Chapter 884

Some kind of device had triggered, collapsing the ceiling of the underground room on us.

It’s a good thing we’re experts in land magic, because that could have easily buried us alive.

After the deafening crash and gaping hole right next to the tower, we’ve certainly attracted tons of attention.

Crowds of people, from both inside and outside the tower, started gathering around the edge of the pit.

Among them was Filuria.

Both Fran and Miranleil gave Filuria piercing stares. Her misdeeds were about to be exposed to the light of day, but she still maintained her archaic smile.

She looked down on us as if she had nothing to worry about. No wait, it seems her cheek was twitching a little.

I guess she’s suppressing her inner anger. The only reason she wasn’t screaming right now was because she still had some kind of trick up her sleeve.

And that trick soon became apparent.

「You’ve finally revealed your true colors!」

Filuria exclaimed, loud enough for the onlookers to hear.

「I heard the rumors about a group of dragonkin betraying the Dragon King Syndicate and joining forces with a beastman assassin! I didn’t want to doubt a fellow resident of this city, but…… But it seems all of it was true!」

Filuria then pointed at Fran and her party.

What a turn of events! Instead of attempting to hide her crimes, she decided to just make Fran the villain instead. In actuality, this wasn’t a bad idea. No one would be able to prove the existence of the underground research facility after such devastation.

Everything was buried under rubble now. Also, we would only find bits of charred wreckage remaining if I stuffed all of that in my storage.

Well, even if Numerae’s body remained intact, Filuria could simply accuse Fran of murdering him.

And assuming we brought Gazzol in to testify against her, his words didn’t have the power to overturn Filuria’s.

「What’s this fucking nonsense! We know that you captured our Gazzol and tried to enslave him!」

「You’re the ones that need to stop talking nonsense. Me enslaving someone? I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.」

「Don’t you fucking play dumb with me! You can pretend to be clean all you like, but we know what you’re scheming the scenes!」

Miranleil continued howling at Filuria, while Fran remained silent. I thought she’d want to get a word in too, but apparently Fran preferred to let Miranleil take the role. Her friend had almost been enslaved, after all.

Miranleil made a grand list of Filuria’s wrongdoings, but the everyone in the crowd gave her cold looks. They must think of her as a criminal making the usual excuses. Some even started giving us stares of hostility.

The guards will be here soon. If we allowed ourselves to be captured, they’d just make us disappear in prison. If we ran instead, they’d place a bounty on our heads.

We’d better do something about this now.

「That black cat――」

「There’s no doubt――」

「She really is an assassin――」

Many of them remembered Fran after her run-in with Filuria in the tower. They whispered to each other while looking at her.

But what can we do? We don’t even know if Gazzol’s safe either……

Run, fight, or argue. Those seemed like our only options.

But then someone else appeared on the scene.

「Please wait! These people are not traitors or assassins!」

「Sophie.」

「I’m late, sorry.」

This was a huge commotion, so of course Sophie would notice and come running. However, Filuria’s expression seemed to be one of shock when she saw the arrival of Sophie and Nelsh.

She soon regained her composure, but the saintess’ appearance must have been unexpected. Filuria spoke to them in a slightly hoarse voice.

「Saintess-sama, this place is dangerous. I believe I told you not to leave the warded room?」

「Told me not to leave? After you trapped me inside?」

「W-What are you talking about?! I would never do such a thing.」

It seems like Filuria locked up Sophie to prevent her from getting in the way. Then, Sophie somehow escaped from her confinement, which explains why Filuria was so upset.

「Filuria, you――」

「Kyaaaaaa!」

Sophie must have been about to question Filuria, but a high-pitched female scream interrupted her words.

She looked over to see a woman lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. Beside her was a dragonkin carrying a sword stained red with blood.

I had sensed several people rushing over to us, but I thought they were just the security guards.

But this dragonkin was obviously no guard. Moreover, this was not the end. The beastman standing next to the dragonkin started indiscriminately attacking the people around him as well.

Filuria shouted as she watched these events.

「I see you criminals have come to save your friends! Like I thought, that black cat must be an assassin!」

Filuria immediately moved in to subdue the dragonkin and beastman thugs. However, it looked to me as if they suddenly stopped moving by themselves.

The thugs had slave collars around their necks, and did not utter a single word. Filuria clearly orchestrated the whole thing.

So she’s making use of her illegal slaves to drive us further into a corner. However, the ordinary citizens seemed to believe that Filuria was doing a spectacular job.

All of them viewed the Medical Director with the utmost respect. This is looking pretty bad for us.

「Fran is my friend!」

「How dare you trick Saintess-sama! Devious cowards!」

「She didn’t trick me!」

「No, you have been tricked! I know it hurts to hear, but this black cat has been using you all along!」

Says the person who was actually manipulating her! However, the tide was turning in Filuria’s favor. The crowd clearly believed her over us.

「We will now restrain them and rescue the saintess! Everyone, lend us a hand!」

Many people responded to Filuria’s words.

「Save the saintess!」

「Capture the outlaws!」

The crowd rushed toward us with a variety of shouts.

There were some former adventurers among them, but most were ordinary people. And yet, all were extremely motivated.

Everyone jumping down into the hole had determination in their expressions. Many ended up tripping, but their fighting spirit remained.

Each fully believed they needed to help Sophie.

『That damn Filuria! She’s sending the civilians instead of the guards!』