Chapter 39 _ False Afterimages, or the Proof of Humiliation
On the road back from the Imperial Capital, Urks,
we deliberately chose not to use teleportation.
A march of two or three days would be the perfect opportunity
to engrave the harassing sword techniques we had learned
at the God Wolf’s den into our bodies.
Walking beside Iris, matching her stride,
we talked quietly about the future.
…But that peaceful time was shattered—
suddenly, violently.
“There he is! Surround him—now!!”
From both sides of the road,
drawn swords flashed as guards and hostile adventurers surged toward us.
“W–wait! What is this!? Stop—!”
We had no time to resist.
Strong arms forced me down,
my face smashed into the hard dirt.
The crushing weight pinning me down
squeezed the air from my lungs.
“Stay still, traitor!”
Ropes tightened painfully around my wrists.
As confusion spread through our group,
a man who appeared to be the captain stepped forward
and delivered a cold proclamation.
“You are Mario.
By order of the crown, you are under arrest
for the attempted assassination of King Rudolf of Eridush.”
“…What?”
My mind went blank.
“Assassination… of the king?”
“You are suspected of infiltrating the royal audience
and firing a crossbow at close range.
You will explain yourself at the castle.”
“Wait!”
Roger stepped forward sharply.
The soldiers flinched under his piercing glare.
“Lord Wilfred…” the captain said stiffly.
“As the former captain of the royal guard,
you of all people should understand the gravity of this situation.”
“Mario was with us the entire time in Urks,” Roger snapped.
“It would’ve been impossible for him to attack the king!”
“…There are countless witnesses,” the captain replied coldly.
“They all claim they saw this Mario pull the trigger in broad daylight!”
The surrounding adventurers began shouting over one another.
“Yeah! I remember that smug grin when he aimed the crossbow!”
“He got famous after the God Wolf incident!
No way we’re mistaken!”
Dragged forward like a criminal,
I caught Iris staring at me with trembling eyes.
Her fists were clenched white,
and the air around her wavered like heat haze—
not magic, but a raw, violent energy.
“Mario… Mario…!”
Her desperate cry echoed uselessly into the dusk-lit road.
Eridush Castle. Audience Chamber.
The sound of chains binding my body
rang coldly against the high ceiling.
After an hour of suffocating silence,
the massive doors opened.
King Rudolf of Eridush seated himself upon the throne.
“So… you are the insolent fool
who dared to aim for my life.
State your name.”
“…Yamada Mario,” I answered.
My voice was hoarse with tension.
“The crime of attempting regicide warrants death.
Do you have any last words?”
“I didn’t do it,” I said.
“I was in the Imperial Capital with my companions the whole time.
Please—believe me.”
Laughter erupted around the chamber.
“What a joke! You ran fast enough when it counted!”
“Your Majesty,” Roger said, stepping forward and kneeling on one knee.
“It has been some time.”
“Oh! Wilfred!” the king exclaimed.
“Why are you traveling with this criminal?”
“Because he is not a criminal,” Roger replied calmly.
“Your Majesty, Mario’s innocence
can be proven by his incompetence.”
“…Explain.”
“Release him temporarily,” Roger said.
“And you—adventurer.
Run with Mario from one end of this hall to the other.
As fast as you can.”
Before I could understand what was happening,
I was forced into an impromptu footrace.
The result—
…was a complete defeat.
Despite my training,
my former shut-in legs were no match for a professional adventurer.
Within seconds, I was left more than ten meters behind,
collapsing to my knees, gasping for breath.
“Haah… haah…!”
Snickers spread through the hall.
“As you can see, Your Majesty,” Roger said coolly.
“The witnesses claim the assassin fled
‘with speed too fast for the eye to follow.’”
“Do you truly believe
this sluggish man could perform such a feat?
He cannot use magic either.
By any rational standard, it is impossible.”
“…Hmph,” King Rudolf muttered, stroking his chin.
“It would be difficult to feign such pathetic slowness.
Too humiliating.”
Roger pressed on,
presenting the attempted assassination in Urks
and the proof of passage using the king’s sword.
Hours later, confirmation arrived
via teleport dispatch from the Imperial Capital.
My innocence was established.
“…Then who, exactly, tried to kill me?”
the king demanded.
I stood and met his gaze directly.
“Your Majesty, may I speak?”
“You may.”
“I have connections with the God Wolf—
the mother of my closest friend, Frey.
She may be able to identify
the true nature of this impostor.”
I spoke without glancing at Frey.
At my feet,
the cat pretending very hard to be a cat
twitched her whiskers sharply,
her eyes narrowing into an unmistakably displeased glare.
I noticed nothing.
“Very well!” the king declared.
“Mario, I grant you a special mission.
Return to the God Wolf and uncover the truth behind this incident.
Time is of the essence!”
“Yes, sir! I will not fail!”
As we left the castle,
Iris gripped my arm tightly.
“I’m so glad… truly glad you’re safe, Mario…”
Feeling her warmth,
a cold anger burned within me.
Someone had used my face
to target emperors and kings alike,
to spread chaos and threaten peace.
A false Mario.
A shadow aiming for two crowns.
To uncover the truth,
we ran once more toward the snow-silver peaks
where the divine beast awaited.
