I promised that updates would be faster and I intend to deliver.
:P
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing great feedback and critic.
Now about this chapter itself ...we have some very special guests coming in and I think some of you will recognize them.
With that said , let's get this chapter started !
Chapter 11 : Here We Go Again
To say that Naofumi was taken off guard by this would be an understatement.
" Whoa, whoa , whoa ! Take it easy ! " Naofumi shouted , taken off guard by the sudden threat of death pointed at them. He instinctively switched to his Light Metal Shield but it just seemed to make the adventurers look even more pissed off.
" Don't even think about it ...you can't lie your way out of this one Shield Demon ..."
" You're not going to escape your crimes this time ! "
Some of the adventurers seem to call him out something he wasn't even aware he did.
" Wait wait wait , what ?! What crimes are you even talking about ?! " Naofumi asked frantically.
" Don't even try to play dumb ! You know what you did ! " Another one shouted.
Oh come on ! This has already happened once ! How the hell do I end up being falsely accuse of something I don't even know . Twice !
Naofumi resisted the urge to change to a higher defense shield because he felt like tearing his hair out . This was just like back in the trial !
" I believe what our adventurers are talking about ..." A familiar voice speaks up and Naofumi turns to see Micah standing there with a firm expression " Is you attacking your fellow adventurers "
WHAT !?
Naofumi would have shouted if he hadn't been gaping in shock . And right behind Micah ... was the very same group of adventurers who attacked them !
" Us attacking !? They were the ones who ambushed us first ! " Ake shouted back , looking just about ready to murder everybody in the guild.
" Well , these adventurers here claim that you attacked them and tried to kill them for no reason " Micah said crossing her arms.
" That's bullshit ! " Ake once again being the most vocal person " We were just doing our investigation quest when these assholes suddenly attacked us in the slum ! "
" Don't listen to their lies ! " The Male Mage refuted " We were just going about our business when this demon and his posse attacked us ! "
" Everybody please calm down ! " Another receptionist , one who seemed just a little older than Micah and had light brown hair tried to ease tensions to no avail.
Damnit ! I should have known something like this would have happened ! Of course , they weren't just going to walk away after trying to kill us , they would try to make themselves look like the victims to save face with the guild !
And its pretty much just our word against theirs ... damnit !
" Perhaps ... but the Shield's party hasn't known to be credible " Micah seems to glare down at him in particular " In their last quest alone , the Shield failed to report about the presence of a Necromancer and the Spear Hero had to take care of it "
" Wait , WHAT ?! " Naofumi shouted " Necromancer ?! What are you talking about ? "
" ...In your last quest , you failed to discover that a Necromancer was actually the one behind the undead infestation all along and not the supposed artifact you claimed in your report. And it was the Spear Hero who had to take care of it " Micah stares down at him like a hawk " So why should we believe you now ? "
" I-I didn't know that ! " Naofumi was clearly shocked by this news , Mein and Ake looked surprised as well.
Their bad assumption may have well costed innocent lives ... and it had to be taken care of by Motoyasu.
But their mistake also makes their current situation worse , it just makes their word look even more worthless !
" Exactly what she said ! " The archer girl seemed to agree with Micah " Don't listen to what this damn devil is telling you ! "
Shit shit shit ... what are we going to do ?
He doesn't know what the punishment for assaulting fellow adventurers are , but he doesn't doubt that the King will use this incident as an excuse to punish him even more.
Naofumi bites his tongue to try and hide his growing fear , Raphtalia seems to be hiding behind Keel . And Mein who's hand is edging towards her sword , same with Ake.
" Hey ! Leave him alone ! "
A loud voice interrupts and all heads turns to see three demi-human girls who all seemed to have drawn their weapons and stand on their side.
And Naofumi wasn't sure whether to be relieved or scared that he recognized who these girls were.
" Miss us , Shield Hero ? " The cat girl gave him a smirk.
" I hope you still haven't forgotten us , though we unfortunately didn't have time to give our names last time " The rabbit archer gives a familiar smirk but licked her lips.
" Naofumi ..." Mein's tone had an edge to it , as sharp as a knife . Which firmly scared Naofumi a little " How do you know these girls ? "
" Its not what you're thinking Mein " Naofumi quickly said " Look I'll explain later "
Mein didn't look too happy but understood the current situation was more important.
" Stand out of the way demi..." The Warrior said with disgust.
" No , we will not let you harm the Shield Hero or besmirch his good name ! " The sheep girl says firmly , looking much more confident than the last time he saw her.
" As if his name is worth even dog shit ..." Another voice spoke up and this one sounded even more enraged and darker than everyone else's . The adventurers who opposed seem to part way for a man dressed in cheap metal armor over leather with a metal helmet steps forward.
