Chapter 206: Sena: What Do You Think of Me, Mr. Kobayashi?
If I haven't misunderstood... then I've most likely misunderstood.
Sena was a royal prosecutor. She was upright and serious. For her to suddenly say such a thing must mean she had some other deep meaning. She was probably trying to set up some kind of verbal trap to catch a logical loophole of his.
Just as Kobayashi was preparing to fob her off with an ambiguous answer, he hadn't expected Sena to suddenly start introducing herself with a completely serious face.
"My name is Sena, I have no surname. I am 20 years old. I currently hold the position of royal prosecutor in the kingdom and am expected to be promoted again within three years, so I do not wish to have children within three years. My parents..."
"Please wait a moment, Miss Sena."
As the royal prosecutor in front of him said more and more ridiculous things, he got scared and hurriedly interrupted. She didn't seem to be here to ask for information, but rather... for a blind date.
Sena asked, puzzled, "Is something wrong, Mr. Kobayashi? Is there something I said that wasn't clear?"
"...If I said 'everything,' would you get angry, Miss Sena?" he asked in return.
He was hoping to make the royal prosecutor in front of him return to her previous self. At the very least, she should stop making these strange jokes. Didn't she see that Aqua and the others were already giving him strange looks?!
Sena seemed very surprised that he would say that, but she still pushed up her glasses and explained very plainly, "Then let me start from the beginning."
He sighed slightly.
Are we finally getting to the main topic?
However—
"My name is Sena. Having no surname means I am a commoner. The disadvantage is that I have no background or connections. The advantage is that I will not be involved in noble disputes. To become a royal prosecutor at the age of 20 means that I still have a lot of room for promotion and will be valued by the kingdom. My parents being alive means..."
"Wait, wait!"
He forcefully interrupted her again.
The things she was saying really sounded like she was on a blind date!
No way.
A royal prosecutor? On a blind date? With me? In front of Aqua and the others? And with this kind of ridiculous development?
He had a suspicious look on his face. He had a feeling she was just messing with him. But she didn't seem to have the kind of personality that liked to play pranks.
As if seeing his confusion, she asked again, "Mr. Kobayashi, what do you think of me?"
"...Very outstanding. Whether it's your appearance or other aspects, you are very outstanding." Not understanding, he could only go along with her words.
Of course, this wasn't flattery; it was the truth.
She was a military officer. Every move she made showed a good upbringing, a stark contrast to the lazy Aqua.
She sat up straight, her back erect. Even sitting on the sofa, one could see the girl's full figure.
Although her pretty face was ruined by her serious expression and sharp gaze, with the glasses highlighting her atmosphere, she had, on the contrary, a mature and strong charm.
Furthermore, the fact that she had become a royal prosecutor at the age of 20, and without any background to back her up, was enough to show how outstanding she was.
"But a person like me... I don't even have a boyfriend."
"...What?"
She had suddenly exposed herself, which left him at a loss.
And it wasn't over.
The light in her eyes faded, and she fell into self-doubt, muttering, "To be honest, there are many talented young men in the Royal Capital, and I often attend exchange meetings. But unfortunately, no man has ever taken an interest in me."
"Um... although I don't know why an outstanding person like you is unpopular... my condolences."
"I know, right! In a country where you're considered an adult at 14, to still be unwanted at 20... just why is that..." she said, her eyes continuously glancing at him.
"Ahaha—"
What else could he do?
He could only scratch his head and laugh awkwardly. There was no way he would dare to get involved.
Comforting a wounded woman is the duty of every gentleman, but the hands that were wrapped around his waist and the arm that was strangling his neck would not allow him to say such a thing.
By the way, Aqua and Darkness were sitting on his left and right, and Megumin was climbing on his back.
Seeing him unmoved, Sena sighed in disappointment again.
It seems I've failed again.
As a royal prosecutor, the first thing she had done after receiving the royal decree and coming to Axel was to gather intelligence, especially on Aldarp and on him and his party.
Needless to say about Aldarp, his evil reputation was known even in the Royal Capital.
But when she had inquired about Kobayashi, the answers she had gotten were unanimously positive. Everyone had nothing but praise for the man before her.
