Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Under the Inquisitor's Scrutiny
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"I moved one step ahead. I wanted to get here first and check out the village.
But I didn't expect the Thin Wolf to be caught this quickly.
It was the second highest difficulty among the emergency quests. Right, 'Lofty Hunter'?"
Esty scowled unpleasantly.
"Noah. What kind of mischief are you here for?"
"I'm here for a fair examination.
As you know, this is the time when people try to become hero candidates through dishonest means.
And those people always have lowly motives."
Her attitude made even me, who didn't care about the exam results, feel uneasy.
How anxious must Karen be?
I glanced to the side, and sure enough, Karen's face couldn't hide her nervousness.
She had doubted herself because she hadn't done anything wrong.
"Our examiners determine if there was any foul play in the process of selecting hero candidates.
Don't worry. There's only the final verification left."
"Is the examiner the one doing that verification?"
At my question, Noah flashed an ominous smile.
"Yes. If it's deemed unjust, disqualification is immediate."
Karen's body stiffened.
This woman thought Karen hadn't done anything, which already made her uneasy enough.
I needed to step up with confidence.
"Then, since the evidence is right here, please check it thoroughly."
Come to think of it, there was no need to be tense.
The Thin Wolf wasn't fake—it was definitely one I'd killed and brought back.
They couldn't ignore Karen's contributions either. Without her, I'd be the one gravely injured.
"Let the examination begin."
When Mr. Smiden was looking at the corpse, everyone cheered and chattered.
Now, it was as if... everyone was deathly quiet, gripped by fear.
I got caught up in the atmosphere and clamped my mouth shut.
"Sniff, sniff sniff."
Noah acted in a bizarre, almost eccentric way.
She buried her nose in the fur of the dead wolf's corpse and sniffed.
What kind of examination was she planning to do like that?
"There's a scorched smell. It was hit by fire attribute attack magic two or three times and died."
...
A chill ran down my spine.
"Which of you two took it down?"
"Oppa did."
"Didn't Karen do anything when it was taken down?"
"Yes."
Noah approached Karen closely.
"Eek, eek."
Karen looked like she might collapse in fear.
"You're honest. Good. There are no sword marks on this wolf corpse. There are plenty of signs of a struggle with something...
Would you tell me how you hunted it? So... "
"It's Decal."
She was looking at me searching for words, so I quickly gave my name.
"Decal. For an accurate examination, could you tell me what happened right there at the time?"
It felt exactly like being interrogated.
Noah's tone wasn't rude, but there was a persistent intensity that dug deep.
As expected of an examiner.
"When we first encountered the Thin Wolf, there wasn't even time to cast magic.
I protected myself with spirit arts, but it wasn't enough, so Karen took the attacks in my place."
"Was it Decal who used the fire attribute attack magic?"
"Yeah. Thanks to the opening Karen created, I managed to land the attack magic and kill it."
Karen nodded repeatedly beside me.
I couldn't see her expression because of the blindfold, but Noah's mouth was pursed in dissatisfaction.
"Don't lie."
"...Lie?"
"It smells bad."
What the hell is this woman?
Suspecting people without evidence, just based on smell.
I didn't hide my displeasure.
"...I didn't know examiners judged based on smells."
But it wasn't just that Veil Noah was being rude that bothered me.
This woman knew something.
She called it a smell, but she knew something perilously close to the truth.
The feeling of her prying into my depths uninvited was making it hard to stay calm.
"Are you planning to play dumb? The wolf's body reeks so strongly of human blood."
"......!"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"What does that mean?"
"No idea..."
Probably only Esty and I fully understood the implication.
The Thin Wolf had easily been caught using four humans as bait. We'd kept that fact under wraps.
But who could've guessed that truth—one we saw no need to reveal—would surface so uncomfortably?
Karen, unaware of the circumstances, looked at Noah defiantly.
"I fought the Thin Wolf with my life on the line. Of course it smells like human blood."
"Yes. The Thin Wolf's claws had a thick bloody scent. I can imagine the situation.
But the blood smell I'm talking about isn't from this man's lie."
"What?"
