65. Full of Misunderstandings
65. Full of Misunderstandings
Eris's slander did not stop.
"Hiiiing...... Eris-nim has been defiled......! Eris-nim was violated by that pitch-black guy......!"
Lucia's gaze grew colder and colder.
This is bad.
Very bad.
The fact that Eris's testimony was becoming increasingly specific and suggestive was a problem, but the even bigger problem was that Lucia was accepting that testimony 100 percent.
The green light was disappearing from the Imperial Princess's eyes.
It was too scary to be called gap moe.
I need to explain. Right now.
Right. I just need to clearly convey the facts. It's a simple matter.
'It was treatment. I only injected Aura to remove the Snow-White Frost Magic embedded in Eris's magic circuits. It was nothing more and nothing less than a medical act.'
Go, the truth is always one!
[Persuasion Roll Failed]
"At first she resisted, but later she accepted it quite submissively."
......
No.
"Even if her words said no, her body was honest. Kuk-kuk-kuk."
No, no, no.
I was just trying to explain the process of the magic circuits adapting to the Aura...!
Lucia's pupils shook.
Eris buried her face deeper into Lucia's chest and burst into a fit of crying.
"Did you hear that, eonni! He said it was only hard because it was the first time......! He said it would be easier next time! He's a total fiend! Punish The Black Knight right now!!"
Removing the context somehow turned it into a crime.
"Sir Knight. I have trusted you until now."
Lucia's voice became calm. A calm Lucia is a scary Lucia.
"But this has crossed the line."
"It is a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? My eyes are not decorations."
Damn it, this is a courtroom where logic does not work.
The criteria for adopting evidence is 'Because cute Eris said it while crying, it is the truth.'
Things like the presumption of innocence do not exist in romance fantasy.
Right then.
Kwang!
The door slammed against the wall as it opened.
"What's all this noise?! Lucia! Are you okay?!"
The Hero Leona came rushing in.
Seeing as Holy Power was being lightly emitted, it seemed she had judged it to be a combat situation after hearing Eris's scream.
She was half right. It was a combat situation. It was just that I was the one being unilaterally beaten.
The moment Eris spotted Leona, the volume of her tears doubled.
Eris's acting skills amplified in proportion to the number of audience members.
"That pitch-black guy! To Eris-nim! He forcibly injected his pitch-black thing into Eris-nim's precious body! He was scraping around inside! Sucking it all out! Eris-nim said no, but he didn't stop! Until the very end......!"
Leona's golden eyes blinked once.
"Eris."
"Huh?"
"Say that again, what you just said."
"What?"
"The part about injecting the pitch-black thing."
"I'm telling you! That pitch-black guy, his Aura, ah, no, I mean, that pitch-black thing of his──"
"Aura?"
"......Yeah, well, you could call it Aura, but that's not what's important!"
"You, you're lying right now, aren't you?"
And then one step, two steps.
Leona approached Eris.
Then her hand reached out and grabbed Eris's cheek.
"Eh?"
Kku-uk—
Leona's thumb and index finger captured Eris's cheek fat.
She pulled it just like that.
"Ayayayayat!! My cheek!! Eris-nim's precious cheek!!"
A Hero of the Holy Sword from the Church.
Witch interrogation was her specialty.
"Speak. What exactly did this pitch-black guy do? Not that nonsense mixed with your impure imagination, but the facts exactly as they are."
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!! Let go!!"
"What The Black Knight did to your body was an Aura injection, right? Correct?"
"Majeo!! Majeo-aa!! Aura!! He put Aura into my magic circuits!!"
Leona's hand did not let go.
The cheek was stretched out like rice cake.
"The purpose?"
"Because something cold was stuck inside, to take it out──"
"Removal of Frost Magic?"
"Majeo-aa!!"
Testimony finished.
Leona let go of her hand.
Tak—
Eris clutched both her cheeks, her eyes welling with tears.
"You violent Hero from the Church!! Witch abuser! My cheek...... I thought Eris-nim's soft cheek was going to fall off!"
"So, to summarize."
Leona crossed her arms and looked down at Eris.
"The Black Knight injected Abyssal Aura into your magic circuits, crushed the Snow-White Frost Magic, and then absorbed it. That's all, right?"
Eris pouted her lips.
"......That's all, but."
"But?"
"It hurt so much!!"
"It was treatment."
Leona added as if it were pathetic.
"When another person's magic is forcibly injected into magic circuits, pain naturally follows. But if not for that, your heart would have already frozen and you would be dead."
"......Uuu."
Eris became like a mute who had eaten honey.
Even though she understood in her head that the reason she survived was thanks to that 'perverted act,' her petty desire to denounce me as trash in front of Lucia had been exposed.
Leona looked at me.
"It was treatment, right?"
"It was."
"There we go."
The Hero's verdict was delivered.
Tang, tang, tang.
Innocent.
As expected of someone from the Church, she is fair and just.
I should learn that cheek-pinching technique later. It seems like it would be useful for managing Eris.
And so, the commotion was settled for the time being.
Eris's perjury was dismissed, The Black Knight's honor was restored, and justice prevailed.
One problem remained.
