Volume 10 - CH 8

"Alec! The girl in the white robe is on the other side of the street."

Serina came running from across the street, looking bloody. I sigh.

"If you're talking about the fire, that was someone else."

"No, I heard it was a murder. She says one of them was stabbed to death in a house on a back street."

"What?"

Since Fianna's missing, we'd better check it out. But Meme is a loli magician. I don't think it's possible that she's upset, but if she is, it's probably just a magic attack or a hit with her wand.

Did Meme have a knife or a dagger?

I don't remember for sure.

"Anyway, let's go."

"Okay."

Since Serina knew where it was, we headed that way.

"It's in the back of this house."

It's a small, ordinary house. But houses in this country are made of stone.

The door is left open.

"Let's go in."

"Okay."

Both Hoshirina and I pulled out our swords and entered the house with caution.

"There's one in the back."

Serina tells me in a whisper.

Be careful not to squeak the wooden floor, and creep ...... ah, use the [levitation]?

I floated up with my skills and entered the back room.

There was a lone warrior in armor standing there. The warrior has his back turned to us.

The corpse of a girl is lying at his feet.

"Oi!"

I called out to him.　

"Uekkkk!"

The warrior, who jumped up and down in surprise, would not be the same as this lackey.

Or rather, he was a familiar face.

"Murphy, what are you doing here?"

He's a guest at the same inn as me. No, this guy just left the other day, saying he was going to stay somewhere else.

Well, it doesn't matter either way.

"No, no, no, I didn't do anything, Alec. She was dead by the time I got here!"

"I see."

I look again at the corpse lying on its back in front of me. The wound looks like a blade stabbed through the back.

Fortunately, it wasn't Fianna.

"Oh, you believe me?"

"I do. Even if you were to go crazy and rape a woman, you could at least knock her unconscious."

He's a tough warrior from a B-rank party. The other side is a thin female priest. One on one, unless Murphy is taken by surprise and gets the jump on her, or it turns into a magic battle, he should be able to win.

"No, I can do that, but please don't use that analogy. I'm an amateur virgin. I don't do rape like that."

"You're an amateur virgin. Does that mean you've graduated to professional? Right."

Serina was biting there, but I leave her alone.

"What's going on here? I mean, come on, Alec, please do something about it. I've got the key to this place. This is a bad. It's gonna make me look bad."

"Well, yeah, I know, but why do you have the key?"

"'Renhau', you know, 'Renhau'. I was renting this house. I told you that when we left Ada's inn."

"Yes, you did. Fuu~, You should've just left it at that. You should've taken advantage of the amateur innkeepers."

"Yeah? I heard you built a spa in 'RenHau', too."

"Yeah. But I'm an A-ranked party and clan leader, remember? Even if I wasn't, I'd still have some credibility. And you know it, too."

"Yeah, that's right. Damn it, what's going on? I'd rather be listening to Ada whine about this shit, damn it!"

"We need to find the culprit, both of you."

Serina said.

"We're amateurs, you idiot. We don't even have positions. Go get the soldiers, Serina."

I'll give her the proper instructions.

"No ...... you're right."

"Hero☆Serina-sama" was a little unconvinced, but she still felt that she should inform the soldiers, so she ran out of the house.

Or rather, why didn't the first guy who saw it report it to the soldiers?

"Okay, well, Murphy."

"Y-yeah."

"When the soldiers come, tell them the truth. They'll understand."

"And if they don't?"

"You'll go to jail. Don't worry. The guys in your party will take care of it."

"I thought you were gonna take care of that, Alec."

"Well, I'd do something about it, but I don't have that kind of power."

"No, no, no. I heard you knew the king."

"That's right, but it's not my policy to be dictated to in all these matters."

"I don't know if it's pussy or polio, but please! We've eaten together, haven't we?"

"No, I don't need to be told that about the inn. Well, if you have to, just mention my name and ask them. That might give you a little more credibility."

"Oh, come on, you scared the hell out of me. If you're going to help me, why don't you just say so from the beginning, brother?"

There's a big difference between appealing directly to the king and mentioning my name to the soldiers, but if he agrees, that's fine. The soldiers in this country are rather decent, so I'm sure that Murphy's innocence will be cleared in no time with a proper investigation.

Then I remembered someone else.

"Oh, there was another guy who would be perfect for this. When your friends come to see you, tell them to ask the Marquis Seiren. He should be able to get you out."

"The Marquis Seiren? I understand. But you know the king and the nobles, heh, you're quite a guy, aren't you, Alec?"

"You're so creepy. Don't flatter me. You're still a warrior, Murphy."

"No, that has nothing to do with this. If it's a monster, I'll put my body on the line all I want, but not a soldier."

Well, that's true. The government has hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If they're the enemy, Murphy won't be able to defeat them.

"Then that's it. If you run away, it'll only make you more suspicious, so just stand there."

"Y-yeah."

"See ya."

"W-wait, wait."

"I'm not waiting."

It would be a hassle for me to be asked about the situation.

I left the house with a teary-eyed Murphy at my back.

"But I never thought I'd have to let a stranger into my house, or even give my life for money."

It's a world I'll never understand.

Well, then.

"The only place Fianna would go is ....... Oh, that's the only place she'd go."

I noticed it right away, and headed there.

◇　◆　◇　◆　◇

I went there.

There was a girl kneeling in prayer in front of a statue in the great hall of the temple. It's Meme.

"Your sins have been forgiven."

The one who announced in front of it was the priest Fianna.

I don't know what she confessed, but it was probably about the PK that Meme was involved in when she was at Shin's party.

"Uuuhh, thank you very much, thank you very much!"

She bowed and her pointy hat fell off, but Meme looked as if she had been released from some 'weight'.

"There you are."

"Alec-san."

When Fianna saw my face, she showed a little sad expression. She must have remembered about Dyrmud.

It's not like she's sad because I'm here, is it?

"So, are you done, Meme?"

"Y-Yes, I am."

"Okay, that's good."

"Yes, yes."

She nodded her head and I said, "Now you can fight in our clan without any worries."

"Well then, Alec-san, please confess your sins too."

"Hmm?"

"I heard about it. From Serina-san. That ...... is the first time you guys meet."

"That's story, huh. ...... Okay, fine."

It's fair to hear both sides of the story, and the misunderstanding needs to be cleared up.

I knelt there and told it like it was ――I didn't tell it like it was, but I made it sound a little better.