The Hearing (3)

"I knew it. I suspected as much the moment I heard that a fellow of such unremarkable birth was chosen by the Holy Sword. Why on earth did the sacred relic choose someone like him?"

The parliament chamber before the Hero's entry. An elderly court noble spoke in a casual, insolent tone. His speech was entirely unbefitting of a noble, and his appearance was far from dignified, but his high rank or title seemed to deter anyone from daring to object.

"Indeed. Just because he pulled out a single sword, he acts with such arrogance, as if the entire world is beneath his feet."

Instead, sycophants clung to his side, flattering him. Perhaps the biggest problem was that these men weren't entirely incompetent; in their respective fields, they were actually quite capable.

Bishop Andre Zabin sat with a rigid, upright posture, listening intently to the ministers' conversation, which resembled a farce.

"Who did they say he kicked out of the party? Was it that mercenary?"

"My good man, the mercenary isn't the important part. They say he banished the Saintess herself with his own hands! The Saintess! Can you believe it? The great envoy of the Holy Kingdom, whom even we dare not treat lightly!"

At first, listening to their chatter was somewhat amusing, but as it dragged on for five, then ten minutes, it quickly grew tiresome. Still, anticipating how their expressions would shift second by second during the hearing was bound to be entertaining, so the bishop decided to endure the boredom and keep listening.

"Does the Hero truly believe he is more important than the Saintess? That is an insult to the Holy Church itself."

The old court noble, who had been ranting passionately, suddenly turned his head toward Bishop Andre and offered a fawning smile.

"Is that not so, Bishop? Goodness, our kingdom is showing such embarrassing sights all because of a single man."

"Perfection is the sole domain of God. All humans make mistakes, and it is precisely because we make mistakes that we are human. There is no law stating that the Hero cannot make mistakes as well."

Bishop Andre spoke in evasive, diplomatic terms. At the bishop's thoroughly safe response, the court noble smacked his lips and racked his brain for another topic.

"Of course, one can make a mistake. But they say that if mistakes are repeated, it eventually becomes a reflection of one's true ability. I truly do not know if the current Hero even deserves to be chosen by the Holy Sword."

"...Are you perhaps doubting the sacred relic of the Holy Church?"

Bishop Andre's voice turned abruptly cold. Through his narrowed eyelids, his grey eyes flashed as he stared down the court noble. The noble felt an inexplicable chill and broke into a cold sweat.

"N-No, of course not. I only doubt the Hero's qualifications... Look over there. Are there not knights who possess far greater qualities of a hero? If the sacred relic saw them, surely it would change its master."

The court noble gestured with his chin toward the knights seated at the back of the chamber. Bishop Andre followed his gaze. Georg, a member of the Hero's party, sat in the middle, flanked by other knights. They appeared to be order commanders of equal rank.

"As one of this kingdom's ministers, I can no longer stand by and watch an unfit man wear the mantle of the Hero. I will hold him strictly accountable, especially since he nearly caused a diplomatic friction with the Holy Kingdom."

You have thoroughly earned their ire, Sir Hero. This hearing will not end so easily. Bishop Andre closed his eyes slowly, thinking to himself.

The Hero had never chosen the easy path. He could have taken the hands extended by those in power and submitted to their control, but he had rejected the path of becoming their sword. Instead, he chose to act on his own terms to save the world.

How would the Hero handle this situation?

Bishop Andre opened his eyes slightly and looked toward the entrance of the chamber. A low-ranking noble had opened the door and was speaking with the Hero standing just beyond it.

"He's coming in."

With someone's murmur, the doors swung open, and the Hero, clad in his pristine white uniform, walked in with measured steps. Every eye in the chamber fell upon him. As if entirely unfazed by the weight of those countless gazes, the Hero instead swept his eyes across the room, returning their stares.

"...Doesn't the Hero's aura seem a bit different?"

"Indeed. Was he always that calm? His presence feels much heavier."

The ministers whispered among themselves. The low hum that filled the chamber gradually subsided into scattered murmurs, before slowly fading away like a setting sun. The atmosphere of the entire room was steadily dominated by the mere presence of the Hero. Without even realizing why they felt compelled to stop talking, the ministers fell silent one by one.

