"You call that a win? You coward!"
You stuck your nose into a one-on-one duel!
"What the hell are you talking about? You lost because you couldn't keep my power in check and let me stand up!"
...Are you serious right now, you bastard?
So much for being a Hero! So much for "a Hero shouldn't have slaves"!
You can't even pull off a fixed match properly, and you're playing the Hero?!
"Your allies interfered with the duel! That's why I stumbled!"
"Ha! Just a loser crying wolf, huh?"
"That's not it! You coward!"
The coward Mitsuki无视ed my protests and looked down at me with a smug expression.
He really did get interfered with. And yet... this bastard!
"Is that so?"
Mitsuki turned to the audience.
But whether the crowd had noticed or not... silence reigned.
"There is no need to believe the words of a criminal Hero! Spear Hero! Your victory is assured!"
This bastard! Of all things, the King himself—the event's host—declared it openly.
The others around probably had their reservations, judging by the way their eyes shifted and they seemed to want to say something. But once the most powerful man in the country had pronounced judgment, nobody could overturn it.
They'd probably be silenced by the King himself.
Is this a dictatorship or what?!
"You were magnificent, Lord Motoyasu!"
The bitch who started this whole mess trotted over to Mitsuki with a brazen smile. Then the castle mages cast healing magic on Mitsuki alone, mending his wounds.
They didn't even intend to cast it on me.
"Hmm, as expected of the Hero chosen by my daughter, Malty."
The King placed his hand on Malty's shoulder.
"W-Wait, what...!?"
Malty is the King's daughter!?
"Well... I was pretty surprised back then too. Malty's actually a princess—she snuck in under a fake name."
"Yes... I volunteered for the sake of world peace♪"
...So that's what happened.
I always thought it was suspicious that I got labeled a criminal based solely on the victim's testimony.
I see... A princess in disguise, trying to become her favorite Hero's number one. She used me—the weakest of the Heroes—as a sacrifice, scammed me out of my money, and then her dear old father indulged his spoiled daughter's whim, fabricated evidence, and pinned a false conviction on me.
And Mitsuki, the Hero who "valiantly" rescued the princess from the criminal, ended up on good terms with the disguised princess and deepened his relationship with her more than any other woman.
This also explains why I was given a larger initial fund than anyone else.
In other words, the princess obtained top-tier equipment legitimately while showering favors on her favorite, Mitsuki.
If she'd shown up from the start wearing equipment far more expensive than any other adventurer's, even Mitsuki would've found it suspicious and kept his distance.
How deep the planning goes—I'd have to ask them directly to find out. But people who go this far would never leave evidence behind. In the end, all that remains is the criminal, useless Shield Hero, and the Hero who heroically rescued the princess.
A chain of deductions following like a vine.
I took no real damage, but the fact that he could fire a Wing Blow powerful enough to make me stagger proved just how well-nourished he was. In other words, living proof that she was the genuine princess of this kingdom.
So they held a rigged match, then forcibly shut down any objection about outside interference—because that was their scheme all along.
Of course a father would protect his daughter's favorite, Mitsuki, if she disrupted the duel.
If that's the case, then Mitsuki's duel with me was probably orchestrated from the very beginning.
...It's simple. All you'd have to do is whisper in the ear of that woman-loving Mitsuki: "That girl is a slave being forcibly kept by the Shield Hero. Please save her right away!"
The perfect chance to win the approval of his future wife while simultaneously showing off what a kind man he is. People who go this far would never miss an opportunity like that.
And if Mitsuki ultimately married the princess, the tale would be complete—the Hero who saved a princess from a criminal and rescued a slave girl.
The more powerful the evil, the brighter the Hero shines.
For posterity, the people would forever tell the legend of the Hero who defeated an evil Hero with the same power, and the name of his beloved wife.
Damn it! What a scummy king and a bitchy princess!
Wait... a princess... a bitch...?
That phrase... I've heard it somewhere before.
Where? Where on earth did I hear that?
...I remember. When I read The Four Holy Weapons Book.
The princess in that book was a bitch who threw herself at every Hero.
If, just like the other scummy Heroes, the Four Holy Weapons Book I read in the library has some connection to this world, then the princess being a bitch makes perfect sense.
