No one dares to argue back.
They all just bite their lips bitterly and glare at me.
「You ignore your own incompetence and call a girl who suffered and suffered and suffered endlessly a monster! And the moment a dragon appears, you dump everything on her… How can you act so high and mighty with such shameless behavior! If that’s not incompetence, then tell me, what is?!」
Ugh, I’m so pissed!
All for the sake of these guys!
「How many times have you been saved by the very ‘monster’ you scorn and call a freak? How many of you here have had your territories spared from dragon attacks because of Noie? The person you call a monster… even now, she cries herself to sleep every night remembering the comrades who drowned in blood! The monster you created is the one crying! So tell me, is there even one person here who cries at night thinking about the children forced to kill each other because of your incompetence? Well?!」
I know.
Not a single one of them would shed a tear.
Because to them…
「From where I’m standing… you lot are far uglier monsters! The only difference is you’re too incompetent to realize what shameful monsters you are! If you’ve got a problem with that, then deny it right here, you useless trash!」
I slam my hand on the desk with a loud ‘ban’ and force myself to swallow the rest of my rage.
Honestly, I’m the one who’s out of line getting this angry.
But Noie never would.
She probably… somewhere deep down… thinks of herself as a 『monster』.
Then, His Majesty, who had been pretending to sleep, stands up.
Oh no. I went too far… I know it.
I’ll apologize profusely later.
「……Argusta is right. We, the ones who lived carefree lives without even noticing what those children were going through, are the most unforgivable sinners here. I’m sorry.」
He bows deeply in apology.
Wait… no, that’s too much.
It’s honestly making me back off.
And now the grand general too?!
「You’re absolutely correct. I had my suspicions back then but never looked deeper. What unforgivable incompetence. I apologize.」
Wait, hold on… that reaction is completely off-script!
Why is everyone standing up and bowing?!
Ahaha… haha… someone, please help me.
Oniichan’s closing declaration finally saves me.
-0-
「Argusta.」
「As always, I’m truly sorry.」
After the meeting ended, I was summoned to His Majesty’s office.
Well, I was prepared for it… but is it finally time for the real punishment?
「You’re basically harmless. But the moment Noie gets involved, your personality flips completely. You’re not secretly possessed by something else, are you?」
Please don’t say fly-man horror stuff like that.
「Excuse me.」
「Mhm.」
「Your Majesty. Here are the documents.」
The one who enters is Prime Minister oniichan.
He places a thick stack of papers on the desk and heads toward the sofa.
Um… being completely ignored is kind of painful too, you know?
「This many?」
「Yes.」
「I see… so everyone has been carrying this guilt in their hearts all along.」
His Majesty lets out a weary sigh and points to the stack on the desk.
「Argusta.」
「Yes?」
「Do you know what these are?」
「No idea at all.」
「……These are the resignation letters from the people you called incompetent.」
Eh?
That many?
「Some still shamelessly cling to their positions… but most of them were probably just waiting for a trigger. I’m sure every single one who submitted is someone who held a key post back then.」
「……」
「But if they all leave at once, the country will be in danger. We’ll replace them gradually. Build your own country, Argusta. Schnitt.」
「Yes.」
Oniichan nods while continuing to prepare documents.
Um… so does this mean no real punishment?
「Now then, Argusta.」
「Yes?」
「Excessive verbal abuse is prohibited in the conference hall. Anyone who breaks that rule… receives suspension and a fine.」
「Huh?」
「Your Majesty. The documents are ready.」
「Good work.」
So oniichan was writing documents to punish me, huh?
「Argusta von Draguknight. I hereby sentence you to three days of suspension and a fine of one thousand gold coins.」
「Wait, isn’t that amount way too much?!」
That’s several years of my salary!
「It shouldn’t even sting for you, right? If you don’t like it, I can always send you to the coal mines instead?」
「……I will humbly accept the punishment.」
What a cruel world.
-0-
「So… sorry about this.」
Krea’s face is bright red.
Inel-kun’s has gone pale.
I return to my own office holding the unwanted documents from His Majesty, and the first thing I do… is apologize to the two of them.
「I heard Argusta-sama went completely wild in the conference hall, so I had a bad feeling… but what exactly did you do to earn such a heavy penalty?」
「I shouted 『You useless trash!』 at everyone in the room.」
「……」
Krea’s face shifts from red to blue.
Inel-kun goes from blue to pure white.
Inel-kun slowly collapses to the floor in a heap…
I’m really sorry, okay?
「Was it because someone spoke badly about Noie-sama again?」
「Yes.」
「……Then it can’t be helped. That’s just the kind of person Argusta-sama is.」
Krea lets out a resigned sigh, shrugs her shoulders, and drags Inel-kun away with her.
Please don’t give up on me like that～.
「If either of you gets harassed by anyone from the royal army, just tell me. I’ll take full responsibility and handle it.」
「No need to worry about us. More importantly, since you’re suspended, please stay home and behave properly.」
「Yes.」
「And… for your apology, words aren’t enough. We want cake.」
Somehow, that completely shameless demand is the biggest comfort right now.
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