Bishop Andre watched this sequence of events with eyes full of intrigue. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hero seemed different yet again from when they had last met. What could have happened in just a few short days?

As the Hero scanned the room, his eyes met Bishop Andre's, and his brow furrowed slightly. The bishop offered a subtle smile and turned his head toward the chairman of the hearing.

"We will now begin the hearing."

What kind of unpredictability will you show this time? Will you prove that you are indeed the one the Holy Church has been searching for? Bishop Andre rubbed his hands together beneath the desk, anticipating ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the questions that would soon rain down upon the Hero.

Upon entering the chamber, I spotted a few familiar faces. First was Georg, sitting far in the back alongside men who appeared to be order commanders. Since I didn't have the luxury of waving to him, I settled for a brief nod.

Turning my head further, I saw Count Wallace, sporting his usual bushy beard. The count met my gaze and quickly looked away. He said he would become my enemy, so let's see just how terrifying he can be. Ugh.

Then, as I scanned the room for anyone else I recognized, my eyes locked with Bishop Andre. It seemed he was participating in this hearing as the representative for the Holy Kingdom. I frowned without realizing it, and seeing my expression, the bishop offered a faint smile.

"We will now begin the hearing."

The solemn voice of the chairman echoed through the room.

"This hearing has been convened to investigate the circumstances and reasons behind Hero Elroy's arbitrary actions, oppressive behavior toward his companions, and unilateral selection of expedition members during the campaign to subjugate the Seven Calamities. Hero Elroy, you may speak first."

What was there for me to say? I stood at the podium, holding the written statement I had prepared last night. I glossed over the customary pleasantries and focused my voice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the points that needed emphasis.

"...As the Hero chosen by the Holy Sword, and as the commander of this expedition, I have been delegated the authority to select the members of my party. The exercise of this authority was conducted entirely for public reasons and under official circumstances. I hereby declare that this was by no means the arbitrary tyranny of someone lacking official authority."

The bait was cast. Now those bastards would swarm in to tear it apart. Whether it was rotten meat or a perfectly fine meal, they would find out once they took a bite.

"Are you claiming that your actions during the subjugation of the Third Calamity, as well as your subsequent dismissal of the expedition members, were entirely motivated by official reasons?"

Count Wallace was the first to pounce. I rolled my eyes toward him and replied.

"Yes. That is correct."

"Then you must present your evidence first. Committing such acts without a single word of explanation and then claiming it was for 'official reasons'—if that isn't an abuse of authority, what is?"

Oh, look at him go.

"As you have said, I am the Hero, but I am also the commander of the expedition to subjugate the Seven Calamities. If the members of the expedition do not follow the words and orders of their commander, is it not only right to penalize them for insubordination?"

"Is it not the Hero's role to coordinate and work things out with his companions? Not to simply dismiss them the moment they disagree."

I wanted to snort and mock him. Who was it that dragged me all the way to parliament for a collective lynching just because they couldn't control me and wanted to flex their own authority?

"If I were the type to mindlessly banish people from the party just because they didn't listen to me, I would have done so back when we were fighting the Third Calamity. I believe I gave them more than enough opportunities and watched them closely."

"Then, using that very authority in such an arbitrary manner..."

"Can I assume that belittling my authority as 'arbitrary' is an insult to 'the one who bestowed this authority upon me'? I was given this power to use it in this manner, so is it not only natural that I exercise it?"

I asked, offering a bright smile. Framing people isn't a trick exclusive to you bastards. It was a clear slip of the tongue on his part. Realizing this, Count Wallace's face turned pale. That's one down.

Just then, another old geezer, who had been staring at Count Wallace with a pathetic look, opened his mouth.

"Fine. Let us grant you the mercenary's dismissal. But what about the Saintess? Did you cast her out of the party as well simply because she did not obey you? The Saintess is not even a citizen of our kingdom; she is a special envoy dispatched by the Holy Kingdom to assist the Hero. Do you presume to include her under your authority as well?"

A relatively clever question. Of course, having already prepared my answer, I shook my head.

"No. My banishment of Isis was by no means because she refused to follow my orders."

"Then, what was the reason for her banishment?"

Acting was crucial here. I shifted my expression to one of solemn gravity before speaking.

