When we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild, Yasis strode confidently inside and asked the receptionist girl to summon the Guildmaster.
While we waited, one of the adventurers I’d come to know struck up a conversation with me.
「Hey, man. What’s going on today? Why’re you with Yasis?」
「Yeah, well… it’s a long story. Bit of a mess, really.」
「A mess, huh… Wait, is that Renge from Red Front staggering over there?」
「Yeah, she’s the reason for all this.」
I lifted my shirt slightly to show my side—already bruised.
Whoa. That looked a lot worse than I thought.
「Ah… I probably shouldn’t say this, but if you can, try to settle this peacefully, would you?」
「I know. I don’t want this turning into a huge hassle either. But Yasis said it can’t just be brushed off…」
「You’re thinking of handling it calmly though, right? Then I’ll trust you.」
「It’s just… when Yasis gets that serious, I honestly don’t think I can stop him from going all the way. I’ll do what I can to avoid the worst, but beyond that…」
The other adventurers weren’t looking at me—they were focused on Renge and Yasis.
Since that whole incident, I’d been dropping by the guild more often, and I’d started to gain a bit of trust. Now I could even chat casually with some of the regulars.
Maybe because when I gave orders to Aina and Sorte, it was only ever to gather materials—I’m probably seen as a decent guy, at least in that regard.
「Sorry to keep you waiting. Well, well, Yasis-dono. What brings you in today?」
「Yes. Today, I’ve come to report that this person here—Renge, who is currently my slave—has committed an act worthy of becoming a criminal slave. In addition, Sorte, a member of the same party, is suspected of incitement to murder.」
「W-What…?」
The Guildmaster couldn’t hide his shock at Yasis’s calm, matter-of-fact statement.
「…Wouldn’t it be better to talk about this in private?」
「No. The other adventurers must hear this as well. Depending on the outcome, our client may be unjustly resented.」
The Guildmaster gestured toward a side room, but Yasis declined.
Me, getting resented…? Ah, right.
I really don’t want a repeat of last time.
「…I understand. Sorry, everyone. Could I ask you to clear out some space?」
The Guildmaster ordered the adventurers to make room.
Yasis, Renge, the Guildmaster, and I sat down, while Wendy and Shiro stood behind me, waiting quietly.
「So then, why is Renge being labeled a criminal slave? Last I checked, she was enslaved for a minor offense—something that would be cleared once she repaid her debt. And Sorte being accused of incitement to murder… that’s serious.」
「First, I believe everyone here is aware that Aina-sama and Sorte-sama are customer-sama’s slaves. And I believe you all know that he is not the kind of person who would mistreat them.」
「Yes, of course. I’ve heard from both of them that he treats them well.」
「Then, may I ask if you know why Renge-dono became a slave in the first place?」
「I heard she forced her way through a checkpoint, skipping the line and refusing to pay the toll or something like that.」
「Do you know why she did that?」
「No, I don’t…」
The Guildmaster looked around at the adventurers for an answer, but it seemed no one else knew either.
「Renge-dono received a letter from Sorte-sama, and based on its contents, she believed customer-sama was mistreating them. Acting on that belief, she forced her way back.」
「That’s absurd…」
「The letter contained false information that endangered customer-sama’s life. Someone with the strength to act on it actually assaulted him. Had things gone just a bit differently, he might not be alive right now. Fortunately, Shiro-sama protected him. But if he had died, the entire party could have faced execution—and likely had their heads displayed publicly.」
「……」
「Furthermore, the fact that the two women were made slaves in the first place was under the jurisdiction of the Adventurer’s Guild. It was the Guild’s responsibility to place them with him. For one of them to then turn against him is, in essence, a betrayal of the Guild’s judgment. Had a murder actually occurred, the Guild’s reputation would have been ruined, and I suspect severe punishment would have come from the Kingdom.」
Neither the Guildmaster nor I could say a word.
No—wait. This really was just a misunderstanding, wasn’t it?
Whatever the contents of the letter were at the time, I seriously doubt Sorte still feels that way. And I’m grateful to her for more than a few things.
