When I arrived at the Adventurer's Guild, Yashis strolled in and asked the girl at the reception desk to call the guild master.
In the meantime, I'm being talked to by one of the adventurers I've become acquainted with.

'Mister, what the hell is wrong with you today?　Why are you with Yashis?
No, I'm in a lot of trouble...
'It's a bother.... Is that Renge-san from the Red Front (Red Line) wobbling around there?
Well, that's what it's all about...

I caught a glimpse of my armpit and it was already bruised.
Wow, that's pretty bad.

''Uh......... I mean, I know it's not right to say this, but can you keep this quiet if you can?
I know. I don't want this kind of hassle. But when Yassis said he couldn't finish...
'As a husband, you think it's benign, don't you?　Then I'll believe it.
'Only because Yashis was so serious......... Honestly, I'll try to avoid the worst, but I don't think you can do any better than that...

The attention of the adventurers is not on me, but on Renge and Yashis.
Since the incident, I've been visiting the adventurer's guild more often, and I've gained a certain amount of trust, and I've been able to talk to adventurers I know like this.
Well, I usually only give orders to Aina and Sorte to collect materials, and I guess they think I'm not a bad guy based on that point.

''Sorry for the wait. Well, well, well, Yashis-dono. How are you today?
Yes. I am here today to inform you that my current slave, Lord Renge, has committed the crime of becoming a criminal slave. As a result, our PT, Mr. Sorte, is also suspected of aiding and abetting murder.
Wha...

The Guildmaster can't hide his surprise as Yashis says nonchalantly.

''Should........should we talk over here?''
No, I have to ask the other adventurers to listen as well, or there's a chance they may resent you depending on the outcome.

The Guildmaster points to a room, but Yashis refuses.
He says he'll hate me.... Oh, I see.
I certainly don't want to end up like the last time.

Okay, all right. I'm sorry, mate, I need a seat.

The Guildmaster made the adventurers vacate their seats, and me, Yashis, Renge, and the Guildmaster sat down in our chairs, with Wendy and White behind me.

'So how can Renge be a crime slave?　Now, as I recall, he was enslaved for a minor crime that would free him as soon as he paid his debt. And I can't believe Sorte is suggesting murder...
'First of all, Aina-sama, you all know that Sorte-sama is your customer's slave, and you know that your customer is not the kind of person who would do an injustice. And you know that our guests are not the kind of people who do injustice, are you?
Yes, of course. I hear they've been good to you both.
'Then you have asked why you are a slave, Master Renge?
You forced your way through the barrier, didn't you?　It was something about skipping the line and trying to get through without paying.
Do you know why?
Now.....

With that, the guild master turned to the adventurers and asked them as well, but they all didn't seem to know.

''It seems that Renge-dono received a letter from Sorte-sama and felt that he was being treated unfairly by his guests and forced them to do so.
"Stupid...
'The person who sent the untrue content, which put the customer at risk, and who had the power to do so, actually committed the assault. One wrong move and the customer could have died. Fortunately, Shiro-sama seems to have protected him, but if he had died, the entire PT would have been sentenced to the extreme penalty and would not have escaped exposure.
....
''And the story about your customer enslaving you both is the responsibility of the Adventurer's Guild to begin with. The Adventurers' Guild was responsible for enlisting the two girls as slaves for the guests, and then one of them betrayed them. If the murder had occurred, the reputation of the Adventurer's Guild would have been destroyed. Perhaps a substantial punishment will be meted out by the kingdom.

Neither the Guildmaster nor I have a voice.
No, wait. It really must just be a mistake.
I'm sure that whatever content Solte sent in the beginning, he doesn't feel the same way right now, and for me, I'm partly grateful to him.
The extreme penalty is........

''Obviously, this is attempted murder and attempted murder by a slave. In addition, the customer is not at fault at all. Therefore, we were about to take you to the lord and get a word with him, but we asked the Adventurer's Guild to gather in order to confirm just in case.
'Wait a minute. I think we've cleared up the misunderstanding, so we're done, right?
A felony is not something that can be forgiven by the other party. You must show the power of the law in order to stop people from doing the same thing in the future. If you forgive her, you will have to forgive them the next time they do the same thing. No matter how hard the victim is to forgive.

Is that what they call precedent in the original world?
Was it like if there was a similar case in the past, it was more likely to be applied?
But since we haven't filed a report, can't we do something about it?

'By the way, how much do you think Yassis thinks it's worth?
Personally, I think the death penalty is appropriate. However, since our client, who is a victim of the crime, is asking for a reduced sentence, they'll probably be hounded to death for front-line duty in an undeveloped area, and since they're beautiful, I suppose there's a good chance they'll be forced to take care of their non-slave adventurers.
Huh....
"Gilmouth, excuse me...
No, that's fine. No, not good at all.
'Naturally I'd ask you to lighten up, but you don't like the wrenched man, do you?　You'll end up in hell...
Oh. Master, you don't have to do it. I was responsible for what I did.

Renge replies forcefully, but there is no life in her voice.
His eyes are also downcast, and although he may be on the verge of tears, his despair is so great that he can't seem to cry.

''Well, well, please wait still. Therefore, I have to confirm the facts with Solte-sama.
'Okay..... Take Gale's PT and go pick them up. They should be in the vicinity of the castle gates by now. Don't get any funny ideas. If the two of you escape, you won't even have any excuses.
I know. Hey, mister. The Red Front is our obsession. So, please.
Of course....

