CHAPTER 10 - PART 5 & 6

Part 5

"Hey, there is not enough rice! And give me something with meat on it! Who cooked this! I want to see the lady manager—!"

I was depressed for making this huge mistake, while the delinquent beside me was being noisy.

The man arrested for dine and dash was picking on the quality of the food.

Maybe I should act shamelessly like he does.

… I don't really want to act that depraved though.

"Hey Kazuma, cheer up. I can't count the number of times I was charged in court with all my fingers. You aren't really an adventurer until you have been brought to the police station once. We will both be attending court tomorrow, so we should eat something good and have a good rest. I will get you some nice food! The cops here don't like trouble, so they will bring things over if you complain a bit."

After saying so, Dust started complaining in a volume loud enough to be heard throughout the station.

In the end, the police came over to warn Dust to not push his luck and beat him up. Dust turned quiet and I slept to be prepared for the next day.

— As it was getting late, I was woken by a tremor and sound of an explosion from a distance, just like last night.

I sat up immediately and heard Aqua's soft voice saying "Kazuma! Hey Kazuma, wake up!"

Hearing her voice, I clinged to the wall with the window and said:

"You are here again. What happened in the end last night? Is everyone fine?"

"Megumin and Darkness were sure they weren't seen by anyone on the way back, but they were still made a suspect for the explosion incident for some reason. The investigation capability of this world is amazing. But never mind that, I forced both of them to wear a hood they hated, so they would definitely not be found out this time."

No matter how you thought about it, the problem wasn't being seen by others while committing the crime, but the limited number of people who could use explosion spell in this town.

"Let's leave that for later, I was waiting for you the entire time, why didn't you escape? I waited until my head was covered in snow, I was even questioned by the police several times, how miserable."

"It's not a lock and key padlock, but a rotating number lock. And I don't have any lockpicking skills at all, there is no way I can do that with just a wire."

Hearing me say that, Aqua was quiet for a moment.

"… They got me this time, I didn't think their prison was so secure."

"It's just a number lock. More importantly, what are you planning to do? If I don't break out tonight, I will be charged in court tomorrow."

Hearing me say that, Aqua snorted a couple of times, she sounded confident.

Where does her baseless confidence stemmed from?

"The method yesterday was too roundabout. I prepared two saws today, I will throw one of it to your side."

… Saw?

"… You want me to saw the window's iron bars and escape?"

"So you do know. The time limit is daybreak, there is no time so hurry!"

After saying that, Aqua threw a saw in through the gaps of the iron bars.

I see, if both of us work together, we could double the speed of cutting the bars.

But the problem is—

"… The window is too high from my side, I can't reach it."

The window was placed high up on the wall to prevent prisoners from breaking out, I couldn't reach it even if I jump.

"Don't worry, I am not stupid, I already thought this might happen. I prepared a stepping stool, you can saw along with me if you used it. There is probably not enough time for one person sawing, but it should be fine with both of us working together."

I see.

"So how do you plan to get the stepping stool in? Squeeze it through the gaps between the bars?"

Aqua was silent for a while after I asked her this simple question.

"… Wait for me a minute."

After saying this, Aqua ran off.

Some time later—

"No, this is… a necessity for Kazuma, I have to give it to him…"

"I have never heard of anyone sending such a thing into a jail cell. And why are you here at this late hour…"

Aqua's voice could be heard in the distance.

She seemed to be trying to get the guards to pass that thing to me.

Maybe I should learn to act as earnestly as that idiot.

Surprisingly, as I listened to Aqua and the guard squabbling in the distance, I was no longer uneasy about going to court tomorrow.

— To dispose of the evidence, I threw the saw out of the window and slept while wrapped in my blanket.

Part 6

The justice system in this world was very simple. The prosecutor will collect evidence, and the accused will be defended by a representative.

If the judge concludes that the charges are true, he will pass judgement.

There were no lawyers in this world, the accused are defended by his friends.

The building structure was the same as the Japanese courts, the accused in handcuffs and the representative standing in the center of the court. The judge, prosecutor and plaintiff sat opposite them some distance away.

Right now—

No need to be so tense. Don't worry, we will stay by your side."

Megumin said, attempting to calm me down as I was so nervous that my whole body was stiff.

—That's right.

The ones standing beside me as my defence representative were the members of my party.

Why did things turn out like this?

Sitting in the seat of the prosecutor was Sena, who was staring at me, who couldn't hide my nervousness, with cold eyes.

"No problem, leave it to me. The crimson magic race have high intelligence, I will make that prosecutor cry through our debate."

The one to my right making this reliable speech is my defending attorney Megumin.

"Don't worry, if events develop beyond the point of redemption, I will think of a way to help you. You are not at fault for this incident at all."

Darkness who was standing to my left said.

How reliable, I feel at ease… But—

"Just leave it to me! As a woman of the cloth, my words are very convincing! Just leave everything to me!"

That's right, the problem lies with this girl. I asked Aqua to come over and whispered into her ear:

"Listen carefully Aqua. I'm begging you, please don't say anything. If you keep quiet obediently for the entire trial, I will buy snow crimson crab for you."