A fury that felt like it was boiling up from the depths of my body surged through every inch of me.
Thump...
From the shield... I felt something. A heartbeat.
Curse Series.
—The conditions for the shield have been unlocked.
A pitch-black emotion overflowing from the bottom of my heart devoured the shield, and my vision warped.
"Now then, Lord Motoyasu, the slave that the Shield Hero was employing awaits."
The crowd parted, and there was
Liquid spilled from the cup the mages had brought, soaking into the Slave Crest carved into Raphtalia's chest.
The slave icon flickering in my vision winked out and vanished.
Just like that, Raphtalia was officially no longer my slave.
I felt the black emotion churning in the depths of my gut gradually take over my heart.
In this world, everyone existed only to mock me, ridicule me, and revel in my suffering.
Yes... before my eyes now, all I could see were shadowy figures wearing dark grins.
"Raphtalia-chan!"
Mitsuki rushed toward Raphtalia.
The gag was removed from Raphtalia's mouth, and as Mitsuki approached, she spoke through her tears—and slapped him across the cheek.
"You... coward!"
"...Huh?"
Mitsuki stood there, dumbfounded.
"I cannot forgive you for using underhanded tactics, but when did I ever ask you to save me!?"
"B-But Raphtalia-chan, that guy was working you to the bone, wasn't he?"
"Lord Naofumi never once made me do anything I couldn't do! He only used the curse to make me fight when I was too scared and refused to do it myself!"
My consciousness was fading, and I could barely make out what was being said.
No... I could hear it.
But I didn't want to hear anyone's words anymore.
I wanted to get away from this place.
I wanted to go back to my own world.
"That's the whole problem!"
"Lord Naofumi can't defeat monsters. So someone else had to!"
"There was no need for you to do it! He was running you into the ground!"
"Lord Naofumi has never once let me get injured by a monster's attack! When I was tired, he let me rest!"
"N-No way... that guy doesn't seem like the type to be that considerate..."
"...Would you extend your hand to a filthy, sick, broken slave?"
"Huh?"
"Lord Naofumi did all sorts of things for me. He fed me whatever I wanted to eat. When I was coughing and suffering, he shared precious medicine with me at great personal cost. Could you do that?"
"I-I could!"
"Then there should be a slave beside you who isn't me!"
"!?"
Raphtalia was... running toward me.
"D-Don't come here!"
This was... hell.
A world crafted from malice.
Women—no, everyone in this world—despised me and drove me into misery.
If I touched her, I'd only feel more pain.
Raphtalia glared at Mitsuki again at my reaction.
"I've heard the rumors... that you're the worst kind of Hero, one who forced himself on his companions."
"Y-Yeah! He's a sex criminal! You were kept as a sex slave, so you know what I mean!"
"How does that even follow?! Lord Naofumi has never once laid a hand on me!"
And then Raphtalia grabbed my hand.
"L-Let go!"
"Lord Naofumi... What do I have to do to earn your trust?"
"I said let go!"
Everyone in this world was accusing me of crimes I didn't commit!
"I didn't do it!"
Whoosh...
Something soft enveloped me as I raged.
"Please calm your anger, Lord Naofumi. Please, lend me your ear so that I can earn your trust."
"...Huh?"
"You can only trust someone who can't disobey you? Then let's go back to the place where we first met and you can put the curse back on me."
"L-Liar! You're just trying to trick me again!"
What is this? What was forcing its way into my heart? What is this voice?!
"No matter what happens, I believe in you, Lord Naofumi."
"Shut up! You're just trying to pin another crime on me!"
"...I don't believe, Lord Naofumi, that you forced yourself on anyone the way the rumors say. You're not that kind of person."
For the first time since coming to this world... I heard the words I'd been longing to hear.
The dark shadow that had been suffocating my vision seemed to dissolve away.
I felt a warmth, like human skin.
"Even if everyone in the world says you did it, I know the truth... I will tell you as many times as it takes—Lord Naofumi, you never did those things."
When I looked up, the girl who had always appeared in my eyes was gone. In her place stood a young woman who looked about seventeen.