Isn’t execution a bit much…?
「This is clearly a case of incitement and attempted murder by a slave. And customer-sama bears absolutely no fault. As such, the proper course would be to bring her before the lord for judgment. However, we’ve gathered at the Guild first to confirm things.」
「Hold on. The misunderstanding’s been cleared up now, hasn’t it? Isn’t that enough?」
「Grave crimes cannot be dismissed simply because the victim is forgiving. The law must be enforced clearly, or others will believe they can act the same way. If she is forgiven, then we must forgive others in the future, no matter how unforgivable their actions.」
This felt similar to legal precedent in my original world.
If a past trial set a verdict, it would often influence future ones.
Still, I hadn’t even filed a complaint. Can’t something be done about this?
「By the way, Yasis, what kind of punishment are you envisioning here?」
「Personally, I believe the death penalty is appropriate. However, since the victim, customer-sama, has requested leniency, the most likely outcome is that she’ll be worked to death on the front lines in an undeveloped region. And… given how beautiful the two of them are, there’s a good chance they’ll be used for… other duties by adventurers who aren’t slaves.」
「…Haaah.」
「Guildmaster, I’m really sorry ssu…」
「No, it’s fine. No—it’s not fine at all.」
「Of course, I’ll be asking for a lighter sentence, but Renge hates men, right? Either way, it’ll be hell for her.」
「Master… you don’t have to push yourself ssu. I did this. I’ll take the consequencessu.」
Renge responded weakly, but her voice was drained of life.
Her eyes were empty, and though she looked like she wanted to cry, the despair was so overwhelming it seemed even tears couldn’t come.
「Now now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to confirm the facts with Sorte-sama.」
「Understood… Gale’s party, go fetch the two of them. They should be near the city gates by now. And whatever you do, don’t try anything. If they run, they won’t even get the chance to explain themselves.」
「Got it. Hey, sir. The Red Front is what we’ve always wanted to be. So please…」
「You don’t even have to ask…」
But really, what can I do?
Death or forced labor—both are far too heavy.
Yes, I was nearly killed. But that only happened because of a misunderstanding.
Even so, I can’t just shift all the blame to Sorte either—not when she’s helped me so much.
「Hmm…」
After a while, Gale’s party returned, looking grim.
They had tied Aina and Sorte’s hands behind their backs. The two of them looked confused and tense, unsure of what was happening.
「Guildmaster, what is this? Why are we tied up… Wait, Renge?」
「Hey Renge! Are you okay?」
Sorte looked stunned to see Renge like that, devoid of energy, and Aina wore a deeply worried expression.
「That’s my question. Why the hell did you pull such a stupid stunt?」
「Huh? Me? What stupid stunt? And why is Renge wearing a slave collar… You didn’t make her a slave too, did you!?」
「Enough already!」
BAM!
The Guildmaster slammed the table and stood up.
「You. Why did you send a letter to Renge falsely accusing your own master?」
「A letter…? Ah…」
「Because of that, Renge is now facing the death penalty or forced labor. Not just her—you two as well.」
「W-Wait! Can someone please explain what’s going on!?」
「We’re the ones who’d like an explanation, Sorte-sama. Customer-sama was nearly killed by Renge. Don’t tell me you don’t understand what that means. Let’s hear your side of the story—for now.」
To begin the questioning, Renge, Sorte, the Guildmaster, and Yasis moved to a separate table and started drafting their statements.
In the meantime, I explained everything to Aina—and she started crying softly.
「My liege… I’m so sorry! I… I don’t know what I should do…」
「I don’t know either… But if possible, I’d like to settle this peacefully.」
「That’s impossible… This country is harsh when it comes to crime—but even harsher when the criminal is a slave. Even if you, the victim, try to defend them, it won’t be easy…」
「Still, I’m grateful to the both of you. I’ll find a way to protect her.」
「Then… if I may be selfish just this once… if you can…」
「I get it. I’ll protect Renge too. She’s your precious friend, right?」
Even so, what can I do?
