Chapter: 208
I had no intention of rebutting Taboll’s words.
His accusations had to be somewhat credible for the Duke to accept my resignation.
So I thought I’d just sit back and watch what kind of nonsense he was spouting while ignoring the criticisms directed at me, but halfway through, the situation changed.
It all started with Phoebe.
She subdued the arrows of blame aimed at me simply by asserting her presence.
Who could possibly argue when the Saintess of the Jushin Church says to calm down and listen?
As Phoebe set the stage for the rebuttal, voices rose from others before me.
Arthur pointed out Taboll’s sloppy evidence, Frey proved my strength and talent, and even Joy dismissed the suspicions regarding magic.
If you were to ask what Taboll’s downfall was, I’d say it was a lack of preparation.
His pointed remarks had some truth to them.
There are limits to my personal abilities, and I did rely on the artifact known as the Bracelet of Recreation to surpass them.
However, he lacked evidence. There was no proof that I had used the artifact.
If Lucy had been in a situation where no one defended her like before, the lack of evidence might not have been a big deal.
Such trivial matters could easily be swept away on the wave of blame.
But right now, that wasn’t possible.
The Saintess of the Jushin Church. A strong candidate for the future Sword Saint. The Third Prince of the Soladin Kingdom. The Young Lady of the Ducal Lord Partlan’s family.
With such accomplished names coming to Lucy Allen’s defense, how could anyone be buried under mere suspicion?
So foolish! If he was going to fabricate accusations, he should have prepared properly!
Thanks to that, the gazes of those watching me have turned lukewarm!
People who hate me are still glaring at me with spiteful eyes, but the others? No way!
Aside from those who are consumed by animosity, everyone else is just observing the situation!
At this rate, I can already picture standing on that platform!
I feel sorry for the four who are helping me, but to be honest, I was rooting for Taboll up until now.
Of course, I appreciate it.
When Phoebe first stood up, I was moved. When Arthur, Frey, and Joy stepped forward to support me, I was choked up.
To think that someone would come to help a person who thought they could never even make a friend! If it weren’t for my Mesugaki skill, I would have cried!
But gratitude is one thing, and reality is another.
Taboll has to win this debate for my victory to be revoked!
I don’t want to stand in front of the influential people, including the First Prince, and say something like “a girl who hasn’t even completed her coming-of-age ceremony is obliterating you punks ♡”
Even with my heartfelt support, Taboll lost the debate and awkwardly brushed off the topic of artifact usage.
Then he dug up the topic of the dungeon, claiming this suspicion couldn’t be denied.
Hearing his unnecessarily loud and clear voice, I sighed inwardly.
Hah. This foolish muscle brain…
Would it have killed him to keep pressing about the artifact until the end? After all, the suspicion itself was true, so he might have had a chance.
Maybe I even could have dropped a hint!
What if I act like there’s some corruption in the dungeon strategy?
I can do that. Just need to be a bit clumsy with my words.
But think about it. If I admit to that suspicion, what happens to the street vendor? Suddenly, I become the criminal who made the First Prince lose through unfair means.
And above all, my rotten pride won’t allow it!
How dare you talk about dungeons to me?! Against someone who has memorized all the dungeon strategies in the Soul Academy universe?!
No way I’m letting that slide. How can I overlook the effort I’ve spent over ten thousand hours researching?!
If I’m going to be a dungeon fool, I might as well become known as a crazy person among all the influential figures at this party!
“Ah, so you already knew. Are you admitting to the suspicion?”
“Puhuh~♡ Wrong answer! Wrong! That answer is as sloppy as a balloon muscle knight! ♡ At least think before you speak, okay? Your head can’t be as empty as a balloon! ♡”
Since I was no longer cheering for Taboll, I decided to provoke him sincerely, and his face turned bright red.
He hadn’t even said much, and his fist was trembling. This guy’s reactions are too good, aren’t they? Now I want to tease him even more.
“…So what do you mean by you knew?”
“Oh, that sloppy dungeon? I knew about it before it even became a problem. I’m way smarter than the balloon brain knight! ♡”
I kept spewing out words in front of Taboll, who was waiting for me to slip up.
The name of the dungeon. The geography of the dungeon. The types of monsters that appear within it and their spawn locations. Types of traps and their locations, dismantling methods. Boss strategies.
I was saying that I had memorized all of it perfectly.
“That’s nonsense!”
Before I even finished speaking, Taboll raised his voice. He asked if I was trying to deceive him with nonsense.
“Uh oh~♡ Did I get caught? ♡”
“Of course! There’s no way that’s possible!”
“I was talking about whether the empty-headed balloon knight got caught, though! ♡ Your comprehension skills are lacking! ♡ So… unfortunate. ♡”
Taboll’s veins bulged prominently in his neck as if he was holding back some nasty words.
Since he looked like he was about to burst, maybe I should pause for a moment.
Turning my back on the trembling Taboll, I raised my voice so everyone in the party could hear.
“The first structure of the creepy bug dungeon is…”
Then I began listing information about the dungeon that had become a problem.
The structure of the dungeon. How to identify that structure. Various information that changes according to the structure.
I originally planned to share all seven patterns, but I failed to achieve my goal when Taboll opened his mouth while I was talking about the fourth pattern.
