The Wrong Hero

Chapter 16 - Perception

"This little 'mad scientist' thing you had going on cost me three sets of chainmail." Dante spoke as he examined the table of components. He'd brought out another tunic and set of armor to wear. The boy alchemist had his hands and feet tied and was sitting on the ground. "You've greatly injured my party, taken over land that wasn't yours, and—oh, right—killed over a hundred people. Am I missing anything here?"

"I didn't kill them!" The boy yelled.

"He's lying, Dad." JoJo informed him, standing behind the boy. He and Dio were watching him as the others looked about the room for anything of note.

"I didn't kill all of them!" The boy changed his wording. "Most of them were killed in Ronota, or were bandits or something."

"That's true." Dio said, with JoJo nodding.

"I suppose the army was just to watch over this mining area, huh?" Dante asked. He looked at the journal and was able to read parts of it, but not all. A lot of words were too big or obscure.

"I made them to protect me." The boy turned his head to the side. "I don't have anyone else to help me."

Dio and JoJo nodded, showing he was telling the truth.

"I can empathize, but I don't think that's all there is to it." Dante examined a vial filled with some liquid. Whatever it was, his appraisal wasn't high enough to identify it. He set it down and absorbed it into his shield, leaving checking the revealed shield for later. "The cacodemon and imps attacked us on sight."

"You aren't supposed to be here!"

"And you are?" Dante turned to the boy.

The young alchemist glared up at Dante before his face suddenly softened. "Wait, you know what they are?"

"Yeah." Dante pulled over the chair from the desk and sat in it. "Looks like we're from the same world, or at least ones that both have Doom in it."

"That's awesome!" The boy cried out. "Wait, how long have you been here?"

Dante raised an eyebrow. "You're trying to distract me."

"No!" He adjusted himself to face Dante fully. "I just...haven't had anyone to talk to about this stuff..."

Dante looked down at the boy. He isn't really a child. He died and was reborn here. He might very well be older than me. One look at his kids told him the alchemist was telling the truth. ...fine, dammit.

"I was summoned here less than two weeks ago." Dante said.

"Summoned? Oh..." The alchemist looked down. "Then you aren't like me."

"No, far from it." Dante shook his head. "I was chosen by the Legendary Shield to fight the waves, while—"

"Wait, you're the Shield Hero?" He laughed, falling back onto the ground. "You got the worst weapon!"

"...While you were chosen because you're a destructive asshole." Dante stood from his chair. "And I think I've indulged you enough. Time to die."

"W-Wait!" The boy seemed to realize how much trouble he was actually in. "I'm just a kid, you can't kill me!"

"He's right, Sir MacRory." Eclair said as she approached him. "The thing to do would be to turn him over to the guards."

"What guards?" Dante asked. "Ronota is gone. In the capital, we're criminals, and the rest of my party members are demi-humans or monsters. He's a 10-year-old boy here. Demi-human or not, no one in power would believe us over him."

"You're a criminal?" The boy asked. "What did you do?"

"Framed for raping the princess." Dante said to him quickly before returning to Eclair. "Better to kill him and be done with it. Besides, he was reincarnated. He had a life before being born here. He knows right from wrong, he has no excuse."