Chapter 41 : Truth Workshop (3)

<I will now reveal all truths. I am Ray Rogers, the mage of the First Hero’s Party and the First Great Sage. I have imbued my power into this crystal orb, which serves as my alter ego. Swearing upon my honor, I shall evaluate Victor Evans’ potential.>

<He possesses extraordinary, no, superhuman qualities that even surpass the First Hero.>

<A buffing skill, to be precise.>

<All companions in the same party as him receive constant buffs, healing wounds automatically, regenerating infinite stamina and mana, and exponentially increasing all stats.>

<Even an ordinary person blessed by Victor’s buffs could cast magic rivaling that of an Archmage. Such is the tremendous power of his buff.>

<Victor Evans’ ability is nothing short of terrifying.>

<Throughout this time, Victor Evans has greatly empowered the Hero’s Party through his buffs. However, as the Hero grew stronger, so did the demons, resulting in a stalemate with no victories achieved.>

<If Victor Evans is excluded, humanity will fall behind the now overwhelmingly powerful demons.>

<Appoint Victor Evans as the next hero, the 100th Hero, immediately.>

<This is humanity’s only salvation.>

<I, Ray Rogers, the mage of the First Hero’s Party and the First Great Sage, guarantee it.>

<Humankind!>

<If you wish to survive, invest everything in Victor Evans!>

<Otherwise, humanity will face its doom!>

The resounding voice of the crystal orb ceased there.

It was a long speech, indeed.

And what followed was an even longer silence.

No one dared to speak—not I, nor the Great Sage, nor even the Emperor.

The truth revealed by the crystal orb was that colossal and devastating.

“…Ahem!”

Breaking the awkward silence with an equally awkward cough was none other than the Great Sage.

“An SSSSSSS-rank skill, you say? I’ve never heard of such a thing… But if the crystal orb’s words are true—no, the crystal orb always speaks the truth—this would be an unprecedented scandal. The Victor Evans we dismissed as an incompetent hero turns out to be more qualified than even the First Hero himself. Nothing in history compares to such a revelation.”

“It’s a trap!”

Someone shouted, shattering the silence. It was General Zero.

“Everyone, listen! I am General Zero!”

All eyes turned to him as he declared with confidence.

“I possess the State Monitor, a magical device more precise than any crystal orb! I swear on my State Monitor: everything the crystal orb said is a lie! It’s nonsense, all of it! I’ve already proven that he’s incompetent! How could such a man surpass the First Hero? Do you all not know how great the First Hero was?”

“General…”

Finally, the Emperor spoke. Or rather, he ground his teeth more than spoke.

“Are you certain of that?”

“Your Majesty! Do you not trust me?”

“If the crystal orb’s words prove true… your life will be forfeit.”

“Y-Your Majesty! Please trust me! Issue the order to execute Victor Evans immediately and summon the next hero!”

“Before that…”

Unable to bear it any longer, I interjected.

“Shouldn’t we determine who’s telling the truth? Huh? Don’t you think so? The crystal orb went to such lengths to speak, yet you’d kill me based solely on Zero’s words? That doesn’t seem right, does it?”

“Enough!”

The Emperor shouted.

“Stop trying to sway public opinion. It doesn’t matter who’s right. Zero is correct. I’ll kill you and summon a new hero. That will end everything.”

“That’s not acceptable,” the Great Sage objected.

“Victor is right. We must discern whether to trust the crystal orb or the State Monitor. Killing Victor now would bury the truth. Nobody here wants such an outcome—not even the dignitaries gathered from around the world.”

The Great Sage’s words struck a chord. The crowd grew restless, unable to hide their agitation.

“He’s right! Suddenly killing Victor makes no sense! What about the truth?”

“If the crystal orb spoke so adamantly, shouldn’t we at least question Zero’s credibility?”

“Exactly. I think so too.”

“Besides, what motive would the crystal orb have to lie? Why would the First Great Sage side with Victor?”