Would be Goblin Slayer looked at Naofumi as if he literally was dog shit " I can't believe I actually helped you with these demi-whores ... and would you look at that . You even have two animals in your party too"
Slayer gestured towards Raphtalia and Keel , the former of which hide further behind while the latter try not to lose his nerve under the gaze of somebody as terrifying as Slayer.
" Ugh and they are children too ... and to think the Shield couldn't sink any lower " One of the adventurers chimed and others nodded in agreement.
" I-Its not what you think !" Naofumi couldn't help but shout in defense.
" ...Sure , whatever you say demon ..." The Warrior said mockingly.
" It doesn't matter ...we settle this now " Slayer said taking a step forward.
Naofumi swallowed hard , trying his best not to waver or shiver like a leaf in front of a very terrifying and pissed off man like Goblin Slayer.
When the hell did I agree to fight off-brand Goblin Slayer ?! I thought I was just going to fight monsters !
" Stay away from him you mania-" The rabbit archer looked like she was about to say something but quickly stopped under the death gaze of Goblin Slayer.
" Whores and sluts like you don't deserve speak ... when you cunts raped and pillaged Melromarc's land ... and you want to stand there and pretend you're being virtuous and actually care about this piece of shit ? " Slayer said with disdain as he looked at Naofumi and the trio " Even you sluts only care about his Shield ... we all know it ..."
The rabbit and cat girl seemed to falter as if they knew the truthness behind Slayer's words.
" We still will not let you harm him , Slayer ..." The sheep girl was the only one to stand her ground.
" Slayer , watch what you say ! "The senior receptionist scolded the Slayer but he barely seemed to register her words.
Looking around , Naofumi noticed that a few other demi-humans looked ready to jump in if a fight broke out. And that made Naofumi nervous , were they actually going to fight ? It was going to be a bloodbath if that happened !
Naofumi felt the sweat drip down the side of his face , what could he do ? What could he do ?!
If a fight breaks out ...what are we going to do ? Its not like we can just run away and pretend this never happened , the king will track me down and kill me . God knows what's going to happen to the others and... and ...fuck !
" What's going on here ? "
Another voice spoke up interrupting Naofumi's train of panic . He turned to the entrance to see a new group of adventurers enter , and looks very much surprised at what looks to be the brink of a full on battle between two sides.
The person who spoke up was a young woman around his age that stood at the front of her party . She had long blond hair and blue eyes. She wore a tabard that had some sort of crest on it.
A Priestess ? No wait...
Naofumi quickly took notice of the sword attached to her hip, along with the several pieces of armor on her shoulders , arms , chest that was underneath the tabard and her boots.
A Warrior Priestess.
" Alice ! "Both the blond receptionist and the sheep girl say in surprise.
" Maria , Lana what's going on ? " Alice and her party make their way between the two groups to try and keep them fighting it out. Alice's eyes narrow at the Slayer " And why does Slayer look like he's about to murder someone ? "
" You mean , besides literally all the time ? " The Warrior next to Alice jokes but gets shouldered by the Fighter next to him.
" Quiet Rufus ! " The Fighter scolded.
The Fighter girl long black hair tied into a waist-length ponytail and based on the gauntlets on her hands , she was definitely a martial artist or hand to hand combat fighter . She was wearing pants and robes that prioritized ease of movement and her sturdy boots seemed to be tipped with some kind of metal . Her armor of choice seemed to be similar to the Wizard with some monster leather here and there.
The Warrior on the other hand had brown, untidy hair . His equipment definitely fitted his role , with a full chest plate , helmet that he seems to have taken off , shoulder and thigh guards, metal boots and vambraces . To go with the longsword and shield he has .
" Well ...we have something of a situation developing " Maria admits " This group of adventurers claim that the Shield Hero and his party attacked them , while the Shield Hero and his party are claiming the opposite . We're in something of a lot of trouble..." Maria says looking nervous at the two groups looking ready to fight it out.
" That does sound like quite the situation ..." Alice says putting her hand to her chin in thought.
" Didn't take you for the type of guy to get mixed up in something like this Slayer ... " The Wizard of Alice's party asked Slayer . She had red hair , just a bit darker than Mein's and greenish eyes. She wore the dark robes , cloak, a pair of glasses and a pointed hat. She seemed to wear a set of monster leather for her armor and if her clothes weren't a dead giveaway , her staff showed she was the magic caster for her party.
But he couldn't help but notice the crossbow on her back and the short sword at her hip...
Based on their equipment and looks alone ... Naofumi could tell that these guys weren't your average adventurers no ...
These were experienced adventurers.
