Rising Of The Shield Hero Web Novel ver

False Accusations

Once we arrived at the castle, the knights marched me - still in my underwear - into the royal audience chamber, spears prodding at my back. The king and minister were waiting for me with sullen looks on their faces.

And...

"Myne!"

Not only were Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki already there, along with all of their followers, but Myne as well. However, when I called out to her she shrank back behind Motoyasu and glared at me.

"Huh? What's with that reaction?"

Everybody was looking at me as if I was a villain.

"You're saying you don't remember?"

Motoyasu questioned me with a threat of menace in his voice. What the hell was all this?

"Don't remember wha... huh?"

I suddenly realized that Motoyasu was wearing my chain mail.

"Wait a minute... you! You're the thief!"
"Who are you to accuse anybody!? I never thought you could stoop so low, you... you fiend!"
"Fiend? What are you talking about?"

At that, the atmosphere in the audience chamber shifted. I had the distinct feeling that I was in a courtroom.

"Yes, please state the charges against the Shield Hero."
"Charges? What are you talking about?"
"L-last night the Shield Hero got drunk, burst into my room, and... and... f-forced me down against my will!"
"Huh?"
"He... he told me that the night was still young, and then started r-ripping off my clothes..."

Myne clung to Motoyasu's back, crying and accusing me through her sobs.

"It was so scary... I only barely managed to escape from the room, screaming. Thankfully Lord Motoyasu was there to help me."
"Eh?"

Where was all this coming from? All I remembered doing last night was going to bed early and sleeping like a baby.

I looked at Myne in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about? After dinner yesterday, all I did was go to my room and sleep."
"Liar! If that were true, why would Myne be crying like this?"
"Why are you being so protective of her? You barely know her! And while you're at it, explain where you got that chain mail!"

Didn't they meet for the first time yesterday?

"Oh, this? I just happened to run into Myne while I was drinking alone at the tavern, yesterday. We talked for a while, and she gave it to me as a gift."
"Huh?"

No matter how I looked at it, it was my chain mail. I mean, the chances that Myne had bought it with her own money weren't zero, but given that my own chain mail had disappeared right before Motoyasu suddenly got a brand new set for himself, well... anybody would be suspicious.

I gave up on talking with Motoyasu and appealed directly to the king.

"Your Majesty! Last night all of my possessions except my shield were stolen away in the night by some thief! I beg of you, please, find out who did it and arrest them."
"Silence, fiend!"