But how far would I go if I was asked?
The death penalty or forced labor.
I honestly think both are too heavy.
It's true that he almost killed me, but that wouldn't have been the case if there hadn't been a misunderstanding.
But that doesn't mean I want to put everything on Solte, for me personally.
It's a good thing that he saved me.

''Hmmm....

After a moment's wait, Gale's PT came back with a dark look on his face as he tied Aina and Solte behind his back.
The faces of the two of them were also divine, as if they had no idea what was going on.

'Guildmaster, what do you mean?　Why are we tied up... I mean, Renge?
Hey, Wrenge. Are you okay?

Sorte was surprised at Renge's lack of life, and Aina looked worried as well.

'What the hell is my line. Why did you do something so stupid....''
What, me?　What's stupid?　And why did Renge wear a slave collar and you didn't make Renge a slave too, did you?
Come on!

Don! The guild master taps the desk and stands up.

'You, why did you send a letter to Renge that unfairly disgraced your own master?
'The letter...?　Ah.....
'Because of that, Renge will not escape the death penalty or forced labor.　It's not just Renge. Both of you too....
Hey, wait a minute!　You're going to have to explain it to me!
'It is we who want an explanation, sir. 'Master Sorte?　Our guest was almost killed by Wrenge. Don't tell me you don't know what this means. Please explain it to me first.

Renge, Solte, Guildmaster, and Yashis move to another desk to begin taking statements for the purpose of hearing what's going on.
In the meantime, I told Aina what happened, and she started crying raggedly.

'My lord, I'm really sorry!　........What am I going to do?
I don't know. But I'd like to keep it simple if I can.
'That's impossible..... This country is tough on sin, but it's even tougher on the crimes committed by slaves. It will be difficult for my lord, the victim of the provisional decree, to plead his case........
But I'm grateful to you both. I'll protect you one way or another.
'I mean ... it's an impudent request, but only if it's possible, if it's possible ...'
I know. Of course I'll protect Renge, too. I know she's an important part of your people.

But what should I do?
They're going to go to the lord to get a sandwich, but no matter what I think, I can't stop them if they go that far.
Besides, I can't stand the idea of these three people being used as comforters on the front lines.
The two of them have really helped me.
I think Renge is too guilty of a crime to have come to this point from a misunderstanding, and I feel sorry for her.

''Sir. I've got my word. This letter over here seems to have been sent by Miss Solte without a doubt.
No, I wrote that on my first day as a slave and I didn't trust you, and now I don't trust you at all.

When I get the letter from Yashis, Solte is on her knees, grabbing my clothes as she squirms and crying.

'I know, don't cry...'
'It's true..... It's different now.....
'Oh, come on. It's okay....

I hug her tightly and pat her back with a plop.
Oh, shit.
What am I going to do?

"I'm so sorry about what happened to your husband.
And Renge, you don't have to cry anymore.
I'm not crying...

Then what is that flowing liquid........
My face is mussed up with snot and tears.
When I gestured to her to come and get me, Renge pressed her face against my chest and cried.
Hmmm........no, I was just trying to wipe my face, but.......
I patted him on the back if I didn't have a choice.
I mean, I thought you hated men, didn't you?

Hey, Yassis. Can't you help me with this?
That's true. I understand your feelings, but this is one thing that can't be done once you get the word of the lord.

I knew that was the deadline.
And it's a word from Yassis.
I guess this meaning is an unchangeable fact.

"Hey, can't you just pretend it didn't happen?
There were far too many witnesses to do that. It would be a disservice to the kingdom to keep it a secret.
Hmmm... what if... for example, this one doesn't hurt me or anything?
'I have a letter of proof and I assume your guest is well bruised?　If there's nothing else, the charges will be considerably less severe, but it still can't be zero.
'Speaking of which, why didn't my bruises heal and the pain go away after I took that recovery potion?
That's my skill. It's a skill called 'painful strike', but it's an attack that leaves wounds easily and is difficult to recover from, but.......

Yeah, I guess being an adventurer helps.
But that's apparently the worst evidence left in this case.........
Yeah, I get it now, so don't cry again........

'Hey Wendy, what do you think I should do?'
I will never forgive you.
'No, don't be so angry, please...'


Right.
A scar, huh?
Or rather, a bruise.
A bruise is like internal bleeding of the skin....
I've just thought of one thing, but I don't like it.
But I wonder if this is the only way.........

Hey Yashis. By the way, why am I in the Adventurer's Guild now?

With that, I began to burn the letter I had received from Yashis.

'Sir!
'Yes, Guildmaster. I forgot to deliver today.
We don't have time for that...
"Ah. Sheesh. They don't have anything today. Can you get the stuff?　I'll make it there.

But I can't think of anything else.
I can't tell Wendy. I'm sure I can stop her.

I try to get up, but he squeezes my clothes and presses my head against his body, and I know who he is, but I know he has a worried look on his face, so I give him a pat on the head to reassure him.

'Solte. Don't worry.
But...... But you look different. What are you doing?
It's okay. You and Renge will be fine.

Then he lets go of his clothes.
If people know what I've done, it's going to change the way we do things, you know.
Oh well, all right.
I've made up my mind.
I got to see a rare sight of Solte's crying face.

But I think a girl's face is more beautiful when she smiles than when she cries.
From now on, it will only be hard for me if I never see Solte's smiling face again.
So I'm going to push myself a little harder.