Slayer didn't respond right away , but merely looked away " ...If the Shield has committed crimes , I don't see why he shouldn't be punished "
Alice seemed to give Slayer a sad and longing look before turning back to the situation.
Maria cleared her throat " As for the situation ...it would be difficult to tell who is actually to blame here but-"
" It was the Shield we're telling you ! " The Female Archer butt in again " Its just like all the legends say ! He's a demon and a bastard through and through ! "
" Hey ! We're not the ones who randomly attacked people while they had their backs turned and were vastly outnumbered !" Naofumi couldn't stop the words from rising in his throat " So don't calling me a demon or a bastard when you guys acted that way ! "
" Fuck you ! After what your whores and cunts from Siltvelt did ... you deserve nothing less than hellfire ! " The Warrior shouted back and the situation got back to volatile again.
Both sides looked ready to fight it out , Slayer even took out his sword ...and his gaze was directed straight at Naofumi.
Shit ! Why did I say that !?
Naofumi hoped there would be a time in the future where he could learn how to hold his tongue ...if he lived through this.
" THAT IS ENOUGH ! ALL OF YOU ! " A loud and angered voice cut through the tense atmosphere and all attention was directed back at Maria who looked very angry " ALL OF YOU SHEATH YOUR WEAPONS NOW OR GET READY TO BE BARRED FROM QUESTS FOR THE NEXT MONTH ! "
Several of the adventurers flinched it at that. It was clear that threat got through to all of them and some even looked scared at the frightening receptionist. Even Micah looked taken off guard at this. Mein and Ake sheathed their weapons as well .
Maria took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again " ... We will be questioning both parties and fact checking both of their stories for validity " Maria eyes narrowed at Alice and the others " And I would like to request some of you more experienced adventurers to aid in this , in case a fight breaks out , the rest of you are to go about your every day business as usual ..."
Maria spoke with a tone of harsh professionality and she held a gaze that could rival Slayer's. It was like the eyes of a snake that was staring down dozens of mice and was daring each of them to try something.
The adventurers all went still at the message , some were dumbfounded as to what to do.
" Well , what are you idiots waiting for ? Move it ! " Rufus shouted , clapping his hands together was enough to get the rest of them moving " This is an adventurer's guild people ! Get your asses out there and kill something ! "
Not even five minutes after that , the adventurers that had been threatening Naofumi and his party's lives had dispersed. Now it was just his party , Slayer , the accusing adventurers and the demi-human girl trio.
" Thank you so much Rufus ..." Maria gave a grateful nod to Rufus before turning to the others " Now I would like to request the rest of your help to ensure that this interview goes by smoothly and without any sudden fights ... if that's alright with you all ? " Maria's tone softened when she looked at Slayer and Alice for a moment.
" Of course , we'd be glad Maria ..." Alice agreed with a smile.
" Well , we can't leave our Shield Hero hanging can we ? " The cat girl said with a sly smirk.
Naofumi narrowed his eyes at Slayer , who only gave up but a simple nod to Maria's request.
" Excellent , let us have this in interview room two " Maria said simply and led the way with the large group of adventurers following behind her.
Naofumi tried to hide his nervousness , but his hands were fidgeting so he hid them behind his cloak.
What's this interview going to be like anyway ? Are they going to like question us one at a time or all at once ? How are they going to question us exactly?
Naofumi had dozens of worrisome thoughts in his head and many more coming in .
He didn't even fully register it when Mein grasped his hand and he looked at her in surprise . She gave him a comforting look " Don't worry Naofumi , just stay calm ..."
Naofumi grasped her hand too , if only just for the comfort.
They were led to a room on the second floor of the guild and they were all filtered through the single door that led to another room. Naofumi was very briefly amazed by the reception room's decor. It was much nicer than he thought it would have been . There were weapons , armor , jewels , paintings and some other strange stuff he couldn't even name on the wall. It seemed the guild knew how to keep up with the whole adventure decor.
The carpet that was the floor was also really thick too , the inner asian in him almost felt the need to ask if he should take his boots off when he realized that nobody else seemed to care about it too much so it was probably alright. Even Slayer who smelled really bad and armor looked the least clean didn't even get a reaction out of Maria or Micah.
" Please ...take a seat wherever you want " Maria gestured to the two couches and chairs around the room.
Naofumi took a deep breath as he sat on the comfy couch next to Mein , it almost reminded him of home if he briefly forgot that he was here to be interviewed over another crime he didn't commit . Ake stood still and acted as the barrier between the adventurers and Raphtalia and Keel.
The accusing adventurers sat on the opposite couch , though there wasn't enough space so some of them grabbed a chair to sit on.