Umjjil—
Lucia was frozen.
"Uh...... I, I mean......."
Lucia's eyes lost their place and wandered through the air.
She looked at me, then at Eris, then at the floor, then at the ceiling.
Finally, her eyes met mine.
"Tre, treatment......? You just, injected magic...... and took out the frost?"
"That is correct."
When I gave a short affirmation, Lucia covered her face with both hands.
The way she turned red all the way to the tips of her ears was almost pitiful.
"Then...... that...... sound from before was......."
"It was likely a physiological reaction caused by the intersection of the pain of the magic circuits being scraped and the sense of emptiness when the magic was withdrawn."
Leona coolly pointed out the facts.
"Aaaaaah......!"
The Tomato Princess broke down just like that.
Just what kind of things was she imagining to be that embarrassed?
It was a moment where I became truly curious about what was inside the Princess's head.
"......."
I immediately turned my head away.
Yes, Lucia definitely misunderstood something.
In other words, she imagined something other than treatment.
I don't know the specific details of that imagination, but for her face to get this red, it must have been quite specific.
"Lucia."
"......Yes?"
"What were you imagining?"
"N, nothing!"
Lucia's shoulders jumped.
"I didn't imagine anything! Absolutely! I swear! Not even this much!"
They say a vehement denial is a strong affirmation.
"I just, because Eris seemed to be in pain! Yes! Of course! I knew it was treatment! From the beginning! To the end!"
Lucia Von Astellia.
The Princess who cannot lie. The Princess whose feelings are all revealed on her face.
"Ah, that... I'm busy with work, so I'll be going!!"
Lucia ran away.
Lucia almost never runs indoors. Because the Princess's dignity does not allow it.
But today, it seemed her shame had defeated her dignity.
A few days had passed since then.
The streets of Frostgard were peaceful today as well.
However, one alien element had blended into that familiar daily life.
That alien element was, precisely, a penguin.
The thought process of a Northerner is simple.
If you can hit it with an axe, it's an enemy; if you shouldn't hit it, it's an ally; if it's cute, it's a mascot.
A one-meter-tall Adélie penguin fell into the third category.
Dwit-dung, dwit-dung.
Valter Grombalt was walking.
The purpose was a civil inspection. To look into the lives of the fief's people as the Northern Duke.
Of course, his current appearance was nothing more than a penguin.
"Oh, Penguin Duke-nim! The water is very good today! It's fresh salmon!"
His beak opened of its own accord toward the salmon offered by the fish shop owner.
Yom-nyom-nyom— Gkeok—
He swallowed it whole.
"As expected of a man of the North, you are gallant!"
"......I dislike fish."
The same thing happened every time he moved along the street.
The fruit vendor lady stroked his head, the blacksmith stroked his back, and the bakery lady stroked his belly.
They all offered fish.
'You must respect me. I am the master of the Frost Sword and have continuously held the title of Northern Duke, I beat down a Frost Bear when I was five years old, and at the same time, I am one of the strongest Swordmasters in the history of the continent. Furthermore, I am the record holder for undefeated victories in the Axe Festival, and the sentinel of the Northern Wall who protects Frostgard......'
"Oh my, it's the Penguin Duke-nim! The feathers are so soft~ It feels much better than our goose at home."
But now he was being compared to a goose.
In Grombalt's long history, there had never been such a disgrace.
'I have no face to show my ancestors...'
And the children were also a problem.
"It's the Penguin Mister!!"
"Penguin Duke-nim! Do you want to eat this?"
"Do the waddle-waddle!!"
Dwit-dung, dwit-dung.
He had only walked as usual, but the children followed behind him, giggling.
A penguin in the front rank. Twelve kids in the rear rank.
There was no dignity.
It was then.
While passing through the plaza, a slope below the castle wall caught his eye.
A gentle slope where the snow that fell the previous night had been packed down firmly.
Valter's steps stopped.
If he lay on his belly, he could slide down that slope all at once.
The gliding speed that the waterproof coating of his feathers and his streamlined body would create on the snow would surely be incredible.
Snow crystals fluttered down the slope.
It was as if they were beckoning him to come and slide.
"......Ahem."
Dwit-dung, dwit-dung.
He barely managed to turn his body away.
His footsteps were faster than usual.
Valter Grombalt.
Former Northern Duke, former master of the Frost Sword, the knight of the liberated bitter cold, the warrior who returned alive from a demon──
Currently the mascot of Frostgard.
It was a reality he wanted to deny, but reality is harsh even to a penguin.
Dwit-dung, dwit-dung.
The patrol continued.
In that way, he requisitioned a total of fourteen fish today.
Valter the penguin returned to the main castle after his patrol was over.
Frostgard Main Castle, central corridor.
"Haa-at! Eris-nim's Finishing Tackle!"
Kwa-dang-tang!
With a dull thudding sound, the penguin tumbled onto the floor.
Kkieeeek!?
Without even knowing why, Valter the penguin flailed while sprawled on the floor.
"Hmph! Where do you think you're running to!"
Pink vines stretched from her fingertips and wound tightly around the penguin's wings and legs.
The vines crossed like ribbons, completing the capture.