“Not to mention the logic is impeccable. There’s no flaw.”

“In any case, I oppose killing Victor right now. It serves no purpose.”

The tide of opinion turned against the Emperor, but he refused to relent.

“Wait! How do we determine the truth? The Great Sage and Zero contradict one another. Who do we believe?”

No one responded to the Emperor. It was an unanswerable question.

“I trust Zero. The Great Sage isn’t even of the Empire. Anyway, Victor is nothing but incompetent… and…”

The Emperor’s eyes darted about until they landed on a potential ally—the Hero’s party members.

“Oh! Let’s ask his companions! You there, stop hiding and step forward!”

At his command, Cynthia, Tiffany, and Jeanne emerged from the crowd.

The Emperor addressed them.

“Tell me, what do you make of the crystal orb’s claims? What are your impressions of Victor?”

The party members began speaking in turn.

“It’s infuriating.”

Cynthia started, her missing arm yet to heal.

“Victor was providing us buffs? No, that’s impossible. All of our success was due to our efforts, not anything we received from Victor. The Victor I knew was an utterly incompetent and small-minded individual,” Cynthia said.

“I agree,” added Tiffany.

“Throughout the expedition, we had to constantly babysit Victor, who was nothing but a burden. And now we’re supposed to credit him for everything? It’s absurd.”

Jeanne spoke next.

“It’s not just unpleasant—it’s infuriating. I suspect some sort of underhanded deal between Victor and the Great Sage. Everyone knows Victor’s incompetence, so what’s the point of denying it now?”

“Did everyone hear that?” the Emperor said with relief.

“Did you all hear? These are the people who were closest to Victor, and this is their testimony. What more is there to discuss?”

“There is something to discuss,” the Great Sage interjected.

“Their opinions are highly subjective and emotional. They’re venting their feelings rather than stating facts.”

“Great Sage, Jeanne just accused you of collusion with Victor. And yet you continue to defend him? It’s rather suspicious. Did you accept money from Victor? Ah, perhaps you took some of the funds he embezzled! That would explain everything perfectly!”

“Summon! Theresia!”

Ignoring the Emperor’s provocation, the Great Sage cast a summoning spell.

It was a summoning magic that brought forth Theresia, who was imprisoned deep in the underground dungeons.

Bound hand and foot, the saint appeared before us.

No one knew why the Great Sage had summoned her, but it was clear this was no ordinary matter.

“Listen closely. Theresia here is officially imprisoned for embezzling party funds and sentenced to an indefinite term in the deepest dungeon. Effectively, a life sentence.”

“And what of it? Explain why you’ve brought a criminal here without my permission,” the Emperor demanded.

“Victor,” the Great Sage called out to me in a soft voice, though her next words were anything but kind.

“Now, execute Theresia.”

“What?” I was stunned. What was she talking about all of a sudden?

“But first, officially recognize Theresia as your party member. Let’s confirm once and for all if you can truly provide buffs.”

“Wait a minute… If what the crystal orb said isn’t true, Theresia will die!”

“Let’s ask Theresia. Theresia, do you agree with what I’ve just proposed?”

“Yes, I agree, Great Sage,” Theresia replied without hesitation, despite being blindfolded and unable to see anything.

“Now, strike me down, Victor. Don’t hesitate,” Theresia said with a serene smile.

“Theresia, you might actually die!”

“I won’t die. So please, accept me back into the party first.”

I couldn’t back out now, nor could I let Theresia’s resolve go to waste.

“Fine. Let’s do this.”

“I, Victor Evans, formally accept Saint Theresia back into the party.”

With that, I officially approved her reentry into the party. Borrowing a standard sword from a nearby soldier, I took a deep breath.

“Hoo… I’m really going to do this, Theresia.”

“Yes.”

Theresia smiled.

And I slashed it away mercilessly.

Theresia’s head separated from her body and soared into the air.