Alice and her party , the demi-girl trio and Slayer all stood by each of their respective parties . Naofumi could guess what they were all doing.
They're surrounding us if one of us tries anything ...
Naofumi couldn't even be glad that violence wasn't going to happen because Slayer was giving stone cold death glares the whole way.
" Now ...we shall begin the interview over the incident that has occured between your respective parties " Maria said with a tone of professionality.
" Sorry to interrupt , but shouldn't we get someone with the Sense Lie Miracle down here to help ? " Micah suggested " Actually where's Claire ? "
Wait a second , there are actual Miracles in this world ?
" Unfortunately, Claire is out sick today so she won't be of any help since she's the only one of us who has the Miracle ..." Maria said calmly " No matter , we can conduct the interview as is ..."
Micah nodded . Seeming to trust her superior.
" Back to the matter at hand , you both claim that the other attacked first without proper cause and the other defended themselves , correct ? " Maria waited for both parties to nod before continuing " Now obviously the only conclusion to be drawn from this is that one of you is lying so ... we will be talking about the story you both tell to see which one is more truthful "
Naofumi balls his hands on his pants , trying not to have a panic attack while this was about to go down.
" Now Shield Hero ... your party says that you were attacked while you were performing your investigation quest in the slum . Is that correct ? " Maria asked , looking at him intensely.
Naofumi tried not to seem nervous , if he looked nervous than he would looked suspicious and if he looked suspicious than his case might get even worse !
" Uh yes ...that's correct. We were in the middle of investigating the abandoned inn that we took as our quest for the day " Naofumi tries to remain as calm as possible " I-I'm pretty sure we registered the quest ... in fact I think it was with Micah "
Maria narrowed her eyes at her younger receptionist , who let out a sigh " Yes , it is true that I recall settling a quest that the Shield took that involved the investigation of an abandoned inn in the slums "
" And it was during this quest that you claim that these adventurers attacked you ? " Maria asked once again.
" Yes ..." Naofumi nodded.
" That's a flat out lie ! " The female mage shouted " Don't tell you're actually going to listen to this-! "
" If I were you ... I would strongly suggest sitting down ..." Maria glared at the young mage , it was a glare that would have made Slayer proud if he bothered to show it. The female mage unnerved by the gaze sat back down.
" You're smarter than you look ..." The Wizard commented.
" Clarissa , quiet " Alice gave a disapproving look at her party member.
" Now turning our attention to you all ..." Maria turned her gaze at the accusing adventurers " You claim that the Shield Hero attacked you first without due cause ? "
" Yes , that's right " The Warrior nodded his head furiously , trying to keep a cool head.
" And where exactly did he attack you ? " Maria suddenly asked.
The adventurers looked taken off guard by this and so was Naofumi.
Why would she ask them that ? What would even be the point of it ?
" Uh ...he attacked us in the slums !" The rouge said " He wanted to get us all isolated and quiet and-"
" And could you explain why exactly you were in the slum area of Melromarc's capital in the first place ? " Maria interjected with her own question.
The question seemed to stupefy the adventurers to the point where they were all looking at each other in confusion.
" W-Why does that matter ? " The archer girl said .
" Just trying to get the facts straight is all ..." Maria said calmly " Because there aren't a lot of reasons for why adventurers would go to that part of the capital in particular , unless they were doing a quest like the Shield Hero was ...or had some other ulterior motive "
Some of the accusing adventurers faces went pale at that and Naofumi's eyes widen in surprise.
That's what she's doing ! She's trying to poke holes in our stories and account for our movements !
" Let me change up the question then " Maria folded her hands together " What were you doing at the time before the Shield Hero attacked you ? "
" Well we were ... um ..." The Warrior seemed to struggle to come up with a proper response.
" We were taking the day off from adventuring and decided to go for a stroll ..." The male mage interrupted , as he gave Naofumi a glare " Until this piece of shit attacked us out of the blue "
Naofumi noticed how Mein and Ake were glaring daggers at the opposing party , who were doing just about the same thing.
" Taking the day off , huh ? " Maria mused.
"Y-Yes ma'am that's the truth ! " The Warrior moved to back up his comrade.
" Then why are you all fully dressed as if you're going out to adventure ? " Maria posed another question and the accusing adventurer's faces blanche.
Naofumi knew that these guys were constantly being caught in Maria's trap.
" Don't get me wrong , I know quite a few adventurers who can't go a day without wearing their armor even on their day-offs or when they are supposed to be resting ..." Maria narrowed her eyes at Slayer amusingly before going back to the adventurers " But I know that most adventurers choose to forgo most if not all of their equipment on their day-offs . Even those who still choose to wear armor typically just go for some light armor and weapons ..." Maria's gaze hardened as she stared all of the adventurers down " So please explain to me , how all of you were conveniently fully equipped to battle the Shield Hero when he ambushed you ? "
" I uh ... well we ..." The leader seemed to have a hard time coming up with what to say.
