Chapter 34

First update of the day.

Alex and Lirisia conquered the dungeon in the eastern capital and the Southern Mountain Range.

After returning to the Adventurer's Guild and submitting the dungeon core, the guild master, Rubele, came over in person, jingling the accessories he wore all over his body as he approached.

"Didn't expect you to conquer the dungeon in just two days. You're truly Alex."

"It was a team effort, so it feels wrong to take all the credit."

"No, it's fine. Even the A-rank Edgar team and the Hero Marius team failed, so you actually saved us. If such a formidable enemy existed, without you, how many casualties would there have been..."

"Huh? Even Marius? I didn't think there was an enemy strong enough to defeat a hero..."

"Only until halfway through. Marius turned out to be a fake hero. His facade was stripped away."

"Ah, I see."

I didn't really understand what he was saying, so I could only give an ambiguous response. Besides, I found it strange that he was praising us so much just for defeating a mithril golem.

Lirisia, who was standing next to me, nodded deeply, her silver hair swaying.

"Indeed, I thought he wasn't worthy of being a hero."

"Well, he was nice on the surface, but he was a terrible person underneath."

I said this, recalling the sneering face of Marius. Rubele jingled his accessories and placed his hands on his hips.

"Anyway, we need to resolve this situation. Alex, come with me—do you have any other business?"

"No, nothing in particular."

"Then come along."

Rubele started walking, and I followed, thinking it wouldn't be wise to go against the guild master's orders.

The reward for conquering the dungeon, as well as the proceeds from selling the golem core and the dungeon core, amounted to 21 large gold coins, 8 gold coins, and 7 large silver coins, totaling 2,187,000 goats. My adventurer rank became C.

Total money: 64 large gold coins, 37 gold coins, 13 large silver coins, and 13 silver coins, totaling 6,784,300 goats.

◇ ◇ ◇

The capital at dusk.

I was brought to the castle, a place I never thought I would return to.

I was led to a courtyard paved with white gravel.

There, Marius was sitting with his hands tied behind his back, his beautiful golden hair dirty and his handsome face twisted.

—No, Marius is a noble, right? Why is he being treated like a criminal?

In addition, there were the female priest and female mage from the hero party, and the elderly court magician. The middle-aged knight commander, Schwarze, was also there, all of them glaring at Marius with stern expressions.

Lirisia, Rubele, and I lined up at the edge of the courtyard. Marius refused to look at me, completely ignoring me even at this point.

Then, an elderly king appeared on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, with a minister by his side. Both had stern faces, but the king looked angry while the minister looked anxious.

The knight commander declared in a gruff voice, "We will now investigate the falsehoods of the hero Marius!"

"Falsehoods...?"

As I muttered, Rubele, standing next to me, whispered, "He wasn't a hero. Marius doesn't have the Holy Aura."

"Huh? Why!? But, without it, he couldn't even be a hero candidate, right?"

"Just watch."

Rubele pointed to the courtyard with his chin.

A soldier brought a sword with a broken blade and placed it on a stand. The knight commander pointed at it and said, "This sword is one of the Holy Swords, Light Caliber! It was disguised as a steel sword! Marius used this Holy Sword to compensate for his lack of Holy Aura! —Do you have anything to say, Marius!"

Marius, still bound, bit his lip and looked down.

The knight commander continued, "Furthermore, to become a hero, he tried to trap and bring down the hero Alex!"

"Huh? A trap?"

As if answering my question, the female priest stepped forward, her blue hair swaying.

"I found suspicious points in the castle records and checked all the records in the church. It turned out that Marius was claiming the monsters defeated by the hero Alex as his own—over a thousand of them!"

The female priest glared at Marius, who was trembling and looking down.

The knight commander said, "This was not a personal act but an organized crime! —Here is the evidence!"

The female mage stepped forward, her pointed hat's wide brim swaying. The elderly man next to her, leaning on a staff, joined her.

"This guy used his wealthy family's funds to bribe everyone. —Old man, show them."

"Tsk, what a wasteful grandson. The timing and location were delicate, and it was tough for an old man—Memory Recall."

The elderly court magician, swaying his robe, raised his long staff, and several translucent windows appeared in the air.

In the windows, Marius was seen giving money to clerks, junior officials, and even the minister to win their favor.

The minister, standing next to the king, turned pale and his beard trembled. Marius was biting his lip so hard that blood was seeping through.

The king glanced at the minister and then looked at Marius.

"Do you have anything to say, Marius?"

Marius, trembling, suddenly raised his head.

"What's wrong with aiming to be a hero! Everyone praised me as a hero! —If I just get my sword back, I can be a hero again!"

The female priest and female mage frowned in disgust.

"I thought you would apologize, but you're just being defiant..."

"Do you think we would lend our power to a fake?"

They were not adventurers, but in terms of adventurer ranks, they were equivalent to S-rank. The female priest could use the highest-level magic, "Complete Regeneration," and the female mage could use not only high-level magic but also the ultra-rare skill, "Simultaneous Incantation." I often thought they were amazing when we went on monster hunts together.

Marius, flipping his dirty golden hair, shouted, "I am the chosen one! In looks, intelligence, magic, and swordsmanship! It's only right that I should be the most praised!"

"Even so, don't you think it's wrong to fake being a hero? There were other ways to achieve fame."

The female priest sighed and tried to reason with him. However, Marius glared back, grinding his teeth.

"No matter how hard I try, I can't change my birth! A nouveau riche noble, a commoner who bought his status with money! I can't stand being mocked!"

"So you became a hero to gain fame... You're truly a selfish and foolish person—What will you do, Your Majesty?"

The female priest turned to the king.

The king nodded.

"Marius, for impersonating a hero and tarnishing the kingdom's authority, you are sentenced to 20 years of forced labor. Those who assisted you will be stripped of their positions and fined. The Forlight family will have their assets confiscated and be exiled to the frontier."

The frontier was a desolate land with many monsters, and even nobles would live in poverty there.

"No, no!"

Marius tried to run towards the balcony where the king was standing.

However, Rubele, standing next to me, moved faster than anyone else. His red hair swayed as he closed the distance, and his numerous necklaces and bracelets jingled.

He kicked Marius hard, making him fall to the white sand, and looked down at him with a gaze that treated him like a bug.

Finally, the top of the day! It's my first time ever!

Thanks to everyone who supported me. I'm so happy!

Thank you for the bookmarks and ★ ratings!

If you notice any typos, please let me know.

For full recovery, I'll use "O Heal"!

The next update will be in the evening

→ 35. Rubele's Angry Lecture