Subjugating a general of the Demon King's army, intercepting the Mobile Fortress Destroyer, and sharing the credit with every adventurer who had held the line. On top of that, even though she had been the one to act rashly before, she had not been blamed for offending him.
He was just like a hero from a story.
Therefore, her impression of him was very good.
It had to be said, everything he had done before had brought him huge, positive feedback. But unfortunately, he could not respond to her feelings.
But soon, she adjusted.
"Ahem. Pardon my rudeness," she cleared her throat, then opened her sharp eyes. Her first words were a shocking question. "I interrogated Satou Kazuma before. Putting aside the fact that he harasses female adventurers on the street and is always causing harm to the town, there is the matter of his collusion with the Demon King's army. Do you know any relevant information?"
"...What did you say? The Demon King's army?!"
"Wait, what does that mean?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Before he could even react, Aqua and the others had become agitated. Hearing that Kazuma was with the Demon King's army, their first reaction was that it was impossible.
Although he hadn't made any great contribution to the defeat of the Dullahan, he had still put in a lot of effort behind the scenes. On top of that, he had been the one to provoke the Dullahan in the first place, so he couldn't possibly be with the Demon King's army!
"Is that so."
Seeing their reaction, she didn't think they were covering for him, but that he had hidden it so well that he had even deceived his own companions.
A picture formed in her mind.
His party members had gone through all sorts of hardships to defeat a general of the Demon King's army, but they hadn't expected that the one playing the villain among them was their closest companion, and that he was also leading them step by step into the abyss!
That must be it!
If it wasn't for "this," she would have definitely been deceived by him too.
That's right. It was this.
—A magic item that detects lies.
She placed a small ornament on the table.
It was very special. The base was just an ordinary bell, but the top was decorated with the wings of an angel and a demon, as if symbolizing light and darkness.
"Do you all know what this is?" she asked, but without waiting for an answer, she took the initiative to introduce it. "It is a magic item that can detect lies. And it is precisely by relying on this that I was able to see through Satou Kazuma's disguise."
Of course, it was also because of this that she had been haughtily reprimanded by him, and he had even said that she had no boyfriend because she was so irritable, which had in turn caused her to say such strange and embarrassing things to Kobayashi just now.
Damn that Demon King's army!
The noble royal prosecutor had pushed all the blame onto the perverted Kazuma.
Then, under the uncomprehending gazes of everyone, she said, "We suspect that Satou Kazuma is a spy for the Demon King's army. Because when I asked him if he 'had any contact with the generals of the Demon King's army,' this magic item rang."
After she finished speaking, Aqua suddenly shouted, "Wait a minute! Kazuma is definitely not a spy for the Demon King's army!"
"Oh ho? And why would you say that, Miss Aqua?" she asked, pushing up her glasses, her eyes becoming sharp.
"B-because... he only likes to harass female adventurers?"
Because he's a hero from another world that I brought here! ...If she said that, she would surely be scoffed at and be seen as deliberately causing trouble.
Aqua was suddenly speechless.
Seeing this, Megumin also spoke up. "Kazuma definitely can't be a general of the Demon King's army. At most, he's only committed minor crimes like harassing others."
I really can't tell if this loli is trying to downplay the situation, or if she's taking the opportunity to get revenge.
Because the clothes he had made had made her do a lot of strange and shameful things.
Darkness even said, "Lord Prosecutor, that man doesn't have that kind of guts. He looks at the passing female adventurers on the street like a wolf, but he's never even been on a date with a woman. He's as timid as a mouse."
The more he listened to what the girls were saying, the more frequently Sena pushed up her glasses.
Her face was full of impatience and anger. It seemed she had a deep-seated hatred for scumbags like him.
That's enough!
If you three keep talking, he's going to be sentenced to death!
He said, "Miss Sena. As the three of them have said, he may be a little... unsatisfactory... in some aspects, but he is definitely not a spy for the Demon King's army. We, who live with him day and night, can guarantee this. Or is it that you, Miss Sena, believe that as long as one has had contact with a general of the Demon King's army, they are a spy? It just so happens that I, too, have had contact with a general of the Demon King's army. For example, I have had contact with the Dullahan. Don't tell me... you also think that I am a spy?"
