"A princess?" A flicker of surprise crossed Chuan Wenwu's eyes, then swiftly gave way to calm.
The three heroes beside him, however, were genuinely stunned. The woman they had just deemed "a villainess who falsely accused the Shield Hero" had suddenly become this country's first princess? The reversal was so abrupt that it caught them off guard.
"Indeed!" The king abruptly raised his voice, his authority brooking no dispute. "Myne's true name is Malty S. Melromarc, our country's esteemed first princess! Her status is unparalleled. How dare you measure her worth in vulgar coin? Evil Shield Hero, what have you to say for yourself now?"
"I see." Chuan Wenwu nodded slowly, without a trace of panic in his voice. "A person's rank may determine their standing, but it cannot prove their character or the truth of their words. Do your country's laws hold that whatever the powerful say is inherently true? If so, justice here is cheap indeed. Your Majesty might as well declare me guilty outright. Why bother with this charade?"
"Utter nonsense!" The king slammed the armrest of his throne and roared, his tone startlingly similar to a certain famous line in Chuan Wenwu's memory-
"A princess of such exalted standing would never make a joke of her own chastity!"
Chuan Wenwu was not the only one who found it familiar. Motoyasu Kitamura, Ren Amaki, and Itsuki Kawasumi exchanged glances, their expressions turning peculiar.
Clap, clap, clap...
Chuan Wenwu applauded softly. The crisp sound of his palms meeting rang especially clearly through the solemn Audience Hall. "What a fine line: 'She would never make a joke of her own chastity.'"
His gaze swept like a blade over the king on his throne and the judge below, finally settling on Malty. She had shed her earlier pitiful demeanor, and a proud smile curled her lips, as though victory were already assured.
"Chastity is no laughing matter, but framing someone does not become any less malicious because of the culprit's status. If she were merely an ordinary adventurer, her actions would tarnish my honor as a hero. But as the first princess, her conduct disgraces the entire Melromarc Royal Family and undermines the very foundation of trust between the Kingdom and the heroes who must save this world!"
Chuan Wenwu stepped forward, abruptly raising his voice, every word ringing out firmly. "Your Majesty, let me ask you this: what conspiracy lies behind your esteemed first princess's willingness to stain her own reputation and damage the dignity of the state just to frame me?"
He kept himself firmly in the position of the victim and turned his questioning on the king.
"We heroes came here at your country's summons, charged with the heavy responsibility of saving the world. Whatever world we come from, every chosen hero carries kindness and justice in his heart and is willing to fight for the happiness of all! Tell me, king-do you believe women would never use their chastity to falsely accuse someone, or do you believe a hero chosen by the summoning ritual could be a depraved wretch?"
"Exactly! We really are upright, courageous people. How could Wenwu ever force himself on someone?" Motoyasu Kitamura was the first to agree, his voice full of indignation.
"The idea that women never use their chastity to frame someone is laughable! Things like that happen all the time where we come from. How many versions behind are you people? If you ask me, Wenwu went too easy on her when he subdued her yesterday!" Itsuki Kawasumi chimed in, plainly scoffing at the king's logic.
Ren Amaki held his sword against his chest and added coldly, "Thinking back, Wenwu's response yesterday was already flawless. Yet after she was taken away for one night, she came back with a revised accusation... King, you had better give us a reasonable verdict."
The three heroes stood together behind Chuan Wenwu, forming a solid wall of support.
The king was so furious that even his beard trembled. The ministers below the throne began whispering among themselves, and one muttered, "It isn't as though there have never been heroes of poor character..."
Chuan Wenwu immediately retorted, "Nor is it as though there have never been women who used their chastity to falsely accuse others! I've seen far too many cases in our country! Besides, these claims of 'heroes of poor character' are nothing but your side of the story. Who knows whether those supposedly wicked heroes were framed just as I have been?"
"Silence!" The king slammed his hand down, seething with rage. "You use your status as heroes to do whatever you please and show your king no respect whatsoever! Are you plotting rebellion? Guards, seize them all-"
"Why lose your temper, Your Majesty?" Chuan Wenwu interrupted, his calm voice carrying an undeniable force. "Debate makes the truth clearer. Being louder or having more people on your side does not make you right. Wouldn't you agree?"
His gaze swept over the guards who were itching to act. His composure left them afraid to advance for a moment.
The king looked at Chuan Wenwu and found this black-haired, black-eyed Shield Hero utterly detestable. Seeing the other three heroes standing on Chuan Wenwu's side, he even entertained the thought of killing all four and summoning a new batch.
