crime...."
"Seeing him so confident, maybe it's a misunderstanding?"
"Count Gondor was famous for being cautious, after all."
"Now that I think of it, something does seem off."
Feeling public opinion subtly shifting, Prisia tightly grabbed my sleeve.
Her hand trembled slightly.
"Sir Knight... is it truly alright? The Count's expression is so confident."
"Don't worry."
As she said this, Prisia pressed in close and placed her hand over mine.
When I subtly pulled away, she smacked her lips in disappointment.
"...Anyway, there's no way Count Gondor will be found innocent."
"I trust only you, Sir Knight."
She blushed and straightened her back. Her large chest bounced heavily.
Well, it's good if she's gathered her spirits, but...
That gaze is still a bit burdensome.
"Order! Order! The trial shall now commence."
With the inspector's declaration, the full-scale battle began.
Prisia's attorney enumerated the charges in detail: that Count Gondor had attempted to exterminate House Springfield, incited mercenaries to cause a riot, and tried to seize the family's heirloom.
"Do you admit to this?"
However, Count Gondor began his defense with a relaxed smile.
He looked around and spoke in a loud voice.
"Your Honor! And citizens of Artem, I am currently overcome with terrible grief and anguish."
The Count wiped the corner of his eye and continued.
"Recently, due to the threat of the Demon King's army, many nobles abandoned their territories and fled. Who filled that void? None other than I, Count Gondor! With infinite loyalty to the kingdom, I spent my own fortune managing those abandoned territories. I intended to become the shield that would protect the kingdom should the eastern front collapse!"
Circumstantial evidence was presented that surrounding nobles had sold their territories due to Count Gondor's coercion, but the Count packaged this under the name of 'good intentions.'
"A loyalty-appeal meta. Not bad."
I watched his act with arms crossed.
The Count's defense continued.
"Then why did you lead armed troops into the treasure vault? Was it not to seize the heirloom, the [Orb of Earth], and monopolize all nearby manastones!"
"Treasure? Hahahaha! I didn't even know the [Orb of Earth] possessed such power, nor did I know how valuable it was. I merely rushed here upon hearing that my dear friend, the head of House Springfield, had fallen critically ill. I led troops because I heard mercenaries had incited a riot, fearing that my friend's family, Lady Prisia, might come to harm!"
"The mercenaries testified that they acted on your orders. What say you to this?"
"Hmph! Your Honor, would you believe the words of wandering mercenaries of unclear affiliation? They are slandering me, Count Gondor, a loyal subject of this kingdom, to mitigate their own crimes! Heaven and earth know my innocence!"
Some nerve.
The audience's reaction shifted at the Count's shameless speech.
"Well, how can you trust mercenaries?"
"Right?"
Such conversations were heard here and there.
Then,
Prisia stood up and asked coldly.
"Then why did you plant a spy, Sir Bashinem, secretly within our household?"
At that question, the courtroom fell instantly silent, and the citizens glared at Count Gondor with sharp eyes.
He seemed flustered for a moment, then soon hung his head deeply and sighed.
"Urgh... that was indeed a mistake."
The audience buzzed. Is he admitting it?
Soon the Count raised his head with a determined expression.
"But! I absolutely did not plant a spy with ill intentions! The head of the household was in critical condition and the Lady is still young, so I had no choice but to act in order to protect my friend's household from within should danger arise! I never imagined my excessive worry would invite such suspicion...."
As if.
"......!"
Prisia gaped in astonishment.
How could he be so shameless....
His skill at packaging his own deeds as excessive worry was truly first-class.
He didn't halt his momentum. To drive the final nail, he stood up and placed his hand over his heart.
"I, this Count, swear upon the name of the Goddess, Aseria of Light! I swear that there is not an ounce of falsehood in all that I have said!"
The people buzzed even louder.
In this world where the church's authority was absolute, swearing upon the Goddess's name was akin to staking one's life.
The audience was now nearly at the point of believing the Count's words.
"S-Sir Knight...."
I stood up from my seat and looked at Count Gondor.
"Hehe!"
The Count smirked, certain of victory, and sneered.
The play was enjoyable, but now it's time to lower the curtain.
I went down and whispered beside him.
"You're going to confess with your own mouth."
"Hmph! Funny, what nonsense...."
I tapped the table before me twice and raised my hand.
All eyes focused on me.
No—
On the object I held.
"Your Honor, citizens of Artem, please look at this."
"What is it?"
"This is Count Gondor's Magic Tower crystal ball search history between 1 and 3 AM over the past few days."
"Wh-what?"
Count Gondor's face turned ashen.
"Magic Tower search? Did he look up the Orb of Earth?"
"Then that means the Count's earlier words were lies."
"But what can you do with that...."
The search history unfolded before their eyes.
"See here?"
Countless records....
"Cat?"
"Goat?"
"What?"
Murmur murmur.
The audience stirred incomparably more than during the Count's speech.
"Wh-why would he search that...? Why would he search for beasts' excretory organs...."
"What would you do putting a swimsuit on an animal?"
"Ah, my mistake. This isn't it, it's something else...."
I slowly scrolled down.
Incomprehensible search records.
No—
Something one would rather not know....
The murmuring grew louder and louder.
"I don't really know either. Just what was the Count thinking...."
The audience members turned their heads away, desperately trying to deny it.
Murmur murmur murmur.
"Now now, quiet, please wait a moment. I've almost found it."
I continued scrolling down slowly.
"......!!!!"
"Is this it? Ah...."
"Wait, wait, wait!!!!"
"Count Gondor, why are you doing this?"
"J-just what grudge do you hold against me to do this!!"
"Now, the next search record is mounting a horse...."
"......I'll do it."
"Huh?"
"I'll confess!! I'll testify!! P-please let me testify!!"
"Do what? There's still a big one left! Everyone be seated!"
"I... uh, what was it? I ordered it. E-everything was me!! The mercenaries targeting Springfield too!"
"......."
He sank to the floor and begged with both hands.
"T-Tanath... please... I was wrong. I'm begging like this. Please, no more...."
There's still a lot of search history left.
A bit of a shame.
*****
"So it was those demonic bastards after all."
The culprit behind it is obvious.
Count Gondor confessed everything and expressed his intention to cooperate going forward.
Honor is an important thing in noble society.
Did he avoid social death...?
Well, isn't all's well that ends well?
As for Count Gondor,
the reason he had no wife or children until now.
It was precisely....
"Don't misunderstand. I simply couldn't love humans...."
"......."
"I merely loved animals.... Would you call me an animal lover?"
Lady Prisia looked at the Count with eyes as if looking at trash.
##