Maria let out a sigh , clearly she was as tired with this as he was.
" Excuse me ma'am , if I may speak freely ? " Ake suddenly spoke up.
" Yes , go ahead " Maria nodded.
" Can we please get this over with already ? " Ake said bluntly " These guys clearly have more holes in their story than chain mail , so they are clearly the ones who are lying so-"
" That may be the case ..." Maria interjected , giving Ake a look " But the situation is still essentially your word vs theirs ... and we have no hard proof that either of you are lying outright ...and I'd rather not punish the wrong party without being absolutely certain of the details of the case ..."
Ake backed down with his arms crossed.
" Um ... excuse me ? " Alice suddenly spoke up , turning eyes to her.
" Yes , Alice ? " Maria's tone soften when she spoke to the Priestess.
" The problem we are facing is that neither party can provide concrete proof that their word is truth or lies , but I think I may know a solution that can solve this problem " Alice explained " If you would like to hear it ? "
Micah and Maria looked at each other before nodding to let Alice continue.
" Then might I suggest we take a trip to the cathedral near here to have both parties interrogated under slave seal " Alice calmly suggested. Naofumi caught that Raphtalia instinctively hid further behind Keel at the mention of the practice.
" How are slave seals going to help ? " Naofumi asked.
" Because while under the effects of slave seal a person is unable to lie if commanded to " Alice answered " Rest assured , that the seals are only temporary and will be removed immediately after ... if you both agree that is "
" Yes of course we agree ! " The Leader quickly said " We'll do it if it proves our innocence ! "
Wait a second ...why are there so confident unless ..
Naofumi realized what Alice had just said.
" Wait , did you say cathedral ? " Naofumi asked for clarification. He should have noticed it sooner ...the symbol on Alice's tabard flying over his head. He should have known.
" Yes , the Three Heroes Church cathedral , they have the items to make a slave seal so it shouldn't be too much trouble " Alice explains calmly but that was the blow to Naofumi's confidence.
The Shield Hero had no idea it was possible to sink someone's confidence that fast.
If this Alice is from the Three Heroes Church ...then is she just going to try and forge evidence against them ?! Mein did say that the ones who set her up to frame him for rape were most likely from the Three Heroes Church so ...
Naofumi turned his gaze to the adventurers , now all having smug looks.
Damnit ! Was this all a set up from the beginning ?! Is Alice in on it and everything !?
" Unless one of you has something to hide then ..." Alice narrowed her eyes at Naofumi.
" O-Of course not ..." Naofumi stuttered , his nervousness obvious. They really were caught in a trap...
" So what do you say Maria ? " Alice turned her head to the receptionist.
Micah also faced her superior , awaiting her decision.
" With a case as sensitive as this , I think we should take Alice up on her offer , I don't want the risk of us punishing the wrong party " Maria nodded her head.
Micah didn't seem too happy but respected her decision nonetheless
" Well , if we're going to the cathedral then we should head there now " Alice said she moved towards the entrance.
" Don't mind if we tag along ? " The rabbit archer suggested with a sly smile.
" For your own sake Via , we'd rather not get into trouble by bringing so many people there " The Fighter said " Only the essential people need to come , everyone else go about your business ... "
" Awwwwww ... you're always such a mood killer Nina " Via seemed to complain to the Wizard Clarissa but walked away.
" See you around Shield Hero " The cat girl said seductively as she left.
Lana seemed to meet Alice's eyes before giving her a friendly smile before leaving with her group . It would seem Alice and Lana know each other somehow.
Alice turned to the Slayer who seemed to be walking out the door already " Um ...Slayer would you like to come with ? I'm sure Justinia would love to see you again..."
The Slayer didn't move or react to Alice's words in any way ...but instead he simply just turned on his heel and left the room without a word.
Wait a second ...if that's supposed to be off-brand Goblin Slayer than wouldn't that make Alice ...
Oh shit ...
Naofumi realized too late who Alice and her party might actually be ...if they were going by Goblin Slayer rules.
...
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...
Alice stood stock still , not making any noticeable movements or sounds , Naofumi couldn't see her face ...but he could tell that she was hurt by that.
" Alice ..." Maria stepped forward.
" The cathedral's not too far from here ...let's go ..." Alice said nothing else as she exited the room. Naofumi saw that Clarissa let out a sigh as the rest of her party followed after her.
As they exited the guild and began walking to the cathedral ... Naofumi couldn't but be reminded of that day . During the trial.