The black-robed man behind the king seemed to see through his thoughts. He quietly leaned forward and reminded him in a low voice, "Your Majesty, every nation is watching the Four Holy Heroes. If we kill them now, our country's allotted hero slots will..."
"Then what do you suggest?" the king asked under his breath, his voice brimming with anger.
The black-robed man was about to speak when he suddenly felt a piercing gaze upon him. He instinctively looked up and met Chuan Wenwu's calm eyes. His heart lurched, and he quickly averted his gaze, muttering inwardly, This Shield Hero seems harder to deal with than we expected...
He steadied himself and whispered into the king's ear, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the harmony among the Four Holy Heroes is detrimental to our country. Why not... find a way to drive them apart? We could do this, and then..."
"Good!" A vicious gleam flashed through the king's eyes, and he struck his throne's armrest again. "Silence, all of you! Judge, announce the verdict!"
"Yes!" The judge hastily answered, cleared his throat, and proclaimed, "Upon investigation, the charge of sexual assault against the Shield Hero, Chuan Wenwu, lacks sufficient evidence and therefore cannot be upheld under the law!"
"Wonderful!" Motoyasu Kitamura and the other two immediately breathed sighs of relief and were about to congratulate Chuan Wenwu.
But the judge abruptly changed tack, his tone turning stern. "However, the Shield Hero insulted the princess and disrespected the king, committing the crime of insulting the Kingdom! His conduct is improper and his character deficient. In consideration of his status as a hero, he shall be spared imprisonment for the time being. The sentence is as follows-the Shield Hero, Chuan Wenwu, is to be expelled from the royal capital immediately and shall no longer receive any resources from the Kingdom!"
He paused, then added, "The other three heroes were deceived by the Shield Hero. Given these mitigating circumstances, they shall not be held accountable. We hope that all heroes will exercise caution in their words and deeds henceforth and refrain from being misled by others."
"What!?"
"Are you kidding us?"
"This is absurd!"
The three heroes erupted at once. How could they fail to recognize that the Kingdom was deliberately targeting Chuan Wenwu? This was nothing short of blatant persecution!
"How can you do this? This isn't fair at all!" Motoyasu Kitamura shouted angrily and moved forward to argue.
But Chuan Wenwu reached out to stop them and gently shook his head.
"When you're determined to condemn someone, any excuse will do." He looked up at the livid king on his throne and suddenly smiled. "But today, I, Chuan Wenwu, will admit to this charge of disrespect! Not because I accept the accusation you've forced upon me, but because you've shown me the true face of yourself and this rotten court!"
He took several steps forward, almost reaching the foot of the throne, and laughed aloud. "Does Your Majesty know that a true emperor's wrath can leave a million corpses in its wake? Yet even before such a true sovereign, the wrath of a common man can still spill blood within five paces."
With that, he abruptly turned and strode toward the Audience Hall's exit, leaving behind only his unrestrained retreating figure and words that rang with conviction. "But I am no common man."
The king froze for a moment before belatedly grasping the threat in Chuan Wenwu's words. Shocked and furious, he shouted, "Protect me! Hurry, protect me!"
The guards drew their blades and rushed forward, but Chuan Wenwu had already left the Audience Hall. Only his voice drifted back through the gap in the doors. "We heroes were summoned to protect the living beings of this world and sweep away the calamity waves. As for the sordid scheming upon that throne..."
He paused and glanced back at the throne one last time, a note of warning in his voice. "Your Majesty would do well to behave yourself. If you press me again-"
He raised his hand and tapped the shield on his arm. The low clang of metal echoed through the Audience Hall. "It will no longer be a war of words."
Inside the Audience Hall, the king panted heavily, his face alternating between livid and pale. He was about to explode when the three heroes below cast him cold looks and took their leave in turn.
"Since Your Majesty is so unjust, we have nothing more to say." Ren Amaki put away his sword, his voice icy.
"Hmph. Don't expect us to feel any goodwill toward this country after this!" Itsuki Kawasumi curled his lip, brimming with displeasure.
"If anything happens to Wenwu, we won't let it go!" Motoyasu Kitamura left that warning behind, then turned to leave.
"We'll deal with the waves in our own way, so there's no need for you to trouble yourselves. Farewell."
The king trembled all over with rage. He turned toward the black-robed man beside him and asked hoarsely, "Now the Three Heroes have fallen out with us too. What do you suggest we do?"
The black-robed man smiled, an unsettling note in his voice. "There is no need to worry, Your Majesty. If we cannot approach them on behalf of the Kingdom, we will guide them through other means... This sort of thing is what we of the Three Heroes Church do best."
Displeasure flickered in the king's eyes, but he still nodded his assent. "Very well. I'll leave it to you."
Before you continue