Chapter 106: Hero Festival – Middle (3)

Zone of Truth
Classified as a 4th-circle divine spell, the “Zone of Truth” fills an area of about 10 meters with the authority of Stig-Loani, the angel of law and contracts.

Within this zone, no one can tell lies.

This spell is widely known and historically significant, often employed with the assistance of priests during interrogations of criminals detained by guards.

At first glance, it may seem like an incredible spell that could eradicate the concept of lies from the world entirely.

However, it is not without its limitations.

The most notable drawback is that, like other spells, it can be resisted.

If the person being interrogated has a strong enough willpower, they might overcome the compulsion and lie as if unaffected.

In such cases, the “Zone of Truth” can inadvertently assist the culprit by lending credibility to their lies, producing counterproductive results.

As a result, this spell is primarily used as a supplementary tool to reinforce claims rather than as definitive proof of guilt.

Its role is akin to a lie detector in real life: effective at detecting falsehoods with high probability but not infallible, as a well-trained individual can often overcome its constraints.

The “Zone of Truth” shows its true value not in interrogations but in situations where there are justified reasons to believe the subject won’t resist—when resistance is unlikely or impossible.

For instance, it might be cast discreetly, so the target remains unaware of its activation, allowing natural responses to be observed.

Alternatively, it can be used in public scenarios to provide clear “proof” in front of an audience.

“Alright, Lady Exia. Please repeat after me,” Marianne instructed after completing the spell, covering her mouth slightly with her hand.

“‘I am the worst magic sword in the world.’”

-“What? Why would I—”

“It’s fine. Just try it. Quickly now!”

-“Hmm…”

Exia hesitated but reluctantly repeated Marianne’s words.

-“I am the worst… the worst…”

“…Huh?”

Exia tilted her head in confusion, unable to say the rest.

Seeing this, Marianne smiled.

“Good, it seems the spell worked properly.”

-“What did you cast on me? I couldn’t say what I wanted!”

“I’ve created a Zone of Truth in this area.

You can no longer lie, even if you wanted to. Of course, I trust you wouldn’t lie anyway, but we need a clear demonstration for everyone.”

Marianne glanced back.

By now, a sizable crowd had gathered around them, drawn by the commotion.

The spectacle had become a public event, attracting nearly as many people as a trial in the town square.

Feeling the weight of the crowd’s attention, Marianne crossed her arms, a hint of nervousness in her demeanor.

“Phew… standing in front of so many people is a bit overwhelming, but… for the sake of protecting Sien and Exia, I can do this! I’ll give it my all!” she declared, her eyes sparkling with determination.

Meanwhile, Sion, watching Marianne with a mix of unease and suspicion, muttered to Exia, -“This won’t go wrong, right?”

-“Of course not! I’d never have romantic feelings for you, Sion.

That’s as unlikely as an orc and an elf starting a family! Trust me, I’ll prove that child’s delusions false and clear this ridiculous slander!”

As Exia confidently beat her chest, Sion’s unease deepened.

‘Can I really trust this fool? She’s bound to mess this up spectacularly,’

 Sion thought, recalling Exia’s colorful history of missteps.

However, retreating wasn’t an option now.

Fleeing would only fuel the rumors. The best course was to tackle this head-on and hope for the best.

“Alright, then. Let’s begin,” Marianne said, clearing her throat. “Are you ready, Lady Exia?”

-“Of course! Bring it on! I’ll handle any question you throw at me with ease!”

“Alright, here’s the first question: Lady Exia, do you like Lord Sien?”

-“Heh, easy!” Exia smirked, her voice loud and confident enough for all to hear.

“Listen up, everyone, because I’ll say this only once…I don’t like Sien!
That should have answered the question, right?!”

“!!!”

A ripple spread through the gathered crowd.

The reactions were largely twofold:
Some wore expressions as if their world had collapsed, wallowing in despair. Others smirked smugly at their misery.

Judging by their attire, they were unmistakably the members of the “Exia Faction” and the “Mana Faction.”