"The wolf was splattered in blood from all sides. As if humans had been used as bait."
...
No one spoke up.
Noah's sense of smell was spot on. I never imagined she'd figure out everything just from the corpse.
"Was it your greed to become a hero candidate?
You know that anyone who kills people with attack magic is locked away in Glaggius's underground prison forever, right?"
"Are you framing me based on imagination?"
"Did I hit the nail on the head?"
I couldn't hold back the bursting laugh and covered my mouth with my hand.
Noah watched me impassively.
"Examiners have the right to summarily punish criminals. No, when not examining, that's actually our main job."
"I never intended to become a hero candidate in the first place."
"...?"
"If I'd used people as bait out of greed to become a hero candidate and catch the Thin Wolf,
that would be the scenario you arbitrarily cooked up. Or are you calling this a lie too?"
"......"
Noah was sharp.
She'd clearly realize there was no lie in those words.
I'd never planned to become a hero candidate. Not once up to now.
"And if I planned to clear the quest using someone as bait, why is she still alive?"
I placed my hand on Karen's shoulder.
"Ah..."
"If I meant to use bait, I'd use the easiest one available and not drag in strangers, right? Who'd say something that ridiculous?"
The atmosphere shifted.
Noah had reached the truth, but it was something superhuman.
A truth arrived at using some extraordinary sense.
Like writing just the answer in math without showing any work.
You couldn't convince others with such leaps.
"Y-Yeah!"
"Who'd do something like that?"
Unexpectedly, people voiced support for me.
"I admit it. I was hasty. I jumped to conclusions too quickly."
"Hmm."
"But there's one thing you're mistaken about. Hero candidate qualification isn't something you can just toss away because you don't want it.
Once you obtain the qualification, you have the obligation to come to Melbrit and take the exam."
"What? Really?"
I hadn't known that!
"Oppa, you didn't know?"
Karen asked in surprise.
"If I knew, I wouldn't have done it."
Should I ask her to just disqualify me alone? Not the time for that deal right now, though.
Noah looked at me and said,
"Decal. Earlier, I said I arrived in this village one step ahead.
Actually, I'd been here quite a while.
Precisely since the Lofty Hunter arrived in the village."
"......"
"So I know about your relationship. That you go to the same inn every day, eat together, and do quests together."
Damn. Now she's grabbing at this angle.
"As you know, the 'Thin Wolf' quest is established only when a diamond-rank hunter finds its habitat.
It's impossible to take her on an emergency quest."
"Yeah, right."
I'm being cornered more and more.
"There's eyewitness testimony. The night before, at the exact time Decal was fighting the Thin Wolf.
Someone saw the hunter leaving Marn in a hurry."
Esty's expression hardened.
"Don't you think it's too convenient?"
"You're saying she helped us?"
"Yes. It was quite unexpected, knowing the Lofty Hunter's reputation and character.
I never imagined someone could use Esty."
"Noah. Take that back."
Esty's dignified aura visibly erupted.
I'd never seen Esty this angry.
Noah stood leisurely even as the intimidating presence hit her full force.
"Then can you swear there was no foul play during the emergency quest? On the honor of a noble elf?"
"That's...!"
Ah, it's done for. Let's stop now.
Fooling this examiner was impossible. Unless I hypnotized her.
"If your guess is right, what happens to me and Karen?"
"Immediate disqualification."
"......"
So because it was obtained through improper means, it vanishes easily.
Because of those adventurers who pushed me off the cliff, I had no choice but to call Esty.
It was unavoidable.
"But there's one strange point."
Noah added.
"Strange point?"
"Yes. This Thin Wolf was drenched in human blood, sure, but it died from fire magic nonetheless.
Not many people can wield fire magic of this power. An elf who handles wind spirits has no business using all-consuming fire magic."
In other words...
Calling Esty for help, yet taking down the Thin Wolf myself—that's suspicious?
Man, how tenacious is this woman?
Impressive. Really impressive.
Suddenly, I wanted to have her.
How reassuring would it be if a woman like this worked for me?
She's the talent needed for the [Eight-Colored Shell Castle].
For now, let's come clean.
