chapter 16

This... this is actually pretty bad isn't.

For some reason, not only was I standing beside Kaijin as the trial was underway, I was also handcuffed and chained to the floor.

This is racism, I'm already an extinct race and this is how they treat me?

Not that I would complain, I know for a fact that they must be scared or at least anxious knowing that a demonkin has entered their city without being detected.

They might even be thinking I'm an arch demon or something.

Only the highest ranking demons could hide their presence to the point that mistaking them for humans would be like mistaking a cup of piss for beer.

That's a weird sentence.

Back to the problem at hand, I was face to face with the king of the dwarves themselves, King Gazel and needless to say I was pretty intimidated.

It was mentioned in the novel that the original Rimuru felt like he was looking at a mountain when looking at the legendary hero, but it I had thought the current me was stronger than him at this point of time.

It's like a wall... an insurmountable wall.

There was a reason why he was called a legendary hero, even just from meeting his gaze all of the nerves in my body were screaming for me to run away.

This... this isn't just about Kaijin's trial isn't.

It was pretty easy to guess that I've been found out, seeing as there were more guards than usual guarding the exits and I could sense a bit more outside the courtroom.

I guess my illusion wore off.

"We will now begin the trial! Silence, everyone!"

For the next hour, both sides presented their cases. As criminal suspects, we weren't allowed to speak—in the royal court, that right was reserved for those with a rank of earl or greater. Otherwise, you needed the king's express permission.

Pretty rigged system if you ask me, heck I bet I could plead our case just from the amount of ace attorney games I've played.

Even our own defense lawyer was against, this system wasn't just rigged, I doubt there was even a system at all!

As the trial was coming to an end, just made no moves whatsoever as I fully knew that the king would act out of turn.

And as right I was, he did, but there was something, no, there was definitely something different on what he was doing.

The king opened his eyes and looked at Kaijin.

"It has been a while, Kaijin. Do you remain in good health?"

"…Yes, my liege!" came the instant reply. Presumably he had the right to speak now. "It gladdens me that you remain so as well!"

"Yes. Now, do you and your friends"—looking at us—"have any desire to return to us?"

He's... he's definitely angry at me.

"I beg your forgiveness, my liege, but I have already found a master to serve! I have made my vow, and it has become my treasure. A treasure so fine that, indeed, not even the direct order of my liege could make me part with it!"

Silence filled the courtroom, nothing but the angry whispers of the nobles rang out in the room.

Well, that and the clearly clean sound of a sword being drawn as King Gazel himself stood from his throne.

"I see, and this... new master you served is the Tiefling besides you... correct?"

"Yes, my liege."

"And are you aware that your new master... has killed 4 adventurers on his way here?"

Ah crap, I knew it.

Looks of shock and fear were evident from everyone inside the room, everyone apart from Kaijin and the three dwarf brothers who only looked down in contempt.

"And what of it?"

I answered, immediately attracting the aggression of some of the knight stationed around us.

They were prepared to pounce, their blades clearly aiming to separate my head from my shoulders but I was preparing my ultimate technique to counter them.

And that's called, run the heck away!

Luckily for me, it didn't come to that as the King raised his hands to stop his soldiers from attacking.

"...are you not gonna deny it?"

"Why would I deny it?"

Our steely gazes met and I could feel a twitch of discomfort from his stare which I could only guess is a sign that he's reading my mind.

"So you're admitting that you killed 4 innocent adventurers."

"A hero kills several evil monsters all the time, what difference does it make if a monster slays 4 humans out of self defense?"

A deathly silence echoed in the room.

Everyone was either surprised that a monster was staring down at a legendary hero, or wary and scared on where my confidence were coming from.

"Self defense?"

"Yep, they threatened to kill me and my friend to make us give up our spots in line." I shrugged before smirking at Gazel. "If you ask me, it's Dwargon's fault that I had to resort to violence."

Chaos immediately erupted as soon as those words left my mouth. Even Kaijin stared at me as if I had grown two heads, only the king was giving me an indifferent stare as my words sank in.

"Are you accusing my soldiers of being sloppy at their jobs?"

"And what if I am? I'm right aren't I, you guys couldn't even manage the entrance properly."

I retorted back, not backing down even as I felt an invisible pressure weighing down on me.

The king, seeing this, closed his eyes again. "I…see."

I have made my decision. Listen well to my sentence! Kaijin and his friends are hereby exiled from the kingdom. After midnight tonight, when the new day comes, they are officially no longer welcome in my lands.

Heh, looks like I'm getting out of thi—

"As for you, Tiefling." Gazel continued and I immediately felt all the heat from my body vanish without a trace.

"I recognize the mistake thar Dwargon has made, however, I cannot let an evil monster roam around the world!"

God dangit I'm not evil!

"So, prove to me that you aren't one by trading 3 blows with me!"

He declared in a loud voice and jumped down from his stand, landing in front of Kaijin and me with the former being thrown off balance from the impact.

Eh? That's it? That came earlier than usual.

I smirked at Gaze, looking up at him with a confident smirk as I relaxed my body in hopes of intimidating him in a slightest sense.

"I'll do you one better, I'll do 5"