"What nonsense are you saying? If Kazuma is sentenced to jail or death, you won't be able to buy crab for me. Don't worry, the one most familiar with being an attorney is me. Kazuma likes to play video games right? Haven't you heard about people in Japan playing 'Based Attorney' and 'Manganronpa'? I played both of them before."

"Okay, I get it now. Please, don't say a word."

Aqua responded to my request by turning her head away unhappily.

This little—!

— A middle aged man that appeared to be the judge rapped the table with a mallet.

"Order in the court! We will now begin the trial for Satou Kazuma for the subversion of the nation! The plaintiff is Alexei Barnes Alderp!"

On the cue of the judge, a fat man stood up.

He was tall and bulky, his balding head shiny. A middle aged man full of body hair.

So that's the landlord who is suing me.

Landlord Alderp glared at me, as if he was judging my worth. He then used his lecherous eyes to look at the three ladies standing beside me.

After looking at every inch of Aqua and Megumin's body, he turned his sights on Darkness…

And he stood stiffly there with a look of surprise.

"Hey, that fat old man kept looking at us. I feel the presence of evil and have the urge to poke his eyes out."

"I'm pleading with you not to do that… And isn't he only staring at Darkness?"

"He is looking at her for a very long time. His eyes is the same as Kazuma when he is looking at Darkness when she walks around the mansion in flimsy attire."

"Ugh, hey, you got it wrong. I, I never looked at Darkness with such eyes…"

As I was explaining myself in a panic and looking at Darkness, I noticed she was staring at the landlord too.

"… What's wrong Darkness? Are you bothered by that old man's gaze?"

"… Neh, I'm fine, it's not that… I will tell you later."

Darkness doesn't look okay, but I have no time to ask her as the mallet fell again.

"Silence! I will have order in the court. Prosecutor, step forth! We have a magic item here, so any lie will be exposed in this court. Remember this when you speak."

The judge rapped the table again, and Sena stood up with this cue.

"I will now read out the charges… The accused, Satou Kazuma, took part with other adventurers in the battle against the mobile fortress destroyer when it attacked. He gave the order during the battle to send the Coronatite that was going to explode, away via teleportation. The Coronatite that was teleported exploded after appearing in the mansion of the plaintiff. The mansion of the plaintiff, Alderp disappeared. Right now, lord Alderp is forced to live in an inn within this town."

As Sena was reading the charges, the plaintiff landlord was still staring at Darkness.

"When transporting monsters, drugs and dangerous items such as explosives, the use of random teleportation is prohibited. It is stated clearly in the law, and the instruction given out by the accused clearly contravenes this law; Also, threatening the life of the landlord could potentially shake the foundation of the nation. Hence, the prosecution requests for the accused to be found guilty of subversion of the state!"

"Objection!"

It happened right after Sena finished reading the charges.

Aqua who was standing beside me moved in front, raising one arm as she shouted.

"It isn't time for the defendant to speak. Seek permission before you say anything… Well, this is your first time in court, I will give you a pass this time… The defence may speak."

The judge prompts Aqua, but she simply shook her head with a look of satisfaction:

"I just wanted to try saying 'objection', it's okay."

"The defence may only speak when defending the accused!"

This idiot, I really felt like giving her a tight slap.

Aqua who was scolded by the judge right after the court session started seemed contented and returned to my side.

Sena who was thrown off her game seemed to be panicking a little.

"… Eh, that's all I have to say. In short, we are asking for Satou Kazuma to be found guilty of subversion of the nation…"

After Sena finished and returned to her seat, the Judge said:

"Next, I grant permission for the accused and his defence to speak. You may plead your case!"

"— And so, the demon king boss Beldia and the destroyer was only defeated thanks to my efforts. It is strange to accuse me of subversion of the nation with my contribution to the town. In fact, I think that everyone should be complimenting me instead!"

With the permission of the judge, I stated my piece in the center of the court.

I described how cool I was in the fight with Beldia.

Emphasizing how great my coordination was in the battle with the mobile fortress destroyer.

The judge looked at the lie exposing magic bell several times during my statement, but I didn't mind.

I might have exaggerated a little, but I didn't make any of these up.

"Enough, enough, I understand what the defendant is trying to say. Moving on, prosecutor. Please present the evidence showing why the accused should be found guilty of subversion of the nation."

The judge hurried Sena to submit the evidence with an irate face. Sena gave a gesture to a knight standing beside her.

Seeing that, the knight walked towards the waiting room in the court as Sena picked up a piece of paper and read.

"The prosecution will present the evidences, proving the accused is a terrorist attempting to subvert the authority of the nation, or that he is related to the demon king army. Witness, please take the stand!"

With the instruction of Sena, the knight brought the witnesses into the court. They were mostly adventurers.

Or rather—

"Ahahaha… I was summoned…"

The first witness was Chris who was looking at me with a troubled face as she scratched the scar on her face.

Including the thief Chris, the ones summoned to court as witnesses were familiar faces.