"Th-that's different!"
"How is it different? Didn't we both have contact?"
"But you subjugated the general, Mr. Kobayashi."
"That doesn't erase the fact that I had contact with him."
"This..."
Sena was instantly rendered speechless.
The lie-detecting magic item... it was just as he had been when facing a god (Freya). Besides using silence to respond, the only other way was to use the truth to guide and deceive the other party.
Just as he had said he had had contact with a general, and had directed the subject to the Dullahan, hiding Wiz's existence.
As long as he responded appropriately, he had ten thousand ways to bypass the magic item's detection.
Seeing her unconvinced look, he said, "Miss Sena. If you're not at ease, then why not just re-interrogate him? Just ask him, 'Are you a spy for the Demon King's army? Are you a terrorist?'"
"W-well..."
"Of course, I'm not saying that your job in coming to Axel is to investigate Aldarp's corruption, and that you shouldn't be nosy about other things. After all, this is also your job. You can even publicly try him. It's just that..."
"Just...?"
"If in the end it is really proven that he is not a general of the Demon King's army, but a hero who saved the town, then I must fight for appropriate compensation for my companion. Otherwise, if you casually slander a hero... who will be left to save a town in crisis? Am I right, Miss Sena?"
"I... I..."
His firm and insistent appearance made her become unconfident.
The misunderstanding with him before had already caused the royal prosecutor's dignity to plummet. If she were to make another mistake, it was very likely that she would be unable to carry out the mission issued by the kingdom.
And this was his goal.
First, he had used words to guide her to change her subsequent questions. Then, he had pointed out the consequences of the previous misunderstanding to make her wary.
This method would surely not make her back down, but at least it wouldn't be a public execution. Otherwise, that evil lord, Aldarp, would surely catch the scent and come over, and then take the opportunity to make a big fuss and muddy the waters.
At that time, when it came to searching for evidence of corruption, it would be very disadvantageous to his side.
And now, it was time to wrap things up.
Give the other party a way out.
Clap—
He clapped his hands, bringing her back to her senses, and at the same time said, "Since that's the case, then let's not complicate matters. As long as you go back, Miss Sena, and re-ask the question, 'Is Satou Kazuma a spy for the Demon King's army? Is he a terrorist?'... and you get your answer, won't that be fine? You will have found out the truth, and his reputation will not be damaged. Everyone will be happy! Clap! Clap clap clap!"
Sena was silent for a long moment, then sighed. "Mr. Kobayashi. I must admire your eloquence."
"Ahaha, other people often say that too," he said, laughing.
It seemed the upright royal prosecutor had listened to his suggestion. It was great that it didn't have to turn into a Royal Prosecutor's Fall.mp4 ending.
At this time, Megumin, however, said resentfully, "In the end, is this lie-detecting magic item really useful? Don't tell me it just confirms based on its own preferences?"
"Oh ho? It seems you have very little trust in this magic item, Miss Megumin," Sena said, pushing up her glasses. She closed her eyes and said with full confidence, "Since you don't believe it, then why don't we just try it?"
Lest you say I'm faking it.
—This was the pride of a royal prosecutor.
Actually, he was also very interested in the lie-detecting magic item. No, it was more like he was interested in any interesting equipment. So he wanted to try its effect.
Since that was the case...
He looked at the loli and asked, "Megumin. You went out and cast an Explosion spell behind my back yesterday, didn't you?"
"N-no!" she said, her eyes darting around.
Ding—
The magic item let out a crisp ringing sound.
Mmm. It seems I was right.
He then looked at Darkness. "And you were the one who carried her back?"
"...What are you talking about, Kobayashi?" she said, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "I only just got back today. How could I have carried her?"
Oh, right. He'd forgotten.
After all, she and Megumin were a pair. They often went out to cause destruction together. He had subconsciously suspected her.
"Then... you're a pervert."
"I am not! I am not! Don't talk nonsense!"