"Caught you! Capture complete! Ehehe! Eris-nim's grand victory!"
Padak-padak.
"Let go! What on earth is this!"
"Shut up! Don't speak human language when you're just a magical beast!"
Eris dragged the tied-up Valter the penguin and headed toward Lucia's office.
"You are now Eris-nim's precious trophy! I'm going to go to Lucia-eonni and tell her to exchange you for pudding! Uhuhu!"
She kicked the door open and entered.
"Lucia-eonni! Lucia-eonni! Eris-nim caught an incredible magical beast!"
Lucia, who was buried under a pile of documents, looked up in surprise.
"Eris? What's going on? A magical beast all of a sudden?"
"Ta-da! Look at this, some strange, unidentified bird intruded, you see? This genius witch Eris-nim captured it in one go! How is it? Amazing, right? So give me pudding as a reward!!"
Lucia put down her quill.
A troubled expression appeared. Her green eyes moved between Eris and the penguin.
"Eris? That person is my maternal uncle...... Duke Valter."
"......Eh?"
Her pink eyes blinked.
Eris's brain began to process the information.
This penguin is Duke Valter.
Duke Valter is the strongest Swordmaster in the North.
......
"Eris-nim suppressed a Swordmaster with her bare hands!?"
Eris's eyes sparkled.
"As expected! As expected, Eris-nim was the strongest witch on the continent! A Swordmaster is no match for me!!"
"......If I were in my original body, I would have snapped your vines with my pinky finger."
The penguin's rebuttal was ignored.
"This is a historical achievement! Eris-nim defeats the Northern Duke!"
"Eris. Release my uncle."
"......Okay."
The thorny vines unraveled smoothly.
Valter, now free, stood up while shaking his wings.
"Now then, give me pudding as promised! Since Eris-nim is the hero who defeated the Northern Duke, give me two chocolate puddings!"
Eris crossed her arms and pouted.
Lucia let out a sigh and opened her desk drawer.
One chocolate pudding came out.
"Here."
"Yahoo! As expected, eonni is the best!"
Eris snatched the pudding and immediately opened the lid.
The moment the spoon touched the chocolate surface, all the world's dissatisfaction melted away.
One bite. Two bites. Three bites.
Valter watched the scene blankly.
"Uncle, are you alright?"
"......Was I sold for a single pudding?"
"Yes. For Eris, that's enough."
Lucia smiled. A smile mixed with a bit of pride. It was the composure of a leader who had mastered the method of operating Eris.
"Now then, Uncle. Please sit."
Lucia cleared a space on one side of the pile of documents on the desk.
Valter waddled up onto the desk and sat next to the documents.
Between the quill holder and the ink bottle. It was an unstable position, but one he had already adapted to.
"......Is this the proposal for reorganizing the Northwestern trade route?"
Valter looked down at the documents. Since he couldn't turn the pages with his wings, Lucia turned them for him from the side.
His black eyes quickly scanned from left to right.
"The third item. 'Promote the eastern bypass of the Glacier of Lamentation to a secondary trade route'...... Have you considered the winter snowfall of the bypass?"
"The snowfall data was calculated based on the records of the past 10 years. However, there is a possibility that the terrain has shifted after this year's monster wave──"
"In that case, the escort forces in item 5 must also be recalculated. If the snowfall exceeds the standard, the sled supply lines will be delayed, and the escort rotation cycle will be disrupted. Here, narrow the cycle from 7 days to 5 days and deploy 2 additional reserve squads."
What came out of the penguin's beak was not a kkieeek, but the insight of the Northern Duke.
Even though he had become a penguin, the Northern Duke's experience remained intact within his feathers.
"Lucia. The matter of reopening the Western trade route is not urgent. Secure the internal stockpiles first before proceeding; it won't be too late."
"But the merchant guild is pressing for it......"
"Let them press. The one who is in a hurry is the one who yields first. If you rush, the conditions will become unfavorable for you."
Lucia thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Uncle is right."
"And send a letter to the representative of the merchant guild in my name."
"Shall I stamp it with a penguin footprint?"
"......I will try practicing if I can hold a quill in my beak."
For words coming from a penguin, they were quite useful.
"Eris. If you're done eating, come here."
Lucia called Eris, who was licking the empty chocolate pudding container.
"......What is it?"
Eris's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Lucia pushed the pile of documents in front of Eris.
"The supply requisition statement for this quarter. Please verify the calculations for each item."
"I don't want to!!! Why are you making me work again when I just went hunting!! Eris-nim is not a calculator!!"
"3 chocolate puddings."
"............Which item should I start with?"
Eris sat down.
It was cheap.
For 3 puddings, one could purchase the highest level of calculation ability on the continent.
Valter watched Eris's work speed.
"......Is that child verifying the supply materials?"
"Yes. Eris is strong with numbers. She's three times faster than me, and her error detection rate is about five times higher."
"A witch is?"
"Right now, she's the administrative assistant and calculation person for Frostgard."
Lucia laughed.
Valter looked back and forth between the two.
A scene where the Princess turned the documents and the witch calculated the numbers.
And a penguin had newly taken its place there.