Chapter 47 - Another kind of interrogation

Lisa released a sigh of relief after hearing Marc's very convincing statement.

Finding the air awkward, Marc took his attention away from shuffling the cards and saw that new potential players were here "Hey guys, are you here to join?" Marc asked while showing the stack of cards and wondered "Did I say something I shouldn't?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Lisa, Nina, Aina, and Naome were speechless at his invitation. They all had rather similar thoughts "Does he think he's on a field trip?"

But Lisa was very overjoyed to know Marc didn't mess around with any whores at the Red Light District. So much that she couldn't help put her hands on Marc's cheeks before lifting him by the head and hug him tight in her bosom.

Normally Marc would be ecstatic by the treatment, but if the woman's strength could pup his head like a watermelon, he couldn't savor it.

"Mhmhmhmhmh…" His voice was muffled and ended up being just a mumble, so the only thing he could do was pat her back with his hand to indicate he was dying.

When Lisa realized the situation he was in, she immediately released her grip, making Marc fall exaggeratedly on the ground.

Taking deep breaths of air in a little, Marc stated "Those must be a hidden weapon of Fiore."

"Ah, I'm very sorry Marc. I forgot to control my strength." Apologized Lisa with an apologetic tone.

Marc showed a wry smile when he thought about their power levels. He's after all a man with pride that didn't want to be weak, but shaking the bad thoughts away, Marc looked at Leonardo and said "Let's continue with the game."

"…We should stop here. I have a few things I want to ask the Guild Master about." Said Leonardo much to Marc's disappointment as he was sure about winning this game after shuffling the cards to his advantage.

…

While Marc was imprisoned and Leonardo was getting statements from Lisa, Carlos was getting medical attention at his home to stop the bleedings where his three limbs were cut off.

"I'm glad I forced that adventurer to give up this Magic Item a while back or I would have been dead, but I still lost my legs and arm. It makes me so furious that a mere bodyguard dares to betray me. I don't know where that Joaquin is, but when I find him…" Thought Carlos after his butler had used some rare herbs that can help the body with closing wounds much faster. Still, it wasn't so miraculous that it would let his limbs grow back or anything. If he had such things he would have instantly used it.

*Baam*

A little white-haired old man stormed inside his son's bedroom. It was Carlos' father, Charley who ran straight home after getting news that his son was attacked and badly hurt.

"Son! Are you okay- your legs! Who did this to you?"

"As I can't get revenge from that Jester who did this to me, I will just have to do with that little peasant who was supposed to protect me. He couldn't even do that and even ruined my fun with that girl. Thus I will get him executed!" Planned Carlos maliciously in his mind.

"It was that little peasant who took the quest to guard me on the way to kill those bandits uncle tasked me to exterminate. That bodyguard of yours betrayed me too and sided with the bandits. You have to help me get revenge father!" Explained Carlos, before pleading to his father for help.

"I will my son. I will. But tell me everything first." Said Charley, planning to hear all the details first before asking his brother for help.

…

A few hours later, Leonardo had heard enough to think that Marc was innocent after Rofta and Gina showed up at the barracks.

At first, they went to the guild to ask Lisa for help, but a fellow adventurer told them the news that was happening in the capital. The adventurer said specifically that Marc was arrested at a brothel after 'working' so hard that it made a whore scream hard enough so that the roof was blown off. As Marc couldn't compensate, he was arrested.

Then they ran to the barracks with black expressions as they cursed Marc silently.

"Now that you know that it wasn't me who attacked that baron who thinks that a gold spoon in his ass is a crown. Why am I not being permitted to leave yet?" Asked Marc who was now sitting in Leonardo's temporary office with everybody else around.

Leonardo looked Marc dead in the eyes with no humor whatsoever and said "Even if you are innocent, it doesn't change the fact that the Alden family has been slapped in the face. Even if he's just a useless baron with just a title and no power, he's after all still caries the Alden family name. A royal family takes their image very seriously. Well, exceptions are beginning to show." Leonardo told Marc before looking at the exception in question, Lisa.

She was about to click her tongue in disdain, but she remembered something from the book she read earlier. "To make sure your man comes back, you will have to be the support in his life, but without feeling like a controlling woman. Try a simple gesture like holding hands."

Lisa then looked at Marc's hand and decided to give it a try and held his hand before saying "Don't worry, I will help you turn the Alden family over if they dare do something!"

Marc was surprised by the touch and wondered what was going on in Lisa's head, as she's usually pretty reserved with him if you don't count her instinctual hugs.

Hearing her daughter's words, Aina added "That will do us no good if you do that. The annual war of the border is about to break out, and if you make a fuss right now, you will just give the other royal families a reason to push us to do the dirty work in the war. We have no choice but to do this in a non-aggressive way."

As everything turned into politics, Marc almost fell asleep. On contrary, Rofta was paying attention and couldn't help compare it with the country he's from. "This country's way of doing politics is rather...tricky and humane."

While they were talking, a guard suddenly knocked on the door and Naome opened it and got a message from him.

After reading it, she told Leonardo the important details, "The queen has ordered that the accused of attacking a royal will be judged in the Royal court in 4 hours."

Hearing that, Leonardo stood and crouched in his chair with his arms on his knees, contemplating something. "Seems like the queen doesn't want to wait anymore and intends to choose the front runner in the war." He said his deduction making the air a little heavy.

"…"

*Snore*

But a sleeping little man broke it. Marc's snoring seemed to calm the heavy air.

Finding the situation weird, Naome, couldn't help asking "Is he always like this?"

Rofta and Gina just looked away when she looked at them for an answer, not intending to answer anything out of embarrassment. Marc's technically the party leader on the contract they signed at the Adventurers Guild, and here he is sleeping in an important conversation that could decide his life.

But someone wanted to brag, and the lady in question pushed her chest out and hit it with a fist while having her nose in the air. "Of course he is," replied Lisa with pride.

Nina smiled innocently at her big sister's behavior but her mother released a sigh before using a Celestial Magic spell to talk with other users through their keys. "We have 4 hours to prepare for our defense, and we should use the time wisely. I will go and check the place where the three fought. Maybe we are lucky to find a survivor or something that can be used as evidence. Nina, you should go and ask that girl from the Mei family for help, more specifically, make them support us in the Royal Court…But if she asks for money, please don't give her too much. Lisa, choose some trusted adventurers to gather intel about the Fiore family's stand. Will they help the Alden family if we get the upper hand in court? The queen has been too silent after the king died, so I don't know what she's thinking."

The kingdom of Fiore has 4 big Royal families. Heartfilia, Alden, Mei, and the current queen's family, Fiore.

x2 "Yes mother," said Nina and Lisa. They knew things were getting critical and it's no longer just about a murder attempt on a useless Baron, but a game to see which Royal Family will pay the biggest price in the war of borders against the country of Bosco and Seven. The Heartfilia family has no intention of being used as a meat shield just so the other families can reap benefits from their sacrifices.

"You should properly wake him up and begin making preparations for the trial. I will do what I can to help you in the court as he's innocent." Said Leonardo before leaving the office and the others behind. He intends to do his own investigation of the other members of the Royal Court. He knows how they like to point fingers at the innocent if it's to their advantage.

He thought while leaving with Naome following behind him "I wonder how many bells I will hear this year. How many innocent people will die because of greed?"

***

(A/N: Like any other country, Fiore wants to expand its borders, so they wage war to push it. It's the same with the other countries.)

(A/N: And if you haven't realized it yet, yes Rofta is from another country with a more barbaric ruling.)

(Words: 1641)

(A/N: Support me and this story on -> bit.ly/2MZTn3p )