Chapter 96 : Chapter 96
Chapter 96 It is Treason.
“Everyone, look at that!”
I pointed at the collapsed Dwight. Dark blue spots had appeared on his neck.
“What is that?”
“Isn’t that the same thing Barthe had?”
“Ah? You’re right. The symptoms are identical.”
The spectators sitting close to the arena began to murmur.
The atmosphere is changing. Then I should shake it up once more here.
“Dwight said I suddenly became strong and took drugs. Then shouldn’t I also have those spots?”
I coolly took off my upper garment, which had already become a rag.
“There is nothing but wounds. Can you still say I took drugs?”
The murmuring continued, but no words of refutation came out.
That’s why it’s interesting. No one would have verified if Dwight’s words were true. Naturally, no one would try to verify if my words are true either. They will just get swept up in the atmosphere and judge the truth based only on the information that enters their eyes.
It is mob psychology. The truth is meaningless. If an influential person speaks plausibly, they will believe it to be the truth and act. Once they start acting, even if a lie comes out, it will be lightly ignored. Because they only need the truth, and things that deny their motives are nothing but obstacles. So, they will select only fragments of the truth and fit them into their own logic. They will derive their own rationality and create a huge wave based on it.
“Don’t be ridiculous! My son couldn’t have done that. Just because something like that appeared on his body, how is that evidence that he took drugs? It could appear after eating something else. You could have taken a drug that doesn’t cause spots. Isn’t that right?”
“That is a valid point. But was there evidence that Barthe took the drug given by Uresra? Wasn’t it just the 3rd Prince’s claim without such things? And people just believed it. Why? Because a Prince said it. Because he wouldn’t have said it without grounds. Isn’t that so?”
“5th Prince. What are you trying to say right now?”
“Wasn’t it that evidence wasn’t needed in the first place? You just wanted to insist.”
Bewilderment flashed across the face of the 3rd Queen, whose eyes met mine.
“Silence! Silence!”
A commanding voice rang out from the spectator seats.
The spectators rose from their seats and bowed their heads.
Everyone in the arena took the same action.
Louis I stood up and was preparing to speak.
“Maxim.”
Veridian signaled for me to kneel and bow my head.
But I refused with a light laugh. What’s so special about a King? He’s a guy who hasn’t achieved a single thing with his own ability. There is no reason to kneel and bow my head to a guy who struts around just because he was lucky enough to be born into a good bloodline.
“It is a good day, but a lot of dust is blowing.”
Louis I said while looking at me.
“Are you the winner?”
I looked at Dwight. He is still collapsed and unconscious.
“It seems so.”
“It seems so……. What is the power you used? It is something I am seeing for the first time; to which god did you swear?”
In a situation discussing a traitor, it is a series of questions where the pulse cannot be grasped.
I scratched the back of my neck and quickly scanned the surroundings. Not only the spectators, but even the people standing in the arena are looking at me.
“It is natural that you are seeing it for the first time. Because it is not a power sworn to a god.”
“Not a power sworn to a god? Did you not use mana?”
“I did.”
“But you did not swear to a god?”
“One who uses a Mana Heart does not swear to a god. He only believes in himself and builds up achievements.”
Louis I nodded and exchanged words with the escort knight standing next to him.
“You said you did not take drugs yourself. And the 3rd Prince said you took drugs. Is the only evidence the spots?”
“Your Majesty! Spots cannot be eviden…….”
The 3rd Queen stepped forward and tried to say no, but she was only restrained by Louis I’s hand gesture.
“Before I answer, I would like to ask a question first.”
“A question?”
Louis I, making a tired face, rested his chin on his hand and exhaled.
A moment of time, hesitation followed. He raised his hand and permitted the question.
“Is the answer you truly want evidence of taking drugs? Or is it evidence of colluding with Uresra?”
“……You have no hesitation. Tell me both.”
I looked at Chris and Veridian.
“Disgusting. Truly disgusting.”
Chris shook his head from side to side and threw his body toward where Louis I was.
***
Chris knelt before Louis I and bowed his head.
“Subject, Edan Chris de Dorléans. I have brought the information Your Majesty desires.”
He handed the crystal ball he had brought to Louis I.
“When did the Margrave prepare all this?”
“Since I have to protect the border, I had no choice but to be diligent.”
Louis I looked at Chris quietly.
The two exchanged gazes for several seconds. Knowing each other’s stories, they didn’t say anything special.
“I see.”
Chris activated the crystal ball so Louis I could see.
“Uresra’s spies had entered deep into the royal family.”
Louis I’s face distorted as he watched the crystal ball while listening to Chris’s explanation.
“The Queen’s Palace?”
“Yes. Bastards disguised as servants and maids were roaming around. That is not all.”
In the crystal ball, provincial nobles and merchants frequently entering and exiting the Queen’s Palace appeared.
“A, are these not our people?”
“They are those who purchased identities within the last 5 years. We also confirmed the fact that those appearing as merchants gave huge bribes to receive merchant plaques. Without qualification, forcing it. There was a reason they had to do so.”
Louis I put down the crystal ball. And he stepped down from his seat and headed toward the 3rd Queen.
“The Queen must have heard it too. Speak. Is it true?”
“It is a frame-up! Things with no roots are trying to link me with spies to make me a traitor!”
The 3rd Queen, radiating killing intent, glared at the people inside the arena including Maxim.
“Is that so? Hmm. Then what about the 3rd Prince? Did he have a different intention?”
At Veridian’s question, the 3rd Queen ground her teeth.
“What do you want to say? Are you saying my son prepared treason?”
“How about you look at this first before speaking?”
Veridian took out a crystal. It contained Keller’s memory.
“Gasp!”
Adellian, seeing the scene inside the crystal, covered her mouth with both hands.