"Because her presence in the Hero's party is a hindrance to the party, and a detriment to the world."

At my statement, the chamber began to stir. Most of the ministers looked at me, then glanced nervously at Bishop Andre, who represented the Holy Kingdom, whispering among themselves. Of course, Bishop Andre merely sat upright, staring back at me with his usual squinty-eyed smile.

"What on earth do you mean by that, Hero!"

"A hindrance? How dare you spout such nonsense in front of a representative of the Holy Kingdom!"

"Do you take this hearing for a joke?!"

The commotion was like a brief conference. Having finished exchanging opinions, the ministers began to hurl criticisms at me indiscriminately. Unable to watch any longer, the chairman banged his gavel to silence them.

"Silence! We will hear Hero Elroy's explanation first before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠taking questions."

A deep frown etched itself onto the chairman's forehead at the chaotic state of the chamber. Holding back a sigh, he turned his head to signal me to speak. At least this man seemed reasonable.

"The Saintess, Isis, can certainly perform miracles. She heals wounds that seem impossible to cure and eases pain."

However, her presence also creates a critical problem. In a chaotic battlefield crawling with all kinds of monstrous aberrations, the Saintess lacks the martial power to defend herself. To put it more bluntly, on the battlefield, the Saintess is a liability that must be protected, not a combatant you can trust to watch your back.

"Many of the wounds we sustained were actually suffered while trying to protect Isis. On the battlefield, the Saintess cannot survive without constant, dedicated protection."

In the original story, Georg was the primary victim of this. Of course, Isis healed him afterward, but many of those wounds could have been avoided entirely. At my words, the face of the minister who had questioned me contorted. His eyes flicked toward Bishop Andre, not me.

"What absolute nonsense... Are you saying that because of that single issue, you would throw away the goodwill of the Holy Kingdom—no, all the benefits the Saintess provides to the Hero's party?!"

"It is not for the sake of the Hero's party's safety."

"What?"

I hardened my expression, emphasizing my next words clearly.

"We were lucky during the last expedition, but there is no guarantee that the Saintess will continue to survive this harsh journey. The Calamities will only grow stronger over time, and the support our party receives will only dwindle."

I slowly swept my gaze across the seated ministers.

"The Saintess must not become a martyr. Her role is not to stand on the battlefield, but to travel the world and heal the wounds inflicted by the Calamities."

A brief silence descended upon the room. With those words, the ministers had suddenly been framed as the heartless politicians who were pushing the Saintess into a deadly warzone.

"S-Sophistry! Acting solely on your own judgment as the Hero, without even consulting the Holy Kingdom, is the height of arrogance!"

Did shouting "sophistry" without any basis magically turn a perfectly logical argument into one? I narrowed my eyes and stared at the shouting minister.

"Bishop Andre! I apologize on his behalf. Please, say something to this ignorant fool."

Bishop Andre smiled warmly and turned to the minister.

"Well, there is nothing particularly wrong with the Hero's words. In fact, I would even like to express my gratitude to him for making a decision that the Holy Kingdom itself could not bring itself to make. However, there is one concern: whether the Hero's party can fight effectively without the Saintess."

Nice assist, Bishop. Though his defense was so perfect that it left a slightly bitter aftertaste.

The minister's face turned pale. He looked around as if searching for an excuse, but soon adopted a fierce tone. It seemed he had decided to go all-in, consequences be damned.

"No, there is no way someone as arbitrary, arrogant, and self-centered as you deserves to hold the Holy Sword as the Hero. Should a true Hero not embrace everyone and move forward together?"

Having no political backing was truly a nuisance. Those bastards had little to lose even if they lost to me here, but if I lost, I would lose everything.

"I demand that you prove your qualifications as the Hero once again. I have summoned individuals from all over the kingdom who are far more suited to be the Hero than you. If merely wielding the Holy Sword is the qualification of a Hero, then surely they can do so as well."

The minister pointed to the knights lined up in the back as he spoke. Georg wore a troubled expression. So that's why they brought those people here.

By the way... did you hear that, Holy Sword?

The elegant voice of the Holy Sword echoed in my mind.

As you command, my lady. Smiling, I lightly brushed my hand against the hilt of the Holy Sword.