Chapter 33
After the 'Meteor Shower' party left the guild, the adventurers who had been watching began to murmur among themselves again.
Adventurers live for the moment.
There's no guarantee they'll be alive tomorrow.
That's why they place absolute trust in the companions who watch their backs.
Betraying a companion.
Let alone throwing them away as a decoy.
That was—an absolutely unforgivable act.
Glares brimming with anger focused on the three slumped on the floor.
Not one of them gave off pressure on the level of Roger-san.
But there were so many of them.
Facing the terror of having every adventurer here turn against them—
The three finally understood just how serious what they'd done was.
They lowered their heads as if trying to escape the eyes fixed on them.
And then came the final blow—
"Well, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"..."
The female guild clerk questioned them sternly.
The three members of Rinka's party could only remain silent.
Rinka herself, who'd been reported dead, had appeared, and on top of that, I was there as a third-party witness.
They must have realized that no matter what excuses they made now, no one would believe them.
But I couldn't sense any remorse from them.
If anything, they were sending Rinka resentful looks.
Seriously, what a bunch of scumbags.
"Then let's talk in another room."
Another staff member escorted the three away.
All three had dead eyes.
"A little late, but allow me to introduce myself. I'm Tirami, a staff member at the Merba Branch of the Adventurers' Guild."
The guild clerk, who introduced herself as Tirami, bowed her head slightly.
"Rento-san, the guild thanks you for defeating the Quad Skeleton before anyone was harmed and for rescuing an adventurer."
"No, I only did what anyone should have done."
"I'm glad Rinka-san is safe as well."
"It's all thanks to Rento-san."
"We'd like to hear your accounts too. Would you mind answering a few questions?"
"Of course."
"Yes."
Though phrased as a question, anyone could tell it was compulsory.
I wanted to make sure the truth came out, so I'd planned to cooperate from the start.
Rinka and I followed Tirami-san to another room to give our statements—
"—I see. That concludes the hearing. Thank you for your cooperation."
At that, I lifted my right hand from the transparent crystal orb.
Rinka, sitting beside me, did the same.
This crystal orb was a magic tool that determined whether statements were true.
It glowed blue for truth and red for falsehood.
Of course, during the hearing, the crystal had continued to glow blue.
By now, Rinka's party members were probably being questioned too.
Was their crystal glowing blue or red...?
"What will happen to those three?"
Rinka asked hesitantly.
"Forcing their companion to act as a decoy and making a false report to the guild are both serious crimes. They'll probably be made to work in the mines as criminal slaves until they die."
They were going to receive punishment befitting their actions.
They weren't sentenced to immediate execution, but they'd be worked to death as criminal slaves.
There was no saying which fate was better.
"I see..."
Even after hearing what lay in store for them, Rinka's expression didn't change.
What was she feeling?
I had no way of knowing.