"Yeah. You're right. I called her."
"It's because of me!"
Karen shouted.
"What do you mean? Karen."
"It must've been because my life was in danger. Oppa has the skill to take down the Thin Wolf, and he's proven it. So just disqualify me alone."
"That can't be allowed."
Noah said firmly.
"Exams must be conducted fairly. Other adventurers can't call helpers when in danger in the first place."
"But still..."
I grabbed Karen's head roughly and ruffled her hair.
"O-Oppa!"
"What did you hear from what I said earlier? I don't want to be a hero candidate? You drop out alone and push me through? Why would I do that?"
"But in the end, I didn't do anything. It wasn't me who protected Oppa, it was..."
"......"
Everyone looked at Esty.
Esty sighed and said,
"Noah, it's true I helped Decal. It's also true we have a special relationship. We love each other."
"Yes, it was surprising. To see you—not just any elf—dating.
Even when Wabid said so, I couldn't believe it until I saw it myself."
"But saying Darling used me is wrong. Take it back."
"What do you mean by wrong?"
"The reason Darling called me was because of the adventurers who pushed the two of them off the cliff to steal the credit."
Esty spoke with evident disgust.
The shocking revelation caused murmurs. Noah's facial muscles twitched faintly—proof she was shaken.
Since it had come to this, I chimed in.
"To be precise, those guys pushed me off, grabbed Karen, and tried to rape her.
But there was a Thin Wolf at the bottom of the cliff. In that situation, anyone would've called Esty to save Karen."
"......"
Noah seemed to realize something.
"Then this blood smell is..."
Ugh, she's not going to implicate Esty as a criminal too, is she?
That can't happen. I have to use hypnosis to turn this around if needed.
"No, it's nothing."
Even though Noah knew everything except the hypnosis, she didn't press me on that part.
...I think I know what kind of person she is.
"For my rude remark about using her, I deeply apologize to both of you."
Noah placed her hand on her navel and bowed deeply.
Esty immediately spoke up.
"Noah. Give these two a chance.
You know now. I just stopped criminals from harming the person I love. I had no intention of interfering with the quest.
I even had a chance to kill the Thin Wolf, but Darling actually stopped me."
"......"
No, I don't need a second chance.
Can't you just give it to Karen?
"Very well. By examiner authority, I'll give you two an additional test.
Pass it, and you'll officially qualify as hero candidates."
"Oppaa!"
Karen hugged me.
"I'm so glad. Really..."
Now it felt inevitable we'd have to take the additional test too.
I didn't want to part with Karen yet anyway, so it was fine, but what a hassle.
"Decal. Will you take the additional test?"
"Fine. What do I have to do? Examiner."
"A new dungeon has been discovered near Dry Village. You've heard of Bordo Dungeon."
"Oh."
It was the one I'd cleared.
"That dungeon has depths underground deeper than known. My guess is there's a lich there."
"What's a lich?"
Karen asked, still in my arms.
"A mage dominated by necromancy. Strength varies greatly by individual..."
"Yes. You know well. An elder lich has the power to fight a whole nation.
But a typical lich in a small dungeon is about Thin Wolf difficulty."
"If we complete the quest, where do we find you, Examiner?"
"I'm staying in a room at the guard barracks."
"Got it. Don't expect thanks for the extra test."
"I only judge results fairly. You can give it your all or throw it away—your choice.
But once you pass, as I said, you can't quit until you go to Melbrit."
Strangely, I felt like there was nothing I couldn't do.
Was it because my level rose and confidence grew? Or because I'd grown accustomed to the thrill of fighting monsters?
Both made sense. I was adapting to this other world faster than I could've imagined.
...But that's that, and this is this.
"Oppa?"
I gently pushed Karen away, raised my hand in front of Noah.
Snap!
I snapped my fingers, putting Noah into a trance.
"Noah."
I'd already faced death once since coming to this world.
As a hypnotist, I had to do what needed doing.
"「If I ask for help, you cannot refuse.」"
I approached the entranced Noah, whispered in her ear,
And before the others noticed anything off.
Clap.
I clapped, waking Noah.