Only difference here is that he's knowingly walking to his conviction. And he knew he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.
The walk to the cathedral wasn't that long , with the only people being allowed to come is Naofumi's party , the accusing adventurers, the receptionist Maria and Alice's party.
Alice led the way to the cathedral while the rest of her party seemed to be keeping an eye on both the accusing adventurers and Naofumi's party in case a fight broke out which wasn't unlikely. Fortunately that seemed be the last thing on both parties minds as the walk there was actually quite silent and almost somber in a weird sorta way. Though most of the doom and gloom were radiating off of Naofumi's party . The accusing adventurers almost looked giddy during the walk , as if they knew they were going to win.
Shit shit shit ...what are we going to do ...? This isn't like the first trial where Mein could just stand up for me ...this is basically just as he said- she said deal ...and their side was not looking good...
" Mein ...do you think we can trust this Alice ? " Naofumi subtly whispered to Mein who was walking by his side.
" Not sure really ... she doesn't seem to be on the fanatical side of the Church ... but that could always just be a ruse to lure us into a false sense of security " Mein's honest answer did not ease his nerves " That and this Alice and her party are silvers so I don't think we can take them easily if that is the case "
" Silvers ? " Naofumi raised an eyebrow.
" The third highest rank in the guild , I imagine that their levels are pretty high too " Mein explained with a serious expression" These guys are no joke..."
Naofumi was starting to regret asking and his feeling of dread only increased as the cathedral came into view.
Even if this Alice isn't lying ...and that's a pretty big if ... they were still walking into the very cathedral that hates his guts . Who's to say that one of the priests or nuns won't try to kill him or his party the moment they step inside ?
Naofumi subconsciously kept his Air Strike Shield and Shield Prison ready if that was the case.
" Naofumi..." Mein whispered to him " Heroes and Marked are immune to the effects of the slave seal..."
" So ? "
" So ...if they try to put it on me , they'll know that I'm one of them " Mein said in a rushed and serious tone.
Naofumi's eyes widened as his dread turned into panic.
You have got to be kidding me !
" Is there a problem here ? " Naofumi's panic was cut off , when Rufus gave him a suspicious look.
" Oh its nothing , I was just chatting with our Shield Hero here ..." Mein flashes him a kind smile but he doesn't seem convinced.
" Alright ... well come on then " Luckily Rufus doesn't push further than that as they step in front of the cathedral.
The cathedral itself was as grand and ornate as he would have imagined .The front yard alone was pretty clean, without a speck of dirt or trash in sight. It weirdly reminded Naofumi of some christian cathedrals he saw. The front also had a small garden with freshly grown flowers that provided beauty to the surroundings and there were birds chirping all around.
It would almost be awe for Naofumi if he didn't know that this Church was the one who labelled him a Devil and were the most likely culprits for being the one's who were behind setting him up to be framed for rape.
Naofumi looked to see there was a crest hanging above the entrance that was the same as the one at the guild . A sword , spear and bow crossed over each other .
The Shield is the only one left out.
Mein gently pulled him into the cathedral while he was busy examining the crest.
Alice leads them inside and Naofumi wasn't surprised to find that interior was just as grand and lavish as the exterior made it out to be. As they walked through the pristine and clean halls... Naofumi did his best to ignore the stares he was getting from some of the priests and nuns.
Some looked at him in shock, others with disgust ... and some were even full on glaring at him as if he were a bug that had trespassed on their holy ground.
" Word of advice Shield Hero ..." Clarissa suddenly spoke up " Try not to make eye-contact and ignore the stares "
Naofumi firmly followed her advice , not even noticing Mein grasped his hand in comfort.
Alice led them to what seemed to be an altar ... and standing there was a woman with a long staff in hand that had scales attached to it.
The woman was much older than he was , she wore white robes over her robust figure and her golden hair glittered in the sun . Her beauty alone would be able to give women much younger than her a run for their money.
The one thing that stood out him however was that her eyes were hidden with a black blindfold. Naofumi wasn't sure whether it was some kind of religious thing ... or if she was actually blind.
He felt it best not to ask.
" Oh I have visitors ? " The woman turned to them , as if noticing their presence.
Alice stepped forward and bowed" Archbishop Justinia , apologies but we have a-"
This is the Justinia Alice was talking about ?
" Alice ! Its been too long my dear , have you been well ? " Justinia interrupted her with a melancholic smile.
Alice blushed heavily " Archbishop ...please act accordingly..."
" Oh nonsense , its been too long , did you bring your friends with you ? "
" Its been going quite well miss Justinia " Rufus said with a dumb smile.
" Dummy ! You're not supposed to answer ! We're on duty " Nina scolded her teammate.