They’re planning to bring this to the lord for judgment, but once it gets that far, it’ll be out of my hands.
And the idea of these three being worked to death or used as playthings on the frontlines… I just can’t stand it.
They’ve really helped me.
Renge too—she only ended up like this because of a misunderstanding. It’s just too cruel.
「Customer-sama, we’ve obtained confirmation. This letter was indeed sent by Sorte-sama.」
「That was… I wrote it on the first day I became a slave! I didn’t trust you at all back then! It’s totally different now!」
Sorte fell to her knees, clinging to my clothes and crying as Yasis handed me the letter.
「I know, I know—don’t cry…」
「But it’s true… I really feel differently now…」
「Alright, alright. I get it. You’ll be fine…」
I pulled her into a tight hug and gently patted her back.
Goddammit.
What the hell am I supposed to do?
「Master, I’m really sorry too ssu…」
「Renge, that’s enough. Don’t cry.」
「I’m not crying…」
Then what’s that liquid rolling down your face, huh…?
Your face is a mess of snot and tears.
When I motioned for her to come over, Renge pressed her face into my chest and started crying too.
Ngh… no, I was just trying to wipe her face…
Well, whatever. I sighed and gently patted her back.
Wait a second—weren’t you supposed to hate men?
「Hey, Yasis. There’s really no way around this?」
「I understand how you feel, customer-sama. But once the lord hands down a sentence, there’s truly nothing we can do.」
So that’s the dead end.
And since it’s coming from Yasis, that means it’s an unshakable truth.
「Hey… is there no way we can say this never happened?」
「There were far too many witnesses for that. If we try to settle this quietly, it sets a bad precedent for the kingdom.」
「Hmm… what if, say, I didn’t have any injuries or anything?」
「There’s the letter as evidence, and you still have visible bruises, don’t you? If there were no signs of injury, the charges would be far lighter—but they wouldn’t disappear entirely.」
「Now that you mention it, why didn’t my bruises heal after I drank a recovery potion? The pain didn’t go away either.」
「That’s one of my skillssu… it’s called Crippling Blow. It makes injuries linger and harder to heal… s-sorry ssu…」
Yeah, I bet that’s pretty useful for an adventurer.
But now it’s backfired—leaving behind the worst kind of evidence.
Alright, alright. I get it. Just… don’t start crying again…
「Hey, Wendy. What do you think I should do?」
「I could never forgive them.」
「Please don’t be mad, I’m just trying to find a way through this…」
「…If there were no scars or letters left behind, there might’ve been a way. But even if we ignore the letter, the bruises can’t be hidden.」
Yeah… that’s the problem.
Bruises, huh. That’s internal bleeding under the skin, right…?
Ugh… I just thought of something—but I really don’t wanna do it.
Still… it might be the only way.
「Hey, Yasis. Remind me again—why did I come to the Adventurer’s Guild today?」
As I said that, I began to burn the letter I’d received from Yasis.
「Customer-sama!?」
「Ah, that’s right, Guildmaster. I forgot to turn in today’s delivery.」
「Now’s not the time to be saying that…」
「Oh—wait. I didn’t bring the goods with me today. Can I get some materials? I’ll whip something up real quick.」
Because honestly, I can’t think of any other way.
I can’t tell Wendy either—she’d stop me for sure.
As I stood up, someone gripped my clothes tightly and leaned into me, pressing their head against my chest.
I already knew who it was.
To ease her worry, I gently patted her head.
「Sorte. Don’t worry, alright?」
「But… but you’re making that face. What are you going to do?」
「It’s fine. You just wait here with Renge and behave.」
I gently pulled her hand off my clothes.
If she finds out what I’m going to do, it’ll change how she sees me.
Well… it’s fine. I’ve made up my mind.
Besides—I got to see Sorte cry for the first time.
But honestly, I think a girl’s smile is far more beautiful than her tears.
The thought of never seeing Sorte smile again—it’s too painful for me.
So I think I’ll push myself a little.
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