Chapter 28

"......That's a terrible accusation. There's no way I would try to kill Estelle, you know."

"Then let me ask you, in the last few times, all the requests Estelle received were related to you, weren't they?"

"Yes, but what does that mean? Are you calling me a murderer just because I was involved in the requests? Or are you suggesting I tried to kill Estelle directly? Oh my, you have quite an imagination. However, to call a guild staff member, who dedicates themselves to the adventurers, a 'murderer' is a bit too much, don't you think? It affects the guild's credibility and is also a personal insult. Please retract your statement."

"......You talk a lot."

"——"

At Tōru's retort, Philippe swallowed his words.

Until now, Philippe had not been one to talk at length. He had always preferred to cut to the chase with a single sentence.

But now, he became more talkative, and words kept pouring out. Though it didn't show on his face, it was a clear sign of his inner turmoil.

"The reason I thought this way is based on several points. First, the goblin extermination request Estelle accepted. For a request that only required killing a few goblins, why did dozens of them suddenly appear?"

"Goblins are common monsters. Such things do happen occasionally. It was just bad luck, I suppose."

"Normally, that would be the case. However, the goblin extermination request Estelle accepted was not a standing request."

When Estelle reported the completion of the goblin extermination, Marry mentioned, "This time, it will also count as a standing request." This revealed that the request Estelle accepted was not a standing one.

"Since it was a request issued by the guild outside of standing requests, it wasn't just a simple goblin extermination. This was a case you were involved in, wasn't it?"

"Indeed, that's true, but that alone doesn't mean I tried to kill Estelle—"

"There's more."

Tōru lightly used <Intimidation> to stop Philippe from speaking.

"The investigation request this time is the ultimate example. After failing to kill Estelle with the goblin request, you sent her to the forest where the Rock Worm lives, under the pretext of investigating the Silver Wolf. You hoped she would encounter the Rock Worm and die."

"That's just speculation. I didn't know about the Rock Worm."

"When you read the report, you didn't seem very surprised by the appearance of the Rock Worm. Weren't you surprised because you already knew about it?"

"No, no, I was surprised. I never expected there to be a Rock Worm. I didn't show surprise because I usually try to maintain a poker face. If guild members show too much surprise, it might unsettle the adventurers."

"Yes, you were surprised, but not by the appearance of the Rock Worm. You were surprised that the Rock Worm was 'defeated.'"

When Philippe read the report, his slight surprise was clearly at the end, not when the Rock Worm appeared but when it was defeated.

"The person I know—could never defeat a Rock Worm."

He was surprised that Tōru had defeated the Rock Worm. That's why he called Tōru back, to assess the one who had interfered with his plan.

"Whether you knew about the Rock Worm or not is something that can be easily investigated. If you ask the guards who monitor the comings and goings of people, you can find out who was doing what. You'll see that the guild had information not only about the Rock Worm but also about the goblins that had gathered."

Estelle was the first person to lend a hand when Tōru came to this world. She didn't discriminate against him even when she heard he was a wanderer and taught him the common sense of Ealgard.

To Tōru, Estelle was a benefactor. He felt a strong anger towards Philippe, who had set a trap for his benefactor.

A natural <Intimidation> emanated from Tōru's body. Philippe, hit by the <Intimidation>, opened and closed his mouth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Recently, there have been a series of failed adventurer requests. Is this also your doing?"

"N-no... it's not—"

"What did you want to do by making inexperienced adventurers fail one after another?"

"I... I—"

Philippe's eyes suddenly lost focus. The words that came out were fragmented, and it was unclear what he was trying to say.

As his speech became more slurred, a disturbing aura began to emanate from his entire body. It was the same kind of aura that Tōru had felt from Clemen and others when they killed Lidd and tried to trap and kill him.

Tōru frowned at the black, contaminating aura that seemed to taint anyone who touched it.

"I don't know what your reasons are, but Estelle is my benefactor. —I won't allow you to harm her."

He had a position. If he backed down here, Tōru would let it go. Since Tōru was wary of him, he wouldn't easily harm Estelle.

It would also make it harder for him to harm other adventurers.

As long as Tōru was watching, he wouldn't let his crimes go unnoticed.

"Don't get cocky! What can a lowly, new adventurer like you do!!"

"Kill him!"

"Destroy him!"

"Crush him!!"

Philippe, driven by the voices in his chest, shouted. A surge of euphoria filled his body, almost overwhelming his sense of self.

While he was immersed in the intense pleasure, a calm part of his mind sounded a loud alarm.

(...Is this boy in front of me the same person as before?)

Sweat trickled down Philippe's temples.

Until a moment ago, Tōru had a faint smile, trying to gauge the other person's mood. But now, all emotion had drained from Tōru's face.

It felt as if he were being judged by a god or a demon.

Tōru, who had seen many rough characters, exuded a pressure that made it hard to breathe.

"I repeat, do not touch Estelle again."

"......N-no!!"

"Is that so? Then—"

The moment Philippe refused, a pitch-black blade appeared in Tōru's hand.

The moment he saw the blade, the entities within Philippe quaked in fear.

"This aura... Could it be a divine weapon?!"

"No way!!"

"Why would a human—!!"

"—Be gone."

The voices that had loudly echoed in his chest vanished the moment Tōru thrust the pitch-black blade into Philippe's chest.

≫Soul Purification Confirmed

≫1000 Skill Points Gained

≫Level 20 → 21

≫Rank Up to II

○

"Maybe my personality has changed, hasn't it..."

Leaving Philippe in the small room, Tōru left, holding his head in his hands, bewildered by his bold actions.

Tōru was not someone who never got angry. He would get angry if something unpleasant happened, and he would occasionally yell, though rarely.

But he had never acted so violently out of emotion.

Even if he had a weapon that couldn't cut humans, the idea of using it with the intent to kill was unimaginable. It felt as if someone else had taken over his body.

It was unclear whether this change was due to the [Magic Sword] or the atmosphere of Ealgard. If this was his true nature, it was terrifying.

"I need to exercise more self-control."

He shook his head, reprimanding himself.

Philippe, who had been stabbed by the [Magic Sword], was now as docile as if a weight had been lifted. It was the same as when he had slashed Clemen and others.

"Does stabbing with the [Magic Sword] make one calm?"

If that were the case, every time someone got angry, he could use the [Magic Sword] to calm them down.

However, an adventurer who brandished a weapon every time someone got angry would be considered a dangerous person. If he kept drawing the [Magic Sword] frequently, he might end up with dishonorable nicknames like "sharp knife" or "dangerous blade."

"......Yeah. I'll only use the [Magic Sword] on monsters."

He resolved to do so.