" ...Same as always ..." Clarissa let out a sigh.
Naofumi and the others seemed stunted here . The Shield Hero was shocked that this was the archbishop of the Church that supposedly hates his guts , and what was more surprising was that this adventurer group seemed to be familiar with her.
" So I take it you didn't come for tea did you ? " Justinia teased.
" Unfortunately , no ...we have something of a situation " Alice looked back at Naofumi's party and the accusing adventurers before walking closer to Justinia to whisper in her ear.
Naofumi couldn't make out what she was saying , but Alice seemed to be frequently looking back at him and the accusing adventurers.
As Alice finished her explanation , the cheery smile on Justinia's face faded and it was replaced by a hard look of seriousness.
If it was possible , Naofumi was certain Justinia would be full glaring at him. She probably was beneath the blindfold.
" The Shield Hero you say..." Justinia gestured her head at his direction , and if it was possible she would be glaring at him which made him very afraid" Very well ..."
" Please get the tools required for slave seal .Now " Justinia said firmly to the few other nuns who were in the room , who ran off at their archbishops command.
How are they going to pose the questions actually ? Are they going to word it in a way that will make us look like the bad guys ... shit ..
Naofumi's panic swelled up a 100 levels...
The entire room was plunged into silence , everybody keeping quiet . The tension in the room was so thick you could cut with a knife.
It didn't take long for the nuns to come back with the same tools that Beloukas used to create a slave seal.
" We will now begin the trial between the accused parties ... the Shield Hero ..." Justinia turned her head at him " And this party as well..."
Alice cleared her throat to get their attention" Um... I will be the one asking the question so I think just one person from each party should be enough , unless ..." Alice turned her head at Maria.
" Its fine , as long as you ask the appropriate questions Alice " Maria nodded in agreement.
" So which one of you would like to go first ? " Alice asked calmly and Naofumi almost felt like throwing up.
" ... I'll do it " Ake suddenly stepped forward with not a hint of fear on his face.
At least , we don't have to worry about Mein being outed as a heretic ...
On the other side , the accusing adventurers looked as confident as ever.
" I'll go if that's alright with you all ..." The archer girl stepped forward confidently.
" Very well , we shall begin the process now..." Justinia nodded and the nuns stepped forward to begin etching the slave seal on their bodies.
Ake briefly took of his chest plate so they could draw the same seal that was on Raphtalia onto his chest. The archer girl looked quite smug as they did the same to her.
The process only took a couple minutes , with Alice cutting her finger into the bowl of black liquid and the seal contract being complete.
" I will now begin asking the questions regarding this situation ..." Alice turned to both parties " You are both forbidden to lie in any way or omit the truth or avoid telling the full truth and doing so will result in a shock from the seal so please answer honestly..."
Naofumi couldn't read Alice's face since it was as calm as ever , he couldn't tell what she was thinking ...
And that scared him.
He didn't know how the slave seal worked , he hadn't checked to see how all the various punishments and systems were ... so could Alice just flat out disable the punishment and it will look she's telling the truth ?
Alice turned her head to archer girl first " Now I will start with the first question ... "
" Ask away ..." The archer girl smiled brightly.
" Is it true that you were ambushed by the Shield Hero while you were in the slums ? "
" Yes , this bastard attack me and my team while we wer- AAAAAHHHHHHHHH ! "
The archer girl couldn't even finish her sentence ... as the slave seal on her chest glowed brightly and shocked her horribly.
Naofumi was in shock ...
Whether it was out of the fact that this is what the slave seal actually does ...or the fact that Alice actually helped them ... he wasn't sure.
...
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...
For a time everybody was shocked into silence , the adventurers were looking very scared now and the archer girl on her knees and clutching her chest in pain.
" ...My apologies , I should have set it for lowest punishment " Alice said and Naofumi could tell that she wasn't saying it out of mockery . But because she genuinely felt bad for doing this. Alice turned to Ake " Now moving on the Shield's party ...is it true that you were attacked by this band of adventurers during your investigation quest ? "
" Yes , we were in the middle of doing it when these guys attacked us out of nowhere ..." Ake said angrily " We managed to beat them back and they escaped ... I think you can all guess what happened from there "
" ...I see ..." Alice nodded before turning back to the archer girl " Do you deny this claim ? "
The archer girl was quiet , still crumpled on the floor .
" Please answer the question ..." Maria said.
For a time , the archer girl just sat there stock still and silent before her mouth moved and she stood up straight with grit teeth
" Yeah ... its true , you happy now ? " The archer girl spat out in spite " We tried to kill this demon and his band of whores and bastards , there ! "
Naofumi was not expecting the archer girl to just come out and admit it . Did she do it because she knew they had been had ?