She wasn’t the only one surprised. Piontek, Odekerkh, Egbaldo, and even Barthe were greatly, very greatly surprised.
“Professor Keller died, so what do you want me to do? What does that have to do with my son?”
“He said he did it because he was ordered to.”
“What? Who? My son? What nonsense is that?”
Veridian waved his hand. Then Olivier dragged over the tightly bound Gabriel Hoso.
“The person who gave me the drug!”
Barthe pointed at Gabriel with his finger.
Olivier nodded.
“Correct. We have received testimony that he gave the drug to Barthe on the 3rd Prince’s order. And we confirmed that Keller’s death was also an act he committed personally.”
“You should bring evidence that my son ordered it!”
“He said it himself.”
“If that human says it, is it all true? These people, really!”
The 3rd Queen screamed that everything happening now was a lie.
“Stop it.”
This time, Allegri dragged Potecus and appeared in the arena.
“The Vice Principal also confessed the 3rd Prince’s plan. Even the things that happened at the school.”
“Don’t make me laugh! You all plotted this to, to remove me!”
The 3rd Queen glared at Louis I.
“Did Your Majesty plan this? To pass the throne to the 1st Prince, trying to remove the threat somehow!”
Louis I frowned.
“My son would never commit treason or such…….”
“He wanted it.”
Gabriel, who was thought to have lost consciousness, lifted his head. He looked around drawing a fishy smile.
“Today, using me to catch the King’s eye. And with that, grasp military power to attempt treason. Isn’t that so? Potecus?”
“……W, what nonsense.”
“The situation has become like this, yet you still haven’t let go of lingering attachments. Stupid bitch. Well. Since you are stupid, you held hands with a guy like that. Thinking changing the foundation of the state would go as you please? Morons.”
Gabriel pretended to shake his head and took in each and every person nearby into his eyes.
At that moment, Chris frowned and activated his mana circle.
“Get Your Majesty to a safe place!”
“Your wit is amazing!”
Gabriel snapped the ropes binding him. Black flames rose from his body.
Seeing this, Chris and Veridian’s faces distorted wildly.
Because they recognized the ‘Devil’s Fire,’ which grows by feeding on air to create a massive explosion and never extinguishes until it burns everything around it.
“Open all powers and create a barrier!”
Veridian poured his strength into the barrier protecting the spectator seats.
Chris unfolded magic for defense and tried to protect Louis I.
The escort knights tried to take Louis I and leave the arena.
But Gabriel mocked all the actions taking place.
“My fire will burn all of you. You cannot escape from here. No one! I! Although I failed to achieve the goal, I can take all the core figures of Poinus. With this, I shall become a star! Red Bear! Be eternal!”
The black flame started to inflate its body by sucking in the air.
Everyone standing in the arena faced despair.
Except for exactly one person.
“Bullshitting.”
Dawn cut off Gabriel’s arm.
Maxim picked up the fallen arm and drove it into Gabriel’s heart.
“Gasp! H, how this?”
“You don’t need to know. Since you’re going to die anyway.”
Maxim infused a full load of mana into Dawn. Blue light twinkled over the dark violet blade.
Slash.
Gabriel’s body was split diagonally.
The black fire was devoured by mana and faded away without leaving even a wisp of smoke.
“N, no, how?”
Veridian hardened just like that with his mouth open.
Chris also spat out a hollow breath and couldn’t help but be surprised.
“D, did we live?”
“Yeah, Maxim did it again.”
“That monster-like guy.”
Odekerkh, Adellian, and Piontek captured the situation in their eyes.
Maxim spat out a short breath and scanned the gazes directed at him.
“It’s safe. nothing is going to explode or anything.”
As Maxim’s words came out, Louis I smiled.
“You saved all of us.”
When Louis I’s words came out, a single clap burst out from the spectator seats.
“Maxim saved us!”
“The winner is Maxim!”
“Maxim saved Poinus!”
“Maxim!”
“Hero Maxim!”
Praise and shouts toward Maxim surged like a giant wave.
“Admirable. My son.”
Louis I held Maxim’s hand for the first time. His eyes were stained with affection for his son.
Maxim felt awkwardness and let out a sheepish laugh.
“Good. Since the protagonist is the 5th Prince, I must give a reward. But there is something that must be done first.”
Louis I turned his head and looked for the 3rd Queen.
The 3rd Queen was hugging her son Dwight and glancing around.
“She is one who plotted treason holding hands with Uresra’s spies. I will deprive the 3rd Queen of all titles. The same goes for the 3rd Prince. Since he led the actual treason, destroy his mana circle. And imprison them all in the underground dungeon.”
“Your Majesty! It is a frame-up! I did nothing! That I worked hard for Your Majesty! Don’t you know better than anyone?”
Louis I approached the 3rd Queen.
“Look here. I am not killing you because I know your hard work. Did you say frame-up?”
“That is right. It is a frame-up.”
Louis I stared at the 3rd Queen with a tired face.
“Do I look that easy to you?”
“No, Your Majesty…….”
“Accept it when I let you live. If you want to die, say so. Since there were days we lived rubbing flesh against flesh, I will gladly grant that much request.”
“Your Majesty.”
Louis I sighed as if he didn’t want to hear anymore and waved his hand.
Escort knights dragged the 3rd Queen and Dwight out of the arena.
The 3rd Queen shouted fiercely, ‘Your Majesty! You must not do this! Your Majesty!’ but there was no one to listen.
Maxim watched that scene quietly.
“Now! The disturbance is settled! Let us have a proper celebration now!”
Louis I opened both arms wide toward everyone.
Maxim watched that scene quietly too.
He thought Louis I was interesting.
‘What is he thinking?’
He strongly received the feeling that he had been waiting for the time.