Her features bore a certain resemblance to Raphtalia, but it felt almost rude to compare—she was that beautiful.
Her dull, dirty hair had been cleaned up nicely, and her rough, dry skin had been replaced with a healthy complexion.
Her once skeletal body had filled out with proper muscle, giving her a lively, well-proportioned appearance.
Most of all, the eyes gazing at me were no longer clouded with resignation. They burned with a fierce will.
I didn't know this girl.
"Lord Naofumi, let's go have the curse put back on me."
"Wh-Who are you?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? It's me—Raphtalia."
"No no no, Raphtalia is a little kid!"
The girl calling herself Raphtalia tilted her head, puzzled.
"My goodness, Lord Naofumi, you still treat me like a child."
The voice... was definitely Raphtalia's. I recognized it.
But the appearance was completely different.
No no no, even if it was somehow Raphtalia, this was still bizarre.
"Lord Naofumi, since we're at it, let me explain."
"Explain what?"
"You see, demi-humans experience rapid physical growth proportional to their level when they level up at a young age."
"Huh?"
"Demi-humans aren't human. That's why we're condemned and treated the same as monsters."
The girl calling herself Raphtalia continued, looking slightly embarrassed.
"True, I'm... mentally still a child, but my body has mostly become that of an adult."
And then Raphtalia—her chest, now noticeably full, pressed my face against it once more—declared: "Please, believe me. I am absolutely certain that Lord Naofumi has committed no crime. The great Shield Hero who shared precious medicine with me, saved my life, and taught me how to live and how to fight... I will be your sword, no matter what path of hardship lies ahead."
Those were... the words I had always wanted someone to say to me.
The words Raphtalia had been saying ever since she swore to fight alongside me.
"If you truly can't believe me, then make me a slave or whatever else you want. Even if I have to cling to you, I will follow you no matter what."
"Guh... u... ugh..."
For the first time since coming to this world, hearing those gentle words, sobs escaped me without permission.
I tried to stop myself, telling myself I shouldn't cry, but the tears kept flowing and wouldn't stop.
"Ugh... uuuuuuuuuu..."
I broke down crying, essentially falling into Raphtalia's embrace.
"That last duel—Mitsuki, you lost by foul play."
"Hah!?"
Ren and Itsuki emerged from the crowd and spoke up.
"We saw it clearly from above. One of your allies fired wind magic at Naofumi."
"Wh-But... everyone said it wasn't true..."
"The King shut them up. Can't you tell by looking at their faces?"
"...Is that so?"
Mitsuki looked toward the audience, and everyone averted their gaze.
"But this guy used monsters against me—"
"He has no attack power. Give him that much at least."
Now, of all times, Ren put on a righteous face and condemned Mitsuki.
"But... this guy! He targeted my face and my crotch—"
"He demanded a fight he had no chance of winning, so it was probably the worst harassment he could manage. Surely you can forgive that much."
At Itsuki's suggestion, Mitsuki reluctantly relaxed his shoulders.
"Looks like you were in the wrong this time, so just accept it."
"Tch... Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There's also the suspicion that Raphtalia-chan has been brainwashed."
"After seeing what just happened, you can still say that? Impressive."
"Yeah."
The Heroes departed with awkward expressions, and the spectators filtered back into the castle after them.
"...Tch! This isn't fun anymore."
"Hmm... A most regrettable outcome."
The two incarnations of unpleasantness left in a huff, and the courtyard was left to just the two of us.
"It must have been so hard. I had no idea. From now on, let me share that burden with you."
That gentle voice... My consciousness drifted away peacefully.
I ended up falling asleep in Raphtalia's arms for about an hour.
I was truly surprised. I never would have imagined that Raphtalia had grown up this much.
Why hadn't I noticed?
...Probably because I had no composure to spare.
I hadn't had the composure to notice Raphtalia's growth. I'd measured everything with Status Magic and evaluated her by the numbers.
The banquet had long since ended, and we were given an unused, somewhat dusty room in the castle with servants assigned to us. That night, I slept for real.
Someone believed in me. Just that alone made my heart feel a little lighter.
At the next morning's breakfast, the meaning of that became clear.
The sense of taste I hadn't felt at all since Malty's betrayal—it came back to life.