" Why did you attack the Shield Hero ? " Maria asked.
" Because this bastard deserves to die that's why ! " The Warrior shouted " Parading around as if he's a god or hero , is nothing short of an insult to all the shit his sons of whores and cunts did to our country ! "
" And you knowingly falsely accused them of attacking you ... why ? " Alice asked this time.
" Obviously when things were said and done we couldn't just walk away ... so we took our chances and hoped luck was on our side ... and it almost worked ! " The male mage shouted as he glared at Alice " Until this bitch fucked it all up ! "
" Watch your goddamn mouth ..." Nina glared right back.
" The only reason we went along with your idea was because we thought you were going to help us ... but you ..." The archer girl glared daggers at Alice " You're a traitor not just to your religion but your own kind as well ! "
Alice just stood there . Not making a comment at the insults tossed her way.
" I think we're done here ..." Maria said with finality.
As if a gavel had been slammed down , the adventurers had been made soberly aware of their situation.
" W-What do you mean done here ?! " The archer yelled.
" With the crimes of attempting to murder your fellow adventurers , false accusations ... your status as members of the guild are revoked "
Gasps came out of the adventurers group , Naofumi imagined that was a pretty serious punishment for adventurers.
" In addition to that , you will also be handed over to the Knights for judgement of your crimes " Maria said professionally.
" Y-You can't do this to us ! " The Warrior shouted.
" Your crimes are fitting for your punishment, no ? " Alice mused " The guild exists for its trust between its adventurers ... you broke that trust and now you have to pay the price "
The Warrior's eyes flash with rage as he charged at Alice.
" WHY YOU -! "
Alice's reflexes were quick , as she quickly blocked the attack with her own sword before punching the Warrior straight in the face and into the ground.
The rest of her party unsheathed their weapons as they pointed them at the adventurers.
" Wanna rethink your life choices ? " Clarissa mocked as she dualed her sword and crossbow.
" Guards ... take them away ..." Justinia spoke up and suddenly armored guards entered the room and started dragging the adventurers out of it.
Naofumi knows he should just keep quiet and let it happen. The logical side of him knows that adventurers who tried to MURDER him and his party should be punished ... but watching them get dragged away still reminded him of when he was the one being tried.
" Hey , wait a sec-"
Naofumi doesn't even get to finish his sentence , as Mein holds out a hand to stop him.
He looks at her ... and Mein just shakes her head slightly.
No words were said ...but they both understood each other clearly.
Naofumi had to admit that the howling of the adventurers as they were dragged away did not bring him either satisfaction or comfort.
Before any of you ask ...yes , this chapter's name was inspired by that GTA San Andreas meme.
XD
In all seriousness , I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and enjoyed the guest stars from Goblin Slayer , which I think you can all figure who this 'Alice ' and her crew is.
I think Qin's fetish for pop culture referencing is starting to rub off on me.
XD
But for real , one of the things I VERY much dislike about Goblin Slayer is the lack of real names that the characters have or rather don't have. Sure , its fine in the story and I know the author actually wanted to give them names when it got serialized but just stuck with calling them by their classes and shit ...
But do you all have any idea how annoying it is to actually write those things as 'names' in the story ? They get really annoying to do REAL fast , so I just gave them all real names for simplicity and easiness.
By the way , if you all want a reference for what Alice's armor looks like , this is the closest thing I could find. Just imagine this but with some of the modifications I mentioned here and there : mpng/mbwRbw_fantasy-women-warrior-png-file-d-d-human/
And yeah , in case it wasn't immediately obvious this is a universe where the relationship between Alice and GS isn't so ...good.
I'll leave that to your interpretation for now.
Review Answering Time
To XBOY40:
Yeah , like I said I didn't originally plan for Keel to be taken in by Naofumi at the same time as Raphtalia. It was actually Qin's suggestion to shake up the scene and make it feel at least a little bit original , even if it doesn't really change much on a large scale.
Glad you like the story so far !
:)
To lord Martiya :
I suppose congrats are in order for getting the plot of this chapter right ! Its always fun when you guess what's going to happe in the next chapter and it happens .
To setokayba2n :
I'll admit I was a little reluctant to flat out put it in the crossover section with Dishonored . Since I do have a lot of characters from other stories appearing later , so it wouldn't feel right to put it in the Dishonored section ...since it doesn't JUST have Dishonored characters in it.
:P
So sorry that you won't be reading this story anymore , but thanks anyway !
To Guest :
Yeah , that really is a nice way to say hi to Naofumi. I can't wait to see how many more 'greetings' he'll get later in the story.
XD
Well people , that's all the time we have for today so with nothing more to say , see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.