She blushed, her emotions agitated as she loudly denied it.
Ding—
But the crisp ringing sound had completely exposed her true nature.
Although Sena had already sensed it, when the magic item rang, she still couldn't accept it. Who would have thought that the young lady of the Dustiness family was actually a pervert?
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat and turned to look at the idiot goddess, who was squatting by the sofa, her head lowered, as if there were something novel there.
"Aqua."
"Y-yes...! I wonder what your orders are, Master Kobayashi?"
The idiot goddess trembled, her stiff neck turning over. Her face had a smile that one could tell was fake, just by looking at it. It seemed this woman had done a lot of wrong things and was afraid of being blamed.
"Aqua. You were the one who carried her to cast her Explosion spell yesterday, right?"
"Y-yes, that's right! But you can't blame me, Kobayashi! If she had no one to carry her, what would she have done if she had run into danger? So, I only followed her to prevent her from getting into danger!"
"Mmm... indeed."
Megumin, if you call her determined, that's one way to put it. If you call her stubborn, that's another. It wasn't as if a situation where she had insisted on going out alone to cast her magic, without anyone to carry her, hadn't happened before. At a time like this, if Aqua followed her, she could be a lookout.
Seeing the idiot goddess's 'I'm asking for credit' smile, the corner of his eye twitched.
"Well then, Aqua. I have one more question for you."
"Y-yes... what is it...?"
The idiot goddess was the best at reading the room. Hearing his lowered voice, she had a strong sense of unease.
"—Debts. You don't have any debts outside that I don't know about, do you?"
"I don't!"
Ding—
"...do I?"
She instantly turned into a quail, shrinking her head, not daring to look at him at all.
Phew—
You might not believe it, but he wasn't angry at all right now. After all, she had never disappointed him when it came to being a disappointment.
He had expected her to have debts, so he wasn't angry at all.
...How could he not be!!!
The more he backed down, the angrier he got. In just one second, he couldn't hold it in anymore.
He mercilessly kneaded her face.
"You idiot! Why are you always spending money recklessly outside! Even if you spend money, you should tell me in time! And... stop using my name to run up a tab!"
"I'm shorry—!!!"
The idiot goddess apologized loudly, her words slurred.
After a brief period of chaos, the entire party understood the power of the magic item, and all of them avoided it, not daring to disbelieve it.
And Sena, who had witnessed the whole thing, after seeing how unsightly Aqua and the others were, felt a strong sense of sympathy for him.
To be with a group of problem children... it's just too hard.
Finally, she picked up the magic item. "I'm sure you've all seen its ability now. I'm sure you won't worry about it making a mistake."
"Y-yes! We believe it!" x3
The three girls quickly admitted.
She nodded with satisfaction, then looked at the magic item in her hand, pursing her lips as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
Seeing this, he said, "Is something wrong, Miss Sena?"
"No..." she shook her head, but immediately took a deep breath, as if mustering her courage, looked him straight in the eye, and asked, "Mr. Kobayashi, is it possible for us to become lovers?"
...This woman... what is she talking about?
Under the gazes of Aqua and the others, he slowly shook his head. "No."
Ding—
For some reason, the crisp ringing sound was extremely piercing.
Seeing this, she immediately revealed a shy and happy smile. "Is that so? I understand. Well then, I still have some work to do, so I won't disturb you any longer."
And then, the royal prosecutor left the mansion, her steps light. The few of them were left in the living room.
In any case, the atmosphere was extremely awkward.
Megumin: "Kobayashi! What did you mean by that just now?!"
Darkness: "D-don't tell me... you like Miss Sena?! Or... is it just that you like the uniform?"
Aqua: "I-it's over! My believer... my believer is going to be stolen!!!"
"Hurry up and explain yourself!" x3
The three of them pounced on him, pressing him down.
He couldn't breathe at all and could only cry out for mercy. "W-wait! I just had that thought for a moment! Really, I'm not lying! And I said 'possible'! As long as something exists, there's a certain possibility of it happening! But it doesn't mean it's absolute! You have to believe me, ahhhh!!!"
His miserable cry pierced the heavens.
(End of Chapter)