“No way!!! After all the effort we put into supporting this pairing, it all collapses in a moment???”

“Ha! Who told you to push such a ridiculous tsundere theory? There’s no way someone like that exists in real life. Have you come to your senses now, Exia Faction? Hmm?”

The crowd quickly grew noisy.

However, amidst the mental collapse of all the staunch Sien-Exia supporters, one person remained perfectly composed—Marianne.

No, to be precise, she wasn’t merely calm; she was smiling faintly, as if she had expected this outcome all along.

After waiting briefly for the commotion to subside, she spoke.
“Are you serious about what you just said, Exia?”

-“Of course, I’m serious! After all, Marianne, you were the one who first laid down this groundwork. Doubting its effectiveness now is—”

“Then, do you hate him?”

-“…What?”

Exia asked back in a stunned tone, to which Marianne replied with a sly smile.

“The opposite of liking is hating, isn’t it? So, if you don’t like him, does that mean you hate him?

On the journey, you often sang songs like, ‘I can’t stand you,’ and such. Were you being honest then?”

-“Of course I don’t h—”

Exia instinctively began to reply but stopped abruptly.

It was a sensation she had felt earlier when discussing the cursed sword—a strange force pressed against her throat, rendering her speechless.

Sensing the impending crisis, Sion, who had been watching anxiously, quickly intervened.

“She doesn’t hate him. Right, Exia? No matter what, they were comrades. Surely, she doesn’t lack even the basic decency to acknowledge that. Even if there’s no romantic interest, they can at least call it friendship, can’t they?”

-“Y-yes, exactly!”

Exia nodded, a bead of cold sweat forming on her forehead, and followed up on Sion’s words.

-“I don’t hate him. Come on, we traveled together for three years! There’s no way I’d genuinely despise him.
All those times I said I didn’t like him? Those were just things I said in the moment, swept up by my emotions…”

“Oh, is that so?”

Marianne smiled, raising a finger to her lips.

For some reason, both Exia and Sion felt a chill run down their spines at that gesture.

Marianne then pulled out a thick book titled The Gospel♡ from her belongings.

“Then let’s go through this step by step, shall we?”

She flipped through the book as she spoke.

“Let’s see… Volume 1 of The Hero Lier’s Journey, Chapter 3, Page 138.

When Sien was unusually dejected after a major failure at Krimvaltz, you specifically asked the Hero to place a sword near Sien and cast a sacred barrier throughout the night.

Do you remember that?”

-“W-what…?”

“And why did you do that?”

-“Well, sacred power has a natural calming effect, so I thought it might help him regain his spirits…”
Exia’s voice trailed off as she spoke.

Incidentally, thanks to Exia’s well-meaning but oblivious gesture, Sien ended up tossing and turning all night instead.

As a demon-kin, sacred power was nothing short of a slow-acting poison to him.

The next morning, upon learning that Exia had created the sacred barrier, Sien had responded with annoyance rather than gratitude, leading to a heated argument.

Looking back, this might have been when Exia began harboring ill feelings toward him.

After all, she had spent the entire night focusing her energy, only to be met with scorn.

It was an honest mistake from Sien, still unfamiliar with human emotions in his first year.

But why was Marianne suddenly bringing up something from so long ago?

“To stand watch over someone all night, just for comfort… Was that really all it was?
In my opinion, such devotion is hard to justify with mere camaraderie.”

-“What are you implying?! I’m perfectly capable of that! It’s not like I feel fatigue like humans do! In fact, I was hurt by Sien’s ungrateful reaction back then. Isn’t that proof that I dislike him?”

“Oh, really? You’re saying it wasn’t resentment from a failed attempt to approach someone you liked under the guise of concern?”

-“Wha…!?”

Exia raised her voice indignantly, but before she could finish, Marianne winked and swiftly changed the subject.

“Alright, let’s move on! There’s still so much more to cover!”

Thus began the barrage of hellish questions.