“I see that Young Lady Allen knows the dungeon of the street vendor well.”
“Now? Your comprehension skills really are lacking. How hard must it be to work under someone like you? So unfortunate.”
“…But that only serves as evidence of corruption. You couldn’t have studied the dungeon without prior knowledge.”
Hah. I wondered what he was talking about. It was such a pathetic remark that I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
Why didn’t he press the artifact issue like this? If he had, there would have been a glimmer of hope.
“Why are you laughing?”
“How can I not laugh? ♡ A foolish clown is performing right in front of me! ♡”
“You’re changing the subject because you have no confidence in your answer.”
“Hey, hey. Balloon-head knight ♡ just name any dungeon you know! ♡ I’m suspicious if you really know anything!”
“The Mountain of the Dragon.”
Wow. I wondered what dungeon he would mention, but he brought that one up.
A place with a ridiculously low spawn chance so it’s hard to figure out. He seems determined to make sure I can’t answer.
But what now?
“Is that really all you could think of? ♡ That’s so petty! ♡”
“Don’t you know?”
“No, I do know!”
I do know it.
It’s an A-class high-risk dungeon. The monsters that primarily appear are dragons. A total of 13 patterns for that dungeon.
After unnecessarily explaining it in detail like I did about the street vendor’s dungeon, I noticed Taboll’s expression had hardened.
Huh. Could it be he really asked without knowing? Thinking that since he didn’t know, I wouldn’t be able to answer?
No way! You’re not that much of a fool, right? Right?
As I was horrified by that thought, another voice echoed from somewhere else.
“That’s correct! It’s completely normal not to know a dungeon that rarely appears, yet you remember it so vividly!”
Is that… the leader of the Claw Mercenaries?
He looks brighter than when I saw him in the game. I thought he had a darker personality before.
When that unexpected applause erupted from the crowd, people were at a loss for how to respond, and from afar, someone spoke up toward the mercenary leader.
“Leader of the Claw Mercenaries.”
Why is the First Prince suddenly butting in here?!
What the heck? Is he going to make some baseless accusations? Is that it?!
While I was anxiously watching the First Prince, he didn’t seem to care about my gaze at all.
He merely focused on the mercenary leader.
“Is that accurate?”
The mercenary leader’s smile stiffened at the First Prince’s question, but it was only for a moment before he stuttered a reply.
“Yes. Of course. That was the hardest place I’ve ever strategized, so I remember it well.”
“Is that so? Alright. Mercenary leader. Ask Lucy Allen about dungeons aside from that one.”
Looks like the mercenary leader was unwittingly thrown into this mess because of his own exclamations, but he faithfully complied with the First Prince’s orders.
“Let’s start with…”
Hah. Hey, Rene Soladin. You thought you could expose a gap by asking like that, huh?
That’s your misunderstanding. I can answer about any dungeon!
Thank you! First Prince! You’ve given me a chance to prove my competence!
Just when I was itchin’ to say something thanks to the neat opening you made!
How many times did I repeat answering questions from the mercenary leader?
Once again, the First Prince raised his voice.
“Taboll Knight Commander.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“It seems that Lucy Allen is indeed knowledgeable about many dungeons. Among them, there was even a dungeon provided by the street vendor.”
Taboll couldn’t respond to that. However, the First Prince continued without paying him any mind.
“The reason I accepted my defeat at the street vendor was because I acknowledged Lucy Allen’s concept.”
…Eh?
Why is he supporting me?
Did he change his direction since he couldn’t find a chance to fabricate suspicions?
“Throwing caution to the wind. It’s conduct possible only in a simulation, but it was you who chose to compete using it, so I can’t pick at you.”
“Your Highness! One moment.”
“He may be trying to drag him up, but let’s leave it at that. If we continue, the mood of the party seems likely to go downhill.”
If I had engaged in corruption, the First Prince, who would have suffered the heaviest damage, demanded restraint from Taboll.
What that implies is straightforward.
My innocence.
That there is no corruption behind me becoming the Festival Massacre.
This is politics.
Watching as the situation unfolded, he chose the path that suited him.
That guy was trying to insult a first-year academy student, and now he’s the one praised for his generosity!
Is this even a reasonable situation?!
I felt frustrated, but I couldn’t raise my voice in this situation. I was well aware of what would happen if I spoke nonsense without expressing gratitude.
“Duke Partlan. Is that enough?”
“Thank you. Your Highness. Thanks to you, Lady Allen’s innocence has been proven.”
The Duke’s voice followed the First Prince’s as if they were scripted.
“It seems the Knight Commander has nothing more to say, so let’s resume the party. Lady Allen?”
Huh? Why is he calling me?
The situation is over, so…
Ah.
Oh my god!
The fact that my innocence has been perfectly proven means my victory is practically sealed!
The reclusive prince suddenly intervened, and I lost my mind!
What do I do?! How do I escape?!
Should I act like a sickly Young Lady?
Should I say I can’t do anything because I’m too exhausted from what just happened?!
Pretend to faint from dizziness?!
It’s fine! That sounds convincing!
Though I tried to act, the Mesugaki skill only allowed me to be assertive.
You useless skill! Help me out! Something big is about to happen to your master!
“Thank you for your hard work. You must be tired, so please take a moment to rest.”
Huh?
…Did I survive?
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.